Abstract
Expansion of oil palm agriculture is currently one of the main drivers of habitat modification in Southeast Asia. Habitat modification can have significant effects on biodiversity, ecosystem function, and interactions between species by altering species abundances or the available resources in an ecosystem. Increasing complexity within modified habitats has the potential to maintain biodiversity and preserve species interactions. We investigated trophic interactions between Argyrodes miniaceus, a cleptoparasitic spider, and its Nephila spp. spider hosts in mature oil palm plantations in Sumatra, Indonesia. A. miniaceus co‐occupy the webs of Nephila spp. females and survive by stealing prey items caught in the web. We examined the effects of experimentally manipulated understory vegetation complexity on the density and abundance of A. miniaceus in Nephila spp. webs. Experimental understory treatments included enhanced complexity, standard complexity, and reduced complexity understory vegetation, which had been established as part of the ongoing Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in Tropical Agriculture (BEFTA) Project. A. miniaceus density ranged from 14.4 to 31.4 spiders per square meter of web, with significantly lower densities found in reduced vegetation complexity treatments compared with both enhanced and standard treatment plots. A. miniaceus abundance per plot was also significantly lower in reduced complexity than in standard and enhanced complexity plots. Synthesis and applications: Maintenance of understory vegetation complexity contributes to the preservation of spider host–cleptoparasite relationships in oil palm plantations. Understory structural complexity in these simplified agroecosystems therefore helps to support abundant spider populations, a functionally important taxon in agricultural landscapes. In addition, management for more structurally complex agricultural habitats can support more complex trophic interactions in tropical agroecosystems.
Highlights
Tropical habitats are experiencing rapid change as the rate of agricultural expansion in the tropics increases (Foley et al, 2005; Gibbs et al, 2010; Hansen et al, 2008; Tylianakis, Didham, Bascompte, & Wardle, 2008; Tylianakis, Tscharntke, & Lewis, 2007)
We examine the impact of oil palm understory vegetation complexity as well as host characteristics on Argyrodes miniaceus (Doleschall, 1857) cleptoparasites in the webs of female Nephila spp. hosts (Koh & Li, 2002; Miyashita, 2002; Rypstra 1981)
This study investigated factors, including habitat complexity, that influence Argyrodes miniaceus cleptoparasite occurrence within Nephila spp. host webs in oil palm plantations
Summary
Tropical habitats are experiencing rapid change as the rate of agricultural expansion in the tropics increases (Foley et al, 2005; Gibbs et al, 2010; Hansen et al, 2008; Tylianakis, Didham, Bascompte, & Wardle, 2008; Tylianakis, Tscharntke, & Lewis, 2007). Increased habitat complexity can increase parasitism rates by providing additional resources for parasites, such as increased host density or food resources (Berndt et al, 2006; Irvin et al, 2006; Kruess, 2003; Rusch et al, 2011; Tylianakis, Didham, & Wratten, 2004), but can decrease parasitism rates by increasing the host’s ability to defend against parasites (Denno, Finke, & Langellotto, 2005; Gols et al, 2005; Wilkinson & Feener, 2007) By quantifying the effect of understory complexity on a host–parasite relationship, this study will yield novel insights into the effect of habitat structure and management on food web complexity in a tropical agricultural landscape
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