Spider Assemblages of Tree Branches in Managed and Primeval Deciduous Stands of the Białowieża Forest

Marzena Stańska,Maciej Bartos,Tomasz Stański

doi:10.3390/f13010005

Marzena Stańska, Maciej Bartos + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/f13010005

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Abstract

The Białowieża Forest is an important biodiversity hotspot on a European scale, and therefore its preservation should have a high priority. However, forest management conducted over a large area of the forest, intensive logging, and elimination of dead trees pose serious threats to many species in the forest. The main aim of this study was to determine the species composition of spider assemblages inhabiting tree branches of the Białowieża Forest and to compare their species richness and the abundance of individuals (adults and juveniles) between managed and primeval stands. Between April and November 2000, we sampled three forest types (oak–lime–hornbeam forest, ash–alder riparian forest, and alder carr) in protected primeval stands within the Białowieża National Park and in managed stands. We collected 1761 specimens from 14 families and identified 41 species. Tree branches were inhabited mainly by juveniles. Species richness was smaller in managed stands compared to primeval stands. The highest number of species was found in primeval alder carr. Our study shows a negative effect of forest management on spider assemblages in terms of species richness. We emphasize the important role of alder carr forests as potential biodiversity hotspots.

Highlights

Spider assemblages inhabiting branches and foliage or more broadly, tree canopies, are rare objects of research
The primary objectives of the present study were: (1) to determine the species composition of spider assemblages on tree branches in oak–lime–hornbeam forest, ash–alder riparian forest, and alder carr located in both managed and primeval stands of the Białowieża Forest; (2) to compare spider assemblages between managed and primeval stands in respect of the abundance of spider individuals and species richness; (3) to assess how the numbers of spider individuals and spider species changed with time during the sampling period
Our study showed the negative effect of forest management on spider assemblages manifested in the smaller number of collected species in particular samples from managed stands compared to primeval stands

Summary

Introduction

Spider assemblages inhabiting branches and foliage or more broadly, tree canopies, are rare objects of research. Papers dealing with this subject are often focused on orchards [1,2]. A few studies concern spiders dwelling in tree branches in the natural ecosystems of the temperate zone, e.g., [6,7,8]. A method often used in this type of research is insecticide fogging, which is a non-selective method of spider collection. The collected material derives from the foliage growing out of thin branches and from tree trunks. Spiders from these two microhabitats have previously been analyzed as one group [9,10,11], which might have led to incorrect conclusions as these two habitats are markedly different in terms of microhabitat structure and microclimatic conditions, and spider assemblages inhabiting them are likely to be different [12,13]

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