Winteraktive Spinnen – inwieweit werden Diversität und Artenzusammensetzung durch die Habitatstruktur beeinflusst?

Siewers, Johanna; Müller, Cornelia; Buchholz, Sascha

Zusammenfassung

During winter, spiders usually frequent sheltered habitats to avoid unsuitable microclimatic conditions. The purpose of the present study was to test if habitat structure affects winter-active spiders. We therefore compared spider diversity and community structure among six habitat types showing different habitat structure each (open sand patches, semi-dry grasslands, Calluna-heathlands, grasslands, meadows, deciduous forests). During winters 2008 and 2009, 31 sites were sampled using pitfall traps. The total catch of 54 species (2,053 adult spiders) was dominated by linyphiid spiders. Statistics indicated no significant differences in species richness or individual sums. However, a positive correlation was detected for herbal layer structure and species richness as well as individual sums. Multivariate analyses revealed a species grouping among the investigated habitat types.