Ecological Structure of West Siberian Forest-Steppe Spider Community (Arachnida, Araneae) and its Comparison with Carabidae Community
I. I. LYUBECHANSKII, G. N. AZARKINA
Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, SB RAS, 630091, Novosibirsk, Frunze str., 11
Keywords: хищные герпетобионты, пространственное распределение, сезонная динамика, типы ареалов, доминирующие виды, soil-dwelling predatory arthropods, spatial distribution, seasonal dynamics, types of geographical ranges, dominant species
Abstract
The research was conducted in the southern part of the forest-steppe zone of West Siberia (Novosibirsk oblast’). The spatial-temporal structure of the spider community was studied at the continuous chain of habitats (180 m long) from the central part of small birch-aspen forest to the center of meadow site. We applied two sampling methods which completed each other: pitfall trapping and hand separating soil samples. Over 5000 specimens of spiders from 83 species and 14 families were collected during 2007-2008. Spiders are most abundant in June and less abundant in July. Representatives of different families are maximally abundant in different sites: Lycosidae and Gnaphosidae mainly in the forest, and Philodromidae - in the solonetz meadow. The distribution of diversity and abundance of spiders and carabids through the habitat gradient is generally similar. This is controversial compared to the spatial interactions of these two groups of predatory arthropods in extreme ecosystems: in Arctic and near saline lakes. Niche distinguishing between carabid and spider species is not only topical. It includes use of different strata of vegetation, various seasonal activity and trophic specialization.
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