Assemblages of herb-dwelling spiders (Araneae) of various steppe types in Ukraine and the Central Chernozem region of Russia

A total of 107 spider species from 15 families were recorded in the herbaceous vegetation of the steppe ecosystems of Ukraine and the Central Chernozem region of Russia. Araneidae, Thomisidae, Salticidae and Theridiidae were the most species-rich. The species composition depended on the steppe type; adjacent forest habitats influenced steppe fauna in the forest-steppe and northern part of the steppe natural zone. The number of generalist, forest and wetland dwelling species in the steppe vegetation showed a tendency to decrease towards the south. Dominance of herb-dwelling spiders was specific to each steppe type; no single species was found to predominate in all the steppe habitats

Effect of summer fire on cursorial spider (Aranei) and beetle (Coleoptera) assemblages in meadow steppes of Central European Russia

Fire is an important structuring force for grassland ecosystems. Despite increased incidents of fire in European steppes, their impact on arthropod communities is still poorly studied. We assessed short-term changes in cursorial beetle and spider assemblages after a summer fire in the meadow steppe in Central European Russia. The responses of spider and beetle assemblages to the fire event were different. In the first post-fire year, the same beetle species dominated burnt and unburnt plots, the alpha-diversity of beetle assemblages was similar, and there were no pronounced changes in the proportions of trophic groups. Beetle species richness and activity density increased in the second post-fire year, while that of the spiders decreased. The spider alpha-diversity was lowest in the first postfire year, and the main dominants were pioneer species. In the second year, the differences in spider species composition and activity density diminished. The main conclusion of our study is that the large-scale intensive summer fire caused no profound changes in cursorial beetle and spider assemblages of this steppe plot. Mitigation of the fire effect is explained by the small plot area, its location at the edge of the fire site and the presence of adjacent undisturbed habitats with herbaceous vegetation

Assessment of the conservation value of dry grassland habitats in the Inhulets River basin (Central Ukraine) based on vegetation and spider research

Dry grassland ecosystems are highly fragmented in Ukraine and increasingly threatened from intensification of farming practices. Evaluation of the habitat conservation importance based on multitaxon studies allows for optimizing selection of priority sites. We studied xerothermic habitats in the Kryvorizkyi Iron Ore Basin, an area of intensive mining and steel industry. Despite the high anthropogenic impact, the region has preserved areas of natural vegetation. Botanical research has been conducted since 2012, while spiders were investigated for the first time in 2017. In the four study sites, we recorded 265 vascular plant species and 95 spider species, including 23 protected plant species and 19 rare spider species. The studied habitats of forb-fescue-feather grass, petrophytic, meadow steppes, steppe scrub and siliceous rocks are under protection of the Bern Convention. Both vegetation and spider communities of the site Zelena Gully are well preserved and rich in rare and threatened species (18 plant and 11 spider species), which confirms its value as a priority site of the Emerald Network. Chervona Gully and the Slate Rocks should be included in the network. Frequent fires and intensive grazing in Khrystoforova Gully affect the spider diversity, decreasing the number of specialist and rare species, while early flowering plants benefit from this disturbance. Nevertheless, its vegetation is poorer than in Zelena and Chervona gullies.  Inclusion in the Emerald Network is critically important to the investigated sites, since expansion of mining activities is constantly threatening natural habitats in industrial regions. The control of burning, grazing and recreation will contribute to maintaining biodiversity in the protected areas.Dry grassland ecosystems are highly fragmented in Ukraine and increasingly threatened from intensification of farming practices. Evaluation of the habitat conservation importance based on multitaxon studies allows for optimizing selection of priority sites. We studied xerothermic habitats in the Kryvorizkyi Iron Ore Basin, an area of intensive mining and steel industry. Despite the high anthropogenic impact, the region has preserved areas of natural vegetation. Botanical research has been conducted since 2012, while spiders were investigated for the first time in 2017. In the four study sites, we recorded 265 vascular plant species and 95 spider species, including 23 protected plant species and 19 rare spider species. The studied habitats of forb-fescue-feather grass, petrophytic, meadow steppes, steppe scrub and siliceous rocks are under protection of the Bern Convention. Both vegetation and spider communities of the site Zelena Gully are well preserved and rich in rare and threatened species (18 plant and 11 spider species), which confirms its value as a priority site of the Emerald Network. Chervona Gully and the Slate Rocks should be included in the network. Frequent fires and intensive grazing in Khrystoforova Gully affect the spider diversity, decreasing the number of specialist and rare species, while early flowering plants benefit from this disturbance. Nevertheless, its vegetation is poorer than in Zelena and Chervona gullies.  Inclusion in the Emerald Network is critically important to the investigated sites, since expansion of mining activities is constantly threatening natural habitats in industrial regions. The control of burning, grazing and recreation will contribute to maintaining biodiversity in the protected areas

Summer fire in steppe habitats: long-term effects on vegetation and autumnal assemblages of cursorial arthropods

Being an essential driving factor in dry grassland ecosystems, uncontrolled fires can cause damage to isolated natural areas. We investigated a case of a small-scale mid-summer fire in an abandoned steppe pasture in northeastern Ukraine andfocused on the post-fire recovery of arthropod assemblages (mainly spiders and beetles) and vegetation pattern. The living cover of vascular plants recovered in a year, while the cover of mosses and litter remained sparse for four years. The burnt site was colonised by mobile arthropods occurring in surrounding grasslands. The fire had no significant impact on arthropod diversity or abundance, but changed their assemblage structure, namely dominant complexes and trophic guild ratio. The proportion of phytophages reduced, while that of omnivores increased. The fire destroyed the variety of the arthropod assemblages created by the patchiness of vegetation cover. In the post-fire stage they were more similar to each other than at the burnt plot in the pre- and post-fire period. Spider assemblages tended to recover their pre-fire state, while beetle assemblages retained significant differences during the entire study period

New data of the spider fauna (Araneae) of Navarre, Spain : results from the 7th EDGG field workshop

Multi-taxon investigations are of a great importance in biodiversity research. We sampled spiders during the 7th EDGG Field Workshop aimed to study dry grassland diversity in Navarre, Spain. A total of 99 spider species of 15 families was recorded from 14 localities. Of these, 47 species were new to Navarre. To date, the list of spiders of Navarre accounts for 322 species. During this first dry grassland-specific study of spiders in Spain, 78 species were recorded for the first time in this type of habitats in Navarra, and for 69 species, it is a newly recorded habitat in the Iberian Peninsula. The grasslands growing in the submediterranean humid and supramediterranean upper dry territories, belonging to Festuco-Brometea and Festuco-Ononidetea phytosociological classes, were the richest in terms of inhabiting spiders (26 and 23 species, respectively) while the communities of mesomediterranean semi-arid area (Lygeo-Stipetea and Salicornietea fruticosae classes) were the poorest (four species each)

New data on the spider fauna (Araneae) of Navarre, Spain: results from the 7th EDGG Field Workshop

Multi-taxon investigations are of great importance in biodiversity research. We sampled spiders during the 7th EDGG Field Workshop aimed at studying dry grassland diversity in Navarre, Spain. A total of 99 spider species from 15 families were recorded from 14 localities. Of these, 47 species were new to Navarre. To date, the list of spiders of Navarre accounts for 322 species. During this first dry grassland-specific study of spiders in Spain, 78 species were recorded for the first time in this type of habitat in Navarre, and for 69 species it is a newly recorded habitat in the Iberian Peninsula. The grasslands growing in the submediterranean humid and supramediterranean upper dry territories, belonging to Festuco-Brometea and Festuco-Ononidetea phytosociological classes, were the richest in terms of inhabiting spiders (26 and 23 species respectively) while the communities of mesomediterranean semi-arid area (Lygeo-Stipetea and Salicornietea fruticosae classes) were the poorest (four species each)

Spider conservation in Europe : a review

Despite their ecological importance and diversity, spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) are underrepresented in conservation policies in comparison to other groups. We review all extant conservation tools focusing on spiders in Europe, highlighting general patterns, limitations, gaps, and future directions. We assembled a comprehensive online database reporting all available information concerning the legal protection and conservation status of 4,154 spider species. Existing international legislation has limited coverage, with only one species listed in the Bern Convention and EU Habitats Directive. At the national and subnational levels, 178 species are formally mentioned in the legislation of 19 European countries. Moreover, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) includes assessments for 301 species worldwide, 164 of these threatened and eight native to Europe. In addition, spiders are mentioned in Regional Red Lists and Red Books in 28 out of 42 European countries considered in this review. Northern and Central European countries have the highest percentage of species assessed at the regional level in Red Lists and Red Books. The Mediterranean basin has the highest spider diversities in Europe but conservation efforts are lacking, both in terms of assessments and national or subnational legislation. Among European species, Dolomedes plantarius, Argyroneta aquatica and Eresus kollari are the most frequently mentioned in European conservation measures, possibly due to their ecological traits and their strict association with declining habitats. Considering the current threats to spiders in Europe, the protection of large areas of suitable habitat should be considered as the most effective approach to spider conservation.Peer reviewe

Obnova združb pajkov v vzhodni Ukrajini po spontanem poletnem požaru v stepi, kjer prevladujejo šopaste trave

Recently, anthropogenic fires in protected areas have become more frequent. I studied the response of the spider community after an extensive summer fire in the ‘Striltsivskyi Steppe’ Reserve in eastern Ukraine. A total of 117 spider species was found in the pre-fire period, 40 species were registered in the first and 89 species in the third post-fire year. Herb-dwelling spiders began to colonize burnt plots in July, when juveniles of the new generation began dispersing. In September, their abundance was similar to that of undisturbed steppe and within three years, the spider assemblages recovered almost completely. Cursorial ground-dwellers in the first post-fire year decreased in species richness and increased in activity density. In the third year, their species diversity and activity density became much higher than in control plots. Some xerophilous species benefited from the fire. Litter dwellers are extremely vulnerable. During the three post-fire years, their numbers and diversity did not recover. Some rare species with a patchy geographical distribution disappeared from the local fauna. Such a reaction of endangered species is the main restriction on the use of fire as a conservation management. The prerequisite for its implementation is maintaining relevant refuges for threatened species.Antropogeni požari na zavarovanih območjih so v zadnjem času vse bolj pogosti. Proučevala sem odziv združbe pajkov po ekstenzivnem poletnem požaru v rezervatu ‘Striltsivskyi Steppe’ v vzhodni Ukrajini. V obdobju pred požarom sem našla 117 vrst pajkov, 40 vrst je bilo zabeleženih v prvem letu, 89 vrst pa v tretjem letu po požaru. Pajki, ki prebivajo na zeliščih, so začeli naseljevati požgane ploskve julija, ko so se začeli razširjati juvenilni osebki nove generacije. Septembra je bila njihova abundanca podobna kot v nemoteni stepi in po treh letih se je vrstna sestava pajkov popolnoma obnovila. Vrstna pestrost pajkov, ki prebivajo na tleh, se je v prvem letu po požaru zmanjšala, povečala pa se je njihova aktivna gostota. V tretjem letu sta bili vrstna pestrost in aktivna gostota višji kot na kontrolnih ploskvah. Nekatere kserofilne vrste so imele zaradi požara prednost. Vrste, ki jih najdemo v opadu, so izredno ranljive. Njihovo število in pestrost se v treh letih po požaru nista obnovila. Nekatere redke vrste z zaplatasto geografsko razširjenostjo, so izginile s tega območja. Odziv redkih vrst je glavna omejitev za uporabo ognja za naravovarstven način gospodarjenja. Predpogoj za njegovo uporabo je vzpostavitev ustreznih zatočišč (refugijev) za ogrožene vrste