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- Title
Assemblage structure and conservation value of spiders and carabid beetles from restored lowland river banks.
- Authors
Lambeets, Kevin; Hendrickx, Frederik; Vanacker, Stijn; Van Looy, Kris; Maelfait, Jean-Pierre; Bonte, Dries
- Abstract
We assessed the composition of spider and carabid beetle assemblages along river banks from the Common Meuse (Belgium) to determine their relationships with local topographical and landscape-related characteristics. Data were gathered with pitfall traps in 1998 and explored by ordination and grouping methods. Our analysis revealed that the presence of xerothermic spider species was limited to scarcely covered, less dynamic gravel banks. Riparian spider species were found on frequently flooded as well as on rather elevated and high gravel banks, while riparian carabid beetles were dominant on all sampled banks. The level of flooding disturbance, the vegetation density and the presence of silt appeared to be the most important environmental determinants of spider and carabid beetle assemblage structure. Consequently, local environmental factors influence species occurrence patterns in a similar way for the two investigated arthropod groups. Nevertheless, distinct ecological groups are differently ordered along the prime environmental gradients. Nature management should therefore consider the conservation, restoration and connectivity of both dynamic and more elevated banks in order to obtain a high degree of local and regional heterogeneity throughout the river system.
- Subjects
SPIDERS; GROUND beetles; SILT; GRAVEL; WATER conservation projects; AQUATIC resources conservation; RIPARIAN animals; STREAM restoration
- Publication
Biodiversity & Conservation, 2008, Vol 17, Issue 13, p3133
- ISSN
0960-3115
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s10531-007-9313-0