An experimental study of the impacts of cattle on spider communities of artesian springs in South Australia
2009
Kovac, Kelli-Jo | Mackay, Duncan Alexander
The artesian springs that are located on the edge of the Great Artesian Basin in arid South Australia support diverse assemblages of spiders. Domestic or feral stock have affected the vegetation and substrate of artesian springs, which are important water sources. The effects of stock on the spider communities of artesian springs were investigated with a descriptive survey, comparing springs with differing grazing histories, and with a field experiment that simulated the impacts of cattle presence with trampling and mowing treatments. In the survey, the abundance of spiders was associated with the dominant vegetation cover and with the history of grazing pressure. In the experiment, the abundance of web-building and ambush-hunting spiders declined following mowing and/or trampling treatments. The use of foraging guilds is likely to be a useful approach in using spider communities as bioindicators of environmental change.
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