Global Patterns of Guild Composition and Functional Diversity of Spiders
Author Information
Author(s): Pedro Cardoso, Stano Pekár, Rudy Jocqué, Jonathan A. Coddington
Primary Institution: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC, United States of America
Hypothesis
Guilds defined at family level are good ecological surrogates of guilds defined at the species level.
Conclusion
Families may serve as ecological surrogates for species, and functional diversity is influenced by habitat structure and complexity.
Supporting Evidence
- Eight guilds were discriminated: sensing, sheet, space, orb web weavers, specialists, ambush, ground, and other hunters.
- Sixteen percent of species richness was incorrectly attributed to a guild by family surrogacy.
- Functional diversity was not always higher in the tropics than in temperate regions.
Takeaway
This study looks at different types of spiders around the world and how they group together based on their hunting styles. It finds that even though there are many kinds of spiders, they can be grouped in ways that help us understand their roles in nature.
Methodology
Data on foraging strategy, prey range, vertical stratification, and circadian activity was collected for 108 spider families using semi-quantitative sampling methods across seven forest sites worldwide.
Potential Biases
Sampling completeness may differ between guilds, potentially compromising direct comparisons.
Limitations
The study's datasets were less than ideal, with many tropical species not identified to species or genera, and the sampling methods varied across sites.
Participant Demographics
The study included spider families from various global regions, including temperate and tropical forests.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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