The Impacts of Traffic Intensity on Taxonomic and Functional Diversity in Understory Spiders from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest
Although it has its advantages for the development of urban areas, road construction is among the greatest threats to biodiversity, due to fragmentation, habitat loss, and changes in landscape structure. This study investigated the effects of different traffic intensities on the understory spider as...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Arthropoda |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2813-3323/3/2/7 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Although it has its advantages for the development of urban areas, road construction is among the greatest threats to biodiversity, due to fragmentation, habitat loss, and changes in landscape structure. This study investigated the effects of different traffic intensities on the understory spider assemblage in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Understory spiders were collected between 09:00 h–16:00 h using beating tray samples on roadside vegetation on roads with and without traffic. In total, 1616 spiders belonging to 24 families and 317 morphospecies were collected. The families Araneidae and Theridiidae were more abundant and showed a higher number of morphospecies on both roads. Understory spiders were classified into seven guilds. However, no significant differences were found in functional and taxonomic richness and abundance between the roads. These results indicate that understory spider assemblages showed no significant response to traffic intensity, suggesting potential resilience to this disturbance in the studied context. Additionally, the proximity between locations may result in the founder effect, with spiders migrating from the preserved site to the impacted site. Overall, this study indicates that traffic presence does not significantly impact the diversity and composition of understory spider assemblages in the studied region. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2813-3323 |