Spider assemblages within greenspaces of a deindustrialized urban landscape

Burkman, Caitlin E.; Gardiner, Mary M.

doi:10.1007/s11252-014-0430-8

Cited by 20 publications

(18 citation statements)

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“…Our results highlight that creation of unique urban greenspaces through these efforts, such as planted prairies and urban farms, can have measurable positive and distinct influences on species abundance and richness. This study adds to a body of literature documenting abundant and taxonomically rich communities found among these habitats (Moorhead and Philpott 2013, Gardiner et al 2014, Philpott et al 2014, Burkman and Gardiner 2015. Further, our research demonstrates that habitat design can filter species based on ecological traits such as moisture tolerance and dispersal capacity.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 51%

“…, Philpott et al. , Burkman and Gardiner ). Further, our research demonstrates that habitat design can filter species based on ecological traits such as moisture tolerance and dispersal capacity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Differences in habitat quality for focal biotic communities can be highly influenced by the human-mediated environmental filters acting upon them (Swan et al 2011). This process of facilitated assembly, wherein humans modify existing low-input urban greenspace, has often been found to support a greater richness and abundance of several arthropod groups vs. selfassembled vacant lots (Swan et al 2011, Moorhead and Philpott 2013, Gardiner et al 2014, Philpott et al 2014, Burkman and Gardiner 2015.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Within many of these cities, greening efforts to convert vacant parcels to diverse habitats such as urban farms, rain gardens, and native wildflower plantings or urban prairies are underway (Gardiner et al 2013, Park and Ciorici 2013, Chaffin et al 2016. Vacant lots and other forms of greenspace established on these formerly developed patches have been highlighted as potentially important for conservation as they support a high richness and abundance of beneficial taxa that provide desired ecosystem services (Uno et al 2010, McDonnell and Hahs 2013, Moorhead and Philpott 2013, Gardiner et al 2014, Burkman and Gardiner 2015, De ak et al 2016, Herrmann et al 2016b, Riley et al 2017, as well as several rare and threatened species (Small et al 2002, Eyre et al 2003, Woods 2012, Kamp et al 2015. Given the potential of urban greenspaces to contribute to conservation, it is critical to understand whether detected patterns of species occurrence shift with a changing urban habitat mosaic, and what impacts these changes might have on ecosystem functioning and desired ecosystem services.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Patch and landscape‐scale variables influence the taxonomic and functional composition of beetles in urban greenspaces

et al. 2017

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Abstract. Urbanization is a leading cause of species extinction; however, interest in urban greenspaces as sites for conservation has grown considerably in recent decades, raising questions about the ability of these habitats to support desired wildlife. Our goal was to determine how distinct forms of urban greenspace and their landscape context influenced the species composition of ground-dwelling beetle communities. We examined the taxonomic and functional composition of Carabidae and Staphylinidae in urban vacant lots, urban farms, and planted urban prairies within the City of Cleveland, Ohio. Beetles were collected using pitfall traps across 23 sites. We found that the three habitats examined varied significantly in beetle composition, with several unique species found within each type of greenspace. Carabidae abundance and richness were greater in urban prairies and urban farms relative to vacant lots. The abundance and taxonomic richness of Staphylinidae were highest within urban farms. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and partial CCA revealed that both local features and landscape variables influenced beetle community assembly. Most beetle taxa were negatively associated with buildings within the surrounding 1-km landscape, whereas grass was the most important local habitat feature. Additionally, we found variation in the distribution of species traits among habitats; ecological traits such as moisture tolerance and dispersal capacity differed significantly among urban greenspaces. Most interesting from a conservation perspective was a greater abundance of brachypterous carabids found in urban prairies, which suggests that these habitats provide overwintering and breeding habitat for some beetle species. Our findings demonstrate that urban greenspaces play important roles in shaping arthropod diversity in cities, and maintaining habitats that vary in design and management is important for their conservation.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 51%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Patch and landscape‐scale variables influence the taxonomic and functional composition of beetles in urban greenspaces

et al. 2017

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“…For example, a decrease in population density accompanying land abandonment can increase ecosystem connectivity in counter-urban areas, which can subsequently increase species diversity through the immigration of invasive and disturbance tolerant species. This is well illustrated by spider communities across abandoned lands in Cleveland (OH, US), which have become dominated by a diverse array of disturbance-tolerant genera and highly dispersive colonizers [38]. In contrast, reductions in human population density in suburban areas are often accompanied by increased land development, which tends to lower species diversity by producing fragmentation and edge effects [34].…”

Section: Counter-urbanization: Legacies Form Ecosystem Structure Anmentioning

confidence: 99%

Abandonment, Ecological Assembly and Public Health Risks in Counter-Urbanizing Cities

et al. 2016

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Urban landscapes can be transformed by widespread abandonment from population and economic decline. Ecological assembly, sometimes referred to as "greening", following abandonment can yield valuable ecosystem services, but also can pose a risk to public health. Abandonment can elevate zoonotic vector-borne disease risk by favoring the hyperabundance of commensal pests and pathogen vectors. Though greater biodiversity in abandoned areas can potentially dilute vector-borne pathogen transmission, "greening" can elevate transmission risk by increasing movement of pathogen vectors between fragmented areas and by giving rise to novel human-wildlife interfaces. Idled and derelict infrastructure can further elevate disease risk from vector-borne and water-borne pathogens, which can build up in stagnant and unprotected water that maintenance and routine use of delivery or sanitation systems would otherwise eliminate. Thus, framing "greening" as inherently positive could result in policies and actions that unintentionally exacerbate inequalities by elevating risks rather than delivering benefits. As counter-urbanism is neither a minor pattern of urban development, nor a short-term departure from urban growth, homeowner and municipal management of abandoned areas should account for potential hazards to reduce health risks. Further socioecological assessments of public health risks following abandonment could better ensure the resilience and well-being of communities in shrinking cities.

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Rich and abundant spider communities result from enhanced web capture breadth and reduced overlap in urban greenspaces

Gardiner

flor

Parker

et al. 2021

Ecological Applications

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Urbanization is a key contributor to biodiversity loss, but evidence is mounting that cities can support rich arthropod communities, including rare and threatened species. Furthermore, greenspace is growing within hundreds of "shrinking cities" that have lost population resulting in a need to demolish an overabundance of infrastructure creating vacant land. Efforts are underway to transform vacant lots, often viewed as blighted areas, into habitats that promote biodiversity and generate ecosystem services, such as urban agroecosystems. To understand how reconfiguring these greenspaces might influence species conservation, elucidation of the factors that drive the distribution of an urban species pool is needed. In particular, the importance of species interactions in structuring urban communities is poorly understood. We tested hypotheses that (1) greater breadth of prey captured by web-building spiders and reduced overlap of prey capture among individuals facilitates the conservation of genera richness and abundance and (2) heterogeneity within a greenspace patch facilitates enhanced dietary niche breadth and greater resource partitioning. In 2013 and 2014, the abundance, breadth and degree of overlap in prey capture of sheet web spiders (Linyphiidae) was measured using web mimic traps at 160 microsites (0.25 m 2) situated in four urban vacant lots and four urban farms in the city of Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Within a subset of 40 microsites, we used vacuum sampling and hand collection to measure the abundance and genera richness of Linyphiidae. Spider richness and abundance were significantly reduced within urban farms relative to vacant lots. The distribution of spiders and prey was explained by habitat structure, with microsites dominated by tall grasses and flowering plants, with a high bloom abundance and richness, supporting greater prey capture and a higher genera richness and abundance of spiders. In 2014, web capture overlap was significantly greater within microsites dominated by bare ground. These findings illustrate that urban greenspace conservation efforts that focus on reducing bare ground and incorporating a diversity of grasses and flowering plant species can promote linyphiid spiders, potentially by relaxing exploitative competition for shared prey.

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Spider assemblages within greenspaces of a deindustrialized urban landscape

Cited by 20 publications

References 87 publications

Patch and landscape‐scale variables influence the taxonomic and functional composition of beetles in urban greenspaces

Patch and landscape‐scale variables influence the taxonomic and functional composition of beetles in urban greenspaces

Abandonment, Ecological Assembly and Public Health Risks in Counter-Urbanizing Cities

Rich and abundant spider communities result from enhanced web capture breadth and reduced overlap in urban greenspaces

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