Spiders in the context of agricultural land abandonment in Greek Mountains: species responses, community structure and the need to preserve traditional agricultural landscapes

Zakkak, Sylvia; Chatzaki, Maria; Karamalis, Nikos; Kati, Vassiliki

doi:10.1007/s10841-014-9663-3

Cited by 22 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Farina, 1997;Jaggi & Baur, 1999;Martin & Lopez, 2002;Moreira & Russo, 2007;Newton, 1979;Regos et al, 2016;Sirami et al, 2008). This negative impact has been also documented specifically for the Balkan area for several invertebrate and vertebrate species of open and ecotone habitats (Kati et al 2007;Zografou et al, 2009;Plexida, Sfougaris & Papadopoulos, 2012;Zakkak, Chatzaki et al, 2014;Zakkak et al, 2015). In this aspect, livestock grazing of moderate intensity has been suggested as an intermediate disturbance factor that can slow forest encroachment and maintain habitat heterogeneity (Casasus et al, 2007;Lempesi et al, 2017).…”

Section: Implications For Biodiversity Conservationmentioning

confidence: 89%

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Vegetation patterns along agricultural land abandonment in the Balkans

Zakkak

Radović

Panitsa

et al. 2018

J Vegetation Science

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Question What are the woody vegetation encroachment patterns after agricultural land abandonment? Focusing on two parameters, woody plant species richness and vertical vegetation heterogeneity (number of different vegetation strata and their relative cover) we investigated: (a) the effect of forest encroachment following land abandonment; (b) the comparative importance of forest encroachment vis‐a‐vis topographic and climatic parameters, and finally; (c) the ecological importance of eight land‐cover types encountered in abandoned agricultural landscapes. Location The Balkan Peninsula (Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece). Methods We set up a standard methodology for 1 × 1 km site selection (70 sites) and data collection within 497 plots, along a well‐defined forest encroachment gradient that reflects land abandonment in terms of woody vegetation cover. Results The pattern that emerged was neither clear nor common for the Balkan region, regarding the effect of forest encroachment on the woody plant species richness in young forests, formed from 20 to 50 years after land abandonment. However, at national level, species diversity was significantly affected by elevation (Bulgaria and Croatia) and temperature (Croatia), with lower and cooler areas being richer. Elevation was of great importance in determining vertical vegetation heterogeneity. Woodlots, broad‐leaved forests, hedges and shrublands held the highest woody species richness in comparison to the more open land‐cover types, and vertical vegetation heterogeneity was higher in open forests and woodlots. Conclusions We expect the expansion of broad‐leaved forests following land abandonment to enhance woody species richness. However, other land‐cover types that were found to be important for woody plants should be maintained. As woody plants play a key role in supporting overall biodiversity, by providing suitable habitat for many species, we consider the preservation of a mosaic of patches of different land‐cover types essential for the conservation of both plant and animal species diversity. Young forests should be preserved at intermediate stages of succession, through intermediate disturbance activities, including medium intensity grazing and the enhancement of wild ungulates.

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Section: Implications For Biodiversity Conservationmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…Species that inhabit open landscapes are negatively affected (e.g. Moreira & Russo, ; Nikolov, ; Sirami, Brotons, Burfield, Fonderflick, & Martin, ; Zakkak, Chatzaki, Karamalis, & Kati, ; Zakkak, Kakalis, Radović, Halley, & Kati, ; Zografou, Sfenthourakis, Pullin, & Kati, ), but forest‐dwelling species are favoured (Regos et al., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vegetation patterns along agricultural land abandonment in the Balkans

Zakkak

Radović

Panitsa

et al. 2018

J Vegetation Science

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“…2). At the species level, these include the decline in species (Zakkak et al 2014), and the threat to the conservation of endangered, endemic butterfly species in Spain (Munguira et al 2017). Moreover, land abandonment has caused clear detrimental impacts to vertebrates that primarily use open habitats.…”

Section: Passive Rewildingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The diversity of other invertebrates could be also threatened by the land abandonment supported by advocates of passive rewilding. In the Italian Alps, the number of orthopteran species decreases with increasing time since abandonment (Marini et al 2009), and ground spider species diversity also declines after abandonment in Greek ecosystems (Zakkak et al 2014). Passive rewilding might also cause negative consequences for vertebrate diversity.…”

Section: Passive Rewildingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rewilding and the risk of creating new, unwanted ecological interactions

Delibes‐Mateos¹,

Barrio²,

Barbosa³

et al. 2019

Rewilding

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“…epigeic invertebrates, is less well known (see Spitzer et al, 2008;Zakkak et al, 2014;Isaia et al, 2015;Stephens et al, 2016). Harvestmen are among such under-studied organisms (Curtis & Machado, 2007).…”

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confidence: 99%

Response of ground-dwelling harvestman assemblages (Arachnida: Opiliones) to European beech forest canopy cover

Černecká¹,

Mihál²,

Jarčuška³

2017

Eur. J. Entomol.

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Abstract.We studied the effects of the overstory canopy cover on ground-dwelling harvestmen communities in European beech forests in the Western Carpathian Mts. We analyzed the differences in species richness, abundance and composition in two tree canopy cover categories (closed and open canopy). Overall, 1765 individuals belonging to 16 species were caught using pitfall traps. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed that under both closed and open canopies a similar absolute and rarefi ed species richness and number of individuals (standardized to 100 pitfall trap days) were caught, and that both species richness and abundance were affected by the season (i.e., time of trap replacement); yet the total number of individuals trapped was more than two times greater under the open canopy than under the closed canopy. Despite the subtle differences in the taxonomic composition of the catches under the open and closed canopies revealed by DCA followed by RDA, the composition of ground-dwelling harvestmen assemblages differed under the two canopy covers. The open canopy was more suitable for heliophilic, xerothermic eurytopic harvestmen species typical for open and ecotonal habitats, such as Egaenus convexus (C.L. Koch) and Oligolophus tridens (C.L. Koch) but still suitable for hemihygrophilic Lophopilio palpinalis (Herbst). The closed canopy stands were preferred by shade-tolerant, hygrophilic eurytopic harvestmen species, such as Trogulus sp. Latreille, Dicranolasma scabrum (Herbst) and Platybunus bucephalus (C.L. Koch). Our results highlight the importance of intra-habitat heterogeneity of a harvestmen community.

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Spiders in the context of agricultural land abandonment in Greek Mountains: species responses, community structure and the need to preserve traditional agricultural landscapes

Cited by 22 publications

References 52 publications

Vegetation patterns along agricultural land abandonment in the Balkans

Vegetation patterns along agricultural land abandonment in the Balkans

Rewilding and the risk of creating new, unwanted ecological interactions

Response of ground-dwelling harvestman assemblages (Arachnida: Opiliones) to European beech forest canopy cover

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