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Assessing Ecological Disturbance in Neotropical Forest Landscapes Using High-Level Diversity and High-Level Functionality: Surprising Outcomes from a Case Study with Spider Assemblages

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  • Darinka Costa Gonzalez

    (Laboratory of Applied Ecology, CITAB—Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences, Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-Food Production (Inov4Agro), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-911 Vila Real, Portugal
    Campus da Auga, University of Vigo, 32004 Ourense, Spain)

  • Reinaldo Lucas Cajaiba

    (Laboratory of Applied Ecology, CITAB—Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences, Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-Food Production (Inov4Agro), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-911 Vila Real, Portugal
    Centre for Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Inov4Agro, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal)

  • Eduardo Périco

    (Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution, University of Taquari Valley, Lajeado 95900-000, Brazil)

  • Wully Barreto da Silva

    (Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Maranhão, Buriticupu 65393-000, Brazil)

  • Antônio Domingos Brescovite

    (Laboratory of Zoological Collections, Butantan Institute, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil)

  • António Maria Luis Crespi

    (Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Maranhão, Buriticupu 65393-000, Brazil)

  • Mário Santos

    (Laboratory of Applied Ecology, CITAB—Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences, Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-Food Production (Inov4Agro), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-911 Vila Real, Portugal
    Centre for Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Inov4Agro, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal)

Abstract

Spiders have been increasingly used as environmental and ecological indicators in conservation and ecosystem management. In the Neotropics, there is a shortage of information regarding spiders’ taxonomies and ecological responses to anthropogenic disturbances. To unravel these hitches, we tested the possibility of using high-level diversity and high-level functionality indicators to evaluate spider assemblages’ sensitivity to landscape changes. This approach, if proven informative, might overcome the relevant limitations of taxonomic derived indexes, which are considered time-consuming, cost-demanding and dependent on the (few) expert taxonomists’ availability. Our results highlight the pertinence of both indicators’ responses to the structural changes induced by increasing anthropogenic disturbance, and are associated with reductions in ecosystem complexity, microclimates, and microhabitats. Overall, both indicators were sensitive to structural changes induced by anthropogenic disturbance and should be considered a useful resource for assessing the extent of ecosystems’ disruptions in the Neotropics, and also to guide managers in landscapes’ restoration.

Suggested Citation

  • Darinka Costa Gonzalez & Reinaldo Lucas Cajaiba & Eduardo Périco & Wully Barreto da Silva & Antônio Domingos Brescovite & António Maria Luis Crespi & Mário Santos, 2021. "Assessing Ecological Disturbance in Neotropical Forest Landscapes Using High-Level Diversity and High-Level Functionality: Surprising Outcomes from a Case Study with Spider Assemblages," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-18, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:10:y:2021:i:7:p:758-:d:597265
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jos Barlow & Filipe França & Toby A. Gardner & Christina C. Hicks & Gareth D. Lennox & Erika Berenguer & Leandro Castello & Evan P. Economo & Joice Ferreira & Benoit Guénard & Cecília Gontijo Leal & V, 2018. "The future of hyperdiverse tropical ecosystems," Nature, Nature, vol. 559(7715), pages 517-526, July.
    2. Lars Gamfeldt & Tord Snäll & Robert Bagchi & Micael Jonsson & Lena Gustafsson & Petter Kjellander & María C. Ruiz-Jaen & Mats Fröberg & Johan Stendahl & Christopher D. Philipson & Grzegorz Mikusiński , 2013. "Higher levels of multiple ecosystem services are found in forests with more tree species," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 1-8, June.
    3. Jos Barlow & Gareth D. Lennox & Joice Ferreira & Erika Berenguer & Alexander C. Lees & Ralph Mac Nally & James R. Thomson & Silvio Frosini de Barros Ferraz & Julio Louzada & Victor Hugo Fonseca Olivei, 2016. "Anthropogenic disturbance in tropical forests can double biodiversity loss from deforestation," Nature, Nature, vol. 535(7610), pages 144-147, July.
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