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The effect of femel- and small scale clear-cutting on ground dwelling spider communities in a Norway spruce forest in Southern Germany

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Abstract

The early effects of femel-cutting (removing 20% of the trees) and small scale clear-cutting on ground-living spiders in a Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) forest in Southern Germany were investigated. The study was carried out as BACIP (before and after, control-impact, many paired samplings) study: Spiders were sampled during the pre-treatment year, the year of cutting, and the year after cutting. In total 7101 individuals were sampled, of which 4530 individuals were identified, 4468 were adult and 2633 individuals were juvenile. We identified 107 species, but a single species, Coelotes terrestris, dominated the control (spruce stand) comprising up to 49% of the total identified individuals. Clear-cutting changed the species composition in the traps, while the first step in femel-cutting preserved it. The number of individuals of the families Linyphiidae, Amaurobiidae, Agelenidae and Clubionidae decreased drastically within the 2 years after the clear-cutting, while the Lycosidae became numerically dominant in the clear-cut stands. The number of individuals with the following characterisation decreased significantly after clear-cutting: Small (<3.0 mm) and large spiders (>10.5 mm), web builders, ‘forest habitat species’, species favouring hygrophilic to medium moisture conditions, and preferences to live below ground or in and on the moss layer. On the other hand, middle-sized spiders, free hunters, ‘open habitat species’, spiders favouring dry conditions or that are euryoecious, preferring patterns covered by grasses or uncovered patches, increased in number. Clear-cut habitats with dense spruce regeneration showed a delayed and less pronounced response. With femel-cutting, species composition of ground-living spider communities may be preserved during the first step of regeneration of mature forest stands.

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Acknowledgements

The work was funded by the Bundesministerium für Bildung, Forschung und Technologie (BMBF), under contract number 0339733A. The authors are very grateful to Helmut Stumpf, Würzburg, Germany for the identification of spider species and the safekeeping of the specimens. We thank Dr Jacquie van der Waals, University of Pretoria, for editing of the manuscript and two anonymous reviewers for their comments to improve the manuscript.

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  1. Fachgebiet für Waldernährung und Wasserhaushalt, Department für Ökologie, Wissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan, TU-München, Am Hochanger 13, D 85354, Freising, Germany

    Christian Huber, Caroline Schulze & Manuela Baumgarten

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  1. Christian Huber
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  2. Caroline Schulze
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  3. Manuela Baumgarten
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Correspondence to Christian Huber.

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Huber, C., Schulze, C. & Baumgarten, M. The effect of femel- and small scale clear-cutting on ground dwelling spider communities in a Norway spruce forest in Southern Germany. Biodivers Conserv 16, 3653–3680 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-006-9004-2

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