Biocontrol potential of arboricolous spiders in selected forest types

Khum, Warbota

The biocontrol potential of spiders is context-dependent and spiders can enhance, reduce or have no effect on plant performances. This study examined the relationship between community composition of spiders and herbivore abundances and consequently herbivory. Spider community composition was characterized by functional diversity and community weighted mean in body size and hunting strategy, species richness, and abundances. The study was conducted around the municipality Vranovice, in the South Moravia region, in the Czech Republic. This research was performed in three types of young (10-15years) stands such as oak (Quercus spp.), ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and ash infected by ash dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus). The results show that the functional diversity of spiders had strong influence on herbivores and reduced their impact on leaves. However, intraguild predation may occur to weaken the predation pressure of spiders on herbivores. This study provides some evidence that spiders can be useful for the conservation biological control of forest pests. Nevertheless, further study should perform a field manipulative experiment for better insight.

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