Tangled in a Web: Management Type and Vegetation Shape the Occurrence of Web-Building Spiders in Protected Areas

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Spiders are among the most common predators in terrestrial ecosystems and play a crucial role in ecosystems. However, with changing environments, spiders are under pressure from pollution and habitat destruction. In this study, we collected spiders from five parks with different management histories in the greater Memphis, Tennessee area to explore the extent to which human oversight and management of natural areas, especially invasive plant management, influence spider occurrence. Our results showed that invasive plants might provide a valuable habitat for the humpbacked orb-weaver, which was predominantly found on invasive plant species. These findings may have implications for the management of invasive plants in parks and other protected areas. ABSTRACT: Land management of parks and vegetation complexity can affect arthropod diversity and subsequently alter trophic interactions between predators and their prey. In this study, we examined spiders in five parks with varying management histories and intensities to determine whether certain spider species were associated with particular plants. We also determined whether web architecture influenced spider occurrence. Our results showed that humpbacked orb-weavers (Eustala anastera) were associated with an invasive plant, Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense). This study revealed how invasive plants can potentially influence certain spider communities, as evidenced by this native spider species only occurring on invasive plants. Knowing more about spider populations—including species makeup and plants they populate—will give insights into how spider populations are dealing with various ecosystem changes. While we did not assess the effect of invasive plants on the behavior of spiders, it is possible that invasive species may not always be harmful to ecosystems; in the case of spiders, invasive plants may serve as a useful environment to live in. More studies are needed to ascertain whether invasive plants can have adverse effects on spider ecology in the long term.