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Current issue: Volume 25, No. 1 (2025)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59893/abud.25(1).003
Hirna A., Koval N., Glotov S. 2025. Spider communities of near-summit ecosystems in the Uzhansky National Nature Park (Ukrainian Carpathians): a focus on the overgrowing of grasslands. Acta Biol. Univ. Daugavp., 2025(1): 49-66.
Abstract
The study examined spider communities in the near-summit ecosystems of the Ukrainian Carpathians, focusing on transitional zones from old-growth forests to subalpine grasslands. In total, 3460 adult spiders, representing 90 species from 19 families, were recorded (29 species in forests, 51 in ecotones, and 71 in grasslands). Four species new to the Ukrainian Carpathians and seven rare species listed in the Carpathian Spider Red List were identified. A four-step analysis of Hill diversities was performed to compare the spider communities across ecosystems. Grassland communities were significantly more diverse than those in forests and ecotones in terms of Shannon and Simpson diversity indices (q = 1, 2), while no significant differences were observed between forests and ecotones. Non-metric multidimensional scaling revealed that ecotones serve as unique transitional ecological zones, combining elements of forest and grassland ecosystems. However, the spider communities in ecotones did not differ significantly from those in forests (pairwise perMANOVA). Both were characterized by a similar ratio of families, species composition of dominants, low activity density, and a limited number of indicator species. Consequently, the expansion of shrub-dominated ecotones may lead to shifts in spider community composition and a decline in grassland ecosystem diversity. The study highlights the importance of conserving near-summit ecosystems, particularly grasslands, which serve as habitats for both typical and rare spider species in the Carpathians.
Keywords: Araneae, biodiversity, mountain grasslands, old-growth forests, ecotones, shrub encroachment.
*Corresponding author: Sergiy Glotov. State Museum of Natural History, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 18 Teatralna St., Lviv, 79008; Lugansk Nature Reserve, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Rubіzhna St., 95, Stanica Luhanska, Luhansk Region, 93602; Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, 3 Ivan Bank St., Poltava, Ukraine. E-mail: sergijglotov@gmail.com. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3986-0844
Anna Hirna. Institute of Ecology of the Carpathians, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 4 Kozelnytska St., Lviv, 79026; Regional landscape park ‘Znesinnia’, 32 Novoznesinska St., Lviv, 79024, Ukraine. E-mail: ahirna@i.ua. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1073-6789
Nelia Koval. Uzhanskyi National Nature Park, Nezalezhnosti St. 7, Velykyi Bereznyi, 89000, Ukraine. E-mail: nelya.kowal@gmail.com. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2786-1276
