Specimen records of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) by monthly census for 3 years in forest areas of Yakushima Island Japan

摘要

BackgroundSpiders (Arachnida: Araneae) are a classic indicator taxon for evaluating the health of natural environments. However, studies of spiders’ responses to forest succession under natural and anthropogenic disturbance regimes are lacking. Yakushima Island in southwestern Japan has a unique forest ecosystem, and part of the island is designated as a world natural heritage site by UNESCO. Approximately 90% of Yakushima is covered by forest, including both plantations and natural forests.