Abundance, species richness and diversity of the orb-weaving spider families Araneidae, Nephilidae and Tetragnathidae in natural habitats in Trinidad, West Indies

摘要

This study examined the biodiversity of orb-weaving spiders in natural habitats in Trinidad, a continental island with a northern South American fauna. Forty-six localities were sampled, classified into seven formations (representing vegetation structure) and 16 habitat types (based on plant species composition), using visual search and sweep-netting methods, resulting in a total of 1225 individuals of 57 species. Abundance and species richness were significantly related to formation but not habitat type, while both factors influenced species diversity, evenness and dominance. Gamma (gamma) diversity had a larger component of beta than a diversity did, indicating that between-habitat differences are a substantial part of regional diversity in orb-weaving spiders in Trinidad.