Ground-living spiders (Araneae) at polluted sites in the Subarctic

2011·3.7 MB·English

by  Seppo Koponen

1 1
Arachnologische Mitteilungen40:80-84 Nuremberg,January201
Ground-living spiders (Araneae) at polluted sites in the Subarctic
Seppo Koponen
doi:10.5431/aramit4009
Abstract:Spiderswere studied around the Pechenganikel smeltercombine,Kola Peninsula,north-western Rus-
sia.The average spiderdensitywas 6-fold greaterand the densityofLinyphiidae specimens 11.5-fold higherat
slightlypollutedsites,comparedwith heavilypollutedsites.Altogether,18speciesfrom 10familieswerefoundat
%
heavilypolluted sites,thetheridiidRobertusscoticusclearlydominating (23.3 ofidentifiablespecimens),alsoNeon
reticulatus(9.6%),Thanatusformicinus(9.6%)andXysticusaudax(8.2%)wereabundant.The most numerousamong 58
speciesfound atslightlypolluted siteswere Tapinocybapollens(18.5%),Robertusscoticus(13.7%),Masosundevalli(9.5%)
andAlopecosaaculeata(8.2%).ThefamilyLinyphiidaedominatedatslightlypolluted sites,64%ofspeciesand60%
ofindividuals;comparedwith heavilypolluted sites,23%and 38% respectively.
Keywords:density,diversity,Kola Peninsula,smelter
In the late 1980's, reports ofheavy pollution loads
from the Russiansmelters in the KolaPeninsula and
their possible effect on needle losses among pine in
northern Finland prompted active studies on effects
ofpollution on forest ecosystems in northern Fin-
land, Russia and Norway (see KOZLOV et al. 1993,
Tikkanen &cNiemelä 1995).
Spiders, like some other predatory arthropod
groups, have been observed at heavily polluted sites
near smelters in northern Europe (BENGTSSON
& Rudgren 1984, Koneva 1993, Koponen &
&
Niemelä1994,Koponen Koneva2006).Gen-
erally,markedlyhigh concentrations ofheavymetals
have been found in spiders near pollution sources
& &
(Bengtsson Rundgren 1984, Koponen
&
Niemelä 1995, Maelfait Hendrickx 1998),
and spiders have often been used as indicators in Figure1:Pechenganikel(thestudyarea)andMonchegorsk
monitoring the effects ofpollution (e.g. CLAUSEN smeltersinKolaPeninsula.
1986).Inthepresentpaper,informationwillbegiven MaterialandMethods
onspiderassemblagesnearthePechenganikelsmelter The present study area, the Pechenganikel smelter
NW
complex, in the subarctic Kola Peninsula, Rus- combine(NikelandZapolyarny),ca69°30’N,30°20’E,
sia. is situatedin asubarcticpineforestarea,where there
Forgeneraldataonthe nature anddegree ofpol- are also birchwoods, bogs and treeless fells (Fig. 1).
lutioninthearea,seeKOZLOVetal.(1993,2009)and The altitude ofsites varies between 100 and 200 m
NorwegianPollution ControlAuthority asl.The smelter is veryclose to Norway (onlyabout
(2002). Spider densities near the Pechenganikel 10 kmfrom theborder) andto Finland (40 km from
&
smelter have been briefly dealt with by KONEVA the border), and the distance to the Arctic Ocean is
KOPONEN (1993). For the spider fauna of natural about 50 km.Theyearlymean temperature is about
forestsinthesubarcticandnorthernborealtaigazones -1°C, andpermanent snowcoverlasts 6-7 months.
inFennoscandia,seee.g.KOPONEN(1977,1999)and Yearly emission in 1990, just before the spider
RYBALOV(2003). sampling,was about250 000 tons S0 ca. 200 tons
2,
Cu, 300 tons Ni and 10 tons Co (see KOZLOVet al.
SeppoKOPONEN,ZoologicalMuseum,UniversityofTurku, 2009). This means that sulphur load was the same
FI-20014Turku,Finland.E-Mail:[email protected]
as in Monchegorsk smelter, central Kola Peninsula,
%
submitted:77.1.2010,accepted:17.3.2010;online:10.1.201 butcopper,nickelandcobaltloadswereonly10 of
Spidersatpollutedsitesin thesubarctic 81
Table1:Compositionofthespiderfaunainthestudiedheavily(5sites)andslightlypollut- densitywas 6-fold greater and
edareas(9sites),Pechenganikel. the density of Linyphiidae
Heavily Slightly S/H specimens even 11.5-fold at
polluted(H) polluted(S) slightlypollutedsites.Alsospe-
Species 18 58 cies number/site was higher at
Species/site 3.6 6.4 1.8 slightlypollutedsites: 1.8-fold.
Altogether,18and58speciesof
Families 10 13
spiders were caught in heavily
Individuals 101 1083
(5 sites) and slightly (9 sites)
Ind./m2 20.2 120.3 6.0 polluted areas,respectively. In-
range 3-32 71-266 terestingly,as manyas 10fami-
Linyphiidaeind./m2 7.6 87.7 11.5 lies but only 18 species were
found at heavily polluted sites,
%
ofLinyphiidae (ofspec.) 22.2 63.8 2.9 and at slightly polluted sites
%ofLinyphiidae (ofind.) 37.6 59.8 1.6 the material was much more
%ofLycosidae (ofind.) 10.9 11.7 1.1 species-rich,butrepresentedno
%ofthe mostdominantspecies 23.3 18.5 more than 13 families.
that inMonchegorsk.The area ofcomplete damage The theridiid Robertus scoticus clearly dominated
to forests was 45 km2 and severe damage 300 km2 at the heavily polluted sites (Table 2: 23.3 % of
around the Pechenganikel complex; in these areas identifiable specimens), and was the second most
S0 concentrationwas over80g/m3 and annualdry abundant atthe slightlypolluted sites (Table 3: 13.5
2 ,
sulphurdepositionca4g/m2(GYTARSKYetal. 1997, %). Other abundant species at heavily polluted sites
NorwegianPollutionControlAuthority wereNeonreticulatus(9.6%), Thanatusformicinus(9.6
2002). %), Xysticus audax (8.2 %), Agynetagulosa (5.5 %),
andAlopecosaaculeata (5.5 %). Ofthese,especially^.
Spiders were collected at five study sites in heavily
polluted areas, 2.5 — 7 km from the smelter, and at Table2:Totalnumberofspiderspecimensfoundatfivemost
pollutedanddamagedsites(2.5-7kmfromthesmelter),
nine sites in slightly (or moderately) polluted areas,
Pechenganikel.
6-55 km from the smelter. %
Robertusscoticus 17 23.3 ofidentifiable
Theaveragecoverofgroundandfieldlayervegeta-
% Neonreticulatus 7 9.6
tionindicates the degree ofpollution: 30 coverage
at heavily and 80 % at slightly polluted sites. Thus Thanatusformicinus 7 9.6
Xysticusaudax 6 8.2
heavilypolluted sites are more open andbecause the
Agynetagulosa 4 5.5
groundisoftenblack,theirmicroclimaticconditions
Alopecosaaculeata 4 5.5
insummeraremoreextreme,i.e.theyare muchdrier
Haplodrassussp. 4 5.5
andwarmerthan at slightlypolluted sites.
Dictynauncinata 3 4.1
Ground-andsoil-livingspiderswerecollected,in
1991-92 from 25 x 25 cm squares by hand-sorting. Evarchafalcata 3 4.1
The field work was done by Dr. Galina G. Koneva Heliophanussp. 3 4.1
Micariaalpina 3 4.1
(Moscow) and identificationwas bythe author.The
Scandichrestustenuis 3 4.1
material consists ofca 620 identifiable spider speci-
Xysticusobscurus 3 4.1
mens (ofthe total 1185 individuals) andis deposited
in the Zoological Museum, University ofTurku, Tapinocybapaliens 2
Pardosapalustris 1
Finland.
Tetragnathasp. 1
Tibellusmaritimus 1
Results
Walckenaeriaantica 1
Great differences were found (Table 1) in the den- Numberofspecies 18
sity ofspiders in heavily and slightlypolluted areas,
the averages being 20 and 120 ind./m2(ranges 3-32 Numberofidentifiable 73
specimens
and 72-266 ind./m2)respectively.The average spider
82 S.Koponen
Table3:Totalnumberofspecimensofthemostabundant Diplocentriabidentata 1
spidersfoundatnineslightlypollutedsites(6-55kmfrom
thesmelter),Pechenganikel. Gonatiumrubellum 1
% Oreonetidesvaginatus 1
Tapinocybapallens 101 18.5 ofidentifiable
Tetragnathasp. 1
Robertusscoticus 75 13.7
Masosundevalli 52 9.5 Tibellusmaritimus 1
Walckenaeriadysderoides 1
Alopecosaaculeata 45 8.2
Walckenaerialepida 1
Micrargusherbigradus 29 5.3
Walckenaerianudipalpis 1
Hahniaononidum 26 4.8
Zornellacultrigera 1
Macrargusrufus 18 3.3
Numberofspecies 58
Centromerusarcanus 16 2.9
Numberofidentifiable
Pardosahyperborea 15 2.7 547
specimens
Evarchafalcata 12 2.2
Agynetagulosa 11 2.0
aculeata and alsoAgynetagulosawere found in good
Palliduphantesantroniensis 11 2.0 numbers at slightly polluted sites. Altogether, four
Xysticusobscurus 11 2.0
linyphiid species (i.e., Agynetagulosa Scandichrestus
Minyrioluspusillus 10 tenuis, Tapinocybapallens, and Walcke,naeria antica)
Microcentriapusilla 7 were found among the total 18 species (22 %) at
Neonreticulatus 7 heavilypollutedsites.Onlyonelinyphiidwas among
Sisicusapertus 7 the six most abundant spider species (Table 2).The
Macrargusmultesimus 6 %
percentage ofLycosidae specimens was about 11
Porrhommapallidum 6
(Table 1).
Xysticusaudax 6
Cnephalocotesobscurus 5 The most abundant species at slightlypolluted sites
Walckenaeriakarpinskii 5
(Table 3) were Tapinocybapallens (18.5 %), Robertus
Gnaphosamicrops 4 scoticus (13.7 %), Maso sundevalli (9.5 %), Alopecosa
Micariaalpina 4
aculeata(8.2%),Micrargusherbigradus(5.3%),Hahnia
Pardosapalustris 4 ononidum (4.8 %), andMacrargusrufus (3.3 %).
Pocadicnemispumila 4 The dominant species of the slightly polluted
Scotinotylusalpigena 4 sites, Tapinocybapallens was found at the heavily
Scandichrestustenuis 4 polluted sites but only in, small numbers. About 64
Haplodrassussignifer 3 % of all species and 60 % of specimens at slightly
Hilairaherniosa 3
polluted areas belonged to the family Linyphiidae.
Micronetaviaria 3 Three linyphiidswere amongthe six most abundant
Tenuiphantesmengei 3 species.The percentage ofLycosidaewas 12 % ofall
Zornnemoralis 3
individuals caught (Table 1).
Bolyphantesluteolus 2
Cercidiaprominens 2
Discussion
Clubionatrivialis 2 Leg deformations or other injuries caused bypollu-
Gnaphosasticta 2 tion, could not be found in spiders collected at the
Gonatiumrubens 2
polluted sites. Deformations have been observed
Pelecopsismengei 2 previouslyin,e.g.,oribatidmitesnearasmelter(EEVA
Robertuslyrifer 2 &PENTTINEN 2009).
Semljicolafaustus 2 Theaveragespiderdensity(about120ind./m2 at
)
Tenuiphantestenebricola 2 slightlypolluted sites was ofthe same magnitude as
Thanatusformicinus 2
found previously in natural northern boreal or sub-
Agnyphantesexpunctus 1 arcticforests (e.g. KOPONEN 1977).Also the species
Agynetaconigera 1 compositionandthegreatproportionofLinyphiidae
Agynetasubtilis 1 amongspecies andspecimensinslightlypolluted ar-
Bolehthyphantesindex 1 easresembledthe situationinnaturalforesthabitats.
Decipiphantesdecipiens 1 The family Linyphiidae is known to dominate in
Dictynasp. 1
Spidersatpollutedsitesinthesubarctic 83
the ground layer ofnorthern areas (e.g. KOPONEN References
1993). BENGTSSON G. 8cS. RUNDGREN (1984): Ground-living
Proportions ofLycosidae specimenswere almost invertebrates in metal-polluted forest soils. - Ambio
equal and ratherlowat heavily and slightlypolluted 13:29-33
sites, i.e. 11 % and 12 %, respectively In southern CLAUSEN I.H.S. (1986):The use ofspiders (Araneae) as
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