Indian Forester

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Spider Assemblage in Askot Wildlife Sanctuary:A High Altitude Ecosystem


Affiliations
1 Post Graduate Department of Environmental Science, Asutosh College, Kolkata, India
2 Wildlife Institute of India, Post Box #18, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Spiders have a great ecological importance (such as bio-pesticides, prey for predators) and thus need thorough study and conservation. This is a study to build up a primary database for the Askot Wildlife Sanctuary (AWLS) region, collected from various habitats to assess the diversity and distribution. A total numbers of 40 quadrats were selected and sampled using semi-quantitative collection techniques such as: vegetation beating, ground hand collection, aerial hand collection and litter sampling. Overall 21 families (total 497 individuals) of spiders were recorded from AWLS area. Family composition varied substantially across the habitats with Oxyopidae (36.02%) being the most dominant group found followed by Lycosidae (22.33%) and then Salticidae (9.66%). We also reported families: Deinopidae, Hersiliidae, Nephilidae, Pisauridae, and Scytodidae that are some interesting records for the region. This is the first inventory of spider fauna from this region including several undescribed species.

Keywords

Spiders, Bio-Indicators, Diversity, Family, Conservatio.
Font Size

User
About The Authors

Uttaran Bandyopadhyay
Post Graduate Department of Environmental Science, Asutosh College, Kolkata
India

Shazia Quasin
Wildlife Institute of India, Post Box #18, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
India

V. P. Uniyal
Wildlife Institute of India, Post Box #18, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
India


Subscription Login to verify subscription
Notifications

  • Chetia P. and Kalita D.K. (2012). Diversity and distribution of spiders from gibbon wildlife sanctuary, Assam, India. Indian J. Arachnology, 1(1):130-142.

  • Coddington J.A. and Levi H.W. (1991). Systematics and evolution of spiders Araneae. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 22:565-592.

  • Coddington J.A., Young L.H. and Coyle F.A. (1996). Estimating spider species richness in a southern Appalachian cove hardwood forest. The J. Arachnology, 24:111-128.

  • Ferris R., Peace A.J., Humphrey J.W. and Broome A.C. (2000). Relationship between vegetation, site type and stand structure in coniferous plantations in Britain. Forest Ecology and Management, 136:35-51.

  • Kajak A. (1978). Analysis of consumption by spiders under laboratory and field conditions. Ekol. Pol., 26:409-427.

  • Nyffeler M. and Benz G. (1980). The role of spiders as insect predators in cereal fields near Zurich (Switzerland). Int. Arachnid. Cong. Vien., 8:127-131.

  • Quasin S. (2012). Systematics and Diversity of Spiders (Araneae) in Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, Uttarakhand, India. Ph.D. thesis, Saurashtra University, Gujrat. 210 pp.

  • Riechert S.E. and Lockley T.C. (1984). Spiders as biological control agents. Ann. Rev. Entomol., 29:299-320.

  • Sebastian P.A. and Peter K.V. (2009). Spiders of India, First edition, Universities Press, Hyderabad. 614 pp.

  • Siliwal M., Molur S. and Biswas B.K. (2005). Indian Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) Updated Checklist 2005. Zoos' Print Journal, 2010:1999-2049.

  • Van Hook R.I. (1971). Energy and nutrient dynamics of spider and orthopteran populations in a grassland ecosystem. Ecol. Monogr., 41:1–26.

  • World Spider Catalog (2016). Bern: Natural History Museum. Available at: http://wsc.nmbe.ch, version 16 [Date accessed: 20 July 2016].

  • ZSI (1997). Fauna of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve. Zoological Survey of India, Northern Regional Station, Dehradun. 175 pp.


Abstract Views: 680

PDF Views: 0




  • Spider Assemblage in Askot Wildlife Sanctuary:A High Altitude Ecosystem

Abstract Views: 680  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Uttaran Bandyopadhyay
Post Graduate Department of Environmental Science, Asutosh College, Kolkata, India
Shazia Quasin
Wildlife Institute of India, Post Box #18, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
V. P. Uniyal
Wildlife Institute of India, Post Box #18, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

Abstract


Spiders have a great ecological importance (such as bio-pesticides, prey for predators) and thus need thorough study and conservation. This is a study to build up a primary database for the Askot Wildlife Sanctuary (AWLS) region, collected from various habitats to assess the diversity and distribution. A total numbers of 40 quadrats were selected and sampled using semi-quantitative collection techniques such as: vegetation beating, ground hand collection, aerial hand collection and litter sampling. Overall 21 families (total 497 individuals) of spiders were recorded from AWLS area. Family composition varied substantially across the habitats with Oxyopidae (36.02%) being the most dominant group found followed by Lycosidae (22.33%) and then Salticidae (9.66%). We also reported families: Deinopidae, Hersiliidae, Nephilidae, Pisauridae, and Scytodidae that are some interesting records for the region. This is the first inventory of spider fauna from this region including several undescribed species.

Keywords


Spiders, Bio-Indicators, Diversity, Family, Conservatio.

References