LB 4-37 - The effect of wildfire on spider family composition in Lieberoser Heide Forest (Germany)

Climate change over the past few decades has led to extremities in weather during seasons leading to much warmer conditions in warm seasons and colder conditions in cold seasons. The effect of these extreme climatic conditions hence leads to fire disturbances in forest areas. The state of Brandenburg is one of many regions in Europe suffering from with wildfire disturbances. The Lieberose Heide Nature Reserve in the state of Brandenburg was studied to see the effect of (1) wildfire, (2) sampling seasons and (3) trapping methods on spider communities. Three different habitats, namely, unburnt forest (WU), burnt forest (WV) and burnt bog (MV) within Lieberose Heide were sampled for comparing spider diversity and family composition. Within each habitat, eight plots were demarcated and fitted with emergence tents installed with pitfall traps at the base and bottle traps at the apex to capture both wandering and web-building spiders for 10 months. Spider samples collected were identified into their various families at the laboratory. The results were analysed to determine the statistical differences in family composition, richness, and abundance. In total, 546 individual spiders (excluding juveniles) were collected from 15 families. Dominant among these families were Linyphiidae, Lycosidae, Gnaphosidae, and Thomisidae. The unburnt forest was the most diverse habitat, with summer being the most diverse season and no statistical differences between the trapping methods.