Urbanisation at multiple scales is associated with larger size and higher fecundity of an orb-weaving spider.

ABSTRACT: Urbanisation modifies landscapes at multiple scales, impacting the local climate and changing the extent and quality of natural habitats. These habitat modifications significantly alter species distributions and can result in increased abundance of select species which are able to exploit novel ecosystems. We examined the effect of urbanisation at local and landscape scales on the body size, lipid reserves and ovary weight of Nephila plumipes, an orb weaving spider commonly found in both urban and natural landscapes. Habitat variables at landscape, local and microhabitat scales were integrated to create a series of indexes that quantified the degree of urbanisation at each site. Spider size was negatively associated with vegetation cover at a landscape scale, and positively associated with

SUBMITTER: Lowe EC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4139358 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature