10.5061/DRYAD.3D154
Schmidt, Niels M.
Aarhus University
Mosbacher, Jesper B.
Aarhus University
Eitzinger, Bernhard
University of Helsinki
Vesterinen, Eero J.
University of Helsinki
Roslin, Tomas
University of Helsinki
Data from: High resistance towards herbivore-induced habitat change in a
high arctic arthropod community
Dryad
dataset
2018
molecular diet analysis
Araneae
2018-04-19T15:11:55Z
2018-04-19T15:11:55Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0054
26429 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Mammal herbivores may exert strong impacts on plant communities, and are
often key drivers of vegetation composition and diversity. We tested
whether such mammal-induced changes to a high Arctic plant community are
reflected in the structure of other trophic levels. Specifically, we
tested whether substantial vegetation changes following the experimental
exclusion of muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) altered the composition of the
arthropod community and the predator-prey interactions therein. Overall,
we found no impact of muskox-exclusion on the arthropod community: the
diversity and abundance of both arthropod predators (spiders) and of their
prey were unaffected by muskox presence, and so was the qualitative and
quantitative structure of predator-prey interactions. Hence, high Arctic
arthropod communities seem highly resistant towards even large biotic
changes in their habitat, which we attribute to the high connectance in
the food web.
Diets of high arctic spidersDiets of spider in herbivore-manipulations
(Control and exclosure) as resolved by molecular
tools.SpiderDietsDryad.csv
High arctic