The structure of spider communities in limestone quarry environments

In Britain, upland spider communities can be found west of the Tees–Exe line between 300–1300 m where the physical conditions are often harsh due to an extremely variable climate, steep unstable slopes and thin soils (Ratcliffe, 1977). These communities often contain species which are common at lower altitudes and are characterized by the dominance of the Linyphiidae (Downie et al., 1995). Spiders of the uplands are receiving increasing attention, but largely on acid grassland (e.g. Coulson & Butterfield, 1986; Sanderson et al., 1995) with relatively little data on calcareous communities (Duffey, 1963). Upland grasslands may be altered in a minor way through ploughing and reseeding (Luff & Rushton, 1989) but habitat disturbance by quarrying may fundamentally transform the habitat (Bradshaw & Chadwick, 1980). The immediate effect of quarrying on invertebrate communities and their subsequent recovery over time has only recently received scrutiny (Cullen & Wheater, 1995; Wheater & Cullen, 1997). Here, we present data on the effect of quarrying on spiders and the response of these communities to severe habitat disturbance.