干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Spiders were sampled in fall 2000 and spring 2001 from two areas (upper bajada and basin) of native grassland invaded by Lehmann lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana Nees) on the Jornada del Muerto Dona Ana County NM Sampling involved three amounts (dominant intermediate and minimal) of invasion by Lehmann lovegrass Spiders were sampled in 5 x 5 m plots with three replications of the amounts of lovegrass infestation to determine if spider diversity was affected by an increase in invading grass However, the prevalence of lovegrass did not seem to play an influential role in the numbers of species or individual spiders collected Spider biodiversity and abundance are primarily influenced by prey availability and geometrical complexity of habitat allowing proper hiding and building of web sites and apparently Lehmann lovegrass compared to native grassland does not adversely affect either factor