Publication details
Restoration of degraded wetland: How management measures shape spider community
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| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| Citation | |
| Description | Wetlands are important habitats within agricultural landscapes, playing a vital role in water and nutrient retention, which supports the small water cycle and contributes to local cooling. However, many wetland sites face severe degradation or loss due to drainage, inappropriate agricultural practices, and stream regulation. Because wetlands support unique and often rare species, efforts to restore them have gained increasing attention, aiming to recover ecosystem functions, hydrology, and biodiversity. This case study examines the effects of various management measures on the spider community in a degraded wetland in South Moravia, Czech Republic. From 2020 to 2022, two common practices—extensive grazing and mowing—were implemented. Additionally, in 2023, hemiparasitic plants (Odontites vernus and Melampyrum arvense) were introduced to suppress invasive plant species, mainly Symphyotrichum lanceolatum, Solidago gigantea, and Solidago canadensis. Spiders were monitored from 2020 to 2024 using pitfall traps, net sweeping, and a modified garden vacuum. Across five years, 109 spider species from 18 families were recorded. Alongside common meadow and open-habitat spider species, several wetland specialists and species classified as endangered to critically endangered in the Czech Republic were found. Among the most threatened species recorded at the site were Clubiona juvenis, Prinerigone vagans, Trichoncoides piscator, and Zora armillata. |
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