Do Spiders Live in Trees?

Trees are home to many different kinds of animal species. One group is known as spiders. These spiders build webs, which they then use to catch and eat insects. They do not usually build nests in trees. However, they can be found in pastures and forests near water sources.

Several studies have investigated the diversity and abundance of spiders in single stands of forest. In these studies, herb cover and litter depth were found to be important factors.

Although it is still unclear how tree diversity affects the diversity of spiders, it is known that some tree species dominate a particular forest stand. If a dominant tree species imposes a high degree of structural, abiotic and decomposition characteristics, the effect will be to modify the overall composition of the spider fauna.

Studies on spider communities have been conducted in several stands of mixed-species deciduous forests. The results from these studies indicate that the influence of tree species on spider diversity is not as strong as expected.

Some tree species, such as beech, have a slow rate of decomposition and result in a dense litter layer. This leads to high palatability of the lime litter for saprophagous invertebrates.

A number of other environmental factors, such as herb cover, litter depth and structural features of habitat, may also play an important role in the spider community. Species numbers and diversity indices are positive in correlated with herb cover and litter depth.

Litter depth is very important for ground-living spiders. Spiders often weave webs by using twigs as anchor points.