Why Spiders Are Good For the Environment

Spiders play an important role in ecosystems. They are generalist consumers, eating a wide variety of organisms. Some spiders transfer pollen from one plant to another. Others hunt and kill other arachnids.

The greatest threat to spiders is habitat fragmentation. If habitat is lost, spiders become stranded. This can leave them vulnerable to existential threats.

To protect spider populations from this kind of danger, researchers set up five-foot-wide experimental ecosystems in Alaska’s Arctic. There they monitored changes in permafrost ecosystems.

They discovered that the number of springtails and wolf spiders was higher in artificially warmed rings than in the natural environment. Wolf spiders eat insects that keep fungus in check. Increasing temperatures triggered a switch in the wolf spiders diet.

Spiders also help with pest control. Since they eat mosquitoes, they reduce the population of these bloodsucking insects. It also reduces the spread of diseases like malaria.

Although there are a number of species that are poisonous, they don’t harm humans. Wild spiders are usually found in attics, closets, or storage areas.

Many of them are beautiful. They come in an array of colors and body shapes. But it is important to keep spiders from entering homes. Using pest control services can prevent these spiders from gaining access to the home.

Another reason why spiders are good for the environment is that they act as bioindicators. They can help detect heavy metal pollution. Their webs can also prevent disease from spreading.