Cambios en las poblaciones de Araneae durante la sucesión postfuego en matorrales mediterráneos de montaña

Resum

A study was made of the effect of human induced bushfires on the spider fauna in an Iberian mountain ecosystem dominated by the bush Cytisus oromediterraneus. Four stages of postfire secondary succession were established: initial, early, central and late. Samples were taken over three consecutive years. The results indicate a strong effect of bushfires on the spider community. As the succession progresses there is a continuous increase in both species richness and spider numbers. The numbers of vegetation-dwelling spiders increases with vegetation cover. The recolonisation dynamics shown by species and families of spiders and the changes in the abundance-diversity curves in the successional gradient are analysed. It is also shown that the mountain shrub fails to reach the condition of maximum maturity as a result of repeated fires.