Thoughts on the Ecological Significance of Spiders
- 1 June 1974
- journal article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in BioScience
- Vol. 24 (6), 352-356
- https://doi.org/10.2307/1296741
Abstract
Spiders exhibit a complex functional response to increased prey densities. A food-based intraspecific spacing of individuals, while ensuring minimal energy requirements, limits their numerical response. Spiders thus maintain stable population densities despite local fluctuations in prey numbers. They are the dominant predators and stabilizers of the invertebrate community in natural habitats.Keywords
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