Fragmented landscapes threaten spider diversity, harming ecosystems and food webs.
The researchers studied spiders in fragmented landscapes to see if the diversity of spiders matched the diversity of their prey and habitat. They found that the types of prey and habitat in an area influenced the types of spiders found there. Connectivity between patches of land also affected the variety of spiders present. Overall, the study showed that different factors at different scales work together to shape the diversity of spiders in agricultural landscapes.