Testing the Rapid Assessment Protocol for Spiders and Millipedes in Nantucket Sandplain Grassland and Coastal Heathland

Submitted in fulfillment of a 2009 Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative grant.

We tested a Rapid Assessment Protocol for Spiders and Millipedes (RAPSM) in sandplain grassland and coastal heathland on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. The objective of this protocol is to efficiently capture most of the available species within a defined area and provide species diversity datasets that are comparable between habitats. The RAPSM requires a combination of two person-hours of litter sorting and one person-hour of hand collecting (sweep-netting) in individual 100 m2 circular plots. We collected 538 spiders representing 36 species (188 were identifiable) from seven plots. The average number of spiders collected (adult and juvenile) per plot was 77 and the average number of species per plot was 12. On average, there are 0.77 spiders per square meter of sandplain grassland and coastal heathland within our study area. Litter sorting produced the most complete collection as indicated by accumulation curves. The RAPSM species list contains 71 percent of the species in a season adjusted species list for the study area and they are 58 percent similar. Our data suggest there is high beta diversity in the sandplain grassland and coastal heathland habitat. Millipedes will be sent to the Chicago Field Museum for identification.

本数据集为完成2009年楠塔基特生物多样性倡议（Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative）资助项目而提交。

我们在美国马萨诸塞州楠塔基特岛的砂质平原草原与海岸石楠灌丛生境中，针对蜘蛛与马陆快速评估方案（Rapid Assessment Protocol for Spiders and Millipedes，简称RAPSM）开展了测试验证。

该方案的核心目标为：在划定区域内高效采集绝大多数现存物种，并生成可在不同生境间进行比对的物种多样性数据集。

RAPSM要求在单个100平方米的圆形样地内，结合开展2人·小时的枯落物分拣工作与1人·小时的手采（扫网采集）工作。

本次共在7个样地中采集到538头蜘蛛，隶属于36个物种（其中188头可鉴定至物种水平）。

每个样地采集的蜘蛛（包括成体与幼体）平均数量为77头，平均每个样地的物种数为12种。

在本研究区域内，砂质平原草原与海岸石楠灌丛的蜘蛛种群密度平均为0.77头/平方米。

物种累积曲线显示，枯落物分拣环节所采集的物种完整度最高。

RAPSM所得物种名录覆盖本研究区域经季节校正后的物种名录中71%的物种，二者的物种组成相似度为58%。

本研究数据表明，砂质平原草原与海岸石楠灌丛生境存在较高的β多样性。

所采集的马陆标本将被送往芝加哥菲尔德自然历史博物馆（Chicago Field Museum）进行物种鉴定。