Publication Date:
2024-05-20
Description:
Meta menardi (Latreille, 1804) and M. bourneti Simon, 1922 (Araneae: Tetragnathidae) are
ubiquitous inhabitants of the twilight zone of most hypogean sites across Europe. The two species
are broadly distributed in Italy, including Sicily, where they show a remarkable segregation along
the altitudinal gradient of Mount Etna. Thanks to our recent sampling activities in this area, we
create a georeferenced dataset allowing the application of Species Distribution Modelling aiming
at evaluating the current and the future habitat in light of the impacts caused by climate change
on the local populations. We predicted a relatively wide suitable area for M bourneti, ranging from
the sea level up to 1100 m a.sl., whereas for M. menardi the suitable area encompasses a narrow
mid altitude strip, extending halfway between the areas suitable for M. bourneti, and the highly
unsuitable volcanic uplands, heavily disturbed by the volcanic activity. The averaged future
predictions for 2070 under RCP 8.5 scenario, show that M. bourneti will expand its range upwards,
in areas that are now suitable for M. menardi. In turn, predictions for M. menardi indicate an
extreme reduction of the current strip of suitable habitat, likely determining its local extinction.
Our findings are further corroborated by the analysis of the bioclimatic niche of the two species
assessed via multidimensional Hutchinsonian hypervolume, being much smaller in M. menardi
compared to of M. bourneti. In light of our results, it seems likely that having wider climatic
preference, M. bourneti will substitute M. menardi in most of its current range in Sicily. Future
interventions aiming at the conservation of M. menardi on Mount Etna are strongly advised.
Description:
Published
Description:
e02699
Description:
OSA2: Evoluzione climatica: effetti e loro mitigazione
Description:
JCR Journal
Keywords:
Cave-dwelling spiders
;
Mount Etna
;
Lava caves
;
Climate change
;
Niche segregation
;
Species distribution modelling
Repository Name:
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)
Type:
article
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