Spiders (Araneae) of the abandoned pasture near the village of Malé Kršteňany (Western Slovakia)

Abandoned pastures are frequent phenomenon throughout central Europe due to the reduction of grazing. This also concerns the abandoned pasture near the village of Malé Kršteňany (Western Slovakia). We dealt with the research of spiders in this site in 2015 and spring of 2017.

Despite it is a secondary anthropogenous habitat, the fauna of spiders is relatively rich, including infrequent or up to rare species, including Theonina cornix, Phycosoma inornatum, Altella biuncata, Brommella falcigera, Mastigusa arietina, Diaea livens, Tmarus stellio, Chalcoscirtus brevicymbialis, Pellenes nigrociliatus and Haplodrassus kulczynskii. The species of warm and moderate habitats are highly prevailing here – together it is 97%.

The analysis of the spider faunal composition according to originality of habitat is even more interesting. The share of climax species is surprisingly high – 54.83%, despite this habitat is not at all ‘pristine’. Experts opinions on the climax, especially those of a conservative nature, require revision and a comprehensive view of modern ecology.

We suppose that some particular stages of the on-going succession process can be interpreted as “partial climax stages” tending towards the ‘ nal’ arrangement of the biota. It is necessary to emphasize that the climax is not at the ‘de nitive’ and ‘constant’ stage, on the contrary, it is a highly dynamic and variable process.