Seasonal Distribution and Diversity of Non-Insect Arthropods in Arid Ecosystems: A Case Study from the King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve, Kingdom Saudi Arabia
The biodiversity of invertebrate animals is largely affected by climatic changes. This study evaluates the seasonal abundance and diversity of non-insect arthropods in the King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve (KARR), Saudi Arabia, over four collection periods (summer, autumn, winter, and spring) during 2023...
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2024-12-01
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| author | Taghreed A. Alsaleem Moutaman Ali Kehail Abdulrahaman S. Alzahrani Turki Alsaleem Areej H. Alkhalifa Abdulaziz M. Alqahtani Mohammed H. Altalhi Hussein H. Alkhamis Abdullah M. Alowaifeer Abdulwahed Fahad Alrefaei |
| author_facet | Taghreed A. Alsaleem Moutaman Ali Kehail Abdulrahaman S. Alzahrani Turki Alsaleem Areej H. Alkhalifa Abdulaziz M. Alqahtani Mohammed H. Altalhi Hussein H. Alkhamis Abdullah M. Alowaifeer Abdulwahed Fahad Alrefaei |
| author_sort | Taghreed A. Alsaleem |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The biodiversity of invertebrate animals is largely affected by climatic changes. This study evaluates the seasonal abundance and diversity of non-insect arthropods in the King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve (KARR), Saudi Arabia, over four collection periods (summer, autumn, winter, and spring) during 2023. Sampling was conducted across multiple sites in the reserve using both active (manual collection and active surveying for the diurnal species) and passive (pitfall traps and malaise traps for the nocturnal species) methods. A total of 586 non-insect arthropod specimens were collected, representing four classes: Arachnida, Chilopoda, Branchiopoda, and Malacostraca. The results show that the most abundant species was the jumping spider <i>Plexippus paykulli</i>, which dominated collections across two seasons, with a peak abundance of 50.7% in late summer. Seasonal variations in non-insect arthropod diversity were observed, with a lower diversity recorded during January–March (4 species, and this may be attributed to this period revealing the lowest temperature reading recorded during the study period) and higher diversity in August–September (end of summer) and October–November (mid of autumn), with 14 species. Scorpions, particularly species from the families Buthidae and Scorpionidae, were common during the summer months, while solifuges and centipedes showed sporadic occurrences across seasons. These findings align with the results for arthropod distribution in arid regions, with temperature and resource availability as key drivers of biodiversity in desert environments because of their direct effects on the biochemical processes of these creatures. This study contributes valuable baseline data on the non-insect arthropod fauna of the KARR. The insights gained from this study can aid in conservation efforts and provide a foundation for further research on non-insect arthropod ecology in arid landscapes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-364354846bcc4d638d9396def1e3d5a0 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-364354846bcc4d638d9396def1e3d5a02024-12-27T14:12:14ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372024-12-011312108210.3390/biology13121082Seasonal Distribution and Diversity of Non-Insect Arthropods in Arid Ecosystems: A Case Study from the King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve, Kingdom Saudi ArabiaTaghreed A. Alsaleem0Moutaman Ali Kehail1Abdulrahaman S. Alzahrani2Turki Alsaleem3Areej H. Alkhalifa4Abdulaziz M. Alqahtani5Mohammed H. Altalhi6Hussein H. Alkhamis7Abdullah M. Alowaifeer8Abdulwahed Fahad Alrefaei9The King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve (KARR), Riyadh 12213, Saudi ArabiaGreen Sustainability Company for Environmental Services (GSCES), Riyadh 13326, Saudi ArabiaThe King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve (KARR), Riyadh 12213, Saudi ArabiaThe King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve (KARR), Riyadh 12213, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11671, Saudi ArabiaThe King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve (KARR), Riyadh 12213, Saudi ArabiaThe King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve (KARR), Riyadh 12213, Saudi ArabiaGreen Sustainability Company for Environmental Services (GSCES), Riyadh 13326, Saudi ArabiaThe King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve (KARR), Riyadh 12213, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi ArabiaThe biodiversity of invertebrate animals is largely affected by climatic changes. This study evaluates the seasonal abundance and diversity of non-insect arthropods in the King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve (KARR), Saudi Arabia, over four collection periods (summer, autumn, winter, and spring) during 2023. Sampling was conducted across multiple sites in the reserve using both active (manual collection and active surveying for the diurnal species) and passive (pitfall traps and malaise traps for the nocturnal species) methods. A total of 586 non-insect arthropod specimens were collected, representing four classes: Arachnida, Chilopoda, Branchiopoda, and Malacostraca. The results show that the most abundant species was the jumping spider <i>Plexippus paykulli</i>, which dominated collections across two seasons, with a peak abundance of 50.7% in late summer. Seasonal variations in non-insect arthropod diversity were observed, with a lower diversity recorded during January–March (4 species, and this may be attributed to this period revealing the lowest temperature reading recorded during the study period) and higher diversity in August–September (end of summer) and October–November (mid of autumn), with 14 species. Scorpions, particularly species from the families Buthidae and Scorpionidae, were common during the summer months, while solifuges and centipedes showed sporadic occurrences across seasons. These findings align with the results for arthropod distribution in arid regions, with temperature and resource availability as key drivers of biodiversity in desert environments because of their direct effects on the biochemical processes of these creatures. This study contributes valuable baseline data on the non-insect arthropod fauna of the KARR. The insights gained from this study can aid in conservation efforts and provide a foundation for further research on non-insect arthropod ecology in arid landscapes.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/13/12/1082biodiversityarachnidscrustaceansmyriapodsKARRSaudi Arabia |
| spellingShingle | Taghreed A. Alsaleem Moutaman Ali Kehail Abdulrahaman S. Alzahrani Turki Alsaleem Areej H. Alkhalifa Abdulaziz M. Alqahtani Mohammed H. Altalhi Hussein H. Alkhamis Abdullah M. Alowaifeer Abdulwahed Fahad Alrefaei Seasonal Distribution and Diversity of Non-Insect Arthropods in Arid Ecosystems: A Case Study from the King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve, Kingdom Saudi Arabia Biology biodiversity arachnids crustaceans myriapods KARR Saudi Arabia |
| title | Seasonal Distribution and Diversity of Non-Insect Arthropods in Arid Ecosystems: A Case Study from the King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve, Kingdom Saudi Arabia |
| title_full | Seasonal Distribution and Diversity of Non-Insect Arthropods in Arid Ecosystems: A Case Study from the King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve, Kingdom Saudi Arabia |
| title_fullStr | Seasonal Distribution and Diversity of Non-Insect Arthropods in Arid Ecosystems: A Case Study from the King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve, Kingdom Saudi Arabia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seasonal Distribution and Diversity of Non-Insect Arthropods in Arid Ecosystems: A Case Study from the King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve, Kingdom Saudi Arabia |
| title_short | Seasonal Distribution and Diversity of Non-Insect Arthropods in Arid Ecosystems: A Case Study from the King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve, Kingdom Saudi Arabia |
| title_sort | seasonal distribution and diversity of non insect arthropods in arid ecosystems a case study from the king abdulaziz royal reserve kingdom saudi arabia |
| topic | biodiversity arachnids crustaceans myriapods KARR Saudi Arabia |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/13/12/1082 |
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