Intraspecific variation shapes community-level behavioural responses to urbanisation in spiders: from traits to function

摘要: Approaches based on functional traits have proven especially valuable to understand how communities respond environmental gradients. Until recently, they have, however, often ignored the potential consequences of intraspecific trait variation (ITV). This position becomes potentially more problematic when studying animals and behavioural traits, as behaviours can be altered very flexibly at individual level track changes. Urban areas are an extreme example human-changed environments, exposing organisms multiple, strong, yet relatively standardized, selection pressures. Adaptive responses thought play a major role in animals' success or failure these new environments. The such changes for ecosystem processes remain understudied. Using 62 sites varying urbanisation level, we investigated species turnover ITV influenced community-level urbanisation, using orb web spiders their webs models foraging behaviour. explained around 30% total observed among communities. Spiders web-building behaviour cities ways that increase capture efficiency webs. These shifts were partly mediated by turnover, but increased magnitude. importance varied depending spatial scale which was considered. Available prey biomass decreased with urbanisation; corresponding decrease interception less important accounted for. By facilitating trait-environment matching despite thus helps buffer effects functioning. Despite being neglected from analyses, our results highlight accounting fully (human-induced) impact