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Spiders of Birch Mountains Wildland Provincial Park

Description

This report documents the collection of spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) during a 2004 survey of Birch Mountains Wildland Provincial Park (representative of Alberta’s Upper Boreal Highlands... More ≫

Description

This report documents the collection of spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) during a 2004 survey of Birch Mountains Wildland Provincial Park (representative of Alberta’s Upper Boreal Highlands Subregion). A total of 6,211 identifiable specimens were collected. These represented 185 species within 17 families. Most species were common residents of the boreal forest. New linyphiid records for Alberta were Lophomma vaccinii, Tapinocyba bicarinata, Tunagyna debilis, and Wabasso cacuminatus. Likely undescribed species belong to the genera Hypsosinga (Araneidae), Ceratinops (Linyphiidae) and Oreonetides (Linyphiidae). A few updates and corrections of species names are given for three other reports on spiders from north-eastern Alberta.

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Spider records from Caribou Mountains Wildland Provincial Park

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There are numerous and important examples of the province’s biodiversity contained within Alberta’s protected areas (e.g., parks, wilderness areas, ecological reserves). Much of that biodiversity... More ≫

Description

There are numerous and important examples of the province’s biodiversity contained within Alberta’s protected areas (e.g., parks, wilderness areas, ecological reserves). Much of that biodiversity remains to be discovered, particularly that which relates to the invertebrate fauna. Spiders are in that category. In Canada there are approximately 1400 known spider species. The Biological Survey of Canada estimates that there are at most 1,500 spider species in the country. Holmberg and Buckle (2002) noted that there were 662 species in 23 families for Alberta and Saskatchewan combined. Within Alberta there are about 583 known spider species belonging to 24 families. That number will continue to grow as more information and data becomes available. The spider specimens that were collected in Caribou Mountains Wildland Provincial Park during this survey were the first for this rather remote area.

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Spider records from Colin-Cornwall Lakes Wildland Provincial Park

Description

Three wildland provincial parks and one ecological reserve have been established in the northeast corner of Alberta. Colin-Cornwall Lakes, Fidler-Greywillow and La Butte Creek Wildland Provincial... More ≫

Description

Three wildland provincial parks and one ecological reserve have been established in the northeast corner of Alberta. Colin-Cornwall Lakes, Fidler-Greywillow and La Butte Creek Wildland Provincial Parks are located in the Canadian Shield Natural Region. Egg Island Ecological Reserve, within Lake Athabasca, is also located in that Natural Region (Alberta Environmental Protection 1998). Note that Fidler-Greywillow is comprised of a strip of mainland plus some islands in Lake Athabasca. These protected areas contain numerous and important examples of Alberta's biodiversity. Much of it is poorly understood or unknown, particularly the invertebrate fauna. The spider fauna is no exception. The spider specimens that were collected in Colin-Cornwall Lakes Wildland Provincial Park during this survey were the first for this area.

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Spider records from four wildland parks in northeastern Alberta

Description

Several wildland parks and two ecological reserves have recently been established in the northeast corner of Alberta (Figure 1). Colin-Cornwall Lakes Fidler-Greywillow, La Butte Creek and Maybelle... More ≫

Description

Several wildland parks and two ecological reserves have recently been established in the northeast corner of Alberta (Figure 1). Colin-Cornwall Lakes Fidler-Greywillow, La Butte Creek and Maybelle River Wildland Parks are located in the Canadian Shield Natural Region. Egg Island and Athabasca Dunes Ecological Reserves are also located in that Natural Region. Birch Mountains, Marguerite River and Richardson River Dunes Wildland Parks are within the Boreal Forest Natural Region (Alberta Environmental Protection 1998). These wildland parks contain numerous and important examples of Alberta's biodiversity. Much of it is poorly understood or unknown, particularly the invertebrate fauna. The spider fauna is no exception. As Aitchison and Sutherland (2000) state, "…information on the composition and functioning of the boreal forest arachnid community [in Canada] remains sketchy". The spider specimens that were collected during this survey are the first for these wildland parks of...

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