investigate the combined effects of diet and temperature on physiology, morphology and behaviour under controlled conditions, that reflect variation between urban and ex-urban spaces

The effects of temperature and diet on the physiology, morphology and behaviour of spiders (Araneae), and how this may be influenced by urbanisation
Abstract
Increased urbanization is resulting in highly modified environments worldwide. Currently, over half of the world’s human population lives in cities. Urbanisation results in challenging environments for many wildlife species, including spiders, typically presenting a loss of natural resources (i.e. habitat and food) and high levels of anthropogenic disturbance. Despite these changes, some species of spiders prosper in urban environments and occur in high numbers. Such taxa are often described as urban ‘adapters’ or ‘exploiters’. Their success under these conditions suggests that some spiders have a combination of physiological, morphological and behavioural adaptations that enable them to withstand the demands of urbanisation. My project will take a behavioural and physiological approach to exploring the effect of such features of urbanized areas as changes in food density, temperature and predation level.

Objectives
The main aim of my project is to determine how temperature and diet influence the physiology, morphology and behaviour of spiders (Araneae), and how this may be influenced by urbanisation. This will be explored through the following research objectives:

To investigate the combined effects of diet and temperature on physiology, morphology and behaviour under controlled conditions, that reflect variation between urban and ex-urban spaces;
To determine how the manipulation of debris stored in the web influences predatory response, escape behaviour, persistence and survival and how this varies between spiders in urban and ex-urban spaces;
To determine the impacts of urban and exurban environments on diet and trophic interactions, through collection of potential prey in habitats and actual prey in webs.

Background
Urbanisation is the modification, often with concomitant degradation, of landscapes to support the increasing human populations in cities and towns around the world (Defries et al. 2010). The substantial disturbances to natural landscapes created by city growth often destroy the habitats of native species. Urbanisation results in homogenised environments, and as a result biodiversity is reduced (McKinney 2006). This occurs as few species are able to meet the relatively narrow requirements for survival in the newly altered environment. As a result, animals from a range of trophic groups, and interactions between these tropic levels are affected (Faeth et al. 2005). Some species, however, seem to prosper in urban environments and occur in high numbers. Such animals are often described as urban ‘adapters’ or ‘exploiters’ (McKinney, 2006).
There has been a bias towards studies of the effects of urbanisation on vertebrates, and comparatively little is known about the effects of urbanisation on invertebrates (McIntyre 2000). Arthropods are particularly important for studying the effects of urbanization for several reasons. They are extremely diverse and thus may provide a snapshot of overall biological diversity in an area. Their relatively short generation times mean that they will respond to anthropogenic changes at a quicker rate than vertebrates. They are reasonably easy to sample, and invertebrate use in scientific research is not as opposed as the use of vertebrates. As a group they represent a spectrum of trophic levels, and lastly, they may be important sociological, agronomical, and economical components of human-altered habitats. Any changes in their environment may disrupt the functions that arthropods play in the ecosystem; as a result arthropods can be used as biological indicators (McIntyre 2000). The human population is rising exponentially and statistics show current world population to be greater than 7 billion. More than 50 % of humanity lives in and around cities (UNPD 2005). It is predicted that this proportion will succeed 60 % by 2025 (Antrop 2000).
Spiders are a good model to understand the effects of urbanisation on biodiversity as several species of spider e.g. Nephila edulis have been identified as urban adapters (Lowe et al. 2014). Furthermore, spiders are an important group of predatory invertebrates in urban horticultural and agricultural systems (Humphreys 1988), and are excellent indicators of habitat modification and disturbance (Wilcove et al. 1998). Spiders are a valuable organism with which to study the effects of urbanisation on predators and their ecology, as they can greatly affect food webs and ecosystem characteristics, such as plant community composition, herbivore abundance and nutrient cycling (Schmitz 2008). The study of spiders and their responses to anthropogenic change will allow for a better understanding of how to preserve trophic interactions and biodiversity in urban communities.
My proposed research will explore questions concerning the behavioural, physiological and personality adaptations of urban spiders, with respect to diet, growth and survival