Comparing Spider Communities Level 1

Level 1:Classifying the species from one location or ecosystem. This helps determine the overall biodiversity of a particular ecosystem.

In this first step, scientists taxonomically identify each individual spider from a patch of forest (Site 1) based on their physical properties. For example, you might note that some spiders have spotted abdomens and are very hairy, while others have short legs and a spiky abdomen. The number of species present will give the scientist an idea of the overall biodiversity and health of the ecosystem being sampled.


Source: http://cnx.org/content/m12179/latest/ (CC BY)