Appendix Table 1: Summary of Methods, Experimental Treatments, and Transplant Duration

Appendix Table 1: Summary of methods, experimental treatments, and transplant duration for all nests. In the lower montane rainforest habitat, we transplanted 9 nests that had been recollected from Jatun Sacha. We transplanted these to see if they would be able to recover in a more favourable habitat. These nests performed as well as the 10 nests that were transplanted directly from the source habitat.

Habitat / Elevation / Species / Natural Occurrence in Habitat / Source Habitat / # of Nests Transplanted / Number of Spiders/Nest / # of Transplant Sites / Additional Measurements / Transplant Duration / Notes
Yanayacu: Cloud Forest / 2100 m / A. baeza / Common / Yanayacu / 201 / 12 to 100 / 5 / Rainfall and Predator Observations / 46 days / Control
Hollin: Lower Montane Ranforest / 1000 m / A. baeza / Rare / Yanayacu / 192 / 12 to 65 / 4 / Rainfall and Predator Observations / 30-35 days / Transplant nests consisted of 9 groups 'recycled' from Jatun Sacha, 10 groups transplanted directly from native cloud forest; no performance difference
Jatun Sacha: Lowland Rainforest / 400 m / A. baeza / Absent / Yanayacu / 50 / 12 to 100 / 5 / Rainfall and Predator Observations; Rain Exclosure Experiment / All nests completing transplant (n=15) extinct within 4 days; remaining nests removed after 2 weeks. / 30 nests failed before or soon after net removal; 9 of the remaining nests were the source for groups 'recycled' to Hollin.
Jatun Sacha: Lowland Rainforest / 400 m / A. eximius / Common / Jatun Sacha / 223 / ~100 / 3 / Rain Exclosure Experiment / 25-30 days / Test of rain exclosure effect on small groups of the native species; 11 nests in each treatment (sheltered versus exposed)

1 Six nests at two sites were removed by people during the experiment (2 very early, and 4 late).

2 One nest was destroyed by passers by late in the experiment.

3 One exposed nest was destroyed by passers by late in the study period.