Temperature and soil nutrients drive the spatial distributions of soil macroinvertebrates on the eastern Tibetan Plateau

Abstract Improved knowledge of biological diversity patterns associated with elevation and their driving factors is indispensable for developing ecological theories. However, the results for the elevational distribution patterns of soil fauna are not consistent due to differing climates and vegetati...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yulian Yang, Qinggui Wu, Wanqin Yang, Fuzhong Wu, Li Zhang, Zhenfeng Xu, Yang Liu, Bo Tan, Han Li, Wei Zhou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-03-01
Series:Ecosphere
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3075
id doaj-4946fa373cc74f0caf797d3b137d2046
record_format Article
spelling doaj-4946fa373cc74f0caf797d3b137d20462020-11-25T02:04:16ZengWileyEcosphere2150-89252020-03-01113n/an/a10.1002/ecs2.3075Temperature and soil nutrients drive the spatial distributions of soil macroinvertebrates on the eastern Tibetan PlateauYulian Yang0Qinggui Wu1Wanqin Yang2Fuzhong Wu3Li Zhang4Zhenfeng Xu5Yang Liu6Bo Tan7Han Li8Wei Zhou9Long‐Term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystems Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering Institute of Ecology and Forestry Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu 611130 ChinaEcological Security and Protection Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province Mianyang Normal University Mianyang 621000 ChinaLong‐Term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystems Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering Institute of Ecology and Forestry Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu 611130 ChinaLong‐Term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystems Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering Institute of Ecology and Forestry Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu 611130 ChinaLong‐Term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystems Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering Institute of Ecology and Forestry Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu 611130 ChinaLong‐Term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystems Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering Institute of Ecology and Forestry Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu 611130 ChinaLong‐Term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystems Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering Institute of Ecology and Forestry Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu 611130 ChinaLong‐Term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystems Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering Institute of Ecology and Forestry Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu 611130 ChinaLong‐Term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystems Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering Institute of Ecology and Forestry Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu 611130 ChinaCollege of Resources Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu 611130 ChinaAbstract Improved knowledge of biological diversity patterns associated with elevation and their driving factors is indispensable for developing ecological theories. However, the results for the elevational distribution patterns of soil fauna are not consistent due to differing climates and vegetation. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of soil macroinvertebrate composition and structure among different forests at three elevations on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, China. A total of 16,559 individuals belonging to 24 orders and 100 families were collected, and the macroinvertebrate individual abundance, family richness, and diversity apparently increased with increasing elevation. Moreover, remarkable seasonal dynamics were observed for both the composition and functional structure of soil macroinvertebrates among forest types and were inconsistently affected by different environmental factors. The structural equation model suggested that elevation indirectly affected soil macroinvertebrate abundance by modulating climate (e.g., temperature) and soil quality (e.g., soil organic carbon and total nitrogen). Additionally, although vegetation had minor direct effects on soil macroinvertebrate abundance, it might indirectly influence soil macroinvertebrate abundance by regulating plant litter input. Our results indicate that temperature and soil nutrients are critical factors of soil macroinvertebrate elevational distributions and highlight the importance of plant litter input in determining the composition and structure of soil macroinvertebrates at different elevations.https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3075community structureelevational patternenvironmental factorsforest ecosystemsfunctional groupsoil macroinvertebrate
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Yulian Yang
Qinggui Wu
Wanqin Yang
Fuzhong Wu
Li Zhang
Zhenfeng Xu
Yang Liu
Bo Tan
Han Li
Wei Zhou
spellingShingle Yulian Yang
Qinggui Wu
Wanqin Yang
Fuzhong Wu
Li Zhang
Zhenfeng Xu
Yang Liu
Bo Tan
Han Li
Wei Zhou
Temperature and soil nutrients drive the spatial distributions of soil macroinvertebrates on the eastern Tibetan Plateau
Ecosphere
community structure
elevational pattern
environmental factors
forest ecosystems
functional group
soil macroinvertebrate
author_facet Yulian Yang
Qinggui Wu
Wanqin Yang
Fuzhong Wu
Li Zhang
Zhenfeng Xu
Yang Liu
Bo Tan
Han Li
Wei Zhou
author_sort Yulian Yang
title Temperature and soil nutrients drive the spatial distributions of soil macroinvertebrates on the eastern Tibetan Plateau
title_short Temperature and soil nutrients drive the spatial distributions of soil macroinvertebrates on the eastern Tibetan Plateau
title_full Temperature and soil nutrients drive the spatial distributions of soil macroinvertebrates on the eastern Tibetan Plateau
title_fullStr Temperature and soil nutrients drive the spatial distributions of soil macroinvertebrates on the eastern Tibetan Plateau
title_full_unstemmed Temperature and soil nutrients drive the spatial distributions of soil macroinvertebrates on the eastern Tibetan Plateau
title_sort temperature and soil nutrients drive the spatial distributions of soil macroinvertebrates on the eastern tibetan plateau
publisher Wiley
series Ecosphere
issn 2150-8925
publishDate 2020-03-01
description Abstract Improved knowledge of biological diversity patterns associated with elevation and their driving factors is indispensable for developing ecological theories. However, the results for the elevational distribution patterns of soil fauna are not consistent due to differing climates and vegetation. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of soil macroinvertebrate composition and structure among different forests at three elevations on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, China. A total of 16,559 individuals belonging to 24 orders and 100 families were collected, and the macroinvertebrate individual abundance, family richness, and diversity apparently increased with increasing elevation. Moreover, remarkable seasonal dynamics were observed for both the composition and functional structure of soil macroinvertebrates among forest types and were inconsistently affected by different environmental factors. The structural equation model suggested that elevation indirectly affected soil macroinvertebrate abundance by modulating climate (e.g., temperature) and soil quality (e.g., soil organic carbon and total nitrogen). Additionally, although vegetation had minor direct effects on soil macroinvertebrate abundance, it might indirectly influence soil macroinvertebrate abundance by regulating plant litter input. Our results indicate that temperature and soil nutrients are critical factors of soil macroinvertebrate elevational distributions and highlight the importance of plant litter input in determining the composition and structure of soil macroinvertebrates at different elevations.
topic community structure
elevational pattern
environmental factors
forest ecosystems
functional group
soil macroinvertebrate
url https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3075
work_keys_str_mv AT yulianyang temperatureandsoilnutrientsdrivethespatialdistributionsofsoilmacroinvertebratesontheeasterntibetanplateau
AT qingguiwu temperatureandsoilnutrientsdrivethespatialdistributionsofsoilmacroinvertebratesontheeasterntibetanplateau
AT wanqinyang temperatureandsoilnutrientsdrivethespatialdistributionsofsoilmacroinvertebratesontheeasterntibetanplateau
AT fuzhongwu temperatureandsoilnutrientsdrivethespatialdistributionsofsoilmacroinvertebratesontheeasterntibetanplateau
AT lizhang temperatureandsoilnutrientsdrivethespatialdistributionsofsoilmacroinvertebratesontheeasterntibetanplateau
AT zhenfengxu temperatureandsoilnutrientsdrivethespatialdistributionsofsoilmacroinvertebratesontheeasterntibetanplateau
AT yangliu temperatureandsoilnutrientsdrivethespatialdistributionsofsoilmacroinvertebratesontheeasterntibetanplateau
AT botan temperatureandsoilnutrientsdrivethespatialdistributionsofsoilmacroinvertebratesontheeasterntibetanplateau
AT hanli temperatureandsoilnutrientsdrivethespatialdistributionsofsoilmacroinvertebratesontheeasterntibetanplateau
AT weizhou temperatureandsoilnutrientsdrivethespatialdistributionsofsoilmacroinvertebratesontheeasterntibetanplateau
_version_ 1724943433658793984