Drivers of Centipede and Spider Diversity and Biomass Along an Elevation Gradient on Changbai Mountain, China

In the context of global change, mountain ecosystems are facing more threats than ever. Therefore, understanding spatial distribution patterns of diversity and their driving factors on mountains is gaining increasing attention. Although comprising an essential component of terrestrial ecosystems, the structure of soil fauna communities in mountain ecosystems and their driving factors have been little studied. Changbai Mountain harbors one of the most well-preserved forest ecosystems in the temperate zone. Its high biodiversity provides an ideal setting for investigating biodiversity patterns along elevation gradients. We investigated the diversity, biomass, and community composition of two key soil predator taxa-centipedes and spiders-across eight elevations ranging from 800 to 1850 m a.s.l. Furthermore, we explored correlations between community characteristics and environmental factors. A total of 26 centipede species were identified among 2796 individuals, while 76 spider species were recorded from 2327 individuals. Both centipede and spider richness, biomass, as well as spider density, decreased with increasing elevation. Climatic variables and litter quality were identified as the primary drivers influencing the richness, biomass, and community composition of both taxa. Specifically, changes in temperature and precipitation associated with elevation were identified as the main drivers of changes in diversity, biomass, and community composition. Litter quality, including litter pH, total phosphorus, total carbon, total nitrogen, and N/P ratio, was of secondary importance. Overall, the results provide critical insights into the vulnerability of soil fauna to global climate change and highlight the need for conservation strategies that account for the complex interactions between biodiversity and environmental change.