Short-term simulated warming modifies elevation-dependent soil mite diversity in mountain forests: A case study from...

Global warming has altered species diversity, with particularly complex impacts in high-altitude mountainous areas. Therefore, this experiment studied the impact of simulated warming on the diversity and distribution pattern of soil mites in mountain forests at different altitudes to explore the possible changes that climate warming may have on species diversity in high-altitude mountains. Open-top chambers (OTCs) were established at three distinct altitudes (2222 m, 2395 m, and 2571 m) to simulate low warming (OTCL) and high warming (OTCH) scenarios, alongside a control treatment (CK). The results showed differences in mite community composition across warming treatments. Simulated warming altered the effect of the elevation gradient on soil mite diversity. Under CK treatment, mite species diversity exhibits a unimodal distribution along the elevational gradient. In contrast, diversity decreases monotonically with increasing altitude under OTCL treatment, while under OTCH treatment, it follows a U-shaped distribution. Regarding functional traits, the Functional Richness index peaks in low-altitude OTCH plots, whereas Functional Evenness reaches its maximum in high-altitude OTCL plots. Additionally, soil mite communities are particularly influenced by pH, soil organic matter (SOM), and gravimetric water content (GWC). These findings are crucial for understanding the implications of climate change on soil ecosystems and can provide a scientific foundation for ecological protection and environmental management.