Habitat Diversity Sustains Ecosystem Functioning in Plateau Arid-Region Wetlands

Plateau arid-region wetlands constitute critical ecosystems for regional ecological security, yet exhibit heightened vulnerability under multiple stressors. Current understanding of the mechanisms sustaining the functions of these systems, particularly the pivotal role of habitat diversity, remains limited. Targeting the Jinzihai Wetland (Qaidam Basin, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau), we integrated metagenomic and geochemical profiling to characterize three representative habitats: sandy meadows, peat bogs, and lake sediments. Our analyses revealed that pronounced cross-habitat physicochemical gradients drive community structure differentiation predominantly through species replacement, establishing habitat diversity as a fundamental driver of wetland biodiversity. Concurrently, community differentiation drives spatial divergence in functional gene composition, manifesting distinct functional dominance: sandy meadows govern assimilation and saline-alkaline stress response; peat bogs orchestrate nutrient enrichment and transformation; lake sediments mediate element release and burial. These functionally complementary habitats collectively catalyze biogeochemical cycling. We demonstrate that within plateau arid-region wetlands, habitat diversity stabilizes ecosystem functioning by sustaining both biodiversity and functional diversity of biogeochemical processes. Consequently, prioritizing habitat diversity conservation is imperative for safeguarding the long-term stability of these vulnerable ecosystems within management frameworks.