Effects of Environmental Factors on the Spatial Distribution Pattern and Diversity of Insect Communities along Altitude Gradients in Guandi Mountain, China

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Elevation gradient is an important factor affecting insect species composition, community structure, and the spatial pattern of diversity. At present, it is necessary to study the impact of environmental factors on the insect population structure and diversity patterns along altitudinal gradients in Guandi Mountain, China. This study revealed that altitude gradient could significantly affect the composition and distribution patterns of insect communities and the insect community showed certain differentiation characteristics with the altitude gradient in this area. Additionally, the results of redundancy analysis (RDA) and correlation analysis indicated that soil physicochemical properties were closely related to the distribution and diversity of insect taxa orders along the altitude gradient, and the soil temperature was the most significant environmental factor affecting the insect community structure and diversity on the altitude gradient. Our results suggest that the interactive effects of altitude and environmental variables play an important role in determining the community structure, distribution patterns, and diversity of insect populations. ABSTRACT: Understanding the distribution patterns and underlying maintenance mechanisms of insect species is a core issue in the field of insect ecology. However, research gaps remain regarding the environmental factors that determine the distribution of insect species along altitudinal gradients in Guandi Mountain, China. Here, we explored these determinants based on the distribution pattern and diversity of insect species from 1600 m to 2800 m in the Guandi Mountain, which covers all typical vegetation ecosystems in this area. Our results showed that the insect community showed certain differentiation characteristics with the altitude gradient. The results of RDA and correlation analysis also support the above speculation and indicate that soil physicochemical properties are closely related to the distribution and diversity of insect taxa orders along the altitude gradient. In addition, the soil temperature showed an obvious decreasing trend with increasing altitude, and temperature was also the most significant environmental factor affecting the insect community structure and diversity on the altitude gradient. These findings provide a reference for exploring the maintenance mechanisms affecting the structure, distribution pattern, and diversity of insect communities in mountain ecosystems, and the effects of global warming on insect communities.