Trophic niches of Collembola communities change with elevation, but also with body size and life form.

Climate change will likely increase habitat loss of endemic tree species and drives forest conversion in mountainous forests. Elevation gradients provide the opportunity to predict possible consequences of such changes. While species compositions of various taxa have been investigated along elevation gradients, data on trophic changes in soil-dwelling organisms are scarce.

Changes in microbial community structure and functioning with elevation are linked to local soil characteristics as well as climatic variables.

Mountain forests are important carbon stocks and biodiversity hotspots but are threatened by increased insect outbreaks and climate-driven forest conversion. Soil microorganisms play an eminent role in nutrient cycling in forest habitats and form the basis of soil food webs. Uncovering the driving factors shaping microbial communities and functioning at mountainsides across the world is of eminent importance to better understand their dynamics at local and global scales.

Drivers of Collembola assemblages along an altitudinal gradient in northeast China.

Altitudinal changes in the diversity of plants and animals have been well documented; however, soil animals received little attention in this context and it is unclear whether their diversity follows general altitudinal distribution patterns. Changbai Mountain is one of few well-conserved mountain regions comprising natural ecosystems on the Eurasian continent. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of the diversity and community composition of Collembola along ten altitudinal sites representing five vegetation types from forest to alpine tundra.