Mountain biodiversity and ecosystem functions: interplay between geology and contemporary environments

This study investigates the combined effects of geological and contemporary environments on biodiversity and ecosystem functions along a 3000-m elevational gradient on the Tibetan Plateau. The research finds consistent elevational breakpoints in biological communities and ecosystem functions, coinciding with the Indus-Yalu suture zone fault. While mean annual temperature, soil pH, and moisture are primary contemporary determinants, incorporating geological factors (parent rock and weathering) significantly increases the explained variation in plant and bacterial communities (67.9% and 35.9%, respectively) and ecosystem functions (27.6%). Geological processes exert direct effects on biodiversity and indirect effects on ecosystem functions through interactions with biodiversity and contemporary environments. Integrating geological processes with environmental gradients enhances understanding of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning across climatic zones.

Ang Hu, Jianjun Wang, Hang Sun, Bin Niu, Guicai Si, Jian Wang, Chih-Fu Yeh, Xinxin Zhu, Xiancai Lu, Jizhong Zhou, Yongping Yang, Minglei Ren, Yilun Hu, Hailiang Dong, Gengxin Zhang