Diversity Patterns and Ecological Network Features of Soil Mite Trophic Groups in Karst Cave Ecosystems.

ABSTRACT: Trophic niche differentiation alleviates interspecific competition among soil fauna by modulating resource utilization and allocation, offering a novel perspective for understanding biodiversity maintenance and species coexistence in subterranean ecosystems. As a typical example of an oligotrophic and extremely dark environment, karst cave soils support arthropod communities that are functionally distinct from those in surface habitats. However, systematic understanding of the multidimensional diversity patterns and ecological network complexity of multitrophic groups of cave-dwelling soil mites remains limited. In this study, soil mite samples were collected from distinct photic zones of the cave including the dark, twilight, light, and entrance zones. We aimed to uncover the variation in

SUBMITTER: Shen Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12634052 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature