Diversity of grasshoppers in different grassland types in the Western Tianshan Mountains of China and influencing factors

Grasshoppers, as important primary consumers in grasslands, play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of grassland ecosystems. However, patterns of change in grasshopper diversity and their influencing factors vary with regions and grassland types. Therefore, we selected the Western Tianshan Mountains in China as a representative study area to investigate grasshoppers in different grassland types. The results showed significant differences in the mean values of the Shannon index, Simpson index, and Pielou index of grasshoppers among the six grassland types at the plot level. In temperate deserts and temperate desert steppes at low altitudes (Alt), the Shannon index and Simpson index of grasshoppers were relatively high. In mountain meadows and temperate meadow steppes at high Alt, the Pielou index was relatively high. Alt drove differences in temperature and vegetation, which had a significant impact on the diversity of grasshoppers in different grassland types. The diversity in temperate deserts and temperate desert steppes was positively correlated with temperature, while the diversity in mountain meadows and temperate meadow steppes was negatively correlated with temperature. Furthermore, grasshopper diversity exhibited a significant positive correlation with vegetation density in temperate steppes and temperate meadow steppes. When managing different grassland types, maintaining vegetation diversity helps buffer the risk of grasshopper outbreaks and address the impact of global warming on grasshopper occurrence in response to the emergence of new potential suitable habitats.