Functional variations in spider communities across different land‐use categories along an elevational gradient in North‐Western Indian Himalaya

Abstract Land‐use change and elevational gradients jointly influence biodiversity and species distribution, yet their concurrent effects on arthropods in the Indian Himalayan Region remain largely undocumented. Using spiders as a model taxon, this study assesses the parallel influences of elevation (1500–4500‐m at 500‐m intervals) and land‐use categories viz. forests, agricultural lands and human‐dominated regions on spider functional diversity in a North‐Western Himalayan landscape. The results show non‐general patterns, with significant discrepancies in managed habitats compared to forests, and a higher abundance of synanthropic species in human‐dominated regions. Directional shifts in functional traits are associated with elevational change, with the transition between 3000 and 3500 m emerging as a critical functional and community threshold for Himalayan spider assemblages. The findings highlight functional variability under simultaneous natural and anthropogenic pressures and raise concerns about habitat homogenization driven by large‐scale agro‐production in climate‐vulnerable Himalayan regions, potentially shifting biodiversity towards new functional regimes.