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Urban Filter vs. Natural Refuge: Divergent Diptera Community Assembly Mechanisms—Evidence from Beijing, China
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DOI：10.3390/biology15110865.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
As cities expand, urban green spaces are increasingly relied upon to protect wildlife. However, it remains unclear if these areas truly support the same insect communities as natural habitats. We studied flies and midges—a highly diverse but often overlooked group—across urban parks and a nearby natural mountain in Beijing. Using advanced DNA sequencing, we tracked over 600 species from spring to autumn. We found that urban environments do not simply have fewer natural species; instead, they host entirely different insect communities. Interestingly, how the city affects these insects depends heavily on their diet. Decomposers (insects feeding on dead organic matter) in the city are replaced by new, urban-adapted species. In contrast, predatory and parasitic insects are highly vulnerable and simply vanish from urban areas. Furthermore, city environments lack the natural “seasonal bursts” of diverse insects found in the mountains, relying instead on a few dominant, year-round species. Our findings show that effective urban conservation cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach. We must tailor our efforts—such as retaining leaf litter for decomposers and maintaining diverse tree canopies to save predators—to ensure healthier and more balanced urban ecosystems.
Keywords:
DNA barcoding
environmental filtering
β-diversity partitioning
trophic guilds
urban biodiversity
community assembly
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