Response of ground arthropod to distance gradient in the large-scale photovoltaic power stations in the Tengger Desert

Under the dual pressures of global energy transition and desertification control, the "photovoltaic+desert control" model has emerged as an innovative pathway for coordinating ecological restoration and clean energy development in arid regions of China. However, the mechanisms by which the construction and operation of large-scale photovoltaic power stations influence ground arthropod communities remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the Jiuduntan large-scale photovoltaic power stations on the southern margin of the Tengger desert. Sampling plots were established along an edge-to-center gradient (SP1, SP2, and SP3) within the photovoltaic facility, with adjacent straw checkerboard barrier areas (SCB) serving as reference sites. Ground arthropods were collected using pitfall traps, and community composition and structure were compared across habitat types using non-metric multidimensional scaling, diversity indices, and multivariate statistical analyses. The main results showed that: (1) Arthropod community composition differed significantly between SCB and all photovoltaic sites (SP1-SP3), and exhibited a continuous shift along the interior gradient from SP1 to SP3. Species richness, Shannon diversity, and Pielou's evenness all showed a significant decreasing trend of SCB>SP1>SP3. (2) Different taxa exhibited divergent responses, spiders and ants showed no significant changes, whereas the abundance and richness of ground beetles decreased significantly along the gradient. Conversely, species that prefer wet environments, such as Labidura riparia and the Aphididae, reached their peak abundance within the photovoltaic base. (3) Spearman correlation analysis revealed that arthropod abundance was positively correlated with shrub species richness, shrub crown width, herbaceous cover, and coarse sand content, but negatively correlated with fine sand content. Diversity indices were positively correlated with shrub crown width, soil organic carbon, and total nitrogen, while evenness was negatively correlated with shrub species richness, herbaceous cover, and soil hardness. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that environmental gradients within large-scale photovoltaic facilities can profoundly restructure ground arthropod communities. This study provides scientific insights for assessing the ecological benefits of the "photovoltaic + sand control" model and informs biodiversity conservation strategies in desert photovoltaic developments.