Habitat diversity sustains ecosystem stability in plateau arid-region wetlands

Jinzihai Wetland is located in the eastern Qaidam Basin of the QTP. Distinct habitat heterogeneity characterizes Jinzihai Lake's shore. The northwestern shore is fed by multiple surface streams draining the adjacent desert, forming sandy meadows at the desert-lake ecotone. In contrast, the southeastern shore comprises extensive peat bogs. Field sampling was conducted in September 2024. Topsoil samples were collected from sandy meadows and peat bogs using steel shovels, with seven sites per habitat. Surface sediments were collected from four sites in Jinzihai Lake using a grab sampler. Extracted DNA was fragmented using a Focused-ultrasonicator (M220, Covaris, USA). Sequencing libraries were prepared using the TruSeq DNA Library Preparation Kit (Illumina, USA), quantified with a Qubit Fluorometer (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA), and sequenced paired end (PE150) on the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform by Biozeron Biological Technology Co. Ltd (Shanghai, China).