Arthropod species composition in the black sand extended growing season experiment, 2021.

Understanding overall arthropod diversity in alpine systems will help us determine how diverse our biota is and what functional ecological roles these animals can provide to ecosystem maintenance and stability. And ultimately, how these services are altered with climate change. Arthropod diversity and functional roles will be altered with climate change, and understanding these interactions will teach us how to protect alpine systems and make predictions for the impacts to other ecosystems. Understanding impacts on pollinators will help us predict the quality of pollinator services at lower elevations, which species need support/protection, and any policies and food management strategies that need to be implemented to adapt to changes in food production.