Data from: Cushion plants increase and maintain alpine insect diversity through sustaining plant-insect interaction networks
Data files
Sep 15, 2026 version files 25.55 KB
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2022Early.csv
3.49 KB
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2023Early.csv
2.53 KB
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2023Middle.csv
3.36 KB
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2024Early.csv
6.24 KB
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2024Middle.csv
6.47 KB
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README.md
3.47 KB
Abstract
Alpine cushion plants are well-known facilitators of plant diversity, but their influence on insect communities remains poorly understood, limiting our knowledge of biodiversity maintenance in extreme environments. Using species network theory, we examined how nine coexisting cushion plant species influenced insect diversity and community dynamics in the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains across three consecutive years with varying seasonal conditions. Our findings demonstrated that cushion plants consistently supported significantly higher insect diversity and abundance than non-cushion plants, maintaining 3.5-4.2 times more species and 4.5-8.8 times more individuals. By hosting 7-46 exclusive insect species per season, cushion plants enhanced community-wide insect richness by 25.93-112.20% and abundance by 2.31-41.64%. Network analyses revealed that cushion plants occupied more central positions (higher closeness and betweenness centrality) and often acted as module hubs or connectors, whereas non-cushion plants were mostly peripheral. These structural roles were strongest in 2022–2023 but weakened in 2024. Extinction simulations showed that insect persistence declined most rapidly when cushion plants were removed first, underscoring their ecological importance. Our findings identify cushion plants as keystone species in alpine plant–insect interaction networks and highlight their role in supporting insect diversity through complex interaction networks. Although climate change may reduce some environmental stress, many alpine insects are likely to remain dependent on cushion plants’ microhabitat provisioning. Consequently, their climate-sensitive decline could jeopardize alpine insect biodiversity, emphasizing the need for their conservation.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.vhhmgqp6x
Description of the data and file structure
We utilized species interaction network theory to investigate the effects of nine symbiotic cushion plant species in the Himalayan-Hengduan Mountains region on insect diversity and community dynamics under different seasonal conditions over three consecutive years. Field data were collected over three consecutive years (2022–2024). Sampling occurred during the early (late June to early July) and middle (mid-to-late August) growing seasons in 2023 and 2024.
The sampling methodology involved establishing five randomly oriented transects (2 m width × 50 m length) within the community during each sampling period. All insects observed on plants within each transect and their interaction behaviors (including pollen/nectar foraging and floral/foliar feeding) were systematically recorded.
Files and variables
File: 2022Early.csv
In this dataset, cushion1 to cushion9 in the first column represent cushion plant species 1 to cushion plant species 9; plant1 to plant30 represent non-cushion plant species 1 to non-cushion plant species 30. Inset1 to inset36 in the first row indicate insect species 1 to insect species 36. The numbers under each insect species column represent the frequency of visits by that insect to the corresponding plant.
File: 2023Early.csv
In this dataset, cushion1 to cushion9 in the first column represent cushion plant species 1 to cushion plant species 9; plant1 to plant29 represent non-cushion plant species 1 to non-cushion plant species 29. Inset1 to inset26 in the first row indicate insect species 1 to insect species 26. The numbers under each insect species column represent the frequency of visits by that insect to the corresponding plant.
File: 2023Middle.csv
In this dataset, cushion1 to cushion9 in the first column represent cushion plant species 1 to cushion plant species 9; plant1 to plant32 represent non-cushion plant species 1 to non-cushion plant species 32. Inset1 to inset34 in the first row indicate insect species 1 to insect species 34. The numbers under each insect species column represent the frequency of visits by that insect to the corresponding plant.
File: 2024Early.csv
In this dataset, cushion1 to cushion9 in the first column represent cushion plant species 1 to cushion plant species 9; plant1 to plant21 represent non-cushion plant species 1 to non-cushion plant species 21. Inset1 to inset84 in the first row indicate insect species 1 to insect species 84. The numbers under each insect species column represent the frequency of visits by that insect to the corresponding plant.
File: 2024Middle.csv
In this dataset, cushion1 to cushion9 in the first column represent cushion plant species 1 to cushion plant species 9; plant1 to plant21 represent non-cushion plant species 1 to non-cushion plant species 21. Inset1 to inset90 in the first row indicate insect species 1 to insect species 90. The numbers under each insect species column represent the frequency of visits by that insect to the corresponding plant.
Code/software
We conducted relevant analyses and visualizations using the ggplot2 package in R, along with the second.extinct, computeModules, and czvalues functions from the bipartite R package.