Urban plants and climate drive unique arthropod interactions with unpredictable consequences

Urban areas, a rapidly expanding land cover type, are composed of a mix of impervious surfaces, ornamental plants, and remnant habitat, which alters abiotic conditions and affects arthropod community assemblages and trophic interactions. Importantly, these effects often reduce arthropod diversity and may increase, reduce, or not change individual species or trophic interactions, which affects human and environmental health. Despite the pace of urbanization, drivers and consequences of change in urban arthropod communities remains poorly understood. Here, we review recent findings that shed light on the effects of urbanization on plants and abiotic conditions that drive arthropod community composition and trophic interactions, with discussion of how these effects conflict with human values and can be mitigated for future urbanization.