Three typical habitat types, swampy meadow, grassland meadow, and moderately degraded meadow, were selected in Zoigê wetland and epigeic microarthropods were investigated using motor-sucking machine in July and September 2014. The aim of this study was to reveal the responses of epigeic microarthropods to the degradation of alpine wetland. A total of 18661 epigeic microarthropod specimens were collected during the research periods and classified into 3 classes, 15 orders, and 85 taxonomic groups (families or genus). The results showed that Sphaeridia, Entomobrya, and Rhagidiidae were the dominant taxonomic groups, and that Entomobrya were only present in grassland meadow. The structural composition of epigeic microarthropod communities differed markedly among the three different degradation stages. Principal component analysis results showed that the community structure was determined by Entomobrya, Sphaeridia, Odontocepheus, Pemphigidae and Jassidae. Maximum values of abundances and taxonomic richness were obtained for the grassland meadow, and minimum values were recorded in the moderately degraded meadow. Significant differences were detected among the abundances and taxonomic richness of the three habitats (P < 0.01). The monthly dynamics in taxonomic richness of the epigeic microarthropod communities also differed among the three habitats (P < 0.01). For all three habitats, microarthropods were significantly more abundant in July than in September. Shannon-Wiener and Simpson dominant indices were higher in July than in September, although the differences were not significant (P < 0.01). The number of taxonomic groups of epigeic microarthropods was significantly lower in July than in September in the swampy meadow (P < 0.05), whereas it was significantly higher in July for the grassland and moderately degraded meadows (P < 0.05). The results of canonical correspondence and multiple regression analyses showed that the composition, abundances, and diversity of epigeic microarthropod communities were affected by the factors of species richness, biomass of plant communities, and contents of soil organic matter. The results indicated that in addition to changes in seasonal patterns, the degradation of alpine wetland has had significant effects on the composition, abundance, and diversity of the epigeic microarthropod communities.