A comparison of altitudinal species richness patterns of bryophytes with other plant groups in Nepal, Central Himalaya

Abstract

Aim To explore species richness patterns in liverworts and mosses along a central Himalayan altitudinal gradient in Nepal (100-5500 m a.s.l.) and to compare these patterns with patterns observed for ferns and flowering plants. We also evaluate the potential importance of Rapoport's elevational rule in explaining the observed richness patterns for liverworts and mosses.Location Nepal, Central Himalaya.Methods We used published data on the altitudinal ranges of over 840 Nepalese mosses and liverworts to interpolate presence between maximum and minimum recorded elevations, thereby giving estimates of species richness for 100-m altitudinal bands. These were compared with previously published patterns for ferns and flowering plants, derived in the same way. Rapoport's elevational rule was assessed by correlation analyses and the statistical significance of the observed correlations was evaluated by Monte Carlo simulations. ResultsThere are strong correlations between richness of the four groups of plants. A humped, unimodal relationship between species richness and altitude was observed for both liverworts and mosses, with maximum richness at 2800 m and 2500 m, respectively. These peaks contrast with the richness peak of ferns at 1900 m and of vascular plants, which have a plateau in species richness between 1500 and 2500 m. Endemic liverworts have their maximum richness at 3300 m, whereas non-endemic liverworts show their maximum richness at 2700 m. The proportion of endemic species is highest at about 4250 m. There is no support from Nepalese mosses for Rapoport's elevational rule. Despite a high correlation between altitude and elevational range for Nepalese liverworts, results from null simulation models suggest that no clear conclusions can be made about whether liverworts support Rapoport's elevational rule.Main conclusions Different demands for climatic variables such as available energy and water may be the main reason for the differences between the observed patterns for the four plant groups. The mid-domain effect may explain part of the observed pattern in moss and liverwort richness but it probably only works as a modifier of the main underlying relationship between climate and species richness.

Elevational patterns and determinants of plant diversity in the Baekdudaegan Mountains, South Korea: Species vs. functional diversity

“…In any case, species ranges result from complex interactions among many factors, such as physiological traits, the complex evolutionary history of speciation and dispersal, and constraints resulting from continent shape [55]. No general trends appear to exist for Rapoport's elevational rule for all biological organisms, suggesting that the factors determining range size are complex and remain poorly understood [56].…”

Species Richness Pattern along Altitudinal Gradient in Central European Beech Forests

“…However, the altitudinal relationship is clearly a more complex and often misinterpreted phenomenon (Rahbek 1995(Rahbek , 2005. Vascular plant diversity in vegetation plots typically shows a unimodal altitudinal pattern, with maxima at intermediate altitudes (Minchin 1989;Bhattarai and Vetaas 2003;Grytnes 2003;Grytnes et al 2006;Grau et al 2007). Most such studies reviewed by McCain and Grytnes (2010) revealed this trend, therefore the unimodal species richness-altitude patterns may seem to be universal.…”

Environmental Drivers of Patterns of Plant Diversity Along a Wide Environmental Gradient in Korean Temperate Forests

“…In particular, mountain ecosystems have received increasing attention from researchers examining ecological and biogeographical patterns as well as theories of biodiversity because they provide habitats for various organisms; in addition, a series of environmental gradients in mountain ecosystems are important factors affecting biodiversity and patterns of species distribution [11,12].…”

“…Of these main types, hump-shaped distribution patterns were recognized as a predominant type. However, most previous studies aimed to clarify mechanisms at very large regional scales such as country and continental scales using secondary distribution data from the literature associated with the study areas [12,14,17].…”