物种丰富度的垂直分布格局及其形成机制

物种丰富度海拔梯度格局及其形成机制一直是宏观生态学研究的重要议题。物种丰富度沿海拔梯度呈4种分布格局,其中单峰分布格局最为普遍。人们提出各种假设从不同角度解释物种丰富度的海拔梯度格局,这些假设主要以气候、空间效应、物种间相互作用及其进化历史为出发点,提出的假设主要有水分-能量动态假设、生物多样性代谢理论、生产力假设、种-面积关系、中域效应、栖息地异质性假设及静态进化模型。本文系统介绍了物种丰富度的海拔格局及影响其格局的生态过程。目前,物种丰富度的海拔格局主要集中在现代气候对物种丰富度海拔格局的形成过程的作用,但这些现代气候的参数之间具有显著共线性,难以分辨具体的某种环境因子对其的绝对贡献。结合现代气候和物种的谱系进化过程,系统比较不同海拔区域物种的系统发育特征有助于进一步理解物种丰富度的海拔分布格局及其成因机制,同时有助于理解现代环境的波动对植被群落的影响。     

长江三峡库区物种多样性的垂直分布格局:气候、几何限制、面积及地形异质性的影响

为了验证生物多样性地理格局的几个重要假说,即种-面积关系、水分-能量动态假说、几何限制(中域效应)假说和生境异质性假说,作者以长江三峡库区维管植物物种丰富度沿海拔梯度的分布格局为例,采用多元回归和方差分解方法,研究了面积、气候、几何限制、地形异质性对多样性垂直格局的独立影响和协同作用,及其对各植物类群(不同分布宽度、不同分布区类型和不同生长型)影响的差异.结果表明,三峡库区各种植物类群的物种丰富度随着海拔上升均呈先升后降的单峰格局.水分-能量动态假说对多样性格局有很强的解释能力,其总的解释力(＞93％)明显高于其他所有解释机制.但对于很多植物类群而言,水分和能量的解释力中有很大一部分属于几何限制、面积及地形异质性等因素的协同作用.几何限制对分布宽度大的物种的多样性格局解释力很强,但对分布宽度小的物种作用很小;面积自身对物种丰富度解释力较强,但在考虑了其他环境因素的影响时,仅对少数植物类群有解释力;地形异质性自身对多样性的解释能力很弱,但在多元回归模型中起着必要的作用.综合来看,水分-能量动态是解释三峡库区植物多样性垂直格局的最重要的机制.几何限制的作用随着物种分布宽度减小而递减;地形异质性虽然对多样性垂直格局的影响较弱,但也是一种必要的补充解释机制;由于面积与气候、几何限制等因素存在强烈的共线性,面积对植物多样性垂直格局的相对作用大小还需要进一步的系统比较研究.     

高黎贡山种子植物物种丰富度沿海拔梯度的变化

物种丰富度沿海拔梯度的分布格局成为生物多样性研究的热点。为探讨中尺度区域物种丰富度沿海拔梯度的分布,本文以高黎贡山为研究对象,利用该地区的地方植物志资料,结合通过GIS生成的区域数字高程模型(DEM)数据,分析了该区域全部种子植物和乔木、灌木、草本三种生活型种子植物物种丰富度的垂直分布格局以及物种密度沿海拔梯度的变化特征。结果表明：(1)全部种子植物和不同生活型植物物种丰富度随着海拔的升高呈现先增加后减小的趋势,最大值出现在海拔1500—2000m的范围;(2)物种密度与海拔也呈现单峰曲线关系;(3)物种丰富度和物种密度分布格局的形成主要受海拔所反映的水、热状况组合以及物种分布的边界影响。     

西双版纳种子植物物种多样性的垂直格局及机制

物种多样性海拔分布格局及其形成机制的研究是生物地理学和宏观生态学的重要议题之一。本文利用西双版纳植物专著资料, 结合高分辨率的地形和气候等数据, 探讨了面积、边界限制和现代气候对西双版纳野生种子植物物种丰富度及物种密度海拔分布格局的影响。结果表明: (1)物种丰富度呈单峰分布格局, 面积(81.9%)、边界限制(17.5%)和气候(60.0-69.3%)都不同程度地解释了物种丰富度的单峰格局; (2)利用幂函数种-面积关系计算的物种密度沿海拔大致呈减小的分布趋势, 气候的解释率降低为32.6-40.6%, 与边界限制无显著相关关系; (3)利用等面积高度带划分得到的物种密度沿海拔呈单峰变化趋势, 物种密度与边界限制无显著相关性, 但气候对物种密度的解释率为81.6-89.9%。研究结果有助于准确全面地理解物种多样性的海拔分布格局及其成因机制, 为西双版纳生物多样性保护提供理论支撑和实践指导。     

云南横断山区蚤类物种丰富度与区系的垂直分布格局

为探讨横断山区蚤类物种丰富度与区系垂直分布格局的基本规律以及影响它们分布的主要生态因子,本文以云南西部横断山区18个山峰为主体,对海拔高度在1000–5000m之间已知分布的9科43属142种(亚种)蚤类的垂直分布资料进行综合整理和统计分析。结果显示:(1)蚤类的属丰富度、物种丰富度、特有种丰富度和特有度以及不同区系成分物种丰富度的垂直分布都呈现随海拔先增高后降低的单峰分布格局,最大峰值出现在中山海拔2500–3800m之间;(2)东洋和古北两区系成分物种构成比的垂直分布格局截然不同,前者随着海拔梯度的升高基本递减,后者则随着海拔的升高递增,垂直分布格局反映了它们沿纬度梯度分布的一般规律;(3)聚类分析将横断山9个不同海拔带的蚤类归为6个生态类型,反映出海拔高度、气候环境和森林植被等重要因素对蚤类分布的影响以及蚤类群落的组成、分布沿海拔梯度变化的一般规律,表达了蚤类分布与环境条件的统一性;(4)β多样性沿海拔梯度呈现为双峰形分布格局,两高峰值都反映出蚤类的组成和分布在不同气候环境和植被带之间的过渡与转变,说明β多样性垂直分布格局与海拔梯度上的气候和生境的变化程度有关。研究认为,中山地段物种丰富度高峰的形成主要是由于两大动、植物区系过渡区的边缘效应和山地水湿条件的影响。影响该区域蚤类垂直分布格局的综合因素有山体海拔高度、动植物区系过渡区的边缘效应、山地雨量分配特征、气候环境条件以及人们的生产活动等。     

秦岭小陇山保护区维管植物丰富度和种域海拔梯度格局及其对Rapoport法则验证

物种丰富度和种域的海拔梯度格局及其形成机制一直是生物地理学和生物多样性研究的重点.海拔Rapoport法则认为,物种丰富度随海拔升高而逐渐降低,种域逐渐变宽.本文分析了秦岭小陇山国家级自然保护区维管植物物种丰富度及其种域宽度的海拔梯度格局;采用4种常用方法,验证不同类群、不同生长型和不同阶元的物种丰富度与其分布中点间的关系,并检验其是否支持海拔Rapoport法则.结果表明: 除窄域种外,秦岭小陇山维管植物物种丰富度随海拔升高呈先升后降的单峰分布格局;狭域种主要分布在低海拔和高海拔段,低海拔段的丰富度高于高海拔段;物种海拔分布宽度与海拔关系因不同类群和验证方法而异,随分类阶元的增大更容易支持Rapoport法则,这可能与不同分类阶元所占据的生态位不同有关;被子植物的平均种域呈单峰分布格局,蕨类植物和裸子植物的种域海拔梯度格局无明显规律;藤本植物平均种域随海拔升高而变宽,灌木能适应不同的环境条件,因此,灌木分布对海拔梯度的变化不敏感.Pagel验证方法最容易支持Rapoport法则,Stevens方法次之,中点法受中域效应的影响物种平均种域分布呈单峰分布格局而不支持Rapoport法则,逐种法受散点图分布格局的影响线性模型拟合结果解释力很低.
     

白水江自然保护区两栖爬行动物物种丰富度和种域海拔梯度格局及对Rapoport法则的验证

物种丰富度和种域宽度沿海拔梯度分布格局及其形成机制一直是生物地理学和生物多样性讨论的重要议题之一。海拔Rapoport法则认为,物种丰富度随海拔升高而逐渐变低,种域宽度逐渐变宽。本文基于白水江保护区两栖爬行动物物种的海拔分布数据,分析了白水江保护区两栖爬行动物物种丰富度及其种域宽度的海拔梯度格局;采用常用的4种验证方法,验证了不同类群、不同区系物种丰富度和不同阶元丰富度与其分布中点间的关系,并检验了Rapoport法则的适应性。结果表明:(1)白水江保护区两栖爬行动物物种丰富度随海拔升高呈逐渐下降趋势,大体符合单调递减模式,水分可能是决定两栖动物物种分布格局的主要环境因子,而决定爬行动物物种分布的环境因子主要是温度,这可能由这两种类群动物不同的生理需求所致。(2)两栖爬行动物物种(特别是狭域种)主要分布在低海拔,因此保护两栖爬行动物应该把重点放在低海拔段。(3)Stevens方法、Pagel法和逐中法验证结果支持海拔Rapoport法则,中点法由于受中域效应的影响,物种种域与海拔梯度呈先升后降的单峰分布模型。因此,验证方法对Rapoport法则的验证结果具有重要的影响。Rapoport法则验证的研究方法亟待改进,物种丰富度和种域的海拔梯度格局及其形成机理需要更多的案例比较研究,以形成普遍性的认识。     

台湾维管束植物物种丰富度和种域宽度的海拔格局及对Rapoport法则的检验

物种丰富度和种域(即物种分布范围)沿环境梯度的变化是生物地理学和生物多样性研究的核心问题.岛屿由于受到地理隔离的作用.其物种分布、多样性格局及其成因的特殊性对于发展和检验生物地理学的假说具有重要意义.Rapoport法则提出,生物种域存在着随海拔上升而增大的趋势.台湾地区具有显著的海拔梯度和典型的岛屿环境,其植物区系丰富而独特.我们首次对台湾维管束植物的海拔分布进行研究,包括不同类群植物的物种丰富度和种域的海拔梯度格局,并检验了Rapoport法则的适用性.综合相关信息得到台湾维管束植物区系包含241科1,466属4,751种(含种下单位),对其中具有海拔分布范围信息的3,330种植物进行统计,结果表明:(1)台湾维管束植物科、属、种的丰富度总体上随海拔上升而减小,入侵植物丰富度具有类似格局,而台湾特有植物呈现明显的单峰格局;按照分类群计,蕨类植物和裸子植物为单峰格局,被子植物的3个生态类群均为单调递减格局.(2)物种种域海拔宽度与海拔的关系随不同类群和分析方法而异.其中,入侵植物的种域宽度和中点海拔具有显著的正相关关系,支持Rapoport法则,而全部植物和特有植物不支持;蕨类植物的海拔分布支持Rapopott法则,裸子植物不支持,其他分类群因方法不同而结果之间不一致.我们还比较了台湾和周边大陆和岛屿山地的物种丰富度海拔格局,认为它们物种丰富度海拔梯度模式的不同可能与降水海拔格局的差异有关;而关于Rapoport法则的检验表明,即使在同一山体,不同类群植物分布范围的海拔模式也可能取决于不同的因素和作用机制.     

中国陆栖哺乳动物物种丰富度的地理格局及其与环境因子的关系

物种丰富度的大尺度地理格局及其成因是宏观生态学和生物地理学的中心议题之一。本文利用中国陆栖哺乳动物分布数据, 结合高分辨率的气候、地形、植被等环境信息, 探讨了中国陆栖哺乳动物及主要类群的物种丰富度格局及其影响因素。结果显示, 中国陆栖哺乳动物物种丰富度具有显著的纬度梯度格局, 总体上呈现出由低纬度向高纬度逐渐减少的趋势, 并与宏观地形具有良好的对应关系; 其中, 亚热带、热带西部山区的物种丰富度最高, 而东部平原地区、西北干旱区和青藏高原腹地则是丰富度的低值区。各主要类群的物种丰富度格局既有相似性, 又存在差异。最优线性模型的分析结果显示, 由归一化植被指数(NDVI)、生态系统类型数和气温年较差构成的回归模型对哺乳动物物种丰富度格局的解释率最高, 其中NDVI对模型解释率的贡献最大, 这表明中国陆栖哺乳动物物种丰富度的地理分异受多种环境因素的共同影响, 其中植被生产力起主导作用。各主要类群的最优线性模型显示, 影响物种丰富度格局的主要环境因子因类群而异, 这可能反映了各类群进化历史及生理适应的差异。     

喜马拉雅山哺乳动物物种多样性垂直分布格局

生物多样性的空间分布及其相关机制一直是生态学、生物地理学和保护生物学研究的热点问题。山地生态系统生境异质性和生物多样性高, 适合研究生物多样性空间分布及其相关机制。喜马拉雅山脉位于青藏高原南缘, 是全球生态热点区域。其地形复杂, 海拔落差大(100-8,844 m), 具有明显的垂直气候带。本研究通过整合野外调查和文献资料, 系统地分析了10目23科160属313种喜马拉雅山地区哺乳动物物种多样性的垂直分布格局, 发现该区域哺乳动物总体及其子集的物种多样性垂直分布格局都为左偏倚的中峰格局, 物种多样性在海拔900-1,400 m之间最高, 不同物种子集的物种多样性垂直分布格局的模式有所不同。UPGMA聚类分析表明, 喜马拉雅山地区哺乳动物群落沿海拔梯度可以划分为5个聚类簇(海拔100-1,500 m、1,500-2,000 m、2,000-3,000 m、3,000-4,200 m以及4,200-6,000 m的地区), 大致与该地区植被的垂直带分布相吻合。喜马拉雅山地区哺乳动物物种多样性在中低海拔最为丰富, 可能跟东洋界与古北界生物群扩散后的交汇地带相关。喜马拉雅山区贯通南北的沟谷是生物扩散和迁移的通道, 沟谷内水热资源较好, 气候稳定性高, 为高山生态系统内各种生物创造了栖息条件。综上, 喜马拉雅山沟谷地区是生物多样性热点地区, 也是生物扩散和交流关键的“生态走廊”, 应加强对喜马拉雅山沟谷地区的保护, 以维系该区域较高的生物多样性。     

Climate and history explain the species richness peak at mid-elevation for Schizothorax fishes (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) distributed in the Tibetan Plateau and its adjacent regions

Aim  We studied elevational species richness patterns of Schizothorax fishes and identified the roles of ecological and evolutionary factors in shaping the patterns of elevational diversity.
Location  The Tibetan Plateau and its adjacent regions.
Methods  We assembled distribution and altitude data for all Schizothorax species using the literature. We merged ecological and evolutionary approaches to test the relationships between species richness and ecological factors (climate, area, the mid-domain effect) or evolutionary factors (diversification rates and time of colonization).
Results  We found that species richness of Schizothorax fishes peaked at mid-elevations. Rainfall, area, the mid-domain effect and diversification rate were weak predictors of the richness pattern. Temperature showed a nonlinear relationship with species richness. Temperature and time of colonization were the most important variables in explaining the elevational diversity pattern.
Main conclusion  Our findings indicate that the time-for-speciation effect and niche conservatism play important roles in variation of species richness.     

Elevational patterns of species richness and endemism for some important taxa in the Hengduan Mountains, southwestern China

We describe the elevational patterns of species richness and endemism of some important taxa in the Hengduan Mountains, southwest China. Species richness data came from publications, an online database, herbaria and field work. Species richness was estimated by rarefaction and interpolation. The Hengduan Mountains region was divided into a southern and northern subregion, and all species were assigned to four groups based on their distributional range within this region. The conditional autoregressive model (CAR) was used to relate species richness and explanatory variables. The elevational patterns of total, endemic and non-endemic species richness, at subregion and entire region scales, presented to be unimodal and peaked at similar elevations. Area size was strongly related with species richness, and was more powerful in explaining variation in species richness in the northern subregion than in the southern subregion. A single climatic variable (mean annual rainfall, potential evapotranspiration or moisture index) showed a weak relationship with the elevational pattern of species richness. Area and climatic variables together explained more than 67% of the variation in non-endemic richness, 53% in total richness, and 50% in endemic richness. There were three patterns of endemism at the generic level with increasing elevation: namely endemism increased, decreased, or peaked at middle elevations. All selected taxa have experienced rapid speciation and evolution within this region, which plays an important role in the uniform elevational patterns of total, endemic and non-endemic richness, and in the multiform elevational patterns of endemism. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Small mammal species richness and turnover along elevational gradient in Yulong Mountain,Yunnan, Southwest China

Understanding the species diversity patterns along elevational gradients is critical for biodiversity conservation in mountainous regions. We examined the elevational patterns of species richness and turnover, and evaluated the effects of spatial and environmental factors on nonvolant small mammals (hereafter “small mammal”) predicted a priori by alternative hypotheses (mid‐domain effect [MDE], species–area relationship [SAR], energy, environmental stability, and habitat complexity]) proposed to explain the variation of diversity. We designed a standardized sampling scheme to trap small mammals at ten elevational bands across the entire elevational gradient on Yulong Mountain, southwest China. A total of 1,808 small mammals representing 23 species were trapped. We observed the hump‐shaped distribution pattern of the overall species richness along elevational gradient. Insectivores, rodents, large‐ranged species, and endemic species richness showed the general hump‐shaped pattern but peaked at different elevations, whereas the small‐ranged species and endemic species favored the decreasing richness pattern. The MDE and the energy hypothesis were supported, whereas little support was found for the SAR, the environmental stability hypothesis, and the habitat complexity. However, the primary driver(s) for richness patterns differed among the partitioning groups, with NDVI (the normalized difference vegetation index) and MDE being the most important variables for the total richness pattern. Species turnover for all small mammal groups increased with elevation, and it supported a decrease in community similarity with elevational distance. Our results emphasized for increased conservation efforts in the higher elevation regions of the Yulong Mountain.     

Seasonal Change of Species Diversity Patterns of Non‐volant Small Mammals along Three Subtropical Elevational Gradients

Our understanding of geographic patterns of species diversity and the underlying mechanisms is increasing rapidly, whereas the temporal variation in these patterns remains poorly understood. We examined the seasonal species richness and species turnover patterns of non‐volant small mammals along three subtropical elevational gradients in southwest China. Small mammal diversity was surveyed in two seasons (early wet season and late wet season) using a standardized sampling protocol. The comparison of species richness patterns between two seasons indicated a temporal component in magnitude and shape, with species richness at high elevations clearly increased during the late wet season. Species richness demonstrated weak correlations with modelled temperature and precipitation. The elevational pattern of species turnover measured by Chao‐Sørenson similarity index also changed seasonally, even though the temporal pattern varied with scale. Species turnover between neighboring elevations at high elevations was slower in the late wet season. Meanwhile, there was an acceleration of species turnover along the whole range of the gradient. The seasonal change in species diversity patterns may be due to population‐level increases in abundance and elevational migration, whereas seasonal variation in factors other than temperature and precipitation may play a greater role in driving seasonal diversity patterns. Our study strongly supports the seasonality in elevational patterns of small mammal diversity in subtropical montane forests. Thus it is recommended that subsequent field surveys consider temporal sampling replicate for elevational diversity studies.     

Epiphytic bryophyte diversity and range distributions along an elevational gradient in Marojejy,Madagascar

Describing spatial variation in species richness and understanding its links to ecological mechanisms are complementary approaches for explaining geographical patterns of richness. The study of elevational gradients holds enormous potential for understanding the factors underlying global diversity. This paper investigates the pattern of species richness and range-size distribution of epiphytic bryophytes along an elevational gradient in Marojejy National Park, northeast Madagascar. The main objectives are to describe bryophyte species composition and endemism in Marojejy National Park, to describe the species richness and distribution patterns of epiphytic bryophytes along an elevational gradient from 250 m to 2050 m and to evaluate the explanatory value of environmental variables for the observed patterns. Bryophyte samples were collected following a nested design with four hierarchical levels: elevational belts, plots, quadrats, and microplots. In total, 254 epiphytic bryophyte species were recorded, comprising 157 liverworts and 97 mosses. Twenty-three of these are endemic to Madagascar. Species richness exhibits a hump-shaped pattern along the elevational gradient, peaking at 1,250 m. Eighty-seven percent of the total recorded species have a range distribution lower than 1,000 m, at which point 36% are restricted to these single elevations. Our results suggest that mean temperature, relative humidity, and vapor pressure deficit play important roles in shaping the richness pattern observed in this study. While the liverwort richness pattern did not correlate to vapor pressure deficit and responded only weakly to relative humidity, the richness pattern shown by mosses correlates well with mean temperature, relative humidity, and vapor pressure deficit.     

Elevational patterns of frog species richness and endemic richness in the Hengduan Mountains, China: geometric constraints, area and climate effects

We studied frog biodiversity along an elevational gradient in the Hengduan Mountains, China. Endemic and non-endemic elevational diversity patterns were examined individually. Competing hypotheses were also tested for these patterns. Species richness of total frogs, endemics and non-endemics peaked at mid-elevations. The peak in endemic species richness was at higher elevations than the maxima of total species richness. Endemic species richness followed the mid-domain model predictions, and showed a nonlinear relationship with temperature. Water and energy were the most important variables in explaining elevational patterns of non-endemic species richness. A suite of interacting climatic and geometric factors best explained total species richness patterns along the elevational gradient. We suggest that the mid-domain effect was an important factor to explain elevational richness patterns, especially in regions with high endemism.     

Explaining Andean megadiversity: the evolutionary and ecological causes of glassfrog elevational richness patterns

The Tropical Andes are an important global biodiversity hotspot, harbouring extraordinarily high richness and endemism. Although elevational richness and speciation have been studied independently in some Andean groups, the evolutionary and ecological processes that explain elevational richness patterns in the Andes have not been analysed together. Herein, we elucidate the processes underlying Andean richness patterns using glassfrogs (Centrolenidae) as a model system. Glassfrogs show the widespread mid‐elevation diversity peak for both local and regional richness. Remarkably, these patterns are explained by greater time (montane museum) rather than faster speciation at mid‐elevations (montane species pump), despite the recency of the major Andean uplift. We also show for the first time that rates of climatic‐niche evolution and elevational change are related, supporting the hypothesis that climatic‐niche conservatism decelerates species' shifts in elevational distributions and underlies the mid‐elevation richness peak. These results may be relevant to other Andean clades and montane systems globally.     

Habitat heterogeneity,temperature, and primary productivity drive elevational gradients in avian species diversity

AimAnticipating and mitigating the impacts of climate change on species diversity in montane ecosystems requires a mechanistic understanding of drivers of current patterns of diversity. We documented the shape of elevational gradients in avian species richness in North America and tested a suite of a priori predictions for each of five mechanistic hypotheses to explain those patterns.LocationUnited StatesMethodsWe used predicted occupancy maps generated from species distribution models for each of 646 breeding birds to document elevational patterns in avian species richness across the six largest U.S. mountain ranges. We used spatially explicit biotic and abiotic data to test five mechanistic hypotheses proposed to explain geographic variation in species richness.ResultsElevational gradients in avian species richness followed a consistent pattern of low elevation plateau‐mid‐elevation peak (as per McCain, 2009). We found support for three of the five hypotheses to explain the underlying cause of this pattern: the habitat heterogeneity, temperature, and primary productivity hypotheses.Main ConclusionsSpecies richness typically decreases with elevation, but the primary cause and precise shape of the relationship remain topics of debate. We used a novel approach to study the richness‐elevation relationship and our results are unique in that they show a consistent relationship between species richness and elevation among 6 mountain ranges, and universal support for three hypotheses proposed to explain the underlying cause of the observed relationship. Taken together, these results suggest that elevational variation in food availability may be the ecological process that best explains elevational gradients in avian species richness in North America. Although much attention has focused on the role of abiotic factors, particularly temperature, in limiting species’ ranges, our results offer compelling evidence that other processes also influence (and may better explain) elevational gradients in species richness.     

Ecological and evolutionary drivers of the elevational gradient of diversity

Ecological, evolutionary, spatial and neutral theories make distinct predictions and provide distinct explanations for the mechanisms that control the relationship between diversity and the environment. Here, we test predictions of the elevational diversity gradient focusing on Iberian bumblebees, grasshoppers and birds. Processes mediated by local abundance and regional diversity concur in explaining local diversity patterns along elevation. Effects expressed through variation in abundance were similar among taxa and point to the overriding role of a physical factor, temperature. This determines how energy is distributed among individuals and ultimately how the resulting pattern of abundance affects species incidence. Effects expressed through variation in regional species pools depended instead on taxon‐specific evolutionary history, and lead to diverging responses under similar environmental pressures. Local filters and regional variation also explain functional diversity gradients, in line with results from species richness that indicate an (local) ecological and (regional) historical unfolding of diversity–elevation relationships.     

The mid‐domain effect and habitat complexity applied to elevational gradients: Moss species richness in a temperate semihumid monsoon climate mountain of China

The utility of elevational gradients as tools to test either ecological hypotheses and delineate elevation‐associated environmental factors that explain the species diversity patterns is critical for moss species conservation. We examined the elevational patterns of species richness and evaluated the effects of spatial and environmental factors on moss species predicted a priori by alternative hypotheses, including mid‐domain effect (MDE), habitat complexity, energy, and environment proposed to explain the variation of diversity. Last, we assessed the contribution of elevation toward explaining the heterogeneity among sampling sites. We observed the hump‐shaped distribution pattern of species richness along elevational gradient. The MDE and the habitat complexity hypothesis were supported with MDE being the primary driver for richness patterns, whereas little support was found for the energy and the environmental factors.