Elevational gradients in bird diversity in the Eastern Himalaya: an evaluation of distribution patterns and their underlying mechanisms

Background

Understanding diversity patterns and the mechanisms underlying those patterns along elevational gradients is critically important for conservation efforts in montane ecosystems, especially those that are biodiversity hotspots. Despite recent advances, consensus on the underlying causes, or even the relative influence of a suite of factors on elevational diversity patterns has remained elusive.

Methods and Principal Findings

We examined patterns of species richness, density and range size distribution of birds, and the suite of biotic and abiotic factors (primary productivity, habitat variables, climatic factors and geometric constraints) that governs diversity along a 4500-m elevational gradient in the Eastern Himalayan region, a biodiversity hotspot within the world''s tallest mountains. We used point count methods for sampling birds and quadrats for estimating vegetation at 22 sites along the elevational gradient. We found that species richness increased to approximately 2000 m, then declined. We found no evidence that geometric constraints influenced this pattern, whereas actual evapotranspiration (a surrogate for primary productivity) and various habitat variables (plant species richness, shrub density and basal area of trees) accounted for most of the variation in bird species richness. We also observed that ranges of most bird species were narrow along the elevation gradient. We find little evidence to support Rapoport''s rule for the birds of Sikkim region of the Himalaya.

Conclusions and Significance

This study in the Eastern Himalaya indicates that species richness of birds is highest at intermediate elevations along one of the most extensive elevational gradients ever examined. Additionally, primary productivity and factors associated with habitat accounted for most of the variation in avian species richness. The diversity peak at intermediate elevations and the narrow elevational ranges of most species suggest important conservation implications: not only should mid-elevation areas be conserved, but the entire gradient requires equal conservation attention.     

Nonlinear Distribution Pattern of Hibernating Bats in Caves along an Elevational Gradient in Mountain (Carpathians,Southern Poland)

Background

Thermal gradients along changes in elevation in mountainous environments are reflected by different biotas. Although there have been studies of elevation variation in bat assemblages in summer, winter changes in the same gradients remain unknown.

Methodology/Principal Findings

The objective of this study was to document changes in the species composition of bats hibernating in caves along a temperate elevational gradient. We studied 70 caves between from 300 m to 1,930 m altitude along a slope of the Carpathian Mountains in southern Poland. We recorded changes in bats, including species richness, abundance, altitudinal distribution and dominance during consecutive winters between 2003 and 2009. Similarity of dominance of faunal structure was assessed by using the Bray-Curtis similarity index. We used the generalised additive model and rarefaction to study the variation in species richness, and generalized additive mixed models to examine the effect of abiotic factors on the qualitative and quantitative structure of bat assemblages. During 351 surveys we recorded 13,856 hibernating bats from 15 species. Species richness peaked around mid-elevation (1,100–1,400 m a.s.l.) with richness declining at both higher and lower elevations. Based on the results of a cluster analysis, we could distinguish among four altitudinal zones that differed in species richness and dominance structure.

Conclusions/Significance

This is the first study documenting changes in species richness and variation of structure of bats hibernating in caves along an elevational gradient. The most surprising and key finding is the fact that changes in the structure of assemblages of hibernating bats along the altitudinal gradient occurred in jumps, forming zones similar to those observed in the vegetation zones. Moreover, species richness and dominance structure of assemblages of hibernating bats in the mountains depended not only on location above sea level, but also on local geomorphologic conditions which strongly affected the microclimate of the caves.     

Elevational plant species richness patterns and their drivers across non-endemics,endemics and growth forms in the Eastern Himalaya

Despite decades of research, ecologists continue to debate how spatial patterns of species richness arise across elevational gradients on the Earth. The equivocal results of these studies could emanate from variations in study design, sampling effort and data analysis. In this study, we demonstrate that the richness patterns of 2,781 (2,197 non-endemic and 584 endemic) angiosperm species along an elevational gradient of 300–5,300 m in the Eastern Himalaya are hump-shaped, spatial scale of extent (the proportion of elevational gradient studied) dependent and growth form specific. Endemics peaked at higher elevations than non-endemics across all growth forms (trees, shrubs, climbers, and herbs). Richness patterns were influenced by the proportional representation of the largest physiognomic group (herbs). We show that with increasing spatial scale of extent, the richness patterns change from a monotonic to a hump-shaped pattern and richness maxima shift toward higher elevations across all growth forms. Our investigations revealed that the combination of ambient energy (air temperature, solar radiation, and potential evapo-transpiration) and water availability (soil water content and precipitation) were the main drivers of elevational plant species richness patterns in the Himalaya. This study highlights the importance of factoring in endemism, growth forms, and spatial scale when investigating elevational gradients of plant species distributions and advances our understanding of how macroecological patterns arise.     

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.     

Processes at multiple scales affect richness and similarity of non‐native plant species in mountains around the world

Aim To investigate how species richness and similarity of non‐native plants varies along gradients of elevation and human disturbance. Location Eight mountain regions on four continents and two oceanic islands. Methods We compared the distribution of non‐native plant species along roads in eight mountainous regions. Within each region, abundance of plant species was recorded at 41–84 sites along elevational gradients using 100‐m² plots located 0, 25 and 75 m from roadsides. We used mixed‐effects models to examine how local variation in species richness and similarity were affected by processes at three scales: among regions (global), along elevational gradients (regional) and with distance from the road (local). We used model selection and information criteria to choose best‐fit models of species richness along elevational gradients. We performed a hierarchical clustering of similarity to investigate human‐related factors and environmental filtering as potential drivers at the global scale. Results Species richness and similarity of non‐native plant species along elevational gradients were strongly influenced by factors operating at scales ranging from 100 m to 1000s of km. Non‐native species richness was highest in the New World regions, reflecting the effects of colonization from Europe. Similarity among regions was low and due mainly to certain Eurasian species, mostly native to temperate Europe, occurring in all New World regions. Elevation and distance from the road explained little of the variation in similarity. The elevational distribution of non‐native species richness varied, but was always greatest in the lower third of the range. In all regions, non‐native species richness declined away from roadsides. In three regions, this decline was steeper at higher elevations, and there was an interaction between distance and elevation. Main conclusions Because non‐native plant species are affected by processes operating at global, regional and local scales, a multi‐scale perspective is needed to understand their patterns of distribution. The processes involved include global dispersal, filtering along elevational gradients and differential establishment with distance from roadsides.     

Spatiotemporal maintenance of flora in the Himalaya biodiversity hotspot: Current knowledge and future perspectives

Mountain ecosystems support a significant one‐third of all terrestrial biodiversity, but our understanding of the spatiotemporal maintenance of this high biodiversity remains poor, or at best controversial. The Himalaya hosts a complex mountain ecosystem with high topographic and climatic heterogeneity and harbors one of the world''s richest floras. The high species endemism, together with increasing anthropogenic threats, has qualified the Himalaya as one of the most significant global biodiversity hotspots. The topographic and climatic complexity of the Himalaya makes it an ideal natural laboratory for studying the mechanisms of floral exchange, diversification, and spatiotemporal distributions. Here, we review literature pertaining to the Himalaya in order to generate a concise synthesis of the origin, distribution, and climate change responses of the Himalayan flora. We found that the Himalaya supports a rich biodiversity and that the Hengduan Mountains supplied the majority of the Himalayan floral elements, which subsequently diversified from the late Miocene onward, to create today''s relatively high endemicity in the Himalaya. Further, we uncover links between this Miocene diversification and the joint effect of geological and climatic upheavals in the Himalaya. There is marked variance regarding species dispersal, elevational gradients, and impact of climate change among plant species in the Himalaya, and our review highlights some of the general trends and recent advances on these aspects. Finally, we provide some recommendations for conservation planning and future research. Our work could be useful in guiding future research in this important ecosystem and will also provide new insights into the maintenance mechanisms underpinning other mountain systems.     

Different responses of avian feeding guilds to spatial and environmental factors across an elevation gradient in the central Himalaya

Although elevational patterns of species richness have been well documented, how the drivers of richness gradients vary across ecological guilds has rarely been reported. Here, we examined the effects of spatial factors (area and mid‐domain effect; MDE) and environmental factors, including metrics of climate, productivity, and plant species richness on the richness of breeding birds across different ecological guilds defined by diet and foraging strategy. We surveyed 12 elevation bands at intervals of 300 m between 1,800 and 5,400 m a.s.l using line‐transect methods throughout the wet season in the central Himalaya, China. Multiple regression models and hierarchical partitioning were used to assess the relative importance of spatial and environmental factors on overall bird richness and guild richness (i.e., the richness of species within each guild). Our results showed that richness for all birds and most guilds displayed hump‐shaped elevational trends, which peaked at an elevation of 3,300–3,600 m, although richness of ground‐feeding birds peaked at a higher elevation band (4,200–4,500 m). The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)—an index of primary productivity—and habitat heterogeneity were important factors in explaining overall bird richness as well as that of insectivores and omnivores, with geometric constraints (i.e., the MDE) of secondary importance. Granivore richness was not related to primary production but rather to open habitats (granivores were negatively influenced by habitat heterogeneity), where seeds might be abundant. Our findings provide direct evidence that the richness–environment relationship is often guild‐specific. Taken together, our study highlights the importance of considering how the effects of environmental and spatial factors on patterns of species richness may differ across ecological guilds, potentially leading to a deeper understanding of elevational diversity gradients and their implications for biodiversity conservation.     

Elevational patterns in the vascular flora of a highly diverse region in southern Mexico

We examined general and family-specific patterns of vascular plant richness along a large elevational gradient (0?C3,670?m a.s.l.), assessed the continuity of these patterns and analysed their potential underlying causes in a high diversity region of the Sierra Madre del Sur, Oaxaca, Mexico. We used a vascular plant database constructed previously. The gradient was divided into 18 200-m elevation belts. To examine elevational patterns of richness, we used both observed and estimated (interpolated) species richness, as well as genus and family observed richness, for each belt. A generalised linear model (GLM) was used to assess the effect of altitude on area-corrected species richness (standard area?=?100?km²), and a numerical classification of the elevational belts based on species richness was performed. Overall, richness at the three taxonomic levels decreased with elevation, but some individual families departed from this pattern. A sharp drop in species richness was observed at 1,800?m, and the dendrogram separated two elevational floristic groups at this elevation. The GLM revealed a significant negative effect of elevation on species richness. Despite this overall decreasing pattern for vascular plants along this extensive gradient, an examination of some family-specific patterns revealed the existence of other elevation?Cdiversity relationships, indicating taxon-specific responses to elevation. The most noticeable discontinuity in species richness, at ca. 1,800?m, is likely related to a critical temperature isocline.     

Phylogenetic diversity,structure and diversification patterns of endemic plants along the elevational gradient in the Eastern Himalaya

ABSTRACT

Background: Several studies have documented the variation in species diversity patterns along elevational gradients in the Himalaya, but few have reported the evolutionary and biogeographic processes behind these patterns.

Aims: To understand whether evolutionary history and phylogeny have any role in structuring plant species communities along an elevational gradient in the Sikkim Himalaya.

Methods: We used data on endemic plant species occurrence from primary and secondary sources to construct family-level phylogenetic supertrees for different growth forms with the help of Phylomatic tool of Phylocom. These phylogenetic supertrees were used as a base for testing phylogenetic diversity (PD), niche conservatism, diversification time patterns and phylogenetic structure of various plant growth forms along an elevational gradient.

Results: PD was the highest at mid-elevations for all growth forms and PD had a significant positive correlation with endemic species richness. Species at mid-elevations were dominated by the ancestral/primitive taxa. There was phylogenetic clustering at higher elevations and phylogenetic overdispersion at lower and mid-elevations for the majority of the growth forms.

Conclusions: Time-for-speciation effect and niche conservatism along elevation (retention of niche-related ancestral elevational distribution over evolutionary time scale by species) together determine plant species diversity patterns in the Himalaya.     

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.     

Can Rapoport's rule explain tree species richness along the Himalayan elevation gradient,Nepal?

Rapoport's rule applied to an elevation gradient predicts a positive correlation between elevation ranges and elevation. This is supposed to be caused by the increasing magnitude of the climatic extremes at higher elevations, and thus, it is deduced that species richness should decrease with increasing elevation. The distribution of 614 tree species was used to test Rapoport's elevational rule along a gradient from 100 to 4300 m a.s.l., in the Nepalese Himalaya. The relationship between species richness and elevation was analysed by using generalized linear models (GLM). Generalized additive models (GAM) were used to examine the relationship between elevational range and the elevational mid-point of a species along the gradient. The widest elevation ranges are observed at mid-elevations, and narrow elevation ranges are observed at both ends of the gradient. This does not support Rapoport's elevation rule, as proposed by Stevens. There is a peak in species richness between 900 and 1000 m, and not in the tropical lowland as projected by Rapoport's elevation rule.     

喜马拉雅山脉种子植物多样性特征及分布格局

喜马拉雅山脉是全球著名的生物多样性热点地区之一。该研究对以往收集的喜马拉雅山脉南、北坡植物物种名录及其分布数据进行整合,借助在线数据库对分布数据进行补充与修订,最后整理并汇总了喜马拉雅山脉位于中国、印度、尼泊尔、不丹4国境内的种子植物分布情况,并在此基础上对科属特征、物种组成相似性、区系成分以及海拔梯度上物种分布格局进行分析,为该区域的生物多样性研究以及保护提供数据支撑。结果表明：(1)喜马拉雅山脉共分布有种子植物11 875种,隶属223科2 086属,其中包含7 906种草本植物(66.6%),2 583种灌木(21.8%)和1 386种乔木(11.7%)。(2)研究区涵盖物种数量位于前20的科有菊科(Asteraceae)、兰科(Orchidaceae)、禾本科(Poaceae)、豆科(Fabaceae)、杜鹃花科(Ericaceae)等科,共包含物种7 456种,约占喜马拉雅山脉植物种的62.8%;涵盖物种数量位于前20的属有杜鹃花属(Rhododendron)、报春花属(Primula)、马先蒿属(Pedicularis)、虎耳草属(Saxifraga)、薹草属(Carex)...     

Interbasin water transfer, riverine connectivity, and spatial controls on fish biodiversity

Background

Large-scale inter-basin water transfer (IBWT) projects are commonly proposed as solutions to water distribution and supply problems. These problems are likely to intensify under future population growth and climate change scenarios. Scarce data on the distribution of freshwater fishes frequently limits the ability to assess the potential implications of an IBWT project on freshwater fish communities. Because connectivity in habitat networks is expected to be critical to species'' biogeography, consideration of changes in the relative isolation of riverine networks may provide a strategy for controlling impacts of IBWTs on freshwater fish communities.

Methods/Principal Findings

Using empirical data on the current patterns of freshwater fish biodiversity for rivers of peninsular India, we show here how the spatial changes alone under an archetypal IBWT project will (1) reduce freshwater fish biodiversity system-wide, (2) alter patterns of local species richness, (3) expand distributions of widespread species throughout peninsular rivers, and (4) decrease community richness by increasing inter-basin similarity (a mechanism for the observed decrease in biodiversity). Given the complexity of the IBWT, many paths to partial or full completion of the project are possible. We evaluate two strategies for step-wise implementation of the 11 canals, based on economic or ecological considerations. We find that for each step in the project, the impacts on freshwater fish communities are sensitive to which canal is added to the network.

Conclusions/Significance

Importantly, ecological impacts can be reduced by associating the sequence in which canals are added to characteristics of the links, except for the case when all 11 canals are implemented simultaneously (at which point the sequence of canal addition is inconsequential). By identifying the fundamental relationship between the geometry of riverine networks and freshwater fish biodiversity, our results will aid in assessing impacts of IBWT projects and balancing ecosystem and societal demands for freshwater, even in cases where biodiversity data are limited.     

Elevational Gradient of Vascular Plant Species Richness and Endemism in Crete – The Effect of Post-Isolation Mountain Uplift on a Continental Island System

Understanding diversity patterns along environmental gradients and their underlying mechanisms is a major topic in current biodiversity research. In this study, we investigate for the first time elevational patterns of vascular plant species richness and endemism on a long-isolated continental island (Crete) that has experienced extensive post-isolation mountain uplift. We used all available data on distribution and elevational ranges of the Cretan plants to interpolate their presence between minimum and maximum elevations in 100-m elevational intervals, along the entire elevational gradient of Crete (0–2400 m). We evaluate the influence of elevation, area, mid-domain effect, elevational Rapoport effect and the post-isolation mountain uplift on plant species richness and endemism elevational patterns. Furthermore, we test the influence of the island condition and the post-isolation mountain uplift to the elevational range sizes of the Cretan plants, using the Peloponnese as a continental control area. Total species richness monotonically decreases with increasing elevation, while endemic species richness has a unimodal response to elevation showing a peak at mid-elevation intervals. Area alone explains a significant amount of variation in species richness along the elevational gradient. Mid-domain effect is not the underlying mechanism of the elevational gradient of plant species richness in Crete, and Rapoport''s rule only partly explains the observed patterns. Our results are largely congruent with the post-isolation uplift of the Cretan mountains and their colonization mainly by the available lowland vascular plant species, as high-elevation specialists are almost lacking from the Cretan flora. The increase in the proportion of Cretan endemics with increasing elevation can only be regarded as a result of diversification processes towards Cretan mountains (especially mid-elevation areas), supported by elevation-driven ecological isolation. Cretan plants have experienced elevational range expansion compared to the continental control area, as a result of ecological release triggered by increased species impoverishment with increasing elevation.     

Elevational patterns of fern species assemblages and richness in central Japan

We conducted field surveys in 807 quadrats to evaluate the elevational belts, boundary and richness patterns of ferns and lycophytes in the temperate region of central Japan. We analysed fern species assemblages at 100 m elevational steps by cluster analysis and tested the number of upper and lower boundaries for elevational intervals against a null model of random distribution of elevational limits. We compared the pattern of fern species richness along the elevational gradients in central Japan with patterns in several locations to evaluate the fern flora in central Japan in relation to the rest of the world. We recorded 261 ferns species in total, which is one-third of the Japanese ferns. We found clear elevational boundaries of fern assemblages at 900 and 1,800 m and three fern elevational zones, which corresponded well to the elevational limits of forest types in central Japan. The pattern of fern species richness in central Japan was an asymmetric hump-shaped pattern that peaked close to the sea level, with the peak of local richness at lower elevations than that of regional richness. We found that the peak of fern species richness along the elevational gradient in Japan was located at lower elevations than that of fern elevational patterns in several locations around the world.     

Patterns of ant species richness along elevational gradients in an arid ecosystem

Aim In this study, we examine patterns of local and regional ant species richness along three elevational gradients in an arid ecosystem. In addition, we test the hypothesis that changes in ant species richness with elevation are related to elevation‐dependent changes in climate and available area. Location Spring Mountains, Nevada, U.S.A. Methods We used pitfall traps placed at each 100‐m elevational band in three canyons in the Spring Mountains. We compiled climate data from 68 nearby weather stations. We used multiple regression analysis to examine the effects of annual precipitation, average July precipitation, and maximum and minimum July temperature on ant species richness at each elevational band. Results We found that patterns of local ant species richness differed among the three gradients we sampled. Ant species richness increased linearly with elevation along two transects and peaked at mid‐elevation along a third transect. This suggests that patterns of species richness based on data from single transects may not generalize to larger spatial scales. Cluster analysis of community similarity revealed a high‐elevation species assemblage largely distinct from that of lower elevations. Major changes in the identity of ant species present along elevational gradients tended to coincide with changes in the dominant vegetation. Regional species richness, defined here as the total number of unique species within an elevational band in all three gradients combined, tended to increase with increasing elevation. Available area decreased with increasing elevation. Area was therefore correlated negatively with ant species richness and did not explain elevational patterns of ant species richness in the Spring Mountains. Mean July maximum and minimum temperature, July precipitation and annual precipitation combined to explain 80% of the variation in ant species richness. Main conclusions Our results suggest that in arid ecosystems, species richness for some taxa may be highest at high elevations, where lower temperatures and higher precipitation may support higher levels of primary production and cause lower levels of physiological stress.     

Richness patterns, species distributions and the principle of extreme deconstruction

Aim To analyse the global patterns in species richness of Viperidae snakes through the deconstruction of richness into sets of species according to their distribution models, range size, body size and phylogenetic structure, and to test if environmental drivers explaining the geographical ranges of species are similar to those explaining richness patterns, something we called the extreme deconstruction principle. Location Global. Methods We generated a global dataset of 228 terrestrial viperid snakes, which included geographical ranges (mapped at 1° resolution, for a grid with 7331 cells world‐wide), body sizes and phylogenetic relationships among species. We used logistic regression (generalized linear model; GLM) to model species geographical ranges with five environmental predictors. Sets of species richness were also generated for large and small‐bodied species, for basal and derived species and for four classes of geographical range sizes. Richness patterns were also modelled against the five environmental variables through standard ordinary least squares (OLS) multiple regressions. These subsets are replications to test if environmental factors driving species geographical ranges can be directly associated with those explaining richness patterns. Results Around 48% of the total variance in viperid richness was explained by the environmental model, but richness sets revealed different patterns across the world. The similarity between OLS coefficients and the primacy of variables across species geographical range GLMs was equal to 0.645 when analysing all viperid snakes. Thus, in general, when an environmental predictor it is important to model species geographical ranges, this predictor is also important when modelling richness, so that the extreme deconstruction principle holds. However, replicating this correlation using subsets of species within different categories in body size, range size and phylogenetic structure gave more variable results, with correlations between GLM and OLS coefficients varying from –0.46 up to 0.83. Despite this, there is a relatively high correspondence (r = 0.73) between the similarity of GLM‐OLS coefficients and R² values of richness models, indicating that when richness is well explained by the environment, the relative importance of environmental drivers is similar in the richness OLS and its corresponding set of GLMs. Main conclusions The deconstruction of species richness based on macroecological traits revealed that, at least for range size and phylogenetic level, the causes underlying patterns in viperid richness differ for the various sets of species. On the other hand, our analyses of extreme deconstruction using GLM for species geographical range support the idea that, if environmental drivers determine the geographical distribution of species by establishing niche boundaries, it is expected, at least in theory, that the overlap among ranges (i.e. richness) will reveal similar effects of these environmental drivers. Richness patterns may be indeed viewed as macroecological consequences of population‐level processes acting on species geographical ranges.     

Think globally,measure locally: The MIREN standardized protocol for monitoring plant species distributions along elevation gradients

Climate change and other global change drivers threaten plant diversity in mountains worldwide. A widely documented response to such environmental modifications is for plant species to change their elevational ranges. Range shifts are often idiosyncratic and difficult to generalize, partly due to variation in sampling methods. There is thus a need for a standardized monitoring strategy that can be applied across mountain regions to assess distribution changes and community turnover of native and non‐native plant species over space and time. Here, we present a conceptually intuitive and standardized protocol developed by the Mountain Invasion Research Network (MIREN) to systematically quantify global patterns of native and non‐native species distributions along elevation gradients and shifts arising from interactive effects of climate change and human disturbance. Usually repeated every five years, surveys consist of 20 sample sites located at equal elevation increments along three replicate roads per sampling region. At each site, three plots extend from the side of a mountain road into surrounding natural vegetation. The protocol has been successfully used in 18 regions worldwide from 2007 to present. Analyses of one point in time already generated some salient results, and revealed region‐specific elevational patterns of native plant species richness, but a globally consistent elevational decline in non‐native species richness. Non‐native plants were also more abundant directly adjacent to road edges, suggesting that disturbed roadsides serve as a vector for invasions into mountains. From the upcoming analyses of time series, even more exciting results can be expected, especially about range shifts. Implementing the protocol in more mountain regions globally would help to generate a more complete picture of how global change alters species distributions. This would inform conservation policy in mountain ecosystems, where some conservation policies remain poorly implemented.