Skip to main content
Dryad

Plant species richness on the Tibetan Plateau: Patterns and determinants

Data files

Oct 17, 2022 version files 44.60 KB

Abstract

Whether current hypotheses for geographic patterns of species richness (SR) have a strong explanatory power for the Tibetan Plateau (TP) with extreme climatic conditions remains unclear. In comparison with the classic “water–energy dynamics hypothesis”, the unique climate factors (e.g., extreme low temperature and low oxygen partial pressure) on the TP likely significantly affect the spatial variation of SR. Here, we investigate geographic patterns and determinants of SR on the TP through a systematic field investigation. We systematically analyzed a total of 2,013 plant communities covering 11 different vegetation types on the TP.  The SR per 400 m2 in the forests and shrubs and that per 1 m2 in alpine grasslands and deserts was 62.76 (±1.80 SE), 44.53 (±7.57 SE), 16.84 (±0.39 SE), and 3.62 (±0.55 SE), respectively. Unique climate factors, such as extremely low temperature, mean diurnal temperature, and oxygen partial pressure, act synergistically with water–energy dynamics and influence the spatial pattern of SR on the TP. Our findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms underlying the spatial variation in plant diversity, especially on plateaus and in high-latitude regions. Our findings and the SR map with 1 km resolution provide important benchmarks for biodiversity conservation and may help to improve predictions of the effect of climate change on biodiversity.