Altitudinal patterns and determinants of plant species richness on the Baekdudaegan Mountains, South Korea: common versus rare species

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Altitudinal patterns of plant species richness and the effects of area, the mid-domain effect, climatic variables, net primary productivity and latitude on observed richness patterns along the ridge of the Baekdudaegan Mountains, South Korea were studied. Data were collected from 1,100 plots along a 200 to 1,900 m altitudinal gradient on the ridge. A total of 802 plant species from 97 families and 342 genera were recorded. Common and rare species accounted for 91% and 9%, respectively, of the total plant species. The altitudinal patterns of species richness for total, common and rare plants showed distinctly hump-shaped patterns, although the absolute altitudes of the richness peaks varied somewhat among plant groups. The mid-domain effect was the most powerful explanatory variable for total and common species richness, whereas climatic variables were better predictors for rare plant richness. No effect of latitude on species richness was observed. Our study suggests that the mid-domain effect is a better predictor for wide-ranging species such as common species, whereas climatic variables are more important factors for range-restricted species such as rare species. The mechanisms underlying these richness patterns may reflect fundamental differences in the biology and ecology of different plant groups.