Edaphic specialization and vegetation zones define elevational range‐sizes for Mt Kinabalu regional flora

Abstract

Identifying physical and ecological boundaries that limit where species can occur is important for predicting how those species will respond to global change. The island of Borneo encompasses a wide range of habitats that support some of the highest richness on Earth, making it an ideal location for investigating ecological mechanisms underlying broad patterns of species distribution. We tested variation in richness and range‐size in relation to edaphic specialization and vegetation zone boundaries using 3060 plant species from 193 families centered around the elevational gradient of Mt Kinabalu, Borneo. Across species, average range‐size increased with elevation, consistent with Rapoport's rule. However, plants associated with ultramafic soil, which is low in nutrient and water availability and often has high concentrations of heavy metals, had larger range‐sizes and greater richness than expected along the elevational gradient, as compared to a null model with randomization of edaphic association. In contrast, non‐ultramafic species had smaller range‐sizes and lower richness than expected. These results suggest that tolerance of resource limitation may be associated with wider range‐sizes, whereas species intolerant of edaphic stress may have narrower range‐sizes, possibly owing to more intense competition in favorable soil types. Using elevation as a predictor of average range‐sizes, we found that piece‐wise models with breakpoints at vegetation zone transitions explained species distributions better than models that did not incorporate ecological boundaries. The greatest relative increases in range‐size with respect to elevation occurred mid‐elevation, within the montane cloud forest vegetation zone. Expansion of average range‐size across an area without physical boundaries may indicate a shift in ecological strategy and importance of biotic versus abiotic stressors. Our results indicate that elevational range‐size patterns are structured by ecological constraints such as species' edaphic association, which may limit the ability of species to migrate up or down mountains in response to climate change.