Elevational patterns of species richness and phylogenetic diversity in a Mediterranean island

Abstract

Understanding the abiotic factors influencing biodiversity patterns on Earth is a crucial task for conservation scientists. At the regional level, meso-climate factors, primarily associated with elevational gradients, are of great importance. However, disentangling these factors can be challenging due to the influence of other variables, such as geological substrata. To address this issue and better understand elevational gradients, it is essential to study geologically homogeneous terrains, particularly in Mediterranean islands where such research is lacking. In this study, we investigated the distribution of plant species richness along the elevational gradient of the Limbara massif, which consists predominantly of granite rocks and ranks as the third-highest peak in Sardinia at 1,359 meters a.s.l. We employed generalized linear models to analyze richness patterns, considering various factors, including all plant species, functional species groups categorized by Raunkiær life forms, chorological groups of species, alien species and phylogenetic diversity. Our findings revealed a hump-shaped model of species richness along the elevational gradient, with lower elevations exhibiting the highest species richness. Additionally, endemic species richness increased with higher elevations, while alien species were predominantly found at lower elevations. These results indicate that the Limbara massif possesses a significant elevational gradient in species composition, likely reflecting a unique plant evolutionary history. Furthermore, we emphasize the importance of published floras as valuable sources of biodiversity data for such studies.