Abstract
Understanding the pattern of variation in adaptive traits of rare and endemic species along environmental gradient can suggest important implications for developing optimal strategies for species conservation and sustainable management. In this studywe aimed to study variation in life-history traits of an endemic species M. napaulensis DC. along an elevation gradient in Langtang National Park, Central Nepal covering three populations. Each population was investigated two times (2013 and 2014) covering different seasons. Population sampling was made to read habitat during the peak growing period (during monsoon) except seed output, which was studied during the late growing period (post monsoon). Entire area of each population was extensively surveyed to record all the individuals, including plants in flowering or fruiting and their detailed vegetative characteristics and traits related to population fitness. Analysis of the habitat features showed that M. napaulensis exhibited high habitat specificity. M. napaulensis was restricted to open and rocky habitats of high altitudes. M. napaulensis growing sites had low vegetation cover indicating decreased interspecific competition. M. napaulensis showed high variation in traits due to altitudinal variation, climatic conditions, and disturbances. Specifically, reproductive traits discriminated the populations. M. napaulensis was suffered from human disturbance mainly from livestock grazing, plant harvesting, and garbage pollution as the study area is an important tourist destination and pilgrimage site. Conservation of rare and endemic species such as M. napaulensis requires strong provisions restricting human activities and minimizing the impact of harvesting and grazing; and implementing habitat restoration and population augmentation programs.
Highlights
Elevation gradient is correlated with several environmental factors
Plant adaptive traits are evolved in response to the changing environmental conditions, and exhibit considerable variations along elevation gradients (Westoby and Wright, 2006), including gradients associated with disturbance (Daiz et al, 1999; Wana and Beierkuhnlein, 2009)
This study explores habitat properties, population structure, and fitness-related traits of M. napaulensis along the elevation gradient, which can provide a link between population responses to the environmental change
Summary
Elevation gradient is correlated with several environmental factors. With the increasing elevation, plant populations are subjected to a gradually decreasing mean temperature, and a shorter growing season (Landolt, 1967; Körner, 2003). Elevation gradient is ideally suited for examining variations in species’ traits, which strongly influence fitness (Minden, 2010), including growth and competition (Wright et al, 2006). Plant adaptive traits are evolved in response to the changing environmental conditions, and exhibit considerable variations along elevation gradients (Westoby and Wright, 2006), including gradients associated with disturbance (Daiz et al, 1999; Wana and Beierkuhnlein, 2009). Plant species growing along the elevation gradient show considerable variations in life history strategies, including the structure of their populations and demography (Kim and Donohue, 2011). Studies pertaining to variations in adaptive traits along the elevation gradient may provide opportunities to examine performances of plant populations under environmental changes (Kim and Donohue, 2011)
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