Vascular Plant and Bryophyte Diversity along Elevation Gradients in the Alps

摘要: A decrease in plant species richness has been observed with increasing altitude for high mountains Europe (Ozenda 1985,1997;Grabherr et al. 1995;Korner 2000), and different hypotheses put forward to explain them include space limitation, ecological historical factors. This paper presents the synthesis of studies on elevation patterns distribution vascular plants bryophytes from three transects spanning treeline ecotone subnival zone Valais, Western Alps, Switzerland. Our prediction was that generality a temperature-related decline does not hold poikilohydric such as mosses liverworts. Furthermore, we expected narrow range (specialists) become more abundant at elevations.