Energy predicts global mountain endemic plant richness better than environmental heterogeneity

Abstract

The drivers of biodiversity in mountain ecosystems have long been a central focus in ecologists. Increasing evidence suggests that energy is a key determinant of mountain species diversity; however, whether this pattern holds universally across different mountain ecosystems remains unclear, especially as there may be differences between different plant taxa. To address this knowledge gap, we selected mountain endemic plant genera from global biodiversity hotspots to explore the main drivers of diversity of different taxa in the mountains. Our results indicate that energy is the key driver of endemic plant richness in mountain regions worldwide, particularly for endemic tree and shrub taxa, while endemic herb richness is shaped by both energy and environmental heterogeneity. Regional studies have shown that energy availability drives total endemic plant groups in 70% of mountain regions. Specifically, energy is the dominant driver for 86% of endemic tree groups and 67% of endemic shrub groups, whereas endemic herb groups are the least influenced by energy, with only 50% of mountain regions showing energy as the primary driver. Our findings indicate that energy availability is the predominant factor shaping the diversity of endemic plant groups in mountain ecosystems worldwide. Therefore, mountain ecological conservation efforts should focus extensively on energy input aspects. HighlightsO_LIClimate energy is the main driver of the richness of montane endemic plant taxa, especially for tree and shrub, whereas herb richness is determined by a combination of energy and environmental heterogeneity. C_LIO_LIEnvironmental heterogeneity predominantly drives endemic taxa richness in the Cape of Good Hope, whereas both climatic energy and environmental heterogeneity jointly influence endemic taxa richness in the Andes and Japan. In all other mountain ranges, climatic energy is the primary determinant. C_LIO_LIEndemic tree taxa have the highest number of mountains dominated by climatic energy, followed by endemic shrub taxa, and endemic herb taxa are more affected by environmental heterogeneity. C_LI