3.1 Species richness, elevational distribution, and climatic factors
A total of 260 plant species (20 tree species, 17 shrubs, 49 herbs, 11 ferns, and 163 bryophytes) were found in the study area. The species richness per plot (mean ± standard deviation) of the trees, shrubs, herbs, ferns, and bryophytes was 5.00 ± 1.81, 2.50 ± 2.32, 9.42 ± 5.14, 2.00 ± 1.86, and 41.00 ± 17.00, respectively (Table S1).
The Pearson’s correlation analysis between climatic factors and elevation showed that elevation was positively correlated with the snow cover (r = 0.769; p < 0.01) but negatively correlated with Tempann (r = −0.862; p< 0.01) and Tempgrow (r = −0.822;p < 0.01). In contrast, no significant correlations were observed between elevation and the RH variables (RHann, RHgrow, and RHsnow).