Table 1.

Direct, indirect, and total effect of precipitation, mean annual temperature (MAT), and latitude on plant species richness in shrubs, trees, and plant communities based on standardized values of statistically significant (p < .05) structural equation model (SEM) paths

Dominant effect	Shrubs	Trees	Plant community
Precipitation
Direct	0.29	0.57	0.52
Indirect	–	–	–
Total	0.29	0.57	0.52
MAT
Direct	–	–	–
Indirect	–	MAT, Canopy, [−0.39]*0.39	–
Total	–	−0.15	–
Latitude
Direct	0.31	0.52	0.44
Indirect	–	–	–
Total	0.31	0.52	0.44
Canopy
Direct	–	0.24	–
Indirect	–	–	–
Total	–	0.24	–