TABLE 1.
Plant and soil properties along the elevational gradient.
| Properties | Elevational gradient (m) |
F | P | |||||
| 1308 | 1603 | 1915 | 2292 | 2405 | 2600 | |||
| Trichness | 6.67 ± 0.58B | 8 ± 1AB | 10 ± 1A | 8 ± 1AB | 6 ± 1B | 6 ± 1B | 8.05 | 0.002 |
| Tsimpson | 2.54 ± 0.05B | 3.14 ± 0.30B | 4.78 ± 0.78A | 2.94 ± 0.29B | 2.84 ± 0.18B | 2.94 ± 0.28B | 12.71 | <0.001 |
| Tshannon | 1.13 ± 0.12C | 1.37 ± 0.07B | 1.69 ± 0.1A | 1.32 ± 0.05BC | 1.2 ± 0.02BC | 1.26 ± 0.07BC | 18.70 | <0.001 |
| Srichness | 7 ± 1D | 8 ± 1D | 12 ± 0.2C | 18 ± 1A | 15 ± 1B | 8 ± 1D | 59.6 | <0.001 |
| Ssimpson | 4.88 ± 0.32B | 4.13 ± 0.36B | 6.35 ± 1.90AB | 4.82 ± 0.84B | 8.14 ± 0.69A | 6.09 ± 0.36AB | 8.19 | 0.001 |
| Sshannon | 1.55 ± 0.08C | 1.49 ± 0.05C | 1.98 ± 0.4AB | 2.13 ± 0.12A | 2.08 ± 0.13AB | 1.86 ± 0.11B | 24.12 | <0.001 |
| Hrichness | 6 ± 1D | 16 ± 1A | 9 ± 1C | 12 ± 1B | 13 ± 1B | 11 ± 1BC | 35.30 | <0.001 |
| Hsimpson | 6.96 ± 0.53A | 6.29 ± 0.22AB | 4.21 ± 0.25C | 5.16 ± 0.16BC | 4.95 ± 0.09BC | 5.77 ± 0.56B | 23.58 | <0.001 |
| Hshannon | 1.7 ± 0.03C | 2.05 ± 0.A | 1.69 ± 0.7C | 1.93 ± 0.05AB | 1.88 ± 0.02B | 1.84 ± 0.06BC | 21.45 | <0.001 |
| Leaf C | 461.12 ± 14.03B | 490.38 ± 14.87AB | 515.87 ± 24.66A | 494.14 ± 12.35AB | 481.21 ± 7.36AB | 474.44 ± 16.56AB | 4.57 | 0.015 |
| Leaf N | 31.66 ± 2.82BC | 31.59 ± 1.07BC | 39.75 ± 1.55A | 35.24 ± 1.39B | 26.78 ± 0.41C | 30.7 ± 1.5C | 22.14 | <0.001 |
| Leaf P | 2.27 ± 0.14AB | 2.26 ± 0.18AB | 2.76 ± 0.1A | 2.8 ± 0.34A | 1.93 ± 0.34B | 2.27 ± 0.3AB | 10.21 | <0.001 |
| Litter C | 408.96 ± 7.45B | 425.85 ± 10.39B | 484.63 ± 4.A | 486.09 ± 21.15A | 477.56 ± 0.2A | 424.29 ± 8.63B | 31.61 | <0.001 |
| Litter N | 17.76 ± 0.54C | 19.18 ± 0.57C | 21.83 ± 0.57B | 20.93 ± 1.25BC | 24.55 ± 0.33A | 22.83 ± 0.43AB | 39.22 | <0.001 |
| Litter P | 6.48 ± 0.21B | 7.5 ± 0.46A | 3.14 ± 0.12C | 2.06 ± 0.11D | 2.16 ± 0.27D | 1.59 ± 0.44D | 213.10 | <0.001 |
| Root C | 454.83 ± 4.14B | 481.73 ± 6.62B | 504.89 ± 11.17AB | 516.83 ± 20.5A | 478.62 ± 9.71B | 453.44 ± 8.61B | 15.35 | <0.001 |
| Root N | 9.43 ± 0.11B | 10.29 ± 0.53B | 12.65 ± 0.5A | 12.54 ± 1.21A | 10.26 ± 0.11B | 8.94 ± 0.57B | 18.87 | <0.001 |
| Root P | 1.6 ± 0.14A | 1.56 ± 0.13A | 1.54 ± 0.14A | 1.46 ± 0.31A | 1.62 ± 0.14A | 1.66 ± 0.1A | 0.52 | 0.756 |
| SOC | 56.03 ± 0.59C | 69.41 ± 1.07B | 85.71 ± 3.63A | 81.19 ± 1.2A | 59.31 ± 1.07C | 49.86 ± 0.14D | 214.90 | <0.001 |
| TN | 4.57 ± 0.05F | 5.23 ± 0.05D | 6.96 ± 0.11A | 6.5 ± 0.03B | 6.46 ± 0.19B | 5.78 ± 0.21C | 143.70 | <0.001 |
| TP | 0.34 ± 0.03A | 0.4 ± 0.05A | 0.44 ± 0.03A | 0.47 ± 0.09A | 0.46 ± 0.11A | 0.46 ± 0.06A | 1.90 | 0.168 |
Different letters indicate significant differences (ANOVA, P < 0.05, Tukey’s HSD post hoc analysis) among different elevation gradients. Trichness, tree richness; Tsimpson, tree simpson index; Tshannon, tree shannon index; Srichness, shrub richness; Ssimpson, shrub simpson index; Sshannon, shrub Shannon index; Hrichness, herb richness; Hsimpson, herb simpson index; Hshannon, herb shannon index; SOC, soil organic carbon; TN, total nitrogen; TP, total phosphorus.