title: Predictors of elevational biodiversity gradients change from single taxa to the multi-taxa community level.
abstract: The factors determining gradients of biodiversity are a fundamental yet unresolved topic in ecology. While diversity gradients have been analysed for numerous single taxa, progress towards general explanatory models has been hampered by limitations in the phylogenetic coverage of past studies. By parallel sampling of 25 major plant and animal taxa along a 3.7 km elevational gradient on Mt. Kilimanjaro, we quantify cross-taxon consensus in diversity gradients and evaluate predictors of diversity from single taxa to a multi-taxa community level. While single taxa show complex distribution patterns and respond to different environmental factors, scaling up diversity to the community level leads to an unambiguous support for temperature as the main predictor of species richness in both plants and animals. Our findings illuminate the influence of taxonomic coverage for models of diversity gradients and point to the importance of temperature for diversification and species coexistence in plant and animal communities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg 97074, Germany.
authors.forename: Marcell K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systematics, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, Bayreuth 95440, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hemp
authors.affiliation: Environmental Informatics, Faculty of Geography, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstraße 12, Marburg 35032, Germany.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Appelhans
authors.affiliation: Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm 89069, Germany.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Behler
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg 97074, Germany.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Classen
authors.affiliation: Environmental Informatics, Faculty of Geography, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstraße 12, Marburg 35032, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Detsch
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Bern 3013, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ensslin
authors.affiliation: Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt am Main 60325, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Ferger
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Animal Ecology, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 8, Marburg 35032, Germany.|Zoological Museum, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, Copenhagen DK-2100, Denmark.
authors.forename: Sara B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Frederiksen
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg 97074, Germany.
authors.forename: Friederike
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gebert
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Animal Ecology, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 8, Marburg 35032, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.affiliation: Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm 89069, Germany.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Helbig-Bonitz
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg 97074, Germany.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hemp
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg 97074, Germany.|Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology, Department of Life Sciences, Ally Hassan Mwinyi Road, PO Box 4302, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Kindeketa
authors.affiliation: Environmental Informatics, Faculty of Geography, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstraße 12, Marburg 35032, Germany.|Mount Kilimanjaro National Park, PO Box 96, Marangu, Moshi, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Ephraim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mwangomo
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Animal Ecology, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 8, Marburg 35032, Germany.|National Museum of Tanzania, Shaaban Robert Street, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ngereza
authors.affiliation: Environmental Informatics, Faculty of Geography, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstraße 12, Marburg 35032, Germany.
authors.forename: Insa
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Otte
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Animal Ecology, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 8, Marburg 35032, Germany.
authors.forename: Juliane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Röder
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Bern 3013, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rutten
authors.affiliation: Landscape Ecology Group, Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University Oldenburg, Oldenburg 26111, Germany.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schellenberger Costa
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg 97074, Germany.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tardanico
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg 97074, Germany.|Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Lab, School of Biological Sciences, Environment Centre Wales, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zancolli
authors.affiliation: Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstraße 43, Berlin 10115, Germany.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deckert
authors.affiliation: Agricultural Research Council-Plant Protection Research: Plant Health and Protection, Private Bag X134, Queenswood, Pretoria 0121, South Africa.|School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa.
authors.forename: Connal D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Eardley
authors.affiliation: Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Department Arthropoda, Adenauerallee 160, Bonn 53113, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralph S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.affiliation: Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstraße 43, Berlin 10115, Germany.
authors.forename: Mark-Oliver
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Rödel
authors.affiliation: Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt am Main 60325, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9426-045X
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schleuning
authors.affiliation: Falkenweg 6, Wachtberg 53343, Germany.
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ssymank
authors.affiliation: Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, PO Box 661, Arusha, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kakengi
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg 97074, Germany.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt am Main 60325, Germany.|Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Biologicum, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13, Frankfurt am Main 60439, Germany.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Böhning-Gaese
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Animal Ecology, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 8, Marburg 35032, Germany.
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brandl
authors.affiliation: Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm 89069, Germany.|Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Balboa Ancòn, Republica de Panamà.
authors.forename: Elisabeth K V
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Kalko
authors.affiliation: Landscape Ecology Group, Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University Oldenburg, Oldenburg 26111, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kleyer
authors.affiliation: Environmental Informatics, Faculty of Geography, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstraße 12, Marburg 35032, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nauss
authors.affiliation: Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm 89069, Germany.|Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Balboa Ancòn, Republica de Panamà.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tschapka
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Bern 3013, Switzerland.|Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt am Main 60325, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg 97074, Germany.
authors.forename: Ingolf
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Steffan-Dewenter
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D017753:Ecosystem; D005843:Geography; D008954:Models, Biological; D010802:Phylogeny; D010944:Plants / Q000145:classification; D013045:Species Specificity; D013636:Tanzania; D013696:Temperature