DOI: 10.5061/dryad.7sk2g
title: Data from: Climate vs. topography – spatial patterns of plant species diversity and endemism on a high-elevation island

description: 1. Climate and topography are among the most fundamental drivers of plant
 diversity. Here, we assess the importance of climate and topography in
 explaining diversity patterns of species richness, endemic richness and
 endemicity on the landscape scale of an oceanic island, and evaluate the
 independent contribution of climatic and topographic variables to spatial
 diversity patterns. 2. We constructed a presence/absence matrix of
 perennial endemic and native vascular plant species (including subspecies)
 in 890 plots on the environmentally very heterogeneous island of La Palma,
 Canary Islands. Species richness, endemic richness and endemicity were
 recorded, interpolated and related to climate (i.e. variables describing
 temperature, precipitation, variability and climatic rarity) and
 topography (i.e. topographic complexity, solar radiation, geologic age,
 slope and aspect). We used multi-model inference, spatial autoregressive
 models, variance partitioning and linear regression kriging as statistical
 methods. 3. Species richness is best explained by both climatic and
 topographic variables. Topographic variables (esp. topographic complexity
 and solar radiation) explain endemic richness and climatic variables (esp.
 elevation/temperature and rainfall seasonality) explain endemicity.
 Spatial patterns of species richness, endemic richness and endemicity were
 in parts geographically decoupled from each other. 4 .Synthesis. We
 identify several topography-dependent processes ranging from evolutionary
 processes (micro-refugia, in situ speciation, pre-adaptation to rupicolous
 conditions, dispersal limitations) to human-induced influences (introduced
 herbivores, fire, land use) that possibly shape the endemic richness
 pattern of La Palma. In contrast, climate mainly drives endemicity, which
 is connected to ecological speciation and specialisation to local
 conditions. We highlight the importance of incorporating climatic
 variability into future studies of plant species diversity and endemism.
 The spatial incongruence in hotspots of species richness, endemic richness
 and endemicity emphasize the need for an integrated conservation approach
 acknowledging different diversity measures to protect the complete
 spectrum of diversity. High-elevation islands such as La Palma are highly
 suitable to study drivers of diversity and endemism, as they offer
 environmental gradients of continental magnitude on the landscape scale of
 a single climatic mini-continent and a large array of in situ-speciated
 endemics.
description: Irl et al_2015_J
 Ecol_DryadData were collected
 between 2010 and 2013 on the island of La Palma (Canary Islands). Table
 giving plot name and coordinates (in UTM 28N). Furthermore all climate
 variables, all topographic variables as well as all response variables
 (diversity measures) are given. Abbrevations: Climatic rarity of the
 Canary Islands = CR_CAN, Climatic rarity of La Palma = CR_LP, INTRA_VAR =
 Intra-annual precipitation variability, INTER_VAR = Inter-annual
 preciptation variability, Mean annual temperature = MAT, Mean annual
 precipitation = MAP, Rainfall seasonality index = RSI, Annual solar
 radiation = ASR, Geologic Age = Age, Macro-aspect = Macro, Topographic
 complexity index = TCI. In addition, species richness (SR), number of
 single island endemics (nSIE), number of archipelago endemics (nAE),
 percentage of single island endemics (pSIE) and the percentage of
 archipelago endemics (pAE) are given.