Data for: Liverworts show a globally consistent mid-elevation richness peak

The study of elevational gradients allows to draw conclusions on factors and mechanisms determining patterns in species richness distribution. Several earlier studies investigated liverwort diversity on single or few elevational transects. However, a comprehensive survey on elevational distribution patterns of liverwort richness and their underlying factors is lacking so far. This study’s purpose was to fill this gap by compiling an extensive dataset of liverwort elevational patterns encompassing a broad diversity of mountains and mountain ranges around the world. Using polynomial regression analyses, we found a prevalence of hump-shaped richness patterns (19 of 25 gradients), where liverwort species richness peaked at mid-elevation and decreased towards both ends of the gradient. Against our expectation and unlike in other plant groups, in liverworts, this pattern also applies to elevational gradients at mid-latitudes in temperate climates. Indeed, relative elevation, calculated as the..., , , # Data for: Liverworts show a globally consistent mid-elevation richness peak

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.4f4qrfjg6](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.4f4qrfjg6)

## Description of the data and file structure

Files in this archive:

\- Sheet 1: Dataset containing absolute species numbers, relative species numbers, elevation (m), relative elevation, and predicted climate data (Bio1, mean annual temperature (°C); Bio5, maximum temperature of the warmest month (°C); Bio6, minimum temperature of the coldest month (°C); Bio12, annual precipitation amount (mm); Bio13, precipitation amount of the wettest month (mm); Bio14, precipitation amount of the driest month (mm); Bio18, precipitation amount of the warmest quarter (mm); Bio19, precipitation amount of the coldest quarter (mm); maxPET, maximum potential evapotranspiration (mm)) per transect.

\- Sheet 2: GPS coordinates used to obtain Bioclim data.

### Files and variables

#### File: Coordinates\_to\_DataDryad.txt

**Description:** 

GPS ...