The researchers studied plant communities in different areas of a nature reserve in China to see how they change with water, heat, and altitude. They found that as you move from grasslands to forest areas, the types of plants change, with more shrubs and perennial grasses in grasslands and more annual herbs in forests. The total amount of plant biomass also decreases from grasslands to forests. Overall, the diversity of plant species decreases as you move from grasslands to forest areas.