The researchers studied different types of diversity in woody plants along mountains in South Korea. They looked at species, family relationships, and functions of the plants. They found that the traits of the plants were somewhat related to their family history. The number of different plants decreased as they went higher up the mountains, mainly because of the climate. The plants in each area were influenced by their surroundings and how they interacted with each other. The variety of plants changed as you moved further apart, mostly due to the environment. Overall, the types of plants in an area are influenced by both their history and their surroundings.