The scientists examined how different types of plants change as you go higher up a mountain in China. They split the plants into groups like generalists and specialists. They found that as the elevation increased, more species of plants appeared, mainly due to the varied environments. The temperature and steepness of the land played a big part in this. However, how far apart the spots were did not really affect the types of plants. The plants that were best suited for higher areas had a big influence on the diversity on the mountain. This suggests that the particular environments on the mountain are crucial for protecting the different plant types found there.