Interplay of soil characteristics and elevation influences performance of widespread plant species in the Himalaya

The climate change–driven reshuffling of floristic elements has recently gained attention, yet the mechanistic bases of these shifts remain poorly understood. Here, we examined how variation in soil chemical characteristics associated with an elevational gradient influences the early performance of lowland widespread plant species under controlled conditions. We tested the performance of two plant species (Trifolium pratense L. and Sisymbrium loeselii L.) using soil samples collected from different elevational zones of the Kashmir Himalaya in a greenhouse experiment. We observed limited trait development in S. loeselii under greenhouse conditions, which reduced the strength of interspecific comparisons; therefore, most trait responses, except plant height, were primarily driven by T. pratense. Generalized linear mixed models indicated that soil origin along the elevational gradient and associated nutrient variation, especially phosphorus, were linked to delayed germination, reduced leaf count, and lower plant height, whereas nitrogen, potassium, and sulphur showed trait-specific associations with measured plant responses. Overall, early plant performance tended to decline in soils originating from higher elevations under controlled greenhouse conditions. These findings suggest that soil nutrient variation may influence early plant performance across contrasting elevational soils, while highlighting the need for field-based studies to evaluate the ecological relevance of these patterns under natural environmental conditions.