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While functional traits provide mechanistic insights into distribution patterns, the specific trait syndromes that best predict elevational optima, particularly in less\u2010studied regions such as the Himalayas, remain unclear. This study employs a novel hierarchical framework integrating morphological, anatomical, and physiological traits to explain elevational distributions among 310 plant species across a 3,500\u2010m gradient (2,650\u20136,150\u2009m). We analyzed 95,000 floristic records collected from 4,062 localities spanning 80,000\u2009km<jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup> in Ladakh, NW Himalayas, India, to define elevational optima and link them with 17 functional traits from over 7,800 individuals. We assessed the roles of moisture and cold limitations on trait\u2013optima relationships by comparing two contrasting habitats (dry steppe and wetter, colder alpine). The predictive power of functional traits was more pronounced in the alpine species facing more extreme abiotic stress than the steppe species. Our results indicate that conservative life history strategies strongly predict elevational optima in alpine areas, while drought avoidance and competitive dominance are key in steppe habitats. Trait syndromes combining short stature, compact growth forms, enhanced storage tissues, and features promoting water\u2010use efficiency (\u03b4<jats:sup>13<\/jats:sup>C), freezing resistance (fructan levels), and nutrient retention (high root nitrogen and leaf phosphorus) explained 61% of the variation in alpine species' optima. Conversely, lifespan and clonal propagation determined the optima of steppe species at lower elevations. The study emphasizes the importance of functional trait combinations in determining elevational optima, highlighting that alpine species prioritize resource conservation and stress tolerance, while steppe species focus on competitive growth strategies. This multi\u2010trait approach contrasts with previous research focusing on single trait\u2013elevation relationships, providing novel insights into the diverse mechanisms shaping elevational distributions and offering valuable predictive power for assessing vegetation responses to future climate change.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1111\/jipb.13971","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,15]],"date-time":"2025-07-15T11:16:00Z","timestamp":1752578160000},"page":"2643-2657","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Integrating morphological, anatomical, and physiological traits to explain elevational distributions in Himalayan steppe and alpine plants"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"67","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-1827-8786","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jan","family":"Binter","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences Pr\u016fhonice 252 43 Czech Republic"},{"name":"Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Faculty of Science Charles University Prague 128 43 Czech Republic"},{"name":"Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia \u010cesk\u00e9 Bud\u011bjovice 370 05 Czech Republic"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5609-5921","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Martin","family":"Macek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences Pr\u016fhonice 252 43 Czech Republic"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5829-4051","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jiri","family":"Dolezal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences Pr\u016fhonice 252 43 Czech Republic"},{"name":"Department of Botany, Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia \u010cesk\u00e9 Bud\u011bjovice 370 05 Czech Republic"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_10_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2015.00329"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00248-016-0779-8"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1026281405115"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/1948544"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envexpbot.2022.104985"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/oik.10073"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/1365-2435.14513"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/aob\/mcae028"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-78699-5"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/srep24881"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/oik.06451"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/1365-2435.13284"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/geb.12614"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/17550874.2015.1018980"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1654-109X.2010.01103.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/jbi.13001"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Farquhar G.D. 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