SIVFLORA: Southern Islands Vascular Flora database

The Southern Islands Vascular Flora (SIVFLORA) dataset is a globally significant, open-access resource that compiles essential biodiversity data on vascular plants from islands across the Southern Ocean. Covering major taxonomic divisions, SIVFLORA provides a comprehensive overview of plant diversity in these isolated and environmentally sensitive regions, with a total of 14,589 records representing 886 species, 95 families, and 42 orders. This dataset highlights the rich biodiversity of these remote islands, documenting that 58.62% of taxa are native, 9.61% are endemic, and 31.77% are alien species. Such diversity underscores the islands’ ecological importance as sentinels of global environmental change. The Falkland/Malvinas Islands, the most species-rich, contrast sharply with less diverse islands like the South Orkney Islands. SIVFLORA offers critical insights into island biogeography, endemism, and the impacts of anthropogenic pressures on Southern Ocean flora, providing a foundational tool for researching biodiversity patterns and ecosystem responses to climate change in extreme environments.