Biodiversity patterns and soil drivers in Hindukush forests: A multivariate approach to guiding conservation practices

This dataset contains supplementary materials supporting the manuscript "Biodiversity patterns and soil drivers in Hindukush forests: A multivariate approach to guiding conservation practices," which examines biodiversity indices, soil properties, and plant-soil interactions across 17 forest communities in the Upper Dir region of the Hindukush mountains.Table S1. Communities.xlsx: An Excel file detailing community composition and soil characteristics for each of the 17 forest communities (e.g., Kumrat Valley Forest (KVF), Dir Valley Forest (DVF), etc.). Data include species lists, density (D), cover (C), absolute density (AD), absolute cover (AC), absolute frequency (AF), relative density (RD), relative cover (RC), relative frequency (RF), Importance Value Index (IVI), number of species, biodiversity indices (Shannon, Simpson, Evenness, Maturity, Richness), and associated calculations. The file provides raw and computed metrics for vegetation structure, life forms, and soil variables (e.g., SOC, TN, pH, heavy metals) at varying depths, serving as a baseline for ecological analyses and conservation strategies in Himalayan forests.Supplementary results and figures.docx: A Word document containing additional results and visualizations:Figure S1: CCA Ordination plot illustrating species and community relationships.Figure S2: Parallel coordinates plot of standardized biodiversity metrics, color-coded by diversity levels (blue: high, red: moderate, green: low).Figure S3: Correlation heatmap of biodiversity indices (Richness, Shannon, Simpson, Evenness) versus soil variables (pH, Organic Matter, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Moisture), with Pearson coefficients highlighting interdependencies.Figure S4: Complex Structural Equation Model (SEM) showing pairwise relationships among soil properties, heavy metals, and biodiversity indices, including model fit indices (e.g., χ²/df = 1.840, CFI = 0.953).Figure S5: SEM depicting direct and indirect effects among soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), pH, maturity, biodiversity indices (Shannon, Simpson), heavy metals, and microbial biomass carbon (MBC), with standardized path coefficients and significance levels.These files provide depth-resolved data and multivariate analyses to extend the manuscript's findings on resource heterogeneity, stress gradients, and elevation effects on forest ecosystems. Data were collected from field surveys in the Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalaya (HKH) region, emphasizing climate-vulnerable subalpine and alpine forests.