Plot data of the typical shrubland communities on Haitan Island

Shrublands are widely distributed across various islands in China. They have important ecological effects, such as conserving soil and water and protecting biodiversity. In this study, we established 95 sample plots on Haitan Island, Fujian, China, using a standard sampling method. Species composition, quantitative characteristics, and habitat information of the shrublands were recorded. Two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) and redundancy analysis (RDA) were employed for the numerical classification and ordination, respectively. The results showed that: 1) The typical shrublands in the study area can be classified into two categories, one dominated by native plants and the other by exotic species, including 11 alliances and 23 associations in total. Among them, Eurya emarginata and Dodonaea viscosa shrublands were the predominant alliances. 2) The RDA ordination revealed that the shrublands dominated by native species and by exotic species were different in the factors affecting the distribution. The native plant communities were mainly influenced by wind speed and mean annual precipitation, followed by distance from the coastline, total soil soluble salts content, and available nitrogen content. However, the exotic plant communities were likely influenced by multiple factors but the main drivers remained unclear. This study provides original data on the shrublands of Haitan Island, filling the knowledge gap in the shrubland information in this area and offering important foundational information for the compilation of the Vegegraphy of China and the creation of the national vegetation map.