Plot dataset of Caragana tibetica community

The Caragana tibetica community is a vegetation type distributed only in Central Asia region, in a transitional zone between desert steppe and desert. This community holds significant ecological value within its distribution area. This study reported the data of 55 C. tibetica plots surveyed in Inner Mongolia, Qinghai and Tibet. (1) A total of 142 plant species were recorded in the C. tibetica community, belonging to 82 genera from 35 families. The community composition was dominated by Poaceae, Fabaceae, and Asteraceae, with 35 species of shrubs and subshrubs, 72 species of perennial herbs, and 35 species of annual or biennial herbs. (2) The floristic geographic elements were predominantly composed of species with a Gobi-Mongolian distribution (17.61%). Based on the degree of species presence, 126 species (88.73% of the total species) were classified as level I (0–20%), which were occasional species in the community. The life form was mainly composed of hemicryptophytes. In water ecological types, xerophytes (50.00%) and extreme xerophytes (14.79%) were dominated. (3) According to the life form and dominance of species, C. tibetica communities can be classified into 8 Association Groups: C. tibetica - Grass Association Group, C. tibetica - Allium Association Group, C. tibetica - Forb Association Group, C. tibetica + Shrubs - Grass Association Group, C. tibetica + Shrubs - Forb Association Group, C. tibetica - Subshrubs - Grass Association Group, C. tibetica - Subshrubs - Allium Association Group, and C. tibetica - Subshrubs - Forb Association Group. These Association Groups can be further divided into 34 Associations.