Data from: Taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of vascular plants at Ma’anling volcano urban park in tropical Haikou, China: Reponses to soil properties

Anthropogenic processes and socio-economic factors play important roles in
shaping plant diversity in urban parks. To investigate how plant diversity
of Ma’ anling urban volcano park in Hainan Province, China respond to
these factors, we carried out a field investigation on the taxonomic and
phylogenetic diversity of vascular plants and soil properties in this
area. We found 284 species of vascular plants belonging to 88 families and
241 genera, which included 194 native species, 23 invasive species, 31
naturalized species, 40 cultivars, and 4 rare / endangered plant species.
Tree composition and richness significantly varied between different
vegetation formations (plantation, secondary forest, and abandoned land).
Plant species richness and community composition were significantly
affected by elevation (El), soil water content (WC), total soil nitrogen
(TN) and soil organic matter (SOM). There were significant diversity
differences between plantations and abandoned lands, but not between the
plantations and secondary forests. The flora in the study site was
tropical in nature, characterized by pantropic distributions. Compared to
adjacent areas, floristic composition in the study site was most similar
to that of Guangdong, followed by that of Vietnam. Our study revealed the
diversity patterns of volcanic plants and provided the basis for future
planning of plant conservation, such as preserving plant species,
maintaining plant habitats, and coordinating plant management in this
region.