Species-area relationships of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi community on tropical islands: patterns and underlying mechanisms

Our dataset was collected from the Paracel archipelago and the surrounding island of Hainan Island. The islands surveyed included various types of islands, such as those composed of coral and sand, and bridge-and-road islands. Vegetation on the islands is primarily composed of trees and shrubs, with dominant plant species including Ardisia humilis, Casuarina equisetifolia, Scaevola taccada, Guettarda speciosa, and Messerschmidia argentea. Although there are numerous islands in the area under investigation, many of them are too small or lack vegetation to meet the requirements for field surveys. Thus, in April 2023 and April 2024, we selected 13 tropical islands with minimal human disturbance, ranging in area from 1.19 to 405.99 ha. On each island, soil, woody plants, and soil arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were sampled simultaneously.