Abstract:

The northern and southern mountains of Lanzhou are located at the westernmost part of the Loess Plateau, with herbaceous vegetation as the dominant vegetation, along with shrubs, deserts, and forests. To reveal the detailed vegetation types, community structures, and their geographical distribution, this study used a combination of field sample lines, typical sample surveys, and indoor analyses to systematically investigate the plant communities of these two mountains. A dataset of plant community sample plots was compiled, totaling 72 plots. Through data analysis, a total of 713 plant species belonging to 107 families and 378 genera (including infraspecific units) across four phyla were identified in the northern and southern mountains. Among them, 218 species from 124 genera and 59 families were cultivated plants, and 495 species from 282 genera and 79 families of natural plants. Plant growth form was dominated by herbaceous plants (68.32%), with perennials comprising the majority (66.11%). Woody plants accounted for 31.68%, most of which were deciduous (84.30%). Based on community-ecology classification, the vegetation of the northern and southern mountains can be divided into 4 vegetation formation groups, 9 vegetation formations, and 32 alliances, including 5 needleleaf forest alliances, 5 broadleaf forest alliances, 10 shrubland alliances, 5 steppe alliances, 1 meadow alliance, and 6 desert alliances. This dataset provides essential baseline information for studying plant diversity and ecology in the arid and semi-arid regions of Northwest China. In addition, it serves as a scientific basis for regional ecosystem service supply, ecological environment quality improvement, and sustainable socioeconomic development.

Key words: vegetation type, quadrat data, needleleaf forest, broadleaf forest, shrubland, steppe, meadow, desert