Plant Diversity Research in Shangqiu Yellow River Ancient Course National Forest Park, China

The Shangqiu Yellow River Ancient Course National Forest Park, the only national forest park in China created entirely from man-made forests, plays a critical role in ecological conservation. Our research employed plot surveys and quantitative ecological methods, including a diversity index analysis and importance value analysis, to investigate the diversity of arboreal, shrub, and herbaceous plants. This study revealed the composition and distribution of plant communities and analyzed invasive species. It identified dominant plant families, genera, and species and evaluated the types, distribution, and characteristics of invasive plants. We documented 70 families, 177 genera, and 254 species, highlighting that local environmental factors and human activities significantly affect the composition and distribution of plant communities. The presence of 29 invasive plant species poses a risk to the ecosystem. We constructed a phylogenetic tree of the plant community based on rbcL (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit) gene sequences, revealing the evolutionary relationships among species, and evaluated the community’s stability using the NTI (nearest taxon index) and NRI (net relatedness index). This research aims to provide a scientific foundation for conserving plant diversity and promoting sustainable development, and it can inform ecological protection and biodiversity studies in similar regions.