Impact of transforming karst mountainous forests into urban parks on plant diversity patterns

The conversion of urban montane forest resources into urban parks requires careful assessment to understand its impacts on plant diversity over time. This study aims to enhance urban biodiversity conservation strategies by analyzing how habitat type and park age affect woody plant diversity. We surveyed woody plant species in 60 sample plots across two different habitats (remnant forest vs. artificial green space) within three mountain parks in Guiyang, China, established at different times. The alpha diversity of saplings/seedlings was significantly higher in remnant forests than in artificial green spaces. Artificial green spaces exhibited more homogenous woody plant composition compared with remnant forests. Newer parks showed greater variation in plant composition between the two habitats than older parks. Indicative species in remnant forests were predominantly native, whereas those in artificial green spaces were mainly ornamental species. The transformation of karst mountainous forests into urban parks leads to the homogenization of woody plant composition and impedes the regeneration of saplings/seedlings. Therefore, it is crucial to manage these conversions carefully and strive to preserve as many native species as possible to support urban plant diversity conservation. In this article, we investigated the impact of converting karst mountainous forests into urban parks on woody plant diversity and composition in a subtropical Chinese city undergoing rapid urbanization. Our research distinguishes itself from previous work in two main ways: first, we assessed the differences in diversity and species composition of woody plants across three distinct parks and between two types of habitats. Second, we explored variations in indicator species across these habitats—a focus not previously reported.