A dataset for vascular plant diversity monitoring for the natural World Heritage site on Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, and the northern Okinawa Island

Study Extent

The data were obtained from evergreen broadleaf forests at four, three, one and three locations on Amami-Ohisma island, Tokunoshima island, Okinawa island, and southern Kyushu with a nearby island (Shimokoshiki), respectively.

Sampling

We placed a rectangular plot (5 × 100 m) and divided it into 10 subplots (5 × 10 m) in which all vascular plant species were listed and all stems of a certain height and GBH were recorded. The plot was marked with GPS coordinates noting the beginning and ending points using GPSMAP 64SC (Garmin Ltd.). Stems with girth at breast height (GBH) ≥3.2 cm in Plots A–G and I and stem heights taller than 4 m in Plots H, J, and K were recorded. Tree height was assessed by visual estimation, and GBH was measured using a measuring tape. To calibrate the visual estimates of tree height, we sometimes used a 15 m carbon pole (CAH04-015S, Taketani Trading Co., Ltd.) to round to the nearest 0.5 m. As two individuals of Quercus glauca Thun. var. amamiana (Hatus.) Hatus. ex H.Ohba in Plot F had many basal shoots (53 and 24, respectively), we measured all shoots with GBH ≥ 10 cm and randomly selected five shoots with GBH ≥ 3.2 cm but smaller than 10 cm, thus, the data contains the occurrence of all shoots with GBH ≥ 3.2 cm, and GBH and height of all shoots with GBH ≥ 10 cm and of five shoots with GBH ≥ 3.2 cm but smaller than 10 cm.

Quality Control

Species identification was performed in the field and recorded in Japanese common names. The plant nomenclature followed the YList (Yonekura & Kajita 2003–) and spelling of scientific names were checked against the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (GBIF Secretariat 2021). When we found an inconsistency of taxonomic treatment between two databases, we followed YList (Yonekura & Kajita, 2003–). Most plants were identified to species-level including subspecies and varieties, but seven taxa, Carex sp. 1 and 2, Calanthe sp. 1, Trichosanthes sp. 1, Goodyera sp. 1, Malaxis sp. 1 Lycianthes cf. biflora (Lour.) Bitter and Asarum cf. simile Hatus., were unidentified due to its lacking reproductive organs which are important for their classification. The species identification level and the doubts of the identification were mentioned in “taxonRank” and “identificationQualifier,” respectively

Method steps

1. Geographic coordinates are generalized to six representative points (A-D, E-G, H, I, J, K) with an uncertainty radius of 10 km, since exact coordinates of the study plots are not provided for conservation reasons.

99 families, 215 genera and 381 species of vascular plants

1. Acanthaceae
   rank: family
2. Actinidiaceae
   rank: family
3. Adoxaceae
   rank: family
4. Anacardiaceae
   rank: family
5. Apocynaceae
   rank: family
6. Aquifoliaceae
   rank: family
7. Araceae
   rank: family
8. Araliaceae
   rank: family
9. Aristolochiaceae
   rank: family
10. Asparagaceae
    rank: family
11. Aspleniaceae
    rank: family
12. Asteraceae
    rank: family
13. Athyriaceae
    rank: family
14. Blechnaceae
    rank: family
15. Cannabaceae
    rank: family
16. Caprifoliaceae
    rank: family
17. Celastraceae
    rank: family
18. Chloranthaceae
    rank: family
19. Cibotiaceae
    rank: family
20. Colchicaceae
    rank: family
21. Commelinaceae
    rank: family
22. Convolvulaceae
    rank: family
23. Cucurbitaceae
    rank: family
24. Cyatheaceae
    rank: family
25. Cyperaceae
    rank: family
26. Daphniphyllaceae
    rank: family
27. Davalliaceae
    rank: family
28. Dennstaedtiaceae
    rank: family
29. Dipteridaceae
    rank: family
30. Dryopteridaceae
    rank: family
31. Ebenaceae
    rank: family
32. Elaeagnaceae
    rank: family
33. Elaeocarpaceae
    rank: family
34. Ericaceae
    rank: family
35. Euphorbiaceae
    rank: family
36. Fabaceae
    rank: family
37. Fagaceae
    rank: family
38. Garryaceae
    rank: family
39. Gentianaceae
    rank: family
40. Gesneriaceae
    rank: family
41. Gleicheniaceae
    rank: family
42. Hamamelidaceae
    rank: family
43. Helwingiaceae
    rank: family
44. Hydrangeaceae
    rank: family
45. Hymenophyllaceae
    rank: family
46. Iteaceae
    rank: family
47. Lamiaceae
    rank: family
48. Lardizabalaceae
    rank: family
49. Lauraceae
    rank: family
50. Lindsaeaceae
    rank: family
51. Loganiaceae
    rank: family
52. Lycopodiaceae
    rank: family
53. Marattiaceae
    rank: family
54. Melanthiaceae
    rank: family
55. Melastomataceae
    rank: family
56. Menispermaceae
    rank: family
57. Mitrastemonaceae
    rank: family
58. Moraceae
    rank: family
59. Myricaceae
    rank: family
60. Myrtaceae
    rank: family
61. Nephrolepidaceae
    rank: family
62. Oleaceae
    rank: family
63. Ophioglossaceae
    rank: family
64. Orchidaceae
    rank: family
65. Pentaphylacaceae
    rank: family
66. Phyllanthaceae
    rank: family
67. Piperaceae
    rank: family
68. Plagiogyriaceae
    rank: family
69. Poaceae
    rank: family
70. Podocarpaceae
    rank: family
71. Polygonaceae
    rank: family
72. Polypodiaceae
    rank: family
73. Primulaceae
    rank: family
74. Proteaceae
    rank: family
75. Psilotaceae
    rank: family
76. Pteridaceae
    rank: family
77. Ranunculaceae
    rank: family
78. Rosaceae
    rank: family
79. Rubiaceae
    rank: family
80. Rutaceae
    rank: family
81. Sabiaceae
    rank: family
82. Salicaceae
    rank: family
83. Schisandraceae
    rank: family
84. Schoepfiaceae
    rank: family
85. Selaginellaceae
    rank: family
86. Smilacaceae
    rank: family
87. Solanaceae
    rank: family
88. Staphyleaceae
    rank: family
89. Stemonaceae
    rank: family
90. Styracaceae
    rank: family
91. Symplocaceae
    rank: family
92. Taxaceae
    rank: family
93. Tectariaceae
    rank: family
94. Theaceae
    rank: family
95. Thelypteridaceae
    rank: family
96. Urticaceae
    rank: family
97. Violaceae
    rank: family
98. Vitaceae
    rank: family
99. Zingiberaceae
    rank: family

Kagoshima and Okinawa prefecture, Japan