Is urban spontaneous vegetation rich in species and has potential for exploitation? A case study in Baoji, China

To strengthen the exploitation and utilization of groundcover resources of spontaneous vegetation, this study was carried out by using a linear measurement method for species investigation of spontaneous vegetation in Baoji green space, China. The results showed that 122 spontaneous vegetation species were identified including 100 genera and 38 families. Species richness (SR) in semi-open green space was significantly higher than other green spaces; the Shannon-Wiener diversity index (SHDI) of semi-open and closed green spaces was significantly higher than other green spaces; the Pielou evenness index (E) of closed green space was significantly higher than others. The Sørensen–Dice similarity coefficient (SDI) of the total species between the four type of structural habitats first decreased and then rose along with the increased gradients of the canopy closure, while the SDI of the widely distributed species (frequency ≥ 10) slightly rose in the beginning and subsequently sharply decreased, it is SDI that between semi-closed and closed green is only 19.05%. In addition, the potential application of spontaneous wild vegetation was analyzed and discussed in order to provide a theoretical basis and development ideas for enriching urban landscape characteristics, constructing a better grassland ecosystem in Chinese cities, and developing new urban ecological designs.