The complexity and power of urban floristic diversity in the arid zone (in Central Asia)

This work explores the biodiversity of urban flora in the arid zone of Bukhara city, Republic of Uzbekistan. The research is based on novel methods proposed by the authors – the study of complexity and power of biodiversity. The research also relies on established biodiversity indices: species abundance equalization (probability of species occurrence frequency) and Shannon index. The values of complexity and power of biodiversity indicators for real ecological systems are calculated for the first time. The results of the study show the following: The biodiversity of Bukhara’s urban flora is characterized by uneven abundance of species. A significant dominance of a few species (5) of trees, (3) of shrubs, and (16) of herbs was established. A high level of complexity in biodiversity structure was identified, indicating a robust association between species, accompanied by low biodiversity power. This reflects low stability, adaptation, and recovery capabilities of the flora. These findings lead to the conclusion that the general principle of biodiversity transformation in nature (absence of identity, unified logic, harmony, purpose, and order) is disrupted in urban ecosystems, as they introduce subjective logic, harmony, purpose, and order.