Table 1 List of families appearing in Chinese folk songs in the YRD for the six taxonomic groups compared. The list of families in each area is shown in Tables S1–S4.

Plants

24

Rhamnaceae

19

48

Dipterocarpaceae

5

72

Bromeliaceae

1

1

Rosaceae

533

25

Rutaceae

18

49

Meliaceae

5

73

Caryophyllaceae

1

2

Poaceae

387

26

Magnoliaceae

17

50

Asphodelaceae

5

74

Cabombaceae

1

3

Nelumbonaceae

261

27

Orchidaceae

17

51

Aceraceae

5

75

Chloranthaceae

1

4

Salicaceae

233

28

Liliaceae

17

52

Sapindaceae

5

76

Campanulaceae

1

5

Calycanthaceae

210

29

Vitaceae

17

53

Leguminosae

4

77

Dioscoreaceae

1

6

Asteraceae

167

30

Onagraceae

16

54

Cycadaceae

4

78

Hamamelidaceae

1

7

Fabaceae/Leguminosae

152

31

Araceae

15

55

Euphorbiaceae

4

79

Taxaceae

1

8

Malvaceae

143

32

Ginkgoaceae

14

56

Alismataceae

4

80

Oxalidaceae

1

9

Oleaceae

133

33

Zingiberaceae

13

57

Ericaceae

4

81

Verbenaceae

1

10

Lythraceae

116

34

Cupressaceae

13

58

Fagaceae

4

82

Scrophulariaceae

1

11

Theaceae

112

35

Cyperaceae

13

59

Musaceae

4

83

Schisandraceae

1

12

Paeoniaceae

110

36

Burseraceae

11

60

Piperaceae

4

13

Cucurbitaceae

92

37

Buxaceae

11

61

Hydrangeaceae

3

Insects

14

Brassicaceae

71

38

Convolvulaceae

10

62

Iridaceae

3

1

Papilionoidea

50

15

Amaryllidaceae

64

39

Ranunculaceae

9

63

Apiaceae

3

2

Culicidae

39

16

Solanaceae

58

40

Ebenaceae

9

64

Juglandaceae

3

3

Bombycidae

33

17

Balsaminaceae

47

41

Thymelaeaceae

9

65

Aquifoliaceae

3

4

Apoidea

33

18

Moraceae

43

42

Araliaceae

8

66

Anacardiaceae

2

5

Libelluloidea/Aeshnoidea

14

19

Rubiaceae

43

43

Caprifoliaceae

8

67

Urticaceae

2

6

Acrididae

11

20

Trapaceae

40

44

Myricaceae

7

68

Arecaceae

2

7

Cicadidae

9

21

Pinaceae

26

45

Lamiaceae

7

69

Nymphaeaceae

2

8

Muscidae

8

22

Pedaliaceae

24

46

Juncaceae

6

70

Alliaceae

1

9

Formicidae

7

23

Amaranthaceae

22

47

Polygonaceae

6

71

Potamogetonaceae

1

10

Lampyridae

7

11

Mantidae

7

9

Percichthyidae

4

Herpetofauna

16

Fringillidae

6

12

Gryllidae

6

10

Anguillidae

4

(Amphibians and reptiles)

17

Alcedinidae

4

13

Vespidae

5

11

Stromateidae

4

1

Bufonidae

16

18

Laridae

4

14

Blattidae

4

12

Mugilidae

3

2

Ranidae

16

19

Pycnonotidae

3

15

Corydidae

4

13

Synbranchidae

3

3

Emydidae

9

20

Sylviidae

3

16

Pediculidae

2

14

Bagridae

2

4

Serpentes

6

21

Paradoxornithidae

3

17

Sphingidae

2

15

Cynoglossidae

2

5

Trionychidae

6

22

Paridae

2

18

Araneoidea

1

16

Gobiidae

2

6

Gekkonidae

2

23

Sturnidae

2

19

Aleyrodidae

1

17

Engraulidae

2

7

Colubridae

1

24

Rallidae

2

20

Ceratopogonidae

1

18

Muraenesocidae

2

8

Dicroglossidae

1

25

Upupidae

2

21

Lasiocampidae

1

19

Platycephalidae

1

9

Cheloniidae

1

26

Bombycillidae

1

22

Pieridae

1

20

Cottidae

1

27

Ciconiidae

1

23

Termitidae

1

21

Platyrhinidae

1

Birds

28

Laniidae

1

24

Curculionidae

1

22

Salangidae

1

1

Phasianidae

194

29

Ploceidea

1

25

Limacodidae

1

23

Adrianichthyidae

1

2

Anatidae

173

26

Pulicoidea

1

24

Scombridae

1

3

Corvidae

54

Mammals

27

Sarcophagidae

1

25

Sphyraenidae

1

4

Hirundinidae

46

1

Bovidae

215

28

Tettigoniidae

1

26

Periophthalmidae

1

5

Accipitridae

40

2

Equidae

146

27

Psettodidae

1

6

Passeridae

36

3

Felidae

115

Fish

28

Scorpaenidae

1

7

Columbidae

16

4

Canidae

75

1

Cyprinidae

88

29

Serranidae

1

8

Leiothrichidae

14

5

Suidae

66

2

Sciaenidae

19

30

Synodontidae

1

9

Oriolidae

10

6

Muridae

26

3

Trichiuridae

9

31

Tetraodontidae

1

10

Cuculidae

10

7

Leporidae

11

4

Clupeidae

8

32

Soleidae

1

11

Gruidae

10

8

Mustelidae

7

5

Channidae

6

12

Cacatuidae

9

9

Cercopithecidae

4

6

Siluridae

6

13

Ardeidae

6

10

Sciuridae

3

7

Cobitidae

4

14

Phalacrocoracidae

6

11

Hylobatidae

1

8

Elasmobranchii

4

15

Alaudidae

6

12

Vespertilionidae

1