The study compared plant diversity in natural and disturbed mountain areas in Shenzhen, China. Natural restoration areas had better plant composition and higher diversity levels than artificially disturbed areas. Natural forests had more tree species, while disturbed areas had more shrubs and herbs. Family and genus diversity were higher in natural areas, but species diversity was not directly related to them. Overall, natural forests had greater diversity and richness compared to disturbed areas. These findings suggest that combining species, genus, and family composition with diversity status is important for analyzing biodiversity in a community.