Abstract: Sacred nature sites (SNS) play a significant role in biodiversity and cultural diversity conservation. Taking the methodologies of key informant interview, species important value, Simpson index and Shannon-Wiener index, plant community and its species diversity of four categories of SNS which locate in eight villages around and/or in the Qianjiangyuan & Baishanzu National Park at southwestern Zhejiang, namely, geomancy forest, village-entrances forest, ancient-tomb forest and ancient-road forest, were investigated. It indicates that gymnosperm possesses an obvious superiority in the tree layer of all SNS categories, but the dominant family and its species diversity are diverse in different categories of the SNS. Some endemic, rare and endangered flora and fauna as well as edible, aesthetical, scientific, ecological and economic plants are protected in the SNS due to the maintenance of cultural belief and customary governance by local people. However, the protection of the SNS is facing some challenges for the reason of population outflow and gradual fadeaway of cultural belief. It is urgently necessary to update the governance mechanism of SNS in order to integrate important but endangered SNS into modern governance.

Key words: sacred nature sites (SNS), the mountain area of southwestern Zhejiang, Baishanzu national park, traditional knowledge, species diversity