Gymnosperms, the sister group to angiosperms, comprise 13 families, 86 genera, and approximately 1,000 species (Wang and Ran, 2014). Despite their low species diversity, gymnosperms are found on all continents except Antarctica and occupy over 43% of the world’s forests (Ma et al., 2023). Especially China, a global hotspot for gymnosperm diversity, hosts around 200 species encompassing all major lineages, making it the most diverse country for gymnosperms. Notably, 50.7% of China’s gymnosperms are threatened, a proportion significantly higher than that of angiosperms (Yang, 2021). Understanding the spatial distribution patterns and driving factors of gymnosperms in China is therefore crucial for the conservation of forests and ecosystems. Current conservation research on gymnosperms in China primarily focuses on species diversity and the identification of priority conservation areas. However, studies on phylogenetic diversity (PD) and other biodiversity dimensions are limited, restricting a comprehensive understanding of the biodiversity patterns and conservation of gymnosperms in China.