Background & Aim: Marine biogeography is a subject investigating the spatiotemporal distributions of marine organisms and the processes and drivers of changes in species distributions. Research in marine biogeography is promising for the conservation of marine biodiversity and the stability of ecosystem functioning and crucial for the sustainability of utilizing marine resources. Species distribution models (SDMs) are an important tool for assessing and predicting the biogeographical changes in marine species distributions.

Progresses: This review consists of three main parts: (1) the development process and current status of marine biogeography studies in China; (2) the commonly used approaches to answer the questions related to marine biogeography with a special focus on SDMs; (3) the research trends and hotspots of marine biogeography studies in China, mainly concerning the shifts in species distribution under global changes, phylogeography of marine species, biological invasion, population connectivity, marine conservation planning, marine ecological restoration and recovery, adaptation of marine species to extreme environments, as well as management of marine fisheries and mariculture planning.

Prospects: In this review, we further outlined the prospects for the future development of marine biogeography and emphasized the importance of optimizing SDMs. We also called for developing comprehensive databases of marine environments and organisms to strengthen the integration of marine biogeography with other disciplines. We hope this review will provide useful insights for the studies of marine biogeography in China.

Background: Botanical gardens have deep historical roots, drawing inspiration from the ancient “Shennong Herbal Garden” that has played a pivotal role in China’s herbal civilization. While the origins of modern botanical gardens can be traced back to the medicinal gardens of early European universities, their predecessors lie in medieval herb gardens, representing the rich heritage and evolutionary path of traditional botany and ancient gardens.

Review findings: Over the course of 500 years since the European Renaissance, modern botanical gardens have evolved into vital centers of science and art. They have transcended their roles as mere repositories of flora and fauna to become institutions that seamlessly blend nature, culture, art and science. These gardens have consistently embraced new challenges, adapted to changing circumstances, and taken on new missions, propelling them into an era of sustainable development, in which multiple models coexist harmoniously and at the heart of this transformation lies the core mission of ex situ conservation.

Recommendations: Looking ahead, the construction of China’s national botanical gardens should focus on creating efficient ex situ conservation networks while adhering to rigorous scientific standards. This entails implementing exemplary professional curation practices that bridge the historical legacy of botanical gardens with contemporary conservation imperatives. Prioritizing ex situ conservation efforts, China’s botanical garden community should curate national living collections and conduct high-level scientific research. This approach should be rooted in a renewed emphasis on the value of ex situ flora, ultimately contributing to the establishment of a world-class national botanical garden system. This system will advance plant conservation research, facilitate resource exploration and application, and foster sustainable economic and social development.

Trade-offs among plant functional traits reflect the trade-off relationships between resource acquisition and conservation of different plants, which are of pivotal importance for understanding the mechanisms by which plants adapt to the environment. However, due to the heterogeneity of the soil environment and the limitations of technical means, the study of below-ground root functional traits and their interrelationships is currently lagging behind that of above-ground functional traits. Traditionally, fine roots have been defined as all roots ≤2 mm in diameter. The acquisition and utilization of soil resources by plants depends on architectural traits, morphological traits, chemical traits and biotic traits of fine roots and so on, including fine roots associations with mycorrhizal fungi. Recently, the root economics space has been proposed, which demonstrates the existence of trade-offs between the do-it-yourself strategy of plants increasing their own root surface area and the outsourcing strategy of investments into fungal symbionts for enhanced nutrient mobilization from hyphal expansion, in addition to the traditional trade-offs between fast (high nitrogen content and metabolic rate) and slow (high tissue density) investment return. It was found that thin-root species obtained soil resources mainly by increasing specific root length, whereas thick-root species relied more on mycorrhizal fungi. However, the carbon economy of resource acquisition through the root and mycorrhizal hyphal pathways remains unclear. In future research, the key issues of root functional traits were suggested as follows: 1) for research methods, it is urgent to establish a unified set of definitions and research methods for root classification, sampling, storage, functional traits and their research methods; 2) for research traits, the research of “hard” traits of fine roots should be strengthened; 3) for the trade-offs between functional traits of fine roots, it is of great significance to strengthen the study of the trade-offs between construction costs and resource benefits between plant roots and mycorrhizal fungi.

Plant functional traits are generally defined as relatively stable and measurable morphological, physiological, and phenological characteristics of plants that can indirectly affect plant growth, reproduction, and survival. Years of development have enabled the standardization of the definition, connotation, and measurement methods of plant functional traits. Now, the intraspecific and interspecific variation, biogeographic patterns, coordination, and the evolution of plant functional traits have been well explored. The gradual development of global plant functional trait databases since the 1990s has led to the expansion of plant functional traits beyond individual and local scales. Regional and global biogeographical studies on plant functional traits are gradually exploring community species coexistence mechanisms and maintenance of ecosystem functions. Researchers have found that traditional plant trait databases, which were created from published studies, have insufficient data to provide answers to questions about natural ecosystems. Therefore, constructing a plant trait database that considers compatibility and orderliness is crucial. As new databases and scientific concepts have emerged, the following areas have become the focus of studies on plant functional traits: 1) coordination between functional traits of different plant organs, and holistic examination of plant response to environmental changes; 2) multi-dimensional response and adaptation of various plant functional traits, and proposal of the concept of a plant trait network; 3) consideration of the complexity of plant community structure, and exploration of community assembly using plant functional diversity and trait moments; and 4) refinement of the scaling method for different levels of ecological organization, and recognition of plant community and ecosystem traits as critical bridges between plant traits and macroecology. These directions have pushed for the application of traditional functional trait research to natural, social, and economic systems, thus promoting the rapid development of trait-based studies to further solve regional eco-environmental problems.

Nitrogen, the essential macronutrient in plants, plays a critical role in regulating plant growth and development, especially for crops production. To gain high crop yield, a large amount N fertilizer is usually applied to the planting field. However, the excessive use of chemical fertilizers has aggravated the agricultural non-point source pollution (NSP). Increasing crop yield under reduced fertilizer consumption can be achieved by increasing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), which is crucial for promoting sustainable agriculture and for achieving agriculture and food security. In response to nitrogen-deficiency condition under natural environments, high-affinity nitrate transporter 2 (NRT2) proteins have evolved in plants. Among them, NRT2.1 subfamily acts as the main component of nitrate uptake in roots under conditions of nitrate deficiency. Here we summarize the latest progresses of the function and molecular mechanism of the NRT2 proteins, particularly of the NRT2.1 subfamily in Arabidopsis and several important crops and discuss the future directions of NRT2 research. This review aims to provide an important basis for the subsequent exploration of the potential of NRT2 proteins in increasing crop yield and the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Background & Aims: With the development and advancement of artificial intelligence technology, large language models (LLMs), such as Kimi Chat, have begun to play a significant role in biodiversity research. LLMs’s deep learning and natural language processing technologies, augmented by human feedback reinforced learning (RLHF) and proximal policy optimization (PPO), offer new avenues for handling and analyzing large biodiversity data sets.
Progresses: We explore the application of LLMs, taking Kimi Chat as an example, in investigating biodiversity research questions, reviewing literature, designing hypotheses, organizing and analyzing data, and writing research papers, as well as its potential to enhance research efficiency and quality. (1) LLMs can quickly process vast amounts of scientific literature, helping researchers distill key information and swiftly catch up with the latest research trends in specific fields. (2) LLMs can also assist researchers in formulating research hypotheses and designing experimental protocols, thereby providing abundant scientific inspiration, broadening research perspectives, and enhancing the efficiency of the initial stages of research. (3) In terms of research design, LLMs can offer advice on data collection methods, design of experiment, and statistical analyses to ensure the scientific validity and the logic of the research design. (4) LLMs can assist in scientific writing and peer review processes by helping draft scientific papers and providing suggestions for revision and polishing to enhance the quality and readability of the papers, and it also supports researchers in understanding and responding to peer review comments and optimizing the presentation of research findings. We also discuss the challenges and limitations encountered during using LLMs, such as the need for professional judgment, the homogenization of research methods, the accuracy of data and results, and ethical issues. Additionally, we propose strategies for integrating this technology with traditional biodiversity research methods in the future.
Prospects: We demonstrates how LLMs can aid in biodiversity research, thus advancing scientific discovery and ecological conservation strategies.

Plant-soil feedback experiment is an important way for studying plant-soil biota interactions. Plant growth can change soil physical, chemical, and biotic properties in ways that then alter subsequent plant performance, population fluctuation, and community dynamics. This process, referred to as “plant-soil feedback” (PSF), might play a key role in biodiversity maintenance, sustainable agriculture development, and ecological restoration. In this review, we first provide an overview of the concept and research methods of PSF. Second, we review the research progress of the role of PSF in the maintenance of plant species diversity, plant community succession, plant invasions and range shifts, ecological response to climate change, above- and below-ground multitrophic interactions, ecosystem restoration, and crop performance in different cropping systems. We suggest three directions for future PSF studies, including: (1) the transition from single-species to community-level interactions between plants and soil biota; (2) the test of PSF experiments in field conditions; (3) the expansion of theoretical knowledge into ecological practice.

Squamosa promoter binding protein-like (SPL) family is a class of plant-specific transcription factors, which contain a highly conserved SBP domain consisting of two zinc finger structures and a short nuclear localization sequence. The expression of most SPL genes is regulated by microRNAs at transcription level. Based on the current research progress of SPL transcription factors, this paper summarizes the biological functions of SPLs in plant growth, development, and environmental adaptation, and discusses the future research directions of SPLs.

Due to their nanoscale effects and excellent physicochemical properties, engineering nanomaterials (ENMs) have been increasingly applied in various fields during the last decade. The biological effects of these ENMs on higher plants and the risk assessment of their ecological effects have become research hotspots. To comprehensively understand the effects of ENMs on higher plants in ecosystems, this paper reviews the effects of several ENMs (metal nanomaterials, metal oxide nanomaterials, carbon-based nanomaterials) on the growth of higher plants and their mechanisms. These ENMs could inhibit plant growth by reducing the seed germination rate, inducing relative reactive oxygen production, enhancing cell membrane permeability and directly damaging roots and can also promote plant growth by enhancing photosynthesis, increasing root activity, strengthening water absorption and enhancing plant metabolic enzyme activity. The influencing factors of ENMs on plant biological effects were further analyzed, including plant species, nanomaterial size and shape, nanomaterial surface characteristics, nanomaterial concentration and treatment time, and plant growth medium. Finally, based on the real soil environment, long-term and low-dose effects, and plant absorption and transportation, we propose the future research associated with the interaction between ENMs and higher plants, aiming to provide a reference for the efficient use of ENMs in agricultural production.

Aims The southwestern China is a region with complex topography and diverse ecosystem and vegetation types. However, its role as an ecological barrier is being weakened by the effects of climate change and increasing pressure of human activities. This study examines the temporal dynamics of vegetation carbon use efficiency (CUE) in this region using the CMIP6 models, aiming to effectively reducing the uncertainties in prognostic results of future predictions.
Methods We used MODIS remote sensing data for the period 2001-2014 and simulations from 15 models in the Phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6), to determine the capability of the new generation models in simulating the seasonal and annual vegetation CUE in the southwestern China. The performance of the models was ranked based on the composite rating index (MR).
Important findings Most of the models used in this study underestimated the annual vegetation CUE, and their ability to simulate the spatial patterns in the trends of vegetation CUE is generally poor. However, some models performed relatively well in simulating the spatial distribution of multi-year average vegetation CUE; the top 1/3 tier included BCC-CSM2-MR, CMCC-ESM2, TaiESM, EC-Earth3-Veg and CAS-ESM2-0 in the order of performance. Among the seasons, the models best simulated the spatial distribution of vegetation CUE in summer, with better results from BCC-CSM2-MR, EC-Earth3-Veg, TaiESM, CMCC-ESM2 and CAS-ESM2-0. The simulation capability of the models for winter is second only to that for summer, and relatively poor for spring and autumn. Compared to the simulations by individual models, the multi-model ensemble mean (MME-S) reduced the uncertainties and exhibited a strong simulation capability, especially in the spatial distribution of vegetation CUE in local areas such as the Sichuan Basin. There was a lack of good simulation capability for the spatial distribution of vegetation CUE in Qingzang Plateau, Hengduan Mountains and other topographically complex areas. In general, before applying the CMIP6 models for regional vegetation CUE simulation, it is necessary to comprehensively evaluate the specific models from multiple perspectives to select the models with better simulation performance.

Chitin, a major component of the fungal cell wall, is a kind of typical microbe associated molecular pattern (MAMP) that is recognized by two plasma membrane located LysM receptors, CERK1 and LYK5, and trigger immune response in plants. In this study, the intracellular kinase domain of CERK1 was cloned and used to screen the yeast cDNA library, and identify its interaction with HSP1. Using CRISPR-Cas-mediated gene editing technology, we knocked out the HSP1 gene in wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0 and obtained hsp1 v63 deletion mutant. We showed that the expression of downstream defense-related genes and the phosphorylation pathway of mitogen-activated protein kinase were inhibited in the hsp1 v63 deletion mutant compared to the wild type Col-0. We also showed that the protein level of CERK1 in hsp1 v63 mutants was lower than that in the Col-0, and that reduced CERK1 levels in this mutant were associated with the endoplasmic reticulum degradation system. These results indicate that HSP1 is a key gene in the chitin-induced defense response pathway, thus revealing the important roles of molecular chaperone in regulating receptor protein level and improvement in crop resistance.

Aims: The tagging, positioning, and tracking of animals are crucial approaches to the study of their spatial movements. In China, the application of sensor-based wildlife tracking technologies for free-ranging animals has gained significant traction since the 1980s. These technologies have been widely employed in studies related to wildlife behavior and ecology. To provide a comprehensive overview of the current status of wildlife tracking technologies in China and offer insights into the future, we conducted this review based on comprehensive literature research.

Methods: We systematically searched academic articles on wildlife tracking studies conducted in China from 1970 to 2022. We compiled information of each study, including the type of sensor and tracking technologies used, the taxonomic group of tracked animals, the research field, and the location of study sites.

Results: We collected 519 relevant articles published between 1970 and 2022, encompassing 185 species belonging to 7 classes and 32 orders. The study sites encompassed 34 provinces (including municipalities, autonomous regions, and special administrative regions) in China. We identified four hotspots of tracking studies within the country: the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and surrounding mountainous areas, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the coastal areas from East to South China, and the Northeast China region. Five senor-based tracking technologies were identified in these studies: radio telemetry (RT) (accounting for 47.7% of the total researches), radio frequency identification (RFID) (3.2%), light-level global geolocator sensor (GLS) (0.6%), satellite tracking based on the Argos Satellite System (ASS) (9.3%) or Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) (39.3%). Among these technologies, VHF radio telemetry has had a longer history and more applications in China; ASS and GNSS technologies have been introduced late but have undergone rapid growth, with GNSS emerging as the most widely applied technology in the past 5 years. Radio telemetry is predominantly employed for large- and medium-sized mammals, small mammals, terrestrial birds, amphibians and reptiles. GNSS technology is mainly applied in tracking swimming and wading birds. ASS technology is primarily used in fish studies, while RFID technology is prevalent in tracking invertebrate. The choice of technology varies across different research fields, with GNSS and ASS satellite tracking being the primary technology used in migration studies.

Conclusions: The application scale of sensor-based wildlife tracking technologies in China is experiencing rapid expansion, resulting in a rapid increase of numbers of tagged animals and accumulated data. In the future, wildlife tracking studies in China should put emphases on: (1) deepening the research to examine the underlying ecological mechanisms and broadening the research scales, (2) facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration and fostering technological innovation, (3) advocating for and promoting data sharing and fostering multilateral cooperation, and (4) continuing to advance the development and improvement of domestic tracking equipment and technologies. This will provide reliable scientific supports for wildlife ecology research and resource conservation and management in China.

Promoter is an indispensable regulatory sequence for driving gene expression in higher plants. Different promoter elements cause diverse driving efficiency and space-time specificity. Identifying the structures and functions of promoter elements contributes to a better understanding of the growth and development, multi-stress tolerance, and evolution of plants. With the development of high-throughput sequencing technologies, artificial intelligence and synthetic biology, the techniques for identifying cis-acting elements and constructing artificial biological components that meet the design requirements has gradually emerged, providing a foundation for efficient, precise, and diverse gene regulation in molecular breeding. This article targets on the application of promoter reconstruction in molecular design, introducing the detailed structure and function of higher plant promoters and the methods of cis-acting element identification. We summarized a total of 174 inducible, tissue-specific promoter elements in 27 categories and their applications on artificial modification and synthesis. At the end, we proposed the future directions and methods of the promoter designs. This review will be helpful for the further functional analyses of promoters in higher plants and their applications on molecular design breeding.

Background and AimsDriven by China’s carbon neutrality goals, renewable energy is growing drastically, spurring the large-scale development of photovoltaics (PVs) and wind power. Despite this prevalence, systematic reviews detailing the ecological concerns associated with these technologies are scarce.

Method We provide an overview of domestic and international research on the environmental impact of centralized PV and onshore wind farms, focusing on species diversity and ecosystem services.

Results PVs and wind farms both alter climate factors, including temperature, humidity and wind speed. The construction of PVs and wind farms damages vegetation, causing soil erosion and water loss. Construction also results in solid waste and wastewater, contributing to pollution around the site. The ecological impact of PVs is mainly reflected by changes in vegetation and habitat quality, which can have adverse effects on certain species. In relatively arid areas, PVs can play a role in lowering temperatures and increasing humidity, promoting vegetation recovery. In desert areas, they can act as windbreaks. Wind farms can result in soil and vegetation disturbances, bird collisions and mortality, and habitat fragmentation, all of which affect species migration and regional ecosystem services. Despite these potential issues, current research remains insufficient in assessing ecological impact systematically.

Prospects We recommend research focusing on three particular areas: (1) Improving and unifying survey methods for accessing ecological impacts on centralized PVs and wind farms; (2) Adopting advanced ecological survey techniques; and (3) Strengthening systematic studies on ecological impacts at the species and ecosystem levels. Moving forward, it is necessary to study the ecological impacts of PVs and wind farms in depth. Biodiversity assessments should be implemented at the early stages of energy planning, and corresponding mitigation strategies should be adopted.

Background & Aims: The regions of Southeast Asia are recognized as global biodiversity hotspots that require conservation priority. Since the mid-19th century, Southeast Asia has been widely considered as one of the most important foundations of biogeography. This recognition stems from the groundbreaking field works of Alfred Russel Wallace, who spent eight years to extensively explore the regions and proposed the geographic distribution patterns of fauna in Malesia (or the Malay Archipelago). Wallace’s works in Southeast Asia, such as the famous “Wallace Line” and its distinct distribution patterns, established the region as a crucial cradle and frontier of biogeography. Also, such renowned works have garnered significant attention from numerous biogeographers and ecologists. Additionally, the unique geomorphology and abundant biodiversity in Southeast Asia have sparked a growing scientific interest, leading to an increasing number of studies that explored the biodiversity and geographic distribution patterns in the regions. The comprehension of geographic distribution patterns of biodiversity in Southeast Asia can enhance our understanding of the origination, evolution, and response of global biodiversity to environmental and climatic changes.

Progress: In this review, we have undertaken a comprehensive synthesis of the primary biogeographic investigation conducted in Southeast Asia, spanning from the era of Alfred Russel Wallace to the present day. The main biogeographic studies in Southeast Asia are retrospectively reviewed and the existing problems are considered here.

Conclusion: Several key findings of biogeography in Southeast Asia with the most important distribution patterns are listed as follows. Firstly, Southeast Asia, based on the boundary or delimitation, encompasses the Indochina Peninsula and Malesia, which consist of four distinct bioregions: Indochina, Sundaic, Philippines and Wallacea. Secondly, the biogeographic patterns with these regions, as well as the biogeographic relationships or patterns among regions are primarily influenced by the mechanism of vicariance, migration and dispersal. Thirdly, the difference in biogeographic boundaries, particularly along the Wallace Line, can be attributed to variations in the migration and dispersal capacity of plants and animals. Lastly, the biogeographic connections between Southeast Asia and Sahul are mainly driven by the exchanges of flora and fauna, with elements from both regions have been migrated to and from each other. This review presents some ideas and offers recommendations to address the unresolved challenges of the field of biogeography in Southeast Asia. In all, we hope this review serves as a link between past and future, intends to throw out a minnow to catch a whale, and facilitates the flourishing development of biogeography in Southeast Asia.

The secondary metabolites produced by plants provide human beings with a wealth of pharmaceutical, perfume and industrial raw materials. With the rapid development of molecular biology and genomics research, the biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) of secondary metabolites of various plants have been analyzed, which opens a new path for us to quickly obtain the biosynthetic pathways of target products and discover novel natural products. This paper focuses on the definition and characteristics of plant secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters, and its basic structural models, evolution and regulatory mechanisms, in order to provide theoretical basis and reference for related research.

Photosynthesis of plants depends on the green leaves, and the most intuitive feature of leaf growth and development is its color. At present, more than 200 genes related to rice leaf color have been cloned. The regulatory mechanisms of rice leaf color are complex and diverse, which involve multiple regulatory pathways, including biosynthesis and degradation of photosynthetic pigments, pathway of nucleus-plastid signaling, and heme synthesis. In addition, external environment such as temperature and light intensity can also affect the color changes of rice leaves. Here we reviewed the molecular pathways of rice leaf color, environmental factors and leaf color related genes, as well as the genetic regulatory mechanisms of rice leaf color was revealed, which will provide theoretical basis for rice high photosynthetic breeding and application, and future research in addressing some scientific problems in this field.

Aims Haloxylon ammodendron is the major dominated species in the Gurbantünggüt Desert, which plays a key role in ecosystem services: such as biodiversity conservation and prevention of dryland degradation. Frequent droughts have a significant impact on the survival of H. ammodendron, thus understanding the drought resistant strategies of H. ammodendron is essential for the sustainability and stability of desert ecosystems. Robust hydraulic system and carbon balance are important parts of the drought resistance mechanism, but the hydraulic threshold for survival of H. ammodendron under drought stress are still unquantified.

Methods We set up a control group and a drought treatment group for adult H. ammodendron, and determined the water status of assimilation twigs, the loss rate of xylem hydraulic conductivity in branches, gas exchange characteristics, nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) contents and morphological characteristics at upper, lower and middle branches of H. ammodendron. We used one-way ANOVA for each trait among different treatments and heights, linear regression for stomatal sensitivity and principal component analysis for drought resistance of H. ammodendron, respectively.

Important findings (1) The predawn and midday water potential of assimilation twig, assimilation twig water content and branch water content of H. ammodendron decreased under drought stress, but did not affected by the increase of height; P50 and P88 (xylem tension causing 50% and 88% loss of maximum hydraulic conductivity) did not change significantly under drought and with increasing height, and the mean value of P50 was -4.12 MPa and P88 was -7.10 MPa for each height and treatment groups, while the hydraulic safety margin was significantly reduced under drought. (2) The stomatal opening of H. ammodendron was not sensitive to drought stress, and thus drought stress and branch height increase did not significantly affect net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance in general. (3) The NSC contents of assimilation twigs and branches did not decrease under drought stress or with increasing branch height; the value of NSC contents in the assimilation twigs and branches were 22.11% and 13.10% higher, compared to the control group. (4) The Huber value of H. ammodendron increased by 73.78% in the drought treatment group compared to the control group; the specific leaf area decreased by 14.60% compared to the control group, but there were no significant difference between the two treatment groups. In conclusion, the hydraulic traits of H. ammodendron were significantly affected by drought stress, but not by the increase of branch height, and there was no hydraulic limitation with increasing branch height. Under drought stress, the risk of simultaneous hydraulic failure of the peripheral branches at the crown edge was high, the hydraulic safety margin (difference between midday assimilation twig water potential and P88) was only 40.85% of that of the control group. Due to the low sensitivity of stomata to water stress, the shrub can maintain the capacity of photosynthetic carbon fixation under drought stress, and even slightly increased NSC contents of the assimilation twigs and branches.

Background & Aims: Amphibians and reptiles are important indicators of ecosystem health, and they are vulnerable to changes in the environment. Many of their populations are undergoing rapid decline and species extinction in the worldwide. A recent assessment of Red List of China’s Vertebrates found that 37.05% of amphibians and 30.5% of reptiles are threatened. Therefore, building a national biodiversity monitoring network, to research and analyze the trend and threats of amphibians and reptiles is a prerequisite for conservation. As part of the Chinese Biodiversity Monitoring and Research Network (Sino BON), the Sino BON-Amphibian & Reptile has covered 11 key areas with rich biodiversity and high habitat heterogeneity across China. This program aims to combine intensive field surveys and ecological modeling techniques to evaluate population dynamics and community structures of amphibian and reptile species in the study areas.

Review Results: Currently, the Sino BON-Amphibian & Reptile adheres to focusing on the research of amphibian and reptile diversity. A total of 16 species were newly discovered in China, including 13 new species and 3 national new record species. Significant progress has been made in the national need for the protection of Critically Endangered amphibian (CR) Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) and Endangered (EN) amphibian Taliang crocodile newt (Liangshantriton taliangensis), the environmental DNA (eDNA) technology and radio tracking technology applied in wild, the ecological impact of desertification habitats on reptiles, and invasive alien species, which have provided strong scientific support for protecting biodiversity of amphibians and reptiles in China.

Prospects: For further progresses, it is still necessary to continuously enhance monitoring and research on amphibians and reptiles, strengthen monitoring network construction and application of advanced technologies, emphasize the protection of amphibians and reptiles from the level of laws and regulations, establish and optimize the protected areas, and implement the necessary ex situ and in situ conservation, so as to achieve more effective protection of rare amphibian and reptile resources.

Aim: Brachyuran crabs are one of the important representatives of large benthic invertebrates in intertidal habitats and also an important component of mangrove wetland ecosystem. Dongzhaigang National Nature Reserve (DZGNNR) in Hainan preserves the most typical mangrove wetland ecosystem in China. It is also one of the key areas in the marine biogeographic division of East Asia. However, limited knowledge on intertidal crab species richness and unclear fauna characteristics in this area. Based on a comprehensive field survey combined with previous studies, we have cataloged an updated checklist of intertidal crabs of DZGNNR.

Method: The field survey was conducted in the intertidal zone of DZGNNR between September and November of 2022. During this time, 16 sampling sites were investigated and a total of 207 specimens were collected and identified. The species recorded in previous documents were reassessed and each taxon was revised according to the recent researches.

Results: During the field survey, we collected a total of 64 species of brachyuran crabs from 17 families and 39 genera. Out of these, 22 species were previously undocumented in DZGNNR, and two species were newly discovered in Hainan Province (Elamena rostrata and Parasesarma ungulatum). The updated checklist of brachyuran fauna of DZGNNR now includes 115 species belonging to 22 families and 63 genera.

Conclusions The intertidal brachyuran fauna of DZGNNR is mainly composed of East Asian warm water species, with Indo-West Pacific warm water elements being the most prevalent. This indicates that the DZGNNR is part of the northern South China Sea Subtropical Provinces in terms of its zoobenthic fauna, similar to the intertidal brachyuran fauna found in Guangxi, Guangdong and Fujian. Our study provides new insights on the brachyuran fauna of DZGNNR and north Hainan Island, which improve our understanding of zoobenthic biogeographical patterns in northern South China Sea.

Aims Grazing, one of the primary ways of grassland utilization in Nei Mongol, has essential influences on plant community properties of grasslands. However, the comprehensive response patterns of Nei Mongol grassland plant community properties to grazing remain unclear.
Methods Based on a dataset derived from 76 studies, the plant community characteristics and soil physicochemical properties of Nei Mongol grasslands under different grazing intensities, different grassland types and different grazing years were integrated and analyzed in order to comprehensively evaluate the response patterns of Nei Mongol grasslands to grazing.
Important findings Our results showed that grazing significantly reduced plant above/below ground biomass, cover, height, density, species richness, Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Pielou evenness index, Simpson diversity index, and soil water content. The negative effects of grazing were strengthened with increasing of grazing intensity and duration. Moreover, grazing had a greater negative effect on the grasslands with sparse vegetation and low environmental carrying capacity (e.g., desert grasslands, sandy areas, etc.). This study shows that the responses of plant community characteristics to grazing in Nei Mongol grasslands are regulated by multiple factors, and appropriate grazing intensity and grazing time should be set according to different types of grasslands to achieve sustainable utilization of grasslands. The standards of grazing intensity in current grazing studies are not uniform, making it difficult to compare different studies, and the results from some studies do not have statistical significance due to a lack of replications in the experiment. The exploration of uniform quantitative standards for grazing intensity will be an important and challenging issue in future grazing studies, and the rationality of experimental design should also be emphasized.

Background & Aims: Seahorses (Hippocampus spp.) are well-known fishes from the family Syngnathidae, mainly due to their unique external morphology and reproductive strategy of male pregnancy. All Hippocampus species, listed in CITES Appendix II in 2002, are under trade regulations internationally. All Hippocampus species (wild populations only) inhabiting in China’s waters were listed as Category II of the National Key Protected Wild Animals in 2021. Through literature review, we (i) updated the species list of seahorses occurring in China’s waters, (ii) summarized their distribution regions, habitat and breeding features, and (iii) presented their threatened categories and threats. Our goal is to inform effective conservation measures for seahorse wild populations in China.

Review findings: In this paper, we reviewed and summarized seahorse species diversity, distributions, habitat uses, reproductive features, threatened categories, and threat factors from various reference sources, including online databases (Fishbase, The Fish Database of Taiwan, GBIF, WoRMS, IUCN), peer-reviewed papers, reports, theses, as well as informative Chinese ichthyographies. A total of 16 seahorse species were recorded in China’s waters, including 5 pygmy seahorses that are no more than 30 mm in body height. Among these, Japanese seahorses (H. mohnikei) were distributed most widely, across China’s all four seas. Crowned seahorses (H. coronatus) were only found in the Bo Hai, while Barbour’s seahorses (H. barbouri), Beibu Bay seahorses (H. casscsio, a new species found in 2016), and Tiger tail seahorses (H. comes) were only found in the South China Sea. Six species were only found in the coastal waters of Taiwan Province. Southern China, including Taiwan, Hainan, Guangdong, Fujian, and Guangxi, has high seahorse species diversity. The habitat uses of seahorses in China’s waters are very diverse, including coral and rocky reefs, seagrass and seaweed beds, muddy and sandy bottoms, gravels, and mangrove meadows. Some species have special requirements for their habitats. According to IUCN, 8 seahorse species were listed as Vulnerable (VU), 2 species were listed as Least Concern (LC), 5 species were listed as Data Deficient (DD), and 1 species was Not Evaluated (NE). The main threats to seahorses are bycatch and habitat destruction.

Recommendations: Seahorses are a special taxonomic group of fishes with high vulnerability, and we propose five recommendations for urgent conservations of seahorses in China. First, the significance of seahorses as flagship species in marine biodiversity conservation should be realized and we need to use them to raise marine-conservation awareness of the general public. Establishing marine protected areas for seahorses and their habitats, and applying other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) might also be taken into account. Second, it is known that non-selective fishing gears such as bottom trawling have high seahorse bycatch volume, and the dredge net operations can damage seaweed beds where seahorses inhabit. Therefore, any solution for reducing bycatch, increasing survival rates of seahorses after releasing, protecting habitats and innovating fishing gears are welcome. Third, identifying the key habitats of different seahorse species in China’s waters is very important for establishing protected areas and fisheries spatial management. Currently, such data are very limited. Some key areas we synthesized in this study require national-wide surveys to validate before planning for marine reserves and OECMs of seahorses in China. Fourth, seahorse trade regulation and enforcement should be strengthened, and the management of seahorse utilization should be regulated properly. To this end, techniques to distinguishing wild populations from farmed seahorses should be established as soon as possible before the expansion of seahorse aquaculture.

Flavonoids are polyphenols compounds produced during the secondary metabolism of plants, which are widely present in plants and have various functions. Flavonoids biosynthesis takes place at the cytosolic side of the en- doplasmic reticulum (ER), but accumulation of various flavonoids is observed in the vacuole. Efficient transport and ac- cumulation systems are therefore required to transfer flavonoids from the ER into the vacuole. Certain researches for the transport of flavonoids has been done for decades. Current research results showed that: there are three transport mechanisms in plants, including glutathione S-transferase (GST), membrane transporters, and vesicle trafficking. Here, we reviewed the three transport mechanisms and advances of plant flavonoids transport in recent years. The functional cooperation of three distinct but nonexclusive mechanisms were summarized. While the biosynthesis of the flavonoids is well characterized across species, the research on flavonoids transport and accumulation is still relatively insufficient. For better understand the flavonoids transport and accumulation mechanism in plant, the relationship between flavonoids modification and transport, flavonoids transport substrate specificity and preference, and transcriptional regulation of flavonoids transport remain deeply unexplored.

Root exudates play an important role in soil carbon balance, acting as an important medium for material and energy exchange and information transfer between plant roots and soil, and also the crucial forms for plant response to environmental changes. Frequent extreme drought events accompanied with global climate change have imposed a profound impact on both above- and below-ground plant growth processes. However, significant limitation exists in understanding the responses of root exudates and their mediated rhizosphere priming effect to drought due to the complexity of root-soil interface interactions and the limitation in devices and methods for collecting root exudates. This paper reviews the effects of drought on the quantity and quality of plant root exudates, with emphasis on the rhizosphere priming effect mediated by root exudates under drought stress. The future research focuses on root exudates was also discussed. This study will provide suggestion for soil carbon sink assessment under the future climate change.

Aim & Background Unlike biodiversity offsets, which are based on the premise of biodiversity loss, biodiversity credits are an economic instrument that is measurable, traceable, tradable, and generates net biodiversity gains. To address the funding gap for biodiversity and to halt and reverse global biodiversity loss, biodiversity credits have emerged with carbon credits as a blueprint.

Results This paper introduced the conceptual framework of biodiversity credits, providing a detailed explanation of their similarities and differences with biodiversity offsets and carbon credits. Drawing on the foundation of high-quality carbon credits, the paper summarized the principles of biodiversity credits, including their accounting approaches and governance systems. Furthermore, it presented the current global market for biodiversity credits, offering specific practical examples of various trading projects.

Prospects The paper also examined four aspects of problems and challenges related to biodiversity credits: (1) pricing in voluntary markets lacks clear standards; (2) the risk of being a potential greenwashing tool used by enterprises; (3) regulatory and governance systems need safeguards for transparency and community rights; (4) the compatibility with carbon credits is controversial. Looking forward, challenges and opportunities of biodiversity credits co-exist as a critical tool for businesses to achieve their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals.

Background & Aims: At the landscape scale, multiple local communities are distributed along environmental gradients, and these local communities are interconnected through species dispersal, together forming metacommunity. When considering both the species composition and interspecific interactions of metacommunity, the concept of metanetwork emerges. With methods in network analysis, metanetwork illustrate the distribution of species interactions across multiple communities. The research scale and numerous network metrics corresponding to different data types often confuse researchers.
Progress: We begin by categorizing and organizing network metrics, and then proceed to differentiate between global and local network metrics. This provides explanations for their application scenarios, computation processes, and ecological significance, while also discussing the impact of sampling intensity on these metrics and exploring their relationships. We introduce the network β-diversity metrics that are computed based on interaction diversity. Subsequently, we outline the statistical inference approaches used in network analysis, incorporating both individual network metrics and network β-diversity metrics. Finally, we provide a summary of the recent research trends, which has shifted from metacommunity to metanetwork.
Prospects: We stress the significance of taking into account the influence of phylogenetic relationships on network composition and interactions in research papers. Multilayer networks offer the capability to represent community structures at a wider scale of species interactions, thus revealing more comprehensive community dynamics. Consistency in the analytical approach of metanetworks is vital for facilitating comparisons across diverse studies.

Click chemistry, also known as "link chemistry" or "speed-matching combinatorial chemistry", is the development of a powerful, highly reliable, and highly specific set of reactions for the rapid synthesis of new compounds through the connection of carbon-heteroatomic bonds (C-X-C). Click chemistry has been progressing greatly in drug development, new material synthesis, material surface functionalization modification and biological macromolecular labeling. Pioneers of click chemistry was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2022. This review briefly introduces the principles, reaction types and applications of click chemistry, summarizes the research progress of click chemistry in labeling biological macromolecules, especially in its application to plant cell wall polysaccharide labeling, and provides new ideas for the study of plant cell wall synthesis, structure and dynamic transport.

Forests are crucial terrestrial ecosystems with wide distribution and substantial biomass, playing a vital role in the global carbon cycle. The estimation of aboveground biomass (AGB) in forests serves as a significant indicator of ecosystem productivity and is pivotal for studying material cycles and global climate change. Traditional methods for AGB estimation rely on individual tree-scale or forest stand-scale tree physical structural information measurements, which are often time-consuming and labor-intensive to obtain. Remote sensing technology offers a solution for comprehensively and multi-temporally obtaining forest structural information in large scale, making it indispensable for forest AGB estimation. Therefore, it is important to review and summarize recent advancements in remote sensing techniques for estimating forest AGB to promote their application and guide the development of related industries. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the principles and methods used for estimating forest AGB using optical data, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data, and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data. It also analyzes the current status of synergistic estimation of forest AGB using multiple remote sensing data sources. The study highlights three key findings: (1) The use of novel remote sensing data, such as high-resolution satellite imagery and Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation LiDAR data, is expanding the boundaries of spatial and temporal resolutions, providing enhanced data sources for forest AGB research. (2) Synergistic approaches that combine multiple remote sensing data sources show promise in improving the accuracy of forest AGB estimation, but further optimization of related models is needed. (3) Machine learning, artificial intelligence, and deep learning techniques have been widely applied in forest AGB estimation, but continuous research on remote sensing mechanisms remains essential for innovation. Improvements in models and methodologies should revolve around a better understanding of these mechanisms.

Forest size structure (the diameter distribution of trees in a forest) is a comprehensive indicator of forest demographic processes. It is the basis for determining forest successional stage and the state of forest health, estimating forest biomass and predicting forest carbon sink potential. Studies of forest size structure began with statistical descriptions before progressing to theoretical and mathematical deduction. In early statistical studies of forestry, many common probability distribution functions were used to fit plot-scale variations in size structure, but most of these functions were not derived from biological processes and therefore lack clear biological meaning. With the development of macroecology, the principle of maximum entropy and the central limit theorem have been used to explain the relatively consistent forest size structure at large spatial scales. Such models mainly focus on probabilistic statistics rather than ecological processes. Reports of a power-law size structure in natural mature forests in the early 2000s spawned a series of theoretical studies, including metabolic scaling theory and the theory of gap succession, among others. These theories have proposed that the observed power-law size structure results from the relationship between tree size and resource use on the individual scale and tree competition for resources on the community scale. Demographic equilibrium theory provides a general framework for analyzing the relationship between the steady state forest size structure and tree growth and mortality. Under this equilibrium framework, the hypothesis of demographic optimality further provides a new perspective for the analysis of forest size structure. Mathematical models including transition matrices, integral projections, and partial differential equations are powerful tools for analyzing forest size structure dynamics. However, due to the difficulty of identifying time-varying solutions to the mathematical models, most studies have been confined to the framework of forest demographic equilibrium. To understand dynamic variations of forest size structure and predict forest carbon sink potential in a rapidly changing climate, it is essential both to find general time-varying solutions to the mathematical models and to tighten empirical constraints on the effects of climatic factors on forest growth and mortality rates.

Gene editing technology has become an important tool in crop breeding. Maize, one of the globally most important food crops, has been shown with great potential in the use of gene editing technology in genome research and breeding. In this paper, we reviewed the recent progress and applications of gene editing technology in maize research, with a focus on the latest achievements in maize genome editing by CRISPR/Cas. Firstly, we introduced the basic principles and types of gene editing technology, particularly the working mechanism of the CRISPR/Cas systems, and its application advantages in maize. Secondly, we summarized the research progress of gene editing technology in maize breeding, from basic genome editing to the editing of complex multi-gene regulation, aiming at the improvement of key traits such as yield, grain quality, and stress resistance. Finally, the outstanding research work in maize gene editing in China is presented and the existing issues of gene editing technology in maize breeding are discussed, along with an outlook on future development trends.

Soil microorganisms are key drivers of carbon (C) cycling in terrestrial ecosystems not only by facilitating soil organic C decomposition and CO₂ emission, but sequestering atmospheric CO₂ into soil organic C through microbial C fixation. Due to the ubiquitous presence of microorganisms in soils, microbial C fixation is vital for terrestrial ecosystem C cycle globally. In this paper, we explored the mechanisms and determinants of soil microbial C fixation based on data collections and analyses to address the following the three issues: 1) the pathways and processes of autotrophic microbial C fixation in soil; 2) the pathways and processes of heterotrophic microbial C fixation in soil; and 3) the impacts of soil properties, ecosystem types, and climate change (i.e., warming and precipitation change) on microbial C fixation. Overall, the paper provides insights into the dynamics of C fixation in terrestrial ecosystems which is helpful for better understanding the uncertainty of soil C pool in the relationship to microbial C fixation, and which also lays a theoretical foundation for advancing of C cycling models under climate change.

Background & Aims: Urbanization is a global process accompanied by rapid environmental changes, which accelerates the evolutionary process of urban organisms and reshapes community structure and species interactions in urban ecosystems. In this paper, we reviewed relevant researches on the effects of urbanization on animals at community, population, and individual level. Then we summarized both the advances and shortcomings in the scientific urbanization literature. Finally, we provided an outlook for research in the related fields.

Review Results: Currently, relevant studies primarily reflect the level of urbanization by using the proportion of impervious area or the urban-rural gradient. By replacing time with space, the studies explore the changing trend of species composition and diversity, population demographics, genetic structure of animals, biological traits, phenology, and behavior under urbanization. Most studies focus on descriptive analysis, while mechanism-based research and applied research are relatively lacking.

Prospect: (1) Based on the observed phenomena under urbanization, future studies should conduct controlled experiments to identify the key factors affecting different animals under urbanization and explore the molecular genetic basis of urban biological evolution with molecular methods. (2) Particular attention needs to be paid to adaptive species in urban grey habitats, which are often associated with humans, pets, or food. Understanding how urban species adapt may provide direction and help predict the future effects of urbanization on animals, including human beings. (3) Since complex interspecific interaction networks can buffer the impacts of the change of animal abundance and behavior on ecological services such as pollination, seed dispersal, and pest control to a certain extent, the effects of urbanization on multitrophic networks should be studied further. (4) Finally, basic research on animal diversity and genetic structure should be extended to urban ecological planning and restoration.

The Xizang Autonomous Region, the provincial administrative region with the second largest land area in China, is located on the vast Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which, in addition to being the tallest and largest plateau in the world, is also an incredibly rich biodiversity hotspot, supporting a variety of ecosystem. Initial efforts by research groups in the 1980’s to elucidate the full extent of plant diversity in this region has been described previously in the book series Flora Xizangica, however the collection of records of plants in southern Xizang remains largely incomplete in this work. The study presented here compiles information extracted from floras, periodical literature, dissertations, collected specimens from field surveys, and the Plant Photo Bank of China (PPBC) to provide an updated dataset of vascular plants in all of Xizang. Each record in this dataset represents the distribution of taxonomic groups at the county or city level and includes the following: category, survival status, Chinese family name, Latin family name, Chinese genus name, Latin genus name, Chinese species name, Latin species name, authors of the Latin species name, county or city level distribution, literature evidence, literature notes, specimen evidence, etc. Based on this new dataset, we archived a list of vascular plants of Xizang. As of August 2023, this checklist contains 11,853 taxa across 252 families and 2,049 genera of vascular plants, including 50 taxa belonging to 2 families and 7 genera of lycopods, 699 taxa belonging to 31 families and 110 genera of pteridophytes, 84 taxa belonging to 6 families and 19 genera of gymnosperms, and 11,020 taxa belonging to 213 families and 1,913 genera of angiosperms. From this data we identified the top 10 families possessing the highest number of species in this region (Asteraceae, Orchidaceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae, Rosaceae, Ericaceae, Ranunculaceae, Lamiaceae, Primulaceae, and Apiaceae). Finally, we also generated a checklist of vascular plants with excluded/dubious records in Xizang, which includes 900 species of 454 genera across 121 families. This study will provide an expanded basic background and central framework for the second edition of Flora Xizangica, as well as serve as an important reference for plant diversity conservation and monitoring throughout Xizang forward.

Database/Dataset Profile

Title	A dataset on inventory and geographical distribution of vascular plants in Xizang, China
Authors	Yousheng Chen, Zhuqiu Song, Ran Wei, Yan Luo, Wenli Chen, Fusheng Yang, Lianming Gao, Yuan Xu, Zhuoxin Zhang, Pengcheng Fu, Chunlei Xiang, Huanchong Wang, Jiachen Hao, Shiyong Meng, Lei Wu, Bo Li, Shengxiang Yu, Shuren Zhang, Li He, Xinqiang Guo, Wenguang Wang, Yihua Tong, Qi Gao, Wenqun Fei, Youpai Zeng, Lin Bai, Zichao Jin, Xingjie Zhong, Buyun Zhang, Siyi Du
Corresponding author	Yousheng Chen (yschen@scbg.ac.cn)
Time range	1951-2023.8
Geographical scope	Xizang Autonomous Region
Spatial distribution resolution	District (County)
File size	5.61 Mb
Data format	*.xlsx
Data link	https://www.scidb.cn/en/s/U7ZzQv https://doi.org/10.57760/sciencedb.10219 https://www.biodiversity-science.net/fileup/1005-0094/DATA/2023188.zip
Database/Dataset composition	The dataset consists of 1 data file with 50,525 items (rows) and 21 fields (columns) as following: number, categories, sequence number of family, Chinese name of family, Latin name of family, Chinese name of genus, Latin name of genus, Chinese name of species, Latin name of species, author, altitude, growth status, county-level distribution, literature, literature notes, specimen vouchers, specimen links, PPBC photo links, protection level, Latin names in Catalogue of Life China: 2023 Annual Checklist, Latin names in Flora of China.

Background & Aims: Biodiversity conservation stands as a critical imperative for China’s ecological security and the advancement of an ecological civilization. It also represents a vital public welfare endeavor crucial for fostering sustainable development. Despite significant efforts, China’s biodiversity conservation efforts continue to confront substantial challenges, including habitat fragmentation, declining habitat quality, and the proliferation of invasive species. Existing biodiversity conservation policies have thus far fallen short of effectively reversing the overarching trend of biodiversity loss. In light of these challenges, this paper seeks to explore the visionary objectives of biodiversity conservation in China. It analyzes the evolutionary trajectory of China’s biodiversity conservation policies, highlights key measures implemented, and outlines the development trend of biodiversity conservation development in the country.

Policy evolution: To reconcile the delicate balance between conservation and development imperatives, the state has implemented a diverse array of plans, strategies, notifications, and measures. Beginning with the protection of individual species, China has progressively expanded and refined the scope, objectives, and strategies of biodiversity conservation, gradually crafting a comprehensive policy framework for biodiversity conservation. Reflecting the evolving focus on conservation targets, China’s biodiversity protection has transitioned from single-species protection and classification-based approaches to a more holistic and integrated conservation paradigm. Furthermore, biodiversity conservation efforts have been systematically integrated into various national plans, facilitating comprehensive protection across diverse ecosystems and species. Consequently, China’s biodiversity conservation journey can be delineated into three distinct stages: the nascent phase (pre-1994), the rapid development stage (1994‒2010), and the ongoing in-depth improvement stage (2010‒present).

Main measures: In general, China has implemented a variety of conservation and restoration measures, resulting in notable successes across multiple fronts. These measures can be broadly characterized as direct protection, prevention and control, and sustainable use. Initially, biodiversity conservation efforts primarily focused on direct protection measures. However, over time, there has been a discernable shift towards a more comprehensive approach, encompassing a combination of direct conservation strategies, prevention, control measures, and sustainable utilization practices.

Development trends: To advance the establishment of a robust biodiversity conservation policy framework and elevate the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation efforts, it is imperative to achieve alignment, or the “three fits”, between biodiversity conservation and territorial spatial planning, the advancement of information technology, and the formulation of national strategies. By ensuring coherence and synergy, it is envisaged that this approach will facilitate the attainment of biodiversity conservation objectives and realize the vision of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature by 2050.

Aim: In the process of long-term mutual adaptation with their living environment, Dulong people have been relying on biological resources to maintain their survival and life. They have accumulated a lot of traditional knowledge on the use of bio-resources and the protection of the ecological environment. The purpose of this study is to record the traditional knowledge, explore the ecological concepts, analyze the threats, and promote them to provide better services for the protection of biocultural diversity in the Dulongjiang region.

Method: In this study, ethnobiological method including semi-structure interview and participatory observations were used to investigate the traditional knowledge associated with biodiversity in Dulong community, and to analyze the ecological thoughts.

Results: The results showed that the Dulong people had rich traditional knowledge, involving a total of 399 species of organisms. Among them, 209 plant (and fungi) species were collected for livelihood, 179 species for animal husbandry, 26 for timber and construction, 34 for fishing and hunting, 25 for farming, and 31 for firewood. The traditional livelihood methods of the Dulong people, such as collecting, breeding, fishing and hunting, fuelwood collection and farming practices, contain sustainable ecological ideas, which are conducive to the conservation of local biocultural diversity.

Recommendations With the rapid economic development and the improvement of transportation, traditional livelihoods and knowledge in Dulongjiang area are facing different opportunities and challenges. For example, cultural shock, intergenerational discontinuity, the cultivation of a single crop and orientation of ecological policy, etc. It is necessary to conduct a more comprehensive investigation, recording and cataloging of traditional knowledge through ethnobotanical methods, follow by research with modern ethnobotanical methods to provide guidance, using new technology to explain the scientificity of traditional knowledge, strengthen the protection, inheritance and benefit sharing of traditional knowledge, and tap the essence of the traditional livelihood of the Dulong to promote the conservation of biodiversity, sustainable development services, and ecological civilization in the Dulongjiang area.

Aims: The relationship between the elevation and biodiversity has long been one of the central issues in ecology, biogeography and conservation biology. This study investigate the diversity of birds and mammals and their elevational distribution, based on infrared camera monitoring in Guangdong Nanling National Nature Reserve, China.
Methods: We utilized infrared cameras to monitor the mammals and birds across the entire elevation of the Guangdong Nanling National Nature Reserve for 10 consecutive years. In addition, we also analyzed the current diversity and conservation status of birds and mammals. By combining both horizontal and vertical distribution patterns, we conducted hotspot and vacancy analysis to assess the diversity patterns of birds and mammals.
Results: Between 2012 and 2021, a total of 116 camera sites were deployed, capturing 85,164 days of work, and obtaining 21,194 identifiable independent and valid photos. Over this period, 24 mammal species and 50 bird species were recorded, with a relatively high proportion of threatened mammals at 45.83%. The top five mammals with the highest relative abundance index (RAI) were Muntiacus vaginalis, M. reevesi, Dremomys pyrrhomerus, Melogale moschata, and Macaca thibetana. However, Herpestes javanicus and Rusa unicolor were only recorded once and have the lowest RAI. The top four birds with the highest RAI were Lophura nycthemera, Myophonus caeruleus, Tragopan caboti and Arborophila gingica. Forty-two bird species had RAI less than 1, mainly belonging to Passeriformes, Piciformes and Strigiformes. The generalized additive model showed that the richness of mammals and birds were significantly related to elevation, displaying a typical “single-peak pattern” with a significantly high species richness at mid-elevation (around 1,000-1,400 m). Beta diversity analysis showed that the classification differences between the low and high elevational range and other sites were the highest, while the differences between the middle elevational sites were relatively small. Hotspot and vacancy analysis, integrating horizontal and vertical distributions, revealed that the mammals and birds in the reserve were mainly concentrated in three hotspots, distributed in the middle and high elevation. In addition, it was observed that certain areas outside of the reserve also exhibited a high diversity of birds and mammals. In conclusion, wildlife within the reserve continues to face severe protection pressure.
Conclusion: Regarding the construction of Nanling National Park, we suggest that the local management organization should: (1) Formulating conservation and management policies for key protected species in the future, especially for large and medium-sized mammals. (2) Focusing on the habitat management in the middle and high elevational areas, and maintain the complete climate and biological vertical zone in the reserve. (3) Establishing a multitrophic biodiversity monitoring system, which emphasis the effect of comprehensive factors on wildlife, such as human disturbance, environmental factors, functional traits, species interaction networks, and evolution history.

Pteridophytes (lycophytes and ferns) are the second most diverse lineage of vascular plants on the earth. These plants share several morphological and physiological traits with other vascular and sporophyte plants, and play a vital role in the evolutionary progression of land plants from simple to complex forms. Pteridophytes exhibit many unique biological processes different from other plant groups, and play a key role in the study of plant genome evolution, organ development, reproductive phenomena, and adaptation to changing environment. The advancement and implementation of modern sequencing technology has greatly accelerated the sequencing and assembly of plant genomes, and greatly promoted the exploration gene function of pteridophytes. To gain an enhanced comprehension of the present interesting fields and noteworthy development in functional genomics research of pteridophytes, this article provides a thorough overview of the functional investigation of pteridophyte genes from various perspectives. It mainly focuses on the development of organs, reproductive processes, adaptability to the environment, and the synthesis of secondary metabolites. It presents a systematic exploration of the functions of multiple genes, highlighting the practical implementation of gene function research in clarifying the unique biological processes specific to pteridophytes. In addition, this article puts forward several recommendations on how to expedite the research on gene function of pteridophytes, and to take advantage of function studies in exploring the biological characteristics of terrestrial plants and expanding the application scope of pteridophytes.

Aim: The composition of fish in large rivers exhibits longitudinal variation along the river influenced by environmental gradients. The River Continuum Concept revolutionized the understanding of river ecosystems by linking changes in river macro-invertebrate trophic functional groups to the differentiation of nutrient sources between upstream and downstream areas. The concept offers a novel framework for studying the distribution patterns of river biomes at large scale, from upstream to downstream. In this study, a dataset encompassing 168 species of fish were used, covering the entire range from Zhimenda, the starting point of the Jinsha River, to the estuary. Functional groups were first classified based on criteria such as body sizes, shapes, feeding habits, and life-history strategies. Subsequently, their distribution patterns as well as their adaptability to environmental factors were investigated across different scales.

Methods: A total of 14 functional groups and 59 combined function groups were classified, and 5 environmental factors were selected: elevation, mean temperature, mean annual temperature range, river width and river slope gradient. The distribution pattern of fish functional groups was analyzed using hierarchical clustering, while ordination analysis was applied to analyze the relationship between environmental factors and fish functional groups at different scales.

Results: The results revealed a primary and secondary differentiation in the distribution of fish functional groups within the Yangtze River: the primary differentiation occurs at Longkaikou, acting as the dividing point, while the secondary differentiation is observed at Shigu, Longkaikou and Downstream of Baihetan Dam. Moving from the upstream to the downstream, fish body sizes transition from small to medium and large, body shapes shift from predominantly fusiform and cylindrical to include compressform appearances. Feeding habits evolve from primarily omnivorous to encompass a more diverse range of feeding functional groups, and life-history strategies transform from opportunistic to periodic and equilibrium strategies. The distribution pattern of fish functional groups is a result of adaptation to spatial differentiation of environmental factors at different scales. Across the larger scale of the entire Yangze River, elevation and temperature, which are associated with climatic features, serve as dominant factors; whereas, as the spatial scale of the study shrinks, the influence of river slope drop associated with topographic features, becomes more prominent and plays the most important role in the I-1 river section at medium scale.

Conclusion: The distribution pattern of fish functional groups is direct outcome of the fish adaptation to environmental differentiation. Furthermore, the specific environment factors that determine the distribution of fish functional groups vary at different scales, consequently affecting the corresponding functional traits of the fish. This study contributes to our understanding of the river continuum theory, the spatial distribution pattern of fish in the Yangtze River, and the environmental adaptation characteristics of fishes.

Aims: The Yarlung Tsangpo River, one of the ten longest rivers in China, spans two major zoogeographic regions of the world: The Palearctic and the Oriental realms. While previous papers have focused on small portions of the river, a basin-wide-scale study to catalog its fish composition, diversity patterns, and species fluctuation is lacking. This study synthesized empirical data from field studies over the past two decades on fish diversity in the Yarlung Tsangpo River, compiled a list of fish diversity in the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin in China, and analyzed the status of the fish diversity and the main threats to its diversity. The findings provide a scientific foundation for management and conservation of fish diversity in the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin.

Methods: In total, 66 sections were included in this study. Of them, 58 were actually surveyed in the field, and 8 were collected from literatures; two in the upper reaches, 40 in the middle reaches, and 24 in the lower reaches; 24 in the main stream, 33 in the tributaries, 2 in the lakes, 3 in the tributary reservoirs, and 4 wetlands. These sampling sections (locations) were selected according to their geomorphological characteristics, as well as the accessibility of each location for sampling. The fish investgations were conducted from 2004 to 2023. Methods for collecting fishes included gillnets, shrimp coops, and battery-powered backpack electrofisher. After compiling the data from all of the sites, the degree of endemicity was calculated using the corrected weighted endemism index.

Results: There are 155 native species in 10 orders, 25 families, and 70 genera in the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin. Out of all of the detected species, 29 species and one genus are endemic to the river. Five species were on China’s Key Protected Species List (Grade II); and 26 species were categorised as threatened (i.e. endangered, vulnerable, or near threatened) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and China’s Biodiversity Red List. The sections with high species richness are located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, while the lowest species richness is found in the Great Canyon sections. Fish fauna of the river is dominated by Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, and South Asian fishes. The Jiaresa-Bangxin section of the Yarlung Tsangpo River Grand Canyon may be the boundary between the two major zoogeographical regions of freshwater fish. By the end of 2023, 30 species of non-native fish in 8 orders, 16 families, and 24 genera had been recorded in the natural water bodies of the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin. Of these non-native fish species, three species were introduced to different regions within the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin. In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the introduction of both native fishes and non-native cold-adapted fishes through the plateau’s drainage systems.

Conclusion: Through cataloging the fish diversity in the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin, we found that invasion of non-native fishes is the main threat to fish diversity. In the future, we should focus on fish surveys of lakes and tributaries in the lower reaches of the river, strengthen the resources for data integration, and establish a basin-level data management platform. Further, taxonomic research should be strengthened through international cooperation. Additionally, long-term monitoring of fish resources should be implemented as soon as possible to monitor fish diversity and promote conservation in the Yarlung Tsangpo River.

Background & Aims Seagrass beds rank among the earth’s most valuable ecosystems, providing extensive ecosystem services to human. Despite their global significance, seagrass beds in the world, particularly in China, face threats from human activities, leading to their degradation. While recent studies in Guangdong Province have increasingly elucidated the distribution characteristics of seagrass beds and threats from multiple sources, a systematic summary of these findings remains limited. Given the anticipated continued pressure of high intensity human activities in the future period of time along the Guangdong coast, a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by seagrass beds in crucial from formulating targeted conservation suggestions aimed at effectively preserving their biodiversity.

Review results In this work, we comprehensively reviewed research results on Guangdong seagrass beds since the 21st century and summarized the information on their distribution of seagrass beds. Through a combination of field investigations and domestic and international research, we identified to Guangdong seagrass beds. The results showed that seagrass was widely distributed along the Guangdong coast, covering an area of 1,540 ha and comprising five species. Halophila ovalis and H. beccarii were both dominant species, while Zostera japonica, Halodule uninervis, Ruppia brevipedunculata had more limited distribution. This paper illustrated the impact of both human and natural factors on growth and distribution of seagrass, and pointed out that human activities such as mariculture, fishing, land-based pollution, marine engineering as primary threats. Moreover, the study acknowledged the significance of species invasion and global climate change.

Perspectives Aiming at threats mentioned above, we proposed conservation suggestions that building upon established protection measures. These recommendations include strengthening scientific research on seagrass bed ecosystem, improving the ability of survey and surveillance on seagrass, establishing a regulatory system for protecting seagrass, managing and controlling pollutant emissions, reinforcing ecological restoration of seagrass beds, and launching popular science activities and awareness campaigns.