Sex-specific facilitation and reproduction of the gynodioecious cushion plant Arenaria polytrichoides on the Himalaya-Hengduan mountains, SW China
March 2024
When benefiting other beneficiaries, cushion plants may reciprocally receive feedback effects. The feedback effects on different sex morphs, however, remains unclear. In this study, taking the gynodioecious...
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Enhanced and asymmetric signatures of hybridization at climatic margins: Evidence from closely related dioecious fig species
March 2024
Hybridization plays a significant role in biological evolution. However, it is not clear whether ecological contingency differentially influences likelihood of hybridization, particularly at ecological...
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Genetic analyses of ancient tea trees provide insights into the breeding history and dissemination of Chinese Assam tea (Camellia sinensis var. assamica)
March 2024
Chinese Assam tea (Camellia sinensis var. assamica) is an important tea crop with a long history of cultivation in Yunnan, China. Despite its potential value as a genetic resource, its genetic diversity...
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Different mechanisms underlie similar species-area relationships in two tropical archipelagoes
March 2024
Despite much research in the field of island biogeography, mechanisms regulating insular diversity remain elusive. Here, we aim to explore mechanisms underlying plant species-area relationships in two...
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Woody plant taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity decrease along elevational gradients in Andean tropical montane forests: environmental filtering and arrival of temperate taxa
Available online 25 March 2024
Mountains are paramount for exploring biodiversity patterns due to the mosaic of topographies and climates encompassed over short distances. Biodiversity research has traditionally focused on taxonomic...
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Salicylic acid positively regulates maize defenses against lepidopteran insects
Available online 21 March 2024
In response to insect attack, plants use intricate signaling pathways, including phytohormones, such as jasmonate (JA), ethylene (ET), and salicylic acid (SA), to activate defenses. Maize (Zea mays)...
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BrrTCP4b interacts with BrrTTG1 to suppress the development of trichomes in Brassica rapa var. rapa
Available online 14 March 2024
The number of trichomes significantly increased in CRISPR/Cas9-edited BrrTCP4b turnip (Brassica rapa var. rapa) plants. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains to be uncovered. In this study,...
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A new gnetalean macrofossil from the Lower Cretaceous of the Laiyang Basin, eastern China
Available online 14 March 2024
Macrofossils of Gnetales have revealed high morphological diversity in the Mesozoic, and most of them have been found in northeastern China. However, this diversity almost entirely disappeared in the...
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Plastid phylogenomics provides new insights into the systematics, diversification, and biogeography of Cymbidium (Orchidaceae)
Available online 12 March 2024
Cymbidium (Orchidaceae: Epidendroideae), with around 60 species, is widely-distributed across Southeast Asia, providing a nice system for studying the processes that underlie patterns of biodiversity...
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An unprotected vulnerable relict subtropical conifer— Keteleeria evelyniana: its forests, populations, growth and endangerment by invasive alien plant species in China
Available online 5 March 2024
Relict subtropical coniferous forests in China face severe fragmentation, resulting in declining populations, and some are under significant threat from invasive alien species. Despite the crucial importance...
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Epigenetic control on transcription of vernalization genes and whole-genome gene expression profile induced by vernalization in common wheat
Available online 4 March 2024
Vernalization is necessary for winter wheat to flower. However, it is unclear whether vernalization is also required for spring wheat, which is frequently sown in fall, and what molecular mechanisms...
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Expeditionplus: The application of a gridded system in the integration of multidimensional environmental factors
Available online 22 February 2024
The study of plant diversity is often hindered by the challenge of integrating data from different sources and different data types. A standardized data system would facilitate detailed exploration...
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Stomatal dynamics are regulated by leaf hydraulic traits and guard cell anatomy in nine true mangrove species
Available online 8 February 2024
Stomatal regulation is critical for mangroves to survive in the hyper-saline intertidal zone where water stress is severe and water availability is highly fluctuant. However, very little is known about...
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Molecular analyses display the increasing diversity of Podostemaceae in China
Available online 7 February 2024
•Four newly recorded species of Podostemaceae from southern China were identified by molecular and morphological evidence.•17 plastomes of Podostemaceae were newly sequenced and two novel polymorphic...
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Species’ geographical range, environmental range and traits lead to specimen collection preference of dominant plant species of grasslands in Northern China
Available online 6 February 2024
Many different factors, such as species traits, socio-economic factors, geographical and environmental factors, can lead to specimen collection preference. This study aims to determine whether grassland...
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Life forms affect beta-diversity patterns of larch forests in China
January 2024
Beta-diversity reflects the spatial changes in community species composition which helps to understand how communities are assembled and biodiversity is formed and maintained. Larch (Larix) forests,...
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The first mitogenome of Lauraceae (Cinnamomum chekiangense)
January 2024
•The first reported mitochondrial genome (Cinnamomum chekiangense) of the Lauraceae family.•The mitogenome of C. chekiangense retains almost all of the ancestral protein-coding genes and has the highest...
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Large-scale interplant exchange of macromolecules between soybean and dodder under nutrient stresses
January 2024
Parasitic plants and their hosts communicate through haustorial connections. Nutrient deficiency is a common stress for plants, yet little is known about whether and how host plants and parasites communicate...
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Integrating high-volume molecular and morphological data into the evolutionary studies of Allium
January 2024
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How to fill the biodiversity data gap: Is it better to invest in fieldwork or curation?
January 2024
Data gaps and biases are two important issues that affect the quality of biodiversity information and downstream results. Understanding how best to fill existing gaps and account for biases is necessary...
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Conservation genomic investigation of an endangered conifer, Thuja sutchuenensis, reveals low genetic diversity but also low genetic load
January 2024
Endangered species generally have small populations with low genetic diversity and a high genetic load. Thuja sutchuenensis is an endangered conifer endemic to southwestern China. It was once considered...
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Projected impacts of climate change on the habitat of Xerophyta species in Africa
January 2024
Climate change poses a serious long-term threat to biodiversity. To effectively reduce biodiversity loss, conservationists need to have a thorough understanding of the preferred habitats of species...
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Flower morphology of Allium (Amaryllidaceae) and its systematic significance
January 2024
Allium is a complicated genus that includes approximately 1000 species. Although its morphology is well studied, the taxonomic importance of many morphological traits, including floral traits, are poorly...
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A phylogenetic approach identifies patterns of beta diversity and floristic subregions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
January 2024
Patterns of taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversity and their relationships with environmental correlates can help reveal the origin and evolutionary history of regional biota. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau...
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Community structure and species diversity dynamics of a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in China: 2005 to 2020
January 2024
Here, we characterize the temporal and spatial dynamics of forest community structure and species diversity in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in China. We found that community structure...
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