Climate-driven selection and asymmetric introgression stabilize a hybrid zone and promote ecological divergence in Wisteria sinensis
Available online 1 June 2026
Hybrid zones provide powerful natural systems for understanding how historical isolation, gene flow, and natural selection shape genomic and phenotypic diversity. However, the evolutionary dynamics...
Seed dormancy cycling: A driver of germination timing in a facultative winter annual
May 2026
Timing of seed germination is critical for survival of annual plants in seasonal climates. We tested the hypothesis that seeds of the winter annual species Cardamine impatiens (Brassicaceae) “track”...
Is beta diversity higher in seed plants with larger body sizes?
May 2026
Beta diversity is a scalar linking local (alpha) with regional (gamma) species diversity. Understanding patterns of beta diversity is central to ecology and biogeography. It is suggested that beta diversity...
Responses of root exudates to phosphorus-rich patches in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest and their module affiliation in the trait network
May 2026
Root exudation-related traits are crucial for a plant acquiring spatially heterogeneous soil phosphorus (P) resources. Integrating root exudation traits into root trait networks reveals plant foraging...
Discovering of the transcriptional regulatory network involved in starch biosynthesis in sorghum grains
May 2026
Starch is the most abundant accumulated substance in the grains of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), the 5th most world-widely cultivated cereal crop, and is widely used by humans, especially in the direction...
Stand structural attributes exert stronger and scale-dependent control on forest biomass than tree diversity across typical forest ecosystems in China
May 2026
Understanding how biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships scale spatially and temporally remains critical under global change. Here, using continuous monitoring databases across temperate,...
Decoding the genomic basis of adaptive capacity and vulnerability in the high-altitude Saussurea obvallata complex
May 2026
Decoding how adaptation and vulnerability are distributed across rugged landscape is essential for anticipating biodiversity responses to climatic change. We investigated the Saussurea obvallata complex,...
Vegetation sensitivity to drought depends on bedrock type in a subtropical karst landscape in Southwest China
May 2026
Droughts pose a significant global threat to ecosystem stability and plant diversity. The sensitivity of vegetation to drought is highly variable, influenced by both vegetation types and landscape properties....
The mitochondrial DnaJA protein LMA1 regulates reactive oxygen species homeostasis and anthocyanin biosynthesis in Medicago truncatula
May 2026
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role as a key signal in plant adaptation to environment stresses, and the stress-induced anthocyanins accumulation are also critical for plant adaptation;...
Distinct intraspecific trait variations in two moss species: Insights from a latitudinal investigation across 66 coastal islands
May 2026
As a non-negligible component of functional trait diversity, intraspecific trait variation (ITV) represents a direct response of local populations to environmental change and significantly influences...
ddRAD sequencing of 1076 Camellia accessions reveals the genetic diversity and population introgression of the tea plant in China
May 2026
The tea plant (Camellia sinensis) is a widely cultivated and economically significant crop that originated from southwestern China. Owing to its high heterozygosity and complex genetic diversity, the...
Genomic insights into alpine plant adaptation
May 2026
Alpine plants persist in some of the harshest terrestrial environments, where low temperatures, high ultraviolet radiation, and short growing seasons impose strong selective pressures. Recent advances...
Genomic diversity at the Glu-D1 locus in Aegilops tauschii reveals the origin of elite high-molecular-weight glutenin genes in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum)
May 2026
The Glu-D1 locus of the Aegilops tauschii genome carries two high-molecular-weight glutenin genes, Dx and Dy, that are essential for viscoelastic properties of bread wheat dough, contributing to its...
We are not all the same: The role of intrapopulation trait variability in shaping functional strategy and performance of widespread species
May 2026
Functional traits influence plant performance and adaptability to environmental changes, as environments select optimal phenotypes, leading to diverse functional strategies. While trait-based studies...
A Palearctic divide, niche conservatism and host-fungal endophyte interactions shaped the phylogeography of the grass Brachypodium sylvaticum
May 2026
Brachypodium sylvaticum is a perennial woodland grass selected as a model species for perenniality, which is widely distributed across the Palearctic. This plant forms a symbiosis with the endophytic...
Insights into the phylogenetic, structural and functional evolution of LHC superfamily in photosynthetic organisms
May 2026
Photosynthesis is the fundamental process for the survival of photosynthetic organisms. The light-harvesting complexes (LHCs) play a crucial role in light energy capture and transfer. Despite their...
Chromosome-level genome and population genomics reveal demographic history, incomplete divergence and coastal adaptation of Rhododendron simsii var. putuoense in East China
May 2026
•First chromosome-level genome assembly of Rhododendronsimsii var. putuoense (479.30 Mb, contig N50 = 33.97 Mb, 98.4 % BUSCO), advancing Ericaceae genomics.•21 populations form coastal-island genetic...
Resequencing of 284 genomes reveals evolutionary history and hotspot of genetic diversity of the giant bamboos
May 2026
The Dendrocalamus giganteus complex comprises D. giganteus, D. calostachyus and D. sinicus, being the largest known, iconic bamboo species and is economically, ecologically and culturally significant...
Chromosome-level genome and population resequencing reveal genetic diversity, demographic history, and climate risk in the East Asian relict tree Perkinsiodendron macgregorii
May 2026
Relict trees are key to understanding macroevolution, biogeography, and extinction risk under environmental change, yet genome-wide data on diversity and demography remain scarce. Perkinsiodendron macgregorii,...
Leaf Nutrients Regulate Phyllosphere Microbial Dynamics in Rubber Trees
Available online 30 May 2026
Mechanisms underlying the assembly and succession of phyllosphere microbiota in rubber plantations are crucial for understanding ecosystem health and functionality, yet poorly understood. In this study,...
Resource-poor environments drive more prevalent habitat associations in Ectomycorrhizal tree species: Evidence from tropical, subtropical, and subalpine forest dynamics plots
Available online 28 May 2026
Niche differentiation is a fundamental mechanism underlying tree species distribution patterns and coexistence in forest communities. Beyond the topographic heterogeneity that shapes species local distributions,...
The spatial patterns and coupling relationships of the multidimensional α diversity (species, functional, and phylogenetic) of desert plants in the Tarim Basin
Available online 27 May 2026
Plant diversity serves as the foundation for maintaining ecosystem functions and services. Existing research has primarily focused on areas with high vegetation cover, such as forests and grasslands,...
Soil microbial nitrogen-cycling functional groups rather than phosphorus-cycling functional groups regulate plant functional diversity along the successional pathway in subtropical karst forests
Available online 26 May 2026
While it has been established that soil microbes mediate the element transformation and redistribution among soil, plants, and the atmosphere, the influence of microbe-mediated variations in key soil...
Genomic insights into origin of Rosa ‘Hetian’ along the Silk Road and EdiRose2.0, an update for the reticulate evolution of edible roses in China
Available online 25 May 2026
The Silk Road significantly expedited both cultural and biological exchanges between East and West, especially Eurasia. As an important source of essential oil, Rosa ‘Hetian’ serves as a popular edible...
Genome evolution shaped by post-polyploid diploidization in the paleo-allopolyploid mangrove Heritiera littoralis (Malvaceae)
Available online 22 May 2026
Polyploidy and the subsequent post-polyploid diploidization (PPD) are key drivers of plant evolution and adaptation, yet the genomic mechanisms underlying evolution in paleo-allopolyploids remain poorly...