ON PHYTOGEOGRAPHICAL AFFINITIES OF THE FOREST FLORAS BETWEEN EAST CHINA AND JAPAN

The flora of the eastern China is the main part of Sino-Japaners floristic region. It shows from the analysis and comparison that the floristic relation of East China with Japan is closer than that with northeast China and Korea. The similarity indices of genera and species of seed plants in the two regions are very high, being 72.6% and 43.3% respectively. The structure and species composition of broad-leaval evergreen forests in the two regions are also similar, and there exist many corresponding communities, such as the forests of Castanopsis carlesii and C. sieboldii. Many plants in East China are conspecific with there in Japan, such as Cercidiphyllum japonicum, Magnolia sieboldii, Nandina domestica etc. Though the genera of Ginkgo, Liriodendron, Sassafras etc. existing now in China are extinct from Japan, their fossils have been discovered from the Tertiary strata in Japan. It seems to indicate that the phytogeographical affinities between East China and Japan are closer in ancient the than it is now, and both of the forest floras originated from the same flora. The flora in Japan did not evolve independently until it separated from Chinese continent and drifted northeastwards in the late period of the Tertiary.

Phytogeographical Distribution and Fruit Diversity of <i>Lagenaria siceraria</i>Species in Nigeria

Phytogeographical distribution and fruit diversity of Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standl species in Nigeria were accessed. Information on the distribution and fruit diversity was sourced from three herbaria, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria Herberia, University of Port Harcourt Herberia and the University of Ibadan Herberia. A field survey across fifteen states in Nigeria namely Kaduna, Kano, Plateau, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba, Bayelsa and Enugu, Ebonyi, Ondo, Ogun, Kwara Anambra and Rivers State. A total of twenty-four fruit shapes were accessed. The diversity of fruit shapes across the geographical regions of Nigeria shows that the Guinea savannah has all the twenty-four different landraces represented, while Tropical rain forest has nineteen, Sudan savannah has seventeen and Freshwater swamp and the Saltwater swamp has eleven different fruit shapes respectively. The fruits of Lagenaria siceraria (Mol) Standl is considered a topocline since it is not affected only by environmental factors but possess a wide distribution pattern across the geographical regions of Nigeria.

The Genus <i>Dracocephalum</i>L. in the Phytogeographical Regions of Uzbekistan

The article provides an analysis of the distribution of fourteen species belonging to seven sections of the genus Dracocephalum in the phytogeographical regions of Uzbekistan.

Assessment of plant diversity of endemic species of the Saharo-Arabian region in Egypt

Savanna, semi-deserts, and hot deserts characterize the Saharo-Arabian region, which includes Morocco, Mauretania, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Palestine, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, southern Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India. Its neighboring regions, the Sudano-Zambezian region belonging to the Paleotropical Kingdom and the Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian regions included in the Holarctic Kingdom, share a large portion of their flora with the Saharo-Arabian region. Despite the widespread acknowledgment of the region's global importance for plant diversity, an up to date list of the Saharo-Arabian endemics is still unavailable. The available data are frequently insufficient or out of date at both the whole global and the national scales. Therefore, the present study aims at screening and verifying the Saharo-Arabian endemic plants and determining the phytogeographical distribution of these taxa in the Egyptian flora. Hence, a preliminary list of 429 Saharo-Arabian endemic plants in Egypt was compiled from the available literature. Indeed, by excluding the species that were recorded in any countries or regions outside the Saharo-Arabian region based on different literature, database reviews, and websites, the present study has reduced this number to 126 taxa belonging to 87 genera and 37 families. Regarding the national geographic distribution, South Sinai is the richest region with 83 endemic species compared with other eight phytogeographic regions in Egypt, followed by the Isthmic Desert(the middle of Sinai Peninsula, 53 taxa). Sahara regional subzone(SS1) distributes all the 126 endemic species, Arabian regional subzone(SS2) owns 79 taxa, and Nubo-Sindian subzone(SS3) distributes only 14 endemics. Seven groups were recognized at the fourth level of classification as a result of the application of the two-way indicator species analysis(TWINSPAN) to the Saharo-Arabian endemic species in Egypt, i.e., Ⅰ Asphodelus refractus group, Ⅱ Agathophora alopecuroides var. papillosa group, Ⅲ Anvillea garcinii group, Ⅳ Reseda muricata group, V Agathophora alopecuroides var. alopecuroides group, Ⅵ Scrophularia deserti group, and Ⅶ Astragalus schimperi group. It's crucial to clearly define the Saharo-Arabian endemics and illustrate an updated verified database of these taxa for a given territory for providing future management plans that support the conservation and sustainable use of these valuable species under current thought-provoking devastating impacts of rapid anthropogenic and climate change in this region.

Woody species composition,diversity and structure of riparian forests of four watercourses types in Burkina Faso

Riparian forests are classified as endangered ecosystems in general,particularly in sahelian countries like Burkina Faso because of human-induced alterations and civil engineering works.The modification of this important habitat is continuing,with little attention being paid to the ecological or human consequences of these changes.The objective of this study is to describe the variation of woody species diversity and dynamic in riparian forests on different type of watercourse banks along phytogeographical gradient in Burkina Faso.All woody species were systematically measured in 90 sample plots with sides of 50 m × 20 m.Density,dominance,frequency and species and family importance values were computed to characterize the species composition.Different diver-sity indices were calculated to examine the heterogeneity of riparian forests.A total of 196 species representing 139 genera and 51 families were recorded in the overall riparian forests.The species richness of individuals with dbh ≥ 5cm increased significantly from the North to the South along the phytogeographical gradient and varied significantly between the different types of riparian forests.Similarity in tree species composition between riparian forests was low,which indicates high beta diversity and reflects differences in habitat conditions and topography.The structural characteristics varied significantly along the phyto-geographical gradient and between the different types of riparian forests.The diameter class distribution of trees in all riparian forests showed a reverse ＂J＂ shaped curve except riparian forest of stream indicating vegetation dominated by juvenile individuals.Considering the ecological importance of riparian forest,there is a need to delineate and classify them along watercourses throughout the country.

A Preliminary Vegetation-Ecological Study of <i>Davidia involucrata</i>Forest

Davidia involucrata is a rare endangered species belonging to the paleo-tropical flora of the Tertiary period, endemic to China, and has an important protection and ornamental value. However, the natural populations and distribution areas of this ancient plant have been decreased sharply, because it suffers much disturbance from human activity in many regions. In this paper, data on Davidia involucrata forest in its most natural distribution areas were collected;the percentages of geographical areal types of seed-plant genera (Sensu Wu 1991) were summed;the community types were summarized using Braun-Blanquet methodology;and the geographical differentiation among communities was analyzed by detrended canonical correspondence analysis. The analysis of geographical types shows that temperate species are dominant and that tropical species also make up a high percentage. This indicates that Davidia involucrata forest is mainly temperate vegetation. In total, 16 communities were recognized by classification, and these communities were usually dominated by deciduous broad-leaved species, sometimes mixed with some evergreen species. The shrub layer of Davidia involucrata forest is generally occupied by bamboos. The geographical patterns among the communities are influenced mainly by temperature and moisture availability, and the forest is most likely to grow in warm, humid habitats.

Asplenium sanshuiense sp. nov.:the Lowest Latitude Fossil Record of the Genus

Extant Asplenium is one of the most widespread fern groups and occurs in the temperate and tropical regions. However, the fossil records of this genus are poorly documented, especially in the low latitudes. Here, a new species, Asplenium sanshuiense sp. nov. is described from the early Eocene of Sanshui Basin, Guangdong Province, South China. This is the lowest modern latitude fossil record of Asplenium and the first fossil assignment of A. section Darea （Jussieu） Bak., as well as the first fossil record of Asplenium reported from South China. This new species shows that Asplenium had already spread into South China by the early Eocene and the section Darea （Jussieu） Bak. was identifiable within the genus Asplenium during that time. This new species, combined with previous fossil spore-pollen records indicates a warm and humid climate in the Sanshui Basin of the early Eocene.

The Geological-Evolutional Concept of Resin Genesis

Geological and evolutionary concept of the genesis of fossil resins:Fossil resins are a special group of natural organic compounds.The work is devoted to the determination of special features of formation,distribution,properties,composition of different types of fossil resins.The paper deals with the evolution of concepts of origin of fossil resins,contains data on the sources of resiniferous vegetation,discusses a problem of succinosis and a role of the chemical impact of mineral medium containing resins on the process of their formation,substantiates prospects of revealing of new resin deposits in the Mesozoic and Cainozoic sedimentations of Northern Eurasia.

Soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics linked to Piliostigma species in ferugino-tropical soils in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Burkina Faso, West Africa

In the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Burkina Faso, Piliostigma reticulatum （DC） Hochst and Piliostigma thonningii （Schumach） are precursor species of fallow land colonization and they are used by rural villagers. The present study aimed to assess the contribution of Piliostigma species to soil quality improvement. We quantified organic carbon, total nitrogen, soil microbial biomass, soil basal respiration and metabolic quotient from soil samples taken under and outside Piliostigma canopies. We used one-way ANOVA to test for differences in the above parameters between locations （beneath and outside Piliostigma canopies）. We recorded increased total organic carbon under Piliostigma from 31%–105% and in total nitrogen from 23%–66%. Microbial biomass was 13%–266% higher beneath canopies as compared to outside canopies. Basal respiration was also higher beneath canopies. The chemical elements varied by class of soil texture. Metabolic quotient （qCO2） was significantly correlated to clay （r = 0.80） and silt （r = 0.79） content. Piliostigma stands produced abundant litter due to their leaf biomass. Thus, they contribute to improved total organic carbon and total nitrogen content in the different phytogeographic zones and improve soil fertility.

Spirematospermum wetzleri (Heer) Chandler (Zingiberaceae) from the Miocene of Weichang, Hebei Province, North China and the phytogeographic history of the genus

Spirematospermum is a well-known extinct zingiberalean taxon, characterized by trilocular capsules containing many distinctive, spirally striate and arillate seeds. It is frequently found and studied in European Neogene carpological floras, but is scarcely represented in East Asia floras. In this work we recognize a new fossil record of Spirematospermum wetzleri（Heer） Chandler based on the capsules and seeds from the Miocene of Weichang, Hebei Province, North China. These fossils represent the first record of the species in the Miocene of China. Fossil data indicate that Spirematospermum probably originated in the Late Cretaceous of North America or Central Europe.The genus still existed in the Paleocene of North America, but became extinct after that time. However, the genus successively survived in Europe from the Eocene to Pliocene, and flourished luxuriantly during the Oligocene to Miocene. As there was Turgai Strait between Europe and Asia during the Eocene, the genus did not spread to Central Asia and West Siberia until the strait closed in the late Eocene/early Oligocene, and further expanded eastwardly to eastern Siberia, Russia, northern China and central Japan during the Miocene, but became extinct in Asia after the Miocene. The genus contracted its distribution to Europe in the Pliocene, and afterwards it became extinct in the world.

Three-dimensional reconstruction of Late Miocene Trapa from eastern Zhejiang Province,China:Insights into its phytogeography and evolution

Abundant plant fossils were found in the Upper Miocene Shengxian Formation,eastern Zhejiang Province,China,among which Trapa belongs to a dominant population.The fossil fruits of Trapa were well preserved with abundant details.However,due to compaction during fossilization,Trapa fruits were often flattened,leading to the loss of some characteristic features.Thereby,a bias in taxonomic and phylogenetic studies would occur when such studies were based on these fruit fossils.In this study,we present the first quantitative three-dimensional reconstruction of compressed Trapa fruit fossils to restore their original morphology prior to burial.This approach provides a novel perspective for the identification and classification of compressed fruit fossils.The three-dimensional reconstruction of Trapa fruit fossils enabled accurate comparisons with extant species.We subsequently identified it as a new species,named Trapa radiatiformis L.Xiao sp.nov.,revealing differences from previously known taxa of Trapa.Importantly,our comparison suggests that the long lower horns and residual stalk may represent inherent characteristics of early Trapa fruits.However,these traits gradually degenerated during fruit evolution,resulting in morphological simplification during geological time.T.radiatiformis with primitive features exhibits good resemblance to Trapa natans fruit characteristics,which means it may be an ancestor of T.natans.We summarize the palaeogeographic distribution of fossil Trapa using previously published literature and demonstrate that the genus was mostprosperous in the Miocene and exhibited the same distribution as that at present.Additionally,through detailed morphological comparisons between Trapa and Hemitrapa fruits,along with phylogenetic analysis within the Primotrapa genus itself,we propose a homology between Trapa and Hemitrapa,suggesting that they could have a common ancestor.