Evolutionary history shapes variation of wood density of tree species across the world

The effect of evolutionary history on wood density variation may play an important role in shaping variation in wood density,but this has largely not been tested.Using a comprehensive global dataset including 27,297 measurements of wood density from 2621 tree species worldwide,we test the hypothesis that the legacy of evolutionary history plays an important role in driving the variation of wood density among tree species.We assessed phylogenetic signal in different taxonomic(e.g.,angiosperms and gymnosperms)and ecological(e.g.,tropical,temperate,and boreal)groups of tree species,explored the biogeographical and phylogenetic patterns of wood density,and quantified the relative importance of current environmental factors(e.g.,climatic and soil variables)and evolutionary history(i.e.,phylogenetic relatedness among species and lineages)in driving global wood density variation.We found that wood density displayed a significant phylogenetic signal.Wood density differed among different biomes and climatic zones,with higher mean values of wood density in relatively drier regions(highest in subtropical desert).Our study revealed that at a global scale,for angiosperms and gymnosperms combined,phylogeny and species(representing the variance explained by taxonomy and not direct explained by long-term evolution process)explained 84.3%and 7.7%of total wood density variation,respectively,whereas current environment explained 2.7%of total wood density variation when phylogeny and species were taken into account.When angiosperms and gymnosperms were considered separately,the three proportions of explained variation are,respectively,84.2%,7.5%and 6.7%for angiosperms,and 45.7%,21.3%and 18.6%for gymnosperms.Our study shows that evolutionary history outpaced current environmental factors in shaping global variation in wood density.

The first mitogenome of Lauraceae(Cinnamomum chekiangense)

There are three distinct genetic systems in higher plants,the dominant nuclear genome and the semi-autonomous organelle genomes(plastids and mitochondria).In contrast to the conserved plastid genome(plastome),the plant mitochondrial genome(mitogenome)is characterized by an intriguing“evolutionary paradox”distinguished by a remarkably low mutation rate but with a significantly high rearrangement rate(Palmer and Herbon,1988;Lai et al.,2022).

Effects of fertilization and container-type on nutrient uptake and utilization by four subtropical tree seedlings

Seedling quality is important for subtropical tree species endangered by the degradation of natural habitats in southern China.At present,the cultural regime for raising these seedlings involving fertilizer levels and size of container is not clear.In this study,seedlings of three endangered species,red-seed tree(Ormosia hosiei),Zhejiang phoebe(Phoebe chekian gensis),and Zhejiang camphor(Cinnamomum japonicum)were evaluated along with red-bark oak(Cyclobalanopsis gilva)as a reference,a species which is not endangered.Seedlings were raised in 2.8,3.6,5.1,and 6.3 L containers and fertilizer applied at 1.0,2.0,3.0 and 4.0 kg m-3.Seedling height and leaf biomass increased in response to higher fertilizer levels while larger containers resulted in greater stem and root biomass.Root biomass of endangered species seedlings did not respond to neither treatments.Zhejiang phoebe seedlings responded to nitrogen and phosphorus uptake but red-seed tree seedlings were unaffected by any nutrient levels.Red-bark oak seedlings had high nitrogen-use efficiency.Based on the results,it is recommended using at least 5.1 L containers to culture Zhejiang phoebe and Zhejiang camphor seedlings with fertilizer at 3.0 kg m-3.Red-bark oak and red-seed tree seedlings should be cultured with 2.0 kg m-3 in smaller containers.

Comparing community birdwatching and professional bird monitoring with implications for avian diversity research: a case study of Suzhou, China

Background:In the past decades,birdwatching as a hobby developed rapidly and produced ample scientific records that have aided conservation efforts.Therefore,it is increasingly attractive to promote avian research by providing data from birdwatching.Methods:We compared records from 16 years of community birdwatching and a 1-year formalized bird monitoring in Suzhou,China to study the similarities and differences between the two monitoring methods.Results:We showed that within the 325 bird species recorded by the two methods,an annual average of 108 species were documented by community science and 223 bird species were recorded by 1-year formalized monitoring.Measured by the number of bird species recorded per survey trip,the bird monitoring activity of community birdwatchers was significantly lower.Furthermore,the monitoring intensity of community birdwatching measured as the average survey trips per site each survey year was also lower than that of formalized bird monitoring.In addition,community birdwatchers preferred urban landscapes to rural areas.Conclusions:Community birdwatching could record the majority of local birds and complements the professional surveys in avian research.Well designed and coordinated community science can be used to expand the knowledge about avian distribution and population dynamics.These findings are critical for the development of conservation science with regard to community involvement.

Solar radiation effects on leaf nitrogen and phosphorus stoichiometry of Chinese fir across subtropical China

Background:Solar radiation(SR)plays critical roles in plant physiological processes and ecosystems functions.However,the exploration of SR influences on the biogeochemical cycles of forest ecosystems is still in a slow progress,and has important implications for the understanding of plant adaption strategy under future environmental changes.Herein,this research was aimed to explore the influences of SR on plant nutrient characteristics,and provided theoretical basis for introducing SR into the establishment of biochemical models of forest ecosystems in the future researches.Methods:We measured leaf nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)stoichiometry in 19 Chinese fir plantations across subtropical China by a field investigation.The direct and indirect effects of SR,including global radiation(Global R),direct radiation(Direct R)and diffuse radiation(Diffuse R)on the leaf N and P stoichiometry were investigated.Results:The linear regression analysis showed that leaf N concentration had no association with SR,while leaf P concentration and N:P ratio were negatively and positively related to SR,respectively.Partial least squares path model(PLS-PM)demonstrated that SR(e.g.Direct R and Diffuse R),as a latent variable,exhibited direct correlations with leaf N and P stoichiometry as well as the indirect correlation mediated by soil P content.The direct associations(path coefficient=−0.518)were markedly greater than indirect associations(path coefficient=−0.087).The covariance-based structural equation modeling(CB-SEM)indicated that SR had direct effects on leaf P concentration(path coefficient=−0.481),and weak effects on leaf N concentration.The high SR level elevated two temperature indexes(mean annual temperature,MAT;≥10°C annual accumulated temperature,≥10℃ AAT)and one hydrological index(mean annual evapotranspiration,MAE),but lowered the soil P content.MAT,MAE and soil P content could affect the leaf P concentration,which cause the indirect effect of SR on leaf P concentration(path coefficient=0.004).Soil N content had positive effect on the leaf N concentration,which was positively and negatively regulated by MAP and≥10℃ AAT,respectively.Conclusions:These results confirmed that SR had negatively direct and indirect impacts on plant nutrient status of Chinese fir based on a regional investigation,and the direct associations were greater than the indirect associations.Such findings shed light on the guideline of taking SR into account for the establishment of global biogeochemical models of forest ecosystems in the future studies.

Clonal variations in nutritional components of Pinus koreansis seeds collected from seed orchards in Northeastern China

From four Korean pine （Pinus koraiensis） orchards, 60 clones were selected and analyzed for the fatty acid and amino acid components of the seeds to reveal the variations and correlations of the seed characteristics among the clonal source orchards and clones. The nutri- tional components of the seeds of the P. koraiensis trees exhibited rich genetic variation; the variation coefficient of the fatty acids was 2.24-66.83 %, while the variation coefficient of the amino acids was 14.70-38.88 %. Rela- tively high genetic-improvement potential exists for the nutritional components of the seeds. The phenotypic dif- ferentiation of the fatty acid and amino acid components reveals that variation within the population （85.18 %） was the primary source for the variation of the fatty acid components; variation among the orchards （63.08 %） was the primary source of the variation of the amino acid components. Data drawn from various clonal source orchards all showed that the seed characteristics were highly controlled by heritability （h2 〉 80 %）, and the seed characteristics of the P. koraiensis trees exhibited a similar genetic gain trend. The principal components were ana- lyzed to obtain the comprehensive principal component value for each clonal seed orchard. Twelve clones were selected based on a clonal selection rate of 20 %. Corre- lation and multiple stepwise-regression analyses were conducted, considering different location conditions, to reveal the stable correlations between the seed character- istics to facilitate improvements of the seed yield of P. koraiensis trees and the clonal selection. Species of real characteristics in P. koraiensis were controlled by higher heritability. Genetic gain was obtained by selecting of superior clones.

Effects of Chemical Components on the Amount of Green Tea Cream

The relationship between the amount of tea cream and the chemical components contents in the original green tea infusion was investigated. The results showed that the amounts of tea cream in the green tea infusions obtained from different cultivars and different parts of new shoots were varied. There were many chemical components participating in the formation of green tea cream. However, there were only the contents of caffeine （Y=0.85, P〈0.01） and polyphenols （Y=0.65, P〈0.05） in the original green tea infusion highly correlated with the amount of green tea cream. Stepwise regression analysis of overall chemical components indicated that the contents of caffeine and gallated catechins in the original green tea infusion had a significant effect （P〈0.01） on green tea cream levels. Cream （g L-1）=-172.071＋ 0.129×Ccaffeine＋0.024×Ggallated catechins （R2=0.936）. The amount of green tea cream can be predicted by the contents of gallated catechins and caffeine in the original tea infusion. Principal component analysis also indicated that catechins, minerals, and polysaccharides were the important chemical components in the formation of green tea cream.

Physicochemical Properties and Nutritional Ingredients of Kernel Oil of <i>Carya cathayensis</i>Sarg

Carya cathayensis Sarg is distributed near Tianmu mountain areas in Zhejiang Province and Anhui Province, China. Kernel of Carya cathayensis Sarg, which is well-known for the daintiness and nutritional content, is popular and very delicious food in eastern China. In this paper, we investigated the physiochemical properties and nutrient gradients of the kernel oil of Carya cathayensis Sarg. The results showed that the kernel oil of Carya cathayensis Sarg contained 63% of fat, 9.1% of proteins, 3.6% of starch and 4.6% of soluble proteins (based ration of weight). The compositions of the fatty acids were very similar to olive oil, and the total unsaturated fatty acids were 94%. Meanwhile, the kernel oil of Carya cathayensis Sarg also contained some polyphenols such as vanillic acid, ferulic acid, 3-methoxybenzoic acid and quercetin. The content of total polyphenols was 9.7 μg/g. Furthermore, the kernel oil of Carya cathayensis Sarg also contained some trace amount of squalene, β-Sitosterol, Vitamin E.

Chemistry of the Main Component of Essential Oil of <i>Litsea cubeba</i>and Its Derivatives

The tree of Litsea cubeba is widely spread in China, Indonesia and other part of Southeast Asia. The essential oil of Litsea cubeba (EOLC) is obtained by steam distillation from the pepper-like fruits tree Litsea cubeba. The EOLC consists of about 29 active compounds. Among them, citral is the main component;the content of citral is nearly 80% of the EOLC. Due to the special function group, citral is easy to react with many chemicals. Thus, EOLC is usually applied as starting material to carry out aldol condensation, reduction, and six-member ring forming reaction. The EOLC is extensively employed to synthesis of geranal nitriles, pseudonoe, ionone, methyl ionone, Vitamin E and Vitamin A. These products are broadly applied in the fields of fragrance, perfume, medicine and so on. This paper presents comprehensive utilization of EOLC as raw materials to synthesize many active chemicals.

Anti-Fatigue Effect of Blended <i>Camellia oleifera Abel</i>Tea Oil and Ge-132 in Mice

Nowadays, people are busier and busier for working and living, and suffer a lot of pressure on their body or mind. Therefore, people are prone to have fatigue activity and decrease their working efficiency and happiness. It was reported that fatigue is a common symptom in the community, with up to half of the general population complaining of fatigue. More and more researchers devoted themselves to studying natural active ingredients in organism as the anti-fatigue drugs to release fatigue symptom. However, these natural ingredients were difficult to obtain from plants, animals and microorganisms by separating and purifying. In addition, some active substances have many side effects. In our study, we employed tea seed oil as main ingredients blended with bis-(carboxyethylgermanium) sesquioxide (Ge-132) to investigate the effects of anti-fatigue on mice by administrating mice with low dose, intermediate dose and high dose of tea seed oil complex for 0, 2 or 4 weeks. The specific tests of studying effects of anti-fatigue were body weight, weight-loaded force swimming, blood urea nitrogen, blood lactic acid and hepaticglycogen. And the results showed that appropriate level of tea seed oil complex could decrease the body weight and prolong the weight-loaded swimming time, and had an active effect on the bloodurea nitrogen, hepatic glycogen and blood lactic acid level mice, which significantly embodied the anti-fatigue activity of tea seed oil complex.

Molecular breeding of water lily: engineering cold stress tolerance into tropical water lily

Water lilies(order Nymphaeales)are rich in both economic and cultural values.They grow into aquatic herbs,and are divided into two ecological types:tropical and hardy.Although tropical water lilies have more ornamental and medicinal values compared to the hardy water lily,the study and utilization of tropical water lilies in both landscaping and pharmaceutical use is greatly hindered due to their limited planting area.Tropical water lilies cannot survive the winter in areas beyond 24.3°N latitude.Here,the transgenic pipeline through the pollen-tube pathway was generated for water lily for the first time.To improve cold stress tolerance of tropical water lilies,a gene encoding choline oxidase(CodA)driven by a cold stress-inducible promoter was transformed into a tropical water lily through the pollen-tube transformation.Six independent transgenic lines were tested for survival rate during two winter seasons from 2015 to 2017 in Hangzhou(30.3°N latitude).PCR and southern blot detection revealed that the CodA gene had been integrated into the genome.Reverse transcription PCR showed that CodA gene was induced after cold stress treatment,and further quantitative real-time PCR revealed different expressions among six 4 lines and line 3 had the highest expression.Multiple physiological experiments showed that after cold stress treatment,both the conductivity and malondialdehyde(MDA)levels from transgenic plants were significantly lower than those of non-transgenic plants,whereas the content of betaine and the activity of superoxide dismutase,catalase,and peroxidase were higher than those from non-transgenic plants.These results suggest that expression of exogenous CodA gene significantly improved the cold stress tolerance of tropical water lilies through a wide range of physiological alterations.Our results currently expanded a six-latitude cultivating area of the tropical water lilies.These results not only illuminate the bright future for water lily breeding but will also facilitate the functional genomic studies.

Isolation of Total Saponins from <i>Sapindus mukorossi</i>Gaerth

The study has been carried out to investigate the effects of single factors such as solvents extraction temperature, times, solid-liquid ration, and the time of extractions on the yields of saponins present in the pulp of Sapindus mukorossi Gaerth. On this basis, an L9 orthogonal design of experiment was adopted to determine the optimal conditions for the extraction of saponins. The factors that influence the extraction of saponins are put in the order of extraction times, extraction time, solid-liquid ration, and the best combination is that the powder of the pulp is extracted with EtOH (solid-to-solvent ratio = 1:8, w/v) for three times at 60°C for 3 hours. Under these conditions, about 1.63 g saponins will be extracted from 10 g raw material. The stability test showed that the Sapindus mukuross saponins can maintain surface activity at water temperature (25°C - 40°C), pH (6.3 - 7.7) and water hardness (50 - 250 mg.L-1). It is proved that Sapindus mukuross saponins are quality non-ionic active agent.

The persimmon(Diospyros oleifera Cheng)genome provides new insights into the inheritance of astringency and ancestral evolution

Persimmon(Diospyros kaki)is an oriental perennial woody fruit tree whose popular fruit is produced and consumed worldwide.The persimmon fruit is unique because of the hyperaccumulation of proanthocyanidins during fruit development,causing the mature fruit of most cultivars to have an astringent taste.In this study,we obtained a chromosome-scale genome assembly for‘Youshi’(Diospyros oleifera,2n=2x=30),the diploid species of persimmon,by integrating Illumina sequencing,single-molecule real-time sequencing,and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture techniques.The assembled D.oleifera genome consisted of 849.53 Mb,94.14%(799.71 Mb)of which was assigned to 15 pseudochromosomes,and is the first assembled genome for any member of the Ebenaceae.Comparative genomic analysis revealed that the D.oleifera genome underwent an ancientγwhole-genome duplication event.We studied the potential genetic basis for astringency development(proanthocyanidin biosynthesis)and removal(proanthocyanidin insolublization).Proanthocyanidin biosynthesis genes were mainly distributed on chromosome 1,and the clustering of these genes is responsible for the genetic stability of astringency heredity.Genome-based RNA-seq identified deastringency genes,and promoter analysis showed that most of their promoters contained large numbers of low oxygen-responsive motifs,which is consistent with the efficient industrial application of high CO2 treatment to remove astringency.Using the D.oleifera genome as the reference,SLAF-seq indicated that‘Youshi’is one of the ancestors of the cultivated persimmon(2n=6x=90).Our study provides significant insights into the genetic basis of persimmon evolution and the development and removal astringency,and it will facilitate the improvement of the breeding of persimmon fruit.

Effects of the <i>Camellia oleifera </i>Shell Substrate on the Yield and Nutritional Composition of <i>Pleurotus geesteranus</i>

Pleurotus geesteranus was cultivated on the substrates blended with different ratios of treated and untreated Camellia oleifera shells using cottonseed hull as the control substrate. The mycelial growth rate, yield, nutritional composition, ash and heavy metals of the Pleurotus geesteranus cultivated on these substrates were compared. The results suggest that the Camellia oleifera shell in substrate can accelerate the mycelial growth and increase the yield, nutrients and the contents of protein, ash, crude fiber and amino acid of Pleurotus geesteranus. It was found that the contents of tannin and saponin in Camellia oleifera shell affected the mycelial growth rate. The optimal C/N of the substrate for the growth of Pleurotus geesteranus was determined to be 27 ± 0.7. The C/N ratios higher than 30 reduced the protein, fat and soluble sugar contents of the cultivated Pleurotus geesteranus. The contents of heavy metals including Hg, As, Cd and Pb were found in Pleurotus geesteranus cultivated on the substrates containing Camellia oleifera shell complex.

Anti-Hypertensive Effects of Blended <i>Camellia oleifera</i>Abel Oil and Eucommia Extract on SHR Mice

In our study, we employed Camellia seed oil as the main ingredients blended with Eucommia Extract to investigate the effects of anti-hypertensive on mice by administrating mice with low dose, middle dose and high dose of Camellia seed oil complex for 4 weeks. The specific tests of studying effects of anti-hypertensive were body weight, blood systolic pressure (BSP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pm meam blood pressure (MBP) and heart rate (HR). And the results showed that appropriate level of Camellia seed oil complex could decrease the body weight and had an active effect on the cardiovascular system of mice, which significantly embodied the anti-hypertensive activity of Camellia seed oil complex.

White oak (Quercus fabri Hance) regenerated stump sprouts show few senescence symptoms during 40 years of growth in a natural forest

Background:The relationship between physiological age of parental trees and lifespan of clonal offspring is unclear.White oak(Quercus fabri Hance)has a high sprouting capability after harvest,with the regenerated sprouts being typical clonal individuals.To determine whether regenerated sprouts undergo rapid senescence compared with the parent,the senescence levels of 5-,10-,20-and 40-year-old regenerated stump sprouts in a natural forest were evaluated.The antioxidative abilities and transcriptomes in these leaves and shoots were compared.Results:Older regenerated sprouts still had robust antioxidative systems,with 40-year-old sprouts having lower peroxidation product levels but similar antioxidative enzyme activity levels compared with 5-year-old sprouts.Older leaves had greater transcriptional activities in pathways related to cell growth and division than younger leaves.However,older sprouts had some unhealthy characteristics,such as increased base excision repair levels and upregulated phagosome,proteasome and glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways in 40-year-old leaves,which indicates that DNA damage and tissue remodeling occurred more frequently than in younger leaves.Additionally,plant-pathogen interactions and MAPK signals pathways were upregulated in older shoots,which indicates that older shoots suffered from more pathogen-related biotic stress.Conclusions:The 40-year-old sprouts still had the same vitality level as the 5-year-old sprouts,although the former had some unhealthy characteristics.We conclude that during their first 40 years of growth,regenerated stump sprouts do not begin to senesce,and that physiological age of parental trees does not significantly affect the lifespan of its clonal offspring.

Effect of <i>Carya cathayensis Sarg</i>Shell Substrate on Yield and Nutrient Amount of <i>Pleurotus geesteranus</i>

Using cottonseed hull as the control substrate, different proportions of the untreated and treated Carya cathayensis Sarg shells were added to cultivation of Pleurotus geesteranus. The mycelial growth rate, yield, nutritional composition and contents of heavy metals of the Pleurotus geesteranus cultivated on these substrates were determined. The results suggest that added to treated Carya cathayensis Sarg shell promoted the mycelial growth and increased the yield, biological efficiency and the contents of crude fiber, ash, amino acids and essential amino acids of Pleurotus geesteranus. In addition, the fat content and soluble sugar contents of Pleurotus geesteranus were decreased with the increase of the Carya cathayensis Sarg shell content in substrate, but their contents of heavy metals including mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) were higher than that obtained on control substrate.

Application Status and Prospect of <i>Pinus massoniana</i>Sawdust as the Substrate for the Cultivation of Edible Fungi

In this paper, the research status of using Pinus massoniana sawdust for the cultivation of edible fungi was analyzed and discussed. It was found that Pinus massoniana sawdust contained the material base of edible fungi with sufficient cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin and a small amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, other mineral salts, and some vitamins for the growth of edible fungi. However, the Pinus massoniana wood contained a significant amount of terpenoids, which are detrimental to the growth of edible fungus and mycelial. The major and current detoxification methods for Pinus massoniana sawdust were analyzed, such as steaming method, distillation method, lime water immersion method, outdoor piling fermentation method, and chemical method. Their advantages and disadvantages were discussed and reviewed. Finally, the major issues in the application of Pinus massoniana sawdust as the cultivation substrate of edible fungi were analyzed, and the application prospect of Pinus massoniana sawdust as the substrate for the cultivation of edible fungi was also reviewed.

Effects of the <i>Castanea mollissima Blume</i>Shell Cultivation Substrate on the Yield and Nutritional Composition of <i>Pleurotus geesteranus</i>

Cottonseed hull substrates blended with different ratios of Castanea mollissima Blume shell were prepared and used for the cultivation of Pleurotus geesteranus. The effects of the chestnut shell content on the mycelial growth rate, yield, nutritional composition and contents of heavy metals of the cultivated Pleurotus geesteranus were investigated. The results suggest that the Castanea mollissima Blume shell in substrate can increase the mycelial growth rate, yield, biological efficiency and the contents of protein, crude fiber, amino acids and essential amino acids of Pleurotus geesteranus. Further investigation suggests that the tannin and saponin in Castanea mollissima Blume shell and the C/N ratio of substrate significantly influence the mycelial growth rate. The crude fat content of Pleurotus geesteranus decreased, while the contents of heavy metals including mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) increased with the increase of the Castanea mollissima Blume shell content in substrate. Based on these results, the content of Castanea mollissima Blume shell was optimized to be less than 30% for the cultivation of Pleurotus geesteranus.

Study on the Composition and Super Critical Carbon Dioxide Extraction of Chinese Hickory (<i>Carya cathayensis</i>Sarg.) Kernel Oil

Chinese hickory (Carya cathayensis Sarg.) is one of the most productive woody oil-bearing plant in China. Four different extraction methods were explored and supercritical CO2 was selected as green and non-toxic solvent to extract Chinese kernel oil. Four experiment factors, particles size, extraction time, extraction temperature and extraction pressure, were selected to carry out the single factor experiments. According to the results of orthogonal experiments design, the condition of B3C2A2D2 was the optimum reaction parameters. When the experiments were carried out at the optimum parameters, the yield of Chinese hickory kernel oil was 74.5%. The oil fatty acids profiles were analyzed, the results showed that total unsaturated fatty acids were 93.05%. Among them, oleic acid was 66.5 ± 0.44 as the main component. Saturated fatty acids were 6.92 ± 0.21.