Orchid conservation in China from 2000 to 2020:Achievements and perspectives

We review achievements in the conservation of orchid diversity in China over the last 21 years.We provide updated information on orchid biodiversity and suggestions for orchid conservation in China.We outline national policies of biodiversity conservation,especially of orchid conservation,which provide general guidelines for orchid conservation in China.There are now approximately 1708 known species of Orchidaceae in 181 genera in China,including five new genera and 365 new species described over the last 21 years.The assessment of risk of extinction of all 1502 known native orchid species in China in 2013 indicated that 653 species were identified as threatened,132 species were treated as data-deficient,and four species endemic to China were classified as extinct.Approximately 1100 species(ca.65%)are protected in national nature reserves,and another~66 species in provincial nature reserves.About 800 native orchid species have living collections in major botanical gardens.The pollination biology of 74 native orchid species and the genetic diversity and spatial genetic structure of 29 orchid species have been investigated at a local scale and/or across species distributions.The mycorrhizal fungal community composition has been investigated in many genera,such as Bletilla,Coelogyne,Cymbidium,Cypripedium,and Dendrobium.Approximately 292 species will be included in the list of national key protected wild plants this year.Two major tasks for near future include in situ conservation and monitoring population dynamics of endangered species.

Genetic diversity of the endangered species Rosa rugosa Thunb.in China and implications for conservation strategies

Rosa rugosa Thunb. is one of the dominant and important shrub species in estuary dunes and shingle beaches of northern China. However, its area of distribution, the number of populations, and the size of each population have decreased rapidly in the past two decades because of habitat degradation and loss. Random amplified polymorphic DNA markers were used to determine the genetic diversity of four remaining large natural populations of R. rugosa and to discuss an effective conservation strategy for this endangered species in China. High genetic variations were detected in R. rugosa populations in China. The mean percentage of polymorphic loci （P%） within four local populations was 57.99%, with the P% of the total population being 75.30%. Mean Shannon＇s information index （H0） was 0.2826, whereas total Ho was 0.3513. The genetic differentiation among populations was 0.1878, which indicates that most genetic diversity occurs within populations. Population Tumenjiang （TMJ） showed the highest genetic diversity （P% = 66.27%; H0 = 0.3117） and contained two exclusive bands. Population Changshandao （CSD） showed higher genetic diversity （P% =59.04%; H0 = 0.3065）. Populations TMJ and CSD contained 95.33% and 99.33%, respectively, of loci with moderate to high frequency （P〉0.05） of the total population. These results indicate that populations TMJ and CSD should be given priority for in situ conservation and regarded as seed or propagule sources for ex situ conservation. The results of the present study also suggest that R. rugosa in China has become endangered as a result of human actions rather than genetic depression of populations; thus, human interference should be absolutely forbidden in R. rugosa habitats.

Plant micro-reserves in Valencia(E. Spain):A model to preserve threatened flora in China?

The Valencian Community(eastern Spain) was the pioneer territory establishing plant micro-reserves(PMRs). Its model to protect small sites for endemic and endangered plants has been exported to several countries around the globe. This paper highlights 1) the role of PMRs to complement the protection provided by large protected areas, 2) how the establishment of PMRs fosters the increase of floristic knowledge, and 3)the fact that continuous monitoring of PMRs also yields new records of endangered species found within the same PMRs. The flexibility of the PMR approach-it can be adapted to other national and regional legislationsallows its transfer to other rich-biodiversity regions and countries such as China.

Biogenetic Linkage among Ecotopes within Matera-Sassi (Italy) Habitat

In the management of UNESCO cultural sites of significant environmental importance, the erroneous assumption that the environment is independent of biological heritage often prevails. The mapping of phylogenetic resources in the ancient city Matera-Sassi (MS) and the multivariable analysis at the level of ecotope and habitat have made it possible to identify the consistency of the plant genetic heritage and the biogenetic associations between the different ecotopes through the species they host. The bioclimatic variables and geomorphology of MS define an ecological niche refuge for rare or absent species in the surrounding landscape (e.g., Campanula versicolor L., Centranthus ruber (L.) Dc., Capparis spinosa L., Cymbalaria muralis Hill, Crepis spp., Lavathera arborea L.) The total floristic capital in MS amounts to 190 species belonging to 59 different botanical families;80% are native species and only 4% are invasive. About half are Mediterranean with a moderate presence (17%) of cosmopolitan and sub-cosmopolitan;5% are endemic species. Autogenic ecotopes (Type I) represented by “Pleistocene limestone” and “House wall” contribute to the variation of total biodiversity through Endemic species mainly Chamephytes;anthropogenic ecotopes (Type III) such as “Garden” and “Town boundary” with Archaeophytes and exotic Neophytes mainly Phanerophytes;while “Humid margins” and mixed ecotopes (Type II) are linked to feral species and mainly to hemi-cryptophytes and therophytes. Minimum spanning tree of the habitat features traced by the floristic biological heritage is consistent with the pedogenetic relationships between primary mother rocks, their derived ecotopes and anthropogenic impacts. Ecotope ranking based on its biodiversity value indicates that appropriate simultaneous conservation of both genetic resources and human works is achievable.