Overstory functional groups indicate the legacy of land use in a secondary tropical forest in southwestern China

Anthropogenic disturbances are widespread in tropical forests and influence the species composition in the overstory.However,the impacts of historical disturbance on tropical forest overstory recovery are unclear due to a lack of disturbance data,and previous studies have focused on understory species.In this study,the purpose was to deter-mine the influence of historical disturbance on the diver-sity,composition and regeneration of overstory species in present forests.In the 20-ha Xishuangbanna tropical sea-sonal rainforest dynamics plot in southwestern China,the historical disturbance boundaries were delineated based on panchromatic photographs from 1965.Factors that drove species clustering in the overstory layer(DBH≥40 cm)were analyzed and the abundance,richness and composition of these species were compared among different tree groups based on multiple regression tree analysis.The coefficient of variation of the brightness value in historical panchro-matic photographs from 1965 was the primary driver of spe-cies clustering in the overstory layer.The abundance and richness of overstory species throughout the regeneration process were similar,but species composition was always different.Although the proportion of large-seeded and vigorous-sprouting species showed no significant differ-ence between disturbed and undisturbed forests in the tree-let layer(DBH<20 cm),the difference became significant when DBH increased.The findings highlight that historical disturbances have strong legacy effects on functional group composition in the overstory and the recovery of overstory species was multidimensional.Functional group composi-tion can better indicate the dynamics of overstory species replacement during secondary succession.

Responding of zooplankton to environmental factor changes in the Changjiang River estuarine regions in spring-summer from 2016 to 2020

The estuarine areas are under frequent influence from freshwater intrusion and ocean currents,in which zooplankton species are diversified and variable as they are sensitive to physio-chemical variations in water.Therefore,understanding the relationships between zooplankton and environmental factors help us know the water quality.To achieve co-existence with species in similar ecological group or habit,they could inevitably alter themselves to fit the ecology and adjust the function according to the competitive exclusion in ecological theory.However,information of the co-existence of dominant species in the Changjiang(Yangtze)River estuary(CRE)and adjacent waters remains scarce.We explored the relationships between dominant zooplankton and environmental factors in the study region in spring-summer from 2016 to 2020,involving particularly the composition of dominant species,ecological groups,their relationships with environmental factors,and co-existence of important species,using the non-multidimensional scale analysis(nMDS)method and redundancy analysis.Results show that Labidocera euchaeta and Tortanus vermiculus were dominant species in the study scope.The turnover rate of dominant zooplankton was greater(>50%)in spring while the species number was higher in summer.The dominant species were estuarine,offshore,and eurytopic based on the adaptation to salinity.In spring,the ecological groups were dominated by estuarine species,while in summer by estuarine and offshore species.In addition,the nMDS showed that the dominant species in the same ecological group were more dispersed and not prominently clustered;the dominant species were staggered among different ecological groups.The temperature,salinity,pH,dissolved oxygen,and chlorophyll a were the main environmental factors on the distribution of the dominant species in spring,while in summer were dissolved oxygen,temperature,salinity,and pH.The domination of medusae of Nemopsis bachei and Pleurobrachia globosa in zooplankton community in spring,and the continuous decrease in abundance of L.euchaeta reflected the effects of local climate change.The temperature and salinity changes in different years and the subsequent response of zooplankton reflected the influence of freshwater intrusion and/or ocean currents.Zooplankton in similar ecological habits exhibited the competitive exclusion in terms of co-existence.

Effects of natural forest conversion and plantation tree species composition on soil macrofauna communities in Northeast China mountains

As primary and secondary forests are being replaced by plantations across the globe,the soil macrofauna community structure is also affected,but little is known about the impact of mixed culture plantations compared with monocultures on the soil macrofauna.To determine the impact of forest conversion on soil macrofauna,we surveyed the soil macrofauna in two broad-leaved and three coniferous monoculture stands and four coniferous-broadleaved mixed stands,and in adjacent reserved secondary stands as a reference.Soil macro fauna community composition was significant affected by forest type,season and their interaction(P<0.05).The abundance,taxa richness and diversity of soil macro fauna changed to different degrees depending on the plantation type.Broadleaved monoculture stands and secondary stands had similar macrofauna abundance and taxa richness,but values were lower in coniferous stands than in secondary stands.The Shannon index for macrofauna in coniferous stands was also the lowest,but the Pielou index did not differ between forest types.The negative effects of the conifer monoculture on soil macro fauna were not present in the mixed stands with broad-leaved trees.Forest conversion impacted soil properties;soil moisture,NO_(3)^(-),and pH were significant drivers of soil macrofauna community structure.The impact of forest conversion on soil macrofauna was closely dependent on tree species composition and diversity.The macro fauna community structure in the broadleaved and the mixed stands were relatively similar to that in the natural forest,and thus recommended for forest conversion in the study area.

Redefinition of the Odorrana versabilis Group,with a New Species from China(Anura,Ranidae,Odorrana)

Taxonomic studies of the Odorrana versabilis group have been consistently disorganized,and they have often been incorrectly associated with an abandoned subgenus or genus Bamburana in existing literature.In this study,we conducted an integrative taxonomic analysis using molecular phylogenetic analysis of two mitochondrial gene fragments(16S rRNA and CO1)and morphological examination of 41 specimens collected during herpetological surveys in southern China.Our results confirmed the monophyly of O.versabilis group which exhibited distinct morphological traits.We also identified a cryptic lineage sister with O.exiliversabilis.Additionally,our study revealed that O.trankieni was nested within O.nasuta.Consequently,we redefined the morphological characteristics of the O.versabilis group,described a new species in this group,O.confusa sp.nov.,and proposed that O.trankieni be considered a junior synonym of O.nasuta.One of the most significant findings of this study was the observation of distinct morphological changes in adult males across all species within the O.versabilis group between the non-breeding and breeding seasons.This study contributes to research on various aspects of Asian amphibian fauna,including taxonomy,ecology,evolution,and physiology.

Comparative genomics of widespread and narrow-range white-bellied rats in the Niviventer niviventer species complex sheds light on invasive rodent success

Widespread species that inhabit diverse environments possess large population sizes and exhibit a high capacity for environmental adaptation,thus enabling range expansion.In contrast,narrow-range species are confined to restricted geographical areas and are ecologically adapted to narrow environmental conditions,thus limiting their ability to expand into novel environments.However,the genomic mechanisms underlying the differentiation between closely related species with varying distribution ranges remain poorly understood.The Niviventer niviventer species complex(NNSC),consisting of highly abundant wild rats in Southeast Asia and China,offers an excellent opportunity to investigate these questions due to the presence of both widespread and narrow-range species that are phylogenetically closely related.In the present study,we combined ecological niche modeling with phylogenetic analysis,which suggested that sister species cannot be both widespread and dominant within the same geographical region.Moreover,by assessing heterozygosity,linkage disequilibrium decay,and Tajima's D analysis,we found that widespread species exhibited higher genetic diversity than narrow-range species.In addition,by exploring the“genomic islands of speciation”,we identified 13 genes in highly divergent regions that were shared by the two widespread species,distinguishing them from their narrow-range counterparts.Functional annotation analysis indicated that these genes are involved in nervous system development and regulation.The adaptive evolution of these genes likely played an important role in the speciation of these widespread species.

Plastid phylogenomics and species discrimination in the“Chinese”clade of Roscoea(Zingiberaceae)

Roscoea is an alpine or subalpine genus from the pan-tropical family Zingiberaceae,which consists of two disjunct groups in geography,namely the"Chinese"clade and the"Himalayan"clade.Despite extensive research on the genus,Roscoea species remain poorly defined and relationships between these species are not well resolved.In this study,we used plastid genomes of nine species and one variety to resolve phylogenetic relationships within the"Chinese"clade of Roscoea and as DNA super barcodes for species discrimination.We found that Roscoea plastid genomes ranged in length from 163,063 to 163,796 bp,and encoded 113 genes,including 79 protein-coding genes,30 tRNA genes,four rRNA genes.In addition,expansion and contraction of the IR regions showed obvious infraspecifc conservatism and interspecific differentiation.Plastid phylogenomics revealed that species belonging to the"Chinese"clade of Roscoea can be divided into four distinct subclades.Furthermore,our analysis supported the independence of R.cautleoides var.pubescens,the recovery of Roscoea pubescens Z.Y.Zhu,and a close relationship between R.humeana and R.cautloides.When we used the plastid genome as a super barcode,we found that it possessed strong discriminatory power(90%)with high support values.Intergenic regions provided similar resolution,which was much better than that of protein-coding regions,hypervariable regions,and DNA universal barcodes.However,plastid genomes could not completely resolve Roscoea phylogeny or definitively discriminate species.These limitations are likely related to the complex history of Roscoea speciation,poorly defined species within the genus,and the maternal inheritance of plastid genomes.

Aviary measurements of dominance and affiliation between members of mixed-species birds flocks in southern China

In mutualistic interactions,all parties are usually considered to benefit;yet there may be asymmetries in mutualisms where some partners/individuals benefit more than others.Such is thought to be the case in mixedspecies flocks of birds,where following species are thought to benefit more than leading species,and leading species may not be able to escape the association if they are subordinate to other species.We measured dominance and affiliation patterns of a mixed-species flock system of southern China in an aviary where these variables could be measured in a standardized way.In eight wild-caught flocks,the leading species,David’s Fulvetta(Alcippe davidi),was usually among the more subordinate flock members(ranking 9 of 13 species,with the the most dominant species ranked number one,and dominance measured by normalized David’s scores).Dominance was strongly influenced by body mass,and not by bill length or the number of individuals.Female fulvettas in particular tended to be among the most subordinate individuals in the flock.There was evidence of a negative relationship between a species pair’s affiliation,measured as the percentage of all observations in which these two species were found perching together,and their difference in ranking in the dominance hierarchy,particularly when some ground species,which are not likely to remain in flocks long term,were removed from the analysis.Species pairs that had more pronounced differences in their dominance rankings were less likely to be affiliated,which is consistent with the idea that subordinate species may avoid dominants.David’s Fulvetta is a strong information provider,so other species are likely benefitted in this relationship.Our data suggest one reason that fulvettas stay in flocks is that they may be subordinate and therefore have little control over who associates with them.

SSR Analysis on Diversity of AA Genome Oryza Species in the Southeast and South Asia

To investigate genetic diversities among the AA genome Oryza species in the Southeast and South Asia, a total of 428 accessions of the AA genome Oryza species were genotyped using 36 simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers distributed throughout the rice genome. All of the 36 SSR markers generated polymorphic bands, revealing 100% polymorphism. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 17 with the mean of 8.6. The Nei's genetic diversity index (He) ranged from 0.337 at RM455 to 0.865 at RM169 with an average value of 0.650. The genetic diversity of the AA genome Oryza species in the Southeast Asia was obviously higher than that in the South Asia. Among the detected Oryza species in the South and Southeast Asia, O. rufipogon showed the highest genetic diversity. Meanwhile, a higher genetic differentiation (Fst) was found among the detected Oryza species in the Southeast Asia than in the South Asia. The Fst value between O. nivara and O. sativa was the highest. The results from the number of specific alleles, specific loci, and allele frequency confirmed the greater genetic variation among the detected species. In addition, the specific allele in RM161 displayed higher frequency (0.193), suggesting its important function in identifying Oryza species of AA genome.

Comparative study on the chloroplast genomes of five Larix species from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the screening of candidate DNA markers

Five Larix species(L.griffithii,L.speciose,L.himalaica,L.kongboensis,and L.potaninii var.australis),have survived on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP)under specific climate conditions for decades.The lack of genomic information seriously hinders research on the evolution,conservation and ecology of these Larix resources.In this study,complete chloroplast(cp)genomes of the 5 species were assembled and compared based on next generation sequencing technology combined with polymerase chain reaction validation.The results show that the 5 cp genomes are relatively conservative in size,gene content and arrangement,and border variation.Phylogenetic analysis showed that the species are closely related as well as to seven other species of the same genus.In addition,the 5 cp genomes contained few simple sequence repeats and relatively low nucleotide variability;thus,12 candidate polymorphic cp DNA markers will be helpful for further research on relevant population genetics.These results will provide valuable genetic information for the conservation,evolution and ecology of these species and their relatives.

Research on the Karyotype and Evolution of Drosophila melanogaster Species Group

Mitotic metaphase chromosomes of 34 species of Drosophila melanogaster species group were examined. Certain new karyotypes were described for the first time, and their evolutionary and interspecific genetic relationships among 8 subgroups of D. melanogaster species group were analyzed systematically. The results were as follows. The basic karyotype of elegans subgroup was type A. The karyotypes of eugracilis subgroup, melanogaster subgroup, and ficusphila subgroup were all type C. The karyotypes of takahashii subgroup and suzukii subgroup were both type C and type D. The montium subgroup had six kinds of karyotypes types B, C, C＇, D, D＇, and E. The ananassae subgroup had three kinds of karyotypes： types F, G, and H. Thus, the melanogaster species group was classified into five pedigrees based on the diversity of these karyotypes： 1） elegans; 2） eugracilis-melanogasterficusphila; 3） takkahashii-suzukii; 4） montium; 5） ananassae. The above-mentioned results in karyotypic evolution were consistent with those of DNA sequence analysis reported by Yang except for the elegans subgroup and this subgroup was considered as the ancestral subgroup. Karyotype analysis of the same drosophila from different isofemale lines indicated that the same Drosophila from different places showed karyotypic variation which might be due to different geographical environment and evolutionary degree or interaction between the two factors.

Morphological and molecular analyses of a Philine kinglipini outbreak in summer of 2022 in Jiaozhou Bay,China

A sudden and unprecedented outbreak of molluscan Philine kinglipini occurred in summer 2022 in Jiaozhou Bay,Shandong,China,causing substantial damage to local mariculture industry of the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum.Although P.kinglipini has been found in many coastal regions of China,the molecular research of P.kinglipini has not been extensively studied,making it difficult to accurately identify and track P.kinglipini samples in field using molecular methods.Samples were collected during the outbreak and their morphological features and molecular sequences were analyzed.Results show that the causative species of the outbreak was P.kinglipini.The mitochondrial genome(mt DNA)of P.kinglipini was constructed for the first time,based on which phylogenetic analysis of the mt DNAs of P.kinglipini and related species in the order Cephalaspidea was carried out.As revealed by metabarcoding analysis of 18S rDNA V4,the seasonal change of P.kinglipini and closely related Philine species was striking with peaks between April and August.Therefore,metabarcoding analysis is applicable tool for monitoring the bloom development of P.kinglipini and related species.This study generated for the first time essential molecular marker sequences and mtDNA of P.kinglipini,which provided a reference for future characterization and monitoring of its outbreaks and for phylogenetic analysis of Philine species.

Comparison and phylogeny on mitochondrial genome of marine and freshwater taxa of genus Hildenbrandia(Florideophyceae,Rhodophyta)

Hildenbrandia is an early diverged lineage in Florideophyceae,Rhodophyta.The species diversity of this genus is still unresolved due to the simple morphology and limited molecular information.The mitochondrial genome of freshwater H.jigongshanensis was determined in this study.The freshwater H.jigongshanensis had a larger mitochondrial genome than the marine H.rubra and GC content was higher.Collinear alignment structure was observed between the mitochondrial genomes of H.jigongshanensis and H.rubra,except for one block that was encoded on the complement strand.More introns were found in mitochondrial genome of H.jigongshanensis than in H.rubra,and H.jigongshanensis shares the common feature with Bangiophyceae that two introns were distributed in cox1.Comparison of mitochondrial genome organization suggests that H.jigongshanensis preserves characters that could be hypothetically more similar to the ancestor of Bangiophyceae and Florideophyceae,which differ with previous studies based on chloroplast,and nuclear markers.More mitochondrial genomes and phylogenetic analyses combing nuclear,chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes are needed to clarify this discrepancy.Mitochondrion-based phylogeny in this study resulted in better solution at both the deep and recent derived nodes than single-gene phylogenies.Most protein-coding genes between H.jigongshanensis and H.rubra were identical except atp8,which was present in H.jigongshanensis while absent from H.rubra.This finding follows the trend that high Ka/Ks ratio genes are more frequently lost than low Ka/Ks ratio ones in red algae.

Distribution pattern of macrobenthic assemblages along a salinity gradient in the Hangzhou Bay and its adjacent waters

It is widely acknowledged that the distribution of macrobenthos is affected by salinity, but the degree of influence varies in different areas. To explore the distribution pattern of macrobenthic assemblages in the Hangzhou Bay,12 stations were sampled to collect macrobenthos and the corresponding bottom water. Changes in the general characteristics of macrobenthos along the salinity gradient in the Hangzhou Bay and its adjacent waters were considered. Three dominant species were identified, including the polychaetes Sternaspis chinensis, the crustacea Oratosquilla oratoria and the echinoderm Ophiuroglypha kinbergi. And the macrobenthic assemblages showed a zonal distribution along with the salinity change. The correlation analyses showed that salinity, depth,temperature, suspended solids and dissolved oxygen had concurrent significant correlations with carnivorous group, Margalef species richness(d), Brillouin index(H) and Shannon-Wiener diversity index(H'). In light of the strong correlation between salinity and Changjiang River diluted water, which produces considerable disturbances by freshwater inflows, the deposition of suspended solids and the resuspension of seabed sediments,the combined environmental disturbances, instead of salinity alone, should be adopted to explain the zonation distribution pattern of macrobenthic assemblages.

Diversity of beetle species and functional traits along gradients of deadwood suggests weak environmental filtering

Background: Gradients in local environmental characteristics may favour the abundance of species with particular traits, while other species decline, or favour species with different traits at the same time, without an increase in average species abundances. Therefore, we asked: do variations in species and traits differ along gradients of deadwood variables? Do species abundance and trait occurrence change with species richness within or between functional groups? Thus, we analysed the beetle assemblages of five forest sites located in Italy, along the Apennines mountains.Methods: From 2012 to 2018 we sampled beetles and five deadwood types in 193 plots to characterise the deadwood gradient: standing dead trees, snags, dead downed trees, coarse woody debris, and stumps. We modelled beetle species relative abundances and trophic traits occurrences against the deadwood variables using joint species distribution models.Results: Out of 462 species, only 77 showed significant responses to at least one deadwood type, with a weak mean response across species. Trophic groups showed mostly negative responses to deadwood variables. Species abundance increased with species richness among sites only for phytophagous and saproxylophagous. Trait occurrence did not increase with species richness among sites, except for phytophagous and saproxylophagous.However, trait occurrence changed significantly with species richness of several trophic groups within some sites.We found that increases in species richness do not result in decreases in species abundance of a given trophic group, but rather null or positive relationships were found suggesting low interspecific competition.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that in Mediterranean mountain forests there is still room for increasing the level of naturalness, at least for what concerns deadwood management. On one side, our findings suggest that competition for deadwood substrates is still low, on the other side they indicate that increasing deadwood volume and types to improve overall beetle richness may increase also beetle abundances.

Risks and Influences of Climate Hazards for Agro-Pastoral Development and Strategies Adopted by Agro-Pastoralist Communities in the Bougouni District, Mali

In the southwest of Mali, pastoral resources play an important role in the production and reproduction of livestock. These pastoral resources are very sensitive to climatic hazards and negatively affected their availability in quantity and quality. The main objective of this study was to analyze the risks and influences of climate hazards on pastoral resources and the strategies taken by agropastoralists to cope with them. To achieve this objective, meteorological data trends from 1950 to 2022 were analyzed. The socio-economic data were collected through a semi-structured survey administered to 404 head households, from focus groups through discussion with local stakeholders by using climatic risks matrix. The results obtained indicate a concordance between agropastoralists perception on climate change and meteorological observations concerning the decrease of rainfall (−213 mm;63.3%), the increase of maximum and minimum temperature (+1.33˚C, +1.24˚C;93.1%), and the increase of wind speed (+0.59 m/s;97%) over the past 70 years. Respondents noted a deterioration in the conditions of pastoral resources due to climatic hazards compared to the last 40 years (44.8% for watering points;23.5% for pastures;63.1% for salty lands). Agro pastoralists have adopted measures that allow them to be resilient. These include the collection and storage of crop residues (49.5%), regular watering of animals (39.6%), changing of animals rhythms driving (35.9%), protection of pruning species (31.7%), and concerted reforestation (37.9%). Climatic risk-related hazards constitute a real threat to pastorals resources in the district of Bougouni.

Karyotype Differentiation in Newly Discovered Members of the Drosophila obscura Species Group from Yunnan,China

We examined mitotic chromosomes of three newly found members of the Drosophila obscura species group,D.luguensis,D.dianensis and D.limingi from Yunnan and compared their karyotypes to those of respective related species.D.luguensis possessed a diploid number of 12 chromosomes,comprising 3 pairs of metacentrics (V-shaped),2 pairs of acrocentrics (rod-like) and 1 pair of micro-chromosomes (dot-like).Both the X and Y were metacentrics.D.dianensis and D.limingi possessed a diploid number of 10 chromosomes,comprising 1 pair of large V-shaped,1 pair of moderate-sized V-shaped,2 pairs of submetacentric (J-shaped) chromosomes,and 1 pairs of dot-like chromosomes,with their X chromosomes were J-shaped and Y chromosomes were short rod-like ones.Based upon the results of chromosomal comparisons,geographic information of the sinobscura subgroup,as well inter-specific phylogenetic relationship deduced elsewhere,D.luguensis was considered to retain an ancestral form of the karyotype within this subgroup.The present observations have also implied that D.sinobscura (2n=12:2V,1J,2R,1D) might have derived from a sub-lineage of a pre-“sinobscura-hubeiensis” lineage by pericentric inversion of moderate-sized metacentric autosomes and D.hubeiensis (2n=10:4V,1D) from another sub-lineage of the same lineage by centric fusion of 2 pairs of acrocentric autosomes.Similar chromosomal changes of centric fusion,centric fission and/or pericentric inversion might have occurred during the course of species divergences between D.dianensis and D.subsilvestris (2n=12:3V,2R,1D),an European member closely related to D.dianensis,and between D.limingi and D.tsukubaensis (2n=12:3V,2R,1D),an East Asian member near to D.limingi.

Matrilineal History of the Rana longicrus Species Group(Rana,Ranidae,Anura) and the Description of a New Species from Hunan,southern China

Fieldwork in Jiemuxi National Nature Reserve, Hunan, China, discovered morphologically indis- tinguishable groups of brown frogs that bred at different, exclusive times of the year. A principal components analysis of morphometric data, molecular analyses, and the exclusive breeding season suggested the occurrence of two species. The population that breeds during the winter was found to be an undescribed species and was subsequently described as Rana jiemuxiensis sp. nov. The new cryptic species can be identified from its congeners at the same locality by having a different breeding season and a divergent DNA barcode, Six major lineages of brown frogs were resolved with high nodal support. Rana japonica, R. chaochiaoensis, R. omeimontis, and R. jiemuxiensis have independent maternal lineages. Rana hanlunica and R. maoershanensis have essentially identical maternal lineages and they appear to represent the same species. The validity of the species R. longicrus, R. zhenhaiensis, and R. culaiensis and their genealogical relationships are not resolved and deserve further study. The genealogy indicates that sympatric cryptic lineages probably widely exist in the R. longicrus group. This highlights the importance of future more fine-scaled samplings and the inclusion of nuclear genes.

Ecological Species Groups and Interspecific Association of Dominant Tree Species in Daiyun Mountain National Nature Reserve

Abstract： Research on the ecological species groups and interspecific association of plant species are helpful to discover species coexistence processes and mechanisms, and to more fully understand plant community structure, function, and its taxonomy. However, little is known about the ecological species groups （ESG） and the interspecific association of dominant species in Daiyun Mountain National Nature Reserve of Fujian Province, China. Therefore, the main goal of this paper is to explore the ESG using maximal tree, and to analyze interspecific associations of 32 dominant species selected from lo2 sample plots using the chi-square test. The results show that： （1） 32 dominant species have a significant overall positive interspecific association, which indicates that the natural forest in Daiyun Mountain National Nature Reserve is stable, （a） The species pairs with weak associations, non-associations and positive associations account for lo.88%, 29.64% and 59.48% of the total 496 species pairs respectively, which suggests that the population distributions of the dominant species investigated are relatively independent, （3） The following species pairs may be useful for practical application, 〈Pinus taiwanensis, Rhododendron farrerae〉, 〈Castanopsis carlesii, Altingia chinensis〉, 〈C. carlesii, Castanopsis fargesii〉, 〈Castanopsis eyrei, C. fargesii〉, 〈P. taiwanensis, Fagus lucida〉 , 〈Machilus thunbergii, Castanopsis nigrescens〉, and （4） The results of clustering analysis based on the maximal tree method indicates that the 32 dominant species can be divided into 3 ESGs when A at o.6o, that is ESG I {Pinus massoniana, Cunning hamia lanceolata}, ESG II {P. taiwanensis, R. farrerae, Enkianthus quinqueflorus}, ESG III {C. carlesii, A. chinensis, C. eyrei, Castanopsis fabri, C. fargesii, Schima superba, Machilus thunbergii, Rhododendron latoueheae}. The results may be used for the selection of afforestation tree species in South China Forest Areas and guide the natural management of plantations.

Ecological species groups and interspecific association of vegetation in natural recovery process at Xiejiadian landslide after 2008 Wenchuan earthquake

Wenchuan earthquake on 12 May 2008 triggered numerous landslides, which disturbed vast areas of vegetation in northwest Sichuan. However, based on our primary field investigation at Xiejiadian landslide in July 2009, we found an obvious increase of the number of plant species and then we made a hypothesis that, after earthquake, vegetation at this landslide might recover by itself. In this paper, we conduct a newly field investigation at Xiejiadian landslide during November 2014 to verify this hypothesis. We investigated plant species composition at total 56 sites(trees 4, shrubs 16 and herbs 36, respectively), and calculated the Schluter's variance ratio, important values, x2 test, associationcoefficient, Ochiai index, Pearson's and Spearman's correlation coefficients, and Ecological species groups. Species sharply increased to 84 species belonging to 66 genera and 54 families, forming a complete life form containing trees, shrubs, herbs, and ground layers while only herbs detected in 2009. Moreover, an overall positive and moderately related interspecies association was detected for most of species pairs. Of total 84 species, twenty five were identified as dominant species and could be divided into four positive ecological species groups. This study verified our proposed hypothesis of self-recovery of vegetation in landslide triggered by the earthquake, and found Alnus cremastogyne, Rhus chinensis, Litsea cubeba, Vitis piasezkii and Anemone vitifolia would play a constructive role during the continuing succession of vegetation at Xiejiadian landslide.

Mitogenomic phylogeny of the Asian colobine genus Trachypithecus with special focus on Trachypithecus phayrei(Blyth, 1847) and description of a new species

Trachypithecus,which currently contains 20 species divided into four groups,is the most speciose and geographically dispersed genus among Asian colobines.Despite several morphological and molecular studies,however,its evolutionary history and phylogeography remain poorly understood.Phayre’s langur(Trachypithecus phayrei) is one of the most widespread members of the genus,but details on its actual distribution and intraspecific taxonomy are limited and controversial.Thus,to elucidate the evolutionary history of Trachypithecus and to clarify the intraspecific taxonomy and distribution of T.phayrei,we sequenced 41 mitochondrial genomes from georeferenced fecal samples and museum specimens,including two holotypes.Phylogenetic analyses revealed a robustly supported phylogeny of Trachypithecus,suggesting that the T.pileatus group branched first,followed by the T.francoisi group,and the T.cristatus and T.obscurus groups most recently.The four species groups diverged from each other 4.5-3.1 million years ago(Ma),while speciation events within these groups occurred much more recently(1.6-0.3 Ma).Within T.phayrei,we found three clades that diverged 1.0-0.9 Ma,indicating the existence of three rather than two taxa.Following the phylogenetic species concept and based on genetic,morphological,and ecological differences,we elevate the T.phayrei subspecies to species level,describe a new species from central Myanmar,and refine the distribution of the three taxa.Overall,our study highlights the importance of museum specimens and provides new insights not only into the evolutionary history of T.phayrei but the entire Trachypithecus genus as well.