Capturing, protecting and restoring plant diversity in the UK: RBG Kew and the Millennium Seed Bank

Ex situ seed banking is a practical and cost-effective means of preserving wild plant diversity and a crucial complement to the in situ conservation and restoration of species and habitats. As pressures on the natural environment have grown, so has the call for seed banks to provide scientifically-robust,practical solutions to seed-related problems in nature conservation, from single-species recovery and reintroduction to the restoration of complex, dynamic communities at the largest scales. In this paper, we discuss how the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and its Millennium Seed Bank have responded to this call in the United Kingdom. We demonstrate that banked seed collections can provide a range of otherwiseunavailable, high quality, known-origin, genetically-diverse biological materials. The data, expertise and specialist facilities that accompany these collections are also valuable, helping overcome constraints to the collection, production and effective use of native seed. Challenges remain-to ensure ex situ collections protect the species and genetic diversity that will enable plants to adapt to a changing environment, and to find new ways for seed banks to mobilise their resources at a landscape scale.

The Role of a Modern Botanic Garden:the Evolution of Kew

The history of botanic gardens in the United Kingdom is sketched out with particular reference to the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and its changing role to meet societal requirements over 250 years.Kew's position as a modern scientific institution confronting today's environmental issues through its Breathing Planet Programme yet retaining its heritage buildings and collections is pinpointed.

New insights into intergeneric relationships of Hickeliinae(Poaceae:Bambusoideae) revealed by complete plastid genomes

The Hickeliinae(Poaceae:Bambusoideae) is an ecologically and economically significant subtribe of tropical bamboos restricted to Madagascar,Comoros,Reunion Island,and a small part of continental Africa(Tanzania).Because these bamboos rarely flower,field identification is challenging,and inferring the evolutionary history of Hickeliinae from herbarium specimens is even more so.Molecular phylogenetic work is critical to understanding this group of bamboos.Here,comparative analysis of 22 newly sequenced plastid genomes showed that members of all genera of Hickeliinae share evolutionarily conserved plastome structures.We also determined that Hickeliinae plastome sequences are informative for phylogenetic reconstructions.Phylogenetic analysis showed that all genera of Hickeliinae are monophyletic,except for Nastus,which is paraphyletic and forms two distant clades.The type species of Nastus(Clade Ⅱ) is endemic to Reunion Island and is not closely related to other sampled species of Nastus endemic to Madagascar(Clade Ⅵ).Clade Ⅵ(Malagasy Nastus) is sister to the Sokinochloa+Hitchcockella clade(Clade Ⅴ),and both clades have a clumping habit with short-necked pachymorph rhizomes.The monotypic Decaryochloa is remarkable in having the longest floret in Bambuseae and forms a distinct Clade Ⅳ.Clade Ⅲ,which has the highest generic diversity,consists of Cathariostachys,Perrierbambus,Sirochloa,and Valiha,which are also morphologically diverse.This work provides significant resources for further genetic and phylogenomic studies of Hickeliinae,an understudied subtribe of bamboo.

Pilgerodendron uviferum(柏科)及其相关类群叶角质层微形态特征的比较研究(英文)

在扫描电镜下观察了分布于南半球的柏科Cupressaceae单种属Pilgerodendronuviferum及其相关类群的代表种Austrocedruschilensis、Libocedrusplumosa和Papuacedruspapuana叶角质层内外表面的微形态特征。发现Pilgerodendronuviferum叶角质层外表面光滑 ,不具Florin环 ,而其余 3个属的代表种均有明显的Florin环 ;且仅L.plumosa叶角质层外表面有乳状突起。观察结果支持传统的观点 ,即将P .uviferum作为独立的属 ;不支持基于DNA分析的结果 ,即将P .uviferum归并到Libocedrus属。发现Papuacedruspapuana叶角质层外表面有许多明显的小凹陷 ,与其相对应的叶角质层内表面有凹陷的小狭缝 。

中药信息学研究进展

本文对现阶段中药信息学的内容与特点进行了分析。总结了国内外近几年有突破性的中药信息学科研成果,简要介绍了随机森林、自组织映射、分子对接以及构建种质资源进化树等数据挖掘技术在中药信息学中的应用。阐述了结合现代信息技术的中药信息学对中药现代化发展的推动作用。通过实例指出了中药信息资源建设与维护中涉及到民间药物、植物化学、植物分类学等亟待解决的若干问题,同时论述了对中药信息学进行资源拓展的必要性和国际化的发展道路。

The tropical-subtropical evergreen forest transition in East Asia:An exploration

The transition from tropical to subtropical(warm temperate)evergreen forests is more clearly apparent in East Asia,fromNepal to the western Pacific coast,than elsewhere in the tropics.We review the nature of this transition and hypothesize the physical,ultimately climatic,factors thatmay maintain it,with a special focus on how the increasing instability and warming of climates will affect these forests.A primary climatic mediator of the transition is proposed,thereby offering a testable hypothesis for the climateeforest transition relationship.What is known of this transition is summarized in context of the primary climatic mediators of elevational zonation of forest formations in equatorial Asia to the tree line,in the Himalaya at the India-Indo-Burma northern tropical margin,and as both elevational and latitudinal zonation in southern China.Consequent secondary edaphic and other physical changes are described for the Himalaya,and hypothesized for southern China.The forest ecotones are seen to be primarily defined by tree floristic change,on which account changes in structure and physiognomy are determined.The montane tropical-subtropical transition in the Himalaya is narrowand observed to correlate with an as yet ill-defined frost line.A distinct tropical-subtropical transition forest is recognized in the southwest Chinamountains.There is a total change in canopy species at the Himalayan ecotone,but subcanopy tropical species persist along an elevational decline of c.400 m.The latitudinal transition in South China is analogous,but here the tropical subcanopy component extends north over ten degrees latitude,albeit in decline.The tropical-subtropical transition is uniquely clear in East Asia because here alone a tropical wet summer-dry winter monsoon extends to 35
north latitude,encompassing the subtropical evergreen forest,whereas subtropical evergreen forests elsewhere exist under drier temperate summer climate regimes.

Plant species with extremely small populations(PSESP) in China:A seed and spore biology perspective

Approximately one fifth of the world's plants are at risk of extinction.Of these,a significant number exist as populations of few individuals,with limited distribution ranges and under enormous pressure due to habitat destruction.In China,these most-at-risk species are described as 'plant species with extremely small populations'(PSESP).Implementing conservation action for such listed species is urgent.Storing seeds is one of the main means of ex situ conservation for flowering plants.Spore storage could provide a simple and economical method for fern ex situ conservation.Seed and spore germination in nature is a critical step in species regeneration and thus in situ conservation.But what is known about the seed and spore biology(storage and germination) of at-risk species? We have used China's PSESP(the first group listing) as a case study to understand the gaps in knowledge on propagule biology of threatened plant species.We found that whilst germination information is available for 28 species(23%of PSESP),storage characteristics are only known for 8%of PSESP(10 species).Moreover,we estimate that 60%of the listed species may require cryopreservation for long-term storage.We conclude that comparative biology studies are urgently needed on the world's most threatened taxa so that conservation action can progress beyond species listing.

Tropical deciduous forest in Yunnan,southwestern China:Implications for geological and climatic histories from a little-known forest formation

In the southern mountain ranges of Yunnan province,China,deep valleys of several large rivers create rain shadows with hot dry summers,and are locally designated tropical;towards the north,notably in the Lancang(Upper Mekong)valley,these regions may experience frost during winter.The woody forest canopy of these valleys is predominantly deciduous,with evergreen elements in the north,where the canopy is open and the forest savanna-like.However,we here present tall forest with a closed deciduous canopy and semi-evergreen subcanopy observed in hot dry valleys of these rivers and their tributaries in the tropical south.The structure and physiognomy of these forests resemble the tall(moist)deciduous forest formation widespread in South Asia and Indo-Burma.Furthermore,these forests are largely composed of tropical elements at both the generic(80%)and the species level(>70%),indicating that these forests are indeed tropical.We originally hypothesized that these isolated forests represent refugia of a pre-Holocene extension of tall(moist)deciduous forest formation of South Asia and Indo-Burma.The sample plot we established to test this hypothesis confirmed that these forests share the structure and physiognomy of the tall(moist)deciduous forest formation;however,the plots also showed that these forests lack the characteristic and dominant species of the formation's Indo-Burmese range.The tree flora,in particular,indicates that both deciduous and evergreen elements are instead mostly derived from the adjacent tropical semi-evergreen forests of tropical southern China;yet they also include an important endemic element,which implies that these forests have survived as refuges possibly since the Pliocene.The exceptional representation of evergreen elements in these forests indicates that they have rarely been subject to hot fires or domestic cattle browsing,adding to the unique nature of the forests and further justifying their strict conservation.

Four new species and a new record of Orchidinae(Orchidaceae:Orchideae)from China

Four new species of Orchidaceae from China,Heminium lijiangense,Peristylus fasciculatus,Platanthera milinensis,and Ponerorchis gongshanensis,together with a new country record,Peristylus tenuicallus,are described and illustrated based on morphological and/or phylogenetic analyses.Heminium lijiangense is closely related to H.elisabethae but differs from it by having the dorsal sepal ovate-orbicular and lip midlobe distinctly shorter than lateral lobes.P.fasciculatus is close to Peristylus tradescantifolius but is distinguished from it by having several fascicled and straight,root-like tubers(vs.one or two oblongoid tubers),old stems usually persistent,middle lobe of lip narrowly ligulate-lanceolate and half as long as the lateral lobes(vs.middle lobe deltoid,about a third as long as the lateral lobes or less),a raised callus at the base of each lateral lobe(vs.callus absent),spur gradually attenuate toward the apex(vs.spur clavate).Platanthera milinensis is similar to P.stenochila by sharing small green flowers and lip without a spur,but differs in having a creeping rhizome,a corymbose inflorescence,and a broadly ovate and slightly 3-lobed lip.Ponerochis gongshanensis is similar to P.faberi in its small flowers,but differs in having a linear leaf c.3 mm wide(vs.leaf 5-13 mm wide),in the lip having collar-like raised margins on the sides of the spur entrance,and a mid-lobe which is notched at the apex but not divided into two divergent lobules that are nearly as large as the lateral lobes,as in P.faberi.All the proposed species obtained high support in phylogenetic analysis as new species.The recently described genus Apetalanthe is reduced to synonymy of Ponerorchis and a new combination is made.

新工艺、新技术演绎完美造型——英国馆

英国馆在此次世博会异彩纷呈的各式建筑中,以其出人意料的创意和独特的外形吸引了无数人的关注,其创新的设计理念和精致的设计手法,在各类展馆中独树一帜,获得了业内外一致好评(图1)。

Botanic Garden Collections—An Under-Utilised Resource

Botanic gardens and arboreta around the world are repositories of diverse collections of useful plants in their gardens and seed banks. However, the crop and forestry communities often overlook these collections, and so they are an underutilised resource. For example, in analysis of the ex situ conservation status of 6,941 socio-economically important plant taxa using data from forestry and crop collections, but omitted collections in botanic gardens and arboreta. In this paper, we compared the socio-economically important taxa identified by Khoury et al. from GRIN-Global World Economic Plants (WEP) with data on living and seed collections held in botanic garden and arboreta, as recorded in BGCI’s global PlantSearch and ThreatSearch datasets. This analysis produced an assessment of the proportion of these taxa that are found in botanic gardens and arboreta, the number of gardens or arboreta they are found in and what potential they have to contribute to research, conservation and sustainable use. We also compared the species conservation comprehensiveness assessments carried out by Khoury et al. with the threatened status of those species, according to the IUCN Red List and other threat assessment methodologies in order to ascertain whether threatened, useful species are well-conserved in botanic gardens. At least 6017 of the 6941 socio-economically important WEP taxa (86.7%) were currently found in the living and seed collections of botanic gardens and arboreta with 1456 taxa (21%) held in >40 collections. Khoury et al. suggested that 6748 of the WEP taxa are of either medium or high conservation priority. However, our analysis suggested that just 1153 taxa have been assessed as threatened at a national or international level. We concluded that the botanic garden/arboretum community can contribute significantly to plant conservation and sustainable development, including data and material from many collections of socio-economically important taxa that are not present in the crop and forestry communities. We examined the reasons why botanic garden/arboreta collections are currently under-utilised and make recommendations for increasing their visibility and use.

Germination Response of Ornamental Pine Seeds on a Two-Way Thermogradient Plate

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of temperature on germination of Pinus tabuliformis Carrière seed, Pinus gerardiana Wall. ex D. Don and Pinus roxburghii Sarg. Seeds of three species were distributed in Petri dishes with 1% agar solution;for the first step it was placed on a 2-way Grant’s thermogradient plate (a bi-directional incubator) for a period of 28 days and during the second step in an incubator type B.O.D. also for 28 days with non-germinated seeds in the first step. This instrument allows an assessment of a wide regime of constant and alternating temperatures, resulting to 144 different combinations of temperature, scheduled to the temperatures 4°C - 40°C. The lighting regime was 12 hours photoperiod for the two stages of the experiment. The best temperature for the germination of P. tabuliformis was 26.2°C (minimum of 7.9°C and maximum 37.0°C) and P. roxburghii was 15.6°C (minimum 10, 4°C and maximum 37.0°C). The seeds are neutral photoblastic. P. gerardiana showed low germination percentage (below 10%). The temperature that provided the highest germination percentage for P. tabuliformis was 26.2°C and 15.6°C for P. roxburghii.

Benefits of conservation-driven mowing for the EU policy species Gladiolus palustris Gaudin in mountain fen meadows:a case-study in the European Alps

The sword lily Gladiolus palustris Gaudin is protected on European level and listed in Annexes II and IV of the EC Habitat Directive 92/43/EEC.It grows in nutrient-poor,calcareous meadows in central and eastern Europe.Tree encroachment in montane meadows of the European Alps as a result of recent land use changes and the abandonment of traditional farming practices threaten the survival of this species.Conservation-driven mowing is considered a feasible conservation measure for maintaining high species diversity in abandoned semi-natural grasslands.To assess the effects of tenyears of biennial mowing on a grassland community in the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park,Italy(Site of Community Importance,Natura 2000 network),ten25 m2 plots were established whereby four plots were placed in the mowed area,four in the non-mowed area and two in a small non-mowed patch of grassland inside the mowed area.In each plot the following variables were recorded,total percentage of plant cover,percentage cover of woody species,percentage cover of herbaceous species,percentage cover and number of flowering ramets of G.palustris and a complete list of species and their percentage abundance.Mowed plots showed a higher species richness than non-mowed plots.The number of G.palustris flowering ramets and percentage cover increased manifold in mowed plots compared to nonmowed plots.The resumption of mowing forconservation purposes undertaken by the managing authority halted the process of tree encroachment and avoided a drastic change in plant composition.Periodic mowing(every second or third year)was demonstrated to be a cost-effective conservation measure in non-productive grasslands to keep grasses at bay in favour of forbs of high conversation value.

Geographic range size patterns across plants and animals of Xinjiang,China

Patterns in species geographic range size are relatively well-known for vertebrates,but still poorly known for plants.Contrasts of these patterns between groups have rarely been investigated.With a detailed flora and fauna distribution database of Xinjiang,China,we used regression methods,redundancy analysis and random forests to explore the relationship of environment and body size with the geographic range size of plants,mammals and birds in Xinjiang and contrast these patterns between plants and animals.We found positive correlations between species range size and body size.The range size of plants was more influenced by water variables,while that of mammals and birds was largely influenced by temperature variables.The productivity variable,i.e.,Enhanced Vegetation Index(EVI)was far more correlated with range size than climatic variables for both plants and animals,suggesting that vegetation productivity inferred from remote sensing data may be a good predictor of species range size for both plants and animals.

The Alpine Seed Conservation and Research Network–a new initiative to conserve valuable plant species in the European Alps

Safeguarding plants as seeds in ex situ collections is a cost effective element in an integrated plant conservation approach.The European Alps are a regional centre of plant diversity.Six institutions have established a regional network covering the European Alps which will conserve at least 500 priority plant species and which will improve the conservation status of plant species in grassland communities in the subalpine,alpine and nival altitudinal belts.Targeted research will expand the knowledge of the ecology of target species.Public engagement activities will raise the awareness for the importance of specific conservation actions in the European Alps.

Perl用于数据库

连接数据库与Web不应是件昂贵和费时的事。

Diterpenoids from Scutellaria barbata induce tumour-selective cytotoxicity by taking the brakes off apoptosis

Medicinal plants are an excellent source of structurally diverse,bio-active compounds with potential in the fight against cancer.One of the most promising is Scutellaria barbata,prescribed traditionally for the treatment of cancers.Scutebarbatine A is the major diterpenoid,produced in specialized large,peltate trichomes on leaves of S.barbata.It induces dose-dependent apoptosis,specifically in cancer cells.The major class of proteins down-regulated are pro-survival proteins,the Inhibitors of Apoptosis(IAPs),and IAP regulating proteins.We propose that scutebarbatine A works by releasing the molecular brakes(the IAPs)on apoptosis in cell death-evading cancer cells.Comparison between the cytotoxicity of methanolic extracts of S.barbata leaves and decoctions(Ban Zhi Lian)prepared traditionally,showed substantially different chemical compositions and differential induction of apoptosis.Analyses suggest polyvalency between the constituents in both extracts,and ways to produce enhanced chemopreventive preparations for the treatment of cancer.

UVR8-TCP4-LOX2 module regulates UV-B tolerance in Arabidopsis

The phytohormone jasmonate(JA)coordinates stress and growth responses to increase plant survival in unfavorable environments.Although JA can enhance plant UV-B stress tolerance,the mechanisms underlying the interaction of UV-B and JA in this response remain unknown.In this study,we demonstrate that the UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8-TEOSINTE BRANCHED1,Cycloidea and PCF 4-LIPOXYGENASE2(UVR8-TCP4-LOX2)module regulates UV-B tolerance dependent on JA signaling pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana.We show that the nucleus-localized UVR8 physically interacts with TCP4 to increase the DNA-binding activity of TCP4 and upregulate the JA biosynthesis gene LOX2.Furthermore,UVR8 activates the expression of LOX2 in a TCP4-dependent manner.Our genetic analysis also provides evidence that TCP4 acts downstream of UVR8 and upstream of LOX2 to mediate plant responses to UV-B stress.Our results illustrate that the UV-B-dependent interaction of UVR8 and TCP4 serves as an important UVR8-TCP4-LOX2 module,which integrates UV-B radiation and JA signaling and represents a new UVR8 signaling mechanism in plants.

National botanical gardens at the forefront of global plant conservation

Global changes in land use driven by demands on food,energy,and other resources in response to a rapidly increasing human population have collectively led to escalating environmental challenges,including biodiversity loss,global warming,environmental pollution,and ecosystem degradation.At present,biodiversity is seriously threatened at global,regional,and local scales,which,in turn,threatens our own survival.Biodiversity is a global asset of immense material and non-material value,providing us with food,medicine,building materials,fiber,and the ecological environment required for our well-being and health.

Red list assessments of Chinese higher plants

Based on the two most recent assessments of Chinese higher plants in 2013 and 2020,of 34,450 and 39,330 species,respectively,we analysed the threatened status of Chinese higher plants.In 2020,around 4,088(10.39%)of the assessed species in China are threatened,2,875(7.31%)Near Threatened,27,593(70.16%)not currently threatened and categorised as Least Concern and 4,752(12.08%)categorised as Data Deficient.While in 2013,3,767(10.93%)of the assessed higher plants in China are threatened,2,723(7.90%)Near Threatened,24,296(70.53%)Least Concern and 3,612(10.48%)Data Deficient.Estimates of the Red List Index in the two years show different patterns when using different weighting methods with the equal steps weighting method showing a slight decrease(0.91675-0.91495)and the extinction risk weighting method showing a slight increase(0.98792-0.98797).We inferred that China's threatened plant species were likely/relatively effectively protected.However,attention should also be given to the non-threatened species in the future as an additional strategy for their conservation,to maintain their non-threatened status.