Although alpine areas are generally characterized by low temperatures, high solar radiation, strong winds, cloudiness, frequent precipitation, low levels of insect abundance and activity and etc., it harbours high biodiversity. Thus, how these plants reproduce successfully in hostile environmental conditions is the topic of evolutionary biology. Plants in these areas frequently exhibit highly s...
Desiccation-sensitive recalcitrant seeds and fruits are killed by the loss of even moderate quantities of water. Consequently, minimizing the rate of water loss may be an important ecological factor and evolutionary driver by reducing the risk of mortality during post-dispersal dry-spells. For recalcitrant fruits of a range of Quercus species, prolonged drying times have been observed previousl...
Species of Taxus are very important economic plants and resources for isolation of anti-cancer drug “Taxol”. Because of excessive harvesting and commercial over-exploitation for the production of anti-cancer drugs, up to 90% of natural yew populations disappeared along the HKH over the last few decades. Despite the availability of several studies to clarify taxonomic problems on the highly th...
Transcriptome sequencing can be used to determine gene sequences and transcript abundance in non-model species, and the advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has greatly decreased the cost and time required for this process. Transcriptome data are especially desirable in bamboo species, as certain members constitute an ecologically, economically and culturally important group ...
Floral nectar is normally a clear liquid and an important source of food for animal pollinators. However, so far nearly 70 plants have been documented to have unusual colored nectar, which is caused by pigmented secondary metabolites but their precise chemistry is poorly investigated and their ecological functions largely unconfirmed.
Leucosceptrum canum Smith, a large tree belonging to the...
The monotypic Saniculiphyllum, comprising the single species S. guangxiense C.Y. Wu & T.C. Ku, is a clonal aquatic herb clinging to the wet rocks or stone in brooks in southeast Yunnan Province and Northwest of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The question of the stability of distribution ranges of species is fundamental in evolutionary ecology. There are two theoretical frameworks, local adaptation and metapopulation dynamics, to solve this question. For example, Kirkpatrick and Barton (1997) provided one of the first evolutionary models for a species on a gradient of environmental conditions. The metapopulation framework proposed b...
Both carbon monoxide (CO) and nitric oxide (NO) play fundamental roles in plant responses to environmental stress. Glutathione (GSH) homeostasis, achieved through the activity of the glutathione-ascorbate cycle, regulates cellular redox status to avoid the damage of reactive oxygen species (ROS) or reactive nitrogen species (RNS) to cellular components. Most recalcitrant seeds are sensitive to ...
High temperature and high humidity typically are characterized as independent abiotic stress conditions. An understanding of the mechanisms underlying plant tolerance to high temperature and humidity may facilitate the development of cultivars adaptable to warm or humid regions.
HU Xiangyang’s group from Kunming Institute of Botany applied physiological and comparative proteomics to inves...
