Plant DiversityPub Date : 2026-02-05eCollection Date: 2026-03-01DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2026.01.005
Tianwen Zhang, Jun-Wen Zhai, Gang Wang
{"title":"Species evolution determines epiphyte evolution in Orchids.","authors":"Tianwen Zhang, Jun-Wen Zhai, Gang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.pld.2026.01.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pld.2026.01.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Orchid diversity and conservation are tightly linked to the evolution of orchid lifeforms (e.g., epiphytic or terrestrial) as epiphytic species are highly sensitive to environmental changes and includes super-high species diversity. However, the factors that drive the evolution of orchid lifeform remain unclear. Here, we used a global orchid phylogeny (2272 species, all five subfamilies and 302 genera) to evaluate the relative contributions of potential factors (i.e., phylogeny, climate region, pollination traits) that may drive orchid lifeform evolution using partial <math> <mrow><msup><mi>R</mi> <mn>2</mn></msup> </mrow> </math> framework. Conventional correlation results indicated that orchid lifeforms are strongly associated with climate regions and weakly related to pollination traits. In contrast, partial <math> <mrow><msup><mi>R</mi> <mn>2</mn></msup> </mrow> </math> analyses revealed that orchid phylogeny alone accounted for 62% of lifeform variation; pollinator attraction strategies independently explained an additional 23.9% variation, while climate region only further explained 3.4%. The discrepancies arise from variation in phylogenetic conservatism of different orchid traits: both orchid lifeform and climate region are more phylogenetically conserved than pollination traits. Specifically, our findings that species evolution plays a key role in lifeform evolution together with variation in phylogenetic conservatism among key traits provide insights into trait evolution and species conservation in orchids.</p>","PeriodicalId":20224,"journal":{"name":"Plant Diversity","volume":"48 2","pages":"422-428"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13071446/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147691701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Insights into the phylogenetic, structural and functional evolution of <i>LHC</i> superfamily in photosynthetic organisms.","authors":"Kexin Cai, Runjie Diao, Zhihang Zhao, Yannan Liu, Zhenhua Zhang, Bojian Zhong","doi":"10.1016/j.pld.2026.01.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pld.2026.01.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Photosynthesis is the fundamental process for the survival of photosynthetic organisms. The light-harvesting complexes (LHCs) play a crucial role in light energy capture and transfer. Despite their conserved role in energy transfer, the evolutionary basis for functional diversification of LHCs across photosynthetic lineages remains largely unclear. In this study, we performed phylogenetic analyses based on 65 genomes covering all major linages of photosynthetic organisms and identified 1922 LHC proteins, which were classified into four groups: LHCA, LHCB, LHC-like, and FCP. The <i>LHC</i> gene family has undergone dynamic diversification through lineage-specific mechanisms in which green algae primarily utilized dispersed duplications, while land plants increasingly relied on whole-genome duplications (WGDs). Structural analyses revealed key adaptive modifications: PSI-LHCI transitioned from a double-layer crescent antenna in green algae to a simplified single-layer configuration in land plants, while PSII-LHCII in angiosperms replaced the N-LHCII trimer with CP24 to optimize light harvesting. Expression profiling revealed the functional diversification of different LHC members, with <i>LHCA/LHCB</i> members showing constitutive expression in photosynthetic tissues and strong induction of abiotic stresses, while <i>LHC-like</i> exhibited specialized responses to specific environmental challenges. Our study enhances better understanding of the evolutionary scenario of LHC superfamily during the evolution of photosynthetic organisms, and provides a foundation for future research on the molecular mechanisms underlying the adaptation of LHCs to extreme environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":20224,"journal":{"name":"Plant Diversity","volume":"48 3","pages":"518-528"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13250310/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148227508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Responses of root exudates to phosphorus-rich patches in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest and their module affiliation in the trait network.","authors":"Li-Qin Zhu, Xiao-Dong Yao, Xiao-Hong Wang, David Robinson, Wei-Le Chen, Ting-Ting Chen, Qi Jiang, Lin-Qiao Jia, Ai-Lian Fan, Guang-Shui Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.pld.2026.01.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pld.2026.01.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Root exudation-related traits are crucial for a plant acquiring spatially heterogeneous soil phosphorus (P) resources. Integrating root exudation traits into root trait networks reveals plant foraging strategies and trait coordination in P-rich patches, thereby providing deeper insights into the adaptation mechanisms employed by species. We constructed root trait networks for seventeen AM-associated tree species from a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, aiming to analyze the regulatory mechanisms of P patch availability on plant belowground strategies by incorporating root exudation traits, mycorrhizal traits, and traditional absorptive root traits. Results showed that the carbon release rate of general root exudates (RE) and root acid phosphatase activity exhibited significant interspecific variations and were accordingly assigned to the exploration and the chemical traits modules, respectively. P addition reduced the connectivity of the trait network (lowering edge density and average path length) and increased modularity, thereby indicating a shift from a highly integrated collaborative strategy to a more flexible modular strategy in plants. Notably, most traits did not show systematic responses across species to P addition, except for RE, which decreased significantly in P-rich patches. This divergency in trait responses shows that co-existing tree species adopt diverse P acquisition strategies. This study elucidates the belowground responses of plants to P heterogeneity by demonstrating the reorganization of root trait networks and the functional differentiation of exudation traits, offering a novel trait-modularity perspective on species coexistence in subtropical forests.</p>","PeriodicalId":20224,"journal":{"name":"Plant Diversity","volume":"48 3","pages":"608-617"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13250311/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148227515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Stand structural attributes exert stronger and scale-dependent control on forest biomass than tree diversity across typical forest ecosystems in China.","authors":"Yonghong Zhang, Honglin He, Liang Shi, Josep Peñuelas, Jordi Sardans, Yijing Bai, Chenxi Li, Jiuying Pei","doi":"10.1016/j.pld.2026.01.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pld.2026.01.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding how biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships scale spatially and temporally remains critical under global change. Here, using continuous monitoring databases across temperate, subtropical and tropical natural forests in China from 2004 to 2020, we quantified multiscale tree diversity-biomass dynamics. Linear mixed-effect and structural equation models were used to further disentangle the direct and indirect pathways through which tree diversity influences forest biomass at different scales. The results revealed significant positive linear relationships between tree species richness and stand biomass at 1200 and 400 m<sup>2</sup> scales (<i>P</i> < 0.05), whereas no significant association was detected at 100 m<sup>2</sup> scale (<i>P</i> > 0.05). Notably, these demonstrated relationships exhibited consistent temporal stability across all spatial scales throughout the study period. Importantly, the direct effect of tree diversity on biomass intensified with increasing spatial scale, while indirect effects mediated through stand structural attributes (CV_DBH and tree density) became proportionally stronger at finer scales. Further analyses showed that stand structural attributes emerged as the strongest predictor of biomass variation across all scales, surpassing both diversity and climate effects. Furthermore, spatial variation of climate factors (mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation) mainly affected stand biomass through the indirect effects on tree species diversity and stand structural attributes. Overall, multiscale analyses revealed stand structural attributes dominates biomass prediction, with climate acting indirectly. Scaling biodiversity-structure strategies can enhance forest resilience under global change. Future work should integrate cross-scale mechanisms into climate-smart afforestation for sustainable carbon sequestration.</p>","PeriodicalId":20224,"journal":{"name":"Plant Diversity","volume":"48 3","pages":"598-607"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13250301/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148227545","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Plant DiversityPub Date : 2026-01-08eCollection Date: 2026-05-01DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2025.12.018
May Zin Win, Shuang-Xiu Xu, Shu-Yang Gao, Jing-Xia Liu, Zu-Chang Xu, Cen Guo, Yun-Long Liu, Peng-Fei Ma, De-Zhu Li
{"title":"Resequencing of 284 genomes reveals evolutionary history and hotspot of genetic diversity of the giant bamboos.","authors":"May Zin Win, Shuang-Xiu Xu, Shu-Yang Gao, Jing-Xia Liu, Zu-Chang Xu, Cen Guo, Yun-Long Liu, Peng-Fei Ma, De-Zhu Li","doi":"10.1016/j.pld.2025.12.018","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pld.2025.12.018","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The <i>Dendrocalamus giganteus</i> complex comprises <i>D. giganteus</i>, <i>D. calostachyus</i> and <i>D. sinicus</i>, being the largest known, iconic bamboo species and is economically, ecologically and culturally significant in Southeast Asia, serving as a pillar of daily life of indigenous people. However, lack of understanding of its genetic diversity pattern and population history has hindered effective germplasm conservation and development as sustainable non-timber forest resources. Here, we present a population genomic study of the giant bamboos with whole-genome resequencing of 284 accessions of three closely related species across their potentially native geographical ranges in Myanmar and Yunnan Province, China. We identified seven highly supported phylogenetic clades for the populations of the <i>D. giganteus</i> complex, and all populations exhibit low levels of genetic diversity while a high degree of genetic differentiation among them. One of them in the remote northern and northwestern Myanmar was found as the hotspot of genetic diversity of the giant bamboos. Tajima's D value and demographic history inference suggested the occurrence of population bottleneck, leading to a sharp decline in <i>Ne</i> during the last glacial period. Strikingly, <i>D. sinicus</i> displayed the lowest genetic diversity in the complex likely due to predominance of selfing or inbreeding<i>.</i> Overall, our study provides valuable insights into the evolutionary history and population genetics of the <i>D. giganteus</i> complex, serving as an important foundation for developing effective conservation strategies for the giant bamboos in Southeast Asia.</p>","PeriodicalId":20224,"journal":{"name":"Plant Diversity","volume":"48 3","pages":"460-473"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13250309/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148227560","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Plant DiversityPub Date : 2026-01-06eCollection Date: 2026-03-01DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2025.12.014
Jithu K Jose, Saranya K R L
{"title":"<i>Humboldtia</i> Vahl - An under-utilised, under-researched, and vulnerable tree genus endemic to the Western Ghats-Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot.","authors":"Jithu K Jose, Saranya K R L","doi":"10.1016/j.pld.2025.12.014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pld.2025.12.014","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>•<i>Humboldtia</i>, is a scientifically valuable yet underexplored endemic genus from the Western Ghats - Sri Lanka Biodiversity hotspot.•Comprising just eight species, all of which are under threat of extinction, the genus is one of the evolutionarily unique plant lineages within the region's flora.•The genus shows ecological adaptations, such as domatia-mediated ant-plant symbiosis and cauliflorous flowering, which are important in its natural habitat.•<i>Humboldtia</i> is an exceptional model for investigating speciation dynamics, biogeographical diversification, and ecological specialisation in tropical forest ecosystems.•However, the genus remains poorly studied and inadequately protected, calling for increased attention in both research and conservation efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":20224,"journal":{"name":"Plant Diversity","volume":"48 2","pages":"433-437"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13071430/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147691838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Plant DiversityPub Date : 2026-01-05eCollection Date: 2026-05-01DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2025.12.015
María de Los Ángeles Decena, Miguel Campos-Cáceres, Diana Calderón-Pardo, Valeriia Shiposha, Marina Olonova, Ernesto Pérez-Collazos, Pilar Catalán
{"title":"A Palearctic divide, niche conservatism and host-fungal endophyte interactions shaped the phylogeography of the grass <i>Brachypodium sylvaticum</i>.","authors":"María de Los Ángeles Decena, Miguel Campos-Cáceres, Diana Calderón-Pardo, Valeriia Shiposha, Marina Olonova, Ernesto Pérez-Collazos, Pilar Catalán","doi":"10.1016/j.pld.2025.12.015","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pld.2025.12.015","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Brachypodium sylvaticum</i> is a perennial woodland grass selected as a model species for perenniality, which is widely distributed across the Palearctic. This plant forms a symbiosis with the endophytic fungus <i>Epichloë sylvatica</i>. Despite its widespread distribution and ecological importance, the evolutionary history of the <i>B. sylvaticum</i> complex and the role of its fungal symbiont remain poorly understood, and no integrative phylogeographic study of the grass-endophyte holobionts has been conducted to date. We hypothesize that niche dynamics and host-fungal interactions shaped the diversification and current distribution of the complex. We integrate whole-genome phylogenomics, plastome analysis, environmental niche modeling (ENM), and coevolutionary analyses to investigate the diversification of <i>B. sylvaticum</i> and its fungal symbiont. Using 94 representative individuals spanning Eurasia and North Africa, we recovered two deeply divergent sister lineages (Eastern and Western Palearctic), with cytonuclear discordances suggesting historical plastid capture events in the western group. Admixture analysis revealed four genetic clusters, including signatures of secondary contact and hybridization in the Western lineage. Filtered ITS sequences of <i>E. sylvatica</i> recovered from holobiont genome skimming reads enabled phylogenetic reconstruction, revealing two fungal clades that broadly mirror their host's evolutionary history in the West. Parafit and Procrustes Application to Cophylogenetic (PACO) analyses supported partial co-divergence between hosts and endophytes. ENM projections identified climatically stable glacial refugia for both <i>B. sylvaticum</i> main lineages during the Last Glacial Maximum and asymmetric postglacial expansion, with moderate niche shifts in the West and stronger turnover in the East. Evidence of niche overlap and similarity indicated niche conservatism among clades, suggesting that geographic isolation, rather than adaptive divergence, was the primary driver of lineage splitting. IBD and IBE patterns significantly influenced divergences in the Western, but not the Eastern, group, highlighting contrasting demographic and ecological dynamics. Our results provide the first evidence of coevolutionary and ecological structuring in <i>B. sylvaticum</i>-<i>E. sylvatica</i> holobionts across their Western native range, highlighting how this ubiquitous host-endophyte association may have contributed to the ecological success, persistence, and expansion of the complex under Quaternary climatic fluctuations.</p>","PeriodicalId":20224,"journal":{"name":"Plant Diversity","volume":"48 3","pages":"501-517"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13250317/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148227467","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Distinct intraspecific trait variations in two moss species: Insights from a latitudinal investigation across 66 coastal islands.","authors":"Zhe Wang, Sheng-Xuan Cai, Jing-Rou Yu, Dan-Dan Li, Xue-Ping Lai, Ling-Ao Yang, Shui-Liang Guo, Jing Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.pld.2025.12.016","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pld.2025.12.016","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As a non-negligible component of functional trait diversity, intraspecific trait variation (ITV) represents a direct response of local populations to environmental change and significantly influences ecological processes such as species dispersal, community assembly, and ecosystem functioning. Although extensively studied in vascular plants, ITV remains underexplored in mosses, which possess fundamentally distinct evolutionary status, structures, and adaptive strategies. In this study, we sampled two common subtropical terricolous and saxicolous moss species (<i>Hyophila propagulifera</i> and <i>Pogonatum inflexum</i>) from 66 coastal islands (spanning a latitudinal range of 23.4-30.9°N) in southeastern China, measured their morphological and anatomical traits and water holding and retention capacities, identified the effects of latitude and environmental factors on each trait, and calculated the relative contributions. For both species, the trait with the highest variation was shoot mass, whereas the shapes of the stem transverse section, leaf, and leaf cells were relatively conserved. In <i>H</i>. <i>propagulifera</i>, stem size and internal transport capacity increased along a latitudinal gradient, however, the water holding and retention capacities were not associated with any of the studied environmental factors. In <i>P</i>. <i>inflexum</i>, lamella length was negatively correlated with precipitation, whereas no clear ITV patterns were observed in other traits, probably because of Polytrichaceae's unique characteristics and the more stable microclimates of soil substrates compared with rock. This work expands our understanding of the adaptive evolutionary strategies of poikilohydric plants and bridges knowledge gaps in their conservation from the perspective of functional adaptation. We suggest that future studies focus on the impacts of climatic events on mosses and combine functional traits with community structure surveys to accurately quantify their ecosystem functioning and services.</p>","PeriodicalId":20224,"journal":{"name":"Plant Diversity","volume":"48 3","pages":"567-575"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13250291/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148227382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring the evolutionary landscape of mitochondrial genomes in the sunflower family (Asteraceae).","authors":"Zhixi Fu, Penghao Yang, Jiazhen Wu, Guojin Zhang, Yanlei Feng","doi":"10.1016/j.pld.2025.12.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pld.2025.12.013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Asteraceae, the largest family of flowering plants, comprises more than 26,000 species worldwide, many of which serve as crops, medicinal herbs, and ornamentals. While substantial genomic resources are available for nuclear and chloroplast genomes, mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) in this family remain poorly explored, limiting an integrated understanding of its genomic evolution. Here, we assembled 38 complete mitogenomes representing 12 subfamilies and 22 tribes. Our analyses revealed substantial size variation, with notably larger mitogenomes in early-diverging lineages. We also observed extensive structural rearrangements across subfamilies and tribes. Although the gene content is largely conserved, we identified notable mutations, horizontal gene transfer events, and losses of RNA editing sites. We reconstructed a comprehensive mitochondrial phylogeny of Asteraceae, which revealed both congruent and conflicting relationships with phylogenies based on plastid and nuclear markers. Furthermore, our fragment analysis of total mitochondrial DNA demonstrated that the differential retention of ancestral sequences significantly influences mitogenome size variation in Asteraceae. This study provides a systematic mitogenomic resource, offering novel insights into the evolutionary dynamics of this major plant family.</p>","PeriodicalId":20224,"journal":{"name":"Plant Diversity","volume":"48 2","pages":"278-288"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13071436/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147690702","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}