New Phytologist最新文献

{"title":"Interpreting global spatiotemporal patterns in seed dispersal modes under data and methodological constraints","authors":"Lu Jin, Min Li, Zhi-Heng Wang, Hervé Sauquet, Renske E. Onstein, Dieder de Frens, John T. Clarke, Hai-Fei Yan, Xue-Jun Ge","doi":"10.1111/nph.71514","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.71514","url":null,"abstract":"<p>We thank Wasowicz & Green (<span>2026</span>) for their thoughtful commentary on our recent study (Jin <i>et al</i>., <span>2026</span>) on the evolutionary history and global distribution of seed dispersal modes in angiosperms. Their main criticisms concern the treatment and interpretation of our dispersal mode data, including the heterogeneity of data sources, the use of seed dispersal classifications as proxies for dispersal ability, and the simplification of dispersal categories through the exclusion of polychory. While some of these issues were acknowledged in the discussion of our original paper, we provide here a more detailed clarification of our rationale and the analytical constraints of our approach.</p><p>A central constraint of our study arises from the availability and completeness of global seed dispersal data. The seed dispersal process is inherently complex, involving multiple potential pathways, agents, and phases (Rubalcava-Castillo <i>et al</i>., <span>2025</span>), and growing empirical evidence continues to reveal additional layers of this complexity. For example, while diaspore traits are commonly linked to specific dispersal categories (i.e. the dispersal syndrome hypothesis), accumulating evidence suggests that such trait-based inferences may be limited, as these traits are shaped by multiple ecological and evolutionary processes and do not always reflect actual dispersal, particularly in animal-mediated systems (Valenta & Nevo, <span>2020</span>; Green <i>et al</i>., <span>2022</span>). In addition, seed dispersal is a context-dependent process, with dominant vectors and dispersal effectiveness potentially shifting with local environmental conditions (Johnson <i>et al</i>., <span>2019</span>). Therefore, an accurate characterization of seed dispersal modes should ideally integrate trait-based inferences with direct observations and experimental approaches, and fully capture polychory (i.e. plants with multiple dispersal pathways) and diplochory (i.e. plants with sequential dispersal phases) when present (Sádlo <i>et al</i>., <span>2018</span>; Beckman <i>et al</i>., <span>2026</span>). However, such comprehensive information remains scarce at the global scale. This limitation is particularly acute for rare long-distance dispersal events that, while evolutionarily significant, occur infrequently and unpredictably (Nogales <i>et al</i>., <span>2012</span>; González-Varo <i>et al</i>., <span>2024</span>). Wasowicz & Green highlight that our handling of multiple databases lacked sufficient caution, as the determination of seed dispersal modes in some databases relies primarily on morphological traits, whereas other sources place greater emphasis on empirical observations in addition to trait information. However, it is important to note that this variability also exists within individual widely used databases applied in our study (e.g. the Seed Information Database), which assign dispersal modes using a range ","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"252 3","pages":"1001-1003"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nph.71514","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148833813","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":"Refreshing perspectives in a warming world: understanding the cold adaptation strategies of plants – an introduction to a Virtual Issue","authors":"Guillaume Charrier","doi":"10.1111/nph.71573","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.71573","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Low temperature is a major environmental constraint limiting plant survival. The adaptation of plants to low temperatures in relation to their morphology, productivity and geographical distribution has been well-studied, and we have gained many insights, from the physics of ice nucleation to species distribution, including the molecular drivers of cold acclimation (Raunkiaer, <span>1904</span>; Charrier <i>et al</i>., <span>2023</span>). Nevertheless, global change is jeopardizing the ability of plants to withstand low temperatures, and this poses new challenges for understanding plant cold adaptation and for developing strategies to maintain ecosystem function and agricultural productivity.</p><p>During the 13<sup>th</sup> International Plant Cold Hardiness Seminar (IPCHS) in Clermont-Ferrand (France), our scientific community brought together recent advances on low-temperature adaptation in plants during eight sessions: (1) temperature sensing, signal transduction and cascade signaling pathway; (2) cold acclimation and deacclimation in a warming world: genetic and physiological approaches; (3) ice nucleation and propagation; (4) freezing behaviors (extracellular freezing vs supercooling); (5) late and early frost: changing plant phenology; (6) the migration of cold distribution edges in a warming climate; (7) living in the plant edge: psychrophilic microbes; and (8) hot and cold: insights of multistress. This Virtual Issue compiles some of the key results published in <i>New Phytologist</i> that were presented at the conference, along with other recent papers on the topic. These results reflect the wide array of structural, phenological, biochemical and molecular strategies that plants have evolved to survive at subzero temperatures.</p><p>Frost and drought resistance are two important factors in determining species distribution at range margins (Baranger <i>et al</i>., <span>2024</span>). Larter <i>et al</i>. (<span>2026</span>) compiled a substantial global database on drought and frost resistance to study the evolutionary trade-offs associated with these resistances. Their analysis revealed a weak trade-off, with only a few species (e.g. junipers) being resistant to both stress factors. These resistant species are often distributed at high elevations and have evergreen leaf phenology (Chang <i>et al</i>., <span>2021</span>). These species are also usually resistant to summer embolism but less so to winter embolism; thus, they can recover from nearly total loss of hydraulic conductivity (Mayr <i>et al</i>., <span>2020</span>). Furthermore, lower statured tree saplings and shrubs, typically protected by midwinter snow cover, are anticipated to face harsher conditions as the snow-free period extends due to climate change. Charra-Vaskou <i>et al</i>. (<span>2026</span>) quantified the resistance and recovery (i.e. the two components of the resilience) of the hydraulic system and living cells in a wide range of woody species from various funct","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"252 3","pages":"967-969"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nph.71573","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149070958","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":"Forest under stress: responses and recovery of water relations across scales during the compound drought in summer 2022","authors":"Ankit Shekhar,&nbsp;Anna K. Gilgen,&nbsp;Annika Ackermann,&nbsp;Liliana Scapucci,&nbsp;Sergio Aranda-Barranco,&nbsp;Anastasiia Bolshakova,&nbsp;Lukas Hörtnagl,&nbsp;Yi Wang,&nbsp;Franziska Richter,&nbsp;Fabio Turco,&nbsp;Ruikun Gou,&nbsp;Luana Krebs,&nbsp;Iris Feigenwinter,&nbsp;Roland A. Werner,&nbsp;Roman Zweifel,&nbsp;Sophia Etzold,&nbsp;Marius Floriancic,&nbsp;Stefan Osterwalder,&nbsp;Mana Gharun,&nbsp;Nina Buchmann","doi":"10.1111/nph.71516","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.71516","url":null,"abstract":"<p>\u0000 </p>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"252 3","pages":"1050-1064"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nph.71516","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148892654","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":"Low-temperature range limits of trees explained by freezing tolerance, current microclimate and historical extremes","authors":"Yang Yang,&nbsp;Zhi Chao Wu,&nbsp;Yue Qi,&nbsp;Shao Yu Gao,&nbsp;Hang Sun,&nbsp;Christian Körner","doi":"10.1111/nph.71504","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.71504","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>\u0000 </p><ul>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Explaining the low-temperature limit of trees requires <i>in situ</i> information on the actual temperature conditions, the trees' phenology and freezing tolerance.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Here, we report the seasonal course of freezing resistance and its response to local temperature in species of <i>Larix</i> and <i>Abies</i>, forming the treeline (4350–4400 m) in the south-eastern Himalayas, and <i>Quercus</i> and tree-size <i>Rhododendron</i>, reaching their upper limit in the immediate neighborhood (4270–4290 m). By linking tree-crown temperatures with on-site air temperature, we can utilize long-term meteorological records to hindcast critical freezing events.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Deciduous <i>Larix</i> flushes earliest and exhibits the greatest freezing tolerance and largest safety margin. The evergreen species flush 2 months later and operate near their freezing damage limit. The conifers can compensate for freezing damage by rapid resprouting from small auxiliary buds, not an option for <i>Quercus</i> and <i>Rhododendron</i> with their bigger buds.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Freezing damage does not appear to constrain the two treeline conifers. Their range limit most likely reflects the general low-temperature growth limit of the tree life form. Freezing tolerance is most likely controlling the upper limits of the evergreen broad-leaved species. The results offer a mechanistic explanation of the range limit of these high-elevation tree species.</li>\u0000 </ul>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"252 3","pages":"1065-1082"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148754679","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Navigating shoot apical meristem plasticity for plant adaptation","authors":"Yimin Zhu,&nbsp;Han Han,&nbsp;Weibing Yang","doi":"10.1111/nph.71534","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.71534","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Plants exhibit striking developmental plasticity, driven by stem cell populations within meristematic tissues such as the shoot apical meristem (SAM). While the genetic networks governing stem cell homeostasis are well-characterized, recent studies reveal that the SAM also functions as an active environmental sensor to modulate growth plasticity. This Tansley review synthesizes advances in how the SAM perceives and integrates key environmental signals – including light, temperature, oxygen, and humidity – to direct adaptive growth. We detail the molecular mechanisms, such as photoreceptor-mediated activation, thermal resilience pathways, hypoxia sensing, hydraulic dynamics, and mechanical signalling, that regulate stem cell activity. Furthermore, we explore how these environmental cues couple with developmental programs to fine-tune meristem function and organogenesis. By drawing parallels to the environmental regulation of root meristem development, we highlight conserved sensing and signalling modules within meristematic tissues that influence plant growth plasticity. Examining this interplay both in shoot and in root meristems, from evolutionary and applied perspectives, underscores how environmental responsiveness of stem cell niches regulates plant adaptation, informing strategies for engineering climate-resilient crops.</p>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"252 3","pages":"1015-1027"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nph.71534","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148892737","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":"Polycomb protein ZmEMF1a restricts endosperm proliferation and directs differentiation via stage-specific H2Aub1 and H3K27me3 landscapes in maize","authors":"Xiaohan Li,&nbsp;Mingyue Zhang,&nbsp;Yongcai Huang,&nbsp;Mengyao Li,&nbsp;Hongjie Zhu,&nbsp;Shuai Li,&nbsp;Dongsheng Shi,&nbsp;Lina Xu,&nbsp;Qiong Wang,&nbsp;Jinxiao Zhang,&nbsp;Yuqing Ni,&nbsp;Yajie Zhao,&nbsp;Chao Zhou,&nbsp;Gang Xu,&nbsp;Xuerong Yang,&nbsp;Xiang Yu Zhao,&nbsp;Xian Sheng Zhang,&nbsp;Jiechen Wang,&nbsp;Hongjun Liu","doi":"10.1111/nph.71543","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.71543","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>\u0000 </p><ul>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Polycomb group (PcG) proteins serve as pivotal epigenetic repressors that govern the transcriptional programs underlying cell growth and differentiation. However, their functional roles in maize endosperm remain largely unexplored. Here, we characterize the recessive maize small-kernel mutant <i>sks1</i>, which exhibits persistent endosperm cell hyperproliferation and compromised cell expansion during grain filling.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Map-based cloning reveals that <i>SKS1</i> encodes ZmEMF1a, a PcG protein that physically interacts with subunits of both PRC1 and PRC2. Integrated ChIP-seq and RNA-seq analyses were performed to investigate its epigenetic regulatory functions.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>ZmEMF1a orchestrates a stage-specific epigenetic regulatory program: it predominantly mediates H3K27me3 deposition at 6 d after pollination (DAP), while coordinately regulating the deposition of both H3K27me3 and H2Aub1 at 10 DAP. Loss of <i>ZmEMF1a</i> leads to ectopic hyperproliferation of differentiated endosperm tissues, specifically the basal endosperm transfer layer (BETL) and aleurone (AL), as well as elevated vitamin B content in the endosperm.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Collectively, these findings establish ZmEMF1a as an epigenetic regulator that balances endosperm proliferation, cell fate specification, and nutrient accumulation through stage-specific histone modifications, thereby offering promising targets for enhancing maize yield and nutritional quality.</li>\u0000 </ul>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"252 3","pages":"1130-1148"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148909152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Anna Kampová","authors":"Anna Kampová","doi":"10.1111/nph.70835","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.70835","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Anna Kampová, VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology (Belgium).\u0000 <figure>\u0000 <div><picture>\u0000 <source></source></picture><p></p>\u0000 </div>\u0000 </figure></p>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"252 3","pages":"1013-1014"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nph.70835","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145765419","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":"Environmental context modulates rhizosphere fungal distinctiveness across plant phylogeny and functional traits","authors":"Biao Zhu, Wei Chen, Chunqiang Wei, Evan Siemann, Xinmin Lu","doi":"10.1111/nph.71638","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.71638","url":null,"abstract":"Summary <jats:list list-type=\"bullet\"> <jats:list-item> Compositional variation in rhizosphere communities among plant species is ubiquitous and fundamental in maintaining both soil and plant biodiversity. However, the magnitude and direction of environmental effects on this variation remain unquantified in complex natural settings. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> Here, by integrating a large‐scale field survey and a complementary glasshouse experiment with 54 plant species, we disentangled the effects of environmental variation from intrinsic plant effects on rhizosphere fungal composition. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> Field environments can either amplify or reduce compositional variation in rhizosphere fungal communities among co‐occurring plant species compared to glasshouse conditions. Notably, within plant communities, species that were more functionally distinct tended to recruit less compositionally distinct rhizosphere fungal communities under low‐soil nitrogen conditions, whereas phylogenetically distinct species recruited more compositionally distinct rhizosphere fungal communities at warmer temperatures. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> Our findings underscore the importance of interactions between environmental context, plant evolutionary history and functional traits in shaping plant–soil interactions. </jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149083836","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Heart-rot is not a disease: reframing wood decay in living trees","authors":"Matt Wainhouse,&nbsp;Lynne Boddy","doi":"10.1111/nph.71558","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.71558","url":null,"abstract":"<p>When fungi are seen fruiting on tree trunks, branches and twigs, they are often automatically thought to be causing disease. Likewise, the hollowing of dead woody tissue in the centre of trunks is often instantly thought of as harmful. Yet there is a wide diversity of tree–fungus interactions, and the majority of those involving wood decay fungi do not have negative consequences for the tree. This biologically inaccurate framing of wood decay fungi in general, and heart-rot in particular, has major consequences for research priorities, forest management, and public perceptions of fungi–tree interactions. Heart-rot has important ecological functions, to the extent that research to accelerate heart-rot is ongoing. We must actively reframe the narrative more precisely to represent the actual role of heart-rot as a functional component of tree and forest systems because the logical consequence of describing heart-rot as disease is that valuable trees and the species they support will be lost.</p>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"252 3","pages":"1004-1009"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nph.71558","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148884109","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":"Contrasting influences of ectomycorrhizal fungi on decomposition depending on soil fertility","authors":"Björn D. Lindahl,&nbsp;Karina E. Clemmensen,&nbsp;Christopher W. Fernandez,&nbsp;Peter G. Kennedy,&nbsp;Mathias Mayer,&nbsp;Thomas C. Parker","doi":"10.1111/nph.71567","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.71567","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Despite their dominance in many terrestrial ecosystems, the impact of ectomycorrhizal fungi on organic matter decomposition is notably variable across different ecological settings. Here we outline how the influence of ectomycorrhizal fungi on decomposition of belowground organic matter pools depends, not only on the traits of the ectomycorrhizal fungi, but also on the relative dominance of other interacting fungal guilds, in a manner that is predictable across wide gradients in soil fertility. Specifically, we propose that the dominant effect of ectomycorrhizal fungi shifts from ‘priming’ of saprotrophs in the most fertile soils, to inhibition of saprotrophs when conditions become nitrogen-limited, and to active ‘mining’ of organic matter when nutrient availability is severely constrained. Thus, ectomycorrhizal fungi retard decomposition of organic matter at intermediate soil fertility but accelerate decomposition both in the most fertile and the least fertile soils. These ideas may be applied both on local fertility gradients and at the global biome scale, helping to reconcile inconsistent relationships between ectomycorrhizal fungi and soil organic matter dynamics.</p>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"252 3","pages":"1028-1034"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nph.71567","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148901316","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}