News
-
2026-07-03Sciences reveals the important role of intraspecific trait variation in forest response to nitrogen depositionAn eight-year nitrogen addition experiment was conducted in a South China evergreen broad-leaved forest to analyze interspecific and intraspecific trait variation in understory plants and its connection to biomass. Nitrogen treatment hardly affected traits of the high understory, yet altered leaf growth and defense traits with strong intraspecif... The continuous increase in atmospheric nitrogen deposition caused by global fossil fuel combustion and fertilizer use has profoundly affected the structure and function of forest ecosystems. Previous studies have mostly focused on trait changes at the species level, and there is still a lack of in-depth understanding of how functional traits at ...Read More -
2026-07-03Microbial Control Over Blue Carbon During Mangrove RestorationRestoration relieves microbial carbon limitation, while persistent phosphorus limitation may continue to constrain blue carbon formation. A research team from the South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has identified microbial carbon limitation as an important regulator of blue carbon outcomes during mangrove restoration. The study shows that restoration not only increases soil organic carbon (SOC), but also changes the source composition and potential biochemi...Read More -
2026-06-28Reveal Global Seasonality and Climate Controls of Air PollutionChinese Scientists characterized the seasonal patterns, spatial regimes and recent directional trends of global atmospheric pollution by integrating satellite observations with meteorological reanalysis. A research team led by Professor Faming Wang at the South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has characterized the seasonal patterns, spatial regimes and recent directional trends of global atmospheric pollution by integrating satellite observations with meteorological reanalysis.The study, entitled “Characterizing global air ...Read More -
2026-06-28Long-Term Biomass Recovery and Future Blue Carbon Potential of Indus Delta MangrovesChinese Blue Carbon scientists reconstructed the long-term dynamics of above-ground biomass in the Indus Delta mangroves and evaluated their potential changes through 2050. A research team led by Professor Faming Wang at the South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has reconstructed the long-term dynamics of above-ground biomass in the Indus Delta mangroves and evaluated their potential changes through 2050. The findings provide new evidence for the recovery and blue carbon potential of mangroves ...Read More -
2026-06-26The Genomic Architecture of Survival: Contrasting Evolutionary Paths in Endangered Island OaksHigh-quality chromosome-level genomes of two critically endangered island oaks reveal how contrasting population histories and natural selection regimes drive divergent genomic diversity and genetic load patterns, highlighting the role of efficient purging in buffering small populations from extinction risk. Genetic diversity underpins evolutionary resilience. As populations decline, endangered species typically suffer from eroding genetic diversity, increased inbreeding, and accumulating genetic load. Yet some small population endangered species maintain high genetic diversity and low inbreeding depression. The mechanisms behind this paradox remain...Read More -
2026-06-23New progress in the regulatory mechanism of aluminum tolerance in Rhodomyrtus tomentosa via cell wall remodelingAluminum (Al) toxicity in acidic soils severely inhibits plant root growth and limits crop productivity. Rhodomyrtus tomentosa, a woody shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions, exhibits exceptional adaptability to Al stress. Researchers reveal that the transcription factor RtERF1 directly activates RtXTH2 expression by binding to CRT el... Acidic soils account for approximately 40%-50% of the world's arable land, making them one of the major abiotic stress factors constraining agricultural production. In acidic soils, Al³⁺ inhibits root elongation and nutrient uptake, ultimately leading to significant crop yield losses. The plant cell wall serves as the first physical barrier ag...Read More -
2026-06-22Researchers propose an integrated biomarker-isotope method for credible saltmarsh blue carbon accountingIn two representative Chinese saltmarshes, we combined n-alkane and amino sugar biomarkers with δ¹³C and C/N analyses to quantify five sedimentary organic carbon sources—autochthonous halophyte, terrestrial woody plant, marine algae, fungal necromass, and bacterial necromass—revealing that plant residues dominated (>75 %) and autochthonous ... Saltmarshes are important coastal blue carbon ecosystems that store large amounts of organic carbon in sediments. Yet this carbon does not come from a single source. Some is produced locally by saltmarsh plants, while some is imported from terrestrial or marine systems through riverine and tidal processes. Distinguishing these sources is essenti...Read More -
2026-06-22SCBG proposes a whole-system method for tracing wetland organic carbon sourcesA full‑system method for tracing wetland organic carbon sources is established by determining n-alkane and amino sugar biomarkers in sediments and calculating contributions based on these dual biomarkers and total carbon content. The method resolves six carbon sources—herbaceous plants, algae, woody plants, aquatic plants, fungal necromass, an... South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences has filed a patent application titled “A whole-system method for tracing organic carbon sources in wetlands.” The method addresses the complex origins of organic carbon in saltmarshes and other wetland ecosystems, where conventional tracing approaches often provide only broad source sep...Read More