Review
Environmental Sciences
Huai Chen, Peijun Ju, Qiuan Zhu, Xingliang Xu, Ning Wu, Yongheng Gao, Xiaojuan Feng, Jianqing Tian, Shuli Niu, Yangjian Zhang, Changhui Peng, Yanfen Wang
Summary: The carbon and nitrogen cycling on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau has been influenced by atmospheric warming, cryosphere thaw, and intensified human activities. Despite the complexity of these changes, they largely offset each other. The plateau is predicted to continue functioning as a net carbon sink in the future, despite severe permafrost degradation, while nitrogen stocks are expected to remain relatively stable.
NATURE REVIEWS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ning Jiang, Wei Luo, Pin Zhao, Bila Ga, Junmei Jia, John P. Giesy
Summary: A study conducted on Qinghai Lake in China, the largest brackish lake on the Tibetan Plateau, found that the distribution of microplastics (MPs) with size <5 mm varied from the lakeshore to the center. The distribution was influenced by river inflow, tourism, and minimal human activity. Qinghai Lake was classified as moderately polluted with MPs based on the abundance in the sediments. The dominant characteristics of MPs in the sediments were transparent, fiber-shaped polypropylene.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Min-Jie Li, Huan-Xi Yu, Xian-Lin Guo, Xing-Jin He
Summary: The evolutionary history of the genus Allium sect. Daghestanica was reconstructed using molecular phylogenetic methods, revealing different clades including Caucasian-European and Asian populations. The study suggests that Asian ancestors may have migrated from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau to Caucasus and Europe around the Late Miocene, leading to further evolution and speciation.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Yanfen Wang, Wangwang Lv, Kai Xue, Shiping Wang, Lirong Zhang, Ronghai Hu, Hong Zeng, Xingliang Xu, Yaoming Li, Lili Jiang, Yanbin Hao, Jianqing Du, Jianping Sun, Tsechoe Dorji, Shilong Piao, Changhui Wang, Caiyun Luo, Zhenhua Zhang, Xiaofeng Chang, Mingming Zhang, Yigang Hu, Tonghua Wu, Jinzhi Wang, Bowen Li, Peipei Liu, Yang Zhou, A. Wang, Shikui Dong, Xianzhou Zhang, Qingzhu Gao, Huakun Zhou, Miaogen Shen, Andreas Wilkes, Georg Miehe, Xinquan Zhao, Haishan Niu
Summary: This review examines the impacts of climate change and human activities on grasslands in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. It discusses the changes in vegetation and soil, as well as the drivers behind these changes. The study finds that rising temperatures have been key in driving vegetation increases, while intense livestock grazing has caused grassland degradation. Effective restoration can be achieved through management policies and adaptive management, leading to improvements in net primary production.
NATURE REVIEWS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Miaogen Shen, Shiping Wang, Nan Jiang, Jianping Sun, Ruyin Cao, Xiaofang Ling, Bo Fang, Lei Zhang, Lihao Zhang, Xiyan Xu, Wangwang Lv, Baolin Li, Qingling Sun, Fandong Meng, Yuhao Jiang, Tsechoe Dorji, Yongshuo Fu, Amy Iler, Yann Vitasse, Heidi Steltzer, Zhenming Ji, Wenwu Zhao, Shilong Piao, Bojie Fu
Summary: Warming temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau are causing changes in vegetation phenology, with the start of the growing season advancing and the end of season delaying. These changes could impact land surface and atmospheric processes, species interactions, and regional climate patterns.
NATURE REVIEWS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Nantao Liu, Xinyuan Cai, Longyu Jia, Xun Wang, Wei Yuan, Che-Jen Lin, Dingyong Wang, Xinbin Feng
Summary: This study investigates the concentration and isotopic signatures of mercury (Hg) in the surface soil of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). The spatial distribution and source contribution of Hg in the surface soil, as well as factors influencing Hg accumulation, are comprehensively studied. Results show that vegetation mediated atmospheric Hg0 deposition is the dominant source of Hg in the surface soil, followed by geogenic sources and atmospheric Hg2+ inputs.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Qi Wang, Xia Wu, Bo Liu, Jun Wan, Hong Jin, Ke Tao, Taiping Hou
Summary: The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is a hotspot of biodiversity, but little is known about the joint impacts of environmental properties and geographic distance on microbial communities along altitudinal gradients. In this study, sites along an elevational gradient in the QTP were investigated to examine the composition, diversity patterns, and driving factors of soil microbial communities. Environmental properties changed significantly with elevation. Bacterial alpha-diversity did not differ significantly among elevations, while fungal alpha-diversity showed a decreasing pattern. Bacterial community differences were driven by both environmental factors and geographic distance, while fungal community differences were primarily driven by environmental factors.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Huawei Hu, Yanqiang Wei, Wenying Wang, Ji Suonan, Shixiong Wang, Zhe Chen, Jinhong Guan, Yanfang Deng
Summary: In this study, the potential influences of climate change on the richness and distribution of endangered orchid species on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) were simulated using the MaxEnt model. The results indicate that climate factors have a significant impact on the potential distribution of these species. Future conservation plans should focus on protecting endangered orchid species in the southeastern part of the QTP.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Naixin Cui, Tong Wu, Yi-Chen Wang, Huiting Zou, Jan Christoph Axmacher, Weiguo Sang, Luo Guo
Summary: This study focuses on the influence of Buddhist monasteries on land use/cover change (LUCC) in the Sanjiangyuan region of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The findings show that the presence of monasteries is highly correlated with the preservation of natural ecosystems, particularly grasslands and forests. These results strongly support the role of Buddhist culture and its physical institutions in achieving desired landscape conservation outcomes.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mu Xia, Kun Jia, Wenwu Zhao, Shiliang Liu, Xiangqin Wei, Bing Wang
Summary: This study utilizes an Ecological Vulnerability Index (EVI) and 17 indicators to analyze the ecological vulnerability threats faced by the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau over the past 15 years, with results indicating vegetation as the primary driver of ecological vulnerability. Significant variations in ecological vulnerability trends were observed between Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Qiuan Zhu, Huai Chen, Changhui Peng, Jinxun Liu, Shilong Piao, Jin-Sheng He, Shiping Wang, Xinquan Zhao, Jiang Zhang, Xiuqin Fang, Jiaxin Jin, Qi-En Yang, Liliang Ren, Yanfen Wang
Summary: Intense grazing may lead to grassland degradation on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Current grazing activity in the region is mostly sustainable, with the stocking rate below the threshold in about 80% of grassland areas. Positive effects of climate change can partly offset negative effects of grazing, but only in areas below the stocking rate threshold. Keeping the stocking rate within 50% to 70% of the threshold can balance human demands with grassland protection in the face of climate change.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Qian Qian, Junbang Wang, Xiujuan Zhang, Shaoqiang Wang, Yingnian Li, Qinxue Wang, Alan E. Watson, Xinquan Zhao
Summary: This paper assesses the possibility of achieving established targets for the proportion of cultivated to available grassland in the Three-River Headwaters Region in China. It finds that in order to reach income targets in 2025, 5% of grasslands need to be cultivated, but achieving income targets in 2035 will become very difficult.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Qiang Li, Guoxing He, Tong Wen, Degang Zhang, Xiaoni Liu
Summary: This study analyzed the composition, diversity, and function of soil fungal communities in alpine meadows at different altitudes and aspects and found that altitude and aspect significantly changed the composition and diversity of fungal communities.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Luxi Wang, Xiaoxiu Lun, Ju Wu, Qiang Wang, Jinhua Tao, Xiaoyan Dou, Zhijun Zhang
Summary: This study investigated the emission rates and compositions of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) from various vegetation types in Qinghai Province, China. The results showed significant differences in the BVOCs emissions among different types of vegetation, with monoterpenes being the dominant emission in coniferous forests and isoprene being the main emission in alpine meadows. The study also found strong seasonal and daily variation patterns of BVOCs emissions in Qinghai Province, with the highest emissions occurring in summer.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chaolian Jiao, Jiahui Zhang, Xiaochun Wang, Nianpeng He
Summary: This study comprehensively evaluated plant magnesium content and density in 680 ecosystems on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau for the first time. The results showed that plant magnesium content decreased from northwest to southeast, while magnesium density was higher in the east of the plateau, reflecting plant adaptive strategies. These findings provide insights into biogeochemical cycling and can facilitate the optimization of remote sensing parameters.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Galina Gussarova, Geraldine A. Allen, Yulia Mikhaylova, Laurie J. McCormick, Virginia Mirre, Kendrick L. Marr, Richard J. Hebda, Christian Brochmann
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2015)
Article
Ecology
Geraldine A. Allen, Kendrick L. Marr, Laurie J. McCormick, Richard J. Hebda
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2015)
Article
Plant Sciences
Qian Wang, Jianquan Liu, Geraldine A. Allen, Yazhen Ma, Wei Yue, Kendrick L. Marr, Richard J. Abbott
Article
Plant Sciences
Jian-Qiang Zhang, Shi-Yong Meng, Guang-Yuan Rao
Article
Plant Sciences
Yuan Huang, Yi-Ming An, Shi-Yong Meng, Yan-Ping Guo, Guang-Yuan Rao
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION
(2017)
Article
Ecology
Heidi J. Guest, Geraldine A. Allen
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2014)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jian-Qiang Zhang, Shi-Yong Meng, Jun Wen, Guang-Yuan Rao
Article
Ecology
Zi-Meng Wang, Shi-Yong Meng, Guang-Yuan Rao
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2019)
Article
Plant Sciences
Shi-Yong Meng, Lei Wu, Chu-Ze Shen
Article
Plant Sciences
Chun-Yu Zou, Shi-Yong Meng, Zhao-Cen Lu, Yan Liu
Article
Plant Sciences
Zi-Meng Wang, Shi-Yong Meng, Guang-Yuan Rao
Summary: The study examined a potential ring species complex surrounding the Sichuan Basin, specifically looking at the reproductive isolation between sibling species Rhodiola yunnanensis and R. henryi. Through amplicon sequencing of nuclear and chloroplast DNA, it was found that the divergence of these species was not driven by geographical isolation, but they did exhibit characteristics of a ring species.
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yu-lin Rong, Guo-Dong LI, Hai-Lei Zheng, Jun Zhang, Shi-Yong Meng
Summary: A new species, Rhodiola yushuensis, from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is described and illustrated. It is similar to Rhodiola smithii, but differs in leaf morphology and seed coat architecture. Principal component analysis and nrDNA sequencing support its status as a new species.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Shiyong Meng, Zimeng Wang, Lv Ye
Summary: This study conducted field research and integrated morphological and molecular evidence to systematically study the rapidly radiating Rhodiola genus. Two new species were proposed based on the findings, and the conservation status of these species was also assessed. This research is significant for understanding the formation of plant diversity in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Article
Plant Sciences
Quanru Liu, Shiyong Meng, Dongxian Xu, Jinglan Wang, Shan Wang
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Markus Osaland Fjelde, Einar Timdal, Reidar Haugan, Mika Bendiksby
Summary: This study investigated the taxonomy of the crustose lichen genus Calvitimela using molecular phylogenetics and morphological observations. The results revealed evolutionarily old and deeply divergent lineages within Calvitimela, with overlapping morphological characters between different subgenera. Chemical characters were informative at the level of subgenera but often homoplastic at the species level. A practical taxonomy of Calvitimela was proposed based on these findings.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bo-Yang Shi, Da Pan, Kang-Qin Zhang, Tian-Yu Gu, Darren C. J. Yeo, Peter K. L. Ng, Neil Cumberlidge, Hong-Ying Sun
Summary: This study investigates the evolutionary history and speciation mechanisms of montane potamids in the Hengduan Mountains Region. The results suggest that the vicariance events of these crabs are correlated with the emergence of sky islands due to the uplift of the mountains. The mountain ridges provided corridors for their dispersal and past climatic conditions played a crucial role in their evolutionary history. The mechanisms isolating sky islands are reinforced by the climatic features of dry-hot valleys and continue to affect local diversification.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Attila Nemeth, Edvard Mizsei, Levente Laczko, David Czaban, Zsolt Hegyeli, Szabolcs Lengyel, Gabor Csorba, Gabor Sramko
Summary: Species delimitation of European blind mole rats is challenging due to their small morphological differences and complex chromosomal evolution. This study provides a comprehensive framework to improve understanding of their evolutionary history and revise their taxonomy. The results reveal the presence of multiple superspecies and species, with distinct geographic patterns and rapid chromosomal evolution.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ying Qi, Zhaoyan Zhong, Xu Liu, Xing He, Yadong Zhou, Lili Zhang, Chong Chen, Katrin Linse, Jian-Wen Qiu, Jin Sun
Summary: This study investigates the phylogenetic relationships among patellogastropod families using mitochondrial and phylogenomic data. The results show that the mitochondrial phylogeny recovers monophyly of most families, but the relationships among families are still contentious. However, a more robust family-level topology consistent with morphology is achieved by phylogenomics. Additionally, the mainly deep-water families are found to be monophyletic, suggesting a single colonization of the deep water during the Jurassic.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yu-Jie Shi, Jin -Liang Huang, Jia-Xuan Mi, Jing Li, Fan-Yu Meng, Yu Zhong, Fang He, Fei -Fei Tian, Fan Zhang, Liang-Hua Chen, Han-Bo Yang, Hong-Lin Hu, Xue-Qin Wan
Summary: Despite numerous studies on hybrid speciation, our understanding of this process remains limited. In this study, we conducted an 18-year systematic investigation on Populus taxa on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and discovered three new taxa that originated from distant hybridization between two different sections. These hybrid taxa demonstrate greater ecological adaptability than their ancestral species due to heterosis. We propose a hybrid speciation process model that can explain important evolutionary concerns.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna Cho, Denis Tikhonenkov, Gordon Lax, Kristina I. Prokina, Patrick J. Keeling
Summary: Unlike conspicuous ochrophytes, many small and overlooked flagellates belonging to basally branching stramenopiles remain poorly characterized at the cellular or genomic level. This study describes four new species, including two new genera, of sediment-dwelling MAST-6 and provides updated phylogenomic tree of stramenopiles. The characterization of these flagellates is important due to their phylogenetic diversity and abundance in various environments.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tian-Tian Xue, Steven B. Janssens, Bin-Bin Liu, Sheng-Xiang Yu
Summary: Phylogenomic conflicts are widespread among genomic data, with most previous studies primarily focusing on nuclear datasets instead of organellar genomes. In this study, we investigated the phylogenetic conflicts within and between plastid and mitochondrial genomes using Potentilla as a case study. We found that both plastid and mitochondrial genomes divided Potentilla into eight highly supported clades, with two newly identified clades. Our results demonstrate that mitochondrial genes can fully resolve phylogenetic relationships among major clades of Potentilla and are not always linked with plastomes in evolutionary history.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexandra A. Grossi, Chunpo Tian, Mengjiao Ren, Fasheng Zou, Daniel R. Gustafsson
Summary: This study suggests that the coevolutionary relationships between chewing lice, endosymbiotic bacteria, and birds are not independent, but the patterns vary depending on the analysis method used. Additionally, louse host-switching does not seem to affect bacterial strains.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ingrid Olivares, Sergio Tusso, Maria Jose Sanin, Marylaure de La Harpe, Oriane Loiseau, Jonathan Rolland, Nicolas Salamin, Michael Kessler, Kentaro K. Shimizu, Margot Paris
Summary: Traditionally, differences between species have been associated with morphological variation. However, the discovery of cryptic diversity suggests that the evolution of distinct lineages can occur without morphological differences. Through genetic analysis, we found that a tropical montane plant lineage is composed of numerous unrecognized genetic groups that are not morphologically distinct. Geographic distance and topography play a crucial role in determining the genetic divergence of these groups.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)