(Press-News.org) A research team led by the South China Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with multiple domestic and international research institutions, has made progress in investigating forest diversity patterns across China. The findings were published in Nature Ecology & Evolution on December 2.
China is recognized by Conservation International as one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries. To effectively meet its commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, it is crucial for China to clarify the fine-scale spatial patterns and future trends of multidimensional forest diversity as well as the driving mechanisms of this process.
Species richness and structural diversity are two fundamental dimensions of forest diversity, each making unique and complementary contributions to biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration. However, the scarcity of spatially representative vegetation plot data has hindered efforts to understand the fine-scale patterns and drivers of these two diversity metrics in China's forests.
To address this gap, the research team analyzed field measurement data from over 300,000 individual trees across nearly 3,400 forest plots. Leveraging this comprehensive dataset, the researchers developed the first high-resolution maps showing the fine-scale spatial patterns of tree species richness and structural diversity in China's natural forests.
The study revealed that the two diversity dimensions are shaped by distinct mechanisms. Precipitation seasonality emerged as the primary predictor of tree species richness: Regions with highly uneven intra-annual precipitation typically support fewer tree species, since most woody plants exhibit strong climatic niche conservatism and limited physiological tolerance to large fluctuations in water availability. In contrast, forest age is the leading driver of structural diversity, since older forests tend to develop multilayered canopies with a higher abundance of shade-tolerant species.
Projections under future climate scenarios indicate that by 2100, fine-scale species richness could increase by approximately 36% and structural diversity by around 27%, driven by ongoing forest succession and increased precipitation. These findings provide crucial data for advancing the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and offer valuable scientific guidance for refining forest conservation and management strategies.
The researchers emphasized the need to comprehensively assess the opportunities and challenges posed by future changes in forest biodiversity. On the one hand, increased diversity can enhance forest ecosystem stability and carbon sequestration capacity; on the other, intensified interspecific competition may exert additional pressure on rare and endangered species. Strengthening both in situ and ex situ conservation of threatened taxa is therefore essential to balance overall biodiversity gains with the protection of key species.
END
Researchers unveil first high-resolution maps of China's forest diversity patterns
2025-12-02
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Sun-watcher SOHO celebrates thirty years
2025-12-02
On 2 December 1995 the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) blasted into space – on what was supposed to be a two-year mission.
From its outpost 1.5 million km away from Earth in the direction of the Sun, SOHO enjoys uninterrupted views of our star. It has provided a nearly continuous record of our Sun’s activity for close to three 11-year-long solar cycles.
"It is testament to the ingenuity of our engineers, operators and scientists, and to international ...
Largest study of nose microbiome helps highlight those at risk of staph aureus infection
2025-12-02
People who persistently carry Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in their nose have fewer species of other bacteria, while certain bacteria may help to prevent S. aureus colonisation.
These are the findings of the largest-ever study of the nasal microbiome, published today (2 December) in Nature Communications.
Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, University of Cambridge, Imperial ...
Structural racism and cultural misunderstanding compound grief for Black British and Black Caribbean communities, study finds
2025-12-02
Inequities in how bereavement is experienced and supported among people of Black British and Black Caribbean heritage in England has been revealed in a new study led by the University of Bristol. The research, published in Death Studies today [2 December], calls for widespread changes to improve bereavement experiences and access to support for Black British and Black Caribbean communities.
People from Black and other minoritised ethnic communities in the UK are known to face persistent health and social care inequities, including barriers to accessing bereavement ...
Water molecules in motion: Surprising dynamics on 2D materials
2025-12-02
In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers from Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) and the University of Surrey tested two ultra-thin, sheet-like materials with a honeycomb structure – graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). While graphene is electrically conductive – making it a key contender for future electronics, sensors and batteries – h-BN, often called ‘white graphite’, is a high-performance ceramic material and electrical insulator.
Researchers found that this subtle difference completely changes how water interacts ...
Alaknanda: JWST discovers massive grand-design spiral galaxy from the universe's infancy
2025-12-02
A spiral galaxy, shaped much like our Milky Way, has been found in an era when astronomers believed such well-formed galaxies could not yet exist. Two astronomers from India have identified a remarkably mature galaxy just 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang—a discovery that challenges our understanding of how galaxies form and evolve.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a powerful telescope capable of detecting extremely faint light from the early Universe. Using JWST, researchers Rashi Jain and Yogesh Wadadekar ...
Our brains recognise the voices of our primate cousins
2025-12-02
The brain doesn’t just recognise the human voice. A study by the University of Geneva (UNIGE) shows that certain areas of our auditory cortex respond specifically to the vocalisations of chimpanzees, our closest cousins both phylogenetically and acoustically. This finding, published in the journal eLife, suggests the existence of subregions in the human brain that are particularly sensitive to the vocalisations of certain primates. It opens a new window on the origin of voice recognition, which could have implications ...
Does the "use it or lose it" principle determine brain plasticity and shape how we age?
2025-12-02
AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, 2 December 2025 -- In a revelatory Genomic Press Interview published today in Brain Medicine, Dr. Paul Lucassen, full professor at the University of Amsterdam and leader of the Brain Plasticity group, shares his scientific journey that helped transform our understanding of how adult brains adapt to challenge and change. His research, spanning topics like apoptosis, neurogenesis, (early life) stress, rodent work, human brain tissue and diseases like depression and dementia, carries implications for those affected by these disorders globally.
From ...
Dynamic duo of bacteria could change Mars dust into versatile building material for first human colonists
2025-12-02
Humanity had a dream: the alien world we hope to call home
Since humanity’s first steps on the Moon, the aspiration to extend human civilization beyond Earth has been a central objective of international space agencies, targeting long-term extraterrestrial habitation. Among the celestial bodies within our reach, Mars is considered our next home. The Red Planet, with its stark landscapes and tantalizing similarities to Earth, beckons as the frontier of human exploration and settlement. But establishing a permanent foothold on Mars remains one of humanity’s boldest dreams and the most formidable scientific and engineering challenge.
The Red Planet, once draped in a thick ...
Lower prevalence of PSC among patients with IBD in Asia: Insights from a multinational study
2025-12-02
Tsukuba, Japan—Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic, progressive inflammatory disease characterized by fibrosis and bile duct stricturing, which ultimately leads to cirrhosis and liver failure. PSC is strongly associated with both types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), namely, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. However, the patient population in Asia is relatively small, and no large-scale studies have previously examined the prevalence and clinical course of PSC in this region. To address this gap, the research team conducted a multinational collaborative ...
Alcohol and ultrasonic irradiation: An effective CCl₄ decomposition tag team
2025-12-02
Carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) is a type of volatile organic compound (VOC) that was once widely used as a refrigerant and cleaning agent, but is now strictly regulated due to its toxic properties. However, its environmental impact remains a concern and recent reports indicate that CCl₄ emissions have been detected in some countries. Therefore, the development of CCl₄ decomposition technology is critical, and holds promise for its application in decomposing and neutralizing various VOCs.
In search of a probable solution, Professor Kenji Okitsu and graduate student Aerfate Abulikemu from Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School ...