Search

SummarySix new species:Bulbophyllum caniceps, B. cochinealloides, B. fierenanaense, B. geminiflorum, B. oenanthumandB. rudolphusare described for the first time. The identity and nomenclature ofBulbophyllum cylindrocarpumis discussed and its var.andringitrenseis recognised at species rank asB. jeanbosseri.Bulbophyllum aubrevilleiandB. kieneriare compared with the latter becoming a synonym. The history and identities ofBulbophyllum pentastichumvsB. quadrifariumare clarified and the necessary taxonomic changes and type selections are made. A new sect.Inversiflorais formally described.

Evolutionary slowdowns in diversification have been inferred in various plant and animal lineages. Investigation based on diversification models integrated with environmental factors and key characters could provide critical insights into this diversification trend. We evaluate diversification rates in the

Didymoplexiella laosensis is described as a new species from the limestone mountains of Vang Vieng District in central Laos. A detailed description, colour plate, line drawings and conservation assessment are provided, together with morphological comparisons with three allied species in tropical Asia, namely, D. ornata, D. siamensis and D. trichechus. With the leasing of its limestone habitat to a mining company for cement production, the threat to D. laosensis is already evident.

The international fin trade is a major source of mortality for many threatened shark species but most of what it is known about this trade comes from assessments of large fins commanding high prices in trade hubs. There is growing international trade in ‘small, low‐value’ fins in Southeast Asia, which are used for inexpensive shark fin soup products. These fins could be derived from small species, juveniles of large species, or a combination of both. Resolving the species identification of these small fins has important conservation implications, because large sharks tend to be more vulnerable (VU) to overexploitation than small ones. Here we describe the first species‐specific assessment of the small, low‐value fins in the shark fin retail markets of Hong Kong. A total of 475 randomly collected samples were genetically identified using a portion of the cytochrome oxidase I, revealing at least 29 species. Around a third (34.5%) of the species found are in threatened International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List categories, and 21.2% of the samples were from four species listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The size of the analyzed fins and the species composition found suggests that small fins come from a combination of small (62.9 %) and large (37.1%) species, with the majority of small fins coming from suspected juveniles of large species. We suggest the sources of most of these fins are likely to be multi‐species fisheries in shallow, coastal habitats used by large species and also occupied by small species. Our results represent the first step to better understand the trade in small shark fins on a species‐specific basis and highlight the need for market surveys and increased inspection of this fin category at border control check points for CITES‐listed species.

Whether wind pollination in trees can offset the negative genetic consequences of anthropogenic forest fragmentation is not clearly established. To answer this question, we examined the demographic genetics of Quercus bambusifolia over a 70-year recovery period in highly fragmented forests in Hong Kong. We sampled 1138 individuals from 37 locations, and genetically analysed the chronosequence through the classification of tree diameters from the same populations using 13 microsatellite markers. Our study reveals that severe fragmentation caused a significant genetic bottleneck with very few remaining but genetically diverse individuals. We observed an enhanced genetic diversity during demographic recovery. We found full-sibs within populations and half-sibs across the study range. This reflects a limited seed dispersal and extensive pollen flow. Despite reduced genetic structure both among and within populations, overall a strong persisting genetic differentiation (F′(ST) = 0.240, P

Forests are already and will continue to experience a rapid and extreme change in climatic conditions in the future. The distributions of forests are expected to shift northward and to higher altitudes based on the results of species distribution modelling (SDM). Although SDM is criticized for lack of biotic interactions and natural migration mechanisms, it is still an important tool for understanding the influence of climate change on forest distributions at a landscape scale. We hypothesize that based on extant forest cover, distribution of protected areas and understanding on seed dispersal mechanisms, the suitable range of forest tree species will decline, and certain species might be driven to extinction in the absence of suitable space for migrations in a rapidly changing climate. To assess this scenario, we modelled the current and future potential distribution of 18 Castanopsis species in Asia using MaxENT. Mild (RCP-4.5) and severe (RCP-8.5) climate change scenarios from 17 climate change models were assessed. Three groups of current Castanopsis distribution were identified and they responded differently under climate change. One-third of the species will experience potential range reductions while two-third will have potential range expansions. However, when we overlaid the results with forest cover and protected area coverage, range expansions are unlikely to happen due to fragmented forest cover and lack of efficient seed dispersal mechanisms. Natural species migrations and local adaptation are not likely to happen for Castanopsis and therefore immediate adaptive strategies should be considered in forest management. This situation was particularly severe in the marginal tropical zones across coastal South China and the Northern Indo-China region.

Despite growing evidence that niche shifts are more common in flowering plants than previously thought, little is known of whether such shifts are promoted by changes in photosynthetic pathways. Here we combine the most complete phylogeny for epiphytic Malagasy Bulbophyllum orchids (c. 210 spp.) with climatic niche and carbon isotope ratios to infer the group's spatial-temporal history, and the role of strongly expressed crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) in facilitating niche shifts and diversification. We find that most extant species still retain niche (Central Highland) and photosynthesis (C3 ) states as present in the single mid-Miocene (c. 12.70 million yr ago (Ma)) ancestor colonizing Madagascar. However, we also infer a major transition to CAM, linked to a late Miocene (c. 7.36 Ma) invasion of species from the sub-humid highland first into the island's humid eastern coastal, and then into the seasonally dry 'Northwest Sambirano' rainforests, yet without significant effect on diversification rates. These findings indicate that CAM in tropical epiphytes may be selectively advantageous even in high rainfall habitats, rather than presenting a mere adaptation to dry environments or epiphytism per se. Overall, our study qualifies CAM as an evolutionary 'gateway' trait that considerably widened the spatial-ecological amplitude of Madagascar's most species-rich orchid genus.

Introductory paragraphDespite growing evidence that niche shifts are more common in flowering plants than previously thought, still little is known about the key physiological (e.g. photosynthesis) traits underlying such niche shifts. To address this question, we here combine a comprehensively sampled phylogeny for mostly epiphytic MalagasyBulbophyllumorchids (c. 210 spp.) with climatic niche and carbon isotope-derived photosynthesis data to infer the groups’ spatial-temporal history and to test the role of Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM), a highly water-use efficient type of photosynthesis, in facilitating niche shifts and diversification. We find that most extant species still retain niche (Central Highland) and photosynthesis (C3) states as likely present in the single mid-Miocene (c.12.70 Ma) ancestor colonizing Madagascar. However, we also infer a major transition to CAM, linked to a late Miocene (c. 7.36 Ma) invasion of species from the sub-humid highland niche first into the island’s humid eastern coastal, and then into the seasonally dry ‘Northwest Sambirano’ rainforests, yet without significant effect on diversification rates. These findings support the rarely recognized hypothesis that CAM in tropical epiphytes may be selectively advantageous even in high rainfall habitats, rather than presenting a mere adaptation to dry environments or epiphytismper se. Overall, our study qualifies CAM as an evolutionary ‘gateway’ trait that considerably widened the spatial-ecological amplitude of Madagascar’s most species-rich orchid genus.

ForestGEO is a network of scientists and long-term forest dynamics plots (FDPs) spanning the Earth's major forest types. ForestGEO's mission is to advance understanding of the diversity and dynamics of forests and to strengthen global capacity for forest science research. ForestGEO is unique among forest plot networks in its large-scale plot dimensions, censusing of all stems ≥1 cm in diameter, inclusion of tropical, temperate and boreal forests, and investigation of additional biotic (e.g., arthropods) and abiotic (e.g., soils) drivers, which together provide a holistic view of forest functioning. The 71 FDPs in 27 countries include approximately 7.33 million living trees and about 12,000 species, representing 20% of the world's known tree diversity. With >1300 published papers, ForestGEO researchers have made significant contributions in two fundamental areas: species coexistence and diversity, and ecosystem functioning. Specifically, defining the major biotic and abiotic controls on the distribution and coexistence of species and functional types and on variation in species' demography has led to improved understanding of how the multiple dimensions of forest diversity are structured across space and time and how this diversity relates to the processes controlling the role of forests in the Earth system. Nevertheless, knowledge gaps remain that impede our ability to predict how forest diversity and function will respond to climate change and other stressors. Meeting these global research challenges requires major advances in standardizing taxonomy of tropical species, resolving the main drivers of forest dynamics, and integrating plot-based ground and remote sensing observations to scale up estimates of forest diversity and function, coupled with improved predictive models. However, they cannot be met without greater financial commitment to sustain the long-term research of ForestGEO and other forest plot networks, greatly expanded scientific capacity across the world's forested nations, and increased collaboration and integration among research networks and disciplines addressing forest science.

Tropical forests are the main reservoirs for global biodiversity and climate control. As secondary forests are now more widespread than primary forests, understanding their functioning and role in the biosphere is increasingly important. This includes understanding how they achieve stability, how they accumulate species and build biodiversity and how they cycle nutrients and carbon. This study investigates how we can restore tropical secondary forests to resemble high biomass, highly biodiverse and stable ecosystems seen today only in primary, undisturbed forests. The study used historic aerial photographs and recent high-resolution satellite images from 1945 to 2014 to map forest patches with five age categories, from 14-years to over 70-years, in Hong Kong's degraded tropical landscape. A forest inventory comprising 28 quadrats provided a rare opportunity to relate patterns of species composition at different stages during the succession with topographic and soil characteristics. The topographic variables accounted for 15% of the variance in species abundance, and age of forest stands explained 29%. Species richness rapidly increased after the first 15 years, but was lower in old-growth, than in medium age forest. This is attributed to the inability of late-successional species to disperse into the young forests as the natural dispersal agents (birds, mammals) have been lost. Light-loving pioneers which are unable to tolerate the shade of older forests, cannot regenerate in their own shade, therefore species diversity declines after a few decades. For ecosystem restoration in tropical secondary forests, introduction of late-successional species is necessary to assist natural succession, given the absence of native fauna, seed dispersal agents, and the surrounding altered environment. We also show that remote sensing can play a pivotal role in understanding the recovery and functioning of secondary forest regeneration as its contribution to the biosphere is increasingly important.

Legumes provide an essential service to ecosystems by capturing nitrogen from the atmosphere and delivering it to the soil, where it may then be available to other plants. However, this facilitation by legumes has not been widely studied in global tropical forests. Demographic data from 11 large forest plots (16–60 ha) ranging from 5.25° S to 29.25° N latitude show that within forests, leguminous trees have a larger effect on neighbor diversity than non-legumes. Where soil nitrogen is high, most legume species have higher neighbor diversity than non-legumes. Where soil nitrogen is low, most legumes have lower neighbor diversity than non-legumes. No facilitation effect on neighbor basal area was observed in either high or low soil N conditions. The legume–soil nitrogen positive feedback that promotes tree diversity has both theoretical implications for understanding species coexistence in diverse forests, and practical implications for the utilization of legumes in forest restoration., Xu et al. examine the effect of leguminous trees on neighbor diversity across 11 plots in tropical forests around the world, and find that in high soil nitrogen conditions, most legume species have higher neighbor diversity than non-legumes, and vice versa where soil nitrogen is low. Their results have practical implications for the utilization of legumes in forest restoration.

Overharvesting is one of the greatest threats to species survival. Farming overharvested species is a conservation strategy that can meet growing market demand and conserve wild populations of the target species. This strategy is compatible with the international community's desire to uphold the right of local communities to use biological resources to support their livelihoods. However, studies investigating whether farming can alleviate poaching pressure have focused almost exclusively on animals. To address the shortfall in plant-focused studies, we compiled information on commercial cultivation of threatened plants to assess its conservation benefits. Because China's rising middle class has rapidly intensified demand for wildlife products, we searched the scientific literature published in Chinese (China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Baidu) and in English. We found 32 reports that contained data on 193 internationally or nationally threatened plant species that were under commercial cultivation. These reports showed that cultivations of 82% of the 193 species were sustained by collecting whole plants from the wild periodically or continuously. Although based on a small sample size, species that were maintained in cultivation only through artificial propagation or seeds collected in the wild were likely associated with a reported reduction in wild harvesting of whole plants. Even so, results of correlation analyses suggested that production system, scale, and when a species began being cultivated had little effect on conservation status of the species, either globally or in China. However, species brought into cultivation relatively recently and on a smaller scale were more likely to have undergone a reduction in collecting pressure. Farming of nonmedicinal plants was most problematic for species conservation because wild plants were laundered (i.e., sold as cultivated plants). For effective conservation, policy to guide cultivation operations based on the target species' biological characteristics, cultural significance, market demand, and conservation status is needed.Impactos en la Conservación del Cultivo Comercial de Plantas Sobreexplotadas y en Peligro de Extinción Resumen La sobreexplotación es una de las mayores amenazas para la supervivencia de una especie. El cultivo de especies sobreexplotadas es una estrategia de conservación que puede cumplir con la demanda creciente en el mercado y a la vez conservar especies silvestres de la especie diana. Esta estrategia es compatible con el deseo de la comunidad internacional de defender el derecho que tienen las comunidades locales a usar los recursos biológicos para mantener su sustento. Sin embargo, los estudios que indagan si el cultivo puede aliviar la presión de la colecta furtiva se han enfocado casi exclusivamente en animales. Para tratar con este déficit de estudios enfocados en plantas compilamos información sobre el cultivo comercial de plantas amenazadas para evaluar los beneficios de conservación del cultivo comercial. Ya que la creciente clase media china ha intensificado rápidamente la demanda de productos silvestres decidimos buscar en la literatura científica en chino (Infraestructura Nacional de Conocimiento de China y Baidu) y en inglés. Encontramos 32 reportes que contenían datos sobre 193 especies de plantas amenazadas nacional o internacionalmente que se encontraban en cultivos comerciales. Estos reportes mostraron que los cultivos del 82% de las 193 especies están sostenidos por la colecta de plantas completas en el campo de manera periódica o continua. Aunque nos basamos en un pequeño tamaño de muestra, las especies que se mantenían en cultivos sólo mediante la propagación artificial o mediante semillas recolectadas en campo tenían probabilidad de estar asociadas con una reducción reportada de la cosecha silvestre de plantas completas. Aún así, los resultados de los análisis de correlación sugieren que el sistema de producción, la escala, y cuándo se comenzó a cultivar a las especies tuvieron el menor efecto sobre el estado de conservación de la especie, fuera a escala mundial o en China. Sin embargo, las especies que se han introducido recientemente al cultivo y a menor escala tenían mayor probabilidad de haber sufrido una reducción en la presión de colecta. El cultivo de plantas no medicinales fue la más problemática para la conservación de especies ya que las plantas silvestres eran “lavadas” (es decir, vendidas como plantas cultivadas). Para una conservación efectiva se necesita de políticas que guíen las operaciones de cultivo con base en las características biológicas, la importancia cultural, la demanda en el mercado y el estado de conservación de la especie de interés.过度采集是物种生存的两大威胁之一。对被野采过度的物种开展商业化养殖和种植被视为一种既能满足日益增长的市场需求, 又能对该物种野生种群起到保护的策略。该策略也符合国际社会维护当地社区利用生物资源维持生计的权利的愿望。然而, 调查商业化养殖和种植是否可以减轻偷猎偷采压力的研究几乎完全集中在动物物种。为了弥补缺乏以植物为研究对象的不足, 我们汇编了有关受威胁植物商业化种植的信息, 以评估其保护效益。由于中国崛起的中产阶级对野生动植物产品的需求迅速增加, 我们除了英文文献数据库外, 还搜索了中国文献数据库 (即中国知网和百度) 。在筛选了数百个搜索结果后, 我们选用了 32 份文献, 其中包含被国际自然保护联盟或物种所在国列为受威胁的 193 种植物物种的商业化种植信息。这些物种中有 82% 的商业种植有迹象表明靠不断地补充野外采集的整株植物来维持。尽管基于小样本量, 只依赖人工繁殖或仅通过收集种子来维持商业种植的物种更有其野外采集压力被减小的可能。即便如此, 相关性分析表明, 生产系统, 规模以及物种开始种植的时间对这些受威胁物种的濒危状况的改变几乎没有影响。然而, 最近 10 年内才开展商业种植且种植规范小的物种更有可能经历采集压力的降低。非药用植物的商业种植对于物种保护来说是最成问题的, 因为这类植物的商业种植容易造成野生植物假作栽培植物被出售。为了确保保育效果, 我们迫切需要根据目标物种的生物学特性, 文化意义, 市场需求和保护状况来指导商业种植方式的政策。.

Vegetative propagation (clonal growth) conveys several evolutionary advantages that positively affect life history fitness and is a widespread phenomenon among angiosperms that also reproduce sexually. However, a bias towards clonality can interfere with sexual reproduction and lead to sexual extinction, although a dearth of effective genetic tools and mathematical models for clonal plants has hampered assessment of these impacts. Using the endangered tropical epiphytic or lithophytic orchid Bulbophyllum bicolor as a model, we integrated an examination of breeding system with 12 microsatellite loci and models valid for clonal species to test for the "loss of sex" and infer likely consequences for long-term reproductive dynamics. Bagging experiments and field observations revealed B. bicolor to be self-incompatible and pollinator-dependent, with an absence of fruit-set over 4 years. Challenging the assumptions that clonal populations can be as genotypically diverse as sexually reproducing ones and that clonality does not greatly influence genetic structure, just 22 multilocus genotypes were confirmed among all 15 extant natural populations, 12 of the populations were found to be monoclonal, and all three multiclonal ones exhibited a distinct phalanx clonal architecture. Our results suggest that all B. bicolor populations depend overwhelmingly on clonal growth for persistence, with a concomitant loss of sex due to an absence of pollinators and a lack of mating opportunities at virtually all sites, both of which are further entrenched by habitat fragmentation. Such cryptic life history impacts, potentially contributing to extinction debt, could be widespread among similarly fragmented, outcrossing tropical epiphytes, demanding urgent conservation attention.

Typhoons of varying intensities severely impact ecosystem functioning in tropical regions and their increasing frequencies and intensities due to global warming pose new challenges for effective forest restoration. This study examines the impact of a super-typhoon (Mangkhut) on the regenerating native secondary forest and exotic monocultural plantations in the degraded tropical landscape of Hong Kong. The super typhoon, which hit Hong Kong on 16 September 2018 lasted for 10 h (09:40–19:40) and was the most severe storm affecting Hong Kong over the past 100 years. Hong Kong's secondary forest is a mosaic of forest patches recovering through natural succession since 1945, and plantation stands of exotic monocultural species. We determine the loss in biomass by performing NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) difference analysis using two Landsat-8 multispectral images acquired before and after the typhoon. This the assessment of typhoon impacts according to successional age group, structural stages of vegetation, landscape topography, and on stands of exotic plantations. Results indicate that hilltops, open shrubland and grassland were hard hit, especially on southwest and southeast facing slopes, and almost 90% of the landscape showed abnormal change. Patches of exotic monoculture plantation (Lophostemon confertus, Melaleuca quinquenervia, and Acacia confusa) were the most severely damaged by the typhoon, showing more than 25% decrease in NDVI, followed by young secondary forest. Field observations confirmed that in exotic plantations, almost the entire canopy was destroyed and there is no generation of young under story trees to replace those lost. The affected young forests and shrublands are mainly dominated by fast growing, soft wooded early successional species such as Mallotus paniculatus or Machilus chekiangensis as well as weak, multi-trunked, fungus infected, or other structurally deficient trees, which were uprooted or seriously damaged by typhoon gusts. The net effect of typhoons in Hong Kong's degraded landscape, appears to reinforce the arrested succession of dense, less diverse stands of weaker early successional species due to the absence of late and middle successional species and native dispersal agents. In order to obtain a stronger, more resilient forest, it would be necessary to enhance biodiversity by artificially planting a species mix, which resembles primary forests in the region. This could be achieved by thinning of young secondary forest followed by enhancement planting of pockets of high diversity forest.

Catastrophic degradation of forests is ongoing worldwide and leads to severe forest fragmentation. Restoration plantings are often necessary to restore fragmented forests, complementing the limited natural regeneration. High genetic diversity is critical for the long-term viability of restored forests. However, there is limited knowledge of whether planted populations capture a genetic variation comparable to natural populations. We measured the efficiency of two forest restoration strategies using the common tropical oak Quercus bambusifolia. The multi-seedlot planting was established over ten years by collecting seeds from several locations in fragmented secondary forests of Hong Kong, while the single seedlot planting was established in just one year with seeds from a single natural location. We analysed the genetic diversity and genetic structure from both plantings and compared them with natural populations. The multi-seedlot planting exhibited a higher rate of genetic recovery, greater genetic diversity (He = 0.69), and higher effective population size (Ne_p = 86.5) compared to natural populations (He = 0.66, Ne_p = 64.3, on average) and the single seedlot planting (He = 0.50, Ne_p = 30.8). The multi-seedlot planting erased the effect of seed shadows which was detected in natural populations while the single seedlot planting strengthened the effect. We conclude that capturing high levels of genetic diversity in the collection of propagules is a standard requirement to ensure the long-term viability of forest restoration. Propagule collection over multiple years is required when only a few parental trees are available to avoid founder effects.

Impacts of extreme climate events on terrestrial ecosystems are more severe than those due to normal climate variability, and IPCC expects extreme weather events to become more frequent, triggering a gradual or unexpected change in forest ecosystems. Secondary forest in Hong Kong is recovering through natural succession since 1945, after complete destruction during the Second World War (WW2). Over 70 of years of natural vegetation succession, forests have suffered three major extreme cold events, in 1974, 1991 and 2016. An intense cold event across Hong Kong and southern China from 23 to 25th January 2016 with temperatures of −6 °C and wind chill of −13 °C recorded at 950 m on Hong Kong’s highest mountain, was preceded by unseasonably warm weather in early January. The intensity of cold had not been experienced in over 100 years of climate records. This study was conducted to map and assess the impacts of the frost event on Hong Kong’s vegetation at landscape level using remotely sensed vegetation indices and GIS, and at species level from field observations. Results indicate that the vegetation below 400 m was largely unaffected, but then vegetation damage gradually increased along the elevation gradient from 400 m to the maximum elevation of 957 m. Furthermore, the cooler north and east-facing aspects appeared less affected by the event, showing less than half of the reduction in the remotely sensed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) compared to normal years, than warmer south and west facing slopes. This presumably indicates that more cold-tolerant woody seedlings are more able to compete and germinate on northerly aspects, as well as the more closed forest canopy on northerly aspects being resistant to wind chill. Plants on the warmer south and west facing slopes covered with earlier successional stages (grasses, shrubs, and very young forest pioneers) were more damaged. Field observations also confirmed the high degree of frost damage observed above 600 m, where a higher return frequency of frost explains the absence of tropical taxa and the presence of more temperate floristic elements. A higher frequency of frosts would favor deciduous species, which are more resilient to frost and, in the long-run, would cause the disappearance of evergreen forests above 600 m in Hong Kong. The predicted greater frequency of frost damage due to climatic warming could bring about such changes in coming decades. Given the predicted greater incidence of climate extremes to forests in climatic transition zones under climate change predictions, monitoring using satellite-derived vegetation indices is a low cost and effective means of identifying longer-term changes as opposed to natural inter-annual variability in forest growth.

Forested areas of the world decreased by 129 million hectare during the past quarter-century, and only 35 % of remainder is primary forest. Secondary forests are therefore relatively more important for biodiversity conservation, catchment protection, climate control, and the ecological services they provide. Many governments expend large resources on afforestation projects, which may not be supported by objective data on rates and pathways of natural succession in secondary forest. This paper describes a 70-year succession of tropical forest in Hong Kong under different management regimes including afforestation programs, frequent fire, and fire protection. From complete destruction of its forest during the Second World War, forest has established rapidly in areas where a shrub cover was able to colonize. The practice of afforestation as a nursery stage on degraded hillsides, for establishment of forest seedlings by natural invasion is not supported by the evidence, as when the native Pinus massoniana plantations were eliminated by disease during the 1970s, no forest or woody species were seen in the areas affected. In fact there was a reversion to grassland, which persisted there for almost three decades, until recent shrub invasion. The fastest period of forest regeneration, at 10.9% annually between 1989 and 2001, occurred when shrubland edge was greatest and forest was able to colonize across interfluves between linear-shaped riparian shrublands in valley bottoms. After 2001, succession to forest was slower, at 7.8% annually, as forest patches consolidated and edge habitats reduced. Effective forest management policies could include seeding of native shrubs extending linearly from established forest, to maximize edge length between woody species and grasslands, and planting of late successional species in areas where forest pioneers are in decline.

To track the illegal pangolin trade from Africa to Asia, we analyzed 1800 DNA samples from 30 seizures of African pangolin scales in Hong Kong during the period 2012–2016. We concluded that all four African pangolin species were present in trade, and that the white-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) appeared most frequently (88.5%) in our samples. All six previously described phylogeographic lineages originating from the entire distribution range of P. tricuspis were found in the seizures, and the western central African lineage alone accounted for 67.1% of the samples of this species. Confirmed by modelling data, high DNA haplotype richness was present in most of the pangolin scale seizures, including those contained in small air parcels and large-volume sea shipments. Results suggest that African pangolins were hunted across large areas of their natural range and then delivered to a small number of trade transit hubs. Our study illustrates the utility of genetic analysis for characterizing the illegal pangolin trade and identifying the geographic origin of poaching hotspots.

The Cirrhopetalum alliance is a loosely circumscribed species-rich group within the mega-diverse genus Bulbophyllum (Orchidaceae). The monophyletic status of the alliance has been challenged by previous studies, although established sectional classifications have yet to be tested in a phylogenetic context. We used maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses of DNA sequence data (cpDNA: matK and psbA-trnH; nrDNA: ITS and Xdh; 3509 aligned characters; 117 taxa), including all sections putatively associated with the Cirrhopetalum alliance, to reconstruct the phylogeny. We mapped 11 selected categorical floral characters onto the phylogeny to identify synapomorphies and assess potential evolutionary transitions across major clades. Our results unequivocally support the recognition of an amended Cirrhopetalum alliance as a well-supported monophyletic group characterized by clear synapomorphies, following the inclusion of sect. Desmosanthes and the exclusion of five putative Cirrhopetalum-allied sections. Most sections within the Cirrhopetalum alliance are demonstrated to be polyphyletic or paraphyletic, necessitating a new sectional classification. The inclusion of sect. Desmosanthes revolutionizes our understanding of the alliance, with significant evolutionary transitions in floral characters detected. We further investigated six continuously variable characters of the sepals and labellum, and detect phylogenetic conservatism in labellum width and the evolutionary lability of lateral sepal length, which can partly be explained by the different functional roles they play in pollination and pollinator trapping.

The following nine new additions to the orchid flora of Laos PDR are reported based on surveys in the country conducted during the period 2012–2017: Bulbophyllum alcicorne, B. meson, Coelogyne suaveolens, Cyrtosia nana, Dendrobium phuketense, Oberonia rhizoides, Phaius columnaris, Thelasis khasiana and Zeuxine longilabris. The taxonomy of a further 15 orchid taxa (Bulbophyllum guttulatum, B. moniliforme, B. sarcophyllum, B. scabratum, B. seidenfadenii, B. tipula, Cleisostoma lecongkietii, Coelogyne ovalis, Dendrobium chapaense, D. crepidatum, D. wattii, Habenaria gibsonii var. foetida, H. malintana, Luisia zeylanica and Phalaenopsis pulcherrima) native to Laos or adjacent countries is reviewed, resulting in the synonymisation of 20 names. In addition, new combinations are made for Grosourdya vietnamica, Luisia sonii and Holcoglossum gaoligongense to bring them in line with recent changes in the classification of the orchid family.

Climate is widely recognised as an important determinant of the latitudinal diversity gradient. However, most existing studies make no distinction between direct and indirect effects of climate, which substantially hinders our understanding of how climate constrains biodiversity globally. Using data from 35 large forest plots, we test hypothesised relationships amongst climate, topography, forest structural attributes (stem abundance, tree size variation and stand basal area) and tree species richness to better understand drivers of latitudinal tree diversity patterns. Climate influences tree richness both directly, with more species in warm, moist, aseasonal climates and indirectly, with more species at higher stem abundance. These results imply direct limitation of species diversity by climatic stress and more rapid (co-)evolution and narrower niche partitioning in warm climates. They also support the idea that increased numbers of individuals associated with high primary productivity are partitioned to support a greater number of species.

Thismia nigricoronata Kumar & S.W.Gale, sp. nov. (Figs. 4, 5) Type:��� LAOS. Vientiane Province: Vang Vieng District, Nam Pae Village, elevation 544 m, 28 April 2012, Gale, Kumar, Santainsy & Phunthavong HNL-KFBG 0 0 99 (holotype: HNL, spirit). Thismia nigricoronata is morphologically similar to Thismia taiwanensis but can be differentiated on the basis of its longer vestigial stem leaves (more than 6 mm long in the former versus less than 6 mm in the latter); its reflexed free outer perianth lobes (versus erect and projecting upwards in the latter); the ornamented outer surface of its perianth tube, which is verrucose below and papillose above (versus smooth and glabrous in the latter); and its vibrantly coloured perianth tube (versus translucent white in the latter). Terrestrial, mycoheterotrophic herbs, erect, ca. 5.5 cm tall. Roots clustered, prostrate, unbranched, pale yellowbrown, vermiform, 3.2���7.5 �� 0.8���1.5 mm, tapering towards apex. Stem erect, 10.3���14.5 �� 1.2���1.5 mm at the base, ca. 2.5���3.0 mm wide near the apex; unbranched, off-white, somewhat translucent, covered with the bases of sheathing vestigial leaves. Leaves entire, white, translucent, shiny, scattered along the stem, obovate, upper ones 6.0���7.5 �� 1.0���1.5 mm at base, lower ones up to 5.0���5.3 mm long, acute, margin smooth. Pedicel white, ca. 0.50 �� 1.75 mm, finely and irregularly verrucose. Flowers solitary, actinomorphic, 25���40 mm long, 7.0���7.5 mm wide; tepals fused to form an urceolate perianth tube with a whorl of 3 inner and 3 outer free apical perianth lobes. Perianth tube obovoid, clearly divisible into upper and lower parts by the point of placement of the free perianth lobes; lower part of perianth tube ca. 4.5 mm long, narrower towards the base (ca. 4.5 mm in diameter), wider above (ca. 5.5 mm in diameter), white tinged yellow-green, densely covered with longitudinally arranged irregularly sized verrucae, with 12 depressed green ribs of which 6 alternate ribs run from the base of the tube to the mouth of the annulus on the upper half of the perianth tube, inner wall smooth with a protruding ring-like structure just below the stigma; upper part of perianth tube 3.5���4.0 mm long, wider at the base (ca. 5.5 mm in diameter), narrower at the annular opening (ca. 2.7 mm in diameter), bright yellow-green with 6 dark green ribs terminating at the annulus, covered with densely arranged papillae on the outer surface except on the ribs, inner wall smooth. Free part of outer perianth lobes white, translucent, triangular, 2.5���3.0 mm long, reflexed, ca. 1 mm wide at the base, gradually tapering. Free part of inner perianth lobes distinctly divisible into 2 parts: lower obliquely spathulate bases and upper flagelliform appendages; obliquely spathulate bases 3, black, rough and irregularly carbunculate, ca. 1 mm wide at the point of attachment to the perianth tube, broadening above (ca. 4 mm wide) and then fused with one another in a contorted aestivation to form a crown-like structure arching over the annulus with a concavity in the centre and an aperture directly above the annulus aperture, surrounded by flagellate appendages that arise at the base of the concavity; flagelliform appendages 3, erect, immotile, black and carbunculate towards the base, becoming translucent white and smooth above, 7.2���17.7 mm long, ca. 0.8 mm wide towards the base but abruptly narrowing towards the apex to less than 0.2 mm wide. Stamens 6, 4.8���5.5 mm long, 0.7���0.9 mm wide, quadrangular; filaments partially fused, arranged radially and forming a staminal tube that originates from the opening of the annulus at the base (ca. 1 mm in diameter) and is continuous with the connective towards the apex; suspended above the stigma; connectives laterally connate and forming a narrow opening (0.4���0.5 mm in diameter); anthers ca. 2.5 �� 0.5 mm wide, mounted on fused connectives, thecae free, positioned ca. 2.5 mm below the annulus, opening with longitudinal slits facing the inner wall of the perianth tube, covered with sparse glandular trichomes especially along the longitudinal slit; connectives protruding ca. 0.75 mm beyond the anther locules with the apical 1/3 bent at 90�� towards the inner wall of the perianth tube, sparsely covered with multicellular cilia. Ovary inferior, unilocular, obconical, outer wall longitudinally verrucose, ca. 3.5 mm long; style cylindrical, ca. 0.75 mm long, ca. 0.70 mm wide; stigmas 3, fused together and forming a dome-like structure, ca. 1 mm long and wide. Flowering:���April, fruits not seen. Habitat:��� Thismia nigricoronata was discovered on a steep slope of a limestone mountain, growing among leaf litter in clayey soils under a dense evergreen canopy. Etymology:���The species epithet refers to the black, crown-like structure formed above the annulus by the fusion of the three inner perianth lobes. Hence the taxon may informally be referred to as ���the black-crowned thismia���. Specimens examined:��� LAOS. Vientiane Province: Vang Vieng District, Nam Pae Village, elevation 544 m, 28 April 2012, Gale, Kumar, Santainsy & Phunthavong HNL-KFBG 0 0 99 (HNL, spirit). Taxonomic notes:���With diagnostic characters including the free anther thecae, the fused inner perianth lobes that form a mitre with prominent outer perianth lobes and long filiform appendages, there is little doubt that Thismia nigricoronata is presently best placed in section Glaziocharis. However, as noted above, the circumscription of this (and other sections) requires reappraisal, with phylogenetic analysis placing the morphologically distinct T. huangii, a member of section Rodwaya, as sister to our new species. Additionally, it is noteworthy that T. nigricoronata is the only species known so far in section Glaziocharis to have such a vibrantly coloured perianth tube, with that of all other previously described members of the section (namely, T. abei, T. clavarioides, T. taiwanensis and T. tuberculata) being whitish and somewhat translucent. Further study is required to assess whether or not this pigmentation is related to photosynthetic activity. Conservation assessment:���Only ca. 10 individuals were observed at the site at a single locality on the lower slopes of a limestone mountain in Nam Pae Village of Vang Vieng District in central Laos. Thismia nigricoronata is an inconspicuous plant not easily observed in the field due to its small size and short flowering period. However, the area continues to be subjected to intense local pressures in the form of forest clearance for agriculture on the plains and selective logging on steeper slopes, cattle grazing and limestone mining for cement factories. Habitat destruction is therefore regarded as a very real threat to the long-term persistence of T. nigricoronata in this area. Although we recommend more surveys to confirm its occurrence in adjacent areas, we assess T. nigricoronata as critically endangered (B1+B2ab(iii); D) (IUCN 2012). The discovery of this apparently highly restricted endemic in the limestone karst landscape of central northern Laos underscores the need to ensure better protection of this biologically invaluable but highly threatened ecoregion., Published as part of Pankaj Kumar, Stephan W. Gale, Ji-Hong Li, Somsanith Bouamanivong & Gunter A. Fischer, 2017, Thismia nigricoronata, a new species of Burmanniaceae (Thismieae, Dioscoreales) from Vang Vieng, Vientiane Province, Laos, and a key to subgeneric classification, pp. 225-240 in Phytotaxa 319 (3) on pages 234-237, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.319.3.2, http://zenodo.org/record/2522190, {"references":["IUCN (2012) IUCN red list categories and criteria, version 3.1. IUCN Species Survival Commission, Gland, 41 pp."]}

Summary The epiphytic orchid Bulbophyllum ambrosia bears solitary, sweet-smelling, nectariferous flowers that attract honeybees in considerable numbers, but it is self-incompatible, making fruit-set in the wild infrequent. Even so, the species is relatively abundant throughout its range in Asia. The species is described and illustrated and its taxonomic history, ecology and cultivation are discussed.

Global change is impacting forests worldwide, threatening biodiversity and ecosystem services including climate regulation. Understanding how forests respond is critical to forest conservation and climate protection. This review describes an international network of 59 long-term forest dynamics research sites (CTFS-ForestGEO) useful for characterizing forest responses to global change. Within very large plots (median size 25ha), all stems 1cm diameter are identified to species, mapped, and regularly recensused according to standardized protocols. CTFS-ForestGEO spans 25 degrees S-61 degrees N latitude, is generally representative of the range of bioclimatic, edaphic, and topographic conditions experienced by forests worldwide, and is the only forest monitoring network that applies a standardized protocol to each of the world's major forest biomes. Supplementary standardized measurements at subsets of the sites provide additional information on plants, animals, and ecosystem and environmental variables. CTFS-ForestGEO sites are experiencing multifaceted anthropogenic global change pressures including warming (average 0.61 degrees C), changes in precipitation (up to +/- 30% change), atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfur compounds (up to 3.8g Nm(-2)yr(-1) and 3.1g Sm(-2)yr(-1)), and forest fragmentation in the surrounding landscape (up to 88% reduced tree cover within 5km). The broad suite of measurements made at CTFS-ForestGEO sites makes it possible to investigate the complex ways in which global change is impacting forest dynamics. Ongoing research across the CTFS-ForestGEO network is yielding insights into how and why the forests are changing, and continued monitoring will provide vital contributions to understanding worldwide forest diversity and dynamics in an era of global change.

The ephemeral, leafless orchids Didymoplexiella siamensis and Gastrodia peichatieniana are newly recorded from Hong Kong. A lectotype is selected for the former, and the recently described D. denticulata from southern Vietnam is reduced to its synonymy. Full descriptions and global conservation assessments are presented for these hitherto poorly known species.

The design of wind turbine blades is a true multi-objective engineering task. The aerodynamic effectiveness of the turbine needs to be balanced with the system loads introduced by the rotor. Moreover the problem is not dependent on a single geometric property, but besides other parameters on a combination of aerofoil family and various blade functions. The aim of this paper is therefore to present a tool which can help designers to get a deeper insight into the complexity of the design space and to find a blade design which is likely to have a low cost of energy. For the research we use a Computational Blade Optimisation and Load Deflation Tool (CoBOLDT) to investigate the three extreme point designs obtained from a multi-objective optimisation of turbine thrust, annual energy production as well as mass for a horizontal axis wind turbine blade. The optimisation algorithm utilised is based on Multi-Objective Tabu Search which constitutes the core of CoBOLDT. The methodology is capable to parametrise the spanning aerofoils with two-dimensional Free Form Deformation and blade functions with two tangentially connected cubic splines. After geometry generation we use a panel code to create aerofoil polars and a stationary Blade Element Momentum code to evaluate turbine performance. Finally, the obtained loads are fed into a structural layout module to estimate the mass and stiffness of the current blade by means of a fully stressed design. For the presented test case we chose post optimisation analysis with parallel coordinates to reveal geometrical features of the extreme point designs and to select a compromise design from the Pareto set. The research revealed that a blade with a feasible laminate layout can be obtained, that can increase the energy capture and lower steady state systems loads. The reduced aerofoil camber and an increased L/D-ratio could be identified as the main drivers. This statement could not be made with other tools of the research community before.

The majority of global forests are secondary and are at different stages of succession. Assessing the dynamics of species richness and similarity, and quantifying the importance of environmental filtering, dispersal limitation and other stochastic processes are essential to understanding the mechanisms of succession for forest restoration. In this article, we explored the accumulation of species, the relative importance of spatial distance, environmental factors and stand age in determining species composition of a tropical secondary forest succession in Hong Kong. Twenty-eight plots with median age of 7, 20, 39, 61 and over 70 years in the secondary forest were established and surveyed, and the indicator species for each age class were identified. Species composition shows large variation both within and between age classes, while species richness in the old growth forest (>70 yr) was significantly lower than in the mid-age classes. Rarefied species richness showed a rapid accumulation during early succession, but species richness levelled off from 20 yrs onwards. Variation partitioning indicated that spatial distance alone explained 33% of the variation in species composition, followed by environmental distance (8%) and stand age (1%). The results of Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling suggested that idiosyncratic successional pathways and alternative stable states might be prevalent. Our results suggested dispersal limitation was the main limiting factor in explaining the turnover of species during forest succession, while environmental filtering played a lesser role in shaping species distributions. Our results highlight the importance of active restoration in overcoming the barriers of succession in secondary vegetation in the tropics.

The shark fin trade is a major driver of shark exploitation in fisheries all over the world, most of which are not managed on a species-specific basis. Species-specific trade information highlights taxa of particular concern and can be used to assess the efficacy of management measures and anticipate emerging threats. The species composition of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, one of the world's largest fin trading hubs, was partially assessed in 1999-2001. We randomly selected and genetically identified fin trimmings (n = 4800), produced during fin processing, from the retail market of Hong Kong in 2014-2015 to assess contemporary species composition of the fin trade. We used nonparametric species estimators to determine that at least 76 species of sharks, batoids, and chimaeras supplied the fin trade and a Bayesian model to determine their relative proportion in the market. The diversity of traded species suggests species substitution could mask depletion of vulnerable species; one-third of identified species are threatened with extinction. The Bayesian model suggested that 8 species each comprised1% of the fin trimmings (34.1-64.2% for blue [Prionace glauca], 0.2-1.2% for bull [Carcharhinus leucas] and shortfin mako [Isurus oxyrinchus]); thus, trade was skewed to a few globally distributed species. Several other coastal sharks, batoids, and chimaeras are in the trade but poorly managed. Fewer than 10 of the species we modeled have sustainably managed fisheries anywhere in their range, and the most common species in trade, the blue shark, was not among them. Our study and approach serve as a baseline to track changes in composition of species in the fin trade over time to better understand patterns of exploitation and assess the effects of emerging management actions for these animals.

Bulbophyllum occultum, an epiphytic orchid mainly distributed in the rainforests of (north)eastern Madagascar and La Reunion, represents an interesting model case for testing the effects of anthropogenic vs historical (e.g., climate induced) habitat isolation and long-distance colonization on the genetic structure of plant species with disjunct distributions in the Madagascan region. To this aim, we surveyed amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) across 13 populations in Madagascar and nine in La Reunion (206 individuals in total). We found overall high levels of population subdivision (Φ(PT)=0.387) and low within-population diversity (H(E), range: 0.026-0.124), indicating non-equilibrium conditions in a mainly selfing species. There was no impact of recent deforestation (Madagascar) or habitat disturbance (La Reunion) detectable on AFLP diversity. K-means clustering and BARRIER analyses identified multiple gene pools and several genetic breaks, both within and among islands. Inter-island levels of population genetic diversity and subdivision were similar, whereby inter-individual divergence in flower colour explained a significant part of gene pool divergence in La Reunion. Our results suggest that (i) B. occultum persisted across multiple isolated ('refugial') regions along the eastern rainforest corridor of Madagascar over recent climatic cycles and (ii) populations in La Reunion arose from either single or few independent introductions from Madagascar. High selfing rates and sufficient time for genetic drift likely promoted unexpectedly high population genetic and phenotypic (flower colour) differentiation in La Reunion. Overall, this study highlights a strong imprint of history on the genetic structure of a low-gene-dispersing epiphytic orchid from the Madagascan region.

Cleisostoma schoenorchaefolium is described as a new species from limestone karst in Lao PDR. A detailed description with photographs, line drawings and a conservation assessment are presented. Due to the presence of a combination of unique characters (namely, semi-terete leaves with a subulate apex, a two-chambered spur and a complex pollinarium structure), this species cannot be satisfactorily placed in any of the existing sections of the genus. Accordingly, a new section, Teretisculum, is proposed. To aid correct placement of this and other species in their respective sections, a key to infrageneric taxonomy of Cleisostoma is provided.

Four new orchid species from Madagascar are described and illustrated. Notes on the distribution, ecology, and conservation status are provided. Bulbophyllum uroplatoides Hermans & G. A. Fischer, B. histrionicum Reichenbach f. ex G. A. Fischer & P. J. Cribb, and B. senghasii G. A. Fischer & Sieder belong to section Calamaria Schlechter, whereas B. bryophytoides G. A. Fischer & Andriantiana belongs to section Lichenophylax Schlechter. Bulbophyllum uroplatoides Hermans & G. A. Fischer is related to B. cardiobulbum Bosser, but differs in the thickened racemes, overall plant size, the shape of the sepals, petals, and lip, and coloration. Bulbophyllum histrionicum Reichenbach f. ex G. A. Fischer & P. J. Cribb was previously recognized by Reichenbach as a new species, but was never formally described. It is characterized by its large, orbicular to somewhat ovoid pseudobulbs that are green flushed with red, large, ovate-oblong to ovate-lanceolate leaves, red floral bracts, long sepals, narrowly triangular petals, and glabrous lip. Bulbophyllum senghasii G. A. Fischer & Sieder has orbicular, non-compressed bifoliate pseudobulbs, flowers with greenish yellow sepals that are spotted with dark brown on the outside, and an elliptic lip that is not compressed in the middle and has erose rather than long-ciliate margins and falcate rather than straight stelidia. Bulbophyllum bryophytoides G. A. Fischer & Andriantiana is a very tiny plant distinguishable from other species of section Lichenophylax by its densely long-ciliate petals and its ciliate lip that lacks a median callus and has a glabrous surface.

Resupination is the orientation of zygomorphic flowers during development so that the median petal obtains the lowermost position in the mature flower. Despite its evolutionary and ecological significance, resupination has rarely been studied in a phylogenetic context. Ten types of resupination occur among the 210 species of the orchid genus Bulbophyllum on Madagascar. We investigated the evolution of resupination in a representative sample of these species by first reconstructing a combined nrITS and cpDNA phylogeny for a sectional reclassification and then plotting the different types of inflorescence development, which correlated well with main clades. Resupination by apical drooping of the rachis appears to have evolved from apical drooping of the peduncle. Erect inflorescences with resupinate flowers seem to have evolved several times into either erect inflorescences with (partly) non-resupinate flowers or pendulous inflorescences with resupinate flowers.