Search

In this paper, three new eriophyoid species (Acari: Eriophyoidea: Eriophyidae) from Southwestern China are described and illustrated. They are: Surapoda chapensissp. nov. infesting Michelia chapensis (Dandy) Sima (Magnoliaceae); Protumescoptes grandifloraesp. nov. from Duabanga grandiflora (Roxb. ex DC.) Walp. (Lythraceae); Phyllocoptes jinzhongshanensissp. nov. infesting Liquidambar formosana Hance (Altingiaceae). The article corresponds to The new species Surapoda chapensis Ren, Huang, Tan et Wang corresponds to The new species Protumescoptes grandiflorae Ren, Huang, Tan et Wang corresponds to The new species Phyllocoptes jinzhongshanensis Ren, Huang, Tan et Wang corresponds to [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deciduous American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua, Altingiaceae) is a popular ornamental and economically valuable tree renowned for its sweet-smelling bark resin, abundant volatile substances, and spectacular fall leaf color. However, the absence of a reference genome hinders thorough investigations into the mechanisms underlying phenotypic variation, secondary metabolite synthesis and adaptation, both in this species and other Liquidambar members. In this study, we sequenced and constructed a chromosome-level assembly of the L. styraciflua genome, covering 662.48 Mb with a scaffold N50 of 39.54 Mb, by integrating PacBio, Illumina and chromosome conformation capture data. We identified 58.83% of the genome sequences as repetitive elements and 25,713 protein-coding genes, 97.28% of which were functionally annotated. The genome sequencing reads, assembly and annotation data have been deposited in publicly available repositories. This high-quality genome assembly provides valuable resources for further evolutionary and functional genomic studies in American sweetgum and other Liquidambar species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims Leaf area (A) is a crucial indicator of the photosynthetic capacity of plants. The Montgomery equation (ME), which hypothesizes that A is proportional to the product of leaf length (L) and width (W), is a valid tool for non-destructively measuring A for many broadleaved plants. At present, the methods used to compute L and W for the ME can be broadly divided into two kinds: using computer recognition and measuring manually. However, the potential difference in the prediction accuracy using either method has not been thoroughly examined in previous studies. Methods In the present study, we measured 540 Alangium chinense leaves, 489 Liquidambar formosana leaves and 215 Liriodendron  ×  sinoamericanum leaves, utilizing computer recognition and manual measurement methods to determine L and W. The ME was used to fit the data determined by the two methods, and the goodness of fits were compared. The prediction errors of A were analysed by examining the correlations with two leaf symmetry indices (areal ratio of the left side to the right side, and standardized index for bilateral asymmetry), as well as the leaf shape complexity index (the leaf dissection index). Key Results The results indicate that there is a neglectable difference in the estimation of A between the two methods. This further validates that the ME is an effective method for estimating A in broadleaved tree species, including those with lobes. Additionally, leaf shape complexity significantly influenced the estimation of A. Conclusions These results show that the use of computer recognition and manual measurement in the field are both effective and feasible, although the influence of leaf shape complexity should be considered when applying the ME to estimate A in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquidambarine D (1), a new labdane‐type diterpenoid, and nineteen known compounds including five labdanes (2–6), eight abietanes (7–14), four pimaranes (16–19), and two nor‐diterpenoids (15, 20) were isolated from the resin of Liquidambar formosana Hance. The new compound was characterized by the combination of spectroscopic and computational methods. With the exception of 15‐hydroxydehydroabietic acid (13), all the known compounds were reported for the first time from the resins of Liquidambar species. All these isolates were evaluated for their inhibitory effects in RAW264.7 macrophage cells, revealing that compounds, acetylisocupressic acid (3), (13S)‐15‐acetoxylabd‐8(17)‐en‐19‐oic acid (6), abietic acid (7), dehydroabietic acid (11), abieta‐8,11,13,15‐tetraen‐18‐oic acid (12), and 4‐epi‐isopimaric acid (16) could suppress lipopolysaccharide‐induced iNOS expression in RAW 264.7 cells and disclosing their structure activity relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is anticipated to pose a significant danger to the habitats and spatial distribution of species in the Mediterranean region throughout the present century. The primary objective of this study was to predict the future geographic range of Liquidambar orientalis, commonly known as the oriental sweetgum under different climate change scenarios. This species is a relict riparian Mediterranean plant originating from the southwestern Anatolia region and Rhodos Island in Greece. To gain insights into the potential effects of climate change on the range of L. orientalis in the future, I used an ensemble modeling approach of species distribution models based on the shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP1‐2.6 and SSP5‐8.5 for the years 2035, 2055 and 2070). The models suggested that the level of precipitation during the wettest month has a crucial role in determining the occurrence of the oriental sweetgum tree. Future projections indicate that the oriental sweetgum will significantly contract its native distribution range due to warming and declining precipitation levels. The population of L. orientalis has previously undergone a decrease as a result of anthropogenic activity. Therefore, it is imperative to augment the degree of urgency in conservation endeavors for the oriental sweetgum species against the ramifications of human‐induced actions and the persistent effects of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To determine the structure, and color of the leaf, the bark of the branches, the habit of the crown, the linear characteristics of the plants, the features of flowering and fruiting of Liquidambar styraciflua L. and its cultivars. Provide recommendations for their use in landscaping. Methods. The subjects of the research were cultivars of L. styraciflua, which were found in arboretums, parks, squares, garden centers, nurseries and in green areas throughout Ukraine. The plants were evaluated according to a complex scale of ornamental value of woody plants, which includes four levels of ornamental value of trees and shrubs: very high, high, medium and low. The methods of observation, analysis, comparison, data summarization, photo-fixation and descriptive-taxation method were used. Results. A comprehensive assessment of the decorative effect of L. styraciflua cultivars ('Worplesdon', 'Gum Ball', 'Rotundiloba', 'Albomarginata Manon', 'Oakville Highlight', 'Slender Silhouette', 'Fastigiatа', 'Pasquali', 'Stared', 'Thea', 'Aurea', 'Golden Treasure', 'Variegata', 'Golden Sun', 'Stella', 'Stella Rossa') against species plants was carried out. Based on the results of the research, a table was compiled to help landscape architects, nursery and garden center workers, botanists and ecologists, students and staff of forestry and botanical institutions in the selection of plants. Recommendations are given for the use of L. styraciflua cultivars in landscaping. Conclusions. According to the degree of ornamentality, the vast majority of L. styraciflua cultivars (13) belong to group I (very high, 65-90 points). They are recommended for use in urban and domestic landscaping and for the creation of various landscape objects. Group II (high ornamental value, 51-64 points) contains two cultivars, and group III (moderate ornamental value, 41-50 points) contains only one cultivar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The archaeological record of the Lower Mississippi Valley represents a long history of Indigenous people making wide and variable use of the region's exceptionally rich ecosystems. Often, archaeological interpretations of these interactions focus on subsistence and do not take into consideration non-food uses of plants and animals. Our excavations at two Coles Creek (AD 750–1000) mound centers, Feltus and Smith Creek, yielded curious concentrations of sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) in addition to the expected suite of plants. We first discuss the archaeological context of sweetgum on these sites, then outline our methods of identifying the plant in archaeological samples. We detail the process of identifying sweetgum both in-field and from flotation and water-screening samples and provide identification criteria that can be used by other analysts. Finally, we review what we know about sweetgum use from the broader archaeological, ethnohistoric, and ethnographic records. Drawing these lines of evidence together, we synthesize pre – and post-colonial ethnobotany to hypothesize about how and why Coles Creek people used this plant in ceremonial activities taking place at mound centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nowadays, the tendency towards alternative herbal therapies has increased due to the side effects of drugs. However, since the contents, method of use, dosage and toxic effects of herbal products are not fully known, undesirable situations are occasionally encountered. However, there are many experimental studies on the cytotoxicity of L. orientalis oil, most of these studies are in vivo modelling. In this study, the cytotoxic effects of L. orientalis oil on the liver and kidneys were investigated in healthy rats by oral administered. Methods: The study material consisted of 18 female Wistar albino rats (190-280 g) aged 8-10 weeks. All animals were housed under optimal temperature, light and humidity conditions and fed with normal rat pellet food ad libitum. Housing conditions were checked daily. Three groups were organized as L. orientalis oil, olive oil and control group, respectively. Each group consisted of 6 rats. L. orientalis oil group: L. orientalis oil (150 mg/kg) dissolved olive oil (0.6 mL). Olive oil group: Olive oil (0.6 mL). Control group: Empty gavage. The entire trial was performed by intragastric gavage once a day for 14 days. Result: The obtained data showed that serum biochemical parameters remained within normal ranges in oral use of Liquidambar orientalis oil (150 mg/kg) and did not show any difference with the control and olive oil groups. No pathological changes related to cytotoxicity were found in the samples taken from liver and kidney tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mugla Journal of Science & Technology is the property of Mugla Journal of Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Hybrid sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua  ×  L. formosana) has received considerable attention as a potential feedstock for traditional and nontraditional forest-based enterprises due to its fast growth and large specific gravity. However, the perceptions of landowners are important to understand the degree of acceptance concerning land use change to consider this opportunity in the United States. We administered a survey instrument to three thousand landowners representing the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas where hybrid sweetgum plantations would be feasible. A seemingly unrelated regression analysis was used to explore the attributes that may influence the environmental and economic obstacles in land use change for hybrid sweetgum plantations. Study results suggest that landowners who perceived higher importance of marketing aspects of hybrid sweetgum expressed greater economic concerns for land use change. In contrast, those having higher planted pine acres had higher environmental concerns about land use change. Female landowners were more concerned than their male counterparts. Landowners need access to accurate information from their trusted sources to make informed management decisions, especially when making decisions to adopt new opportunities such as hybrid sweetgum. Study Implications: Study results reveal the need for outreach to landowners in the south central United States, as many were not aware of fast-growing hardwood species such as hybrid sweetgum. Information on growth potential, economics, and management techniques can help facilitate the adoption of hybrid sweetgum. Field visits and peer-to-peer learning facilitated by early adopters can be effective strategies for outreach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polyphagous shot hole borer beetle (PSHB, Euwallacea fornicatus) is a pest of global significance. PSHB is an ambrosia beetle which, together with its mutualistic fungi (including Fusarium euwallaceae), can cause the death of more than 100 tree species in invaded ranges. Management of PSHB mostly relies on the removal of infested plant material. Chemical control options have been investigated only in the USA and Israel and only on a few tree species. This study evaluated four chemical treatments for the therapeutic control of PSHB on American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) in South Africa (1) bifenthrin + surfactant (alcohol ethoxylate), (2) cypermethrin + surfactant (vitamin E) + salicylic acid, (3) emamectin benzoate, and (4) propiconazole. Trees were inoculated with F. euwallaceae and mature PSHB females using a novel technique to document fungal lesion development and PSHB colony establishment success. The bifenthrin and cypermethrin treatments reduced additional PSHB colonisation attempts on treated trees by ca. 40%, while the other treatments had no effect. Colony establishment success was reduced in all treatments by between 20 and 40%. Fungal growth was inhibited only after the application of propiconazole by ca. 36%. Gallery length and the number of PSHB individuals in successful colonies were unaffected by any of the chemical treatments. These results indicate that chemical control of PSHB is only partially effective. Successful PSHB management will likely depend on a combination of chemical control options and other control strategies in an integrated pest management program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquidambar L. is a significant constituent of the Cenozoic flora in the Northern Hemisphere. Currently, this genus exhibits a discontinuous distribution across Asia and North America, with the center of diversity being in southeastern Asia. This study presents the first occurrence of Liquidambar in the Oligocene of South China. Fossil sweetgum infructescences, associated pollen, and leaves have been found in the Nanning Basin, Guangxi. A new species, Liquidambar nanningensis sp. nov., is described based on the morphological and anatomical characteristics of three-dimensionally preserved infructescences. The Liquidambar fossils from the Nanning Basin show a combination of features indicative of the former genera of Altingiaceae, Altingia, Liquidambar s. str., and Semiliquidambar. The new occurrence expands the taxonomic and morphological diversity of the Paleogene Liquidambar species in South China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Styrax, the balsam refined from the trunk of Liquidambar orientalis Mill. has a variety of applications in the perfumery and medical industry, especially for use in traditional Chinese medicine. However, the resources of styrax are in shortage due to being endangered of this plant. Grafting can improve the adaptability of plants to unfavorable environmental conditions. We tried to graft the L. orientalis Mill. on L. formosana Hance which was widely distributed in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces of China in an attempt to obtain styrax from grafted L. orientalis Mill. (grafted styrax, SG). Whether SG can become an alternative application of commercially available styrax (SC) need be further investigated. The components of SG were analyzed by GC-MS, and the results showed that the chromatograms of SG, SC, and styrax standard (SS) were consistent. The ration of 12 major chemical components based peak area in SG, SC, and SS were 93.95%, 94.24%, and 95.86% respectively. The assessment of toxicity, antithrombotic activity, and myocardial infarction protection of SG and SC was evaluated by using the zebrafish model, the results showed that SG and SC have the similar toxicological properties as evidenced by acute toxicity test, developmental toxicity and teratogenicity, and long-term toxicity test. Both SG and SC significantly decreased the thrombosis and increased blood flow velocity of zebrafish induced by adrenaline hydrochloride, inhibited myocardial apoptosis, myocardial infarction and myocardial inflammation in zebrafish induced by isoproterenol hydrochloride. Moreover, SG had an obvious improvement effect on cardiac output, while SC has no effect. Collectively, SG is similar to SC in chemical composition, toxicological properties, antithrombotic activity, and myocardial infarction protection effects, and may be used as a substitute for styrax to reduce the collection for wild L. orientalis Mill. and increase the available styrax resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants allocate a substantial amount of C belowground for root exudates and for the construction and adjustment of root morphological and architectural traits. What relationships exist between root exudates and other root traits and these relationships change with growing season, however, remain unclear. We quantified the root exudation rate and root morphological traits, including total root length (RL), total root surface area (RS), root diameter (RD), specific root length (SRL), specific root area (SRA) and root tissue density (RTD), and architectural traits, such as branching intensity (BI), and investigated their associations during the rapidly growing season (April and August) and the slowly growing season (December) of three common native tree species, Liquidambar formosana , Michelia maudiae and Schima superba , in subtropical China. We found that the linkages of RD, SRL, SRA, RTD and BI did not change with the growing season, reflecting their highly conservative relationships. The root exudation rate varied significantly with growing season (P  < 0.05) and produced various associations with other root traits at different growing seasons. During the rapidly growing season (i.e. April), the exudation rate was the highest and was positively correlated with RL. The exudation rate was the lowest during the slowly growing season (i.e. December) and was negatively associated with RL, RS and RTD. Our findings demonstrate the seasonality of the linkages of root exudation rate with other root traits, which highlights the highly plastic and complex associations of belowground root traits. These findings help to deepen our understanding of plant nutrient acquisition strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the machining properties of fast-growing trees in Japan, by measuring the cutting force while sawing workpieces of different fast-growing trees into 5 mm-thick boards using a band sawing machine with a carriage. The tested tree species which were tested included Cunninghamia lanceolata, Corymbia citriodora, six species of Eucalyptus, Liquidambar formosana, Liriodendron tulipifera, Melia azedarach and Cryptomeria japonica. The sawing process was performed at feed speeds of 0.17, 0.33, 0.50, and 0.67 m/s. The results showed that the cutting force parallel to the cutting direction increased with increasing basic density of the workpiece as well as the feed speed. However, no clear relationship was observed between the cutting force normal to the cutting direction, the force parallel to the feeding direction, and the basic density of the workpiece. Specifically, while sawing C. lanceolata grown in Shizuoka Prefecture and C. japonica, the cutting force normal to the cutting direction remained constant at approximately 30 N, regardless of the feed speed. In the case of M. azedarach grown in Kumamoto Pref., the cutting force normal to the cutting direction increased, whereas it decreased for C. lanceolata grown in Chiba Pref., M. azedarach grown in Fukuoka Pref., L. formosana, L. tulipifera, C. citriodora, and all tested species of Eucalyptus as the feed speed increased. Furthermore, we measured the power consumption while sawing workpieces of C. lanceolata grown in Shizuoka Pref., M. azedarach grown in Fukuoka Pref., L. tulipifera, and three species of Eucalyptus into 30 mm-thick boards. It was observed that the power consumption was higher for species with larger cutting forces parallel to the cutting direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Only two places in the world are home to the 2,500 hectares of fragmented forests of the tertiary relict oriental (Anatolian) sweetgum tree species (Liquidambar orientalis Miller, 1768): southwestern Türkiye and Rhodes Island (Greece). It is on the brink of extinction due to ongoing anthropogenic pressures. The goal of this study, which used the analytical hierarchy process as the approach, was to identify alternate in situ conservation places where the oriental sweetgum tree may persist owing to suitable living circumstances. The study area was chosen to be on southwestern Türkiye in light of historical records and current data from field studies and forest stands to analyze the potential plantation areas. Soil and climate factors with 0.3597 (36%) weight ratios were the best criteria to determine potential plantation areas. The two most important parameters in identifying the potential plantation area for the Anatolian sweetgum tree were alluvial, alluvial coast, and hydromorphic soils with a weight of 70.3% and average winter temperature of 6–10 °C with a weight of 66.87%. The area under the curve value was determined to be 0.750. According to the results, the most suitable areas for plantations were generally observed as riverine habitats where the species spread naturally during its history. The results are useful for forestry managers in developing successful plantation practices will alleviate the fragmentation and contribute to the species avoiding the genetic bottleneck, considering almost half of the entire study area has potential to develop medium- (488,448 ha, 41.2%) and high (95,400 ha, 8.1%)-level oriental sweetgum tree plantations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore the effect of extract of Styrax (ES) on myocardial ischemic injury and its molecular mechanism, indirectly providing a theoretical basis for the development of ES. Methods: In order to assess the impact of ES treatment on ischemic heart disease, both a left anterior descending ligation-induced myocardial infarction (MI) model and an ischemia/hypoxia (I/H)-induced H9c2 cell injury model have been constructed. Specifically, Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly assigned to the following groups (n = 8) and administered intragastrically once a day for seven consecutive days: Sham group, MI group, ES-L (0.2 g/kg) group, ES-M (0.4 g/kg) group, ES-H (0.8 g/kg) group, and trimetazidine (TMZ, 0.02 g/kg) group. The cardiac functions and biochemical assessment of rats were detected. Then, we validated experimentally the targets and mechanism of ES on these pathological processes in I/H-induced H9c2 cell injury model. Key findings: These results showed that different doses of ES (0.2 g/kg, 0.4 g/kg, 0.8 g/kg, intragastric) significantly improved myocardial structure and function when compared to the MI group. The results of 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC), hematoxylin-eosin, and masson staining indicated that ES could significantly reduce infarct size, inhibit myocardium apoptosis, and decrease myocardial fibrosis. Moreover, ES distinctly suppressed the serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), cardiac troponin T (cTnT), and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), alleviated myocardial mitochondrial morphology, and stimulated adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, increased the level of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), complex I and complex V activity. Different doses of ES (5 μg/ml, 10 μg/ml, 20 μg/ml) also improved cardiomyocyte morphology and decreased the apoptosis rate in H9c2 cells that had been exposed to I/H. Furthermore, the results of western blotting and qRT-PCR indicated that ES promoted the expression of proteins and mRNA related to energy metabolism, including phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (p-AMPK), peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PCG-1α), nuclear respiratory factor 1, and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM). Mechanically, after the administration of Compound C (dorsomorphin), an AMPK inhibitor, these effects of myocardial protection produced by ES were reversed. Conclusions: Collectively, these results demonstrated that ES could improve myocardial mitochondrial function and reduce ischemic injury by activating AMPK/PCG-1α signaling pathway, while indicating its potential advantages as a dietary supplement. Graphical Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effects of boron salt stress on in vitro cultivated Liquidambar orientalis (L. orientalis), a relict-endemic plant species, and the resulting changes in its phenolic appearance were investigated. Salt stress can cause negative impact on plant growth and production, especially in species with low salinity and drought tolerance, affecting metabolite expression and somaclonal execution. To evaluate the effects of different boron salts on meristem regeneration and progression, clonal in vitro L. orientalis meristems were exposed to boric acid, sodium perborate, sodium metaborate, and disodium octaborate salts. When compared with the control group examples where salt application was not performed, the highest regeneration percentage was determined to be 100% with the application of 1 mg/L disodium octaborate. In terms of the shoot formation capacity index, it was determined to be 5 mg/L. With a value of 4.94, the application of sodium perborate yielded the best result. In L. orientalis plants, the greatest change in phenolic compounds due to boron salt applications was observed in the concentration of Quercetin with the sodium perborate salt application at 1 mg/L concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquidambar formosana is a multipurpose tree species native to China. There has been increasing interest in L. formosana due to its leaves being rich in shikimic acid, which plays a key role in the synthesis of the antiviral drug oseltamivir phosphate. Here, shikimic acid content (SAC) and other breeding traits, including tree height (HT), diameter at breast height (DBH), height to crown base (HCB), individual tree volume (VOL), leaf color (LC) and stem straightness degree (SSD), for 387 families of 19 provenances were evaluated in a provenance–family trial of L. formosana to estimate genetic parameters and reveal geographical variation patterns and, ultimately, screen out superior provenances and families. Differences among provenances and families were significant for all tested traits, indicating a high potential for selective breeding. Broad-sense heritabilities of provenance ( h p 2 = 0.19–0.57) and family ( h f 2 = 0.16–0.31) were moderate for most traits. Moderate to strong genetic correlations were found among HT, DBH, VOL, HCB and LC (rA = 0.339–0.982), while adverse correlations (rA = −0.494 to −0.816) were observed between SAC and growth traits. All target traits, excluding SSD, exhibited clinal variation in response to latitudinal gradients, and a clustering heatmap divided the 19 provenances into three groups. For single-trait selection, SAC persistently had the highest genetic gains (85.14%–163.57%). A weighted index based on breeding values was used to concomitantly improve SAC, HT and DBH. At a selection rate of 25%, the genetic gains at the provenance and family levels for SAC were 36.42% and 73.52%, and those for core growth traits ranged from −2.29% to 3.49% and 4.05% to 4.47%, respectively. As far as we know, this is the first study in L. formosana to explore the inheritance of SAC and its correlations with other traditional breeding traits. The genetic parameter estimations contribute to a better understanding of the genetic basis of SAC, and the superior provenances and families obtained lay a material foundation for the development of new varieties rich in shikimic acid, thereby promoting the in-depth exploitation and utilization of germplasm resources of L. formosana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement Trees are essential to life on earth—playing important economic, ecological and cultural roles. However, the world is facing a biodiversity crisis, and to be able to effectively conserve tree species with limited funds, we need to know which tree species are threatened. The Global Tree Assessment has addressed this gap in knowledge through accelerating the production of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments. Analysing the results of completed taxonomic groups allows for targeted conservation. Here, we explore the extinction risk of six understudied genera with ethnobotanical uses, allowing for conservation priorities to be set. Summary To highlight the ongoing progress of the Global Tree Assessment, a synthesis of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List data has been produced for six genera (Gilbertiodendron, Humiriastrum, Liquidambar, Nectandra, Teijsmanniodendron and Tilia) which have all their tree species assessed. This was used to analyse the extinction risk within these groups with the aim of setting conservation priorities and raising awareness of genera not previously publicised in the Global Tree Assessment. The genera were chosen based on completeness, in terms of number of tree species with published IUCN Red List assessments. IUCN Red List categories, threats and uses from each species' IUCN Red List assessment were analysed. An ex situ survey was also carried out to identify species found in botanic gardens, arboreta and seed banks. Higher threat levels were found in the predominately tropical genera (Gilbertiodendron, Humiriastrum, Nectandra and Teijsmanniodendron) compared with the broadly more temperate genera (Tilia and Liquidambar). Habitat loss due to agriculture is a major threat in all genera with exploitation also a key threat to Gilbertiodendron and Tilia. Gilbertiodendron, Humiriastrum, Nectandra and Teijsmanniodendron have no threatened species conserved in ex situ collections. We have identified a need for a range of conservation measures, including collecting threatened species of these groups for ex situ conservation, to ensure no species becomes extinct.

Extant species of Liquidambar L. exhibit a disjunct distribution between western and eastern Asia and eastern North America to Central America, with the highest species diversity being in China. In this study, two new species of Liquidambar are described from the Eocene of Hainan Island, South China: L. hainanensis on basis of the leaf fossils, and L. ovoidea based on compressions of infructescences. The co‐occurrences of L. hainanensis leaves, associated infructescences of L. ovoidea and dispersed pantoporate pollen grains have the combination of morphological features peculiar to the genera Liquidambar and former Semiliquidambar and Altingia. This is considered further palaeobotanical justification for the placement of these three genera into a single genus, Liquidambar, proposed earlier based on molecular markers. Our data provide evidence for the occurrence of an ancestral polymorphic group of Liquidambar species (L. maomingensis with associated capitate infructescences, L. bella, L. hainanensis and L. ovoidea) during the Eocene in South China, and corroborate the view that South China could have been a centre of Liquidambar speciation during the Eocene. The morphological similarity of L. hainanensis leaves to those of the extant species L. orientalis from Western Asia and the North American L. styraciflua may support the importance of both the North Atlantic Land Bridge and the Bering Land Bridge for the dispersal of Liquidambar. Analysis of fossil species of Liquidambar from eastern Asia also contributes to further understanding of patterns in the taxonomic diversity and evolutionary history of this genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Meandros Medical & Dental Journal is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Liquidambarines A − C (1−3), three new abietane-type diterpenoids, together with five known compounds (4−8) were isolated from the resin of Liquidambar formosana Hance. Their structures were elucidated by the combination of spectroscopic and computational methods. We explored their anti-inflammatory potential by analyzing the protein expression of iNOS and COX-2. Compounds 1 and 3 exhibit significant anti-inflammatory activities without cytotoxicity. These experimental studies suggest these new abietane-type diterpenoids have the potential to be candidates for inflammation-associated diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence suggests that past climatic oscillations caused many species to drastically change their distribution range and had significant impacts on their survival capabilities. There is significant evidence suggesting that today's changing climate threatens many species to face a rapid extinction period in the coming decades and centuries. Understanding the changing range patterns provides significant input on biodiversity and conservation biology studies. However, warming climatic conditions may also present an opportunity for some species to expand their habitats--particularly those adapted to warmer environments. In this study, we asked how near-future climate change will affect the distribution range of the oriental sweetgum tree (Liquidambar orientalis Miller, 1867) which is a deciduous tertiary relict endemic species that forms the riparian forest ecosystems across southwestern Türkiye and Rhodes Island (Greece). Oriental sweetgum is on the verge of extinction due to past climate changes and current anthropogenic pressures such as deforestation and improper farming practices as well as insufficient conservation policies and efforts in place. As a result, sweetgum trees only survive in fragmented forest patches. To understand the species' possible response to globally rising temperatures, we explored the ecological and climatic factors that drive the distribution changes using a species distribution modeling approach. We predicted species' past (Mid-Holocene, approximately 6000 years ago), current, and future (2070) distribution ranges using maximum-entropy (MaxEnt) niche models built with WorldClim Version 1.4 climatic data. We found that regular water and warmer temperatures are particularly crucial for this species. The models showed a past (Mid-Holocene) expansion in suitable habitats in response to warmer conditions followed by a contraction as temperatures cooled down to the current climate. Most importantly, our future predictions showed that the species can possibly expand its distribution range to newly suitable habitats exhibiting a similar past response to the increasing temperatures. In this scenario, however, we suggest that it is extremely important to take necessary restoration and conservation steps for fragmented sweetgum forests to ensure species survival in the next centuries. We also believe that further research must be conducted to better understand species' ecological requirements and to provide crucial knowledge for future conversation approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adventitious bud regeneration is an effective means of rapid propagation of plants, which can be used in the study of plant development and genetic transformation. It can be divided into direct and indirect adventitious bud regeneration. Of the two kinds of adventitious bud regeneration mentioned, indirect adventitious bud regeneration includes callus formation in vitro and organ regeneration. In the process of callus formation, some cells acquire the pluripotency of tissue regeneration, which is the key to regeneration of adventient buds. It is not clear which molecular processes and genetic factors are involved in establishing cellular pluripotency. The object of the study is hybrid sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflflua × L. formosana). At present, the reproductive efficiency of hybrid sweetgum is low and the reproductive cycle is long. Improving its reproductive efficiency by improving the differentiation speed of callus may be a decent approach. In order to explore the mechanism of pluripotency acquisition during forming hybrid sweetgum callus, we used RNA-seq to perform transcriptomic analysis of the regenerable calli (RC) and non-regenerable (NRC) calli of hybrid sweetgum. A dataset of differentially expressed genes (DEG) was obtained and several genes probably involved in bud formation were analyzed to explain the molecular processes of acquiring and maintaining pluripotency. In this study, a total of 665 significantly expressed DEGs were identified in the RC and NRC of hybrid sweetgum, among which, 585 differentially expressed genes were up-regulated and 80 differentially expressed genes were down-regulated. GO, KEGG analysis and qRT-PCR results showed phenylpropanoid is a key factor regulating the bud regeneration of hybrid sweetgum; WOX1, WOX11, BGLU12 and BGLU13 were also important regulatory factors. These results provide a pivotal reference point for future sweetgum propagation research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf spot disease and brown spot disease are common diseases affecting maple leaves. Accurate and efficient detection of these diseases is crucial for maintaining the photosynthetic efficiency and growth quality of maple leaves. However, existing segmentation methods for plant diseases often fail to accurately and rapidly detect disease areas on plant leaves. This paper presents a novel solution to accurately and efficiently detect common diseases in maple leaves. We propose a deep learning approach based on an enhanced version of DeepLabV3+ specifically designed for detecting common diseases in maple leaves. To construct the maple leaf spot dataset, we employed image annotation and data enhancement techniques. Our method incorporates the CBAM-FF module to fuse gradual features and deep features, enhancing the detection performance. Furthermore, we leverage the SANet attention mechanism to improve the feature extraction capabilities of the MobileNetV2 backbone network for spot features. The utilization of the focal loss function further enhances the detection accuracy of the affected areas. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our improved algorithm, achieving a mean intersection over union (MIoU) of 90.23% and a mean pixel accuracy (MPA) of 94.75%. Notably, our method outperforms traditional semantic segmentation methods commonly used for plant diseases, such as DeeplabV3+, Unet, Segnet, and others. The proposed approach significantly enhances the segmentation performance for detecting diseased spots on Liquidambar formosana leaves. Additionally, based on pixel statistics, the segmented lesion image is graded for accurate detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The genus Liquidambar, is one of many woody genera with morphologically similar species in America, Southeast Europe, and Asia and is thought to have existed on Earth for about 65 million years. Liquidambar orientalis (Anatolian sweetgum tree) is distributed in southwestern Türkiye. With this study, it was aimed to reveal the sequence differences of the psaA/ycf3 inter-gene space region of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) in L. orientalis populations for the first time in the scientific literature. Materials and Methods: In addition, the polymorphism levels, and the molecular evolution of the studied gene region of the L. orientalis populations were investigated. 154 samples were collected from 12 different populations belonging to four provinces, Muğla, Burdur, Antalya, and Aydın, and were studied and the psaA/ycf3 gene encoded by chloroplast DNA was analysed by partial base sequence analysis. Results: Haplotype diversity (h) and the average nucleotide diversity (π) values for all populations were found to be 0.52933 ± 0.011, and 0.00086 ± 0.0001, respectively. According to the results of our research, the gene flow level (Nm) among the populations was 1.40. FST values revealed statistically significant genetic differences between the Fethiye-Yanıklar population of Muğla province and other studied populations. Conclusion: According to the results of the study, Fethiye-Yanıklar, Marmaris-National Park, and Fethiye-İnlice locations, where the highest genetic diversities detected among the studied populations, were found to be important in terms of conservation studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement: Trees are essential to life on earth—playing important economic, ecological and cultural roles. However, the world is facing a biodiversity crisis, and to be able to effectively conserve tree species with limited funds, we need to know which tree species are threatened. The Global Tree Assessment has addressed this gap in knowledge through accelerating the production of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments. Analysing the results of completed taxonomic groups allows for targeted conservation. Here, we explore the extinction risk of six understudied genera with ethnobotanical uses, allowing for conservation priorities to be set. Summary: To highlight the ongoing progress of the Global Tree Assessment, a synthesis of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List data has been produced for six genera (Gilbertiodendron, Humiriastrum, Liquidambar, Nectandra, Teijsmanniodendron and Tilia) which have all their tree species assessed. This was used to analyse the extinction risk within these groups with the aim of setting conservation priorities and raising awareness of genera not previously publicised in the Global Tree Assessment.The genera were chosen based on completeness, in terms of number of tree species with published IUCN Red List assessments. IUCN Red List categories, threats and uses from each species' IUCN Red List assessment were analysed. An ex situ survey was also carried out to identify species found in botanic gardens, arboreta and seed banks.Higher threat levels were found in the predominately tropical genera (Gilbertiodendron, Humiriastrum, Nectandra and Teijsmanniodendron) compared with the broadly more temperate genera (Tilia and Liquidambar). Habitat loss due to agriculture is a major threat in all genera with exploitation also a key threat to Gilbertiodendron and Tilia. Gilbertiodendron, Humiriastrum, Nectandra and Teijsmanniodendron have no threatened species conserved in ex situ collections.We have identified a need for a range of conservation measures, including collecting threatened species of these groups for ex situ conservation, to ensure no species becomes extinct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to clarify the influence of different finishing treatments on the surface color difference and decay resistance performance of national wood structure building materials, tung oil and alkyd varnish were used to coat Pinus massoniana, Cunninghamia lanceolata, Liquidambar formosana Hance samples, and the surface color difference and decay resistance of the three samples before and after coating were tested and analyzed. The results showed that the effect rules of tung oil and alkyd varnish on the color difference of the sample were generally similar. There was a big difference in the chromatic aberration parameters between the transection and the radial section. After finishing treatment, all three samples showed a decrease in lightness (L* ), an increase in red-green color index (a* ), yellow-blue color index ( b* ) and chromaticity value (C). The L* of the transection of the three samples was smaller than that of the radial section. The a* and b* of the transection of the P. massoniana and Liquidambar formosana samples were larger than the radial section, but the opposite is true for C. lanceolata. The mass loss rate of the coated P. massoniana, C. lanceolata and L. formosana was significantly lower than the control sample after the decay test, and the decay resistance of C. lanceolata against Coriolus versicolor under the condition of coating with tung oil could reach the I level (strong decay resistance). In the decay resistance test using the same fungi, the decay resistance of the three tree species samples coated with tung oil was stronger than that of the coated alkyd varnish. The decay effect of Poria vaporaria and Gloeophyllum trabeum was greater on the decay of P. massoniana and C. lanceolata, while the decay effect of C. versicolor on Liquidambar formosana was the greatest. The results of SEM research further confirmed that tung oil had a better protective effect on Pinus massoniana and Cunninghamia lanceolata than alkyd varnish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquidambar formosana Hance is a common deciduous broad-leaved tree known for its fast growth rate and adaptability. However, excessive logging has substantially reduced the area of natural forest patches of L. formosana, and seedling regeneration is essential for the long-term continuation of L. formosana populations. To explore the effects of light intensity on the seedling emergence and early growth of L. formosana, a controlled experiment was conducted under three light-intensity treatments (20%, 60%, and 100% of full sunlight, i.e., the photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFDs) were 223.93 ± 7.54, 670.94 ± 30.14, and 1119.61 ± 23.19 μmol·m−2·s−1, respectively). The seedling emergence percentage, mean germination time, germination synchrony, vitality index, survival percentage, emergence index, morphological characteristics, and biomass allocation under different light intensities were analyzed. The seedling vitality index and survival percentage significantly differed among the treatments and were the lowest under 20% light intensity. With increased light intensity, the seedling mean germination time and germination synchrony increased and then decreased, and the opposite was true for the emergence index. With the increased light intensity, the seedling height, stem diameter, and root length significantly increased. The total, root, stem, and leaf biomasses reached maximum values under full sunlight. With the increased light intensity, the leaf biomass ratio increased, whereas the root biomass, stem biomass, and root–shoot ratios decreased. Our results indicated that the poor light environment under the canopy is not conducive to the survival and growth of L. formosana seedlings and may be among the primary reasons for low seedling establishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a natural medication and food plant resource, Liquidambar formosana Hance (L.) leaves are growing popularity in the fields of medicine and health care. The essential oil of L. leaves was extracted by continuous flow microreactor, and the extraction rate is 53.2%. 26 compounds from essential oil were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The main components of these compounds are α-pinene, β-pinene and limonene. Ten of them are reported for the first time. The antibacterial activity of essential oil was investigated by the inhibition zone method, minimum inhibitory concentration and inhibition growth curve experiment. The results show that the essential oil had inhibitory effects on both Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Bacillus subtilis (B.subtilis), and the minimum inhibitory concentrations are 1.0 μg/mL and 1.2 μg/mL. The inhibition effect on gram-negative bacteria E.coli is stronger. The results of this study show that the essential oil contains rich medicinal value components and have great potential for exploitation. This research provided a scientific foundation for understanding essential oil while also providing a theoretical foundation for their full and rational utilization. Simultaneously, research into the antibacterial properties of essential oil provides a scientific basis for the further development of the anti-bacterial agents that exists in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquidambar formosana is one of the important native tree species in Guangxi, which has high timber, ornamental and medicinal value. This study designs and develops EST-SSR markers of L. formosana based on data from the transcriptome sequencing. Primers were developed, and screened out by PCR amplification and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for high polymorphism, and the efficiency was tested by using 30 individuals from a wild L. formosana population to verify the practical application of these SSR primers. The results were as follows: (1) A total of 23 777 SSR loci were obtained by searching SSR Unigenes from transcriptome data. The repeat type of the SSR loci in L. formosana was dominated by mononucleotide repeat type (46.54%). The highest proportion of SSR loci (72.36%) was between 5 and 12 times. (2) A total of 262 pairs of SSR primers were developed, and among them, 139 pairs of effective amplifications with a success rate of 53.1%, and 18 pairs of them that could be used to steadily obtain clear bands were finally identified. (3) The polymorphism detection showed that all sites had a high degree of polymorphism. The number of alleles (Na), effective alleles (Ne), Shannon's diversity index (I), observed heterozygosity (Ho) of the L. formosana population ranged in 2-4, 1.112 8-2.609 6, 0.208 9-1.112 7 and 0.275 9-1.000 0, the average values were 2.333 3, 1.957 4, 0.708 5 and 0.722 6, respectively. In conclusion, the dominant SSR repeat type and repeat motif in L. formosana are basically the same as those in other species, the developed 18 pairs of EST-SSR markers can meet the needs of population genetic studies of L. formosana, which provides abundant primers for the study of genetic diversity of L. formosana. It is of important significance to the protection, development and utilization of L. formosana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquidambar styraciflua L. is an aromatic species, popularly used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat diarrhea, dysentery, coughs, and skin sores. The present study was designed to investigate the chemical composition and biological potential of extracts obtained from the fruits of this plant. For the chemical evaluation, it was used mainly liquid and gas chromatography, plus NMR, and colorimetric methods. The aqueous extract (EA) originated two other fractions: an aqueous (P-EA) and an ethanolic (S-EA). The three extracts were composed of proteins, phenolic compounds, and carbohydrates in different proportions. The analyses showed that the polysaccharide extract (P-EA) contained pectic polysaccharides, such as acetylated and methyl esterified homogalacturonans together with arabinogalactan, while the fraction S-EA presented phenolic acids and terpenes such as gallic acid, protocathecuic acid, liquidambaric acid, combretastatin, and atractyloside A. EA, P-EA, and S-EA showed antioxidant activity, with IC50 values of 4.64 µg/mL, 16.45 µg/mL, and 3.67 µg/mL, respectively. The cytotoxicity followed the sequence S-EA > EA > P-EA, demonstrating that the toxic compounds were separated from the non-toxic ones by ethanol precipitation. While the fraction S-EA is very toxic to any cell line, the fraction P-EA is a promising candidate for studies against cancer due to its high toxicity to tumoral cells and low toxicity to normal cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquidambar formosana Hance is a pinene-rich deciduous plant species in the Altingiaceae family that is used as a medicinal plant in China. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying α-pinene and β-pinene biosynthesis in L. formosana leaves remain unknown. Here, a joint analysis of the volatile compounds and transcriptomes of L. formosana leaves was performed to comprehensively explore the terpene synthase (TPS) that may participate in α-pinene and β-pinene biosynthesis. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) jointly detected volatile L. formosana leaves. Trees with high and low levels of both α-pinene and β-pinene were defined as the H group and L group, respectively. RNA sequencing data revealed that DXR (1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase), HDS [(E)-4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-eny-l-diphosphate synthase], and TPS may be the major regulators of monoterpenoid biosynthesis. We identified three TPSs (LfTPS1, LfTPS2, and LfTPS3), which are highly homologous to α-pinene and β-pinene synthases of other species in phylogenetic analysis. Four TPS genes (LfTPS1, LfTPS2, LfTPS4, LfTPS5) may be critically involved in the biosynthesis and regulation of α-pinene and β-pinene in L. formosana. Bioinformatic and transcriptomic results were verified using quantitative real-time PCR. We identified LfTPS1, LfTPS2 as candidate genes for α-pinene and β-pinene biosynthesis that significantly improve the yield of beneficial terpenoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the performance of sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.), cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda Raf.), and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) in two-species pine–hardwood mixtures (sweetgum : loblolly pine and cherrybark oak : loblolly pine) at various planting densities (1482–1976 trees per hectare (TPH)) over 23 years in northern Louisiana, USA. Species were planted in alternating rows with hardwood establishment occurring 1 year prior to loblolly pine. Mixtures were also compared to loblolly pine monocultures at a common density (1482 TPH) to assess whether mixing improved productivity. Sweetgum exerted more competitive pressure on loblolly pine than cherrybark oak. At final measurement, sweetgum survival statistically exceeded that of loblolly pine across mixture density. Moreover, sweetgum cumulative basal area and volume growth nearly tripled that of loblolly pine in balanced high-density mixtures (1976 TPH, 50 pine : 50 hardwood). In contrast, cherrybark oak basal area and volume growth did not significantly exceed loblolly pine at any density. At a common density (1482 TPH), loblolly pine monoculture cumulative basal area and volume significantly exceeded those of mixtures with sweetgum and cherrybark oak by 19% and 24%, respectively. Collectively, these results indicate that growing loblolly pine in mixture with these two species did not produce complementary interactions and negatively affected stand-level growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inocybe viscida sp. nov., a novel species found in a forest with old trees of Pinus brutia and tertiary relict endemic Liquidambar orientalis in coastal area of southwestern Turkey, is described and illustrated. We present this new species based on morphological and molecular data from nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1-5.8SITS2 = ITS) and the portions of nuc 28S rRNA (LSU) gene. Comprehensive description, field photographs, line drawings of the microscopic features and comparisons with phenetically similar taxa and phylogenetically related species are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquidambar formosana Hance has a highly ornamental value as an important urban greening tree species with bright and beautiful leaf color. To gain insights into the physiological and molecular mechanisms of L. formosana leaf color change, the leaves of three different clones were sampled every ten days from October 13, 2019, five times in total, which are S1, S2, S3, S4 and S5. Transcriptome sequencing was performed at S1 and S4. The chlorophyll content of the three clones decreased significantly, while the anthocyanins content of the three clones increased significantly in the coloring stage. The anthocyanins content of clone 2 was far more than that of the other two clones throughout the period of leaf color change. The transcriptome analysis showed that six DEGs related to anthocyanins biosynthesis, including CHS (chalcone synthase), CHI (chalcone isomerase), F3′H (flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase), DFR (dihydroflavonol 4-reductase), ANS (anthocyanidin synthase) and FLS (flavonol synthase), were found in three clones. Clone 2 has another three DEGs related to anthocyanins biosynthesis, including PAL (Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase), F3′5′H (flavonoid 3′,5′-hydroxylase) and UFGT (flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase). We lay a foundation for understanding the molecular regulation mechanism of the formation of leaf color by exploring valuable genes, which is helpful for L. formosana breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenolic resins are useful additives that provide various functions for rubber compounds during compounding and vulcanization, as well as after cure. Natural resins are considered as strong alternatives to synthetic ones due to environmental concern. Liquidambar Orientalis Mills is an endemic plant and grows in many different geographies including Turkey. In this study, the phenolic resin obtained from Liquidambar Orientalis Mills has been studied regarding its functions in a generic natural rubber compound. It was incorporated into the rubber compound with and without selected gum and phenolic resins so that mainly obtaining competitive adhesion properties. Both individual and collaborative effects of the natural resin were evaluated. Rheological, thermal, morphological, mechanical and adhesion properties of the compounds were studied comparatively along with the non-linear cure kinetics. Liquidambar Orientalis Mills has been found to be a good alternative to both gum and phenolic resins in rubber compounds. Besides, significant improvement could be achieved for particularly rubber–steel adhesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To grasp the current status of orchid diversity in main land nature reserves in Hainan and the key habitat factor restricting their development, conducted an investigation of orchid resource in the study area and analyzed the spatial distribution pattern of orchid diversity, the canonical correspondence analysis（CCA） was used to explore the influence of habitat factors on the composition of orchid, and finally the negative binomial regression under the framework of generalized linear model（GLM） was used to fit the response of the richness and abundance of orchid to habitat variation. The results are as follows:（1） A total of 193 species in 67 genera of orchids are found in the study area, which is the absolute center of the distribution of orchid in Hainan.（2） In the horizontal direction, Bawangling has high richness of orchid but relatively crowded population, while the largest elevation difference in Wuzhishan brings more diversified niche types and wide living spaces, giving birth to a rich and even distribution of orchid.（3） In the vertical direction, orchids are the most rich in mid-elevation area and the inter-species competition is fierce, while high-elevation area have obvious dominant groups.（4） The elevation factor has a very high explanatory rate for the variation of orchid composition, and the significant influence of karst and river valley landform can also not be ignored.（5） The comprehensive effect of multiple factors affects the diversity of orchid, among them, the significant positive effect of slope, valley landform, and karst landform and the significant negative effect of Liquidambar formosana forest are less affected by other covariate, which is the key habitat factor that drives change in the richness and abundance of orchid. In summary, middle and high elevation areas and special landforms（such as river valley and karst） should be considered as priority protection area for orchid diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquidambar formosana is an excellent landscape ecological tree species because its leaves turn red gradually after autumn, which is of great ornamental value. In this paper, the changes of tissue structures, photosynthetic characteristics and pigment contents of L. formosana leaves were continuously monitored, and the relationships between leaf structures and photosynthetic characteristics and pigment were analyzed in order to understand the relationships between leaf structure changes and leaf color. The results were as follows:(1)During the discoloration process of L. formosana leaves, the epidermal cells were oval and closely arranged, no obvious cell variation was observed, no villi and wax were attached to the surface, and the upper epidermal cells were closely arranged with palisade tissue cells, there was no large air chamber.(2)With the leaf turning red gradually, the leaf structure changed significantly. The thickness of leaf, upper epidermis, palisade tissue, spongy tissue and stomatal aperture decreased gradually, whereas the length and width of stomatal apparatus and the area of single stomatal apparatus gradually increased.(3)With the change of leaf structure, the chlorophyll content decreased gradually, resulting in the decrease of net photosynthetic rate. When light damage occurred, leaves protected themselves by synthesizing anthocyanins in the vacuoles of palisade tissue cells, then a large amount of anthocyanins caused the leaf surface to show red. Therefore, the decrease of chlorophyll content and the accumulation of anthocyanins were the direct reasons for the redness of L. formosana leaves. To sum up, the red color of L. formosana leaves is the combination result of a series of physiological structure characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The breast height form factor and quotient of trees are important parameters for calculating the stumpage volume in forest management. However, many types of datasets can only be accumulated by cutting down many trees. This research studied different thinning intensities of Formosan sweet gum (Liquidambar formosana) in the Danongdafu Forest Park, Guangfu Township, Hualien County, Taiwan. The relationship and transformation modes of the breast height form factor (F1.3) and the normal form quotient (Qn) were examined using a nondestructive terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) system, which can replace the conventional method of obtaining F1.3. The results demonstrated that the average F1.3 and Qn in the low-intensity thinning area were 0.40 and 0.56, respectively. The average F1.3 and Qn in the high-intensity thinning area were 0.48 and 0.68, respectively. Whether the stand density was low- or high-intensity could be determined statistically depending on the optimal results of F1.3. There was one mode of estimation when the stand density was 1200 trees ha−1 and another when it was 600 trees ha−1. The root mean square error of the equations used was 0.002, and the mean absolute error was <0.02. The mean percentage error was ±2.3%, and the mean absolute percentage error was <5%. If the TLS system can obtain datasets of quotient and height with surveys in the future, this would enable the calculation of F1.3. The stock volume would be calculated precisely, and the calculation error would be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyploid breeding is an effective approach to improve plant biomass and quality. Both fast growth and dwarf types of in vitro or ex vitro plants are produced after polyploidization. However, little is known regarding the dwarf type mechanism in polyploids grown in vitro. In this study, the morphological and cytological characteristics were measured in tetraploid and diploid hybrid sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua × L. formosana) with the same genetic background. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was used to analyse shoot and root variations between tetraploid and diploid plants; important metabolites were validated. The results showed that the shoot and root lengths were significantly shorter in tetraploids than in diploids after 25 d of culture. Most tetraploid root cells were wider and more irregular, and the length of the meristematic zone was shorter, while tetraploid cells were significantly larger than diploid cells. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enriched in the plant growth and organ elongation pathways, such as plant hormone biosynthesis and signal transduction, sugar and starch metabolism, and cell cycles. Hormone biosynthesis and signal transduction genes, such as YUCCA , TAA1 , GH3 , SAUR , CPS , KO , KAO , GA20ox , GA3ox , BAS1 and CYCD3 , which help to regulate organ elongation, were generally downregulated. The auxin, gibberellin, and brassinolide (BL) contents in roots and stems were significantly lower in tetraploids than in diploids, which may greatly contribute to slow growth in the roots and stems of tetraploid regenerated plants. Exogenous gibberellic acid (GA3) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), which induced plant cell elongation, could significantly promote growth in the stems and roots of tetraploids. In summary, comparative transcriptomics and metabolite analysis showed that the slow growth of regenerated tetraploid hybrid sweetgum was strongly related to auxin and gibberellin deficiency. Our findings provide insights into the molecular mechanisms that underlie dwarfism in allopolyploid hybrid sweetgum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Samia watsoni was reared in Yunnan from eggs received from Zhejiang in 2021. A mature larva was found in the field on Pterostyrax corymbosus (Styracaceae) in 2020, so this tree was used as the hostplant in captivity. Larvae accepted other Styracaceae in captivity. There are probably other hostplants in nature, but captive larvae refused Ailanthus and Liquidambar. The mature larva is light bluish green, white dorsally, with red dorsal scoli and others blue. In captivity the cocoons were wrapped in a leaf attached to the hostplants, but half were spun at the bottom of the cage with weak peduncles, suggesting that some cocoons may occur on the ground in nature. Adults were observed to drink water along the edges of streams, and a functional proboscis is reported for other Attacini. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, styrax liquidus (sweet gum balsam) extracted from Liquidambar orientalis Mill. incorporated PCL fibrous scaffolds were prepared using the electrospinning method. The effects of the styrax liquidus content on the prepared scaffolds were investigated using different physico-chemical and morphological analyses. Then, the styrax-loaded nanofibers were examined for their antioxidant activity, anti-biofilm, metal chelating, antimicrobial and DNA cleavage properties. The results obtained from these studies showed that the nanofibers exhibited effective biological activity depending on the weight ratio of the styrax liquidus. In light of the data obtained from the characterization and biological studies, a sample with high ratio of balsam was built for determining the cytocompatibility analysis in vitro. The cytotoxicity studies of the selected membrane were conducted using mouse embryonic fibroblast cells. The fibrous scaffolds lead to increase the cell number as a result of high viability. According to the results, we propose a novel biocompatible electrospun hybrid scaffold with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties that can be used as wound healing material for potential tissue engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Altingiaceae, a family of woody plants, comprising evergreen Altingia and deciduous Liquidambar groups, exhibits distinct leaf morphology, yet both groups overlap in geographical range and climatic conditions. While some tropical Altingia species are confined to Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and India without Liquidambar , and some temperate Liquidambar species to northern China without Altingia. Their fossil pollen have significant implications in reconstructing palaeoclimate and historical biogeography, based on classification of Altingia -type and Liquidambar -type. However, the results of previous studies to differentiate pollen types of evergreen Altingia and deciduous Liquidambar were based on limited pollen specimens. Therefore pollen morphology of Altingiaceae and differentiation of above mentioned types needs reevaluation using more specimens from wider geographical range. In this study, we present new findings on Altingiaceae pollen morphology from extensive collection of specimens and reassess the diagnostic features to distinguish evergreen and deciduous types. To improve the credibility of palaeoecological and palaeoclimatic interpretations, we applied multivariate statistical analyses to pollen size, number of pores, pollen wall thickness, and size and density of ornamental elements from light microscopy (LM) and Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM) images. Additionally, random forest classification models were applied to test the accuracy of differentiating Altingiaceae pollen types. Our results reveal significant morphological overlap between the pollen of evergreen Altingia and deciduous Liquidambar , with classification models showing limited accuracy and explainability. Thus, fossil pollen of Altingiaceae cannot be confidently classified into evergreen or deciduous types, highlighting challenges in using their pollen morphology for taxonomic classification in palaeoecological research. • Pollen morphological characteristics of Altingiaceae are analyzed. • Pollen differentiation of Altingia and Liquidambar are reevaluated using multivariate statistics and machine learning. • It's not safe to classify dispersed or fossil pollen of Altingiaceae into evergreen or deciduous types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mycosystema is the property of Mycosystema Editorial Board and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)