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A key question in insect community ecology is whether parasitoid assemblages are structured by the food plants of their herbivore hosts. Tritrophic communities centred on oak‐feeding cynipid gallwasps are one of the best‐studied tritrophic insect communities. Previous work suggests that host plant identity is a much stronger predictor of oak–cynipid interactions than of cynipid–parasitoid interactions. However, these relationships have not been formally quantified. We reason that the potential for ‘bottom‐up’ effects should increase with host plant phylogenetic diversity. We, therefore, generated quantified interaction network data for previously unstudied tritrophic cynipid communities in Sichuan, China, where, in addition to Quercus, cynipid host plants include Castanea, Castanopsis and Lithocarpus. We characterise these communities taxonomically and compare the extent to which host plant taxonomy predicts plant–herbivore and plant–parasitoid associations. We sampled 42,620 cynipid galls of 176 morphotypes from 23 host plant species, yielding over 4500 specimens of 64 parasitoid morphospecies. Many parasitoids were identifiable to chalcidoid taxa present in other Holarctic oak cynipid communities, with the addition of Cynipencyrtus (Cynipencyrtidae). As elsewhere, Sichuan parasitoid assemblages were dominated by generalists. Gallwasp–plant interaction networks were significantly more modular than parasitoid–plant association networks. Gallwasps were significantly more specialised to host plants (i.e. had higher mean d' values) than parasitoids. Parasitoid assemblages nevertheless showed significant plant‐associated beta diversity, with a dominant turnover component. We summarise parallels between our study and other Fagaceae‐associated cynipid communities and discuss our findings in light of the processes thought to structure tritrophic interactions centred on endophytic insect herbivores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research was undertaken in southeastern Taiwan covering a study area of 80 km² and an altitudinal range between 50 and 1,630 m.a.s.l. One hundred and twenty-four quadrat plots of 20 m² were set up to investigate the forest composition within the area. In total, we recorded 26 Fagaceae species, showing that this area has the highest Fagaceae diversity in Taiwan. Of these 26 species, 11 are endemic to Taiwan and 10 frequently possess prominent buttresses. Our results show that the Fagaceae diversity of the forests in our study area is unique in Taiwan. We conclude that it is necessary to create a conservation area in order to protect these forests and appeal for the support of Fagaceae lovers worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seasonal timing of flowering and fruiting is crucial for the reproductive success of plants and for resource availability to animals. Although plants synchronize their reproductive timing to coincide with appropriate seasons by responding to environmental cues, seasonal variations in temperature and precipitation vary minimally in very wet tropical environments. To explore the latitudinal cline in the reproductive phenology of the Fagaceae in Asia, we analyzed phenology data for a total of 94, 121, and 219 species from Thailand, Malesia, and China, respectively, in the three genera of Fagaceae, Quercus, Castanopsis, and Lithocarpus. We found that Quercus and Castanopsis showed flowering peaks in April in China. In Thailand, the peak shifted to an earlier month, and the peak disappeared in Malesia. The flowering period lengthened with decreasing latitude in the animal-pollinated genera Castanopsis and Lithocarpus. However, this was not the case for the wind-pollinated genus Quercus. The fruiting period lengthened with decreasing latitude in all three genera. We examined the relationship between reproductive phenology and climatic factors. The combination of monthly temperature and precipitation best explained the monthly change in the proportion of flowering and fruiting species in China in all three genera. However, climatic factors had almost no impact on the predictive ability of the model in Malesia. Our results on phenological shifts in the family Fagaceae, from the temperate climates and seasonal tropics to the humid tropics, provide valuable information for predicting phenological changes in future climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolite biosynthesis is regulated by gene expression, which is altered by DNA methylation in the promoter region. Chalcone isomerase (CHI) gene encodes a key enzyme in the Lithocarpus polystachyus Rehd flavonoid pathway, and the expression of L. polystachyus CHI (LpCHI) is closely related to the synthesis of flavonoid metabolites. In this study, we analyzed the DNA methylation site of the LpCHI promoter and its effect on gene expression and metabolite accumulation. The proportions of three types of LpCHI promoter DNA methylation are 7.5%, 68.75%, 18.75%, determined by bisulfite sequencing. Transcriptome sequencing shows that LpCHI is strongly up-regulated in LpCHI promoter methylation Type A but down-regulated in LpCHI promoter methylation Type B and Type C. The expression of LpCHI shows no significant difference between Type B and Type C. Moreover, nine kinds of differentially expressed transcription factors (DETFs) bind to seven CpG-sites of the LpCHI promoter region to regulate LpCHI expression. The results of metabolomics show that differentially accumulated flavonoids are higher in LpCHI promoter methylation Type A than in LpCHI promoter methylation Type B and Type C. Additionally, a positive correlation was found between the LpCHI expression and flavonoids accumulation. These results show that the effect of CpG site-specificity on gene transcription is great than that of overall promoter DNA methylation on gene transcription. The mechanisms of flavonoid genes regulating metabolite accumulation are further revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fagaceae includes typical masting species that exhibit highly synchronized and fluctuating acorn production. Fagaceae shows an interesting feature in that fertilization is delayed by several weeks to more than 1 year after pollination. Although delayed fertilization was recorded over a century ago, the evolutionary advantage of delayed fertilization is still poorly understood. Here, we present a new hypothesis that delayed fertilization facilitates temporal niche differentiation via non-overlapping flowering times among species. Comparing flowering and fruiting times in 228 species from five genera in Fagaceae, we first show that there is a close association between a wider spread of flowering times and the likelihood of a 2-year fruiting habit in which there is a long delay from pollination to fertilization. To study the coevolution of flowering time and delayed fertilization, we developed a mathematical model that incorporates the effects of competition for pollinators, seed predator satiation and unfavourable season for reproduction on fitness. The model shows that delayed fertilization facilitates the diversification of flowering time in a population, which is advantageous for animal-pollinated trees that compete over pollinators. Our new hypothesis about the coevolution of delayed fertilization and flowering time will provide new insight into the evolution of masting. This article is part of the theme issue 'The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Leaf epicuticular wax is an important functional trait for physiological regulation and pathogen defense. This study tests how selective pressure may have forced the trait of leaf abaxial epicuticular wax crystals (LAEWC) and whether the presence/absence of LAEWC is associated with other ecophysiological traits. Scanning Electron Microscopy was conducted to check for LAEWC in different Lithocarpus species. Four wax biosynthesis related genes, including two wax backbone genes ECERIFERUM 1 (CER1) and CER3, one regulatory gene CER7 and one transport gene CER5, were cloned and sequenced. Ecophysiological measurements of secondary metabolites, photosynthesis, water usage efficiency, and nutrition indices were also determined. Evolutionary hypotheses of leaf wax character transition associated with the evolution of those ecophysiological traits as well as species evolution were tested by maximum likelihood. Results Eight of 14 studied Lithocarpus species have obvious LAEWC appearing with various types of trichomes. Measurements of ecophysiological traits show no direct correlations with the presence/absence of LAEWC. However, the content of phenolic acids is significantly associated with the gene evolution of the wax biosynthetic backbone gene CER1, which was detected to be positively selected when LAEWC was gained during the late-Miocene-to-Pliocene period. Conclusions Changes of landmass and vegetation type accelerated the diversification of tropical and subtropical forest trees and certain herbivores during the late Miocene. As phenolic acids were long thought to be associated with defense against herbivories, co-occurrence of LAEWC and phenolic acids may suggest that LAEWC might be an adaptive defensive mechanism in Lithocarpus.

Dispersed fossil pollen grains of Fagaceae from the Eocene sediments of the south of Primorskii Region have been analyzed using a scanning electron microscope. Fourteen types of Fagaceae pollen were identified: one of them represented the extinct genus Eotrigonobalanus, four were assigned to the subfamily Castaneoideae, two to the genus Fagus, and seven to the genus Quercus; four of the latter were produced by deciduous oaks (Quercus), one, by evergreen oaks (Cyclobalanoides), and two, by evergreen sclerophyllous oaks (Heterobalanus). The presence of pollen of the extinct genus Eotrigonobalanus in the study region was demonstrated for the first time. The data obtained are indicative of considerable diversity of the family Fagaceae in the Eocene of Primorskii Region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural history collections and tropical tree diversity are both treasure troves of biological and evolutionary information, but their accessibility for scientific study is impeded by a number of properties. DNA in historical specimens is generally highly fragmented, complicating the recovery of high-grade genetic material. Furthermore, our understanding of hyperdiverse, wide-spread tree assemblages is obstructed by extensive species ranges, fragmented knowledge of tropical tree diversity and phenology, and a widespread lack of species-level diagnostic characters, prohibiting the collecting of readily identifiable specimens which can be used to build, revise or strengthen taxonomic frameworks. This, in turn, delays the application of downstream conservation action. A sizable component of botanical collections are sterile—thus eluding identification and are slowing down progress in systematic treatments of tropical biodiversity. With rapid advances in genomics and bioinformatic approaches to biodiversity research, museomics is emerging as a new field breathing life into natural collections that have been built up over centuries. Using MIGseq (multiplexed ISSR genotyping by sequencing), we generated 10,000s of short loci, for both freshly collected materials and museum specimens (aged >100 years) of Lithocarpus—a widespread tropical tree genus endemic to the Asian tropics. Loci recovery from historical and recently collected samples was not affected by sample age and preservation history of the study material, underscoring the reliability and flexibility of the MIGseq approach. Phylogenomic inference and biogeographic reconstruction across insular Asia, highlights repeated migration and diversification patterns between continental regions and islands. Results indicate that co-occurring insular species at the extremity of the distribution range are not monophyletic, raising the possibility of multiple independent dispersals along the outer edge of Wallacea. This suggests that dispersal of large seeded tree genera throughout Malesia and across Wallacea may have been less affected by large geographic distances and the presence of marine barriers than generally assumed. We demonstrate the utility of MIGseq in museomic studies using non-model taxa, presenting the first range-wide genomic assessment of Lithocarpus and tropical Fagaceae as a proof-of-concept. Our study shows the potential for developing innovative genomic approaches to improve the capture of novel evolutionary signals using valuable natural history collections of hyperdiverse taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptive trait divergence is usually episodic rather than universal in a phylogeny. To determine whether trait divergence reaches an extreme level (i.e. deviation from neutrality), the evolutionary rate of the species and intraspecific variation must be taken into account. Accordingly, we attempt to explore the trend of trait divergence over divergence times conditioned on the genetic distance. The Brownian motion (BM) model, a commonly used random-walk process for describing the neutral evolution of traits, is used to simulate the distribution of trait divergence under neutrality. The observed trait divergences are then compared to the BM expectations to detect outliers, which are considered to be selected. We assessed the ability of this method to characterize trait divergence under selection among 14 Lithocarpus species in Taiwan. The results are consistent with the previous inference of phylogenetic constraint based on tests of the phylogenetic signal, but further signals of adaptive and conserved trait divergences are detected between some lineages derived from particular nodes (common ancestors), indicating differential investments in growth rate and chemical defense among some endemic species in Taiwan. These results show that the adaptive divergence of environmentrelated traits is transient, episodic, and punctuated. Under strong selection pressure, the trait divergence after standard deviation correction will be more significant because the trait variance within the population decreases. However, it tends to be an overestimation of conservative evolution in older common ancestors due to the larger standard deviation produced from diverse descendants. Nevertheless, this study still provides a simple approach to detect adaptive divergence in a phylogenetic framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithocarpus litseifolius (Hance) Chun is a plant with great exploitation value rich in trilobatin and phlorizin with hypoglycemic effects, but its processing and storage methods have not been developed. In this study, it was processed by exploring three processing methods, sun-dried Lithocarpus tea (SLT), non-fermented green Lithocarpus tea (GLT), and fermented black Lithocarpus tea (BLT) , to analysis of volatile substance differences using GC-MS , chemical composition differences by non-targeted metabolomics using LC-MS and evaluate of biological activity by antioxidant and α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition activities. The results showed that GLT had the highest phenolic, flavonoid, trilobatin and phlorizin content; BLT had decreased catechin-like substances and improved sensory quality. In addition, the metabolic pathway analysis by comparing the differential metabolites showed that the secondary metabolite metabolic pathway, amino acid metabolism and ABC transport pathway were the main differential enrichment metabolic pathways. Both GLT and BLT have good hypoglycemic ability. The specific compounds and biochemical properties exhibited by Lithocarpus under different processing methods can provide a reference for its development of healthful teas. • GLT has high levels of trilobatin and phlorizin. • BLT had obvious differences on non-targeted metabolomics. • Processes affect secondary metabolites, amino acid metabolism. • GLT and BLT showed better hypoglycemic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Increasing biodiversity has been linked to higher primary productivity in terrestrial ecosystems. However, the underlying ecophysiological mechanisms remain poorly understood. We investigated the effects of surrounding species richness (monoculture, two‐ and four‐species mixtures) on the ecophysiology of Lithocarpus glaber seedlings in experimental plots in subtropical China. A natural rain event isotopically labelled both the water uptaken by the L. glaber seedlings and the carbon in new photoassimilates through changes of photosynthetic discrimination. We followed the labelled carbon (C) and oxygen (O) in the plant–soil–atmosphere continuum. We measured gas‐exchange variables (C assimilation, transpiration and above‐ and belowground respiration) and δ13C in leaf biomass, phloem, soil microbial biomass, leaf‐ and soil‐respired CO2 as well as δ18O in leaf and xylem water. The 13C signal in phloem and respired CO2 in L. glaber in monoculture lagged behind those in species mixture, showing a slower transport of new photoassimilates to and through the phloem in monoculture. Furthermore, leaf‐water 18O enrichment above the xylem water in L. glaber increased after the rain in lower diversity plots suggesting a lower ability to compensate for increased transpiration. Lithocarpus glaber in monoculture showed higher C assimilation rate and water‐use efficiency. However, these increased C resources did not translate in higher growth of L. glaber in monoculture suggesting the existence of larger nongrowth‐related C sinks in monoculture. These ecophysiological responses of L. glaber, in agreement with current understanding of phloem transport are consistent with a stronger competition for water resources in monoculture than in species mixtures. Therefore, increasing species diversity in the close vicinity of the studied plants appears to alleviate physiological stress induced by water competition and to counterbalance the negative effects of interspecific competition on assimilation rates for L. glaber by allowing a higher fraction of the C assimilated to be allocated to growth in species mixture than in monoculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two fruit types can be distinguished among stone oaks (Lithocarpus) species: the ‘acorn’ (AC) and the ‘enclosed receptacle’ (ER) types. Our morphometric analysis of 595 nuts from 98 species (one third of all Lithocarpus spp.) found substantial transition in mechanical protection of the seed between two woody fruit tissues (exocarp and receptacle) of two fruit types. AC fruits were smaller in seed and fruit size and the thin brittle exocarp largely enclosed the seed, whereas ER fruits were larger and the seed was mostly enclosed by thick woody receptacle tissue. The differences in these two tissues were considerably greater between compared to within fruit type and species. Geospatial distribution showed that seed size of all examined species increased with elevation and decreased with latitude, the physical defense increased with both elevation and latitude, and ER-fruit species were more common at higher elevation. The two fruit types represent distinct suites of associated traits that respond differently to the various biotic and abiotic factors associated with geographic variation, profoundly impacting the evolution of the two fruit types. The co-occurrence of two fruit types in the same forest could be a consequence of distinct fruit and animal interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithocarpus vuquangensis Ngoc & Hung is described from Vu Quang National Park, North Central Vietnam. The morphological comparison and phylogenetic analysis based on rbcL, matK and ITS provided evidence that the new species was not assignable to any of the previously known taxa in Vietnam and its surrounding countries. The description, photographs, preliminary conservation status and DNA barcode sequences are also provided for the new species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithocarpus polystachyus Rehd. (Sweet Tea) is a traditional sweet tea plant. Flavonoids are the essential sweet active constituents of Sweet Tea and they have direct relationship with the sweet tonic beverage and traditional herb. In this work, the chemical components of the sweeteners isolated from Sweet Tea were identified as 3-hydroxy phlorizin (1), phlorizin (2), kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucoside (3) and trilobatin (4) by ESI- MS and NMR analyses. Quantitative analysis of the flavonoid compounds in Sweet Tea from Yunnan province of China indicated their content was influenced by harvesting time and leaf age. Phlorizin and trilobatin were identified as principal flavonoids in Sweet Tea. The highest concentration of trilobatin was in April, and the highest concentration of phlorizin was in November. The flavonoids content was the highest in young leaves and decreased at mature stage. Moreover, considerable variations of flavonoids content in Sweet Tea from three locations (Yunnan, Hunan, Jiangxi) were observed. It was concluded that the quality of Sweet Tea is greatly influenced by harvesting time, location and leaf age. Therefore, the artificial cultivation of Sweet Tea is necessary to ensure its optimal quality and suitability for specific applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the remarkable aspects of the tremendous biodiversity found in tropical forests is the wide range of evolutionary strategies that have produced this diversity, indicating many paths to diversification. We compare two diverse groups of trees with profoundly different biologies to discover whether these differences are reflected in their genomes. Ficus (Moraceae), with its complex co-evolutionary relationship with obligate pollinating wasps, produces copious tiny seeds that are widely dispersed. Lithocarpus (Fagaceae), with generalized insect pollination, produces large seeds that are poorly dispersed. We hypothesize that these different reproductive biologies and life history strategies should have a profound impact on the basic properties of genomic divergence within each genus. Using shallow whole genome sequencing for six species of Ficus, seven species of Lithocarpus, and three outgroups, we examined overall genomic diversity, how it is shared among the species within each genus, and the fraction of this shared diversity that agrees with the major phylogenetic pattern. A substantially larger fraction of the genome is shared among species of Lithocarpus, a considerable amount of this shared diversity was incongruent with the general background history of the genomes, and each fig species possessed a substantially larger fraction of unique diversity than Lithocarpus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety of flavonoid fraction of Lithocarpus polystachyus Rehd (Sweet Tea-F, ST-F) in mice and rats through acute and sub-chronic toxicity studies respectively. For acute toxicity study, a single dose of 5000 mg/kg of ST-F was given orally to healthy KM mice. The mice were observed mortality and toxic symptoms for 24 h, then once a day up to 14 days. In the sub-chronic toxicity study, ST-F was administered orally at doses of 0, 70, 140, 560 mg/kg/day to rats for 26 weeks. Body weight and food intake were recorded weekly. Hematological, biochemical, coagulation and organ parameters were analyzed at the end of 26 weeks administration. Vital organs were evaluated by histopathology. In the acute toxicity study, ST-F caused neither significant toxic symptoms, nor mortality in mice. In sub-chronic toxicity study, daily oral administration of ST-F at the dose of 70 mg/kg resulted in a significant increase ( P < 0.05) in the relative body weight at the 10-week, and the same situation brought at the dose of 140 mg/kg/day at the 22-week. Hematological and biochemical showed significant changes ( P < 0.01 or P < 0.05 ) in WBC, GLU, ALP, AST and serum electrolytes levels at the dose of 560 mg/kg/day. The amount of RBC decreased significantly ( P < 0.05 ) while the content of PLT slightly increased ( P < 0.05 ) at the dose of 140 mg/kg/day. In additional, no obvious histological changes were observed in vital organs of ST-F treated animals compared to control group. The ST-F may be exit slight side effects at the dose of 560 mg/kg/day in rats. Thus, the overall results show that the no-observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of ST-F was considered to be 140 mg/kg for male SD rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil pollen grains of Castaneoideae from Holocene sediments from the southern Sea of Japan (J-3) at a depth of 200-202, 165-167, and 120-122 cm were studied with a scanning electron microscope. Pollen of some extant species of Castaneoideae, native to the region ( Castanopsis cuspidata, C. sclerophylla, and Lithocarpus glaber) were also studied. As a result, four types of fossil pollen grains were revealed; type I is identified to species as Castanopsis cuspidata, type II is referred to the genus Castanopsis, type III is assigned to the genus Lithocarpus, and type IV is only identifined to subfamily (Castaneoideae type). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Mycorrhizal fungi can re-distribute nutrients among plants through formation of underground common mycorrhizal networks and therefore may alter interspecific plant competition. However, the effect of ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi on interspecific plant competition in subtropical forests is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of EM fungal identity and diversity on the outcome of interspecific competition of plant species in relation to different successional stages in a Chinese subtropical forest. Materials and Methods: This study selected four woody plant species, i.e. a pioneer tree Pinus massoniana, a late-pioneer tree Quercus serrata, a midsuccessional tree Cyclobalanopsis glauca and a late-successional tree Lithocarpus glaber in a Chinese subtropical forest. The outcomes of interspecific competition were investigated in the seedlings of three plant pairs, i.e. between Cy. glauca and Pin. massoniana, between Q. serrata and Pin. massoniana and between Li. glaber and Q. serrata in a pot experiment. In the Cy. glauca-Pin. massoniana combination, plants in monoculture and two-species mixture were uninoculated or inoculated with EM fungi Paxillus involutus, Pisolithus tinctorius, Cenococcum geophilum, Laccaria bicolor and a mixture of these four fungal species. In the Q. serrata- Pin. massoniana and Li. glaber-Q. serrata combinations, plants in monocultures and two-species mixtures were uninoculated or inoculated with EM fungi Pis. tinctorius, Ce. geophilum, La. bicolor and a mixture of these three fungal species. EM root colonization rate and seedling biomass of each plant species were measured and the outcomes of interspecific competition were estimated using competitive balance index after 6-month cultivation. Important Findings: All EM fungal inoculation significantly promoted a competitive ability of the mid-successional tree Cy. glauca over the pioneer tree Pin. massoniana compared with the uninoculated control treatment and the extent to which EM fungi affected the outcome of interspecific competition was dependent on EM fungal identity in the Cy. glauca and Pin. massoniana combination. EM fungal inoculation had no significant effect on the outcomes of interspecific competition between the late-pioneer tree Q. serrata and Pin. massoniana combination and between the late-successional tree Li. glaber and Q. serrata combination, compared with the uninoculated control treatment. However, amongst the EM fungal inoculation treatments the competitive ability of Q. serrata over Pin. massoniana was significantly higher in EM fungi Ce. geophilum and La. bicolor treatments than in Pis. tinctorius treatment. EM fungal diversity did not show a complementary effect on the outcomes of interspecific competition in all three plant pairs. This study demonstrated that the effect of EM fungi on the outcome of interspecific competition was dependent on the plant pairs tested in the subtropical forest ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Species diversity and genetic diversity may be affected in parallel by similar environmental drivers. However, genetic diversity may also be affected independently by habitat characteristics. We aim at disentangling relationships between genetic diversity, species diversity and habitat characteristics of woody species in subtropical forest. Methods: We studied 11 dominant tree and shrub species in 27 plots in Gutianshan, China and assessed their genetic diversity (Ar) and population differentiation (F'ST) with microsatellite markers. We tested if Ar and population specific F'ST were correlated to local species diversity and plot characteristics. Multi-model inference and model averaging were used to determine the relative importance of each predictor. Additionally, we tested for isolation-by-distance (IBD) and isolation-by-elevation by regressing pairwise F'ST against pairwise spatial and elevational distances. Important Findings: Genetic diversity was not related to species diversity for any of the study species. Thus, our results do not support joint effects of habitat characteristics on these two levels of biodiversity. Instead, genetic diversity in two understory shrubs, Rhododendron simsii and Vaccinium carlesii, was affected by plot age with decreasing genetic diversity in successionally older plots. Population differentiation increased with plot age in R. simsii and Lithocarpus glaber. This shows that succession can reduce genetic diversity within and increase genetic diversity between populations. Furthermore, we found four cases of IBD and two cases of isolation-by-elevation. The former indicates inefficient pollen and seed dispersal by animals whereas the latter might be due to phenological asynchronies. These patterns indicate that succession can affect genetic diversity without parallel effects on species diversity and that gene flow in a continuous subtropical forest can be restricted even at a local scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithocarpus litseifolius (Fagaceae), known as tree of Chinese sweet tea, is a native commercial plant distributed in south China and adjacent areas. This study used ten microsatellite markers to investigate the genetic variation and population structure of 11 populations of L. litseifolius from the main production regions in China. All of the tested loci proved to be effective for the species. The number of alleles per locus ranged between 3 and 39, and mean observed and expected heterozygosity was 0.43 and 0.52, respectively. The deficiency in heterozygosity may be the result of human interference and harvesting activities. Analysis of molecular variance revealed that most of the variation was within populations, whereas differentiation among populations was insignificant, and that there was no significant correlation between genetic distance and geographic distance (r = 0.4089, p = 0.9940). However, A Bayesian model-based analysis sorted all 11 populations into two (when k = 2) or three (when k = 3) clusters with higher probabilities and showed a geographical pattern which is probably related to the topography of China. Our results provide important information for protecting, sustainably using, and improving the current resources of L. litseifolius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our knowledge about gall wasps associated with the diverse East Asian oaks, Castanopsis and Cyclobalanopsis, is limited due to the lack of extensive field studies. Here, we describe twelve new oak gall wasp species, Dryocosmus cannoni Schwéger & Tang, D. caputgrusi Tang & Schwéger, D. crinitus Schwéger & Tang, D. harrisonae Melika & Tang, D. hearni Melika &Tang, D. hualieni Schwéger & Tang, D. konradi Tang & Melika, D. liyingi Melika & Tang, D. moriius Tang & Melika, D. quadripetiolus Schwéger & Tang, D. salicinai Schwéger & Tang, and D. taitungensis Tang & Melika, from Taiwan and mainland China. Seven newly described species induce galls on Quercus subgenus Cyclobalanopsis and five on other Fagaceae genus, Castanopsis. All of the new species concepts are supported by morphological and molecular data. We provide descriptions, diagnoses, host associations for the new species and an illustrated identification key to Eastern Palaearctic Dryocosmus species. We represent natural language phenotypes in a semantic format supported by biomedical ontologies to increase the accessibility of morphological data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of leaf extract from Lithocarpus polystachyus Rehd. on type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the active ingredients of this effect. In addition, this study determined, for the first time, the underlying molecular and pharmacological mechanisms of the extracts on hyperglycemia using long-term double high diet-fed and streptozotocin (STZ) induced type II diabetic mice. In the present study, leaf extract, phloridzin and trilobatin were assessed in vivo (gavage) and in vitro (non-invasive micro-test technique, NMT) in experimental T2DM mice. The biochemical parameters were measured including blood glucose and blood lipid level, liver biochemical indexes, and hepatic glycogen. The relative expression of glycometabolism-related genes was detected. The effect of leaf extracts on physiological glucose flux in liver tissue from control and T2DM mice was also investigated. Body weight of experimental T2DM mice increased significantly after the first week, but stabilized over the subsequent three weeks; body weight of all other groups did not change during the four weeks’ study. After four weeks, all treatment groups decreased blood glucose, and treatment with leaf extract had numerous positive effects: a) promoted in glucose uptake in liver, b) increased synthesis of liver glycogen, c) reduced oxidative stress, d) up-regulation of glucokinase (GK), glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2), insulin receptor (IR) and insulin receptor substrate (IRS) expression in liver, e) down-regulation of glucose-6-phosphatase (G-6-P) expression, and f) ameliorated blood lipid levels. Both treatment with trilobatin or phloridzin accelerated liver glycogen synthesis, decreased oxidative stress and increased expression of GK. IRS and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) were both up-regulated after treatment with trilobatin. Expression of GLUT2, PEPCK and G-6-P were also increased in liver tissue after treatment with phloridzin. Our data indicate that leaf extract from L. polystachyus Rehd. has a preferable hypoglycemic effects than trilobatin or phloridzin alone. Leaf extract significantly increased glucose uptake and hepatic glycogen synthesis while also inducing a decline of hepatic gluconeogenesis and oxidative stress in T2DM mice. From this study, we draw conclusions that L. polystachyus promoted glycogen synthesis in T2DM mice, and that the active compounds were not only the trilobatin or phloridzin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tanoak Lithocarpus hancei (Fagaceae) is one of the dominant species in the high diversity subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests in SW China. However, seedlings of L. hancei and other oaks are quite rare in the understorey. To investigate the effects of seed (acorn) predation and seedling herbivory by mammals, and litter, on acorn germination and seedling survival of L. hancei in these forests, we set up a 2 × 2 factorial experiment (litter present or removed; ±herbivore exclosures (fences); plus natural control; 5 replications) in the Ailaoshan National Nature Reserve, central Yunnan from 2010 to 2015. Acorns and transplanted seedlings of L. hancei were placed in the four treatments plots and the influence of these treatments on acorn germination and seedling survival was monitored. Fences protected L. hancei acorns and seedlings against herbivory by rodents and other mammals; litter had a positive effect on acorn survival but no effect on seedling establishment. Moreover, those seedlings that escaped herbivory were mostly killed by fungal attack. Our results indicate that while litter and pathogens have some influence, herbivores are probably the major cause of the low frequency of L. hancei seedlings in the understorey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithocarpus dahuoaiensis Ngoc & L. V. Dung, a new species from the Central highland of Vietnam, is described and illustrated. The new species is morphologically similar to Lithocarpus macphailii (M. R. Hend.) Barnett or Lithocarpus encleisocarpus (Korth.) A. Camus in having completely entire leaf margin, solitary cupule, long stalks of fruits, deeply cup-shaped or turbinate cupules, with a number of horizontal filiform lines. The species differs in its nut enclosure ca. 1/2 - 2/3 of the nut, adaxially glabrous leaf blades, secondary veins 11-12 pairs and faintly to very faintly visible hairs on the outside of the cupule. A table showing the morphological comparison of Lithocarpus dahuoaiensis with Lithocarpus macphailii and Lithocarpus encleisocarpus is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xerocomus doodhcha and Hortiboletus indorubellus (Boletaceae) from broadleaf montane forest in Sikkim, India, are proposed as new. They are described in detail with supporting morphological illustrations and compared with related taxa using molecular phylogenetic analysis of ITS and 28S rDNA sequences. Xerocomus doodhcha is characterized by a pale brown pileus, basidiospores with a finely bacillate surface under SEM, and phylogenetic proximity to the type species of Xerocomus, X. subtomentosus. Hortiboletus indorubellus is characterized by a dark brown to reddish brown pileus, context that turns brownish to brownish orange on bruising, and phylogenetic proximity to Hortiboletus rubellus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithocarpus polystachyus is a kind of precious natural wild medicinal plants, and can develop health food pigment and natural medicinal drugs. There are rich plant resources in Guangxi. To provide certain reference for early selecting the superior germplasm, seeds from such four origins as Bama, Napo, Debao and Tianlin County were collected and sowed through ascertain difference of leaf morphology index and growth index in seedling plants between different origins of L. polystachyus in Guangxi, for nursing seedlings respectively,and tracking to survey and determine the leaf traits and growth of seedlings aged one,and then compared the degree of variation of leaf area, leaf length, leaf width, leaf thickness, vein spacing, leaf fresh weight, leaf dry matter content, specific leaf area, leaf tissue density, the relative contents of chlorophyll, leaf water retention, plant height, ground diameter, dry weight per plant, taproot length,root dry weight per plant,leaf dry weight per plant between different origins of plants, and further to analyze the correlation between leaf traits and growth of seedling. The results were as follows:(1) There were a lot of differences in leaf traits and seedling growth among different origins, in which the length, width, LAI (leaf-area-index), veins distance, fresh weight, dry weight, tissue density of leaves and mean height, diameter, whole dry weight, root length, root dry weight of individual seedling from Bama were significantly higher than those from Napo, Debao and Tianlin. Mean biomass of individual seedling from Bama was one to two times as much as those from other three origins. Analysis from leaf water holding ability and net growth rate showed that the drought tolerance of seedlings from Bama were higher than those from three other origins. In conclusion, Bama could be considered as a superior provenance on a preliminary basis;(2) The growth peak of L. polystachyus was in August in Guangxi, the plant height and the ground diameter growed significantly at this time. In order to obtain the largest accumulation of seedling growth,some proposal that strengthen the water management, adjust the suitable conditions of field water, and as far as possible to prolong rapid growth of seedlings should be put forward;(3) Correlation analysis indicated that LAI had extremely positive correlation with seedling height, diameter, individual whole dry weight, root length, individual root dry weight and individual leaf dry weight, The veins distance and SPAD value both had positive correlation with seedling height and individual seedling whole dry weight, while SLA (specific leaf area) had negative correlation with seedling height and diameter. Therefore, during the phenotype selection in the future, priorities should go to the seedlings with mature thick-green leaves of broad leaf area and veins distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Belowground interactions can greatly modify fine root (≤2 mm in diameter) traits to increase soil resource acquisition for tree growth. We examined how mixed forests alter fine root traits compared to pure forests. Methods: A pseudo-experimental tree cluster design was used to select small-area plots of single and mixed species in a Pinus massoniana- Lithocarpus glaber (PM-LG) forest and a L. glaber- Cyclobalanopsis glauca (LG-CG) forest. In each plot, soil cores were sampled down to 30 cm at a 0.5 m interval between target and neighbouring trees. Fine roots in soil cores were then divided by species to determine biomass and morphological traits. Results: The mixed PM-LG plots exhibited significantly higher fine root biomass while the mixed LG-CG plots had no significant differences in fine root biomass compared to their respective pure plots. In pure plots, P. massoniana had higher fine root biomass and lower specific root length (SRL) and specific root area (SRA) than L. glaber, whereas fine root traits were similar for L. glaber and C. glauca. Compared with pure plots for a given species, fine root biomass in the entire soil profile decreased for P. massoniana but increased for L. glaber in mixed PM-LG plots. In mixed LG-CG plots, fine root biomass decreased for each species at all soil depths. Conclusions: Whether positive interactions of fine roots occur is dependent on tree species composition. Fine root biomass was greater in mixed forests where tree species showed contrasting growth strategies and root traits, such as PM-LG forests, thus suggesting positive interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cupules and fruits from the Early to Middle Miocene of Yunnan, southwestern China, are assigned to the genus Lithocarpus (Fagaceae) based on morphological and anatomical characters. The cupules are often in tight clusters of three or two, cup- or deeply bowl-shaped, valveless, covered with imbricate and appressed blunt scales, containing a single fruit in each cupule and enclosing about half or most of the fruit. The fruits are characterized by having a usually broadly conical shape, relatively small size and a concave abscission scar. The fruit wall is composed of a palisade-shaped exocarp, a multilayered mesocarp and a thin, one-layered endocarp. A new species, Lithocarpus longchuanensis sp. nov., is described. From the modern geographical distribution and known reliable fossil records, we infer that Lithocarpus migrated between eastern Asia and Europe via the Turgai Strait in the Oligocene, but probably was never present in North America. The new species represents the only confirmed occurrence of Lithocarpus fossil cupules and fruits from the Tertiary and provides insights into cupule and fruit evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Diaporthe species include important plant pathogenic fungi with wide host ranges and geographic distributions. In this paper, species associated with Lithocarpus glabra were examined using a multi-locus phylogeny based on a combined rDNA-internal transcribed spacer (ITS), and partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1), beta tubulin (TUB), and calmodulin (CAL) regions. The phylogenies inferred from combined multi-locus sequences grouped isolates from L. glabra into seven distinct lineages with high branch support, which corresponded to two previously described species and five novel species described in this paper. Our results indicate a high species diversity of Diaporthe associated with L. glabra , and host association is further proved not reliable for species delimitation. Three species previously described in Phomopsis were transferred to Diaporthe in the present paper. A synopsis of morphological characters of the 14 species currently known from Fagaceae is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]