Maintenance of species boundaries amid hybridization in two island gingers with similar ecological niches.

Understanding species boundaries maintenance in the face of hybridization/introgression is an intriguing yet complex topic in evolutionary biology. The underlying mechanisms, however, remain elusive. To address this, we propose to investigate the role of climatic shifts in shaping genetic structure and influencing species boundaries. We combine multilocus genetic data and species distribution modeling to explore how past and current climatic shifts affect the genetic structure and demographic history of two Taiwan endemic gingers, Zingiber pleiostachyum and Z. shuanglongense. We identified a well-delimited genetic structure with evidence of admixture, indicating incomplete reproductive isolation between the two gingers. This is likely due to secondary contact and range overlap during the last glacial maximum, leading to sporadic instances of hybridization. Niche overlap tests based on climate and soil data indicate that these two gingers occupy similar but nonidentical ecological niches. Furthermore, we found that the considerable differences in their current geographic distribution and altitude preferences might have resulted from different seed dispersal capabilities and competitive exclusion due to their similar niche preferences. Our results reveal a model where altitudinal differentiation and dispersal strategy synergistically reinforce the species divergence, thereby illuminating the importance of these factors in shaping and maintaining the island's biodiversity.

Evolution of floral characters and biogeography of Heloniadeae (Melanthiaceae): an example of breeding system shifts with inflorescence change.

Heloniadeae (Melanthiaceae) presents an East Asia-North America disjunct distribution. Different molecular and morphological data nevertheless support the tribe as a monophyletic group. However, their phylogenetic relationships and biogeographic history, together with the character evolution, are not clear. Therefore, we constructed a Bayesian phylogenetic tree for Heloniadeae using cpDNA and inferred the historical biogeography and floral character evolution. The results revealed that Heloniadeae was distributed in high-latitudes of East Asia and North America, originating since 22.2 mya. The East Asia clade migrated into southwest China, and subsequently colonized the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, the Ryukyus, and spread northward to Japan and southern Sakhalin. The evolution of the inflorescence and number of flowers were phylogenetically conserved, associated with the historical biogeography of Heloniadeae. The inflorescences transferred from raceme to sub-umbel, and the number of flowers decreased during the dispersal process, which may be accompanied by changes in the breeding system. Besides, the anthesis period was more affected by the habitat environment than phylogenetic constraints. The flowering temperature of was below 20 °C in most species, except H. kawanoi. Such a low temperature might not be conductive to pollinator activities, but it could be compensated by sustaining seed production with long-lasting flowers.

Environmental Heterogeneity Leads to Spatial Differences in Genetic Diversity and Demographic Structure of Acer caudatifolium.

Under climate fluctuation, species dispersal may be disturbed by terrain and local climate, resulting in uneven spatial-genetic structure. In addition, organisms at different latitudes may be differentially susceptible to climate change. Here, we tracked the seed dispersal of Acer caudatifolium using chloroplast DNA to explore the relationships of terrain and local climate heterogeneity with range shifts and demography in Taiwan. Our results showed that the extant populations have shifted upward and northward to the mountains since the Last Glacial Maximum. The distributional upshift of A. caudatifolium is in contrast to the downward expansion of its closest relative in Taiwan, A. morrisonense. The northern populations of A. caudatifolium have acquired multiple-source chlorotypes and harbor high genetic diversity. However, effective gene flow between the north and south is interrupted by topography, geographic distance, north-south differences in October rainfall, and other climate heterogeneities, blocking southward genetic rescue. In addition, winter monsoon-driven rainfall may cause regional differences in the phenological schedule, resulting in adaptive effects on the timing of range shift and the genetic draft of chlorotype distribution. Terrain, distance, and local climate also differentiate the northernmost populations from the others, supporting the previous taxonomic treatment of Acer kawakamii var. taitonmontanum as an independent variety.

[Characteristics of Iron Plaque and Its Heavy Metal Enrichment in Typical Mangrove Plants in Shenzhen Bay, China].

Based on the five typical mangrove species in the mangrove wetland of Shenzhen Bay, the contents and distributional characteristics of iron plaques (Fe) and the Mn, Pb, Zn, Cu, As, Cr, Cd, Ni, Co, and Sb enrichment of the iron plaques on mangrove plant roots were investigated. The results show that:① There is a significant difference in the contents of iron plaques among the five mangrove species, and the contents in the species follow the order:Acanthus ilicifolius > Aeagiceras corniculatum > Bruguiera gymnorrhiza > Kandelia obovate > Heritiera littorlis; the content ranged from 0.37 g·kg-1 to 10.81 g·kg-1. ② Iron plaques have a certain enrichment effect on the heavy metals in the sediments. The contents of heavy metals in the iron plaques vary with the plant species, being the highest in A. ilicifolius and the lowest in H. littorlis. This enrichment also varies with the element species:Mn content changed from 0.11 g·kg-1 to 2.67 g·kg-1; the highest contents of Pb, Zn, Cu, As, and Cr changed from 117.44 mg·kg-1 to 189.69 mg·kg-1; and the highest contents of Cd, Ni, Co. and Sb changed from 34.84 mg·kg-1 to 63.34 mg·kg-1. The content of Zn in the iron plaque is negatively correlated with the other heavy metal contents (P<0.001), indicating that Zn might compete with the other elements. ③ Sediment pH significantly affects the content of iron plaque and the accumulation of Mn in the iron plaque (P<0.05). The water content and salinity of the sediments are positively correlated with the contents of heavy metals Cr and Co in the iron plaque (P<0.05). ④ The distribution of iron plaques and their heavy metal contents in different parts of the roots of the mangrove plants follow the order:root tip > root middle > root base.

[Profile nutrient distribution and sedimentary characteristics in typical marshes of Sanjiang Plain].

Profile distribution characteristics of organic carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), total phosphorus (P) and total sulfur (S) were studied in two typical marshes including Carex lasiocarpa marsh and Phragmites australis marsh in the Sanjiang Plain. Sedimentary characteristics of typical mashes were analyzed. The results showed that vertically these soil chemical elements also varied, showing obvious stratification and enrichment. In a soil profile, soil organic C under both vegetation communities gradually decreased; soil total N first increased and then decreased under both; total P under Carex lasiocarpa first decreased and then increased, whereas it decreased with the increasing depth under Carex lasiocarpa; total S was reduced with increasing depth under both marshes. Total N, total P and total S were all strongly correlated with soil organic C (P < 0.01); soil organic C was strongly correlated with bulk density (P < 0.01). Our study also illustrated that the vegetation types had different influences for organic C, total N, total P and total S of the marsh profiles. Environmental 137Cs and 210Pb dating techniques were applied to determine recent sedimentation rates, and the constant rate of supply (CRS) was applied to deduce the age of sediment core, and the results showed that the mean sedimentation rate was 0.33 cm x a(-1), and the sedimentation fluxes ranged 0.03-0.48 g x (cm2 x a)(-1) [Mean = 0.29 g x (cm2 x a) -1].

[Mercury and copper accumulation during last fifty years and their potential ecological risk assessment in sediment of mangrove wetland of Shenzhen, China].

The processes of sediment transport and deposition can record some relative anthropogenic information in gulf region. Chronological analysis of the sediment core collected from mangrove wetland in Shenzhen Bay showed that the sedimentation rate was about 1.38 cm x a(-1). Soil buck density, pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and total organic carbon (TOC) changed in range of 0.36-0.71 g x cm(-3), 6-7, 2.93 x 10(3) -4.97 x 10(3) microS x cm(-1), and 1.5% - 3.8%, respectively. With the increase of soil depth, the soil buck density and EC increased gradually. However, the TOC decreased, with no significant change of pH. Contents of Hg and Cu in the whole depth of core ranged between 92-196 ng x g(-1) and 29-83 microg x g(-1), respectively. And both of them in sediment increased firstly and then decreased with the increasing soil depth. At 14 cm depth, contents of Hg and Cu reached up to the highest levels. Correspondingly, the ecological risk of Hg and Cu changed similarly with the contents of Hg and Cu. At 14 cm depth, the ecological risk indexes of Hg and Cu were at the highest levels of 39.10 and 13.85, respectively. The potential ecological risks of both Hg and Cu in sediments were mild. The rapid economical development of Hong Kong in 1960-1985 and Shenzhen in 1985-2000 contributed much to the Hg and Cu accumulation in mangrove wetland of Shenzhen Bay, China. Since the year of 2000, the reduction in contents of Hg and Cu has been expected as a consequence of the adoption of contamination control policies, improving the environment for growth of mangrove. In conclusion, the variations of core sediment heavy metal contents and its ecological risk assessment along the vertical profile reveal the interaction processes and extent of anthropogenic influences from the areas around the Shenzhen Bay and the catchments.