Table of Content

20 January 2026, Volume 46 Issue 1

Previous Issue   

Review Article



Progress in the Study on Stay-green Gene SGR

Linlin HE, Lei WU, Xuesong REN, Jun SI, Qinfei LI, Hongyuan SONG

2026, 46(1):  1-12.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.01.001

Asbtract ( 47 )   HTML ( 1)   PDF (5329KB) ( 39 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

The STAY-GREEN（SGR） gene family is a key regulator of chlorophyll degradation and leaf senescence in plants. This study， through systematic phylogenetic analysis， demonstrated that the SGR gene family can be divided into two functionally divergent subfamilies， SGR and SGRL. The number of family members varied among species， yet the protein structure was highly conserved. Functional studies revealed that SGR not only played a central role in plant growth and development by regulating chlorophyll degradation but also extensively participated in responses to abiotic and biotic stresses， often in a gene-specific manner. At the molecular level， SGR gene served as a hub integrating multiple hormone signals， including abscisic acid， ethylene， and jasmonic acid， and coordinated chlorophyll degradation and stress responses by modulating the homeostasis of reactive oxygen species and phenylpropane metabolism pathways. This article reviewed the complex regulatory network mediated by SGR gene， providing important theoretical foundations and research directions for elucidating its molecular mechanisms and for targeted improvement of crop stress resistance and agricultural product quality using gene-editing technologies.



Research Progress on the Hormonal Regulation Related to Adventitious Root Regeneration and Cuttings Rooting in Plants

Weiqian WU, Zijian HU, Shiya SHEN, Guifang ZHANG, Jinxing LIN, Xi ZHANG

2026, 46(1):  13-24.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.01.002

Asbtract ( 54 )   HTML ( 4)   PDF (1603KB) ( 42 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

Plant adventitious root regeneration is a self-repair or replacement process of damaged structures by the plant body， usually occurring during tissue culture or cutting. During the cutting process， wound stimulation triggers a series of responses and signal transduction that regulates downstream factors， thereby inducing adventitious root formation. Plant hormones play a crucial regulatory role in the process of adventitious root formation. However， the survival rate of cuttings from certain woody plants is relatively low， and the molecular mechanisms by which plant hormones regulate the regeneration of adventitious roots remain unclear. This article reviewed the basic process of adventitious root regeneration in plant cuttings， explored the rules of wound activation signal transduction， and summarized the regulatory molecular mechanisms of hormones， transcription factors， and gene families involved in adventitious root development. It provided a reference for the study of the regeneration mechanism of woody plant cuttings.



Research Progress on the Seed Dormancy and Germination of Astragalus membranaceus and Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus

Qinxiang CHANG, Wenxin GAO, Donghong ZHANG, Lin LI, Qiang ZHANG, Zongsuo LIANG

2026, 46(1):  25-37.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.01.003

Asbtract ( 52 )   HTML ( 3)   PDF (2534KB) ( 37 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

Astragalus membranaceus and A. membranaceus var. mongholicus are the source species of the bulk medicinal herb Astragali Radix（Huangqi）， and they serve as strategic resources for global natural medicines and functional foods. Research on seed dormancy and germination in the two taxa is crucial for ensuring the authenticity of medicinal materials and industrial sustainability. This article systematically reviewed studies published since 1975 on their seeds， aiming to clarify the commonalities and differences in the seed dormancy and germination between the two Astragalus taxa. Seeds of the two Astragalus taxa exhibited combinational dormancy（physical dormancy+physiological dormancy）， whose dormancy characteristics were collectively determined by the physical barrier formed by the dense seed coat， the inhibitory effect of endogenous inhibitors， and the physiological dormancy mediated by the abscisic acid（ABA）/gibberellic acid（GA） signaling pathway. The interspecific heterogeneity in dormancy and germination of the two Astragalus seeds represented an adaptive strategy for niche differentiation. Based on these traits， targeted dormancy-breaking techniques have been developed， including physical， chemical， microbial， and priming treatments. Additionally， seed germination of the two Astragalus taxa in response to environmental factors（temperature， water， and salinity-alkalinity） also showed significant inter-taxonomic heterogeneity. Despite sharing the “GA intermediate pre-storage” trait， the two Astragalus taxa had divergent molecular regulatory strategies for dormancy and germination. Current research on seed dormancy and germination of the two Astragalus taxa has advanced from empirical exploration to mechanism-driven investigation； however， bottlenecks remain， such as incomplete elucidation of molecular mechanisms and insufficient understanding of microbe-seed interactions. Future studies should integrate multi-omics and gene editing technologies to further elucidate the mechanisms underlying dormancy and germination， and establish taxon-specific precision regulation protocols. This review will provide robust support for the sustainable development of the Astragali Radix industry and the advancement of theories related to seed dormancy and germination.



Bibliometric Analysis of Research Progress on Sesbania

Wenhao BO, Qianqian WU, Mengzhen LÜ, Haizhen WANG

2026, 46(1):  38-50.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.01.004

Asbtract ( 48 )   HTML ( 1)   PDF (5470KB) ( 34 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

To systematically understand the current research status of Sesbania in China and abroad， this paper utilized bibliometric tools such as Citespace， VOSviewer， and HistCite to systematically analyze the relevant papers from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure（CNKI） search platform（1958—2024） and the Web of Science Core Collection database（1928—2024）. Results indicated： （1）Global annual publication output on Sesbania research has shown an increasing trend， with Chinese contributions significantly increasing from 2016 to 2024. Both Chinese and English studies concentrated on the fields related to agricultural science， with key journals including Soil and Fertilizer Sciences in China， Weed Technology and Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences， etc. Cui Yuanchen and Holsters M were the top contributors in Chinese and English publications， respectively. （2）The co-occurrence network of Sesbania keywords were mainly classified into five categories： symbiotic nitrogen fixation， agricultural green manure， livestock feeding， biological control， and sesbania gum. （3）Recent studies have increasingly focused on gene-level mechanisms in symbiotic nitrogen fixation， expanding the host range of rhizobia for nitrogen fixation of non-legumes has become one of the research hotspots. In saline-alkali soil remediation applications， microbial-mediated strategies to enhance salt tolerance for Sesbania have gained attention. Although there are more research papers published abroad in livestock feeding and biological control， China has achieved significant advancements in genetic transformation technologies for forage crops like Sesbania， with establishing corresponding gene-editing systems. Recent advances in sesbania gum research primarily focused on improving the modification processes to enhance its performance and application scope.

Original Paper



Identification and Expression Analysis of HDAC and HAT gene families in Xanthoceras sorbifolium

Mengmeng CHENG, Bin GE, Beisen KOU, Wenbin GUAN, Hai LU, Huihong GUO, Hui LI

2026, 46(1):  51-66.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.01.005

Asbtract ( 50 )   HTML ( 1)   PDF (5708KB) ( 50 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

Histone deacetylases（HDACs） and histone acetyltransferases（HATs） are a group of reversible enzymes that catalyze histone acetylation/deacetylation， playing crucial roles in plant growth and development. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of histone deacetylase（XsHDAC） and histone acetyltransferase（XsHAT） family member genes and proteins in Xanthoceras sorbifolium， with a focus on their expression patterns during seed embryo development. Genome-wide identification of XsHDACs and XsHATs family members in X. sorbifolium was conducted. Bioinformatics analyses were performed to examine their physicochemical properties， gene structure， conserved motifs， chromosomal localization， synteny， and cis-acting elements. The expression patterns of XsHDACs and XsHATs genesin different tissues and during seed embryo development were analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR. A total of 15 XsHDACs genes（belonging to the RPD3/HDA1， HD2， and SIR2 subfamilies） and eight XsHATs genes（belonging to the GNAT， MYST， CBP， and TAF_II250 subfamilies） were identified from the X. sorbifolium genome. These genes were distributed across nine different chromosomes. Physicochemical analysis of XsHDACs and XsHATs family members revealed that most proteins in both families were hydrophilic and acidic. Subcellular localization predictions indicated that XsHDACs and XsHATs family proteins were primarily localized in the nucleus. Phylogenetic analysis showed a close evolutionary relationship between X. sorbifolium and Litchi chinensis， both belonging to the Sapindaceae family. Protein structure predictions demonstrated that XsHDACs and XsHATs family members were rich in random coils and α-helices. Cis-acting element analysis revealed that the promoters of XsHDACs and XsHATs genescontain elements related to seed development， light response， hormone signaling， and stress responses. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed that most XsHDACs and XsHATs members were highly expressed in the embryo of seed， with increased expression levels during late-stage embryogenesis. The XsHDACs and XsHATs gene families exhibited both evolutionary conservation and specificity. The expression results suggested their potential crucial roles in the embryonic development and oil biosynthesis in X. sorbifolium.



Overexpression of the PtrMYB002 gene Inhibits Growth of Arabidopsis thaliana and Enhances Its Drought Resistance

Zheng LI, Fengxin CHEN, Yuqi LIU, Mingming LI, Jiacan YIN, Chao LIU, Xinli XIA

2026, 46(1):  67-82.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.01.006

Asbtract ( 57 )   HTML ( 8)   PDF (9505KB) ( 42 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

This study addressed the issue of growth suppression and mortality in poplar caused by increasing global drought， focusing on the R2R3-MYB transcription factor PtrMYB002 from Populus trichocarpa. Utilizing methods including gene cloning， expression vector construction， genetic transformation of Arabidopsis thaliana， and transient transformation in poplar， combined with bioinformatics analysis， subcellular localization， phenotypic observation， physiological index measurement， and gene expression analysis， we investigated its role in regulating plant growth and drought tolerance. The results showed that PtrMYB002 was localized in the nucleus and its expression was significantly induced by drought and ABA treatment. Overexpression of PtrMYB002 gene significantly inhibited the cotyledon area， hypocotyl length， root length， rosette diameter， above-ground fresh mass， and inflorescenced stem height in Arabidopsis， but enhanced its drought tolerance. Under drought conditions， the transgenic lines exhibited significantly higher net CO? assimilation rate， electron transport rate（ETR）， actual photochemical efficiency（Y（Ⅱ））， photochemical quenching coefficient（qP）， and non-photochemical quenching coefficient（NPQ）， while the stomatal conductance， transpiration rate， and relative electrical conductivity were significantly lower compared to the wild-type（WT）. Concurrently， the expression levels of drought-responsive genes AtRD29A and AtDREB2 were significantly upregulated in the transgenic lines. Furthermore， in the ‘84K’ poplar with transient overexpression of PtrMYB002 gene， the expression levels of PagRD29A and PagDREB2B genes were significantly higher than that in the control group， indicating that this regulatory mechanism was likely conserved in poplar. In conclusion， the overexpression of PtrMYB002 gene suppressed growth in Arabidopsis while enhancing its drought tolerance， demonstrating a potential role of the gene in participation of “growth and defense trade-off” strategy， and provided new genetic resources and a theoretical basis for molecular breeding of drought-tolerant poplar.



Gametophyte Development of the Endangered Plant Cystopteris chinensis

Wenrui MENG, Siyi LIU, Xiong HUANG, Xiaohong CHEN

2026, 46(1):  83-90.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.01.007

Asbtract ( 38 )   HTML ( 0)   PDF (4577KB) ( 28 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

As a critical node connecting spore germination and sporophyte formation， the gametophyte plays a vital role in the reproduction and survival of ferns， serving as the central hub of the fern life cycle. In this study， aseptic culture of Cystopteris chinensis spores was conducted to observe and document the entire process of spore germination and gametophyte development under a light microscope. The results showed that the spores of C. chinensis had an average size of 32.83 μm×27.37 μm， appearing elliptical in polar view and semicircular in equatorial view； the length of the single laesura nearly extended to the equatorial line， the perispore ornamentation was spinose， and additional small verrucous or tuberculate protrusions were present on the spore surface. Spores began to germinate 12 days after sowing， enter the filamentous stage after 15 days， develop into prothalli after 30 days， and differentiate into sex organs after 50 days. The spore germination type was centripetal， and the prothallus development followed the Aspidium-type. The mature prothallus was symmetrically broad and rounded cordate， with an average size of 2.9 mm×1.8 mm； sparse trichomes were present on the margin， dorsal and ventral surfaces of the prothallus. The archegonia and antheridia were borne on separate prothalli， with a ratio of female to male prothalli being approximately 5∶1.The archegonia were composed of four rows of cells， with a height of approximately 75 μm and a diameter of approximately 45 μm； the antheridia were spherical， with a height of approximately 49 μm and a diameter of approximately 44 μm. The archegonia were brown after fertilization. The gametophyte developmental characteristics of C. chinensis resembled those of the bulbifera clade within the genus Cystopteris， suggesting a close genetic relationship.



Impact of Rejuvenation Measures on Growth and Tissue Culture Regeneration of Fraxinus mandshurica

Chengming XIONG, Qiaoxin WANG, Liming HE, Jianfei LIU, Guangzhou PENG, Anhong HU, Xinyu LI, Yaguang ZHAN

2026, 46(1):  91-100.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.01.008

Asbtract ( 40 )   HTML ( 0)   PDF (3311KB) ( 24 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

As an essential method for clonal propagation of the valuable timber species Fraxinus mandshurica， tissue culture is hindered by physiological aging of explants due to age-related effects， which significantly reduces tissue culture efficiency and severely restricts the rapid clonal propagation and widespread application of superior F. mandshurica varieties. Currently， there are no reports on overcoming the age effect through rejuvenation to improve tissue culture efficiency in forest trees. This study investigated the effects of different rejuvenation treatments on growth performance and tissue culture regeneration of 4-year-old F. mandshurica plants. The results showed that after trunk cutting + shading treatment， the height and diameter of new shoots decreased by 37.50% and 42.90%， respectively， while the number of new shoots and stem segment explants increased by 2.6-fold and 2.8-fold， which significantly enhanced tissue culture regeneration capacity. The initiation rate of stem segment explants， new shoot differentiation rate， and propagation coefficient of the shoots under treatment all increased compared to the untreated control（CK）. The highest initiation rate reached 82.42%， which was 3.26 times as high as that of the CK（25.30%）. The differentiation rate increased from 9.90% to 61.11%. The propagation coefficient increased from 0 to 6.00. Further investigation into the mechanism by which rejuvenation measures overcome the age effect was conducted through the analysis of physiological and biochemical indicators and related gene expression changes. It was found that after rejuvenation treatment， sucrose and soluble sugar content significantly decreased by 23.17% and 46.24%， while the content of auxin（IAA） and cytokinin（CTK） significantly increased by 70.01% and 57.22%， respectively. Based on the trend of miR156A/C gene expression downregulating with plant maturation， transcriptional analysis of the miR156-SPL-AP2/ERFs-ASA1 gene pathway further revealed that after trunk cutting + shading treatment， the expression levels of rejuvenation and bud regeneration-related genes FmmiR156A， FmmiR156C， and FmASA1 increased by 10.01， 13.53， and 12.58 times compared to CK， while the expression levels of FmSPL2 and FmSPL9 decreased by 93.05% and 88.30% compared to CK. These findings indicated that the above indicators may be key factors promoting rejuvenation in F. mandshurica， thereby improving the tissue culture regeneration efficiency of explants. This study provided practical methods for addressing the age effect and improving tissue culture propagation capacity in F. mandshurica and other forest trees species， offering technical support for the large-scale propagation and promotion of superior varieties and new cultivars of F. mandshurica.



Conservation Technology of In Vitro Tubers of Pinellia ternata by Delayed Growth

Yanhong ZHANG, Yaping ZHANG, Linjia WANG, Chunyu HE, Qingyi GUO

2026, 46(1):  101-110.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.01.009

Asbtract ( 34 )   HTML ( 0)   PDF (4899KB) ( 28 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

To establish a technology system for the delayed growth preservation of Pinellia ternata tubers in vitro， this study valuated different sucrose mass concentrations， the ratio of sucrose to mannitol， and low-temperature methods to preserve the in vitro tubers. After 360 days， the tubers were allowed to resume growth， and the growth indicators were observed and statistically analyzed. Starch grain dynamics in the tubers were examined using paraffin sectioning technique. The genetic stability of regenerated plants after preservation was assessed using ISSR-PCR and RAPD molecular markers. Mature tubers were inoculated on fresh 1/2MS+30 g?L^-1 sucrose+60 g?L^-1 mannitol medium and stored at 4 ℃ for 360 days， the sprouting rate of tubers after recovery growth was as high as 96.67%， and the plants grew well with the best preservation effect. Tubers cultured on medium containing 90 g?L^-1 sucrose， showed reduced growth despite a sprouting rate of 90.00%， likely due to the excessively high osmotic pressure. When mature tubers were stored in the old medium of 1/2MS+30 g?L^-1 sucrose at 4 ℃ for 360 days， the sprouting rate of tubers after recovery growth was the lowest， only 36.70%. Histological studies showed that in the dead tubers after preservation， there were a few leaf primordia， almost no starch grains in the cells， and no mucilage cells. Both the high sprouting rate and low sprouting rate treatments had a large amount of starch grains stored in the tubers after recovery growth， but the treatment with high survival rate had more layers of leaf primordia in the stem tips and fewer mucilage cells， and the plants grew more vigorously. A total of 1 140 bands were amplified using molecular marker techniques， and no variant bands were detected， indicating genetic stability of regenerated plants after delayed growth preservation. This study established a simple and efficient technique for the delayed growth preservation of P. ternatain vitro tubers， providing a feasible approach for short-term preservation of P. ternata germplasm.



Optimization of Agrobacterium rhizogenes-Mediated Genetic Transformation System of Solanum nigrum

Jingjing ZHANG, Haixia LUO, Yanping HONG, Shicheng ZHAO

2026, 46(1):  111-119.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.01.010

Asbtract ( 35 )   HTML ( 0)   PDF (3872KB) ( 32 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

The aim of this study was to establish an Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated genetic transformation system for Solanumnigrum（black nightshade） with the goal of enhancing transformation efficiency and increasing its total flavonoid content.Based on this system， the recombinant plasmid PBI121-6flag-SnCHI was constructed， the hairy roots of SnCHI gene transformation were induced by Agrobacterium-mediated pathway， and the content of total flavonoids in the hairy roots of S.nigrum after SnCHI gene transformation was investigated. The results showed that the induction rate of hairy roots of S. nigrum could reach 88.49% under the conditions of OD₆₀₀ value of 1.0， infection for 25 min and co-culture for 24 h. The qRT-PCR detection of transgenic SnCHI hairy roots showed that the gene expression level was 28.81 times that of the blank group. The total flavonoid content of SnCHI transgenic hairy roots was determined， and it was found that the total flavonoid content of SnCHI transgenic hairy roots was up to 4.14 times that of the blank group. The genetic transformation system of S. nigrum was successfully established， and the function of SnCHI gene was studied， which provided a reference for tissue culture and genetic transformation of the same genus.



The Colloidal Gold Immune Distribution Characteristics of Arabinogalactan Proteins during Fruit Development of Ziziphus jujuba ‘Lingwu Changzao’

Xiaoling MA, Yingcai ZHANG, Jing WANG, Guoqi ZHENG

2026, 46(1):  120-130.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.01.011

Asbtract ( 42 )   HTML ( 0)   PDF (3716KB) ( 34 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

Arabinogalactan proteins（AGPs） play an important role in fruit ripening and softening. In order to explore the distribution characteristics and dynamic changes of AGPs in fruits of Ziziphus jujuba ‘Lingwu Changzao’ during development， the monoclonal antibody JIM13 and colloidal gold immunoelectron microscopy technology were used to analyze the ultrastructural characteristics and the immunological cell distribution of AGPs of Ziziphus jujuba ‘Lingwu Changzao’ fruits at four different developmental stages. The results showed that after labeled with 10 nm colloidal gold particles， there were a large number of gold particles distributed in the cell interior and cell walls of parenchymal cells in the phloem and far away from the vascular bundles， and there were also gold particles distributed in the vacuoles， plastids and other organelles during the early stage of fruit enlargement. During the rapid enlargement period， there were a large number of gold particles distributed in the cell walls and cell interior of sieve tube molecules and parenchymal cells far away from the vascular bundles. During the coloring period， there were a few gold particles in the cell walls and cell interior of sieve tubes， companion cells and parenchymal cells in phloem of vascular bundles， as well as parenchymal cells far away from the vascular bundles. During the maturation period， in the companion cells in phloem of vascular bundles， as well as parenchymal cells far away from vascular bundles， there were a small number of gold particles on the cell walls and close to the plasma membrane， and a few gold particles inside the cell wall， and on the vesicles， mitochondria， plastids and large central vacuoles. The results suggested that AGPs were mainly distributed on the cell wall， near the plasma membrane， inside the cell and the organelles， and there were some differences in distribution of AGPs in fruits at different developmental stages： more AGPs distributed in the cell wall and inside the cell in the early bulking period and the rapid enlargement period， and a small number of AGPs distributed in the cell wall and inside the cell in the coloring and ripening periods. The results provided cytological basis for revealing the effect of AGPs on fruit quality.



Differences in Leaf Stomatal Traits across Plant Life Forms and Stomatal Distribution Types and Their Associations with Leaf Economic Traits

Yuhan LIU, Tingting LI, Liu YANG, Te LI, Gang LIU, Xiuwei WANG

2026, 46(1):  131-144.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.01.012

Asbtract ( 44 )   HTML ( 0)   PDF (1706KB) ( 37 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

To explore the differences in stomatal traits between different life forms（trees vs. shrubs） and stomatal distribution types（hypostomatous vs. amphistomatous）， and their relationships with leaf economic traits， this study was conducted from July to August 2023 using 22 common tree species on the campus of Northeast Forestry University. Through correlation analysis and standardized major axis analysis， the following findings were obtained： （1）Both life forms and stomatal distribution types significantly influenced stomatal traits. Trees exhibited significantly higher stomatal density（D_S） （P<0.05） but lower stomatal aperture（A_S） than shrubs. Hypostomatous leaves showed significantly higher D_S and stomatal relative area（A_SR） than amphistomatous leaves. （2）Relationships among stomatal traits varied by life form and leaf type. Negative correlations between D_S and stomatal size （S_S） or A_SR were statistically significant（P<0.05） only in trees and hypostomatous leaves， while the positive correlation between S_S and A_S reached significance（P<0.05） exclusively in hypostomatous leaves. （3）Stomatal traits were closely linked to the other leaf economic traits. Both D_S and A_SR were negatively correlated with specific leaf area （A_SL） and leaf nitrogen content（N_L）， but positively correlated with leaf dry matter content（C_LDM）. A_S showed a negative correlation with N_L. Trait coordination was more stable in trees and hypostomatous leaves， whereas shrubs and amphistomatous leaves exhibited more independent trait variations. The results of this research help to further understand the stomatal development strategies of different types of plants.



Analysis of Twig and Needle Traits and Evaluation of Drought Tolerance in Larix olgensis Clones

Xiwen ZHANG, Tingting CHEN, Fude WANG, Qi GUO, Weicai YANG, Xing WEI, Jiacun GU

2026, 46(1):  145-157.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.01.013

Asbtract ( 31 )   HTML ( 0)   PDF (1590KB) ( 31 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

To reveal the genetic variation in water-use characteristics of Larix olgensis clones and select superior clones with characteristics of drought-tolerance， 25 superior clones of the 37-year-old L. olgensis were used as the research materials. Nine drought tolerance-related twig and needle traits were measured， and their correlations were analyzed. A comprehensive evaluation of the drought tolerance was conducted using the membership function method and cluster analysis. The results indicated that significant differences（P<0.01） occurred in needle traits among clones. Anatomical and morphological traits exhibited lower coefficients of variation（C_V） （11.06%-11.83%）， whereas physiological traits exhibited higher C_V（22.15%-39.24%）. In contrast， no significant differences were observed in twig traits among clones. Hydraulic diameter exhibited the smallest C_V（6.15%）， while the thickness to span ratio exhibited the largest C_V（25.26%）. Strong correlation among traits was found within organ level. In needles， epidermal thickness was significantly positively correlated with cortical thickness（P<0.05）， and both were significantly negatively correlated with water-use efficiency（P<0.01； P<0.05）. Stomatal transpiration was significantly negatively correlated with residual transpiration（P<0.01） and significantly positively correlated with specific leaf area（P<0.05）. In twigs， hydraulic diameter and potential specific hydraulic conductivity were both significantly negatively correlated with thickness to span ratio（P<0.01）. However， there was only a significant negative correlation between needle stomatal transpiration and twig thickness to span ratio across organs（P<0.05）. Principal component analysis of the nine twig and needle traits revealed two relatively independent axes. The first axis reflected a trade-off between hydraulic efficiency and hydraulic safety in twig； the second axis， composed of leaf traits， reflected a trade-off from conservative to efficient water-use strategies. Based on the drought-tolerance evaluation， 25 clones were classified into three categories： comprehensive and strong drought-tolerant， moderate drought-tolerant， and drought-sensitive groups. Clones 338， 774， 128， 125， 214， and 565 demonstrated strong drought tolerance. These findings provided a theoretical basis and practical guidance for selecting suitable afforestation materials adapted to different arid regions.



Genetic Variation Analysis of Radial Growth and Superior Family Selection in Korean Pine Half-Sib Families

Qingbin JIA, Xudong YAO, Guixiang JIN, Hongying YU, Yanxia LI

2026, 46(1):  158-166.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.01.014

Asbtract ( 37 )   HTML ( 0)   PDF (625KB) ( 25 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

To analyze the genetic variation in diameter growth among half-sib families of Korean pine（Pinus koraiensis） across different stand ages and to select superior families， thereby providing high-quality materials for advanced-generation breeding populations， a progeny test forest was established using half-sib families sourced from the National Korean Pine Seed Orchard at Lushuihe Forestry Co.， Ltd.， Jilin Province. Diameters at breast height（DBH） of 34 tested families（including one control） were measured at stand ages of 18， 23， 27， and 32 a. Differences in DBH among families were assessed using analysis of variance and Duncan’s multiple range test. Genetic parameters， including phenotypic and genetic coefficients of variation and family heritability， were calculated based on variance components. The breeding values of families were estimated using the best linear unbiased prediction method. The breeding potential of families across different stand ages was comprehensively evaluated using the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution （TOPSIS） method， and superior families were selected based on comprehensive rankings. The results showed that no significant differences in DBH among families were observed at stand ages of 18， 23， and 27 a（P>0.05）. However， significant differences emerged at 32 a（P<0.05）， indicating that genetic effects gradually strengthened during tree growth. The genetic variation coefficient fluctuated minimally across ages， while the phenotypic variation coefficient decreased with stand age. Family heritability remained stable from 18 to 23 a （0.319-0.322）， declined significantly to 0.238 at 27 a， and rebounded to 0.346 at 32 a. The breeding values of families generally improved with age， with an increasing proportion of families exhibiting positive values. Based on TOPSIS rankings and a 15% selection rate， families No.766， 774， 851， 899， and 853 were selected， achieving a genetic progress of 4.06%. At 32 a， the average DBH of superior families exceeded the control by 19.72%， with realized and genetic gains of 12.40% and 4.29%， respectively. The average individual tree volume of superior families surpassed the mean of tested families by 33.09%. Artificial selection of superior families yielded significant gains， providing high-quality breeding materials for advanced-generation Korean pine breeding populations. This study has positive implications for the genetic improvement of growth traits in Korean pine.



Plant Diversity and Its Driving Mechanisms in Exbucklandia populnea Communities in China

Kaile MAI, Xiangjun ZHANG, Zhenge HE, Meihua LIANG, Guangjie LAO, Yujiao TAO

2026, 46(1):  167-180.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.01.015

Asbtract ( 33 )   HTML ( 0)   PDF (2011KB) ( 30 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

This study systematically evaluated the diversity patterns and key drivers of Exbucklandia populnea-dominated forest communities across major distribution regions such as Yunnan， Guangxi， and Guizhou， China. Specifically， we assessed the effects of stand origin（natural vs. plantation）， stand age， understory tending intensity， and annual precipitation on species composition， as well as on alpha（α） and beta（β） diversity. α-diversity was evaluated using Simpson’s and Shannon-Wiener indices， while β-diversity patterns were analyzed through non-metric multidimensional scaling（NMDS）， UPGMA clustering， and indicator species analysis. Redundancy analysis（RDA） with variation partitioning was used to quantify the proportion of explained variation of each factor to species richness and diversity across vegetation strata. The results showed that untended old-growth natural stands exhibited significantly higher richness and diversity than plantations（P<0.05）. NMDS and UPGMA clearly distinguished natural from plantation stands（P<0.001）， with 14， 4， and 1 indicator species identified in the three natural stands， respectively， while no indicator species were found in plantations. RDA further revealed strong positive effects of natural origin and stand age， and negative effects of understory tending intensity and precipitation， on species richness and diversity. Overall， geographic location， stand origin， stand age， and management practices jointly shaped the α- and β-diversity patterns of E. populnea communities， providing empirical support for refined forest management and biodiversity conservation.



Diversity and Environmental Responses of the Rhizosphere Bacterial Community in Phragmites australis from the Lhalu Wetland, Xizang

Jingyifan ZHANG, Yi LI, Xinyi BI, Ji DE, Jifeng ZHANG, Xiaofang GUO

2026, 46(1):  181-194.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.01.016

Asbtract ( 34 )   HTML ( 0)   PDF (4089KB) ( 35 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

To investigate the bacterial community structure in the rhizosphere soil of common reed（Phragmites australis） in the Lhalu Wetland and its correlation with environmental factors， this study conducted a systematic analysis using soil physicochemical property measurements and 16S rDNA amplicon high-throughput sequencing. A total of 43 586 amplicon sequence variants were obtained， and the annotation results encompassed 64 phyla， 162 classes， 361 orders， 523 families， and 1 039 genera. The results indicated that the dominant bacterial phyla in the reed rhizosphere soil of the Lhalu Wetland were Proteobacteria， Actinobacteriota， and Acidobacteriota， with Sphingomonas being the predominant genus. Correlation analysis revealed that the contents of titanium and total potassium in the soil were the key environmental factors affecting the composition of the reed rhizosphere bacterial community. In summary， the rhizosphere soil of reeds in the Lhalu Wetland is rich in bacterial resources， and elucidating the characteristics of its community structure provides a scientific basis from the perspective of microbial ecology for the conservation and management of the Lhalu Wetland.