Species concepts and floras: what are species for?

In 1992, in a special paper in the American Journal of Botany, Ernst Mayr attempted to ‘prove’ the biological species concept (BSC) worked as well in plants as it did in animals by analyzing the flora of the Concord region of northern Massachusetts. He concluded that there were minimal difficulties when applying the BSC for the plants of this particular area, and concluded that botanists were misguided in not accepting the BSC. He suggested that what he called ‘typological’ thinking was prevalent in the taxonomic community, and that this was a factor in botanical resistance to the BSC. Typology, as defined by Mayr in his 1992 foray into botany, is to a certain extent a straw‐man and, by the late 20th Century, no longer a way of thinking in widespread use in the taxonomic community in any organismal group. Here, I examine his analysis in the light of current interest in plant diversity. Species can be characterized as hypotheses about the distribution of variation in nature, subject to test with new data of many kinds. Species concepts like the BSC, although of interest philosophically and to researchers looking at mechanisms of speciation, may actually get in the way of achieving a baseline understanding of the diversity of life on Earth. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 95 , 17–25.     

Analysis of the ex situ conservation of the Greek endemic flora at national European and global scales and of its effectiveness in meeting GSPC Target 8

We examine the extent to which the rich endemic flora of Greece, a country in the Mediterranean hotspot, and particularly that part facing an extinction risk, is effectively conserved ex situ. We detected 3067 accessions of 523 taxa representing 37.2% of the Greek endemics in 213 botanic gardens (BGs, 439 taxa) and 14 seed banks (SBs, 344 taxa) of 36 countries; 46.7% of these accessions are in Greek institutions. Seeds are available for only 23.8% of the taxa in SBs. Of the 558 threatened and near-threatened endemics, 268 are conserved ex situ. Of these, 44.8% are accessioned in a single BG and 48.9% in a single SB; in the latter, 25% are represented by a single accession number. Based on major concerns, for a taxon to be considered as effectively conserved ex situ, we propose that it be represented by no less than five accessions deposited in two institutions of two countries, at least. This criterion is met by only 6.4% of the taxa in SBs. There is still a long way to go so as to achieve Target 8 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC).     

Deficiency in African plant distribution data – missing pieces of the puzzle

Biodiversity is spatially unevenly distributed and so is the information on its spatial patterns. This uneven distribution of information on species occurrences is an important impediment to the conservation of biodiversity. Based on 185 427 collection records of 5873 plant species in sub-Saharan Africa, we analyse the availability of distribution data suitable for the GIS-based mapping of plant diversity patterns at a one-degree resolution. Using the bioclimatic model GARP, distribution ranges for each species were modelled. In order to identify data-deficient areas, the documented and modelled diversity patterns were compared. Only for a few, well-known centres of plant diversity are there comparatively many data collection records available. For several of the areas with very few collection records, such as the Guinean montane forests, the north-western Congolian lowland forests, and the southern Albertine Rift montane forests, the model predicts a species richness much higher than currently documented. In many of the data deficient areas, difficult conditions for scientific research appear to have limited collection activities for decades. Only strategic field collections can fill these gaps. Another cause of data deficiency is that data collected and digitized do not match the quality requirements for GIS-based work at the super-regional scale. In particular, regional databases documenting partial ranges of species are rarely connected. One challenge for the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation is therefore to establish international collaborative structures and technical standards that will allow analysis of biogeographical patterns across political boundaries.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 150 , 355–368.     

基于WebGIS的植物园植物物种管理信息系统

鉴于植物园现代化管理和国内外植物资源信息交流的迫切需要,利用WebGIS系统集成技术在Internet上建立了中国科学院武汉植物园植物物种管理信息系统。系统实现了基于网络的图形属性数据的双向查询,并具有新增、编辑、缩放、漫游、定位等功能,为植物迁地保育的动态管理提供了管理工具,为科研、科普等应用部门和科技人员提供了获取植物物种信息的工作平台。文中详细介绍了该系统的设计要求、数据来源、开发运行环境、数据库构成、系统功能等。     

四川当归属8种植物果实和叶柄解剖学研究

通过对四川当归属植物果实的解剖研究表明,果实均背腹压扁,背棱槽油管多为1,合生面油管多为2,在少数种间有一定差异,如茂汶当归和紫花前胡合生面多于2;侧棱翅状,较果体宽,或与果体近等宽,也有的窄于果体;胚乳腹面微凹或平直．偶有凸出。果实的油管特征、侧棱翅发达程度和胚乳的形状等特征可以为种间关系提供参考。叶柄类型多样,包括圆环型、“西”型、星散型等。叶柄横切面的形状、近轴面沟槽的有无、髓腔的有无以及叶柄横切面上维管束的数目和排列类型等特征比较稳定,并且具有明显的种间差异,可以作为本属分类的重要依据。     

Conservation of plant diversity in Korea

Korea is a land of contrasts. The mountainous Korean peninsula arches north and northwest towards the Russian and Chinese borders, where the last areas of old growth coniferous forest and the land formed five forest types. Plant and habitat diversity in Korea has been largely damaged by various kinds of human activities. The plant diversity of Korea is severely threatened due to the high population density and rapid industrialization since the 1960s, as well as the illegal collection of wild plants for ornamental, medicinal, and food purposes. Natural areas have been greatly fragmented and survive only as ecological islands surrounded by modified cultivated and industrial lands. For instance, more than 60 industrial parks are located along the coast, and these have contributed to the rapid destruction of plant diversity in the coastal areas of the peninsula. The modern concept of plant conservation in Korea is still in an infant stage. The cooperation of plant conservation bodies with disciplinary approaches based on conservation biology are essential strategies to pursue plant conservation. The capacity building for plant conservation in Korea has different management regimes by the relevant ministries. Since the late 1990s, the plant conservation body Korean Plant Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Species Survival Commission (IUCN SSC) has been closely linked with international conservation bodies for in situ and ex situ conservation management. Under the umbrella of the national plant conservation strategies, the different strategies and working agencies can be fully integrated. Furthermore, the systematic approaches for the recovery of threatened species, as well as habitat monitoring over the long-term basis, will need to be supported by a stable budget policy. Also, protocol for the conservation of rare and endangered plant species, including recovery works in Korea, is strongly needed.     

不同株龄薰衣草花生物学性状和精油主要化学成分研究

为了解不同株龄薰衣草花生物学性状、精油主要化学成分及含量差异, 以昆明薰衣草CAS08 （Lavandula angustifolia Mill.×Lavandula latifolia Medik.）为试材, 对不同株龄（一年生 、两年生和三年生）薰衣草的花枝、 精油提取率和精油成分变化进行了研究。 结果显示,不同株龄薰衣草的单支花生物学性状差异显著（P 〈0.05）; 薰衣草花精油的提取率在不同株龄间有差异, 分别为一年生熏衣草花精油提取率3.40%、 两年生2.37%和三年生3.60%; 薰衣草CAS08花精油的主要成分有桉叶油醇、芳樟醇、樟脑和红没药醇, 株龄对精油中各化学成分的相对含量有影响。本研究结果可为云南薰衣草产业化发展及持续开发利用提供科学依据。     

巴西植物遗传资源保护与对外交流管理

巴西拥有高等植物55000种,居世界第一。植被分为6个区系,即亚马逊雨林、塞拉多(Cerrado)稀树草原、卡廷加(Caatinga)旱生植被、大西洋雨林、南方森林草原和潘塔纳尔(Pantanal)湿地植被。已建立554个原生境保护区和126个基因库,保存植物遗传资源25万份。对外交流由巴西农业科学院(EMBRAPA)遗传资源与生物技术中心(CENARGEN)统一管理。     

上海辰山植物园植物收集的现状和展望

上海辰山植物园于2005年开始筹建,与此同时启动了的植物收集工作。本文就辰山植物园基本情况、植物收集中长远规划、进展及技术策略进行了论述。活植物收集和标本收集是辰山植物园植物收集工作的两个方面。活植物收集包括以华东植物区系植物为主的物种收集和以上海适生的观赏植物为主的园艺品种收集,如鸢尾属、绣球属、荚蓬属、锦带属和绣线菊属的舭赏园艺品种。截止到2010年,辰山植物园共收集了9000种和园艺品种。其中,华东植物区系物种有1700种,来自世界范围专业苗圃的园艺品种有2800个,另有4500种和品种是种植于温室的热带和亚热带植物。目前共收集了近10000份标本,多数为研究和活植物收集的凭证标本,全部存放于上海辰山植物园标本馆（CSH）。     

野生植物种质资源的保存利用与iFlora

对植物种质资源的保护和可持续利用是人类生存和发展的根基。虽然植物种质资源的收集和保存工作在全球范围内已经取得了阶段性的进展,但植物物种本身复杂的生物学特性、相关信息的不完整性以及收集保存利用过程中专业人才的缺乏,在一定程度上制约了野生植物种质资源的保存和利用。本文以中国野生植物多样性的保护现状为例,探讨了野生植物种质资源收集保存过程中面临的问题,以及iFlora计划的提出和实施对解决这些问题提供的可能解决方案。通过iFlora的实施,将极大地促进和推动我国乃至全球范围内的野生植物多样性保护和利用。作为iFlora的重要元素之一,植物DNA条形码的运用已经逐渐成熟,本文介绍了其在苔藓植物剪叶苔属,以及种子植物榕属、马先蒿属、蒟蒻薯属、红豆杉属和栝楼属中的应用。     

上海辰山植物园植物收集的现状和展望

上海辰山植物园于2005年开始筹建,与此同时启动了的植物收集工作。本文就辰山植物园基本情况、植物收集中长远规划、进展及技术策略进行了论述。活植物收集和标本收集是辰山植物园植物收集工作的两个方面。活植物收集包括以华东植物区系植物为主的物种收集和以上海适生的观赏植物为主的园艺品种收集,如鸢尾属、绣球属、荚蒾属、锦带属和绣线菊属的观赏园艺品种。截止到2010年,辰山植物园共收集了9000种和园艺品种。其中,华东植物区系物种有1700种,来自世界范围专业苗圃的园艺品种有2800个,另有4500种和品种是种植于温室的热带和亚热带植物。目前共收集了近10000份标本,多数为研究和活植物收集的凭证标本,全部存放于上海辰山植物园标本馆（CSH）。