New insights into the evolution and local adaptation of the genus in east Asia.

Chestnut plants () are important nut fruit trees worldwide. However, little is known regarding the genetic relationship and evolutionary history of different species within the genus. How modern chestnut plants have developed local adaptation to various climates remains a mystery.

[Current distribution of Schisandra chinensis in China and its predicted responses to climate change].

With integration of literature data, specimens records, and field surveys, the current distribution map of Schisandra chinensis in China was drawn, and, based on this map and considering 21 environmental factors, the future distribution of S. chinensis in China in the 2050s and 2080s under the IPCC A2 and A1B climate change scenarios was predicted by using Maxent software. Currently, the S.

Adaptive evolution in the GAF domain of phytochromes in gymnosperms.

The GAF domain of phytochrome is essential for photoconversion and signal transduction. In gymnosperms, it exists in all members of the phytochrome family that experience gene duplication. Maximum-likelihood models of codon substitution can provide a framework for constructing likelihood ratio tests of changes in selective pressure and make clear predictions about patterns of genetic change following gene duplication.

Genetic diversity and population differentiation of chestnut blight fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica, in China as revealed by RAPD.

Seventeen Cryphonectria parasitica populations sampled from six regions in China were investigated using RAPD. Across all 169 isolates from the 17 populations evaluated, 52 of the 71 markers (73%) were polymorphic, total genetic diversity (h) was 0.1463, and Shannon's index was 0.

[Interspecific association between understory species in a southern highland plantation].

Based upon 2 x 2 contingency table, chi2 test and association coefficient were used to determine the interspecific association between understory species in a southern highland plantation, and to analyze the restoration degree and the stability of southern highland vegetations originated from plantation. The Qianyanzhou in Taihe County of Jiangxi Province, a typical sample of southern highland plantation, was chosen to make the study. The results showed that both in shrub layer and in herb layer, species pair with chi2 reaching significant level (P <0.