Tree growth acceleration and expansion of alpine forests: The synergistic effect of atmospheric and edaphic change.

Many forest ecosystems have experienced recent declines in productivity; however, in some alpine regions, tree growth and forest expansion are increasing at marked rates. Dendrochronological analyses at the upper limit of alpine forests in the Tibetan Plateau show a steady increase in tree growth since the early 1900s, which intensified during the 1930s and 1960s, and have reached unprecedented levels since 1760. This recent growth acceleration was observed in small/young and large/old trees and coincided with the establishment of trees outside the forest range, reflecting a connection between the physiological performance of dominant species and shifts in forest distribution.

Contrasting responses to Pleistocene climate changes: a case study of two sister species Allium cyathophorum and A. spicata (Amaryllidaceae) distributed in the eastern and western Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

It has been hypothesized that species occurring in the eastern and the western Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) responded differently to climate changes during the Pleistocene. Here, we test this hypothesis by phylogeographic analysis of two sister species, Allium cyathophorum and A. spicata.

Phylogeographic analysis of a temperate-deciduous forest restricted plant (Bupleurum longiradiatum Turcz.) reveals two refuge areas in China with subsequent refugial isolation promoting speciation.

This study investigates the influence of climate-induced oscillations and complicated geological conditions on the evolutionary processes responsible for species formation in presently fragmented temperate forest habitats, located in continental East Asia. In addition to this, we also investigate the heavily debated issue of whether temperate forests migrated southwards during such glacial periods or, alternatively, whether there existed refugia within north China, enabling localized survival of temperate forests within this region. In order to achieve these, we surveyed the phylogeography of Bupleurum longiradiatum Turcz.