News
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2026-05-13Multiple newly recorded species of wildlife and plants have been continuously discovered at Dinghushan National Nature ReserveBased on daily wildlife monitoring and field surveys, five new records of amphibians and reptiles and one new record of an orchid species were documented in the Dinghushan National Nature Reserve of Guangdong province . These new records enrich the species list of the Dinghushan Reserve, confirm the continuing improvement of the regional ecologi... Recently, the scientific monitoring team of Dinghushan National Nature Reserve in Guangdong, China, has recorded and confirmed five new amphibian and reptile species—Sphenomorphus tonkinensis, Pseudocalotes microlepis, Dibamus bourreti, Pareas formosensis, and Paramegophrys liui—along with Epipogium roseum, a rare orchid species. These finding...Read More -
2026-05-12【South】Exotic plant blooms again at South China National Botanical Garden after four yearsThe Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, a rare plant known for its short-lived bloom, has flowered again at the South China National Botanical Garden in Guangzhou. The Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, a rare plant known for its short-lived bloom, has flowered again at the South China National Botanical Garden in Guangzhou. This is the first time it has bloomed there in four years, drawing crowds of visitors to the garden's Rare and Exotic Plant Conservatory.As a member of the Araceae family, Amorphophallus pa...Read More -
2026-05-12【China Daily】A"ghost orchid" has appeared!Background:transparent}A type of mysterious orchidhas just beendiscovered in Dinghu Mountain National Nature Reserve, Guangdong. A type of mysterious orchid (Epipogium roseum) has just beendiscovered in Dinghu Mountain National Nature Reserve, Guangdong.Completely white, translucent, and leafless - it has no chlorophyll andcan't photosynthesize. It lives underground with fungi and only showsitself for about two weeks before disappearing. That's why it's called the"ghost o...Read More -
2026-05-11Rare-earth mining weakens the nitrogen-sink function of river ecosystemsRare-earth mining generates REE-rich, high-nitrogen drainage (REEs-HNMD) that not only elevates nitrogen loading but also weakens riverine nitrogen-sink function.This study reveals that REEs-HNMD suppresses sediment denitrification, thereby reducing the capacity of mining-affected rivers to buffer downstream nitrogen pollution. Reactive nitrogen enrichment is a major pressure on freshwater ecosystems. Rivers can act as nitrogen sinks by permanently removing reactive nitrogen before it is transported downstream, thereby buffering watershed-scale nitrogen pollution. Previous work by the research team showed that, in high-nitrogen urban rivers, coupled nitrification, deni...Read More -
2026-05-07Spatial Patterns and Climatic Drivers of Biomass Carbon Turnover in Amazonian ForestsThe tropical forest carbon sink is constrained by biomass turnover. This study assesses biomass turnover across the Amazon and identifies convective storms as the primary driver of its spatial variation, with future climate change expected to accelerate turnover and weaken forest carbon sink capacity. Tropical forests store more than 60% of the world’s vegetation biomass and are among the most important ecosystems for regulating the global carbon cycle and stabilizing climate. The carbon sink capacity of forests depends not only on vegetation productivity, but also on how long carbon remains stored in biomass. Biomass carbon turnover time re...Read More -
2026-05-01Phylogeographic Patterns and Underlying Mechanisms of a Mycoheterotrophic Plant in Subtropical ChinaPlastome and microsatellite data reveal strong population structure but low genetic diversity in the fully mycoheterotrophic herb Burmannia nepalensis across subtropical China. Multiple glacial refugia and a recent population decline highlight the roles of geographic isolation, climatic history, and human disturbance in shaping subtropical fores... Subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests represent one of the world’s major biodiversity hotspots. Compared with trees and shrubs, however, the evolutionary history of understory herbs remains poorly understood, particularly for mycoheterotrophic plants that rely on fungi for nutrition. These plants lack photosynthetic capacity and depend hea...Read More -
2026-05-01First Discovery of Nationally Protected Yichang Wild Orange in GuangdongIn April 2026, a wild population of the nationally second-class protected Yichang Wild Orange (Citrus cavaleriei) was documented for the first time in Lechang City, Guangdong Province, marking a significant expansion of its known distribution southward. This discovery provides valuable genetic resources and new biogeographic insights for citrus ... Recently, significant news emerged from Guangdong Province's biodiversity survey efforts. In April 2026, a research team from the South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, focusing on plant taxonomy and diversity, documented for the first time a wild population of the Yichang Wild Orange (Citrus cavaleriei), a nationally second-...Read More -
2026-04-28The Microbial Mechanisms by Which Spartina alterniflora Invasion Weakens Carbon Sequestration in Coastal WetlandsSpartina alterniflora has rapidly expanded in China’s coastal wetlands, but its effects on methane emissions remain unclear. Using one-year in situ monitoring and integrated biogeochemical and microbial analyses, this study shows that Spartina invasion increases soil methane emissions by enhancing labile organic matter and altering methane-cycl... Spartina alterniflora is one of the most rapidly expanding invasive plant species in China’s coastal wetlands over recent decades. Owing to its fast growth rate and substantial organic matter inputs, this species has the potential to profoundly alter soil carbon cycling processes. However, whether and how S. alterniflora invasion modifies metha...Read More