Aims:Invasive alien plants, particularly herbaceous species, posed a threat to the native community structure and ecosystem functions of nature reserves. This study aims to investigate the influence of invasive alien herbs on the phylogenetic structure of plant communities across 13 national nature reserves in Guangxi.

Methods: A total of 1,046 plots were surveyed for herbaceous plants in 13 national nature reserves. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using species data and nucleotide sequences, including the rbcL, matK, and ITS obtained from GenBank. The structural composition of herb communities was assessed using standardized effect sizes of mean phylogenetic distance and mean nearest-taxon distance (SES.MPD and SES.MNTD). R software was used to visualize the phylogenetic changes in herb communities following the naturalization of invasive alien herbs.

Results: (1) Forty-seven species of invasive alien herb plants (from 38 genera and 15 families) were recorded in 13 national nature reserves. Thirty-two (68.1%) of these species were classified as serious and malignant invasive species, predominantly comprising annual Asteraceae herbs originating from the Americas. Each national nature reserve were affected by invasive alien herbs, with the highest number of species found in Damingshan National Nature Reserve (24 species) and the lowest number found in Yuanbaoshan National Nature Reserve (5 species). (2) In eight (61.5%) national nature reserves, the introduction of invasive alien herbs consistently led to reduced phylogenetic diversity at two phylogenetic levels, regardless of whether these communities were initially clustered or overdispersed. This reduction indicated increased phylogenetic clustering among herb communities.

Aims: Exotic plant invasions are intensifying worldwide under global climate change. Comprehensive analysis of the impacts of resident plant communities on invasions from multiple perspectives can provide an empirical basis for ecological prevention, control and management of invasive species.  

Methods: In this study, we focused on plant communities across a gradient of fire disturbance intensities in the Panxi region of Sichuan, China. Based on field survey data, we employed principal component analysis (PCA) and generalized linear models (GLMs) to assess the relationships of biotic and abiotic factors with invasion intensities of the non-native species Ageratina adenophora.

Results: Resident species phylogenetic diversity of the plant communities in the natural state (having not been subjected to fire) significantly suppressed the invasion intensity of A. adenophora (P < 0.001). In the post-fire secondary communities, those with higher phylogenetic diversity and greater functional similarity between the resident species and the invader suppressed the invasion of A. adenophora more strongly (P < 0.05). The settlement time also had a marginally significant positive effect on the cover of A. adenophora (P = 0.067). In the communities that had not been subjected to fire, increasing hierarchy distance of leaf dry matter content between the resident species and the invader reduced the invasion intensity of A. adenophora (P < 0.05). In the post-fire communities, increasing hierarchy distance of plant height between the resident species and the invader significantly decreased the invasion intensity of A. adenophora (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Phylogenetic diversity consistently explains the resistance of resident plant communities to the invasion by the exotic species A. adenophora under different disturbance regimes. Our results also suggest that resident community traits that are indicators of resistance to the invasion of A. adenophora shift in response to fire disturbance.

Aims: This study aims to investigate the fish community structure in the middle and lower reaches of the Huadi River, Guangzhou, to assess the status of invasive fish species, and analyze the main environmental drivers affecting the distribution. The findings aim to provide scientific evidence for conservation aquatic biodiversity and ecological and restoring urban river ecosystems.

Methods: Fish resource surveys were conducted during two seasons: summer (July–August 2023) and winter (January–February 2024). A total of 780 fish specimens were collected, encompassing 31 species from 5 orders, 10 families, and 21 genera. In summer, 482 individuals were recorded, representing 29 species from 4 orders, 7 families, and 21 genera. In winter, 398 individuals from 29 species across 5 orders, 8 families, and 23 genera were collected. The study identified species composition, assessed biodiversity, and analyzed correlations with environmental factors.

Results: The dominant species in the Huadi River throughout the year were the invasive Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and Mrigal carp (Cirrhinus mrigala). In summer, Nile tilapia accounted for a high relative importance index (IRI) of 0.84723, decreasing to 0.55796 in winter. Mrigal carp had an IRI of 0.10971in summer and 0.14407 in winter. Biodiversity analysis revealed that the presence of Nile tilapia negatively impacted indices of diversity, and richness. Redundancy analysis (RDA) identified pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and water temperature as the key environmental factors influencing the fish community structure, collectively explaining approximately 47.91% of the observed variance. Specifically, the distribution of Nile tilapia was strongly associated with pH and water temperature, while Mrigal carp showed a close relationship with dissolved oxygen levels.

Conclusion: The results suggest that Nile tilapia and Mrigal carp have established dominance in the Huadi River, significantly threatening local fish biodiversity. Environmental factors such as pH and dissolved oxygen play a crucial role in shaping the distribution of invasive fish species. The introduction and proliferation of these species are likely related to urbanization, particularly the expansion of ornamental fisheries and alterations in water quality. To address the invasion, it is recommended to enhance monitoring and control measures, particularly for Nile tilapia and Mrigal carp, while implementing strategies to improve water quality to preserve ecological balance.

Aims: Biological invasions are a vital component of research in biology, biogeography, ecology and other disciplines. Better understanding drivers of the invasion process is essential to predict and prevent future invasions. Controversy persists over whether the niche of invaded range has shifted compared to native range. The diffusion process of invasive species is complex. In addition to directly transferring from a native to an invaded range, species can transfer from the initial invaded range to other invaded ranges. This phenomenon is known as the bridgehead effect and is commonly present in the diffusion process of invasive species. Therefore, the bridgehead effect must be considered when assessing the biogeography, intercontinental mobility, and climatic niche changes of invasive species. Our study compares the climatic niche progression of populations in native, bridgehead, and secondary invaded ranges of Solenopsis invicta. We uncover the ecological mechanisms underlying the successful invasion of S. invicta to provide new insights into the niche conservatism hypothesis.
Methods: We use global distribution data and environmental variables of S. invicta obtained from http://www.moa. gov.cn. Based on pre-analysis results of the ecological niche model, we retain the environmental variables with a greater contribution to the distribution of the species. A two-by-two comparative analysis of the climatic niche of populations in native range (South America), bridgehead range (United States), and secondary invaded range (China) is done using the “ecospat” package. The test of equivalency and similarity of the niche is performed to assess the degree of niche overlap. Additionally, the environmental space occupied by the climatic niche of S. invicta is categorized into stability, unfilling, and expansion. Further, the size of the expansion is used to assess the extent of niche displacement in the invaded range.
Results: The climatic niche overlap between South American and United States populations of S. invicta is relatively low (D = 0.01, I = 0.05), with high niche stability (93.78%) and low expansion (6.22%). The climatic niche overlap between South American and Chinese populations of S. invicta is also low (D = 0.06, I = 0.20), with high niche stability (97.60%) and low expansion (2.40%). However, considering the bridgehead effect, the climatic niche overlap between the bridgehead range (United States) and the secondary invaded range (China) populations is relatively high (D = 0.34, I = 0.51), with low niche stability (28.08%) and high expansion (71.92%). The degree of ecological niche conservation is highest, and the degree of deviation lowest, between the native range and secondary invaded range, which is consistent with the result of ecological niche overlap between the two regions. Although the ecological niche conservation degree between the native range and bridgehead range is relatively high and the degree of deviation low, the ecological niche conservation degree between the bridgehead range and secondary invasion interval is extremely low. There is also a significant deviation in the ecological niche. Note, during the invasion process, S. invicta first spread to adjacent North American regions. Then, the S. invicta population spreads to North America, especially the United States, and acts as a spreading center, invading regions such as China, known as the bridgehead effect. The degree of climate niche overlap between South America and the United States and China is relatively low, while the degree of climate niche overlap between the United States and China is relatively high. Further, the current process of trade globalization centered on the United States has broken the limitations of long-distance geographic space and led to the rapid adaptation of S. invicta from United States to China, resulting in ecological niche shift.
Conclusion: The current trade globalization process, with United States as the hub, is breaking down long-distance geospatial limitations. Thus, the invasion of populations from this bridgehead range to China has rapidly adapted to similar climatic environments. On this basis, the adaptability of populations in the bridgehead range implies the importance of the bridgehead effect in facilitating the invasion of S. invicta globally.

Background & Aims: Exotic plant invasions seriously threaten native biodiversity and ecological security. Although numerous studies have explored the mechanisms of exotic plant invasion, the critical role of soil organisms in this process has not been systematically reviewed.
Progress: In this review, we summarize five ways by which soil biota influence exotic plant invasions, including (1) the role of soil microorganisms (pathogenic microorganisms, symbiotic microorganisms, saprophytic microorganisms, microbial diversity); (2) the role of soil fauna (herbivorous insects, nematodes and protozoa, mites and collembolans, earthworms); (3) the role of soil food webs (micro-food webs, entire food webs); (4) the relationship between plant–soil feedback and plant invasions; and (5) the effect of plant above- and below-ground biotic interactions.
Prospectives: We propose four directions for future studies, including (1) biogeographic comparisons between native and invasive ranges; (2) the verification of the diversity-invasibility hypothesis; (3) the expansion at the plant community level; and (4) the application of multi-omics technology. By elucidating soil biological mechanisms for exotic plant invasion, this review provides important insights for the management of invasive exotic plants and biodiversity conservation.

Aims: Due to the application of new technologies, more extensive field surveys, and data sharing, researchers are continuously discovering and describing new plant species, leading to a constant increase in the number of known plant species worldwide. Annual analysis of the published data of new vascular plant taxa not only enriches our understanding of plant diversity but also provides a crucial foundation for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.  

Methods: The data were derived from the IPNI (https://www.ipni.org/), Tropicos (https://www.tropicos.org/), and WCSP (https://wcsp.science.kew.org/). Statistics of new taxa of vascular plants published in 2023 were available as of April 30, 2024 excluding new combinations, new statuses or new names and bryophyte data.

Aims: Since 2020, the average annual number of changes in plant names in China has accounted for roughly 1.5% of all changes. Although these plant name changes are not large, cumulative changes over time should not be ignored. Indeed, it is necessary to annually compile information on new taxa, records, and name changes to Chinese plants to integrate these changes into the Catalogue of Life China in a timely manner to facilitate more accurate references for academia and research.  

Methods: We collected data on newly discovered taxa and name changes for Chinese higher plants by reviewing 233 journals and related monographs, supplemented by cross-referencing and systematic review using various online databases to ensure the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the compiled information. This compilation involved 419 articles from 63 journals and 4 monographs, and mainly focused on the new taxa and nomenclatural changes in higher plants in 2023.

Results: In 2023, China reported several new taxonomic findings, including 14 genera, 241 species (including new hybrid species), 13 infraspecific taxa, 13 higher taxa (including 7 subfamilies, 4 supertribes, and 2 tribes), 2 subgenera, and 6 sections in higher plants. Additionally, 185 novel combinations (173 at the species level and 12 at the infraspecific level) and 15 names were published. At the national level, 1 family record, 5 genus records, 82 species records, and 4 infraspecific records were recently documented. Furthermore, 86 names were synonymized into 58 names. Five species that had not been observed for many years were rediscovered, and one species distribution was excluded. Among the newly published species, there were 9 bryophytes, 23 pteridophytes (including 1 infraspecific taxon), 1 gymnosperm hybrid, and 221 angiosperms (including 2 hybrids and 12 infraspecific taxa). Detailed molecular evidence was provided for 116 of these novel species at the time of publication that account for 46% of all new species. Additionally, 62 species were assessed as threatened according to IUCN standards upon their publication, which represents 24% of all new species. By location, the four southwestern provinces, i.e. Yunnan, Xizang, Guangxi, and Sichuan, published the highest number of new species and accounted for two-thirds of the total new species reported nationwide. In particular, Mêdog County recorded the highest number of new species among county-level administrative units, with 14 new species and records. Likewise, Yingjiang County reported the highest number of national new records, with 21 new plant records documented.

Aims: To collate and report new vertebrate species discovered in China in 2023.
Methods: This paper summarizes the basic information about discoveries of vertebrate species from academic literature published in 2023, including 73 citations.
Results: In 2023, 93 vertebrate species were discovered in China, including 69 species new to science, 15 species not previously reported in China, and 9 valid species that were upgraded from subspecies. These species belong to 14 orders, 40 families, and 61 genera. Among them, there are 18 new species of fish; 31 species of amphibian, including 23 new species and 8 newly recorded in China; 22 species of reptile, including 21 new species and 1 newly recorded in China; 10 species of bird, including 4 species upgraded from subspecies and 6 newly recorded in China; 12 species of mammal, including 7 new species, 1 newly recorded in China, and 4 species upgraded from subspecies. Ectotherm vertebrates account for 76% of new discoveries; most of the fishes, amphibians, reptiles, and birds were species of Cypriniformes (15/18), Anura (27/31), Squamata (21/22), and Passeriformes (8/10), respectively, while most of mammals were species of Eulipotyphla (6/12) or Rodentia (5/12). These 93 newly discovered vertebrates were recorded in 21 provincial regions. Of these species, 79 were recorded in only one provincial region, while there were 29, 13, 10, 10, and 9 new species recorded in Yunnan, Xizang, Guangxi, Sichuan, and Guizhou, respectively. A total of 79 of these discovered species have been supported by molecular systematics. There were 82 species published in academic journals, 14 of which were published in two English journals and 3 of which were published in two Chinese journals.
Conclusion: This article provides basic information needed for the classification and protection of vertebrate species in China. In addition, it indicates that ectotherm vertebrates may be the hot group of vertebrate species studied in diversity research in China, and an integrated classification approach is essential to support future taxonomic studies.

Aim: The order Hymenoptera encompasses rich biodiversity and provides essential ecosystem services. This study aims to catalogue and summarize new taxa of extant Hymenoptera based on published works in 2023.
Methods: We obtained and analyzed a total of 297 journal publications on the new taxa of extant Hymenoptera in 2023 by searching the available zoological databases.

Results: Across 297 journal articles, 957 new taxa were recognized, including 23 new genera, 7 new subgenera, 920 new species, 7 new subspecies, spanning 17 superfamilies, 51 families, and 313 genera. The superfamilies Ichneumonoidea, Apoidea, and Vespoidea display the highest number of new species, which accounts for approximately 31.1% (286/920), 19.8% (182/920), and 13.4% (123/920) of the total new species, respectively. In 2023, 57 journal articles detailing newly classified extant Hymenoptera taxa in China were published, comprising 151 new taxa. These include 4 new genera, 103 new species, as well as 2 newly recorded genera, 2 newly recorded subgenera and 40 newly recorded species. These taxa span 11 superfamilies, 26 families, and 62 genera. Notably, the superfamilies Ichneumonoidea, Chalcidoidea and Vespoidea account for the highest number of new species in Chinese extant Hymenoptera, contributing approximately 35.9% (37/103), 24.3% (25/103), and 17.5% (18/103) of the new Chinese species, respectively. Globally, Asia accounts for the highest number of newly described species with approximately 47.5% (437/920), and Southeast Asia leads the count at approximately 15.5% (143/920) of new species. At the national and regional administrative level, China contributed the highest number of new species, accounting for approximately 11.2% (103/920). Of the 297 articles published in 75 journals on the newly classified taxa of extant Hymenoptera, 295 were in English, 1 was in Chinese, and 1 in Spanish. Of these 297 articles, 295 reported the newly described species. In 2023, a total of 389 scholars contributed to naming Hymenoptera new species, including 69 scholars (17.7%) from China. Worldwide, 150 institutions preserved the holotypes of newly described Hymenoptera species, including 21 located in China, accounting for approximately 14.0% of the total.

Conclusion: Our results suggest China plays a key role in the global taxonomy of Hymenoptera.

Aims: Our study summarizes the new Diptera taxa from China published in 2023.

Methods: We synthesize information from 52 journal publications from relevant databases and taxonomic journals on new Diptera taxa in 2023 from China.

Results: A total of 186 new taxa of Diptera from China were published in 2023 including two new genera and 184 new species and 34 new taxa were recorded from China. These taxa included two subfamilies, seven genera, and 25 species. All the new species and records belong to 25 families. Additionally, five new synonyms and one replacement name was proposed. Families with the highest number of newly described species include Drosophilidae, Empididae, Phoridae, Chironomidae, Tachinidae, and Tipulidae which account for 77% of all Diptera. Twenty-eight Chinese provincial-level administration areas contributed to new taxa and records. The number of new species from Yunnan is significantly higher than in other regions, accounting for more than 1/3 of the total number of new species published. Further, the number of newly recorded species in northern China is higher than in southern China.

Aims: The aim of this paper is to summarize the new taxa of the world’s Coleoptera published by scholars around the world in 2023, and to sort out the new species and records in China separately.
Methods: A total of 881 journal publications or monographs were obtained by querying journals and databases related to the classification, as well as supplements from relevant experts.
Results: In 2023, a total of 2,397 new taxa of extant Coleoptera globally, including 5 new tribes, 3 new subtribes, 85 new genera, 60 new subgenera, 2,157 new species, and 87 new subspecies were observed. Additionally, 837 new combinations, 402 new synonyms, 85 upgradations, and 50 degradations were proposed. The country with the largest number of Coleoptera new taxa founded in the world is China, 16 new genera, 6 new subgenera, 388 new species, 6 new subspecies, 2 newly recorded subfamily, 24 newly recorded genera, 50 newly recorded species, and 2 newly recorded subspecies were recorded in China.
Conclusion: The hotspots for the discovery of new species (subspecies) in China are Yunnan and Sichuan, accounting for about 37.3% of the total published new species (subspecies). The total number of the new taxa of the world’s Coleoptera in 2023 is lower than it was in 2022.

Aim: This paper focuses on the advancements in taxonomic studies of extant spiders in 2023 worldwide, with detailed statistical analyses of new taxa, type localities, arachnologists conducting such research, and journals publishing these works.
Progress: A total of 1,311 new taxa were described in 2023, including 1 new family, 70 new genera and 1,240 new species. They belong to 71 families, with type localities spanning across 75 countries and jurisdictions. The new taxa were documented by 344 arachnologists in 315 papers, published in 63 different journals. Out of these 315 papers, 52 (16.5%) comprised revisions of selected higher taxa (at family and genus levels), regional studies, and monographs. The proportion of papers incorporating DNA analyses made up 16.8% (totaling 53 papers). Among the 1,240 new species, 740 new species were published based on both male and female specimens, accounting for 59.7% of the total, and 500 new species only published based on male or female specimens, accounting for 40.3%. China is the country with the highest number of new species discovered, a total of 412, accounting for 33.2% of the global tally. With as many as 94 arachnologists naming new spider taxa, China becomes the country with the highest number of publishing spider taxonomists, accounting for 27.3% of the world’s total. Among them, the most prolific arachnologist is Shuqiang Li, who described a total of 171 new taxa, comprising 13.0% of the worldwide total for 2023. Altogether, Li and the other 93 Chinese colleagues described a total of 540 new taxa, comprising 33 new genera and 507 new species from China, Vietnam, and the other nine countries and jurisdictions. These new taxa described by Chinese arachnologists made up 41.2% of the 2023 global aggregate, higher than the Chinese output in 2022 (37.0%), 2021 (33.8%) and during the 2016–2020 period (28.1% on average).

Aims: Compilations of biodiversity catalogs are of great significance for biodiversity research, resource protection, and social and economic development. However, due to rapid research progress, a large number of new species and distribution records are reported every year, which requires accurate methods to summarize the discoveries of new taxa, as well as update species checklists frequently.

Method: Taxonomic data for newly published fungal names were retrieved and analyzed from the Fungal Names nomenclatural repository.

Results: In 2023, 2,050 scholars published 4,372 new fungal names throughout the world, including 7 classes, 17 orders, 56 families and subfamilies, 316 genera and subgenera, 2,997 species and intraspecific taxa, 831 combinations, 33 replacement names and 115 other names. These new names belonged to 3 kingdoms, 13 phyla, 47 classes, 170 orders, 441 families and 1,342 genera, among which micro-ascomycetes received the most attention. These newly published 2,975 fungal species were discovered from 102 countries and regions throughout the world, with eastern and southern Asia as the most noticeable spot for novel species discovery. In particular, China remained the most imminent country for annual species discoveries (1,249 species) that accounts for 41.98% of the world’s total new species. Additionally, Chinese scholars led the world in research output on fungal taxonomy in 2023, where 548 Chinese scholars participated in the publications of 2,160 new fungal names to contribute to nearly half of the world’s total new names.

Aim: Wildlife modify their daily activity to satisfy food demands, to breed, or to avoid mortality risk. Assessing patterns of wildlife activity is crucial for understanding adaptations to inter-species competition, predation risks, and human disturbances. The sika deer (Cervus nippon) is a primary prey species for tigers (Panthera tigris) and leopards (P. pardus) in the Northeast China. However, the sika deer’s habitat is disturbed by the presence of roads. This study assesses the influence of road disturbances on the activity patterns of sika deer, considering their gender, age, reproductive status, and seasonal activity. The aim is to deepen our understanding of behavioral changes in animals due to human disturbance, providing a scientific basis for future conservation and management of sika deer, tigers, and leopards in the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park.  

Methods: From April 2021 to March 2022, we deployed 41 pairs of camera traps along the road in Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park to collect data on sika deer activity. Based on gender, age, and reproductive status of individuals, we classified sika deer into five sex/age groups. We used the kernel density method to estimate diel activity patterns and activity levels of sika deer, based on 9,825 independent detections of the species. Furthermore, we compared the activity levels and patterns across different seasons, sex/age groups, and levels of road disturbance.

Results: Peak activity of sika deer was observed in June and October. Diel activity patterns varied across seasons, with sika deer being crepuscular during spring and summer, nocturnal in autumn, and diurnal in winter. Diel activity patterns differed between age and sex groups of sika deer; fawns were diurnal, while adults were predominantly crepuscular, with only adult males having an increased probability of nocturnal activity. The negative effects of roads on the activity patterns of sika deer were mainly observed in autumn, which coincided with peak human and vehicular activity. Moreover, sika deer exhibited significantly reduced activity levels near roads during autumn. At sites close to roads, all sex/age groups of sika deer tended to decrease their activity levels.

Aims: The Yellow River Basin is a key area for migratory birds and a biodiversity hotspot in China. The diversity of waterbirds plays a vital role in maintaining regional ecological balance of the basin.
Methods: In this study, we analyzed the composition and seasonal dynamics of waterbird populations in the Yellow River Basin from 2022 to 2023. Data was sourced from synchronous surveys and citizen science data contributions. Seasonal and regional characteristics of waterbird diversity were assessed using metrics such as species richness, the Shannon-Wiener diversity index, and the Pielou evenness index. Based on these findings, dynamic conservation strategies were proposed for the region’s waterbirds.
Results: From 2022 to 2023, the Yellow River Basin hosted 141 waterbird species across 9 orders and 20 families, with Charadriiformes and Anseriformes being the dominant groups. Waterbird diversity peaked during spring and autumn, highlighting the Yellow River Basin’s dual role as a breeding and wintering ground as well as a crucial stopover site for migratory birds. Species richness was highest in the lower reaches, while the middle reaches, source, and upper reaches exhibited greater diversity and evenness. Protected species were widely distributed, particularly in the middle and lower reaches during spring and autumn.
Conclusions: To ensure the effective protection of waterbirds in the Yellow River Basin, we recommend comprehensive conservation measures during the critical spring and autumn seasons. Dynamic and targeted protection strategies for key species and habitats, aligned with their seasonal needs. Integration of key waterbird habitats into broader migratory flyway action plans, supported by continuous monitoring efforts.

Aims:The Yarlung Tsangpo River is one of the ten longest rivers in China, and its path travels along diverse landscapes. The Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin encompasses two major zoogeographic regions of the world, the Palearctic and the Oriental realms. The lower reaches of the river span the confluence of three global diversity hotspots: the Mountainous of Southwest China, Indo-Burma, and the Himalaya. While previous papers have focused on small portions of the river, a basin-wide-scale study to catalog its fish composition, diversity patterns, and species fluctuation is lacking. This study synthesizes empirical data from field studies over the past two years on fish diversity in the Yarlung Tsangpo River. This includes a compiled list of fish diversity in the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin in China, analysis of the status of the fish diversity, and the main threats to this diversity. The findings provide a solid scientific foundation for management and conservation of fish diversity in the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin.  

Methods: Sixty-two locations were sampled in this study, including locations along the Yarlung Tsangpo River’s main stream and tributaries. These locations were selected according to their geomorphological characteristics, as well as the accessibility of each location for sampling. There are 24 sampling locations from the main stream, 38 in the tributaries (including the mouth of a tributary, three reservoirs, and two lakes). Of them, there are two in the upper reaches, 36 in the middle reaches, and 24 in the lower reaches. The samples from these studies were collected between 2004 and 2023. Methods for collecting fish included gillnets, shrimp coops, and a battery-powered backpack electrofisher. After compiling the data from all of the sites, the degree of endemicity was calculated using the corrected weighted endemism index.

Results: There are 155 native species in 10 orders, 25 families, and 70 genera in the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin. Out of all of the detected species, 29 species and one genus are endemic to the river. Four species were on China’s key protected species list (Grade II); and 27 species were on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species and China’s Biodiversity Red List (endangered, vulnerable, or near threatened). The fish species richness is the highest in the Yarlung Tsangpo River at the middle and low reaches of the river, while the lowest species richness is found in the Great Canyon sections. Fish fauna of the river is dominated by Central and High Asian and South Asian fishes. The Jiaresa-Bangxing section of the Yarlung Tsangpo River Grand Canyon is predicted to be the boundary between the two major zoogeographical regions of freshwater fish. By the end of 2023, 29 species of non-native fish species from eight orders, 16 families, and 23 genera were recorded in the natural water bodies of the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin. Of these non-native fish species, three species were introduced in different regions within the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin. In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the introduction of both native fishes and non-native cold-adapted fishes through the plateau’s drainage systems.

Background:Conservation activities in China have raised public awareness about plant diversity, but these efforts have not been sufficient to enhance a true understanding of plant evolution and the underlying principles and objectives of biodiversity conservation. A more effective communication and profound education of plant diversity from an evolutionary perspective is paramount for a comprehensive understanding of biodiversity and appreciation of the significance of biodiversity conservation. Most references to plant biodiversity focus on species identification and classification, with limited attention to evolutionary perspectives.

Summary:Here, we introduce the global “Plant Phylogeny Posters” project, a portfolio of educational tools developed by the German-American botanist Theodor C. H. Cole. This project is aimed to present clear overviews of plant diversity and relationships from a phylogenetic perspective from recent systematic and evolutionary studies in botany, providing the means for a better understanding of plant diversity and evolution. The posters display the phylogenetic trees of major plant taxa at different ranks alongside morphological characteristics, geographical distributions, and the number of plants at each rank.

Progress & Perspectives:Through the collaborative efforts of 45 Chinese researchers from various universities and research institutions, all 70 posters of this project have now been translated into Chinese and made freely available worldwide. This project promises to improve the understanding of plant biodiversity and conservation efforts in China.

Background & Aims: Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) proposes the need to close the $700 billion biodiversity financing gap and phase down harmful subsidies of $500 billion per year. However, achieving this goal requires mobilizing $200 billion yearly from new and additional sources including leveraging private finance, promoting blended finance, incentivizing private investment, and encouraging financial innovation such as green bonds or impact funds. We address an innovative combination of green bond and impact fund, Rhino Bond, to which Global Environment Facility (GEF) provides “conditional grants” which incentivize investors up to $13.76 million and link to actual performance of rhino conservation in two Protected Areas in South Africa.

Methods: We use fact sheets of green bond markets in China and worldwide to compare classifications of biodiversity-themed green bond projects in the 2021 International Capital Markets Association’s Green Bond Principles and China’s Green Bond Supported Project Catalogue. Three models of green bond issuance are compared: (1) Pure market issuance, (2) Market issuance supported by public finance, (3) Market issuance supported by grants (rhino bond). We analyze the benefits and drawbacks for each model, then compare and place into application scenarios.

Progress & Conclusion: We find rhino bonds issued by South Africa in 2022 create an innovative combination of “grant + market” from the perspectives of bond background, structural design, risk sharing and funding mode.  This combination is characterized by five distinguishing features: (1) attracting impact funds, (2) optimizing risk sharing, (3) increasing repayment sources, (4) assessing performance independently, and (5) strengthening information disclosure. Altogether these traits make the rhino bond successful in attracting three types of investors with differentiated risk & return patterns: (1) GEF grants, (2) Financial return preferred investors, (3) Social impact preferred investors, with a stacked capital structure ideally formed.

Background & Aims: Access to and benefit-sharing of biological genetic resources (ABS), which is related to national security, is a hot and focused issue in relevant international negotiations, and has become a key area and priority action in China's biodiversity protection legislation. In order to practice the overall national security concept, overcome the dilemma of decentralized legislation system, optimize local legislation and implement international treaties, it is necessary for China to restart special legislation.

Methods: This paper comprehensively uses legal research methods such as value analysis, logical analysis, historical analysis, and comparative analysis.

Results: Only by formulating a special administrative regulation can we meet the demands of specialized legislation and adapt to the future compilation of the ecological environment code and legislation on biodiversity protection.

Conclusion: The overall design of ABS special administrative regulations on biological genetic resources should closely follow the actual development: First, respond to the localization under the globalization of law, face up to the independent development of China’s law in the context of legal transplantation, and take seriously the international influence of China’s domestic legislation. Second, respond to the development of cutting-edge science and technology, adopt a “limited” protection path for the new issue of digital sequence information of genetic resources (DSI), and give priority to protecting the final control of domestic DSI; In response to the changes and challenges brought about by the application of new technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain, the legislative needs of updating traditional regulatory paradigms, prohibiting the procurement of foreign goods and services, and enhancing the disclosure of information on intellectual property genetic resources should be taken seriously. Third, respond to the development of relevant academic theories such as people sharing and inclusive growth, and consolidate the legal basis of benefits sharing.

This article overviews the history of discovering, naming and publishing the living-fossil species Metasequoia glyptostroboides, and summarizes the key points of the two pieces of the posthumous work by Chan Wang and Chi-Ju Hsueh published in this issue. The species was discovered in 1943, rather than 1941 as reported in some literature. Wang collected the specimens of the tree on July 21, 1943, and considered it as a new species but could not determine its taxonomic affiliation. Wang was the first collecting and studying the specimens of the species. Wang had one of the specimens of the species passed to Wan-Chun Cheng in 1944 for further identification. Wan-Chun Cheng sent his graduate student, Chi-Ju Hsueh, to collect additional specimens in 1946. Hsen-Hsu Hu and Wan-Chun Cheng published Metasequoia glyptostroboides on May 15, 1948.

A draft of this article was hand-written by the authors after September in 1980, which has not been uncovered until recently. It is now being published as a piece of their posthumous work. The article reviews the discovery of Metasequoia glyptostroboides. Chan Wang collected the first specimen of the species in 1943 based on the information obtained from a classmate of him. The specimen resembled Glyptostrobus pensilis but differed from it in some aspects, and hence Chan Wang thought that it was possibly a new species. However, due to the lack of reference materials at that time, he could not precisely determine its taxonomic status. Then Chan Wang asked Wan-Chun Cheng for help to identify the specimen, and Wan-Chun Cheng identified it as a new species. The new species was jointly published by Hsen-Hsu Hu and Wan-Chun Cheng. As to Tuo Kan, he had never investigated the species. It is purely a fabricated story made by Tuo Kan that he discovered the species and once had a specimen of it collected before Chan Wang; the discovery and publication of Metasequoia glyptostroboides had nothing to do with Tuo Kan.

The actual name of the author of this article is Chan Wang, who wrote a draft of the article in June, 1984, using a pseudonym, and edited it later. The article, which was initially in a mimeographed manuscript and was not previously published, is now being published as a piece of posthumous work from him. The mimeographed manuscript with hand-written notes and corrections from Chan Wang is included in this article as a supplementary material. Based on the fact that Chan Wang was the collector and researcher of the first specimen of Metasequoia glyptostroboides, there is no doubt that he is the discoverer of the dawn redwood. Hsen-Hsu Hu and Wan-Chun Cheng are the ones who named and published the species. The discovery of the species had nothing to do with Tuo Kan.