As genomic technologies advance, the walnut family (Juglandaceae)—encompassing ecologically and economically vital woody plants like walnuts, pecans, and wingnuts—has emerged as a premier model for studying plant evolution. However, fragmented genomic resources and inconsistent analytical standards have long hindered researchers from piecing together the complete evolutionary puzzle of this critical lineage.

Understanding how prokaryotic genomes coordinate nucleotide composition and gene distribution is a central yet unresolved question in genome evolution. Across different genomes, GC-content, nucleotide asymmetries, and biased gene distribution between replication strands are tightly associated, but existing explanations typically address only individual components and lack a unified causal framework.

This study reveals pronounced genomic divergence between high- and low-altitude lineages of shepherd’s purse and identifies candidate genes underlying local adaptation to heterogeneous environments in China.

Rice, wheat, bamboo, and the grasses growing along roadsides all belong to the Poaceae family—a plant family that underpins global food security, terrestrial ecosystems, and biodiversity. A new study published in the 2026 Issue 4 of Biodiversity Science presents the most comprehensive and up-to-date checklist of grasses in China, documenting 2,304 grass species in 283 genera, 37 tribes, 7 supertribes, and 10 subfamilies. Together, these account for approximately one-sixth of the world's grass species, reinforcing China's position as one of the world's most important centers of grass diversity.

Researchers from the Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, have developed a new radiative transfer model named CARE-RTM that simulates the propagation of sunlight through the atmosphere and ocean with improved precision and computational speed. The model provides a physical tool for extracting climate and environmental information from satellite data.

A new study contrasts Landsat-8, SPOT-7 and field hyperspectral datasets in Hunshandak Sandland, proving high-resolution imagery and red-edge spectral metrics outperform traditional vegetation indices for tracking grassland plant alpha and beta diversity.

A new review led by Fudan University highlights plant functional traits as key predictors of wetland ecosystem functioning. It proposes a trait-based restoration framework prioritizing local conditions, specific ecosystem goals, and hydrological recovery over mere species diversity.

The rare and endangered tree species Phoebe zhennan (commonly known as "golden-thread nanmu") is a unique timber tree of the family Lauraceae endemic to China. It is naturally distributed in Chongqing, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, and Yunnan. The wood is highly valued for its golden luster, fragrance, and durability. However, due to historical over‑harvesting and habitat loss, its wild resources have sharply declined. It is now listed as a second-class nationally protected wild plant in China and as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Previous genetic studies mostly relied on low‑throughput markers such as SSR and AFLP; although these revealed some population structure, they had insufficient resolution. Recently, chromosome‑level genome assemblies have become available, but conventional non‑haplotype‑resolved assemblies cannot distinguish allelic variation from haplotype‑specific structural variants, hindering in‑depth analyses of evolutionary and adaptive mechanisms.