response to these conditions, certain plant species have undergone evolutionary processes that have enabled them to adapt to life on rocks, but, is there any shared trait or common strategy between specialist rupicolous plants? This study aims to be a first step into addressing this question, focusing it in a more concrete field: calcareous mountain cliffs in the Pyrenees. For this purpose, 10 rupicolous species and 10 generalist plant species were selected, each paired between them, with a genetically closely related counterpart to control for phylogenetic factors. Various functional traits were measured for

each species, including leaf area, specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content, leaf thickness, flower area, plant size and leaf nutrient concentration. Preliminary results indicate that rupicolous plants tend to exhibit a more compact trait niche, suggesting a narrower range of adaptations that allow them to survive in such harsh environments. Additionally, these plants seem to display smaller size, leaf area and SLA compared to their generalist counterparts. Further systematic studies in other vertical cliff environments are encouraged to enhance our understanding of the adaptations in rupicolous plants.

# S.106 SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION OF LAMIALES. SESSION 2

## S.106.1 Pollen morphology of Indo-Chinese Clerodendrum (Lamiaceae) and its systematic implications

Jiratthi Satthaphorn¹, Alan J. Paton², Wongkot Phuphumirat³, Charan Leeratiwong⁴

1 School of Science, Walailak University, Thasala, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK. 3 Division of Health and Applied Sciences, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand. 4 Division of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand

Clerodendrum is a highly species-diverse genus belonging to the family Lamiaceae and comprises approximately 250 species distributed in Asia, Australia, and Africa. Systematic studies of the Indo-Chinese Clerodendrum have previously relied on morphological and molecular evidence, while pollen morphology is poorly understood. The palynological evidence has been reported as important for taxonomic resolution for delimiting taxa within Lamiaceae for decades. In this study, pollen morphology of 22 representative Indo-Chinese Clerodendrum were investigated using light and scanning electron microscopy. The results revealed that pollen grains are monad and isopolar or heteropolar in type, subspheroidal to prolate spheroidal in shape and the surface with microechinate orna-

mentation surrounded by perforations. The apertural types are tricolpate or hexicolpate arranged in two series (trizonocolpate and tricolpate on the proximal pole). The length of the polar axis ranges from 38.14 µm to 96.42 µm and the length of the equatorial axis is from 31.38 µm to 97.72 µm and the exine thickness varies from 1.41 µm to 3.71 µm. Palynological evidence provides insights into detailed micromorphology that can be support phylogenetic relationships of the infrageneric taxa especially species within Clerodendrum section fortunata and Clerodendrum section Tridens. In addition, the results support the distinction between morphologically similar species.

## S.106.2 Karomia gigas (Lamiaceae - Ajugoideae): floral morphology, systematic position, genetic diversity, and rescue from extinction

Roy E. Gereau¹, Fandey H. Mashimba², Patricia Barberá S.¹, Alexander Linan¹, Rebecca Sucher¹, Andrew Wyatt¹, Christine Edwards¹

1 Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, USA. 2 Tanzania Forest Service Agency, Dodoma, Tanzania

The tree species originally known as Holmskioldia gigas was first collected in a small patch of coastal forest on the coast of Kenya in 1977. Only one mature, fruiting tree and one sapling were observed, and by 1985, they were
<figure><img src="image_251.png" /></figure>

both found to have been cut down. Thus, when the species was formally described and named in 1988, it was considered "Feared Extinct". The species was transferred from the genus *Holmskioldia* (Lamiaceae subfamily Scutellarioideae) to *Karomia* (subfamily Ajugoideae) in 1992 with the caution that its generic placement would have to be confirmed by its then-undocumented floral morphology. The rediscovery of *Karomia gigas* in 2003-2011 in two Tanzanian coastal forests more than 600 km south of its original Kenyan locality demonstrated that the species is not extinct, but its flowers remained unknown. A large number of mature fruit with seeds were collected in 2017, but initial attempts to germinate and propagate the species were unsuccessful due to fungal infection of most of the wild-collected seeds. In 2018, a second attempt at germination after treating the seeds with a fungicide was successful, resulting in 30 healthy seedlings that grew into young saplings that produced flowers in early 2021. Analysis of its floral morphology confirms the current placement of this species in *Karomia*, and DNA sequencing will further elucidate its subfamilial and generic position. With only 46 known individuals in the wild, *Karomia gigas* is assessed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Genomic analysis of an ex-situ population has provided important insights into the conservation of genetic diversity *K. gigas*. With many threats and low population numbers in its native habitat, continued protection and propagation of this species is required to enable future population recovery in Tanzania and eventually repatriation to Kenya.

### S.106.3 The study on phylogenetic position and character evolution of the genus *Utricularia* (Lentibulariaceae) in Thailand

Supannika Phromkhlibnin¹, Piyakaset Suksathan², Thaya Jenjittikul¹, Saroj Ruchisansakun¹, Nicha Thawara¹

1 Department of Plant Science, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Thailand. 2 The Botanical Garden Organization, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand

The genus *Utricularia* is a carnivorous plant in the Lentibulariaceae family, consisting of around 270 species divided into 35 sections, of which 27 species are native to Thailand (from 7 sections). This genus possesses

bladder-like traps with appendages surrounding the entrance. Numerous species of this plant in Thailand have not been investigated using molecular techniques, hence this study aims to determine the phylogenetic position of *Utricularia* in Thailand in comparison to other species in the GenBank database, using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, and then reconstruction the ancestral state to study some selected morphological characters (life form, presence of rosette leaves, twining inflorescence, floral color, and hairy seed. The results reveal that *Utricularia* in Thailand evolved from multiple clades within many sections. Furthermore, most morphological characters evolve multiple times throughout their evolutionary history.

### S.106.4 Comparative phylogeography of mints in the California Floristic Province

Jeffrey P. Rose¹,², Ricardo Kriebel³, Mark A. Elvin⁴, Kenneth J. Sytsma¹, Bryan T. Drew²

1 Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA. 2 Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, USA. 3 California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, USA. 4 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, UCLA Herbarium, Los Angeles, USA

Mediterranean-like biomes across the globe are bio-diversity hotspots for both animals and plants. However, because such climates have only existed since the mid-Miocene, lineages adapted to Mediterranean-like biomes have diverged relatively recently, making it difficult to make robust inferences of phylogenetic relationships. Moreover, apparent abiotic niche conservatism within these lineages often leads to high levels of range overlap among species, potentially obscuring their biogeographic history. In particular, it is possible that pulses of expansion and contraction of suitable habitat throughout the Pleistocene, especially contraction towards the present, mimics a scenario of sympatric speciation when in fact speciation was primarily allopatric. The California Floristic Province is the only area of Mediterranean-like biome in North America and is the center of diversity – and potentially the area of origin – for several clades of mints (Lamiaceae), including *Lepechinia* sect. *Calycinae* (5 species), *Salvia* subg. *Audibertia* (19 species), and *Monardella* (> 40 species). Prior studies have shown that all three clades have diversified since the mid-Miocene, although relationships within clades have been difficult to resolve. Using a
<figure><img src="image_252.png" /></figure>

phylogenomic hypothesis of relationships and a suite of biogeographic tools, including generating ecological niche models for all ancestors that originated in the last 5 million years, we test if all three clades (1) show similar temporal patterns of divergence, (2) show parallel patterns of area of origin and directionality of geographic spread, and/or (3) show evidence of sympatric speciation rather than allopatric speciation followed by secondary contact. Our results provide important insights into the origin and maintenance of species diversity within Mediterranean-like biomes.

## S.106.5 The acualescent species of Henckelia (Gesneriaceae)

Janeesha A.P., Santhosh Nampy¹

1 Department of Botany, University of Calicut, Kerala, India

The genus *Henckelia* Spreng. (Gesneriaceae, sub-family Didymocarpoideae) includes 82 species, distributed in Northeast and South India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, southern China, northern Vietnam, northern Laos and northern Thailand. The genus was treated earlier as a synonym of *Didymocarpus* Wall. until it was resurrected and remodeled by Weber and Burtt (1997). Weber et al. (2011) re-defined the genus based on molecular data and included species of *Henckelia* sect. *Henckelia*, *Chirita* sect. *Chirita* (excluding the species under *Damrongia* Kerr ex Craib), the monotypic genus *Hemiboeopsis* W.T.Wang and exclude the species of *Henckelia* sect. *Loxocarpus*, *Didymanthus*, *Heteroboea* and *Glossadenia*. *Henckelia* includes mainly perennial plants, sometimes with a woody base; caulescent to acualescent (rarely creeping) habits; infundibuliform to tubular corolla; geniculate or straight filaments; unilocular or bilocular ovary; chiritoid to (rarely) truncate stigma and capsules splitting into 2 valves, or only along the dorsal side. Species of *Henckelia* generally fall under two groups: (1) plants predominantly caulescent, with internodes and leaves in whorls of 2 or 3, and orthocarpic capsules dehiscing along both upper and lower suture; (2) plants predominantly acaulescent, with leaves in basal rosette and plagiocarpic capsules opening along the upper suture only. The former group includes 64 species, distributed throughout the distributional range of the genus except South India, while the latter group includes 18 species, found in South India as well as in Sri Lanka. All the 16 species of *Henckelia* found in South India are acualescent, whereas Sri Lanka has eight species of Henckelia of which three

are acaulescent. *Henckelia humboldtiana* (Gardner) A.Weber & B.L.Burtt is the acaulescent species seen both in South India and Sri Lanka. The present paper discusses the taxonomy, ecology and endemism of the acaulescent *Henckelia*. A phylogenetic tree is also constructed from ITS and trn loci.

## S.106.6 A left-right story: Understanding the function and evolution of enantiostyly in the genus Didymocarpus (Gesneriaceae)

Rhuthuparna S B¹, Vinita Gowda¹

1 Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, India

Enantiostyly is a type of stylar polymorphism in which either style and anther or style alone is deflected from the main axis of the flower to either right (R morph) or left (L morph). The floral design of enantiostylous flowers has been interpreted to promote insect-mediated cross-pollination, although, there are very few experimental examinations of this hypothesis. Therefore this study aims to understand the evolution and fitness consequences of enantiostyly in the genus *Didymocarpus* Wall. (Gesneriaceae) a narrow endemic herb distributed from the Himalayas to the Malay peninsula. To evaluate this we tested the following hypothesis: 1) enantiostyly is a synapomorphic character in the genus *Didymocarpus* and it evolved from a straight-styled ancestor, 2) floral morphology of enantiostylous flowers decreases autonomous self-pollination while maximizing pollen transfer between floral morphs thus increasing reproductive fitness. We collected morphometric data including the presence of enantiostyly for 43 *Didymocarpus* species from field surveys and literature. We mapped enantiostyly and a few other associated floral traits to the phylogenetic tree and estimated the ancestral states for these traits. All the above analysis was carried out in R using packages phytools, ape, and caper. Pollinator observations, pollen dye experiments, and hand pollination experiments were performed in four enantiostylous species and three non-enantiostylous species during the flowering period between July-September in the Northeastern states of India. Our analysis shows that enantiostyly is a synapomorphic character in the genus *Didymocarpus* and the evolution of this character and the degree of spatial sep-
<figure><img src="image_253.png" /></figure>

aration between anther and stigma shows a signifi-
cant correlation with corolla tube shape. Results from
our field experiments indicate that enantiostylous
floral morphology decreases autonomous self-pol-

lination and increases the efficiency of inter-morph
pollen transfer. Furthermore, enantiostylous species
exhibited higher natural fitness in terms of fruit pro-
duction compared to non-enantiostylous flowers.

# S.107 SPATIAL MODELLING OF PLANT NICHES AND DISTRIBUTIONS IN THE ANTHROPOCENE. SESSION 2

S.107.1 Seagrasses on the
move: tracing the multi-
decades trends of lagoon
meadows using Landsat
series imagery.

Paolo Cingano¹,², Marco Vuerich²,
Francesco Petruzzellis¹, Lorenzo Orzan¹,²,
Giacomo Trotta¹,², Valentino Casolo²,
Francesco Boscutti²

1 University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy. 2 University of Udine, Udine, Italy

Lagoons globally provide crucial ecosystem services, harbouring a rich mosaic of fragile habitats. Among these, seagrass meadows play a vital role for this ecosystem and its biota, by sustaining trophic networks and influencing sediment and nutrient dynamics. Their distribution and functioning are closely tied to ecological disturbances, showing rapid shifts over time in relation to the ongoing global changes. Furthermore, lagoons often host multi-species meadows, where species interactions might complicate the understanding of the whole ecosystem responses to environmental changes. Long term monitoring of species and communities is, hence, important to understand the response to past and future global change scenarios. The availability of long term open-access satellite data (e.g. Landsat mission) offers a new remote sensing perspective for studying seagrass community dynamics in shallow waters, especially when combined with the power of machine learning algorithms. In this study, multispectral seasonal images were used with a Random Forest algorithm to map the trends of seagrass meadows and individual species in the vast Grado and Marano lagoon (Northern Adriatic) over two decades. Supervised classification models were built using a large field training dataset collected in

2010 (n = 426, accuracy of 92%) together with Landsat
5TM and 8OLI imagery and then applied from 1999 to
2019 images. The change detection analysis revealed
a 14.16 km² expansion (+ 39 %) of the entire seagrass
community at a rate of 1.59 km²* year⁻¹. Despite Land-
sat's low spatial resolution, discrimination of individu-
al species achieved an accuracy of 76% allowing the
tracing of relative species movements and shedding
light on their complex dynamic over time. The ob-
served expansion might underpin an increasing sea
water influence that are radically modifying Adriatic
brackish water bodies, emphasizing the connection
between ongoing environmental changes and the
rapid responses of seagrass meadows.

S.107.2 Classical metrics
misguide the interpretation
of species distribution
models affected by
sampling biases

Claudio A. Bracho-Estévanez¹, Salvador Arenas-Castro², Juan P. González-Varo¹, Pablo González-Moreno³

1 Department of Biology, IVAGRO, Universidad de Cádiz, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain. 2 Area of Ecology, Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain. 3 Department of Forest Engineering, ERSAF RNM-360, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.

Species distribution models (SDMs) are a vast collec-
tion of techniques that predict species' likelihood of
occurrence across spatial and temporal dimensions.
These techniques barely require two inputs: presenc-
es (referred as only-presences when real absences
of species are unavailable) and a set of relevant en-
vironmental variables for the niche of target species.
<figure><img src="image_254.png" /></figure>

Thus, the recent expansion of open platforms offering massive georeferenced data on biodiversity has boosted the use of SDMs. Still, the employment of such data holds a major limitation: the profusion of sampling biases. The former implies that opportunistic presences are potentially affected by heterogeneous sampling efforts across study areas and species, which demands the implementation of adequate bias corrections. As well, modelers usually take advantage of classical metrics (namely AUC and TSS) to evaluate the overall quality of model predictions. However, AUC and TSS have been widely criticized given its poor capacity to assess the biological reality of predictions, and it would be alarming if such metrics are eventually unsensitive to sampling biases. In this study, we selected 31 fleshy-fruited plants as a study case to evaluate the sensitivity of classical metrics to sampling biases, as well as to compare the effect of three distinct bias corrections on the quality of predicted distributions. We run models on a (sub-)continental scale and used both classical and alternative, spatially explicit metrics of model performance. Our results suggest that bias corrections are imperative to improve predictions, whilst model performance depends on settings as the modelling algorithm or the method to generate pseudo-absences. Likewise, classical metrics were particularly weak to discern biased predictions, and eventually contradicted alternative metrics. Altogether reveals the convenience of implementing contrasting, spatially explicit validations when assessing predictions affected by sampling biases.

### S.107.3 Spatial distribution of Annonaceae across biomes and anthromes: knowledge gaps in spatial and ecological data

R.H.J. Erkens¹,², L.M.P. Blanpain¹, I. Carrascosa Jara¹, K. Runge¹, N. Verspagen¹, A. Cosiaux³, T.L.P. Couvreur³

1 Maastricht Science Programme, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. 2 System Earth Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, Venlo, The Netherlands .3 IRD, DIADE, Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France

Covering approximately 7% of the terrestrial portion of the earth's surface, tropical rain forests harbour c. 45% of all terrestrial species, including approximately three fourth of all tree species. Al-

though humans have impacted tropical forests long before modern times, they are currently at risk because of increasing anthropogenic activities. Especially during the last few decades, humans increasingly influenced the earth's surface to meet their needs. As a result, most natural biomes have changed into anthropogenic biomes, also called anthromes. Understanding how different taxa are affected by these changes is key in order to inform measures for conservation and protection, something especially important in this UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Here, we investigate if this impact can be quantified for the globally-distributed tropical plant group Annonaceae (Soursop family) using spatial (distributional) data. Insight is gained in how Annonaceae are distributed over biomes and anthromes. We find that even for a taxonomically well-studied group such as Annonaceae, very little is known about the true distribution and ecological requirements of species. We urge to invest in 1) the exploration of ecological requirements of species in relation to their genetic patterns, in order to understand the impact of ecosystems changes, 2) research on distributional patterns in a temporal framework since the available data collected over decades might not reflect current distributions over biomes and anthromes well, and 3) high-quality spatial data collection that should adhere to the FAIR data principles, so that the quality of spatial analyses will increase. These data will also contribute to better base-line data for IUCN Red List assessments, which are a vital tool to assess the level of threat to a taxon.

### S.107.4 A Species Distribution Model to elucidate the occurrence of an endemic species

Paola De Giorgi¹, Gabriel Cainelli¹, Daniela Ciccarelli¹,², Gianni Bedini¹,²

1 University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. 2 Centro interdipartimentale per lo studio degli effetti del cambiamento climatico, Pisa, Italy

The presence of species in ecological communities mainly depends on abiotic factors, biotic factors, and their dispersal ability. Species Distribution Models serve as valuable statistical tools to clarify the distribution of a species considered the relationships among multiple species and their interaction
<figure><img src="image_255.png" /></figure>

with the environment. Our aim is to determine how
biotic and abiotic factors influence the spatial dis-
tribution of *Crocus etruscus* Parl., an endemic geo-
phyte of Central Italy. We constructed a hierarchi-
cal mixed-effects model using the "lme4" package
in R programming language, with the presence of
*C. etruscus* as the response variable. We conduct-
ed vegetation surveys to identify the dominant tree
species coexisting with *C. etruscus*, considering
them as biotic factors. Subsequently, we combined
these factors with the classes of Corine Land Cov-
er to incorporate random effects into our analysis.
Functional leaf traits linked to the Leaf Econom-
ic Spectrum (leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf dry
matter content) represented additional biotic vari-
ables. The leaf traits of *C. etruscus* were determined
on samples collected during the vegetation surveys.
Then the fixed-effect explanatory variables were
the abiotic variables, sourced from the online data-
bases WorldClim and SoilGrids, and the biotic vari-
ables, represented by the functional leaf traits of *C.
etruscus*. This study provides an assessment of the
influence of abiotic and biotic factors on the occur-
rence of *C. etruscus*. Such insights provide valuable
guidance for the management of this species and
aid in the identification of key areas for further ex-
ploration, thereby contributing to a comprehensive
understanding of its distribution range.

S.107.5 Temperature and drought resistant species' past and future

Maria M. Ribeiro¹,²,⁵*, Alice M. Almeida¹,
Natália Roque¹,²,³, Celestino Quintela-
Sabarís⁴, Maria João Martins⁵, Manuel L.
Campagnolo⁵, Paulo Fernandez¹,⁶

1 Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, School of Agriculture, Castelo Branco, Portugal. 2 CERNAS, Research Center for Natural Resources, Environment and Society, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco. Castelo Branco, Portugal. 3 QRURAL, Quality of Life in the Rural World - Research Unit, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, Castelo Branco, Portugal. 4 GEA, Animal Ecology Group, Vigo University, Vigo, Spain. 5 CEF, Forest Research Centre, TERRA Associated Laboratory, Superior Institute of Agronomy, Lisbon University, Lisbon, Portugal. 6 MED - Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Évora University, Évora, Portugal

The Mediterranean region is utterly vulnerable to
global change and provoked disturbances in Med-

iterranean plant species' distribution will be crucial
for management and conservation design. Climate
change impact in two well-adapted Mediterra-
nean species, drought, and temperature-resistant,
was studied (rockrose (Cistus ladanifer L.; CL) and
strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.; AU)). The past,
present, and future potential spatial distribution was
unfolded, and the potential glacial refugia based
on modeling, phylogeography, and fossil data was
verified. Modeling was made based on real occur-
rences and environmental variables using machine
learning and regression-based algorithms. The po-
tential future distribution was projected for the years
2050 and 2070, considering a less and more severe
climate scenario. The precipitation variables had
decreasing importance in the obtained models, fol-
lowed by the temperature variables, in the case of
the CL, but conversely in the case of the AU, being
the slope influential. For both species, the results of
the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) projection suggest-
ed the presence of refugia in the core of the Medi-
terranean Basin, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula
(PI) southeast. Projections for the Mid-Holocene (MH)
indicated increasing climatic suitability and expan-
sion for the two species relative to the LGM. The past
distribution projections modeled were congruent
with the two independent approaches (fossil and
genetics), validating the CL distribution modeling in
the past, unlikely in the AU case, where very strong
fossil signals were found in the IP borders, even in
northern regions. Those species will be dramatical-
ly affected by global warming, despite drought and
temperature resilience, particularly the CL. Contrari-
ly to AU, CL northward future migration is unlikely to
happen, but a westward collapse towards the Portu-
guese coast. The AU northern migration will depend
on its ability to pace and adapt to environmental
changes speed. Consequently, thermophilic Medi-
terranean species will probably be endangered.

S.107.6 What explains the
high island endemicity of
the threatened parasitic
Rafflesia in the Philippines?

Jasper J.A. Obico¹, R. Sedricke C. Lapuz²,
Julie F. Barcelona³, Pieter B. Pelser³

1 Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sci-
ences, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila,
Philippines. 2 School of Biological Sciences, The
University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. 3
<figure><img src="image_256.png" /></figure>

School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Rafflesia are rare holoparasitic plants. In the Philippines, all but one species are found only on single islands. This study aimed to better understand the factors contributing to this distribution pattern. Specifically, we sought to determine whether narrow environmental tolerances of host and/or parasite species might explain their island endemicity. We used Maxent species distribution modeling to identify areas with suitable habitat for *R. lagascae*, *R. lobata*, and *R. speciosa* and their *Tetrastigma* host species. These analyses were carried out for current climate conditions and two future climate change scenarios. Although spe-

cies distribution models indicated suitable environmental conditions for the *Tetrastigma* host species in many parts of the Philippines, considerably fewer areas are inferred to have suitable conditions for the three *Rafflesia* species. Some of these areas are found on islands from which they have not been reported. All three species will face significant threats as a result of climate change. Our results suggest that limited inter-island dispersal abilities and/or specific environmental requirements are likely responsible for the current pattern of island endemicity of the three *Rafflesia* species, rather than environmental requirements of their *Tetrastigma* host species.

# S.108 PLANT DIVERSITY, BIOGEOGRAPHY AND EVOLUTION IN THE TROPICS FOR CONSERVATION, RESTORATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE. SESSION 3

## S.108.1 Tree diversity and liana infestation predict acoustic diversity in logged tropical forests

Zachary Chu¹,²,³, Cindy C. P. Cosset¹,⁴, Catherine Finlayson¹,⁵, Patrick G. Cannon¹,⁶, Robert P. Freckleton¹, Kalsum M. Yusah³,⁷, David P. Edwards⁸

1 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, UK. 2 School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, UK. 3 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. 4 Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Department, IFAS, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. 5 Center for Natural Climate Solutions, Conservation International, Arlington, VA, USA. 6 School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, UK. 7 Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, University Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia. 8 Department of Plant Sciences and Conservation Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

Logged tropical forests can retain a great deal of biodiversity, but there is substantial variation in the type and severity of habitat degradation caused by logging. Logging-induced habitat degradation can

vary significantly at fine spatial scales, with differing effects on plant communities and the growth of lianas, which are woody, climbing vines that proliferate in degraded forests and infest trees by climbing onto them and competing for above and below ground resources. The impacts of such fine-scale variation in habitat structure on faunal diversity is relatively poorly known. We recorded soundscapes and variation in local-scale habitat structure in selectively logged and old-growth primary forests in Malaysian Borneo to examine how changes to logged forest structure predict variation in acoustic diversity indices that are known to correlate with biodiversity indices. We show that acoustic indices relating to higher soundscape diversity increase with liana prevalence but decline with tree species richness and are unaffected by the liana load of adult trees. Our results suggest that acoustic data represent a simple, practicable measure for detecting fine-scale patterns of biodiversity response to post-logging habitat structure. Our findings also suggest that retaining many trees lightly infested by lianas in logged forests is the optimal outcome for biodiversity. This emphasises the need for forest restoration that retains some climbers, rather than blanket-cutting of all stems in projects seeking to return post-logging forest communities towards their primary forest state.
<figure><img src="image_257.png" /></figure>

## S.108.2 Plant diversity and cultural specificity influence traditional knowledge on ecosystem services in western Amazonia

Julia G. de Aledo¹,²,³, Luis Cayuela³, Laura Matas-Granados¹,², Celina Ben Saadi¹, Norma Salinas⁴,⁵, María de los Ángeles La Torre-Cuadros⁶,⁷, Manuel J. Macía¹,²

1 Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 2 Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBCUAM), Madrid, Spain. 3 Departmento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain. 4 Sección Química, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Peru. 5 School of Geography and Environment, University of Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK. 6 Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Peru. 7 Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Lima, Peru

Biodiversity and cultural idiosyncrasy shapes plant traditional knowledge in the Amazon basin. Yet, the factors that influence how different human groups gather knowledge for a certain purpose are not well understood. We aim to investigate: 1) the relationship between traditional knowledge (culture) and biodiversity and 2) the degree of floristic knowledge convergence among Indigenous communities. We inventoried 1907 species of woody plants in 115 0.1-ha plots in western Amazonia. The relationship between use diversity and species richness was analyzed per plot with generalized linear models, whereas the relationship between cultural and floristic distance was explored with beta regression models. The Euclidean distances between floristic and cultural distances were compared among Indigenous communities to analyze the degree of knowledge convergence. High plant diversity and heterogeneity of rainforests contribute significantly to the development of traditional knowledge within and between Indigenous communities. In most cases, the differences in knowledge across human groups are mainly due to floristic distances, showing the interrelation of these variables. However, in some cases, floristic distances were higher than cultural distances (36%), i.e., knowledge convergence. In other cases (14%) floristic distances were lower than cultural, implying unique bodies of knowledge between communities. Biodiversity largely influences versatility of uses and traditional knowledge turnover both at local and regional scales. We highlight the importance

of floristic composition in shaping knowledge for each Indigenous community, however different patterns of knowledge convergence among Indigenous communities were found. These findings highlight the importance of considering both cultural and biological factors in understanding Indigenous knowledge networks. Respecting and valuing the distinct bodies of knowledge requires an understanding of these factors and a commitment to supporting their autonomy and self-determination in preserving and transmitting knowledge systems.

## S.108.3 Comparing taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of woody plant communities in contrasting biogeographic regions of Colombia

Camilo Palacios-Hurtado¹,², Sebastián González-Caro³, Nicolás Castaño⁴, Saúl Hoyos-Gómez⁵, Heriberto David⁵, Felipe Cardona⁵, Harley Quinto⁶, Mauricio Sánchez², Miguel Peña², Álvaro Duque²

1 Department of Biology, University of Miami, Miami, USA. 2 Departamento de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, Colombia. 3 University of Exeter, UK 4 Instituto Amazónico de Investigaciones Científicas SINCHI, Bogotá, Colombia. 5 Herbario Universidad de Antioquia (HuA), Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. 6 Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó, Quibdó, Colombia

Biodiversity distribution in Neotropical regions, such as the Amazon, Tropical Andes, and Choco, continues to captivate scientists. This study contributes to the ongoing debate over Earth's most plant-diverse region, unraveling the interplay of geological history, climate, and evolution. Our primary objective was to compare taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity in woody plant communities across the Amazon, Northern Andes, and Choco, utilizing 48 permanent 1-ha plots. A secondary objective was to discern the relationship between species richness and phylogenetic diversity in these biogeographic regions, exploring its connection to the Museums and Cradles hypothesis and the role of these regions. We observed the highest species accumulation rate and species richness (SR) in the Amazon. Similarly, phylogenetic species richness was most pronounced
<figure><img src="image_258.png" /></figure>

in the Amazon, followed by the Choco and Andes. Contrary to expectations, the Choco surpassed the Northern Andes in angiosperm SR and phylogenetic diversity (PD). Strong positive correlations between SR and PD were evident across regions. Our findings reveal distinctive taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity patterns. The Amazon, rooted in ancient geological history, exhibits higher SR and PD. In contrast, the Andes and Choco, with more recent origins, demonstrate higher speciation rates, evidenced by greater SR relative to PD. Residual analysis of our data suggests unexpected results, with the Amazon aligning with a cradle hypothesis, the Northern Andes resembling a museum, and the Choco displaying characteristics of both. This study challenges preconceived notions, offering insights into taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity in the Amazon, Andes, and Choco. By elucidating the relationships between geological history, climate, and evolution, our findings underscore the importance of considering both dimensions in biodiversity assessments. Effective conservation in these Neotropical regions requires accounting for their unique evolutionary dynamics and the implications of varying geological ages on plant community composition.

**S.108.4 Functional traits in four tropical dry forest species in relation to soil water availability under nursery conditions (Colombia)**

Alisson Dennis González-Cortes<fnref n="1" />, Natalia Rodríguez-Jiménez<fnref n="1" />, Yesid Alejandro Mariño-Macana², Mary L. Berdugo-Lattke³

During process of propagation and management of key plant species for ecological restoration (ER), it is necessary monitoring the growth and function-

al response before planting, because the nursery management influence the survival and success of plants in restoration areas. In this research, the response of four species of inter-Andean tropical dry forest (TDF) in Colombia was analyzed under different conditions of soil water availability (WA): 100%, 79.6%, 65.9% and without irrigation (main environmental filter). The species were selected by their successional preference, 120 plants were included in the experimental design, divided into four treatments per species: *Ochroma pyramidale* (pioneer), *Senna spectabilis* (pioneer), *Tabebuia rosea* (intermediate-advanced) and *Astronium graveolens* (intermediate-advanced). The experimental phase was carried out for seven consecutive weeks, then total harvest was performed to measure six traits: leaf area (cm²), leaf thickness (mm), xylem vessel density (#/mm²), xylem vessel diameter (µm) and the proportion of secondary roots (% dry biomass). In *O. pyramidale* WA-response traits are related to stem and roots with an affinity towards the acquisitive strategy and resists drought, in *S. spectabilis* the response were leaf thickness and stem, with an affinity towards the acquisitive strategy and avoids drought. For *A. graveolens* and *T. rosea*, the response traits were stem and root, related to the conservative strategy, however *A. graveolens* tolerates drought as it remained evergreen, while *T. rosea* resists as leaf abscission occurs with prolonged drought (deciduous). In all species the relationship between traits was different, however under prolonged drought the proportion of secondary roots increased, as a strategy to search water. We conclude that these species require differential irrigation management to improve their response in growth, transplanting and survival in the nursery, this management guarantee a better response in the areas will be restored.

<footnote n="1">1 Semillero Tygua, Programa de Biología, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Central, Fundación Natura Bogotá, Colombia. 2 Programa de Biología, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Central, Bogotá, Colombia. 3 Grupo de investigación de agua y desarrollo sostenible, Semillero Tygua, Programa de Biología, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Central, Bogotá, Colombia. 4 Grupo de investigación de biodiversidad y conservación, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia</footnote>
# S.109 CRYOBIOTECHNOLOGY: BROADENING THE SCOPE OF PRESERVING PLANT BIODIVERSITY FOR THE FUTURE

## S.109.1 Cryopreservation of Macadamia – a tough nut to crack

Karen Sommerville, Cathy Offord

Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Mount Annan, Australia

The preservation of *Macadamia* diversity is important to conservation of species in the wild and the future of the world-wide macadamia industry. We aimed to determine whether standard seed banking or cryopreservation of whole seeds would be suitable for preserving these taxa. We first investigated the response of seeds of five taxa to desiccation and storage for 1 month at -20 and -192°C. All taxa tolerated drying but responded poorly to storage at both temperatures. Thermal analysis of dry seeds was then used to investigate energy transitions during freezing and thawing that might explain the observed response. Samples of cotyledonary tissue were sealed in aluminum pans then lowered from 20 to -150°C, and raised from -150 to 50°C, in a differential scanning calorimeter. The resulting thermograms showed a crystallisation transition between -10 and -20°C, and a broad melting transition from around -20 to 0°C, for all taxa. Based on these results, we compared the effect of storage at 4 and -5°C (avoiding the crystallisation transition zone) against storage at -20 and -192°C for seeds of *M. integrifolia* x *tetraphylla* 'Beaumont' and *M. jansenii*. Both taxa responded significantly better to storage at the higher temperatures than at -20 or -192°C. However, we expect the large seeds of some *Macadamia* taxa may still be short-lived under those conditions so have commenced research on cryopreservation of the much smaller embryonic axes. Preliminary experiments have shown that normal seedlings can be produced from fresh embryonic axes providing they have a small amount of cotyledon attached, are sterilised in 2% bleach for no more than 15 minutes and are sown on MS medium containing 2% activated charcoal and 250 ppm gibberellic acid. Experiments testing survival

following drying and immersion in liquid nitrogen will be undertaken in the next fruiting season.

## S.109.2 Bryophyte spore conservation: what do we know and what else can we learn?

Belén Albertos¹, Giuseppe Tilocca²,⁴,
Carlos Eced¹, Aleksandra Ruzic¹, Ricardo
Garilleti¹, Francisco Lara³, Daniel
Ballesteros¹,⁴

1 Universitat de València, Spain. 2 University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria. 3 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. 4 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK.

Bryophyte spores offer enormous potential for biological studies and conservation. As unicellular model for stress tolerance studies, they can provide essential information on how the land was conquered. Being key elements in reproduction and dispersal, they play important part in the biology and biogeography of the species. And for our efforts in preserving biodiversity, they can be used for efficient ex-situ conservation in spore banks. Bryophyte spores are usually unicellular, although some species produce multicellular spores because of an endosporic germination. Most bryophyte spores have fully developed chloroplasts at maturity, and our results show that they can be highly lipidic. This is a unique combination of characters in land plants' propagules, as seeds and fern spores containing chlorophyll often show low storage lipids. Bryophytes have proved to be long term survivors, growing from soil banks after a century (e.g., *Bruchia vogesiaca*, *Physcomitrium eurystomum*). However, our comparative studies suggest that they are generally short lived at room or experimentally controlled conditions. This may be related to the unique combination
of spore characters mentioned above. To improve our knowledge on these structures we should learn about their physiology (e.g., type of storage lipids, contents of chlorophyll, other pigments, and antioxidants), ecology (e.g., relationship between desiccation tolerance and xeroclastic/hygrochastic dispersal) and biogeographic implications (e.g., how differences concerning spore features justify differing distribution patterns in related taxa). Finally, for the purpose of ex-situ conservation, we should experimentally understand the storage conditions that preserve their maximum longevity. Moreover, we must decipher the parameters for the optimal spore germination and protonemal growth in a large and diverse number of species. We aim to offer a brief overview of current knowledge and future perspectives of this line of research because, despite their importance, our knowledge of bryophyte spores is still fragmentary and sometimes contradictory.

### S.109.3 Phylogenetic diversity stored in seed banks: looking back and ahead

Angelino Carta¹, Efisio Mattana², Andreas Ensslin³, Sandrine Godefroid⁴, Rafael Molina-Venegas⁵

1 University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. 2 Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, Ardingly, UK. 3 Conservatory and Botanic Garden of Geneva, Switzerland. 4 Meise Botanic Garden, Meise, Belgium. 5 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

With two in five plants facing extinction, identifying currently unsecured branches of the Tree of Life is key to prioritise future conservation efforts. Thus, phylogenetic diversity (PD) methods become crucial in designing cost-effective conservation planning for species' prioritisation and prevent lineages loss. Conventional seed banking (i.e., conservation of desiccation-tolerant seeds at below-zero temperatures) is the most efficient and effective ex-situ method for long-term conservation. However, the development of phylogenetically informed seed collecting programmes is difficult due to the insofar limited accessibility of biodiversity data represented in conservation facilities and to the lack of tailored methodological frameworks. Here, we used a comprehensive dataset spanning over 30 years conservation effort of 109 institutions across 29 European countries and provided a new flexible method to identify those species whose conservation would maximize the phylo-

genetic history representativeness should they become protected in conventional seed banks. Over one third (8,383 species) of the European angiosperm flora is currently secured in conventional seed banks, representing 60% of the total PD. However, this value is lower than the potential PD that could have been conserved because whole plant lineages are absent from banked seed lots. We show how securing further 4000 unsecured species selected from those lineages, would lead to protect 90% of total PD, as opposed to the 74% achieved from the same number of randomly selected unsecured species. Our method allows to prioritise among unsecured species using a stepwise-PD-maximisation procedure, adaptable to different resource availability scenarios. Nevertheless, for some of those species there are obstacles that prevent their seed collection and conservation. Thus, this study provides baseline data to promote better-grounded seed-based conservation policies and more generally, our new method will serve to prioritize among unsecured species of any taxonomic group so that the trade-off between secured evolutionary history and budget availability is maximised.

### S.109.4 Conservation of oak species by biotechnological tools

Elena Corredoira¹, Mª Teresa Martínez¹

1 Misión Biológica de Galicia (CSIC), Santiago de Compostela, La Coruña, Spain

The genus Quercus, which includes more than 400 species of oak, is found throughout the northern hemisphere in a wide diversity of habitats. Oak forests play vital social, ecological and economic roles. However, the sustainability of oak populations is currently threatened by habitat loss caused by, among other factors, human-mediated disturbance, adverse environmental conditions, attack by pathogens and pests and in particular by a complex disease commonly known as "oak decline". The conservation of oak species is therefore of great importance. Biotechnological tools based on in vitro cultivation, such as micropropagation and cryopreservation, are considered good alternatives to other classic conservation strategies (i.e., in situ conservation or field collections). In vitro culture techniques enable conservation of the germplasm of woody species that undergo vegetative propagation or that produce recalcitrant seeds; they also enable the conservation of biotechnology-derived products. The present work revises the main advances in the conservation of oak genetic
<figure><img src="image_259.png" /></figure>

resources using biotechnological tools based in vitro techniques. Different strategies are reported for short- and medium-term (micropropagation) and also long-term conservation (cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen) of oak. In the first approach, shoot cultures and somatic embryos are maintained by periodic subculture (4-6 weeks), often indefinitely. In addition, the subculture period can be greatly extended (12 months or even longer) by subjecting the cultures to slow growth conditions (i.e., low temperature, illumination, or nutrients). Long-term conservation procedures have also been developed for different oak species by cryopreserving somatic embryos. Cryopreservation of somatic embryos was performed following vitrification- and desiccation-based procedures. Comparative studies of these methods clearly showed that the vitrification-based procedure yielded the highest recovery rates.

Acknowledgments: This research was partly funded
by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICIN, Spain),
through the project PID2020-112627RB-C33.

S.109.5 The plant cryo phenotype

Hugh W. Pritchard¹, Xiaojian Hu¹, Daniel Ballesteros², Liang Lin¹

1 Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Institute of Botany, China. 2 University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain.

Cryobiotechnology embraces three components of low temperature science: natural, physiological adaptation and capability; fundamental science of various stress tolerances; and innovative design for biobanking of various explants (cryopreservation). Even though cryo-based solutions are widely accepted as a critical part of a strategy to combat the risk of biodiversity loss, an understanding of species' cryobiotechnology is still patchy. Nonetheless, progress over the last 20 years has been made on the cryo responsivity of species' explants, leading to a better comprehension of cryo phenotypes, i.e., the functional traits that contribute to cryo success in the natural, experimental and biobanking setting. These traits relate to, *inter alia*, the extent or ease of cellular physiological adaptation (including elicitation) to cold and dehydration, the dimensional (physical) limits for tissue cryo and species' differences in cryoprotectant permeability, seed lipid composition and thermal properties, and interspecific variation in somatic embryogenesis and regrowth of explants *in vitro*. We provide an overview of these multiple cryo phenotypes and identify gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed by a future research agenda.

S.110 WORLD FLORA ONLINE: DEVELOPING TAXONOMIC CONSENSUS FOR LAND PLANTS SUPPORTING SCIENCE, CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE

S.110.1 Integrating taxonomic and floristic data into a global perspective: the case of the South African flora

M. Marianne le Roux¹,², Ronell R. Klopper¹,³,
Janine E. Victor¹

1 South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa. 2 University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa. 3 University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.

Taxonomy serves as the foundational framework es-
sential for evaluating, monitoring, and safeguarding
biodiversity. At the onset of the 21st century, acquiring
taxonomic information for these endeavours present-
ed challenges; however, recent advances in technol-
ogy have considerably eased this process. The estab-
lishment of the World Flora Online (WFO) Consortium
has garnered global support in the pursuit of a glob-
al Flora. In 2013, the South African National Biodiversity
Institute (SANBI) joined the WFO Consortium and has
since achieved notable success in creating the e-Flora
of South Africa. Drawing from the 2024 release of the
South African National Plant Checklist, the country has
22,158 indigenous taxa (20,202 indigenous species) of
<figure><img src="image_260.png" /></figure>

which 14,154 taxa (12,210 species) are endemic. As documented on the WFO website (April 2024), the global species count stands at 377,216, signifying that South Africa contributes approximately 5.4% to the global floral knowledge. Remarkably, 3.2% of this contribution is unique due to the high level of endemism in the country. Taxonomic information is harnessed from existing published information to populate the e-Flora of South Africa database. Starting from 2016, data from the South African National Plant Checklist and the e-Flora of South Africa have been integrated into the WFO, fulfilling the country's international obligations concerning the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation and WFO. By 2020, comprehensive coverage of all indigenous species was achieved within the e-Flora of South Africa culminating in its 2023 publication on SANBI's new Biodiversity Advisor platform. Looking ahead, the e-Flora of South Africa will be maintained in alignment with updates to the South African National Plant Checklist, accompanied by expansion to encompass descriptions of infraspecific taxa, genera, families, and naturalised taxa. An inclusive overview of the e-Flora of South Africa project will be presented to provide a comprehensive understanding of its scope and significance.

## S.110.2 Consensus classifications are crucial for conservation: How CITES utilises checklists

Ronell R Klopper¹,²

1 South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa. 2 University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) aims to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. To manage and regulate trade in endangered species, taxa are listed on one of three CITES Appendices. Many groups are included in the Appendices via higher classification listings. In such cases an entire genus will be listed, for instance 'Pachypodium spp.' (i.e., all species of Pachypodium). As classifications change, genera can be split apart or lumped together. These changes in classification have dire implications for law enforcement officials who need to implement CITES regulations. The situation is further complicated when different resources provide different classifications for the same group of plants. Therefore CITES designates standard nomenclature references to use for certain listed taxa,

especially those with higher classification listings. These standard references contain lists of names that are currently accepted in those taxa and forms the basis for updates to the CITES Checklist of Species and Species+ databases, which are regularly consulted by those who need to regulate international plant trade. Standard nomenclature references for CITES can take the form of published revisions or other taxonomic works, customised checklist publications produced specifically for this purpose, or time-stamped extracts from online data sources. The WFO Plant List can play an important role as a consensus classification source, curated by a global specialist-based community of experts, to be used for future CITES standard nomenclature references. Time-stamped extracts for a specific group from the WFO Plant List will be ideal to serve this purpose. Furthermore, the WFO Taxonomic Expert Networks (TENs) are ideally placed to produce customised CITES checklist publications. In fact, three such checklists based on the WFO Plant List are currently being produced for CITES by WFO TENs.

## S.110.3 Electronic tools and social networks: resolving names and integrating new taxa in developing a global consensus classification

Alan Elliott¹, Roger Hyam¹, Mark Watson¹

1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

The World Flora Online (WFO) was developed in response to the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation and the need for suitable floristic data to support conservation. WFO currently contains about 1.6 million plant names, with associated concepts, and over 600,000 pieces of descriptive content. WFO includes a global consensus plant classification, developed through merging and incorporating multiple data sources, augmented by input from WFO's Taxonomic Expert Networks (TENs). TENs are key to achieving a robust, curated, consensus classification. These social networks are open groups of taxonomic specialists providing relevant taxonomic and nomenclatural expertise to resolve issues and maintain the classification. TENs vary in size, structure, and function. Some are new while others are built on existing collaborations. The WFO classification is managed through Rhakhis, a standalone, web-based data management tool allowing curation of the data. Curator authentication is handled via a link to ORCiD. Authorisation for cura-
<figure><img src="image_261.png" /></figure>

tors is delegated hierarchically down the taxonomic tree. This allows TENs, and the TEN Manager, to oversee and manage the live data directly and delegate curatorial authority to colleagues. The TEN Manager has additional tools to add newly published, historic names and edits from the International Plant Names Index (IPNI); incorporate structured classification files from sources like World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), BryoNames, and datasets provided by TENs stored in institutional taxonomic databases or in Catalogue of Life's ChecklistBank. The WFO classification is published 6-monthly as the WFO Plant List, and is provided in multiple formats with a CC-0 licence, including data archives on Zenodo and ChecklistBank with DOIs. Two R packages are available to match and resolve names to a WFO ID. Name matching is also available through an interactive online matching tool that accepts text lists and csv files. Machine to machine interfaces allow for integration with curatorial and other systems.

**S.110.4 Catching up on plant diversity: the online flora of Mexico "eFloraMEX"**

Victoria Sosa¹

1 Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología AC, Xalapa, Mexico

Mexico is a megadiverse country with an elevated diversity of species of vascular plants. A comprehensive Flora that includes all of the vascular plants distributed in Mexico does not yet exist. Electronic Floras have demonstrated the value of a compendium based on existing knowledge and published Floras, checklists and revisions. The objective here is to summarize and evaluate the taxonomic and digital resources and the bioinformatic tools needed to develop an online Flora for the vascular plants of Mexico, as well as to discuss its content. Organization of this project will follow World Flora Online. It will be based on approximately 5.3 million specimens deposited in Mexican herbaria, with an inter-operative portal to other biodiversity platforms. The name assigned to this online flora is "eFloraMEX". The main challenges to completing this Flora are building the team, training taxonomists, digitizing the specimens for most of Mexican herbaria and obtaining the required long-term funding.

**S.110.5 Bridging the phylogeny to classification gap at genus and species levels to obtain the best possible taxonomic knowledge in the Caryophyllales**

Nadja Korotkova¹, Thomas Borsch¹

1 Botanischer Garten Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

The order Caryophyllales constitutes a major clade of the angiosperms, encompassing about 13,500 species. Whereas the circumscription of families has been stable since a number of years, the circumscription of genera shows considerable turnover as the number of species included into phylogenetic analyses raises. From 749 genera accepted in 2015, the current state of knowledge justifies the monophyletic circumscription of >779 genera. The examples of the three speciose families Cactaceae, and in particular Caryophyllaceae and Plumbaginaceae show that large (>100 species) and widespread genera lack consistent taxonomic treatments. We have therefore developed a work-flow that aims at integrating the available knowledge: The basis forms a name source compiled from available electronic sources (WFO core data, WCVP, IPNI) with a preliminary assessment of the status as accepted name and synonym. As next steps protologue and type information is added as completely as possible, and published sources for taxon concepts matching the accepted species are assigned as secundum references with priority being given to phylogeny-based synopses or monographs. Further support to evaluate taxon concepts at species level comes from phylogenetic analyses which we are also directly implementing or facilitating within the TEN. The EDIT Platform is used to manage the taxonomic backbone (taxon concepts, names, references, associated data) what allows for an easy change of taxon circumscriptions once new knowledge become available and the generation of publication ready outputs of taxonomic treatments. The results show that the number of accepted species can differ considerably from previous estimates and hitherto available species lists. All together more than 50 botanists from 30 countries are so far involved in the Caryophyllales TEN.
<figure><img src="image_262.png" /></figure>

## S.110.6 Catalogue of Life and the need for a global consensus classification for plants

Olaf Bánki¹

1 Catalogue of Life, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Taxonomic name services are relevant in science to combine data from different sources. In fact, all information about a species is tied to its name. Usages extend beyond science to different domains, like legislation, health, nature management amongst others. A global consensus classification is also used for discovery and access to biodiversity data, such as in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (https://gbif.org), and for measuring the progress of implementing targets from international policy initiatives like the Convention on Biological Diversity. In its 27 years of existence, Catalogue of Life (COL; https://catalogueoflife.org) has created a global index of described organisms (Bánki et al. 2023). But taxonomy is dynamic and ever changing. Continuous

effort by taxonomic communities is essential to keep up with new scientific insights. COL is supported by a community of more than 500 experts, who are acknowledged in the COL Checklist citation. Together with the World Flora Online (https://worldfloraonline.org), COL is aspiring to get towards a global consensus classification for plants. Filling gaps in plant taxonomic data and ensuring the highest data quality are essential for meeting user needs. The ChecklistBank infrastructure (https://checklistbank.org), a publishing platform for taxonomic data, is a helpful tool in overcoming challenges. It offers open access to data sources, and tools for comparing species lists amongst others. We invite plant taxonomists to become part of the endeavour and help make the best possible taxonomic data available.

References: Bánki, O., Roskov, Y., Döring, M., Ower, G., Hernández Robles, D. R., Plata Corredor, C. A., Stjernegaard Jeppesen, T., Örn, A., Vandepitte, L., Hobern, D., Schalk, P., DeWalt, R. E., Ma, K., Miller, J., Orrell, T., et al. (2023). Catalogue of Life Checklist (Version 2023-11-24). Catalogue of Life. https://doi.org/10.48580/dfgnm

## S.111 NEW DIRECTIONS IN EARLY MODERN BOTANY COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES

### S.111.1 Networks, maps and silences in the Sloane Herbarium, 1680-1753

Brad Scott¹

1 Natural History Museum, London, and Queen Mary University of London

Understanding the history of early natural history collections is an essential prerequisite for almost any other research on them, though their histories can be challenging to reconstruct. Recent work in the history of science, history of knowledge, collection histories, and digital humanities offers productive methods for conceptualising and reinterpreting these fragile objects. The herbarium of Hans Sloane (1660-1753) comprises 265 volumes and about 125,000 specimens. As a collection it has been periodically studied especially since the 1880s, but it is difficult to access and

to comprehend its scale, complexity, and limitations. My work combines archive-based research with a folio-by-folio review of all the volumes, and the creation and analysis of an enriched XML version of James Dandy's catalogue, *The Sloane Herbarium* (1958). Together, these approaches offer opportunities for researching plant knowledge and histories at scale, and reveal some of the gaps and silences in the way the collection has been mediated to us. Incorporating mapping and network analysis, my work explores the social and cultural relations of plant collecting as centred in Britain and Ireland, the geographical origin of specimens, and how that changed over time. In so doing, it examines the implications for understanding and constructing provenance for material from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and discusses the methodological insights arising from such approaches.
<figure><img src="image_263.png" /></figure>

## S.111.2 The lasting impact of Caspar Bauhin's (1560-1624) enormous herbarium: 40 years of assembly and 400 years of dissemination

Jurriaan M. de Vos¹

1 Herbaria Basel, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

Caspar Bauhin (1560-1624) is one of the most influential botanists of all time. His publication Pinax Theatrum Botanicum (1623) represents approximately the first complete compendium of all ca. 6000 known plants, 130 years before Linnaeus' famous Species Plantarum (1753). By listing extensive synonymy, a somewhat "natural" classification, and a greatly improved naming system that included genus and species as explicit ranks, Bauhin shaped botany as a scientific discipline for centuries to come. Bauhin based his plant catalogue and descriptions on his herbarium, that by his own account contained ca. 4000 species. Of these, some 2700 survive. In this talk I sumarize the process of its assembly over 40 years, including through exchange with at least 70 contemporaries evidenced from Bauhin's Phytopanax (1596), Pinax (1623), letters, and herbarium labels. The following 400 years, the herbarium influenced directly and indirectly other key figures in the history of botany, including Albrecht von Haller, Carolus Linnaeus, and Augustin Pyramus de Candolle. I emphasize how the "biography" of the herbarium tracks changing concepts in herbarium based research from the late renaissance to current research, the latter exemplified by ongoing projects regarding comparative genomics of tomato domestication and progress in digitalization. I conclude that these developments necessitate closer collaboration between historians of science and natural-scientists.

## S.111.3 Tracing the introduction history of Tulipa sylvestris in northern Europe in the 16th century

Anastasia Stefanaki¹,²,³*, Floris C. Breman², Freek T. Bakker², Robin van Velzen², M. Eric Schranz², Tinde van Andel²,³

1 Utrecht University Botanic Gardens, Utrecht, The Netherlands. 2 Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands. 3 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands * a.stefanaki@uu.nl

Tulipa sylvestris is a small yellow tulip that was introduced in northern Europe during the 16th century by botanists. Unlike commercial ornamental tulips that came from Ottoman gardens, T. sylvestris came from the Mediterranean region. It subsequently escaped from gardens to become widely naturalized in Europe, where it is commonly known as the "wild tulip". Its introduction path is poorly understood and complex due to naturalization, polyploidization and a complex taxonomy. We combined historical research and population genomics to reconstruct the introduction history of T. sylvestris in Europe. Our historical search was restricted to original 16th-century sources, including herbarium specimens, botanical texts, illustrations and archives. We also performed genomic repeat profiling, and constructed median networks using rDNA and complete chloroplast genomes. DNA was sampled from native and naturalized T. sylvestris populations across Europe and historic herbarium material, including a 16th-century specimen from the Rauwolf herbarium collected in 1563. Our results show that the introduction of T. sylvestris was not a one-time event but happened through several routes in the period between ca. 1550 and 1580. Famous 16th-century botanists were involved, including Conrad Gessner, Ulisse Aldrovandi, Matthias de Lobel and Carolus Clusius. Seeds were introduced first from the garden of Padova in northern Italy to Zurich, Switzerland, in ca. 1554-1559. This material was most likely not further spread in Europe. Historical and DNA data point out that naturalized T. sylvestris in northern Europe originates from Bologna in northern Italy. Another introduction route via the west Mediterranean is historically connected with Montpellier in southern France. Our findings show that (ancient) DNA is of great value to fill gaps in historical sources. Moreover, we argue that a genetic approach on past crop movements can only reach its full potential when embedded in proper historical context.

## S.111.4 Combining scientific archives, historical methods, and indigenous knowledge to reconstruct Oxford's du Bois Herbarium (1680-1740)

Madeline E. White¹

1 Faculty of History, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
<figure><img src="image_264.png" /></figure>

The du Bois Herbarium, a collection of nearly 14,000 botanical specimens pristinely preserved within the Oxford University Herbaria, is a unique relic of early modern science. Compiled by English East India Company treasurer Charles du Bois between 1680 and 1740, the Herbarium is closely tied to leading figures of eighteenth-century botany, melding early British scientific and colonial histories into a single source. Despite the compendium's exciting potential, the du Bois Herbarium remains one of the least explored collections of its kind, largely neglected after it was dismantled from its original binding in the 19th century. While long deemed archaic, this project argues that the du Bois Herbarium should instead be considered a vibrant scientific archive, brimming with details about the inner workings of natural history and its ties with Britain's early colonial endeavours in India. Charles du Bois and his herbarium bring a fresh perspective to the histories of eighteenth-century botany, which have long been dominated by a historiographical hyper-fixation on the Atlantic world and more famous figures such as Hans Sloane and Joseph Banks. Furthermore, du Bois's unique interest in collecting and documenting South Asian plant names, allows for an unprecedented opportunity to trace the interest in, and treatment of, indigenous Indian knowledge within pre-Linnean taxonomical systems. Highlighting the accompanying manuscripts and materiality of the herbarium, this examination also shows how these now-discarded naming systems are central to reconstructing the herbarium's original form. Charles du Bois stood at a key crossroads between early modern structures of commerce, science, and empire, presenting an ideal entry to discussions of 'decolonising' natural history. The first to bring such a critical lens to the University of Oxford's historical collections, this project shows how centuries-old specimens provide deeper insight into early modern botany, and the larger scientific and colonial communities that underpinned its development.

### S.111.5 The herbarium collections of the Moravian Church – network analysis with digital humanities methods

Sarah T. Wagner¹, Frank Müller¹, Lena Frenzke¹, Thomas Ruhland²

1 Chair of Botany, Dresden University of Technology. 2 Interdisciplinary Centre for Pietism Research, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

The Herbarium Dresdense (DR), Germany, houses about 500.000 specimens of worldwide origin. One of the oldest and most valuable collections is the Herbarium Barbiense of the Moravian Church (in German: Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine) from the mid to the late 18th century. On their mission to spread Christianity, the Moravians settled on many continents and took the advantage of exploring culture and nature of their new home countries. Being excellent observers and documentarists, they left a barely explored corpus of objects and texts of tremendous importance for natural sciences and humanities. A current project, which uses Digital Humanities methods, aims to identify the historical contexts of their herbarium collections, i.e., through personal correspondences, itineraries, botanical manuscripts, and publications to reconstruct the names of the individual collectors, to clarify their manifold contributions to botany and finally to create an overview of their influence on the development of modern natural sciences. The scientific heritage of the Moravian Church members demonstrates that they were strongly integrated into the scientific community of the 18th and 19th century. Letters in the collections of the Linnean Society show, that they were in close contact with leading scientists, e.g. Carl v. Linné, discussing issues on plant taxonomy, exchanging specimens and presenting own fieldworks and floras. Using methods of the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI), Normed Data and Linked (Open) Data, we want to contextualise herbarium specimens, which often lack detailed collection information, with associated archive material (e.g. flora manuscripts, plant lists, field books) in order to enrich the specimens with botanical metadata and thus make them usable for research. First results are presented in our contribution.
# S.112 MECHANICAL FORCES IN PLANT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

## S.112.1 How cell wall structure and mechanics affect plant organ function

Dorota Borowska-Wykręt¹, Dorota Kwiatkowska¹, Aleksandra Liszka², Jan Łyczakowski², Anna Nowak¹, Łukasz Wiczołek², Wiktoria Wodniok¹

1 Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland. 2 Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland

Plant tissue is a cellular solid material in which walls of adjacent plant cells form a complex network that is the main mechanical component of the tissue. Therefore, mechanical properties of cell walls are crucial for plant growth and for supportive or movement functions of plant organs. Protoplasts of growing cells are encapsulated in primary cell walls that are under tensile stress generated by turgor. These prestressed walls provide structural support to growing organs but at the same time are a direct growth regulating factor. The regulation acts via mechanical properties of primary walls that depend on their chemical composition and structural anisotropy. Secondary cell walls, in turn, are formed after growth cessation and ensure performance of specific organ functions even long after death of the encapsulated protoplasts. We investigate the complex relationships between cell walls and organ function and growth using trees as a model system. Trees are unique in providing opportunity to investigate both primary and specialized woody secondary walls in the same plant species. In our work we combine biochemical analyses with mechanical tests and deformation measurements. We address the question on how composition of primary cell walls affects elongation of hypocotyls and their stiffness, focusing on the hemicelluloses, which are the least extensively studied component of primary cell walls. We also introduce a scale of conifer (Abies sp.) cones as a new model to study the role of cell wall in movements of organs built of dead cells. Similar, albeit slower, movements are observed in

reaction wood, which has major importance for the forestry sector.

Acknowledgments: This research is funded by National Science Centre, Poland, grant No 2022/47/B/NZ3/01972.

## S.112.2 Transcriptomic profiling reveals early woody root responses to mechanical stress

Mohamed Kouhen¹, Anastazija Dimitrova¹, Gabriella Stefania Scippa¹, Dalila Trupiano¹

1 Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, Pesche, IS, Italy

Plants are exposed to a variety of mechanical stresses including wind, herbivory, gravity, and belowground physical obstacles. These factors can have major economic impacts on crops, forests, and urban trees. Revealing the plant molecular responses to mechanical stress is crucial for understanding the mechanisms underlying their adaptive strategies. A lack of knowledge persists regarding the early root responses to mechanical impedance, especially in woody roots. We opted for RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to investigate the early genetic response in the woody roots of *Populus nigra*. Mechanical stress over a temporal scale ranging from 1 to 6 hours was applied, adopting plant-adapted root bending approaches, after which root tissues were manually sectioned into concave (compressed zone) and convex (stretched zone) sides to discern spatially distinct gene expression patterns. The study constitutes the first characterization and comprehensive view of the early transcriptomic landscape in woody roots, emphasizing the role of spatial considerations in the plant responses to mechanical stress and the way in which the asymmetrical sensing is integrated into global root responses. The results provide new insights into the early molecular events associated with mechanical stress in woody roots reflecting the
<figure><img src="image_265.png" /></figure>

dynamic of time-dependent and side-specific transcriptomic shift. Key genes and pathways involved in stress perception, signal transduction, and the activation of defense mechanisms were identified. These genes and pathways could be perspective targets for further functional characterizations and enhancing plant resilience to mechanical perturbations and thus growth in forestry, urban and farming context.

## S.112.3 How mechanical forces interact with heterochrony as a major force of floral evolution

Louis P. Ronse De Craene¹

1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Heterochrony functions as a fundamental process in the evolution of organisms, as the event causing changes in the timing of initiation and in the duration of a developmental process. In flowers this process is linked to the early development of floral organs and their subsequent expansion. As organs develop in the confined space of the flower bud, they undergo spatial constraints which are intimately linked to heterochronic shifts. Mechanical pressure may be effective at different stages of development, at the onset of flower formation, when organs arise, and at flower maturation. Heterochronic shifts lead to a delay or acceleration of the development of neighbouring primordia, ultimately affecting the morphospace of the flower. The results of these shifts are altered organ positions and morphologies (heterotopy and homeosis), fusions, or organ reductions and loss, leading to major changes in floral evolution and diversification of flowers. A number of examples illustrate how delay and acceleration in the development are intimately linked to the effect of mechanical forces on developing organs. These affect the transition from inflorescence to flower through bract and bracteoles, the constraint caused by the perianth on stamens and carpels, and the centrifugal influence of stamens on petals, and carpels on stamens, respectively.

## S.112.4 Bending in style: a bead-spring mechanical model for stylar deflection and development in flowers of Cyanella alba

Marco Saltini¹, Caroline Robertson²,
Haoran Xue³, Nicola Illing², Michael
Lenhard³, Eva Deinum¹

1 Mathematical and Statistical Methods, Plant Science Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands. 2 Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. 3 Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany

The widespread occurrence of left/right symmetry breaking in the biological realm underscores a pervasive yet not fully comprehended phenomenon. In particular, the molecular basis of handedness in helical plant growth and the mechanical forces driving asymmetric development in reproductive organs are central, unresolved questions in plant developmental biology. The mirror-image flowers of *Cyanella alba* serve as a striking example of the asymmetric development of plant reproductive organs. In these flowers, the style is deflected either to the left or right side of the floral axis, with a pollinating anther deflected in the opposite direction. Our microscopy imaging of *Cyanella alba* carpels revealed that stylar bending results from differential expansion in ovary wall regions. However, how mechanical forces influence such differential expansion remains unclear. Here, we combine data-driven modeling based on image recognition and biophysical modelling using a bead-spring formalism to investigate the mechanical forces guiding ovary wall growth and stylar bending. By optimising biophysical model parameters to best represent ovary morphological features identified through image recognition, we not only quantify the mechanical forces responsible for ovary expansion and style bending, but we also identify the stiffness of the style base as the primary factor driving stylar bending following differential expansion of the ovary walls. Our findings offer insights into the balance of forces necessary to break symmetry in plant organ development, shedding light on the mechanisms at play in symmetry breaking within biological systems.
<figure><img src="image_266.png" /></figure>

**S.112.5 Effects of mechanical forces on the flower development in Arabidopsis thaliana using a novel experimental system**

Akitoshi Iwamoto¹, Yuna Yoshioka², Ryoka Nakamura¹, Takeshi Yajima¹, Wakana Inoue¹, Kaho Nagakura¹

1 Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kanagawa University. 2 Department of Biology, Tokyo Gakugei University

The mechanical forces have a key role in plant development, including the floral development in angiosperms. Our observation revealed that the phyllotactic variation in the staminate flower of *Ceratophyllum demersum* should be caused by the mechanical forces on the adaxial side of floral primordia, which may be a common mechanism in angiosperms. Based on this result, we have developed a novel experimental system for the analysis of the effects of mechanical forces on the floral meristem of *Arabidopsis thaliana*, aiming to induce morphological changes in flowers. A micromanipulator with a microdevice which is shaped to fit the contour of the abaxial side of young floral primordium is used to cause the contact pressure on floral primordia in this experimental system. We conducted contact experiments using this system, and successfully induced morphological changes in floral primordia during development. In several primordia, the tip of the abaxial sepal was divided into two or three lobes through their development. Another pressured floral primordium developed an additional sepal on the abaxial side (two abaxial sepals). On the other hand, we also found the fusion of sepals in some floral primordia. These results suggest that the mechanical forces have multiple effects on the floral development.

**S.112.6 Glutamate in mechanosensing and mechanotransduction: a dynamic spatio-temporal integrator between mechanosensing and microtubule behaviour**

Bellandi, A.¹, Lionnet, C.¹, Faulkner, C.², Hamant, O.¹

1 RDP Laboratory, ENS Lyon, Lyon, France. 2 John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK

When responding to various stimuli plants couple cellular responses to intercellular ones, leading local stimuli to affect characteristics of tissues and organs. Upon wound and touch, for example, plants respond with increasing apoplastic glutamate levels and increasing cytoplasmic calcium levels travelling across tissues and organs in a wave-like manner. Intriguingly, it is unknown how glutamate is released upon mechanical stimulation and what the implications of this release are in the context of mechanosensing and mechanotransduction. Microtubules are key in defining tissue mechanical properties, and it is well documented that they can dynamically respond to changes in stress patterns. However, how microtubules reorient in response to mechanical stress it is not known. We hypothesise that glutamate could affect microtubule dynamics and properties via posttranslational modification (glutamylation) of tubulin, therefore representing the missing link between mechanosensing and microtubule behaviour. To test this, we investigate levels of tubulin glutamylation in plants, mechanisms of glutamate release upon touch and effects of glutamate on microtubule dynamics.
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# S.113 THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF PALMS (ARECACEAE)

## S.113.1 The tumultuous past, glorious present, and troubled future of palms

Sidonie Bellot¹, Alexandre Antonelli¹,
Steven P. Bachman¹, Grace Brewer¹,
Rodrigo Cámara-Leret², Fabien
Condamine³, Ángela Cano⁴, Thomas
Couvreur⁵, Robyn Cowan¹, Laszlo Csiba¹,
John Dransfield¹, Wolf L. Eiserhardt¹,
Niroshini Epitawalage¹, Félix Forest¹, W.
Daniel Kissling⁶, Benedikt G. Kuhnhäuser¹,
Ilia J. Leitch¹, Yijing Lu¹, Kelly Matsunaga⁷,
Olivier Maurin¹, Robert J. Morley⁸, Eimear
Nic Lughadha¹, Ian Ondo¹, Samuel
Pironon¹, Michelle Siros¹, Barnaby E.
Walker¹, William J. Baker¹

1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 2 Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 3 Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), Montpellier, France. 4 Cambridge University Botanic Garden, Cambridge, UK. 5 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier, France. 6 Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 7 The University of Kansa, Lawrence, USA. 8 Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, UK.

Palms (Arecaceae) have been studied for decades all around the world, yielding an ever-growing wealth of data on their geographical distribution, traits, fossils, genomes, and uses by people. The combined study of these datasets can help us understand how palms evolved, how they can be used and protected today, and how they may cope with future challenges. We illustrate this here with two examples from our past and current research. First, we show how combining genomic and paleontological data improves our understanding of the relationships, ages and early historical biogeography of palm genera. Up to 1255 nuclear genes were sequenced for each palm genus and the data were used to estimate their phylogeny. Affinities and ages of hundreds of palm fossils were then reviewed and

some of the fossils were selected to inform the estimation of early divergence times and historical biogeography in the family. Second, we use machine learning based on occurrence data points to estimate the extinction risk of hundreds of species, and we combine these predictions with trait and ethno-botanical datasets to assess the impact that predicted extinctions could have on palm phylogenetic and functional diversity, and on palm uses around the world. We conclude by discussing how integrating ecological, morphological and genomic data could help to predict and improve palm resilience to global change, highlighting the urgent need and opportunity for collaborative international studies on this topic.

## S.113.2 Palms in space and time: Progress towards a genomic species-level phylogeny

Paola de Lima Ferreira¹, Ángela Cano²,
Benedikt Kuhnhäuser³, Sidonie Bellot³,
William Baker³, Wolf Eiserhardt¹ and the
Palm Phylogeny Working Group

1 Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. 2 Cambridge University Botanic Garden, Cambridge, UK. 3 Royal Botanic Gardens, Richmond, UK.

Evolutionary and ecological studies rely on phylogenies to shed light on the patterns and processes that have shaped biodiversity through space and time. However, our understanding is often fragmented due to incomplete phylogenetic sampling. Here, we are moving towards having a complete phylogenetic framework for the palm family (Arecaceae) based on target enrichment sequencing data. Bioinformatic analyses are based on a "divide and conquer" approach where each palm subfamily is analyzed separately in order to minimize the effects of paralogous genes. Then, subfamilies are combined to understand their relationships and to reconstruct the backbone. Our sequencing database includes all five subfamilies, all 183 genera and 2,080 species (83% of accepted species). The extensive taxonomic sampling could only be achieved due to
<figure><img src="image_268.png" /></figure>

a massive joint effort of >40 researchers of the Palm Phylogeny Working Group (PPWG). Most of the deep relationships that we recovered with these data are consistent with our understanding of palm phylogeny from earlier studies. However, the majority of species-level relationships have never been tested before and are explored for the first time in this new genomic tree. The phylogeny tree was dated using the most recent revision of fossils available for the family and used as a framework to understand its historical biogeographic patterns through space and time, diversification and biome evolution.

### S.113.3 Unravelling evolution in the date palm genus: phylogenomics and species delimitation of genus Phoenix.

Jeronimo Cid¹,², Alex Papadopulos¹,², Muriel Gros-Bhalthazard³,⁴, Sylvie Ferrand⁴, Nathan Wales⁵, Michael Purugganan⁴, Oscar A. Pérez-Escobar¹, Sidonie Bellot¹

1 Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, UK. 2 School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Gwynedd, UK. 3 DIADE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier, France. 4 Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE. 5 Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK.

Palms are distributed along sub-tropical and tropical regions of the world and depended upon by millions of people. As such, ongoing aridification raises concerns for palm conservation and their supported livelihoods, and makes it critical that we gain a deeper understanding of drought adaptation in palms. Comparative studies including model crop species and their more variable wild relatives show great potential to progress the understanding of complex traits such as drought tolerance. A good model to perform such studies is the *Phoenix* genus, which includes the culturally and economically important date palm crop (*Phoenix dactylifera*), and thirteen wild species occurring in habitats that vary in aridity. However, the phylogenetic relationships and species barriers of *Phoenix* species have not been elucidated so far. This slows down understanding of *Phoenix* evolutionary history and prevents robust estimations of how wild species may suffer from future

aridification. Accurate delimitation of species and the inferring of the species relationships in *Phoenix* has been impeded by morphological and genetic similarities among species, in some cases resulting from past or ongoing hybridisation. For instance, hybridisation among the Cretan date palm (*Phoenix theophrasti*) and west African date palm has been documented and is considered the reason for the increased genetic diversity among west African date palm populations. To build accurate phylogenies while solving the delimitation of species within the genus, multidisciplinary research looking at genetic, ecological and morphological information must be undertaken on well identified accessions, and genomic approaches must account for gene flow between species. Here, we infer well-supported phylogenetic relationships in genus *Phoenix* and clarify the taxonomic status of the Cape Verde date palm by using authoritatively-identified herbarium specimens and gene-flow aware approaches. This will improve our knowledge on the *Phoenix* system which will aid conservation efforts and in crop development.

### S.113.4 Phylogeny and biogeography of Hispaniolan palms

Christine D. Bacon¹, Francine Almeida², Teodoro Clase³, Eladio Fernandez³, Xavier Gratacos⁴, Ayress Grinage⁵, Andrew Henderson⁶, Adrian Hill¹, Oscar Montero³

1 Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. 2 Department of Agronomy, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Alegre, Brazil. 3 Jardín Botánico Nacional "Dr. Rafael Ma. Moscoso", Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. 4 Montgomery Botanical Center, Miami, USA. 5 School of Integrated Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA. 6 New York Botanical Garden, New York, USA

The Caribbean is a biodiversity hotspot and harbours 2% of the Earth's plant diversity. The region is comprised of more than 700 islands, one of the largest of which is Hispaniola. Hispaniola is home to two nations, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and harbours approximately 38 palm species distributed among 16 genera. The impressive Caribbean palm diversity is poorly known, particularly on Hispaniola. Previous work on Caribbean palms will be reviewed to identify knowledge gaps and contextualize our work on the colonization history of Hispaniola. Using a dated phylogeny
<figure><img src="image_269.png" /></figure>

and historical biogeographic analysis, we discuss island diversification. From this, palm species delimitation and conservation action are discussed, with a focus on *Coccothrinax*. Recent monographic work on *Coccothrinax* is summarized in a preliminary phylogenetic framework. A multispecies coalescent inference with multiple samples for nearly all populations present on Hispaniola supports novelties in the genus, species limits, and conservation needs on the island.

**S.113.5 Macroevolution and macroecology patterns in a changing world: insights from an iconic tropical clade**

Cibele Cássia-Silva¹, Christine D. Bacon², Rafael S. Oliveira¹

1 Department of Plant Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil. 2 Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden

Palms (Arecaceae) likely originated in TRF-like ecosystems of Laurasia in the mid-Cretaceous. While many palm lineages fail to colonize seasonally dry habitats, the evolution of drought-avoidance traits enables certain clades, like the tribe Cocoseae, to thrive. The acaulescence growth form, linked to outstanding cososoid palm diversification in Latin America, involves an underground stem, enhancing survival during seasonal dry spells and fires. Acaulescence serves as a preadaptation allowing rainforest cososoid lineages to colonize new fire-prone and drier zones. Indeed, geographic distribution patterns of palms seem closely tied to their traits, particularly in both seasonally dry habitats and islands. Insular habitats play a crucial role in shaping palm trait diversity, with island palms exhibiting higher evolutionary rates for height, fruit size, and predominantly being dioecious. Trait flexibility in sexual system evolution and the *in situ* radiation of dioecious lineages contribute to the outstanding distribution of palms on islands. As sessile organisms, plants respond to environmental change through reproductive traits. Spatial segregation and physiological specialization of sexes in dioicous plants create mismatches in individual responses to environmental change. Conversely, self-fertilization, linked to the dominance of hermaphrodites in drought-stressed habitats, circumvents the need for sexual partners. Different sexual systems of palms (dioecy, hermaphroditism, monoecy, and polygamy) respond similarly to climate change, with reductions in potential distribution expected for all sys-

tems. Climate change threats to global palm richness are ubiquitous but uneven geographically. Most species are expected to lose suitable areas, particularly in Latin America, where palm richness is concentrated. Sharp richness loss is projected for Amazonia and Cerado, the sources of diversification of drought-avoidance traits like acaulescence. Our studies underscore the intricate interplay between evolutionary history, functional traits, and environmental change in shaping the fate of palm diversity.

**S.113.6 Using Bayesian and deep learning models to infer the origin and evolutionary trajectory of palms**

Daniele Silvestro, Rosane Collevatti, Carina Hoorn, Huasheng Huang, Viktoria Keller, Kelly Matsunaga, Robert Morley, Luis Palazzesi, Shalani Parmar, Vandana Prasad, David Sunderlin, Yaowu Xing, and Christine D. Bacon

Throughout the long evolutionary history of life, species of all kingdoms have undergone staggering diversification and faced countless environmental changes and extinction events. Since the great majority of species that lived on Earth have since gone extinct, it is difficult to infer how the evolution of biodiversity unfolded over billions of years. The fossil record provides the most direct evidence of past biodiversity. Yet, using fossils to understand the time of origination of major lineages and how their diversity changed over time is challenged by the inevitable incompleteness of the paleontological record, plagued by taxonomic, temporal, and spatial biases. Here we present a suite of supervised and unsupervised models based on Bayesian inference and deep learning to infer clade age and species richness dynamics in deep time. We compile a comprehensive global database of palm micro- and macro- fossils to evaluate the age of the clade independently of assumptions made under phylogenetic molecular clock models. We also infer the diversity dynamics of the clade after accounting for the biases in the fossil record. Our findings provide new insight into palm evolution across more that 100 million years and the basis for data-driven priors to improve the use of fossil information in phylogenetic inference.
# S.114 FLORAL POLYMORPHISMS AS A RESEARCH TARGET FOR NATURAL SELECTION

## S.114.1 Transitions between combined and separate sexes via natural selection on polymorphisms in sex allocation

John R. Pannell¹

Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne, Lausanne Switzerland

Transitions from hermaphroditism to dioecy have occurred numerous times in the diversification of angiosperms. While the role of inbreeding avoidance in driving these transitions has received substantial attention in both theoretical and empirical studies, we know much less about how transitions might evolve selection for sexual specialisation, despite the fact that sexually dimorphic specialization often accompanies the evolution of dioecy. In this presentation, I present new theoretical results that show how dioecy may evolve from hermaphroditism when there are advantages to sexual specialisation such as those associated with pollen or seed dispersal. The theory also predicts an association between the shape of 'gain curves', which relate fitness to sex allocation, and the evolution of XY versus ZW sex determination. I illustrate the process modelled with empirical results from a long-term experimental evolution study in which we observed, first, the breakdown of dioecy via loss of a Y chromosome and, subsequently, the early stages of a transition back towards separate sexes via selection on variation at sex-allocation loci unrelated to the original sex chromosomes. The study thus draws a theoretical link between sex-allocation and sex-chromosome evolution and draws on the remarkably rapid evolution of sex allocation under experimental conditions that shows how such a link may be manifest.

## S.114.2 Genomic studies of the evolution and loss of distyly shed new light on convergent evolution

Tanja Slotte

1 Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Sweden

Distyly is a floral polymorphism governed by a supergene, that has evolved repeatedly in independent flowering plant lineages, making it a prime example of convergent evolution. Distyly promotes outcrossing and efficient pollen transfer by pollinators via the presence of two floral morphs that differ reciprocally in the positions of theirthers and stigmas, coupled with a heteromorphic self-incompatibility system that reduces self- and intra-morph fertilization. While distyly has evolved multiple times, it has been lost far more frequently, often in association with convergent evolution of floral selfing syndromes. Studying the genetic basis of convergent evolution and loss of distyly therefore offers an excellent opportunity to investigate to what extent convergent phenotypic evolution is associated with repeated evolutionary changes at the molecular level, at the level of genetic architectures, regulation of molecular pathways, or in terms of selection at particular genes. Studying repeated losses of distyly further offers an opportunity to test theoretical predictions on the genetic causes of supergene breakdown, and the population genetic consequences of selfing. Here, I present our work on these topics in Linum, a plant system that is exceptionally well suited for this purpose. Harnessing high-quality genome assemblies, we have for the first time identified and characterized the distyly supergene in Linum at the molecular level. We have also tested theory on genetic causes of loss of distyly and documented pervasive population genomic consequences of this major evolutionary transition. Taken together, genomic studies of distyly have revealed striking similarities in hemizygous genetic architectures and molecular evolution of independently evolved distyly supergenes, contributed new insights into
<figure><img src="image_270.png" /></figure>

the genetic basis of floral morphs, and provide a
foundation for further characterization of the ge-
netic underpinnings and genomic consequences
of convergent evolution and loss of distyly.

S.114.3 Is flower colour variation adaptive?

Yuval Sapir¹, Tzilil Labin¹,², Norah Saabnah¹,², Esther Senden¹,³, Merav Lebel Vine¹, Yamit Bar-Lev¹, Katarzyna Roguz⁴

1 Yehuda Naftali Botanic Garden, Tel Aviv University, Israel. 2 Haifa University, Oranim, Israel. 3 University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 4 Warsaw University Botanic Garden, Poland

The evolution of flower colour is argued to be
driven by pollinators. While most flowering spe-
cies are colour uniform, a minority exhibit with-
in-population colour variation. This variation is
hypothesized to result from balancing selection,
assuming flower colour is an adaptive trait. Bal-
ancing selection is driven by multiple selection
agents, driving balanced and equalized fitness
of all colours. For example, differential pollinator
behavior balances fitness of two colour morphs
in Linum pubescens. Species with spatial pat-
tern of variation suggest a more complex picture.
For example, populations of Anemone coronar-
ia in the arid climate region are red-monomor-
phic, while in the Mediterranean climate colour
polymorphism is maintained through admixture
due to partial partitioning of pollinators. Pollina-
tors in polymorphic population of Fritillaria per-
sica showed little discrimination among colour
morphs due to lack of detection among contin-
uous shades of flower colour. The wide range of
continuous flower colour variation in Iris petrana
is driven by differential expression levels of a few
genes in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway,
with no selection on flower colour likely because
lack of discrimination by pollinators. These pieces
of evidence suggest that flower colour variation
is largely associated with either of three selection
regimes: monomorphic populations are under
directional selection, populations with discrete
colour polymorphism are under balancing selec-
tion, and continuous colour variation is the hall-
mark of neutral or no selection on flower colour.
Studying the rare cases of continuous flower co-
lour variation can shed light on the evolution of
flower colours and its role in communicating with
pollinators.

S.114.4 Exploring the origin
of a shared flower color
polymorphism

Mercedes Sánchez-Cabrera¹, Eduardo Narbona², Montserrat Arista¹, Pedro L. Ortiz¹, Francisco J. Jiménez-López³, Amelia Fuller⁴, Benjamin Carter⁵, Justen B. Whittall⁴

1 Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain. 2 Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain. 3 Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain. 4 Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, USA. 5 San Jose State University, Santa Jose, CA, USA

Polymorphisms are common in plant and animal spe-
cies. However, the origin, maintenance and evolution-
ary forces acting on cases where the polymorphisms
are shared between closely related species remains
challenging. How is a shared polymorphism main-
tained across closely related species? Convergent
evolution, introgression, and the maintenance of an
ancestral polymorphism are the three main possible
evolutionary pathways. Although shared neutral ge-
nomic variation is commonplace, very few examples
of shared functional traits exist. Herein, we investigate
a fascinating case that involves a blue-orange flow-
er color polymorphism maintained across two close-
ly related species, Lysimachia monelli and L. arvensis,
using a multiscale approach. We performed UV-vis
reflectance spectra, flavonoid biochemistry, and petal
transcriptome comparisons followed by climate niche
analysis, to explore different hypothetical evolutionary
scenario of the polymorphism origin. The similarities in
reflectance spectra, biochemistry, and transcriptomes
suggest that a single shift from blue-to-orange shared
by both species is possible. Transcriptomic analyses re-
vealed two orange-specific genes are directly involved
in both blue-orange color polymorphisms: DFR-2 spec-
ificity redirects flux from malvidin to pelargonidin pro-
duction while BZ1-2 stabilizes it with glucose, producing
the orange pelargonidin 3-glucoside. Interestingly, the
different geographic distribution pattern between both
species suggests that their environmental adaptations
may transcend flower color variation and that both
species experienced a different evolutionary history
since their divergence, adding complexity to the main-
tenance of the polymorphisms to the present days. This
persistent flower color polymorphism may represent
an ancestrally polymorphic trait that has transcended
speciation with some unique ecological effects.
<figure><img src="image_271.png" /></figure>

### S.114.5 An unusual supergene underlies the floral polymorphism in heterostylous Amsinckia (Boraginaceae)

Mathias Scharmann¹, Lisa Bartholomäus¹, Christian Kappel¹, Jemimah Abaya¹, Mark Johnston², James Cohen³, Martin Lysák⁴, Terezie Mandáková⁴, Kristen Hasenstab-Lehman⁵, Matt Guilliams⁵, Axel Himmelbach⁶, Michael Lenhard¹

1 University of Potsdam, Germany. 2 Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada. 3 Weber State University, Ogden, Utah, USA. 4 CEITEC Brno, Czech Republic. 5 Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, USA. 6 IPK Gatersleben, Germany

Heterostyly is a polymorphism where two or more discrete floral morphs are produced by different individuals in a population. The morphs have reciprocally different placements of their male and female reproductive organs, which promotes inter-morph pollen transfer, and thus enhances outcrossing rates. Although this morphological syndrome likely evolved hundreds of times independently in plants, it is unclear to what extent repeated evolution occurred at the developmental and genomic level. Here, we focus on the Boraginaceae, a family in which gains and losses of heterostyly were frequent. Using the example of *Amsinckia* (fiddlenecks), we build a chromosome-scale genome assembly and integrate genetic maps, cytogenetics, population genomics and functional molecular approaches. We characterise style development and functionally validate a candidate gene, which highlights remarkable parallel evolution of developmental mechanisms with other origins of heterostyly. As predicted by theory, we find that the efficacy of natural selection is enhanced in heterostylous populations as compared to predominantly selfing (homostylous) populations. However, the heterostyly supergene of *Amsinckia* differs fundamentally from the relatively small and hemizygous supergenes in other heterostylous plants, because both dominant and recessive alleles are present and they involve a large inversion which captured thousands of genes. The large size is unexpected and raises the question how this supergene could be viable over long times. The lack of meiotic recombination characteristic of supergenes should lead to the accumulation

of deleterious mutations in proportion to their size. We present how *Amsinckia* exploits several complementary processes to mitigate and avoid the risk of maladaptive consequences of the adaptive floral polymorphism of heterostyly.

### S.114.6 Pollinators and pollen fates in plants with stylar polymorphisms

Steven D. Johnson¹

1 Centre for Functional Biodiversity, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Plant species that are polymorphic for style length or orientation have evolved repeatedly in the angiosperms. Stylar polymorphisms are considered to promote efficient cross-pollination, but have rarely been considered in terms of floral adaptation to particular pollinators. Here I explore how polymorphisms involving length and orientation of styles (and also stamens) interact with pollinators to influence the fates of pollen. I compare the effectiveness of different flower visitors as pollinators of long-tubed distylous plants and consider the conditions under which stylar polymorphisms could be maintained through disassortative pollination. I also consider whether selection for traits that enable transfer of pollen on the wings of insects can explain the evolution of enantiostyly in some plant lineages. The evidence reviewed shows how stylar polymorphisms generally promote efficient pollen transfer via morphological fit with specific body parts of various animal pollinators.
# S.115 POLYPLOIDY AND HOMOPLOID HYBRIDIZATION AS EVOLUTIONARY DRIVERS IN MEDITERRANEAN PLANTS. SESSION 1

## S.115.1 Evolution of polyploid species complexes in the Mediterranean: phylogenomic studies in Brassicaceae genera

Judita Zozomová-Lihová¹, Adam Kantor¹, Marek Šlenker¹, Stanislav Španiel¹

1 Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Recently diversified and polyploid-rich plant lineages pose a challenge for both taxonomic and evolutionary studies. Recent speciation, recurrent polyploid formation, involving both auto- and allopolyploidy, and permeable reproductive barriers between species with historical and recent gene flow result in intricate species complexes. These are characterized by high diversity, but phylogenetic inferences often yield shallow, largely unresolved or conflicting phylogenetic structuring. Genome-scale data obtained by high-throughput DNA sequencing, as well as recent developments in phylogenetic approaches that account for reticulate and polyploidization events, provide excellent opportunities to improve phylogenetic inferences and gain insights into such evolutionarily challenging lineages. We illustrate these advances in our studies of polyploid species complexes in Brassicaceae genera by applying ddRADseq and target enrichment with genome skimming (Hyb-Seq). The studied species complexes show the highest diversity and concentration of polyploid endemics in southern Europe, which probably evolved through repeated cycles of glaciation-induced range shifts, isolation of populations in multiple refugia, followed by range expansions and secondary contacts. In *Alyssum*, we found evidence of introgression events between diploids both within and between clades and revealed a unique case of parallel polyploid speciation with eight sibling polyploids containing subgenomes from the same two diploid progenitors. In *Cardamine* and *Odontarrhena*, when specifically targeting the Eastern Mediterranean region, we detected both historical and recent interspecific gene flow and eluci-

dated the origin of several auto- and allopolyploids. We identified diversity hotspots that may result from long-term species persistence and diversity accumulation in situ, but also arise as melting pots favoring species contacts and polyploid evolution. Overall, our studies highlight the evolutionary role of hybridization and polyploidy in stimulating plant speciation in southern Europe and demonstrate the power of thorough phylogenomic approaches when studying reticulate evolution in polyploid species complexes.

## S.115.2 Species delimitation and evolutionary relationships in the Leucanthemum polyploid complex (Compositae, Anthemideae)

Marco Dorfner¹, Sarah Eder¹, Johannes Gössele¹, Tankred Ott¹, Robert Vogt² & Christoph Oberprieler¹

¹University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. ²Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Gene flow at the diploid and polyploid level, multiple formation of polyploid species, often under reciprocal parentage, and the young age of polyploid species radiations account for the taxonomy of polyploid complexes being the ultimate challenge for a DNA-based, phylogenetic species-delimitation approach. Additionally, reconstructions of the evolutionary history of polyploid complexes are still hampered by the lack of explicit methods for the reconstruction of reticulate (species) phylogenies. The present contribution summarizes the state-of-the-art of our project aiming at the establishment of a methodological pipeline for species delimitation and phylogenetic reconstructions in the polyploid complex of the genus *Leucanthemum* Mill. (ox-eye daisies; Compositae-Anthemideae), which comprises around 43 species with ploidy levels between 2x and 22x. At the diploid level, species discovery and validation methods based on genetic, ecological, geographical, and morphometric
<figure><img src="image_272.png" /></figure>

datasets were applied to test the currently accept-
ed diploid morphospecies, i.e., hitherto morphologi-
cally delimited taxa. Novel approaches were taken in
the analyses of RADseq data (consensus clustering),
morphometrics of reconstructed leaf silhouettes from
digitized herbarium specimens, and quantification of
species-distribution overlaps. We show that 17 of the
20 *Leucanthemum* morphospecies are supported
by genetic evidence. At the tetraploid level, the same
methodological approach revealed the evolutionary
relationships among additional eight morphospecies
and resulted in an adequate taxonomic treatment
of these taxa. Further results are presented for spe-
cies-delimitation and phylogenetic studies in the *L. at-
ratum*-group, which comprises diploid and hexaploid
taxa, and in the decaploid *L. pachyphyllum*-group.
While in the former double-digest Genotyping-by-Se-
quencing (ddGBS) was used for genetic fingerprinting,
the latter study was based on a newly established
Nanopore-based AFLPseq procedure and bioinfor-
matic analysis pipeline.

S.115.3 Invasive Bermuda
buttercup in the
Mediterranean basin: What
have I become?

Sílvia Castro¹, Živa Fišer², Mariana Castro¹,
João Loureiro¹, Joana Costa³, Staša
Simčič², Adela Horvat², Rafael Matos¹,
Hava Verbessem¹, Finding Bermuda
buttercup team, Peter Glasnović²

1 Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. 2 Department of Biodiversity, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia. 3 Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food Research Centre (LEAF), Instituto Superior de Agronomia, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

Biological invasions provide ideal scenarios for inves-
tigating evolutionary changes within contemporary
timescales. Following long-distance dispersal, exotic
species face significant mate limitations, which can
potentially lead to shifts toward uniparental repro-
duction. However, the interplay of multiple introduc-
tions and natural selection in novel environments can
induce transformative changes in well-established
populations. Bermuda buttercup (*Oxalis pes-caprae*
L.) is a polyploid tristylous plant native to South Afri-
ca and invasive in Mediterranean regions worldwide.

While its native populations bear diploids or tetra-
ploids with three flower morphs, facilitating sexu-
al reproduction, invaded ranges display a reduced
diversity, predominantly composed of pentaploid
short-styled morph reproducing asexually. Neverthe-
less, new ploidies and floral morphs have been dis-
covered in western Mediterranean basin, introducing
new reproductive and, consequently, evolutionary
contexts. This study aims to quantify shifts in ploidy
and floral morph composition of Bermuda buttercup
across the entire Mediterranean basin, exploring their
implications for invasive species reproduction and
evolution of reproductive systems. 'Finding Bermu-
da buttercup' team, comprising over 40 research-
ers and 12 countries, collected data on floral morph
composition, ploidy and fitness variables in invasive
populations across the Mediterranean basin. Ploidy
was determined for the majority of populations us-
ing flow cytometry on fresh material, while selected
populations underwent floral morphometric analy-
ses and quantification of pollen loads. This extensive
assessment unveils novel insights into the distribution
of ploidy and floral morphs and two contrasting sce-
narios emerge after successful establishment in the
Mediterranean basin: the transition to uniparental re-
production through clonality due to mate limitation,
and the re-establishment of sexuality driven by mul-
tiple introductions of compatible mates and/or the
breakdown of tristylous polymorphism in pentaploid
short-styled plants. These findings underscore the
dynamic nature of invasion processes, highlighting
that ecological and genetic constraints inherent to
the invasion process can give rise to distinct repro-
ductive strategies, ultimately shaping the likelihood of
invasion success.

S.115.4 Beyond the
discovery of plant natural
hybridization: lessons from
Iberian groups on an often
deceptive process of inquiry

Gonzalo Nieto Feliner¹

1 Real Jardín Botánico (RJB), CSIC, Madrid, Spain

The complexity of natural hybridization and its corol-
lary—the difficulty of unraveling hybridization scenar-
ios and understanding their impact on the evolution
of plant groups—are mainly due to two causes. Hy-
bridization is an open process that can lead to differ-
ent outcomes, from no effect in sterile of unfit hybrid
offspring to hybrid speciation, or adaptive introgression. The dynamism of hybridized genomes is higher than that of non-hybridized genomes on short time scales after hybridization, and this may also be true on longer time scales (ancient hybridization). This dynamism, which obscures the initial traces of hybridization, is driven by the genetic adjustments required following the merger of two differentiated genomes, a process that involves coping with genic incompatibilities and purging the minority genome. In the medium and long term, however, it can be also fueled by standard evolutionary mechanisms such as adaptation in interaction with the environment. There is one consequence of this whole situation that has been insufficiently discussed: how complexity can deceive the researcher along the process of inquiry, and whether some steps can be anticipated whenever new cases of hybridization are unveiled. This presentation discusses how meandering investigations that aim to shed light on hybridization scenarios might actually be, using three Iberian angiosperm groups that represent contrasting cases. In *Armeria*, the benefits of bidirectional introgression for two species in a coastal southern Spanish hybrid zone were inferred after several phylogeographic studies. The Iberian endemic *Phalacrocarpum* illustrates the challenge of reconstructing hybridization occurring at different time scales. *Arenaria* sect. *Plinthine* epitomizes complexity resulting from polyploidy combined with hybridization. The incorporation of genomic data and new analytical techniques has led to a gradual improvement in this subject. However, the lack of universal models is a major obstacle to our advance in the elucidation of hybridization scenarios.

### S.115.5 Allopolyploidization, inter-ploidy introgression and the evolution of sexual systems in the plant genus Mercurialis

Jörn F. Gerchen¹, John R. Pannell²

1 Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. 2 Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

The annual lineage of the plant genus *Mercurialis* (Euphorbiaceae) is found in Europe and Northern Africa and shows a remarkable diversity in sexual systems and ploidy levels. While *M. annua* is diploid and dioecious (separate males and females) across

large parts of Europe, hexaploid *M. annua*, which are found on the Iberian peninsula and in Northern Africa, are monoecious (male and female inflorescences on the same individual) or androdioecious (male and monoecious individuals in the same population). Here we present results concerning the evolutionary history of these polyploid *Mercurialis* lineages and discuss how it may be related to the variation in sexual systems. We show that polyploid *Mercurialis* lineages are the result of a complex series of allopolyploidization events. In addition, the presence of common male-specific DNA sequences suggests that maleness is based on an ancestrally shared XY system of sex determination in both dioecious and androdioecious lineages. Surprisingly, phylogenetic trees based on Y-linked sequences suggest that the Y chromosome in androdioecious hexaploid lineages has been introgressed from distantly related perennial lineages instead of more closely related annual lineages, which contributed to its allopolyploid subgenomes. Using additional population genomic datsets we test for further signatures of introgression genome-wide and propose the hypothesis that the strong outcrossing advantage of the male phenotype could have favored such inter-ploidy introgression specifically for the Y chromosome.

### S.115.6 Can changes in ploidy drive the evolution to allogamy in a selfing species complex?

Ana García-Muñoz¹, Camilo Ferrón²,
Celia Vaca-Benito¹, M. Nazaret Martínez-Gómez¹, Sílvia Castro³, Mariana Castro³,
João Loureiro³, A. Jesús Muñoz-Pajares¹,⁴,
Mohamed Abdelaziz¹

1 University of Granada, Granada, Spain. 2 University Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain. 3 University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. 4 Research Unit Modeling Nature, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain

The evolution of mating systems in plants is central to understanding the rise of their diversity on Earth. The transition towards self-fertilization is a well-known example of convergent evolution and, in fact, the opposite direction is expected to be forbidden according to evolutionary theories. The mating system is often shaped by the action of biotic drivers such as pollinators in outcrossing plants. Here, we suggest that the ploidy could also
promote changes in the reproductive strategies through to its effect on traits related to pollination. To this end, we used several populations from the Erysimum incanum species complex which has been described as predominantly selfing. We performed over 7,000 controlled crosses to assess the inbreeding depression. In addition, we measured mating traits such as flower size, herkogamy, another exertion and the relative investment between male and female reproductive investment (i.e., pollen-ovule ratio). We described three ploidy levels -the hexaploid level was previously unknown- and estimated the genomic diversity of each ploidy. We

found significant differences in the self-pollination success among ploidies and, even, among populations within the same ploidy. A certain degree of inbreeding depression was present in higher ploidies, which were also accompanied by larger flowers with higher anther exposure, a more accentuated herkogamy and a higher allocation in pollen production related to the ovule amount. These findings suggest that ploidy could be promoting alternative reproductive strategies to selfing, driving mating system diversification within a selfing species, which has not been described in the wild before.

# S.116 THE FUNCTIONAL ROLE OF NON-CHARISMATIC BIODIVERSITY IN THE FACE OF A CHANGING WORLD

## S.116.1 Variation of surface thermal heterogeneity and water dynamic within nonvascular epiphytic communities during a dehydration cycle

G. Canali¹, P. Hurtado Aragüés²,³, R. Rocha de Oliveira⁴,⁵, S. Gariglio⁴, C. Malegori², P. Giordani²

1 Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and Life, University of Genoa, Genova, Italy. 2 Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, Genova, Italy. 3 Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain. 4 Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Genoa, Genova, Italy. 5 Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Chemistry, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Nonvascular epiphytic communities include poikilohydric organisms, such as lichens and bryophytes which lack organs for active water uptake and regulation of thermal and gas exchange. Furthermore, they have no protective tissues, therefore they directly respond to fluctuations of ambient environment also for gas exchange and light. Shifting the perspective to the epiphytic scale, functional traits of lichens and bryophytes could act as effect traits influencing the

surrounding temperature through the exchange of water and heat at the substrate-atmosphere interface. In this work, we hypothesised that the composition of nonvascular epiphytic community may affect the water availability and, consequently, the surface thermal pattern. We verified if i) in a dehydration process, the epiphytic water content and their thermal pattern co-varies following a trend linked to the community composition; and if ii) the greater thermal heterogeneity is linked to a more diverse epiphytic community. To test these hypotheses, we selected 32 different epiphytic community samples. Then, we monitored them during the dehydration process by regularly weighting the samples and capturing InfraRed images every 40 minutes. Using structural equation modelling, we evaluated the relationships between epiphytic communities, water-related variables and surface thermal pattern. The results confirmed our hypotheses: community composition showed both a direct effect on thermal patter and an indirect effect mediated by water content and dehydration dynamic. Community dominated by foliose lichens and bryophytes exhibited higher water content, less water loss, and lower temperatures pattern. Conversely, communities with a greater cover of crustose lichens showed a faster water loss and an higher temperatures pattern. Hence, a more diversified community will have greater thermal heterogeneity.
<figure><img src="image_273.png" /></figure>

## S.116.2 Are ephemeral streams early-stage soils or fluvial ecosystems? The role of biocrusts to maintain their functioning

Rebeca Arias-Real¹, Pilar Hurtado²,³

1 National Museum of Natural Sciences (CSIC), Spain. 2 Università di Genova, Dipartimento di Farmacia, Italy. 3 Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Spain.

Understanding global change impact on biodiversity is crucial to conserve healthy ecosystems and the essential services they provide to people. However, our understanding of the functional role of biocrusts on ephemeral streams remains unexplored. Ephemeral streams are watercourses that flow episodically during periods of intense rainfall and dry up quickly. They are widely distributed in hyper-arid, arid and semi-arid regions where the current global drying trend will be more severe, and they play a crucial role on global carbon processing and greenhouse gas emissions. Although ephemeral streams are expected to support a unique fraction of biodiversity as they are transitional habitats between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, it remains unclear which organisms may inhabit these highly dynamic habitats. Biocrusts offer a promising avenue to address this challenge given their global occurrence and their functional importance in terrestrial water-limited ecosystems such as drylands. Besides, biocrusts play key roles in global carbon and nitrogen cycles and regulate the horizontal and vertical fluxes of water (i.e., water balance). Thus, this project aims to address these challenges by exploring the functional role of biocrusts for tracking the direct effect of climate change on biodiversity but also its impact on the functioning of Mediterranean ephemeral streams.

## S.116.3 Effects of mycorrhizal fungi and the functional diversity of plants on ecosystem functioning: an experimental approach

Yelyzaveta Shpilkina¹, Lena Neuenkamp², Fernando T. Maestre³

1 Multidisciplinary Institute for Environment Studies "Ramon Margalef", University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.

¹Alicante, Spain. ²Institute of Landscape Ecology, Münster University, Münster, Germany. ³Department of Ecology and Multidisciplinary Institute for Environment Studies "Ramon Margalef", University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.

In exchange for the carbon assimilated by plants, mycorrhizal fungi increase plant nutrient supply, protect them against pathogens and drought, and influence soil formation and aggregation, among other benefits. These processes, in turn, affect the diversity of the vegetation and multiple ecosystem functions, including one of the most important, biomass production. The functional traits of the host plants dominating the vegetation can be used to estimate the responsiveness of plant communities to mycorrhizal fungi and their relevance to ecosystem multifunctionality, as plants vary in their responsiveness to mycorrhizal fungi and their carbon economics. Despite the potential relevance of plant functional diversity as mediator of mycorrhizal effects on dryland diversity and functioning, experimental tests of such effects are still missing. This study aims to evaluate, through an experimental approach, the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on plant biomass production. For doing so, we used simplified grassland communities two with functional groups, forbs and grasses, where varying dominance of one or another plant functional group is used as an indicator of plant functional diversity. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi increased plant biomass production, but no effect of functional diversity on biomass production was found. Furthermore, no interactive effects of functional diversity and mycorrhiza presence on biomass production were found. This study indicates that to fully understand the interactions between AMF and different plant species it is also essential to consider all the complexities of nutrient economy mechanisms. This work also underscores the importance of considering soil microorganisms and mycorrhizal-plant interactions in studies of ecosystem functioning, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive understanding of belowground processes.

## S.116.4 The green side of the white continent: occult precipitation and terrestrial cryptogams in Antarctica.

Beatriz Fernández-Marín¹, Alicia V. Perera-Castro², Miren Irati Arzac¹, Laura Díaz-Jiménez², Abel Torre¹, José Vicente Albero Molina³, Joan Riba⁴, José Manuel Laza⁵,
<figure><img src="image_274.png" /></figure>

Leire Ruiz⁵, Jose Luis Vilas⁵, María Leo⁶,
Nagore G. Medina⁷, Asunción de los Ríos⁸,
Jaime Puértolas², Águeda M. González-Rodríguez²,
José Ignacio García-Plazaola¹

1 Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Uni-
versity of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain. 2 De-
partment of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology,
University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. 3 Agencia
Estatal de Meteorlogía, Málaga, Spain. 4 Unidad de
Tecnología Marina (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain 5 De-
partment of Physical Chemistry, University of the
Basque Country. 6 Department of Soil, Plant and
Environment Quality Department, Instituto de Cien-
cias Agrarias (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. 7 Department
of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Ma-
drid, Spain. 8 Department of Biogeochemistry and
microbial ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias
Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain

Maritime Antarctica (Antarctic Peninsula plus ad-
jacent archipelagos) is one of the richest vege-
tated areas in Antarctica, with 189 and 59 species
of lichen and of bryophytes respectively, but also
one of the most fragile regions. After a period of
decreasing temperature in the last 20y, in Mar-
itime Antarctica this trend is currently shifting.
Changes in air temperature induce variations in
the type, frequency and timing of precipitation but
predictions show high uncertainty regarding their
direction and extent for this region. Furthermore,
while "occult precipitation" (fog, snow, or rain with
strong wind) is probably a key source of available
water for the ecosystem, its occurrence and rele-
vance are, so far, understudied. Thus, we aimed at
evaluating how changes in water availability may
affect the ecophysiological performance of some
of the most prominent photosynthetic species of
the antarctic tundra, with especial emphasis on
horizontal precipitation and on lichen and moss
flora. For this purpose, we have (i) monitored the
potential contribution of occult precipitation to
the ecosystem, (ii) studied anatomical and phys-
icochemical properties of the thalli involved in the
capture, absorption and retention of water and
(iii) evaluated interspecific differences to deal
with periods of water restriction, as well as bio-
physical and physiological traits involved on them.
Our preliminary results reveal that (i) occult pre-
cipitation is potentially very relevant for terrestrial
vegetation in Antarctica, particularly at moderat-
ed elevations (>200m asl); (ii) there are important
interspecific differences in the wettability of thalli
surfaces and in their capability to delay desicca-
tion; (iii) there are significant interspecific differ-
ences in the longevity of thalli in the dry state.

Acknowledgments: This research is part of DROPLET:
project supported by a 2022 Leonardo Grant for Re-
searchers and Cultural Creators, BBVA Foundation;
and included in the Spanish Antarctic Campaign
2023/2024 organised by the CPE and funded by the
MCIN.

S.116.5 Mycorrhizal
associations interact with
stand development and
climate to influence tree
diversity patterns across
tropical montane forests

Albert Vilà-Cabrera¹,², Julen Astigarraga³,
Kirsten O'Sullivan¹, Josep Padullés-
Cubino¹, Karina Clemmensen⁴, Jan-
Chang Chen⁵, Sarah Greenwwod², Alistair
Jump²

1 CREAF, Catalonia, Spain. 2 Biological and Environ-
mental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Uni-
versity of Stirling, Stirling, UK. 3 Forest Ecology and
Restoration Group, University of Alcalá, Spain. 4
Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Patholo-
gy, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Up-
psala, Sweden. 5 Department of Forestry, Nation-
al Pingtung University of Science and Technology,
Pingtung, Taiwan

Symbiotic associations between trees and soil
fungi – mycorrhizas – influence forest structure
and diversity, with important differences between
mycorrhizal types. It is thought that communities
dominated by ectomycorrhizal associations ex-
hibit weaker negative conspecific density depen-
dence because of improved nutrient acquisition
and protection against soil-borne pathogens
to conspecifics, relative to arbuscular mycor-
rhizal associations. This mechanism should ex-
plain stand-level gradients of tree diversity, with
low-diverse forest communities dominated by
ectomycorrhizal trees and high-diverse commu-
nities dominated by arbuscular mycorrhizal trees.
Here, we tested this hypothesis across tropical
montane forests and found that, in general, tree
species diversity was lower under the dominance
of either ectomycorrhizal or arbuscular mycor-
rhizal trees, and higher in mixed communities of
both mycorrhizal types. However, this pattern was
dependent on forest stand development and
climate, with ectomycorrhizal dominance differ-
<figure><img src="image_275.png" /></figure>

entially influencing tree diversity between young and old-growth forests, from cold to warm climates. In particular, ectomycorrhizal dominance was associated to increased tree species richness but decreased tree species evenness across old-growth forests located in median- and warm conditions along the climatic gradient. Our findings indicate that mycorrhizal associations may represent an important factor shaping forest biodiversity in subtropical and tropical regions, the most species-rich and varied environments of the planet but currently at risk from the pressures of human-driven environmental changes.

**S.116.6 Interspecific and intraspecific variability in functional traits of lichens communities from gypsum soils across a latitudinal gradient**

Sergio Muriel¹, Isabel Martínez¹, Gregorio Aragón¹, Pilar Hurtado¹,², María Prieto¹

1 Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain. 2 Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italia

It is known that environmental variables affect functional diversity in terricolous lichen communities from gypsum soils. And although these ob-

served responses of functional traits in relation to environmental changes may be due to species turnover and/or intraspecific trait variation (ITV) it is not known until what extent ITV and species turnover influence the observed trait variability. In order to understand how these communities survive under challenging conditions we aim to analyze the effect of environmental and soil variables on intraspecific trait variation (ITV) and species turnover and which is the contribution of both processes to functional variability. For this purpose, we quantified the relative contribution of species turnover and ITV determining the functional variation in lichen communities from gypsum soils in Spain and analyzed the relation with climate and edaphic predictors. We surveyed 35 plots along a latitudinal gradient and measured a set of eleven quantitative functional traits potentially affected by climatic and edaphic conditions and related to water use strategy, photosynthetic performance, and nutrient uptake. The results showed that ITV explained most of the functional changes in lichen communities along the latitudinal gradient except in the water holding capacity which had a similar relative contribution of both ITV and species turnover. Interestingly, climatic variables barely affected most traits except in the case of the nitrogen content and traits related with water use strategy were mostly affected by gypsum content. These results suggest that lichen communities confront environmental conditions (mostly gypsum content) by adjusting their trait values within the species rather than by the replacement of species.

**S.117 PLANT DIVERSITY IN SPECIALIZED HABITATS - ECOLOGY TO EVOLUTION**

**S.117.1 Diversity of tree layer species along slope gradient of Moerolakop hill in Nylsvley Nature Reserve**

Tendani Mavhila, Milingoni P. Thisisikhawe, Khathutshelo Magwede

Department of Biological Sciences, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa

Slope gradients play an important role in distribution of species within the vegetation. Interesting vegetation distribution patterns are therefore more noticeable in mountainous regions which are set apart by steeper slopes. This study attempts to showcase species distribution patterns along Moroelakop hill located in Nylsvley Nature Reserve, Mokghoopong municipality, Limpopo Province. Point-Centred-Quarter (PCQ) method was used in data collected to achieve the purpose of the study which was to analyse and compare the vegetation structure of Moroelakop hill's north-facing slope. The parameters
sampled through PCQ included the plant species height, basal stem diameter and canopy diameter. The relative density and relative frequencies were used to determine importance value index (IVI) of sampled species. Data collected from the North facing slope revealed the dominance of *Diplrorhynchus condylocarpon* and *Combretum molle*. Species like *Grewia bicolor*, *Dichrostachys cinerea* and *Combretum zeyheri* had low relative frequency and subsequent low IVI. Diversity was measured using Shannon-Weiner diversity index. Shannon diversity index for north facing was 2.20 (down-slope), 1.97 (mid-slope) and 1.77 (up-slope). There is a significant difference in terms of species diversity recorded along the slope gradient. The study has flagged out species that need to be monitored in order to manage the vegetation well.

## S.117.2 Clade-specific phylogenetic structure of boreal habitats suggests non-uniform assembly processes across phylogenetic scales

Angelo Armijos-Carrion¹*, Sander Boisen¹, Susan Meades², Michael Burzynski³, Julissa Roncal¹

1Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada. 2 Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont, Canada. 3 Gros Morne National Park of Canada, Parks Canada, Rocky Harbour, NL, Canada. *aarmijoscarr@mun.ca

Understanding how plant communities are assembled is critical to explaining the functioning of ecosystems and the maintenance of biodiversity. The phylogenetic distance among species in a community (i.e community phylogenetic structure) has been used to infer deterministic and stochastic assembly processes, albeit with criticisms. However, the effect of the phylogenetic scale (old versus young lineages) and spatial scale on measures of community phylogenetic structure are rarely tested, yet essential to unravel different assembly processes that might operate across species in a community. We examined clade-specific phylogenetic structure of different plant communities defined at the habitat scale, and the aggregated phylogenetic structure of communities

defined at a smaller plot level scale. We obtained vascular plant species lists for six habitats in Newfoundland, Canada, and for 73 permanent 1m2 plots at Gros Morne National Park to estimate their mean pairwise phylogenetic distance standardized for sample size (SES-MPD). As expected, we found that the phylogenetic structure of plant habitats was clade-specific, with clustering at deep angiosperm nodes, overdispersion, and no pattern at both old and young lineages. Our results suggest that different lineages may exhibit different assembly processes within a habitat. As expected, at smaller spatial scales, communities showed strong phylogenetic overdispersion likely explained by processes like limiting similarity and competition.

## S.117.3 First global assessment of an edaphic endemic flora: diversity, main features and conservation status of the world gypsum flora

Sara Palacio¹,²*, Juan Pablo Ortiz-Brunel³, Pablo Tejero¹,⁴, Michael J. Moore⁵, Francisco Pérez-García⁶, M. Hilda Flores⁷, Helga Ochoterena⁷, Juan F. Mota⁶, Sofía Bueno¹, Latif Kurt⁸, Georgy A. Lazkov⁹, Mike N. Lyons¹⁰, Ebru Ozdeniz⁸, Alexander V. Pavlenko¹¹, Anibal Prina¹², Kamal Shaltout¹³, Khabibullo F. Shomurodov⁴, Bekhruz Khabibullaev¹⁴, Kobil Bobokalonov¹⁵, Mariyo Boboev¹⁶, Stefan Siebert², Matts Thulin¹⁷, Hossein Akhani¹⁸, Andreu Cera¹,¹⁹, Georgia Chrysostomou²⁰, Adrián Escudero²¹, Fabián Martínez Hernández³, Farshid Memariani²², Antonio Mendoza-Fernández³, Encarna Merlo³, Carmelo M. Musarella³, Esteban Salmerón Sánchez³, Stephen A. Smith²⁴, Giovanni Spampinato²³, Ioannis Vogiatziakis²⁵, Alexander Rudov²⁶.

1 Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Jaca, Huesca, Spain. 2 School of Biological Sciences, North West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa. 3 Departamento de Botánica, Universidad
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de Guadalajara, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico. 4 Botanika Saila, Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi, Donostia - San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, Spain. 5 Oberlin College of Arts and Sciences, Oberlin, Ohio, USA. 6 Departamento de Biología y Geología, CEIMAR and CECOUAL, Universidad de Almería, Almería, Spain. 7 Instituto de Biología de la UNAM, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México, México. 8 Faculty of Biology, Ankara University, Tandoğan, Ankara, Turkey. 9 Institute of Biology & Pedology of the National Academy of Sciences, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. 10 Conservation Science Centre, Department of Biodiversity, Conservations and Attractions, Government of Western Australia, Australia. 11 Serdar Branch of the Center for Prevention of Especially Dangerous Infectious Diseases, State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service, Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan, Serdar, Turkmenistan. 12 Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina. 13 Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, Gharbia, Egypt. 14 Laboratory Geobotany and plant ecology, Institute of Botany Academy Sciences Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. 15 Institute of Botany, Plant Physiology and Genetics, National Academy of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, Tajikistan. 16 Khatlon Scientific Center of the National Academy of Tajikistan, Kulob Botanic Garden, Kuljab, Tajikistan. 17 Systematic Biology, Dept. of Organismal Biology, EBC, Uppsala Univ., Uppsala, Sweden. 18 Halophytes and C4 Plants Research Laboratory, Department of Plant Sciences, School of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. 19 UFR des Sciences, Université Caen-Normandie. 20 Department of Forests, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Nicosia, Cyprus. 21 Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación. Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain. 22 Department of Botany, Research Center for Plant Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran. 23 Department of Agriculture, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria, Reggio Calabria, Italia. 24 Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences at the Open University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus. 25 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; 26 Yerevan Botanical Garden, Yerevan, Armenia. *s.palacio@ipe.csic.es

Plant species that grow only on unusual soils represent a significant proportion of plant diversity worldwide. These unique endemic communities are comprised of resilient and sometimes bizarre plants that thrive on difficult soils that most plant species cannot tolerate. One of the most widespread, yet understudied substrate-endemic floras of the world is that of gypsum soils. Gypsum ($CaSO_4·2H_2O$) soils occur worldwide in arid and semiarid ecosystems, posing serious restrictions to plant life. Despite these

limitations, gypsum soils host rich endemic floras that have evolved independently on five continents. Plant communities growing on gypsum represent an excellent opportunity to investigate soils as a driving force in plant evolution and ecology, offering key insights into such fundamental biological processes as adaptation, the formation of new species, and the factors controlling plant community composition. Here we present the first global assessment of an edaphic endemic flora, providing information on the diversity, functional traits and conservation status of plants restricted to gypsum soils worldwide. Over 1200 taxa are restricted to gypsum in the world. These taxa belong to 86 families grouped in 32 orders, ranging from recently diversified groups like Poales to ferns, indicating restriction to gypsum soils evolved separately in different lineages of the plants tree of life and occurs in very distantly related groups. Most species are small perennial woody plants and almost half of the taxa are local endemics, pointing at the rarity and potential vulnerability of gypsophilic floras worldwide. Notably, more than a third of the gypsum endemic taxa have been listed in conservation reports or red lists and one-fourth are under a certain degree of protection. Our study highlights the singularity of gypsum ecosystems globally and calls for urgent action to preserve these unique plant communities.

### S.117.4 Mycoheterotrophy in orchids: a Himalayan perspective

Tirtha R. Pandey¹

1 National Herbarium and Plant Laboratories, Godawari, Lalitpur, Nepal

This study presents an analysis of mycoheterotrophy in orchids of the Himalayan region, Diversity of mycoheterotrophic orchids is highest in the eastern Himalaya while Nepal Himalaya also harbors considerable number of species. Owing to their unique genetic rearrangement, they exhibit anomalous feeding mechanism, which signifies a considerable evolutionary modification. However, due to their specific habitat requirements and regenerative potential, conservation of such species in the wild is becoming increasingly challenging. This paper aims to summarize the occurrence and conservation status of one of the enigmatic orchid groups in the Himalayan region to understand their diversity and facilitate their conservation efficiently.
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**S.117.5 Molecular ecology of endemic shrubs in isolated OCBIL populations**

Peter Pemberton¹, Rose Andrew¹, Manu Saunders¹, John Hunter¹, Liz Wandrag²

1 University of New England, Armidale, Australia. 2 University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia

Old Climatically Buffered Landscapes (OCBILs) often exist as terrestrial islands that are isolated in a larger landscape matrix, and plants confined to OCBILs have a high incidence of endemicity and rarity. Shrubs are a significant component of OCBIL vegetation, yet many have restricted gene flow due to a lack of seed dispersal mechanisms, and a reliance on insect pollinators with limited ranges. We hypothesise that the persistence of these shrub species in small and isolated populations limits the adaptive potential that arises from gene flow between populations. We conducted a systematic review of molecular ecology papers on OCBIL species to identify where the research has occurred and what the molecular ecology revealed about OCBIL flora. We identified geographic gaps and a paucity of studies focusing on shrubs, whilst species pollinated by insects alone tended to have highly structured populations with low gene migration rates, underlining the need to understand how OCBIL shrubs diversify and persist. On the basis of this review, we now research the genetic diversity and gene flow at multiple scales in the New England Tableland region of Australia, a region with relatively understudied OCBILs. Fine-scale analysis of relatedness and spatial autocorrelation at centimetre precision will investigate patterns of gene flow and dispersal within granite outcrop populations. In concert with observations of flower visitors, comparisons among age cohorts will illustrate the influence of geography and insect-mediated pollination on gene flow at the finest scale. Using coalescent estimates of migration rates and population divergence in OCBIL and non-OCBIL taxa, we can begin to understand the demographic history and adaptations of terrestrial island flora. This research sheds light on the mechanisms by which small, isolated populations persist, and their capacity to adapt to novel conditions under global climate change.

**S.117.6 Pollinator-mediated frequency-dependent selection of floral colour polymorphism in a nocturnally pollinated ginger from Western Ghats of India**

Saket Shrotri¹, Vinita Gowda¹

1 Tropical Ecology and Evolution Lab, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal by-pass road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India

Polymorphism refers to the presence of discrete forms within a population of taxonomically recognized species. Because species characteristics can be continuous, the idea of when to delineate each morph is highly controversial and becomes a statistical problem. Here we present a method of recognizing morphs versus inherent within species variants by extensively examining a trait or set of traits within a population and delimit them based on gaps in their frequency of occurrence. This method assumes that while there is a continuum in morphology, this continuum may not extend to other morphological, ecological, or physiological traits of the species. Here we present a complex geographic mosaic of traits of a highly polymorphic ginger, *Curcuma caulina* (Zingiberaceae), from the genus otherwise known for its polymorphic morphological traits. Here we describe the multifaceted nature of floral colour polymorphism in *C. caulina*, demonstrating that it extends beyond mere colour variation of the lateral bracts to encompass ecological and physiological traits of the species. Finally, we present that the pollinators, along with the plant's traits which are associated with floral colour, play a central role in governing the dynamics of selection regimes across populations to maintain floral polymorphism. This study highlights that our handicap in defining a species based on morphological characters has limited our understanding of how polymorphic a species can actually be. We offer a new perspective on floral polymorphism that integrates the eyes of taxonomists and ecologists.
# S.118 SPEEDING UP OUR UNDERSTANDING OF ADAPTIVE EVOLUTION WITH GENOMICS

## S.118.1 Adaptive evolution of Arabidopsis and its relatives in the new genomic era

Ya-Long Guo¹

1 State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. yalong.guo@ibcas.ac.cn

How organisms adapt to climate change is a fundamental biological question. High throughput genome sequencing of *A. thaliana* and its closely related species speed up the studies of plant adaptive evolution. Transposable elements (TEs) are a type of repetitive DNA sequence mobilizing across the genome, which consists of a large fraction of the genome size, and its mobilization could rapidly produce large-effect mutations. However, there are many questions about TEs, for example, how TEs insertion affect gene and phenotypic variation, what are the driving forces of TE load variation, and how did the genetic load of TEs vary during range expansion. Based on the genomics and genetics analyses of *Arabidopsis thaliana* and its relatives, we demonstrated that TEs are an important source of genetic variation that could account for high phenotypic diversity, and could plays important roles in the process of adaptive evolution. In addition, we revealed that effective population size, high transposition rate, and selective sweeps contributed to TE accumulation in the expanded populations. In particular, we genetically mapped and identified multiple candidate causal genes and TEs, and revealed the genetic architecture of TE load variation. Overall, our results highlight TEs could play a crucial role in the process of adaptation.

## S.118.2 The Evolution of Splicing Specificity

Jordyn Coutts¹, Craig I. Dent¹, Angus Burns¹, Chaaya Atri¹, Nawar Shamaya¹, Sridevi Sureshkumar¹, John Bowman¹, Sureshkumar Balasubramanian¹

1 School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, VIC, Australia

Splicing is an important gene regulatory process. Alternative splicing can lead to varied proteins being produced and can also alter gene expression levels. Alternative splicing can be seen during development and in response to changes in environmental cues, allowing plants to display developmental and phenotypic plasticity in response to abiotic stress. The regulation of alternative splicing evolved with increasing complexity as plants diversified, particularly as genomes duplicated. This has resulted in an amplification of splicing genes such as SR proteins. As a result, it is difficult to study splicing regulators due to functional redundancy. The bryophyte *Marchantia polymorpha* gives us a chance to untangle the regulatory mechanisms of alternative splicing, due to its low genomic duplication. We use the CRISPR Cas9 mutagenesis system and in-house bioinformatics tools of splicing measurements to uncover the targets of splicing factors and define splicing specificity. Comparisons of splicing in different species provides evolutionary insights on splicing specificity.

## S.118.3 Mechanisms of trinucleotide repeat expansions in plants

Sridevi Sureshkumar¹

1 School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Australia

We identified an association between trinucleotide repeat expansion and phenotypic changes under elevated temperatures in the wild-type *Arabidopsis* strain. Trinucleotide repeats are part of microsatellite repeats, and their expansion has been linked to several human genetic disorders. However, the underlying mechanisms by which these repeats regulate gene expression remain unknown. Can we address this fundamental biological gap using *Arabidopsis* as a natural model for repeat expansion to investigate the molecular mechanisms associated with gene expression? Over the years, we have developed *Arabidopsis* as a natural model to uncover the molecular mechanisms associated with repeat expansion-induced gene silencing. Recently, we discovered two molecular
mechanisms that induce epigenetic gene silencing at the repeat-expanded locus. I describe the novel genes and pathways we have uncovered. Our findings provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the association between trinucleotide repeat expansion and pathogenesis in Arabidopsis. Overall, our study has significant implications for understanding the underlying mechanisms of repeat-induced gene regulation and pathogenesis not only in plants but also in understanding the human genetic disorders associated with trinucleotide repeat expansions.

### S.118.4 Unraveling carnation domestication: comparative genomics among wild and cultivated Dianthus species

Jesús Picazo-Aragonés¹, Manuel Narváez¹, Ana Brescia-Zapata¹, Stefan Dötterl², Ovidiu Paun³, Anass Terrab¹, Francisco Balao¹

1 Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain. 2 Department of Environment & Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria. 3 Department of Biodiversity and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

The *Dianthus* genus, native to Europe and Asia, presents one of the fastest diversification rates ever reported in flowering plants, with a high incidence of polyploidy and over 300 species. Carnation (*Dianthus caryophyllus*) is one of the most important ornamental flowers, that has been cultivated for centuries, overcoming an extensive domestication process which is largely understudied. Fragrance is an important property of marketable ornamental flowers, but modern carnation cultivars have weak fragrances in contrast to wild carnations. *Dianthus broteri* is a recently radiated polyploid complex with four cytotypes (2x, 4x, 6x and 12x) endemic to the Iberian Peninsula. This complex, which present a highly diverse scent composition, has been studied as an evolutionary model in the genus. With the objective of understanding the ongoing evolutionary processes of domestication, fragrance divergence and the impact of transposable elements (TEs), we assembled a chromosome-level genome of the diploid *Dianthus broteri* (876.17 Mb with scaffold N50 53 Mb and 43,817 protein coding genes). We performed comparative genome-wide analysis

between the wild carnations *D. broteri* and *D. sylvestris* (assembly genome size 443.52 Mb), and cultivated *D. caryophyllus* "Francesco" (568.89 Mb) and "Aili" (584 Mb) varieties. We compared genome structure, gene families gain and losses and TE landscapes. Differences in genome sizes are not the result of the increase in gene content but can be explained due to increase of TEs in *D.broteri*, with a higher abundance of long terminal repeat-retrotransposons (LTR-RTs). LTRs highly impact the structure, function and evolution of the host genome, and might have an important role in domestication and the divergence between *Dianthus* species. Furthermore, using transcriptomic data, we have studied MYB transcription factors and terpene synthases to understand the importance of scent emission in wild carnations.

### S.118.5 Population genomics of rapid weed adaptation in Amaranthus

Julia M. Kreiner¹, Sergio M. Latorre², Hernán A. Burbano², John R. Stinchcombe³, Sarah P. Otto⁴, Detlef Weigel⁵, Stephen I. Wright³

1 Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA. 2 Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution, University College London, London, UK. 3 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto Toronto Canada. 4 Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada. 5 Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen Germany

North America has experienced a massive increase in cropland use since 1800, accompanied more recently by the intensification of agricultural practices. Through genome analysis of present-day and historical samples spanning environments over the past two centuries, we studied the effect of these changes in farming on the extent and tempo of evolution across the native range of the common waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus), a now pervasive agricultural weed. Modern agriculture has imposed strengths of selection rarely observed in the wild, with notable shifts in allele frequency trajectories since agricultural intensification in the 1960s. An evolutionary response to this extreme selection was facilitated by a concurrent human-mediated range shift. By reshaping genome-wide diversity across the landscape, agriculture has driven the success of this weed in the 21st century.
# S.119 THE ROLE OF RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE TO ADVANCE BOTANICAL KNOWLEDGE AND RESEARCH

## S.119.1 Biodiversity information standards: enabling data infrastructure

Shelley A. James¹,², Elycia Wallis³,², Visotheary Ung⁴,², Stan Blum², David Bloom²

¹Western Australian Herbarium, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, Australia. ²Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG), USA. ³Atlas of Living Australia, CSIRO, Melbourne, Australia. ⁴Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France

Data standards are crucial for the efficient and effective sharing of biodiversity data for herbarium management, conservation, policy development and botanical research. They enable data to follow FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) and CARE (collective benefit, authority to control, responsibility, ethics) data principles. Data standards are essential for data infrastructure projects such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG - https://www.tdwg.org/) is a not-for-profit, scientific and educational association that enables international collaboration among creators, managers and users of biodiversity information and promotes effective dissemination and sharing of knowledge about the world's biota. In collaboration with partner organizations, TDWG develops, maps and maintains standards, extensions and guidelines for documenting and exchanging data about geo- and bio-diversity, to guarantee data interoperability between communities. The most widely used of these is Darwin Core, which facilitates the sharing of information about the occurrence of taxa in nature as documented by observations, specimens, samples, and other related information. Also relevant to the botanical community are: Audiovisual Core - a set of vocabularies to represent metadata for biodiversity multimedia resources; Taxon Concept Schema - taxon concepts as defined in published taxonomic classifications, revisions and databases; the Humboldt Extension - an extension to Darwin Core

for representing information about scope, method and completeness of observational inventories; and the Mlxs (Minimum Information about any (x) Sequence) extension to Darwin Core to integrate genomic data. Information technology and scientific methods are not static, and data standards must be developed and maintained to keep pace with needs and expectations. Early TDWG standards relevant to botany have been reframed and absorbed into current standards. In addition, TDWG establishes new community-led interest groups to develop standards and vocabularies that cover new areas, such as People in Biodiversity Data, Collection Descriptions, and Plant Phenology.

## S.119.2 Catalogue of Life, ChecklistBank and Taxonomic Data Services

Olaf Bánki¹

¹Catalogue of Life, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Catalogue of Life (COL; https://catalogueoflife.org) aims to list all described organisms covering all life on earth. COL contains more than 2,1 million described species (Bánki et al 2023). COL however needs to become more comprehensive, including more names and bridging over to genetic resources. Different approaches on how to speed up will need to be explored. COL could also benefit from new endeavours to support the online registration of names. To improve its processes and to scale up its effort, COL has teamed up with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF; https://gbif.org) to build a new infrastructure, ChecklistBank (https://checklistbank.org). ChecklistBank is an open data publishing platform with a focus on taxonomic and nomenclatural datasets, as well as non-global taxonomic lists and policy relevant species lists. ChecklistBank is core infrastructure for both GBIF and COL. More than 50K taxonomic datasets are openly accessible for use. These also include well managed plant taxonomic data sources, as well as datasets from digitised literature. Data sets can be explored, published and downloaded through various
<figure><img src="image_278.png" /></figure>

data standards and data types. Since datasets are processed within ChecklistBank in a similar manner, datasets can be better compared to one another as to the taxonomic overlap and differences. Name matching services are available through an Application Programming Interface (API) and a user interface. COL is a prime user of ChecklistBank. A range of data services could support both scientific and broader societal use.

References: Bánki, O., Roskov, Y., Döring, M., Ower, G., Hernández Robles, D. R., Plata Corredor, C. A., Stjernegaard Jeppesen, T., Örn, A., Vandepitte, L., Hobern, D., Schalk, P., DeWalt, R. E., Ma, K., Miller, J., Orrell, T., et al. (2023). Catalogue of Life Checklist (Version 2023-11-24). Catalogue of Life. https://doi.org/10.48580/dfgnm

## S.119.3 Harmonizing dynamic botanical knowledge at the source: infrastructures for resolvable IDs and taxon concept subscriptions

Walter G. Berendsohn¹

1 Botanic Garden Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin

Botanical taxon names are vital for information accessibility across diverse systems, used locally in fields from systematics, forestry, agriculture, ecology, and conservation to government regulations and medicine. Traditionally, taxonomists played a crucial role in connecting and mediating knowledge from various sources. Nowadays, machines are often critically asked to perform this task online. However, scientific names may be ambiguous if used as the identifier, posing challenges due to the taxon's hypothesis-based circumscription and the existence of multiple name variants. Globally unique identifiers for botanical names, variants, and "designations" are provided by initiatives like WFO Plant List and IPNI. They can control machine interactions and help to conserve data cleaning results. Integrated into taxonomic systems like WFO's flora site or EU-Nomen (PESI), these identifiers can enable tracking of taxonomic and nomenclatural changes proposed by these sites. The EU TETTRIs project aims, inter alia, to document and enhance these processes, establishing functional workflows for mapping local taxonomies. Basic use cases, such as checking names against the normative EU-Nomen checklist, are already covered by existing mechanisms, often also used for data cleaning. But

local data portals often link to aggregator databases, relying on name strings as the search parameter, which may be inaccurate. Integrating the resolvable ID improves data quality and opens further possibilities. Users who matched their names should have a "taxon concept subscription" option for automatic notifications of name usage changes. For this, target aggregators must monitor changes in taxon concepts, including alterations in status, nomenclatural status, and addition/removal of synonyms. Introducing this into infrastructures like the GBIF/Col Checklist Bank would make it possible to subscribe to a multitude of versioned online treatments. TETTRIs aims to instigate this development. In the project's remaining period, we'll test and document aggregator services, promoting name ID usage for a linked data landscape in biodiversity information.

## S.119.4 GBIF evolves to meet botanical research needs

Joseph T. Miller¹

1 Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Copenhagen, Denmark

In collaboration with Index Herbariorum, GBIF has rebuilt and manages the Global Registry of Scientific Collections. GRSciColl contains collection information for over 5,500 herbaria and synchronizes weekly with Index Herbariorum. GBIF has aligned over 104 million plant and fungal specimen records to herbaria GRSCIColl records. Each herbarium that shares data with GBIF has a collection data page which, in addition to collection metadata, contains an informative dashboard summarizing data by taxon, IUCN threat status, collectors, identifiers, and origin of specimen. These statistics are also summarized across national and taxonomic groups in various GBIF hosted portals managed by the community. The specimen alignment to the collections is part of GBIF's work to update our Darwin Core based data model. GBIF runs a clustering algorithm weekly to identify potential relationship between records such as: types, duplicates, literature citations, DNA sequences, and phylogenies. The clustered records are viewable in the 'Related' tab on a hosted portal. GBIF is developing a material catalogue that integrates these related records into a single record. This record includes data shared by the specimen holder such taxonomic, spatial data and often images, as well as related data about the specimen that has been shared via GenBank (or ENA), BOLD, literature citations in taxonomic revisions, published phylogenetic trees, and trait datasets. To improve data
<figure><img src="image_279.png" /></figure>

quality GBIF encourages community curation of taxonomic, phylogenetic, and spatial data. As demonstrated in the Legume Portal, we invite taxonomic revisions to be published to ChecklistBank, a GBIF-Catalogue of Life collaboration. From ChecklistBank the taxonomic data can be viewed on a taxon specific data portal and be quickly integrated into GBIF's taxonomic backbone to improve the quality of the specimens shared with GBIF. A similar phylogenetic pipeline is available on the portal in partnership with Open Tree of Life.

## S.119.5 Innovation leading to new ways of knowing in Australian botanical collections and the Atlas of Living Australia

Elycia J. Wallis¹, Katharina Nargar², Shelley A. James³

1 Atlas of Living Australia, CSIRO, Melbourne, Australia. 2 Australian Tropical Herbarium & National Research Collections Australia, CSIRO, Cairns, Australia. 3 Western Australian Herbarium, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, Australia

Once thought of as static, collections are being reframed as resources whose potential goes beyond the physical entities held in herbaria. In Australia, novel projects are being undertaken in botanical collections, and the results can often be accessed

through the Australasian Virtual Herbarium (AVH) and the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) (https://www.ala.org.au/). The collections, AVH and the ALA together represent critical infrastructure for understanding Australia's biodiversity. Many novel projects utilise advanced computing power, cloud-based storage, and analysis tools. For example, digitisation projects have been completed by organisations including the National Herbarium of NSW and the Australian National Herbarium, one of the CSIRO National Research Collections. These projects aim to go way beyond previous efforts in terms of sheer numbers and the scale of the operation required to deliver the result. Another activity is AusTraits, which compiles data across over 30,000 species and hundreds of traits. Collected data can be accessed on ALA species pages. Of particular interest in Australia is Indigenous knowledge recorded on herbarium sheets; unique and valuable information. Building community and collaborations to bring Indigenous knowledge and western science closer together is an active challenge for those working in Australian botany. The Atlas of Living Australia provides a conduit for new information to be published online and made accessible. The aggregated data then provide even more opportunities for new knowledge to be generated, with tools to view, download and visualise information. Areas of future development in the ALA include work in biosecurity, including weeds and plant pests; better data about interactions, such as between plants and pollinators; and inclusion of genomic data. Much that is new can be generated from specimens that may be old.

## S.120 PLANT RESPONSES TO STRESSES AND CLIMATE CHANGE. SESSION 5

### S.120.1 Unveiling the Hidden Harmony: exploring the mycobiome of the threatened Posidonia oceanica Seagrass in the Mediterranean Sea

Sara Frasca¹, Annamaria Alabiso¹, Chiara Conte¹, Loredana Manfra², Alice Rotini², Marlen I. Vasquez³, Eleni Christoforou³,

Gidon Winters⁴, Moran Kaminer⁴, Luciana Migliore¹,⁵

1 Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy. 2 Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Rome, Italy. 3 Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus. 4 The Dead Sea and Arava Science Center, Mount Masa-da, Israel 5 eCampus University, Novedrate CO, Italy

Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile is a threatened endemic seagrass of the Mediterranean Sea. As a Mediterranean Climax community, Posidonia meadows hold high ecological relevance in prima-
ry productivity, food web support and nutrient cycling, also providing multiple ecosystem services as biodiversity hotspot, ecosystem engineering or carbon sink. Despite its recognised importance, *Posidonia* meadows are declining at an accelerating rate by global or local anthropogenic pressures. Like terrestrial plants, *P. oceanica* host a diverse community of microorganisms which may influence its ecophysiology and health, even regulating the bio-geochemical dynamics of entire meadows. Among microorganisms, very little is known about *P. oceanica* mycobiome. Fungi in terrestrial ecosystems are known to confer benefits to the plant and could play a crucial role in functioning of the seagrass ecosystem, spanning from mutualism to parasitism. We performed a large-scale sampling at 3 localities in the Mediterranean Sea (France; Crete and Cyprus respectively) and a Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) study based on ITS2 and 5.8S rDNA sequence analyses, in order to investigate how the fungal communities' structure and composition associated with the *P. oceanica* environmental matrices (seawater column or sediment) and plant compartment (leaves, roots or rhizome) differ according to environmental variability and biometrics or physiological descriptors. A single species dominated the fungal community, *Posidoniomyces atricolor*, hitherto unknown from other hosts and supposed to be responsible for the putative dark septate endophyte (DSE) colonization pattern found in *P. oceanica*. Out of *P. atricolor*, the less dominant taxa showed a strong plant compartment specificity. The consistent occurrence of the DSE suggested a mutualistic relationship as with mycorrhizal fungi in terrestrial plants, representing an integrated approach for the monitoring of the *P. oceanica* meadows in an even more changing environmental condition.

## S.120.2 The impact of fire regime shifts on plant species persistence

Mark K.J. Ooi¹

1 Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, AUSTRALIA

Climate change is leading a shift in ecological processes, and fires are arguably one of the most spectacular examples of such shifts. Fire regimes are changing and recent megafires around the world are examples of the extremes that fire events can reach. Plant species are adapted to historic fire re-

gimes, persisting within thresholds of fire frequency, seasonality, severity and extent. Developing an understanding of how shifting fire regime elements can impact persistence and recovery of plant species is therefore essential for conserving biodiversity. Seeds are key drivers of plant population dynamics and their study can allow us to predict the trajectories of functional groups of species. Seeds are also critical for applied restoration, where plant populations have been pushed past the limits for natural recovery. Drawing on the results from recent research, I look at how different elements of the fire regime, including extreme fire severity and out-of-season burns, interact with plant and seed ecological processes to determine which species may persist and which will struggle. While the reduction of climate change impacts requires a global effort, a clear understanding of local processes can help to provide informed conservation management, while local restoration efforts can help to minimise negative impacts for those species most at risk.

## S.120.3 Continuous turning on stress genes stabilizes gene regulatory networks and benefits mangroves' adaptation to unstable environments

Shao Shao¹, Ziwen He¹, Suhua Shi¹, Shaohua Xu¹

1 Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China

When experiencing unstable environments, a major challenge for plants is the maintaining stability of gene regulatory networks (GRNs). How plants accumulate genetic changes to stabilize GRNs in the long-term adaptation to environmental fluctuations is rarely revealed. In this study, we proposed a possible strategy of continuously turning on stress-responsive genes, which may increase GRNs stability while increasing energy costs. We tested the hypothesis by comparing expression profiles in a typical mangrove plant *Rhizophora apiculata* and its inland relative *Carallia pectinifolia*. Mangroves inhabited intertidal zones with highly fluctuated salinity and other stressors. We found that the gene expression profiles of *R. apiculata* were more stable than that of *C. pectinifolia* under salinity changes. It is caused by the transitation of stress-induced expression to constitutive expression in >4,000 genes. The genes
<figure><img src="image_280.png" /></figure>

include the up-regulation by high salinity in inland plant meanwhile constitutively high-expressed in mangroves and the down-regulation in inland plant and always low-expressed in mangroves. The former are enriched in salt stress response, while the latter are concentrated in the metabolic and development processes such as photosynthesis. We reconstructed GRNs based on time-series expression data and identified 42 key transcription factors that may have dominated the gene expression profile transition. We also identified genetic changes possibly responsible for the evolution of mangrove GRNs. In summary, mangroves have undergone extensive changes in gene expression profiles compared to their inland relatives. In particular, many salt stress response genes have evolved from stress-type to constitutive expression, which may be caused by changes in the expression patterns of key genes on GRNs. The growth-defense trade-off, investing more energy in defense at the cost of growth, may be an important strategy for mangroves to adapt to the fluctuating intertidal environments.

## S.120.4 Exploring the capacity of rare species to acclimate to environmental change

Jennifer N. Boyd¹, Jenny Cruse-Sanders², Jill T. Anderson³, Carol Baskauf⁴, Jessica Bryzski⁵, Annie Lindsay⁴, Jared Odell¹, Will Rodgers²

1 Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. 2 State Botanical Garden of Georgia, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA. 3 Department of Biology, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tennessee, USA. 4 Department of Plant Genetics, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA. 5 Department of Biology, Seton Hill University, Greensburg, Pennsylvania, USA

The enduring question of why some species are rare while others are common has important implications for the conservation of rare species and overall biodiversity. In the context of both current constraints to their ranges and their responses to rapid rates of contemporary environmental change, rare species can be limited in their capacities to adapt or migrate due to low genetic diversity and/or fitness as is suggested by previous research and our recent meta-analytic work. While

the ability of rare species to acclimate also could influence their current rarity and responses to environmental change, this capacity has been relatively underexplored in rare species. To compare the capacity of rare versus common species to acclimate, we investigated the phenotypic plasticity of individuals of rare *Boechera perstellata* (Braun's rockcress) and *Pityopsis ruthii* (Ruth's golden aster) with their widespread congeners *B. laevigata* and *P. graminifolia* propagated from seed collected from several populations throughout their ranges in controlled-environment growth chamber experiments. In contrast to our predictions that rarity would be associated with acclimatory constraints, both rare species exhibited phenotypic plasticity in response to changes in light and water availability that were comparable or greater than that exhibited by their common congeners. However, rare species were comparably constrained in their ability to acclimate to temperature. Overall, our findings elucidate the narrow ranges and habitat specificities of these rare endemic species of the southeastern USA and their vulnerability to future environmental change. To further explore the potential role of acclimatory constraints in species rarity we offer recommendations for field-based transplant experiments of endemic rare species such as *B. perstellata* and *P. ruthii* beyond their natural ranges.

## S.120.5 Riparian forest response to extreme drought: what do high water table forests reveal about forest resilience to drought?

Ana P. Portela¹,²,³, João Gonçalves¹,³,⁴, Isabelle Durance⁵, Cristiana Vieira⁶, João Honrado¹,²,³

1 CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal. 2 Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal. 3 BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal. 4 proMetheus-Research Unit in Materials, Energy and Environment for Sustainability, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Viana do Castelo, Portugal. 5 Water Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Cardiff, UK. 6 Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do Porto (PRISC), Porto, Portugal.
<figure><img src="image_281.png" /></figure>

Droughts significantly impact forest ecosystems, reducing forest health and productivity. Droughts thus compromise key forest functions such as carbon sequestration and consequently nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Riparian forests play key roles in the functioning of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. However, there is limited understanding of the response of riparian forests to drought. Here we investigate riparian forest drought responses and resilience to an extreme drought event at a regional scale. Specifically, we examined riparian forest drought response strategies and how drought event characteristics, average climate conditions, topography, soil and vegetation structure and functional composition shape the resilience of riparian forests to drought. We used a time series of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) derived from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery to calculate the resistance to and recovery after an extreme drought (2017-2018) in 49 sites across an Atlantic-Mediterranean climate gradient in North

Portugal. We used generalized additive models and multi-model inference to understand which factors explained drought responses. We found a trade-off between drought resistance and recovery, as well as contrasting strategies across the climatic gradient of the study area. Riparian forests in Atlantic areas showed higher resistance, while those under Mediterranean influence showed a higher recovery than the former. Canopy structure and climate context were the most relevant predictors of drought response. However, three years after the extreme drought, median NDVI and NDWI across the study area had not returned to pre-drought levels. Our study shows that riparian forests present trade-offs between drought resistance and recovery and may be susceptible to extended drought legacies associated with extreme and/or recurring droughts, similarly to upland forests. This work highlights an underestimated component of riparian ecosystems vulnerability to climate change and emphasises the need for further understanding on long-term resilience to drought.

# S.121 CAREX: THE EVOLUTION OF A MEGADIVERSE GENUS TACKLED FROM MULTIPLE APPROACHES. SESSION 2

## S.121.1 Forces driving the divergence of Carex (Cyperaceae) lineages: the role of the biotic component

Carmen Benítez Benítez¹, Pedro Jiménez-Mejías², Juan Antonio Calleja-Alarcón³, María Sanz-Arnal², Pablo Vargas⁴, Francisco Lara³, Roberto Garilleti⁵, Santiago Martín-Bravo², Marcial Escudero¹, Mario Fernández-Mazuecos³, Joaquín Calatayud⁶, Nagore G. Medina³

1 Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain. 2 Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain. 3 Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain. 4 Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 5 Department of Botany and Geology, Universidad de Valencia,

Valencia, Spain. 6 Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain

Divergence between lineages and speciation may be attributed to both geographic isolation and adaptive ecological differentiation. *Carex elata* and *C. reuteriana* are two closely related species with very similar habit and ecological requirements, inhabiting river shores at medium-low altitudes, that display an allopatric distribution within the Iberian Peninsula. They conform an ideal system to study the relative importance of geographical versus ecological factors in differentiation and speciation. We employed a multidisciplinary approach integrating abiotic, biotic and geographical factors, with genomic data (genotyping-by-sequencing) to infer the relative role of different evolutionary drivers. Abiotic factors were assessed based on 38 bioclimatic variables. We characterised biotic factors using the community of co-occurring plant species as a proxy containing presences and absences of vascular plant taxa (using 1536 vegetation in-
<figure><img src="image_282.png" /></figure>

inventories). Geographical factors were evaluated with a distance matrix based on geographic coordinates. We used regularized generalized linear models to determine which variables contribute more to explain the observed allopatric distribution pattern. Furthermore, we examined the relationships between genetic distances (from SNPs) and abiotic environment, biotic and geographical factors. The genomic analysis revealed a clear geographic structure of the taxa. Interestingly, their distributions are better predicted by the presence of other species within their respective communities than by abiotic or geographical factors. This suggests that biotic factors have played an important role in the divergence of these taxa or act as a proxy for other unaccounted ecological factors. In addition, inter-population genetic distances of each taxon are significantly associated with all aforementioned factors, albeit with varying degrees of influence. However, biotic distances alone explain the highest proportion of genetic distance variance within *C. elata*, whereas abiotic or geographical factors have a greater effect in *C. reuteriana*. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the evolutionary processes shaping the distribution and population dynamics of species.

## S.121.2 Is the red leaf colour of Carex (Cyperaceae) in New Zealand an adaptation to browsing by the extinct moas? A study of the dissuasive effect on herbivory by extant ratite birds

Santiago Martín-Bravo¹, Mónica Míguez¹, Diego Herrero¹, Kerry Ford², Pedro Jiménez-Mejías¹, Miquel Capó³

1 Botany Area, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain. 2 Landcare Research-Manaaki Whenua, Lincoln, New Zealand. 3 Plant & Animal Ecology Lab. Centro para la Conservación de la Biodiversidad y el Desarrollo Sostenible, Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

The moas were giant flightless birds (ratites) endemic to New Zealand, where they were the largest herbivores before their rapid extinction after colonization by maori people (c. 1440 AD). Moas' herbivory is con-

sidered a major force in the evolution of native vegetation, and their evolutionary legacy can still be seen in traits of different plant species. Colour-based plant defence has been proposed as a strategy to avoid herbivory. Genus Carex, which has a hotspot of diversity and endemicity in New Zealand, has red-leaved species in four different lineages. Despite this is a unique feature not found elsewhere in this megadiverse cosmopolitan genus, its evolution has not been investigated yet. In order to evaluate if red foliage could have helped Carex to escape from herbivores, a cafeteria-type experiment was conducted in a zoo using the moas' closely related extant species Dromaius novaehollandiae (emu) as a proxy. We exhibited green-leaved and red-leaved morphotypes of two Carex species (subgen. Carex, sect. Echinochlaenae) to evaluate emus' diet preference on the different colour morphotypes. We studied different growth parameters in control and bird-exposed plants (e.g., dry biomass, specific leaf area, root-shoot ratio, etc), and the interaction of birds with plants (time, peck number) through phototrapping, during three two-week cafeteria presentations. Our results show that emus clearly interacted and consumed the green plants over the red ones, which was also evident from several significant measured plant variables. This suggests that red-leaved plants could be less visually attractive and/or palatable to ratite birds. Our study supports the hypothesis that red-leaved Carex foliage could have adaptively evolved to avoid herbivory by moas in New Zealand.

## S.121.3 The genus Carex (Cyperaceae) in New Zealand: a southern hemisphere hotspot in a boreotemperate genus

Kerry A. Ford¹, José Ignacio Márquez-Corro²,³, James McCarthy¹, Pablo García Moro², Ana Morales Alonso²,⁴, María Sanz-Arnal², Pedro Jiménez-Mejías², Santiago Martín-Bravo¹,²

1 Landcare Research-Manaaki Whenua, Lincoln, New Zealand. 2 Botany Area, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain. 3 Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 4 Biodiversity and Conservation Area, Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
<figure><img src="image_283.png" /></figure>

Carex is a megadiverse genus with about 2000 species of cosmopolitan distribution, which is especially diversified in temperate and cold regions of the Northern Hemisphere. In New Zealand, however, it is remarkably the second largest angiosperm genus with 115 native species (c. 85% endemic), but its study has received comparatively little attention. We provide a general revision of the natural history of Carex in New Zealand, including systematic, biogeographic, ecological, morphological and evolutionary aspects. In the context of the latest dated phylogeny of Carex, New Zealand has been recurrently colonized by multiple lineages via long distance dispersal. Time of colonization seems to have a strong influence in the extent of lineage diversification, probably as a result of more ecological opportunity for diversification for earlier arriving lineages. Two lineages (sects. *Echinochlaenae* and *Uncinia*) which concentrate most species diversity (>70%) could have undergone evolutionary radiation processes, which is in agreement with molecular evidence, wide ecological and morphological diversity, and relatively uniform chromosome numbers. A wide array of disjunction patterns is revealed by the distribution of non-endemic taxa. On the other hand, restricted endemics shed light on putatively important areas for Carex speciation. Some morphological features are remarkable, including the unique presence of red-leaved species in four different lineages, a feature that could have evolved as a possible adaptation to escape herbivory by the extinct moas. Our revision remarks the extraordinary multidisciplinary interest of the study of New Zealand Carex and paves the road for future specific research on this group.

## S.121.4 Population genomics and phylogeography in sedges: speciation, niche evolution and landscape genomics of Carex gr. furva

Ana Valdés-Florido¹, Enrique Maguilla², Juan Arroyo¹, Marcial Escudero¹

1 University of Seville, Seville, Spain. 2 Pablo de Olavide University, Seville, Spain

The genus Carex L. (Cyperaceae), with about 2,000 species, is one of the most diversified gen-

era among angiosperms. Previous studies, based on morphological and molecular data (plastid DNA regions and RADseq) from 10 populations across the Iberian Peninsula, recognised two different species within C. furva complex: C. furva and C. lucennoiberica. Carex lucennoiberica is a species endemic to high siliceous mountains in the Iberian Peninsula. In contrast, C. furva is only distributed in Sierra Nevada, a high Mediterranean mountain in Southern Spain. Both species only co-occur in Sierra Nevada, which is an excellent area to study genetic divergence and local adaptation in the presence of hybridization. Here, we aim to (i) verify the split of both species by means of phylogenomic analyses performed by RADseq markers and using morphological characters measurements, (ii) study the niche evolution of both species, with special focus in Sierra Nevada using dataloggers (Ibutton®) to record temperature data across their distribution in Sierra Nevada and (iii) correlate fine scale RADseq loci of this group with temperature records and microclimate layers. Morphological and molecular data suggests two main groups in Sierra Nevada, corresponding to C. furva and C. lucennoiberica, but also intermediate individuals are found, evidencing gene flow between species. Our results allow us to conclude that there are not significant climatic niche differences between C. furva and C. lucennoiberica populations but there are some other microhabitat differences. Finally, our preliminary landscape genomic results suggest that there is evidence of local adaptation in this group.

## S.121.5 Carex sect. Racemosae (Cyperaceae): Insights into diversification and systematics of a taxonomically challenging group

Sebastian Gebauer¹, Pedro Jiménez-Mejías², Mohammad Amini Rad³, Carmen Benítez Benítez⁴, Asunción Cano⁵, Kyong-Sook Chung⁶, Bernhard W. Dickoré⁷, Marcial Escudero⁴, Adrien Favre⁸, Andrew L. Hipp⁹,¹⁰, Takuji Hoshino¹¹, Xiao-Feng Jin¹², Sangtae Kim¹³, Chun-Kuei Liao¹⁴,