<figure><img src="image_218.png" /></figure>

## S.89.5 Ecuadorian herbaria and their contribution towards botanical documentation in a biodiversity hot-spot

Alina Freire-Fierro¹,¹⁰,¹¹,¹², Sirli Leython², Jorge Marcelo Caranqui Aldaz³, Diego Gutiérrez del Pozo⁴, Nora Oleas⁵, Angel Benítez⁶, Zhofre Aguirre Mendoza⁷, Nelson Jaramillo⁷, Priscilla Muriel⁸, Rebeca Cortez Zambrano⁹

1 Herbario UTCEC, Universidad Técnica de Cotopaxi, Facultad CAREN, Latacunga, Ecuador. Alina.freire@utc.edu.ec. 2 Universidad Técnica de Ambato, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Herbario Misael Acosta Solís (AMAS). Ambato, Ecuador. 3 Herbario Escuela Superior Politécnica del Chimborazo, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Riobamba- Ecuador. 4 Herbario Amazónico del Ecuador ECUAMZ, Universidad Estatal Amazónica, Carlos Julio Arosemena Tola, Napo, Ecuador. 5 Herbario HUTI, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla, Quito, Ecuador. 6 Herbario HUTPL, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Campus Loja, Loja, Ecuador. 7 Herbario "Reinaldo Espinosa". Universidad Nacional de Loja. Campus La Argelia. Loja, Ecuador. 8 Herbario QCA, Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito. Ecuador. 9 QUSF, Universidad de San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador. 10 Botany Department, Natural History Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA. 11 Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO, USA. 12 Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena, Ecuador

Ecuador, despite being a small Neotropical country, includes two of the 36 biodiversity hot-spots: Tropical Andes and the Chocó/Darién/Western Ecuador. Per 1000 km², Ecuador has more than 6 times the diversity of vascular plants occurring in China, Brazil, Europe, and USA-Canada combined. The literature and direct interviews to personnel from the 18 active Ecuadorian herbaria listed in GRSciColl demonstrate an urgent need for increasing/mobilizing botanical collections as well as the need for support for botanical research in Ecuadorian institutions. Also, it is necessary to highlight the very low number of taxonomists in Ecuador. They, being experts in the area, know how to properly identify and handle these specimens. As such, they are the core of the herbarium operativity. Ecuador registers more than 22,000 vascular plant species names including synonyms, Ecuadorian collections house almost 800,000 specimens, more than 4,900 of which are

types. In contrast, only one herbarium from the Global North has more than 600,000 Ecuadorian specimens including 6,000 types. Despite the low average number of Ecuadorian botanists working on herbaria (1-2 FT employees/herbarium), big efforts have been made to digitize almost 400,000 of these specimens. Many of these records are available in GBIF and/or global databases such as Tropicos, and Symbiota as well as in local databases. Potential contributions from Ecuadorian herbaria towards areas such as floristics, molecular phylogenetics, metagenomics, identification with artificial intelligence and accelerated taxonomic efforts are immense. With the climatic crisis we are going through, there is an urgent need for increasing collecting and digitization efforts, describing more plant taxa by local taxonomists, updating/studying the conservation status of the more than 5,000 endemics to Ecuador and repatriating duplicates and/or type images from herbaria from the Global North. Similar situation could be foreseen for other herbaria in biodiversity hot-spots countries from the Global South.

## S.89.6 A preliminary palynological study of wild and naturalized vascular plants from the western Andean mountains in the Cotopaxi Provin

Jaime Lema¹,², Sergio Javier Andrango Guayasamín¹, Alba Liliana Mañay Chimborazo¹, Caizapanta Guamán Leslie Mercedes¹

1 Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Technical University of Cotopaxi, Latacunga, Ecuador. 2 Departamento de Biología y Geología, Centro Andaluz para la Evaluación y seguimiento del Cambio Global, Universidad de Almería, Almería, Spain

Little is known about palynological information on wild or naturalized species present in the western mountain range in Ecuador. This research compared palynological diversity at three altitudinal levels in the Western Andean Cordillera of Cotopaxi province: evergreen foothill forests (BsPn01) at 300-1400 m, low montane forest (BsBsn04) at 1400-2000 m and montane forest (BsMn03) at 2000-3100 m. Pollen morphology found in this preliminary study of 9 genera in 9 families of vascular plants was mainly perprolate, monoporate and with pollen grain siz-
<figure><img src="image_219.png" /></figure>

es between 26.9 µm and 134 µm. Pollen observed in the range 300-1400 m belongs to: 1) Sambucus sp. (Adoxaceae): 26.9 µm, perprolate and monoporate; 2) Guzmania sp. (Bromeliaceae): 53.7 µm, perprolate and bicolpate; 3) Gasteranthus sp. (Gesneriaceae): 17.9 µm, perprolate and monoporate; and 4) Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (naturalized, Malvaceae): 17.9 µm, perprolate and monoporate. Pollen observed in the range 1400-2000 m belongs to: 1) Cavendishia (Eriaceae): 53.7 µm in length, perprolate and monoporate; 2) Columnea sp. 1 (Gesneriaceae): 53.7 µm in length, subprolate and tricolporate; 3) Salvia sp. 1 (Lamiaceae): 134 µm long, and perprolate; 3) Oxalis sp. 1 (Oxalidaceae): 26.9 µm in length and monocolpate;

and 4) *Guzmania* sp. 1: see previous description. Pollen observed in the range 2000-3100 m belongs to: 1) *Calceolaria tripartita* (Calceolariaceae): 134 µm, long and bicolporate; 2) *Salvia* sp. 2 (Lamiaceae): 134 µm in length and shape and openings not identifiable; 3) *Oxalis* sp. 1: see previous description and 4) *Guzmania* sp. 1: see previous description. The same species of *Guzmania* (Bromeliaceae) was present in the three altitudinal levels and *Oxalis*, *Cavendishia*, and *Salvia* were found in the two upper altitudinal levels (1400 to 3100 m). These preliminary results need identification of the genera to species and verification and reconfirmation of the pollen grain characteristics.

## S.90 CONNECTIONS ALONG THE ATLANTIC FRINGE

### S.90.1 Why so few endemic species in oceanic island bryophyte floras? Insights from phylogeographic inference in the Macaronesian region

Sébastien Mirolo¹,², Alice Ledent¹, Jairo Patiño²,³, Manuela Sim-Sim⁴, Rosalina Gabriel⁵, Alain Vanderpoorten¹

1 University of Liège, Liège, Belgium. 2 University of La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. 3 Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Tenerife, Spain. 4 Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal. 5 University of the Azores, São Miguel, Azores, Portugal

Among land plants, bryophytes exhibit the lowest rates of endemism on oceanic islands. This pattern has primarily been interpreted in terms of intense gene flow preventing speciation from the closest continental sources, so that endemism would have to originate from geographically remote sources through chance long-distance dispersal. Here, we test this hypothesis through a meta-analysis of species distribution patterns and phylogeographic analyses in the Macaronesian bryophyte flora. Our results reveal a striking mismatch between the strong similarity of the Macaronesian and Mediterranean floras, and the largely

extra-Mediterranean origin of endemism that is, at first sight, compatible with this hypothesis. This hypothesis is, however, at odds with the significant genetic differentiation systematically found among populations disjunct between Macaronesia and the Mediterranean. Our reconstruction of the biogeographic origin of non-endemic species based on ABC analyses in a coalescent framework reveal a complex history of colonization of the archipelago from multiple continental sources, but also of continental colonization from island ancestors. Altogether, our results thus suggest that Macaronesian bryophyte flora originated from different sources depending on the variation of wind connectivity through time, triggering endemic speciation from various sources. While speciation rates may thus not have necessarily been lower than in other land plant lineages, the low rates of endemism among island bryophyte floras result from subsequent dispersal events towards continental areas.

### S.90.2 The introduction of heathers to western Ireland indicates an ancient maritime trade route from the Iberian peninsula

Nick Scott¹, Micheline Sheehy Skeffington²

1 Teach Na Tuisceana, Co. Galway, Ireland. 2 University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
<figure><img src="image_220.png" /></figure>

Five species of heather have disjunct 'Lusitanian' type distributions in Europe. They occur as discrete populations along Ireland's west coast, and two also occur on Britain's south-west coast. The nearest, or principal other place they occur is in the Iberian Peninsula. None could have survived the last ice age in Ireland or Britain, and migration northwards, leaving 100s of kilometre gaps *en route*, appears impossible. *Erica mackayana* (Mackay's Heath) does not set seed in Ireland and is restricted to small colonies beside minor routeways inland from the west coast, suggesting it was introduced through smuggling. This was confirmed by a genetic study which found that each Irish population was similar to plants sampled from a different place in north Spain and not to each other. However, while the results are consistent with most of the populations being comparatively recent introductions, the largest, on Roundstone Bog in Connemara, appears to be much older. Other heathers appear to be historical introductions to Ireland, *Erica vagans* (Cornish Heath) brought on smuggled goods and *Erica erigena* (Irish Heath) brought by pilgrims traveling on pilgrimage by sea to Santiago de Compostela, but the single population of *Daboecia cantabrica* (St Dabeoc's Heath), is today that extensive, covering all the available habitat in Connemara and South Mayo, that it must have been brought much longer ago. Eleven other Lusitanian plant species occur in western Ireland including *Arbutus unedo* (Strawberry Tree) shown to be probably introduced 4,300 BP by the first copper miners. Combining the distribution patterns of all those likely to be ancient introductions points at a direct ancient sea crossing from Galicia to western Ireland dating back to the start of the Bronze Age.

**S.90.3** Genetic evidence indicates multiple origins of Ireland's tree flora

Colin T. Kelleher¹, Samuel Belton¹ and
Philippe Cubry¹,²

1 National Botanic Gardens of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland. 2 Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier, France

Over the past 20 years our understanding of Ireland's tree flora has increased significantly through genetic analysis. While Ireland has among the lowest native forest cover in Europe along with considerable recent planting, the remnants do show a signature of a native flora rather than that of an introduced

flora. What emerges from the evidence is a relatively depauperate genetic component, a subset of Europe with reduced genetic diversity. This is to be expected from an island on the western periphery of the distribution of many European trees. We review studies completed to date in Alder, Ash, Birch, Oak and Scots pine. We show that while each species is unique, two overall patterns have emerged. One for species with temperate distributions showing a link with the Iberian Peninsula refugium and another for more cold tolerant and boreal species which shows a mix of Iberian genotypes along with those from a more northerly refugia. This baseline data is essential for situating Ireland's tree flora in a European context. However, many questions remain, such as the sequence and dynamics of invasions through chloroplast capture and the contractions and expansions of populations over time. Further work is ongoing to improve our understanding of the genetic landscape of the native tree flora.

**S.90.4** Is *Arbutus unedo* L. native to Ireland, or was it brought from the Iberian peninsula by Bronze Age copper miners?

Micheline Sheehy Skeffington¹, Nick Scott²

1 University of Galway, Galway, Ireland. 2 Teach na Tuisceana, Galway, Ireland

*Arbutus unedo*, Strawberry Tree, is a small tree occurring widely in central and western Mediterranean regions. It is also found along the Atlantic seaboard, northwards along western France. It is not considered native in Britain, but is in Ireland, where it is virtually confined to the south-west. However, this species could not have survived the last ice age in Ireland and migration northwards leaving such a large gap appears unlikely. Its Mediterranean ecological traits are not adapted to Ireland: it both flowers and fruits in early winter; it is unable to grow on wet soils and is intolerant of shade or grazing, so that it is now confined to cliffs, islands and rocky outcrops. The region around Killarney, Co. Kerry in SW Ireland, supports at least 2,000 individuals of *A. unedo*, or >80% of the total known trees in Ireland. It is here that both a palynological investigation and an archaeological excavation date the first fossil occurrence of the species in Ireland to be around 4,000 - 4,300 BP. The archaeological excavation, on
<figure><img src="image_221.png" /></figure>

Ross Island, Lough Leane, was of the first Bronze Age copper mine to be exploited in NW Europe. Using the Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland database, old records and field work, we mapped the distribution of *A. unedo* in Ireland and found a striking association with the occurrence of Bronze Age copper mines. We suggest *A. unedo* was brought by copper miners to Lough Leane from northern Spain, where three copper mines were worked from 4,800 to 4.300 BP, and that it flourished and later spread to other copper mines in SW Ireland, favoured by the extensive forest coppicing associated with the mining and its ability to produce multiple stems from an underground lignotuber. Such an introduction is supported by Irish mythical stories.

## S.90.5 Genetic heritage of Arbutus unedo: potential origins of populations from the Atlantic fringe

Iván Rodríguez-Buján¹, Pilar Díaz-Tapia¹,², Colin Kelleher³, Micheline Sheehy Skeffington⁴, Nick Scott⁵, Jaime Fagúndez¹,⁶

1 Universidade da Coruña, BIOCOST research group, Centro Interdisciplinar de Química e Bioloxía, A Coruña, Spain. 2 Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Departamento de Botánica, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. 3 National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin, Ireland. 4 University of Galway, Galway, Ireland. 5 Teach na Tuisceana, Galway, Ireland. 6 Universidade da Coruña, Departamento de Bioloxía, Facultade de Ciencias, A Coruña, Spain

The strawberry tree (*Arbutus unedo*) is an iconic plant species that occurs throughout the Mediterranean and the south-western European Atlantic coast. In this talk, we present the initial results of a biogeographic study using wide-genome SNPs (nextRAD sequencing) on over 250 specimens from 38 populations throughout most of its distribution range, with a special sampling effort on Irish populations. At a continental level, we provide evidence of the divergence between Mediterranean and Atlantic populations. In a second analysis at the regional scale, we obtained a consistent linkage among Irish populations, probably due to one or more ancient introductions that have inbred for a long period of time. Here, we describe the main putative patterns of genetic differentiation and will discuss the potential routes and events that may have given rise to these.
<figure><img src="image_222.png" /></figure>

**Symposia Session 6**

**S.91 ADVANCES IN FLOWER DEVELOPMENT:**
**THE PIVOTAL TREATISE OF PAYER REVISITED**

**S.91.1 Merism of Begoniaceae: an issue of numbers**

Jun-ru Wang¹,², Louis P. Ronse De Craene¹

1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 2 Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

Floral merism, the number of parts per whorl in the flower, is a relatively conserved and reliable character within major clades, generally with a limited shift between different merisms. Begoniaceae is a family with unisexual flowers which are highly diverse in merism, especially in female flowers. This study aims to understand the original merism and the potential evolutionary trends within male and female flowers. The floral developmental processes of several representative Begoniaceae species were investigated with SEM, and floral characters along the phylogeny of the family were reconstructed to trace back the evolution of different merisms. We also treated early floral buds with 6-BAP to test the effect of size on changes in merism. Our results show that tetramery and dimery shift between each other several times in *Begonia*, and the shifts are the result of space availability or a variation in position in early developmental stages. Trimery is rare and evolved from pentamery. Pentamery is relatively common in the female flower, but is less stable in some species with evidence of shifts from a higher or a lower merism. Shifts towards higher merisms are caused by either the fusing of two tepal primordia or the splitting of one primordium, which also results in the lobed tepal in the section *Eupetalum*. Flowers treated by 6-BAP increase in merism by producing extra organ primordia and this relates to the expansion of floral apex. Female flowers are more diverse in merism than male flowers and possible causes are weaker pressure from bracts on female floral primordia, a higher spatial constraint caused by the development of hypanthium, and the unstability of a high merism. Floral development of Begoniaceae

is a good case to understand how different meristic patterns evolved in relation to shifts in space and pressure during early floral development.

**S.91.2 The study of flower development and phylogeny, then and now**

Peter K. Endress¹

1 Institute of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

Payer was a pioneer in the microscopic study of floral development based on detailed drawings of different developmental flower stages across many angiosperms. He recognized patterns that appeared to be similar in young stages. Some of these were interpreted as indicating systematic relationships. He assumed that in these flowers the development of the androecium was centrifugal. Only in polyandrous Magnoliales and Ranunculales did he find a centripetal pattern. Later improved the observation techniques and the systematic interpretation by phylogenetic analyses. Hirmer worked along similar lines (1918). As a new tool he used microtome sections, which allowed more precise images. Corner emphasized the systematic importance of centrifugal androecia, and unlike other workers, he assumed that this feature was phylogenetically basal, as it occurred in many families of mainly tropical distribution (1949). Corner's view also influenced some later macrosystematists to assume that a number of angiosperm orders together were to be treated as the new angiosperm class Dilleniidae. However, with molecular systematic studies it later was shown that the class Dilleniidae had to be discarded (2018). Further progress was the use of scanning electron microscopy for flower development (Endress 1972) and the use of synchrotron radiation x-ray tomography microscopy for visualizing the inside of fossil flowers (Friis et al. 2014). Progress came also with the focus on still earlier developmental stages, when
the developing flowers did not yet have any shape, but were only expressed as an activated meristem, only visible using stained microtome sections. Phylogenetic improvement came with global molecular phylogenetics, at first with the gene *rbcL* (Chase et al. 1993), and then continuously enriched up to the inclusion of all three plant genomes (Soltis et al. 2018). This, in turn, greatly helped to improve the knowledge of structural flower evolution.

### S.91.3 The enigma of the grass stigma

Dmitry D. Sokoloff¹,², Constantin I. Fomichev²,³, Paula J. Rudall⁴, Terry D. Macfarlane⁵, Margarita V. Remizowa²

1 School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

2 Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia. 3 Faculty of Biology, Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen, China. 4 Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK.

5 Western Australian Herbarium, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Perth, Australia

Jean-Baptiste Payer (1857) was among the pioneering researchers of grass flower development. He nicely demonstrated that, taken in isolation, data on gynoecium development in grasses do not contradict its interpretation as a solitary carpel. This conclusion created a need for an explanation of the occurrence of more than one stigma in most grasses. Some scattered angiosperms do have two stigmas per carpel, but a number of grasses possess as many as three (and rarely even more) stigmas. Grass stigmas and their stalks develop as ab initio terete and filiform structures. They differ in this respect from the typical plicate condition of the angiosperm stigma. As first illustrated by Payer (but not documented in full detail with SEM before the present study), at least some PACMAD grasses have stigmas attached to the outer surface of the gynoecium wall, well below the margin of the gynoecium orifice. Consequently, some researchers concluded that the grass stigma is not homologous to the stigma of other angiosperms. Broad comparative analysis in a modern phylogenetic context demonstrates that the grass gynoecium, contrary to the view of Payer, is pseudomonomerous. Each stigma, at least in the hypothetical ancestral grass condition, belongs to its own carpel. A bistigmatic grass gynoecium has two sterile carpels, each producing a stigma, and a fertile carpel that lacks a stigma. Comparison with

outgroups is highly important in resolving the morphological interpretation of the grass stigma. Ecdeiocoleaceae are the closest specialised wind-pollinated outgroup of grasses. Our data show that the stigmas of Ecdeiocoleaceae are flat and bifacial, and this condition is apparently plesiomorphic in grasses. The peculiar stigma position found in some PACMAD grasses can be explained in terms of formation of a secondary carpel margin in the region of closure of the gynoecium orifice.

### S.91.4 Morphology and development of flowers and inflorescences in Burmannia (Burmanniaceae)

Sophia V. Yudina¹,², Ba Vuong Truong⁴, Nikolay A. Vislobokov¹,³, Dmitry F. Lyskov¹,³, Maxim S. Nuraliev¹,³, Margarita V. Remizowa¹, Alexander Kocyan⁵

1 M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia. 2 The Institute for Information Transmission Problems RAS, Moscow, Russia. 3 Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Scientific and Technological Center, Hanoi, Vietnam. 4 Department of Biological Resources, Institute of Tropical Biology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. 5 Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, Botanical Museum, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

Burmannia is the largest genus of the pantropical family Burmanniaceae (Dioscoreales). Species of Burmannia demonstrate, on the one hand, actinomorphic bisexual flowers with typical monocot trimerous groundplan and, on the other hand, highly elaborated morphology that includes prominent floral tube with large longitudinal wings. We provide comprehensive analysis of inflorescence structure, floral anatomy and floral development for eight species of *Burmannia* with different life strategies (autotrophy, full mycoheterotrophy, partial mycoheterotrophy). In *Burmannia*, the basic inflorescence type is a thrysoid of two cincinni, which is transformed into a botryoid in the few-flowered species via the reduction of lateral cymes to single flowers. The floral tube in *Burmannia* consists of a hypanthium and a perianth tube. In *B. oblonga*, inner tepals are seemingly absent from mature flowers. However, during early developmental stages of the flower these organs are present; but, their growth is arrested almost immediately after initiation. The gynoecium of *Burmannia* consists of synascidiate, symplicate and asymplicate
zones. The symplicate zone is secondarily trilocular. The border between synascidiate and symplicate zones (i.e., the cross zone) is hard to recognize due to the absence of visible traces of postgenital fusion in the basal part of the symplicate zone. Species of *Burmannia* uniformly possess supralocular septal nectaries, i.e., located in the upper region of the ovary just below the ovary roof. Finally, species of *Burmannia* reveal a remarkable diversity of stamen-style interactions. The stamens are either tightly appressed to the style remaining free from it, or postgenitally fused with the style by their connectives forming a gynostegium. A gynostegium is otherwise only found in some lineages of Apocynaceae of eudicots that have similar complex synorganised flowers. Acknowledgements: The work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project 21-74-10006) and by IITP RAS FFNU-2022-0037.

### S.91.5 The legacy of Jean-Baptiste Payer – a need to put floral developmental studies at the forefront of botanical research.

Louis P. Ronse De Craene¹, Julien B. Bachelier², Florian Jabbour³

1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. 2 Biological Institute, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany. 3 Institut de Systématique Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France

Morphology has always been the indispensable instrument for the exploration of biodiversity and studies of living organisms. Fundamental questions, such as the origin of flowers and their morphology can only be properly answered from the perspective of ontogeny in a phylogenetic framework. Payer was the first to systematically create a comparative study of flowers in great detail, covering as many as 329 species, belonging in 130 families of flowering plants. His masterpiece, *Traité d'organogénie comparée de la fleur*, published in 1857 (1854 for the first edition), was advanced for his time and remains strongly relevant in its extraordinary accuracy and as a valuable counterpart of evo-devo studies. The floral developmental study of Payer has created the perfect conditions for the development of twentieth century schools of dynamic botany set against the more conservative typological approach. Comparative

floral developmental studies allow for a better understanding of complex structures and are a key to understanding fundamental trends in floral evolution. As flowers are dynamic structures, often without clearcut boundaries between organs or tissues, an integration of ontogenetic and evolutionary approaches remains the cornerstone in understanding floral evolutionary change. Morphology has always been significant but becomes increasingly so, as the understanding of the floral phenotype is only relevant through integrative studies including pollination systems, gene expression and regulation, and development, demonstrating the importance of spatial constraints. The first part of the talk presents an overview of the significance of Payer as individual. The second part covers his legacy for modern morphological research. The third part explores a case study in the family Anacardiaceae, illustrating the importance of floral developmental evidence for floral studies.

### S.91.6 Floral anatomy and vasculature in Peliosanthes (Asparagaceae): refined knowledge of flower structure and implications for systematic

Constantin I. Fomichev¹,², Maxim S. Nuraliev¹,³, Nikolay A. Vislobokov¹,³, Leonid V. Averyanov⁴, Margarita V. Remizowa¹

1 Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia. 2 Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen, China. 3 Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Scientific and Technological Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam. 4 Komarov Botanical Institute, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Peliosanthes is one of Southeast Asian genera of Asparagaceae (Asparagales). Species of *Peliosanthes* (Asparagaceae) are common herbs in tropical and subtropical evergreen forests. We studied inflorescence morphology, flower structure and flower anatomy, with special emphasis on its vascular system, in 13 species of *Peliosanthes*. We revealed raceme and thyrses as two distinct inflorescence types in *Peliosanthes*. Probably, thyrses evolved several times from a raceme in the evolution of the genus, which appeared to be available due to the presence of bracteoles (floral prophylls). A characteristic feature of *Peliosanthes*
is the presence of an androecial corona, i.e., a tube formed by congenitally fused stamens. The corona is absent from the closely related genera of Asparagaceae and therefore can be considered as a synapomorphy of *Peliosanthes*. Our data show that the ovary position (superior, semi-inferior and inferior) is not associated with any differences in the structure of the gynoecium but is a consequence of the different shapes of the ovary roof. According to our results, species differ in the presence of septal nectaries: nectaries are absent from *P. longicoronata* and *P. triandra*, and therefore these species lack an asymptlicate gynoecium zone, and their style is formed by a sym-

plicate zone. In the other species, the nectaries are located in the hemisyplicate zone, and the style is formed by the asymplicate zone. The flower vasculature in all the studied species is fundamentally uniform; the interspecific differences are only found in the levels of bundle separation. The structure of the ventral carpel bundles correlates with the presence or absence of the septal nectaries. Our data supplement the phylogenetic findings providing additional evidence for the distinctness of species and lineages within *Peliosanthes*, and also they fulfill the gaps in knowledge on its basic flower structure.

**S.92 CAREX: THE EVOLUTION OF A MEGADIVERSE GENUS TACKLED FROM MULTIPLE APPROACHES. SESSION 1**

**S.92.1 Revisiting the taxonomy of Carex sect. Lupulinae subsect. Lupulinae (Cyperaceae)**

Lacroix-Carignan, Étienne¹, Starr, Julian R.², Naczi, Robert F. C.³, Léveillé-Bourret, Étienne¹

1 Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale and Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada. 2 Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 3. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York, USA

Carex subsect. Lupulinae (Cyperaceae) is a well-defined clade of four showy sedge species common in eastern North American swamps that has been the subject of no less than four independent taxonomic revisions in the last 50 years. Although these treatments were all concordant in their species delimitation, extensive fieldwork across the subsection's geographic range in addition to the morphometric analysis of more than 300 herbarium specimens have revealed unexpected morphological extremes and evidence for hybrids that challenge the current circumscription of taxa. Plastid and nuclear sequences were subsequently recovered for more than 100 individuals included in morphometric analyses, and

the phylogenies reconstructed from these markers were concordant with the conclusions drawn from morphology and fully support the recognition of an undescribed species endemic to the southern United States Coastal Plain. Moreover, preliminary results suggest that another cryptic species may be hidden in what is currently called *Carex lupuliformis*, a taxon rare throughout most of its range. The discovery of considerable morphological and molecular variation within one of the most extensively studied *Carex* clades in eastern North America not only demonstrates how basic studies in biodiversity continue to be relevant, but also highlights their importance to conservation in even in well-known floras.

**S.92.2 Temporal and spatial scales in populations and lineages differentiation in a sedge**

Inés Gómez-Ramos¹, Ana Valdés-Florido¹, Sonia Merinero², Enrique Maguilla³, Carmen Benítez Benítez¹, Pedro Jiménez-Mejías³, Modesto Luceño³, Juan Arroyo¹, Marcial Escudero¹
<figure><img src="image_223.png" /></figure>

1 University of Sevilla, Seville, Spain. 2 Rey Juan Carlos University, Móstoles, Spain. 3 Pablo de Olavide University, Seville, Spain

Biologists have debated about how time scale affects evolutionary processes, since the first evolution theories. We present local and regional approaches on the evolution of a common species in the Palearctic (also in the eastern North America): *Carex nigra* (L.) Reichard. In each approach we have assessed which factors are more critical: current ecological conditions or historical processes? In the local approach, microsatellites were used to assess the genetic diversity and structure of 12 populations along an altitudinal gradient in SE Spain. The regional approach involved the application of RAD-seq to explore the phylogeography of *Carex nigra*. Niche modelling analyses were also conducted to evaluate the potential distribution of the *C. nigra* complex. At a local scale, microclimatic and edaphic conditions influenced genetic diversity among populations and shaped the plant's reproductive strategy (clonality vs. sexual reproduction). Notably, lower genetic diversity was observed in colder and nutrient-poor environments where clonality predominated. The genetic structure exhibited a weak pattern, showing no correlation with either climate or geography. Results from the regional approach indicated a strong geographical structure within *Carex nigra* range, distinguishing between three subspecies: *C. nigra* subsp. *intricata*, subsp. * nigra* and subsp. *transcaucasica*, with almost non-overlapping distribution. The significant differences in their climatic niches are, likely, explained by their allopatric distribution pattern. At this scale, historical phylogeography emerge as the main driver of divergence, with these ranges coinciding with different climate refugia during the Pleistocene glaciations. The scale of the evolutionary process plays a crucial role in determining the importance of diversification drivers in *Carex nigra*. Historical phylogeographic factors, such as refugia during Pleistocene glaciations, wielded substantial influence at the regional level. In contrast microclimate and soil conditions did not contribute to population genetic differentiation across altitudinal gradients in a Mediterranean mountain range but determined patterns of genetic diversity.

### S.92.3 Genetic and morphological diversity in Carex sect. Siderostictae

Kyong-Sook Chung¹, Okihito Yano²

1 Department of Medicinal Plant science, Jungwon University, Goesan, Korea. 2 Faculty of Biosphere-Geophere Science, Okayama University of Science, Okayama, Japan

Carex sect. Siderostictae is a basal lineage in the whole group of Carex. In traditional taxonomy, about thirteen taxa are considered in the group, but the recently proposed phylogeny, 27 taxa are included in the *Siderosticta* group. Unlike other members in Carex, the *Siderosticta* group has large and fewer-numbered chromosomes with distinct polyploidization (about 1 µm long and 2n = 12 or 24) and miss continuous variation in chromosome number (aneuploidy, agmatoploidy and/or symploidy). The *Siderosticta* group has apparently broad leaves and well-developed rhizomes. Within the section, terminal spikes exhibit diversity with unisexual (staminate) and bisexual (androgynous) flowers. To clarify major lineages within the group and evaluate evolution of major characters, nrDNA (ITS and ETS), cpDNA (trnC-ycf6, aptB-rbcL, and trnL-F), and nuclear low-copy genes (catP and GZF) were utilized. nrDNA and cpDNA do not support monophyly of the traditional section and *C. siderosticta*, which is the most widely distributed in East Asia. However, nuclear low-copy genes support the monophyly of *C. siderosticta*. In addition, *C. siderosticta* + *C. okamotoi* and *C. ciliatomarginata* + *C. splendentissima* + *C. pachygyna* clades were well supported. Multiple polyploidization events were hypothesized in the *C. siderosticta* + *C. okamotoi* clade (2x, 3x, 4x populations). Unisexual terminal spikes are mainly found in diploids such as *C. okamotoi*, *C. ciliatomarginata*, *C. splendentissima*, and *C. tumidula*. Further discussion will be made on cytological and morphological character evolution in major lineages of the *Siderosticta* group.
<figure><img src="image_224.png" /></figure>

## S.92.4 Jumping for joy: phylogenomic insights on the biogeographic and diversification adventures of Carex sect. Ucinia (Cyperaceae)

Pablo García Moro¹, Tamara Villaverde²,
María Sanz-Arnal¹, José Ignacio
Márquez-Corro³, Paulo Muñoz-Schüler⁴,
Kerry Ford⁵, Karen Wilson⁶, Germinal
Rouhan⁷, Mónica Míguez¹, Santiago
Martín-Bravo¹ & Pedro Jiménez-Méjías¹

¹Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain. ²Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain. ³Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, UK. ⁴Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile. ⁵Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, Australia. ⁶Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, New Zealand. ⁷Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France

Carex sect. Ucinia with c. 70 species is the most diverse lineage of subgenus Ucinia and displays a remarkable disjunct distribution in the Southern Hemisphere. It had its ancestral area in South America, where it originated 15 Mya, but it is also present in the Pacific-Southwest Region (Australia-New Zealand), as well as in some Pacific Islands and circum-Antarctic archipelagos. The colonization of these regions was likely facilitated by the presence of an exserted hooked rachilla, which is a syndrome for long-distance dispersal (epizoochory) exclusive of sect. Ucinia. A large proportion of the species richness is roughly halved between South America and New Zealand, which have been related to putative evolutionary radiations, especially in the later. Previous phylogenetic reconstructions based on standard DNA barcoding markers failed to disentangle relationships at shallow evolutionary level. We have enhanced phylogenetic resolution within this section by using Hyb-Seq genomic data for an almost complete species sampling. We tried to further study the evolution within this lineage by obtaining genome size data and by conducting morphometric analyses for shallow species complex with disjunct trans-oceanic distributions (C. austrocompacta s.l., C. brevicaulis s.l.) biogeographic patterns. Genome size reconstruction analysis reveals that several species of sect. Ucinia could be polyploid, as they exceed the average size of the genus. This increase in genome size could be associated to its colonization ability in new ecological niches as previously seen in other Cyperaceae. The dispersal

routes of sect. Ucinia through the Oceans can be appreciated in some of its species' complex as those of the circum-Antarctic archipelagos: *Carex austrocompacta* s.l. describes a Stepping-Stone pattern from New Zealand in an East-to-West direction. *Carex brevicaulis* s.l., on the other hand, seems to have colonized Pacific, Atlantic and circum-Antarctic islands through several, independent LDD events from South America.

## S.92.5 Comparative genomic architecture of chromosomal fissions and fusions in holocentric sedges

Ashwini V. Mohan¹, Marcial Escudero²,³,
André Marques⁴, Kay Lucek¹

¹Biodiversity Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland. ²Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain. ³Department of Integrative Ecology, Doñana Biological Station, CSIC, Seville, Spain. ⁴Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany

Speciation is a fundamental evolutionary process that has generated and maintained biodiversity. The evolution of reproductive barriers completes speciation, and is therefore key to maintaining species boundaries. In monocentric species, where chromosomes contain a single centromere region, changes in karyotypes often promote reproductive isolation by causing constraints during cell division; however, such chromosomal rearrangements are less likely to be established first. Holocentric species that lack a single centromere but have centromere-like structures across their chromosomes have repeatedly evolved in the tree of life and often show high variation in karyotypes between closely related species. Sedges are a holocentric group with a high diversity of karyotypes between and within species. In sedges, karyotypic changes through chromosomal fusion and fission are associated with changes in transposable elements (TEs). However, the specific underlying genomic architecture is not yet fully understood. Here, we used pairs of sibling species from the genus Carex (Cyperaceae) with different or identical karyotypes to unravel the genomic architecture of chromosomal fission and fusion. For this, we (i) characterized the TEs across rearranged and non-rearranged chromosomes, (ii) measured synteny across species with different karyotypes, (iii) annotated genomes, and (iv) tested whether non-conserved genomic areas differed in gene density compared to conserved regions.
<figure><img src="image_225.png" /></figure>

We assembled 10 reference quality genomes from eight Carex species using PacBio Revio and 3D genome-wide chromatin interactions. Through this rare comparative study, we provide detailed insights into genome evolution in holocentric species and its links to speciation by tracing the evolution of changes in genomic architecture and regions associated with reproductive isolation.

## S.92.6 The genus Carex (Cyperaceae) in South America: a decade-long study of one of South America's best hidden secrets

Muñoz-Schüler, P.¹, Morales-Alonso, A.²,³, García-Moro, P.³, Acedo, C.⁴, Benítez-Benítez, C.⁵, Cano, A.⁶, Donadío, S.⁷, Lois, R.⁴, Luceño, M.³, Márquez-Corro, J.I.³,⁸, Penneckamp, D.⁹, Reznicek, A.¹⁰, Roalson, E.¹¹, Sanz-Arnal, M.³, Villaverde, T.², Martín-Bravo, S.³, Jiménez-Mejías, P.³

1 CONC Herbarium, Department of Botany, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile. 2 Biodiversity and Conservation Area, Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain. 3 Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain. 4 Department of Biodiversity and Management, Universidad de León, León, Spain. 5 Plant Biology and

Ecology Department, Botany Area, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain. 6 Natural Sciences Museum, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú. 7 Instituto de Botánica Darwinión, San Isidro, Buenos Aires, Argentina. 8 Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 9 Laboratory of Biodiversity and Canopy Ecology, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile. 10 University of Michigan Herbarium, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. 11 School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, DC, USA.

South America harbors an astonishing amount of the world's vascular plant diversity, including more than 120000 species, 6200 genera and five biodiversity hotspots. Systematic and evolutionary studies have been mostly focused on plant lineages greatly diversified in tropical habitats like rainforests, in contrast to the comparatively less studied temperate lineages, which are mostly confined within the continent's colder regions. The genus Carex L. (Cyperaceae) is a megadiverse and sub-cosmopolitan group of plants, which, despite being within the ten most speciose plant genera of South America's temperate regions, has been historically overlooked. In this work we present a preliminary systematic synopsis of Carex in South America, derived from the results of more than nine years of past and ongoing international collaborative studies involving researchers from all over America and Spain. The main results are the systematic revisions of the two largest lineages within the continent, sections *Junciformes* and *Uncinia*, as well as a series of taxonomical and chorological studies aimed to resolve the systematics of complex groups, describe new taxa, and elucidate biogeographic patterns.

## S.93 GLOBAL CONSERVATION CONSORTIA: INTEGRATED PLANT CONSERVATION ON A GLOBAL SCALE

### S.93.1 Spatial priorities for the conservation of plant and animal evolutionary history

Sebastian Pipins¹,²,³, Alex Bowmer²,⁴, Rikki Gumbs³,⁵, Ian Ondo¹,⁶, Nisha Owen⁷, Sam Pironon¹,⁶, James Rosindell³, Felix Forest¹

1 Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, London, UK. 2 On the Edge, London, UK. 3 Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, UK. 4 The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK. 5 EDGE of Existence Programme, London, UK. 6 UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK. 7 Global Greengrants Fund, UK

The biodiversity crisis is set to prune the Tree of Life in a way that threatens billions of years of evolutionary history. To secure this heritage along with all the benefits it provides to humanity, there is need for conser-
<figure><img src="image_226.png" /></figure>

vation prioritisations to be informed by phylogenetics. Furthermore, it is typical for prioritisations to report on vertebrate diversity, biasing our attention away from plants. Here, we contrast global priorities of threatened evolutionary history for seed plants and tetrapod animals, highlighting areas of shared priority and unique concern. We then reveal patterns of Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species and consider how areas of shared priority disagree gate at the sub-national scale. With the EDGE index featuring under Target 4 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, it is vital to ensure the world's most unique and imperilled species are safeguarded. This study therefore presents an important examination of the potential synergies to be found in conserving across the Tree of Life.

## S.93.2 Ex situ gap analyses: informing prioritization for conservation action

Emily Coffey¹, Jean Linsky¹, Amy Byrne², Silvia Alvarez Clare²,⁵, Vanessa Handley³, Dan Crowley⁴,⁵

1 Atlanta Botanical Garden. 2 The Morton Arboretum. 3 Montgomery Botanical Center. 4 Weston-birt, The National Arboretum, UK. 5 Botanic Gardens Conservation International

Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) is leading a global initiative to create a cost-effective, botanic garden-driven system for conserving and managing plant diversity. This initiative involves forming consortia of experts knowledgeable in genera that pose conservation and management challenges. These consortia operate under a unified framework to meet the conservation needs of these endangered plant groups. A key strategy for the most threatened species includes establishing ex situ metacollections, networks of living collections across various locations, and managed as unified populations. These metacollections aim to conserve a broader range of genetic diversity, mitigate risk by distributing collections across multiple institutions, and lower maintenance costs. The Global Conservation Consortium (GCC) is at the forefront of promoting best practices for these metacollections through cross-sector collaborations. They have also developed new methodologies for conservation gap analysis to evaluate existing plant group collections, identify species

at the highest risk, and prioritize conservation actions. The presentation will showcase case studies from the GCC on managing metacollections for Cycads, Magnolias, and Oaks. These studies will illustrate the value of data sharing amongst botanic gardens in the application of Conservation Gap Analysis, establishment of collaborative conservation orchards, and best practices for managing collections with a genetic focus. This talk will introduce the GCC's gap analysis tools, underscoring the potential for collaborative opportunities and inviting new partners to participate in the GCC's global conservation efforts.

## S.93.3 Improving oak micropropagation and cryopreservation through GCC collaborations

Megan Philpott¹, Valerie Pence¹

1 Center for Conservation & Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW), Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, USA

Oaks are flagship species that act as keystones in many communities. However, oaks worldwide are increasingly threatened by novel pests and diseases, habitat loss, and climate change. Protection of global oak biodiversity must include ex situ banking, but as oaks are considered exceptional species overall, they cannot be banked using conventional seed banking methods and instead are best banked long-term using cryopreservation. The first step in developing many cryopreservation protocols is initiation into tissue culture. However, tissue culture propagation in oaks is difficult, with protocol response often specific to species and even genotype. Developing universal tissue culture protocols would make it vastly easier for practitioners worldwide to quickly and effectively bank the biodiversity necessary to ensure these charismatic species survive into the uncertain future. As a beginning step towards this goal we selected eight focal oak species, including six threatened species, from across the United States to study the factors affecting tissue culture initiation in *Quercus* in preparation for cryopreservation. Eighteen institutions across North America, organized through the Global Conservation Consortium (GCC) for Oak, collaborated to send cuttings from their collections. Using 91 genotypes taken from across the species' range, we initiated
<figure><img src="image_227.png" /></figure>

shoot and somatic embryo cultures using a stan-
dard experimental protocol to test the effects of
species, genotype, climate conditions, anti-micro-
bials, silver thiosulfate, sterilization methods, and
other factors in the initiation of Quercus to tissue
culture. First year results showed survival at three
months across species ranging from 41.3% (Q. ru-
bra) to 1% (Q. boyntonii), with an average survival
of 15.7%. Comparison of four new sterilization meth-
ods reduced the contamination rate from 73.9% to
18.2%. This project is an example of how the GCC
can be used to facilitate large-scale studies on
the improvement of ex situ conservation methods.
(Research supported by IMLS).

S.93.4 Establishing ex situ conservation collections through collaborative partnerships

Amy Byrne¹, Silvia Alvarez-Clare ¹,⁵, Emily
Coffey², Jean Linsky², Vanessa Handley³,
Dan Crowley⁴,⁵

1 The Morton Arboretum. 2 Atlanta Botanical Garden. 3 Montgomery Botanical Center. 4 Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, UK. 5 Botanic Gardens Conservation International

Effective conservation of tree genetic diversity re-
quires the integration of ex situ and in situ conser-
vation approaches. A network of coordinated living
collections at multiple sites managed as a single
population —a metacollection—is the most effec-
tive and efficient way to conserve genetic diversity
of threatened exceptional plants (plants that can-
not be conserved in conventional seed banks), ex
situ. Metacollections can be used for research, ed-
ucation, restoration, and act as an insurance policy
against extinction. Botanic gardens and arboreta
have the expertise to identify, collect and propa-
gate exceptional plant species, but they often lack
sufficient space to establish coordinated collec-
tions at the scale needed to capture sufficient ge-
netic diversity. The public garden community has
long known that we are more impactful working to-
gether than on our own, but how does that translate
to living collections? To address this challenge, the
Global Conservation Consortia (GCC) have created
a solution that brings partners from different sec-
tors to solve the challenges of ex situ conservation
of exceptional plants. More specifically, the GCC's
have led cross-sector partnerships that advance

and maximize the different strengths and skills of
GCC partners to successfully establish genetically
diverse metacollection sites. Partners such as tra-
ditional botanic gardens and arboreta, those that
have the staff capacity and infrastructure to col-
lect and propagate seedlings, cuttings, and grafts
of rare and threatened species are partnering with
other sectors such as government agencies or land
trusts, those who have more space or capacity to
manage and monitor large-scale plantings long-
term. Throughout this presentation, the GCC for
Oak, Magnolia and Cycad will provide case-studies
of successful, collaborative metacollection site es-
tablishment. This talk will present opportunities to
engage with the GCC's to establish more partner-
ships to protect the depth and breadth of genetic
diversity found in wild populations of the priority at-
risk plant species, globally.

S.93.5 Understanding the
dynamics of ex-situ living
collections: a longitudinal,
contextual, and global
meta-data approach

Samuel F. Brockington¹, Ángela Cano¹

1 Cambridge University Botanic Garden, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

The ex-situ living collections of Botanic Gardens are
distinct from other horticultural landscapes in be-
ing “documented”, in other words they are defined
by the data that describe the collections. Conse-
quently, ex-situ living collections individually and
globally amass vast quantities of data, as they seek
to track and document the transient flow of biodi-
versity within and through networked ex-situ col-
lections. But these data are rarely if ever compre-
hensively analysed to understand the performance,
strengths and limitations of ex-situ collections. At
the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, we have
developed a bioinformatic pipeline called BGSmarR
which will thouroughly analyse the data of a living
collection in order to reveal the quality (or other-
wise) of collection management - itself crucial for
the sustainable maintenance and conservation of
ex-situ diversity. Furthermore, by combining these
analyses across the multiple globally distributed
living collections, we can reveal the global dynam-
ics that enable and limit the functioning of ex-situ
conservation. Here we report on the findings of these
global meta-analyses, describing the rise and fall of ex-situ living collections over time, and the surprising and counterintuitive patterns that emerge from longitudinal and contextual approaches. On the basis of these analyses we identify global and cultural forces in play that are limiting our collective ability to manage high performance living collections, and preventing us from realising the our full portential to deliver ex-situ conservtaion in perpetuity.

## S.93.6 Beyond Botanic Gardens – establishing and maintaining an ex situ conservation metacollection with non-botanic garden partners

Hannah Wilson

Ex situ conservation is crucial for preventing species extinction, yet many conifer species are exceptional and cannot be preserved through traditional seed banks. These species must be conserved

as living collections, a challenge compounded by the substantial space required for cultivating large, slow-growing trees. The International Conifer Conservation Programme (ICCP) at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has pioneered a solution over the past 35 years, establishing a vast conifer conservation metacollection across the British Isles. This network spans over 270 diverse sites, from botanic gardens and private estates to zoos, hospitals, and hotels, encompassing over 23,500 individual plants and nearly half of all conifer taxa.

This talk will explore the ICCP's journey, emphasizing the unique benefits and complexities of collaborating with non-botanic garden partners. By expanding beyond traditional botanic gardens, the ICCP has enhanced its conservation capacity and created new opportunities for public engagement, education, and outreach. Special attention will be given to the educational and outreach efforts that have transformed participants from conservation novices to enthusiastic advocates. This talk will highlight the significant added value of non-traditional partnerships in achieving botanic garden conservation goals and fostering a widespread commitment to preserving threatened species

## S.94 LARGE-SCALE GENERATION AND UTILISATION OF REFERENCE-QUALITY GENOMES FROM PLANTS

### S94.1 10KP sequencing of genomes from phylodiverse species: new discoveries and new technologies

Gane Ka-Shu Wong¹,², Xun Xu¹

1. BGI-Research, Shenzhen, China. 2 University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

Seven years ago at the IBC in Shenzhen, we announced a plan to sequence the genomes of 10,000 phylodiverse plants. Much has changed since those days. The technology of sequencing, especially long reads, has raised the standards for assembly. But the COVID-19 pandemic and growing geopolitical conflicts have made international collaborations increasingly difficult. We have adjusted to these reali-

ties and continued to produce data, albeit at a lower rate. Much of the data produced by 10KP have been for algae provided by Michael Melkonian. The most notable discovery, echoed by other publications not affiliated with us, is the ubiquity of horizontal gene transfer. We have identified two mechanisms for the gene transfer, involving phages and DNA viruses, depending on the nature of the donor organism. The mechanisms are not unique to plants and may be shared across eukaryotic evolution, included meta-zoan evolution. As for land plants, and in particular the angiosperms, long reads will be essential to create the high-quality assemblies that plant scientists rightly demand. To this end, BGI has developed an in-house long reads nanopore sequencing platform. We are adopting this new technology as an alternative to the otherwise more expensive options currently available.
<figure><img src="image_228.png" /></figure>

## S94.2 Pangenome and multiple origin dynamics of the Brachypodium distachyon - B. stacei - B. hybridum grass allopolyploid model system

Miguel Campos Cáceres¹,², Rubén Sancho¹,²,³, Bruno Contreras-Moreira²,³, Ernesto Pérez-Collazos¹,², Li Lei⁴, John Vogel⁴, Pilar Catalán¹,²

¹Escuela Politécnica Superior de Huesca, Universidad de Zaragoza, Huesca, Spain. ²Grupo de Bioquímica, Biofísica y Biología Computacional (BIFI, UNIZAR, CSIC). ³Estación Experimental Aula Dei-CSIC, Zaragoza, Spain. ⁴DOE Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA

Pangenome analyses help to unveil the genome landscape and the evolutionary traits and trajectories of complex plant groups. We generated a large pangenome for 282 native Mediterranean representatives of the diploid-allopolyploid *Brachypodium* grass model system (118 *B. distachyon*-2x, 35 *B. stacei*-2x, 129 *B. hybridum*-4x) accounting for a total of 411 assembled genomes and subgenomes. Filtered syntenic SNPs from whole (sub)genomes were used to reconstruct the evolutionary trajectory of the 'Brachy' lineages and to perform population genomics. *B. hybridum* showed a general additive pattern of TEs in its two progenitor genomes, our analysis detected a slight proliferation of transposons in the allotetraploid compared to the diploids, probably as consequence of the allopolyploidization process. Maximum Likelihood (ML) and coalescent-based trees uncovered several genomic clusters in the diploids *B. distachyon* and *B. stacei*, which were shaped by evolutionary history and geography, and revealed three independent and recurrent origins for their derived allotetraploid *B. hybridum* from local parents. Population genomic structure also revealed three clusters for, respectively, the ancestral western Mediterranean and the two recent western and eastern Mediterranean hybridization events, and overall large homogeneities in both subgenomes. A thorough genomic analysis of intraspecific individuals exhibiting genetic admixture showed a homogeneous distribution of admixture markers across all chromosomes suggesting a genome-wide level occurrence of admixture.

## S94.3 Genomic fruits from the Darwin Tree of Life project

Alex D. Twyford¹,², Peter M. Hollingworth², Darwin Tree of Life Consortium, Claudia Martin¹, Robin Burns³, Ian Henderson³, Max Carter-Brown⁴, Andrew Leitch⁵, Alex Bousios⁶, Hans-Wilhelm Nützmann⁷, Ilia Leitch⁸

¹University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK. ²Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK. ³University of Cambridge, Cambridge UK. ⁴Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge UK. ⁵Queen Mary University of London, London UK. ⁶University of Sussex, Sussex UK. ⁷University of Exeter, Devon UK. ⁸Royal Botanic Garden Kew, London UK.

The field of evolutionary genomics is at a turning point, where many unresolved questions can now be addressed using high quality reference genomes for non-model species. The Darwin Tree of Life (DToL) project aims to sequence all eukaryotic genomes in Britain and Ireland and has recently hit the milestone of generating 1,000 reference genomes including over 50 plants. I show how these plant genomes can be integrated with the wealth of knowledge on the diversity of the British flora to investigate evolutionary processes. Comparative genomic analyses reveal the wide range of plant genomic diversity, shaped by various attributes such as mating system and extent of natural hybridisation. A 'deep dive' into the genome of the European mistletoe (*Viscum album*), the largest genome ever sequenced (90Gb), reveal its giant genome size has been achieved via extensive repeat proliferation and degradation rather than recurrent polyploidy. Future large-scale floristic analyses promise to combine the benefits of broad-scale analyses of diverse species, with the precision to infer evolutionary process from whole genome sequence data.

## S94.4 From plastomes to genomes – pitfalls and prospects

Katja Reichel

Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Nuclear reference genomes can have many uses, e.g. serving as a basis for genetic marker development in conservation, for tracing the origin of genes
<figure><img src="image_229.png" /></figure>

conferring special phenotypic properties, or for studying genome evolution, especially at the structural level or at small genetic distances (such as in partially clonal / apomictic populations). However, several technical obstacles still hamper progress towards high-quality nuclear reference genomes "for all". By fostering exchange and collaboration between experts throughout Europe and beyond, as well as the development of protocols, tools and standards, the European Reference Genome Atlas initiative (ERGA) seeks to ease the way for future genome sequencing projects and maximize the benefits which can be obtained from such data. While nuclear reference genomes are often still work in progress, their "smaller siblings", i.e., plastid genomes, rapidly become broadly available and might serve as a test case for large-scale genome sequencing. Though they have some peculiarities, such as a smaller size and a more uniform structure, the overall workflow for their generation parallels that for nuclear genomes. We tested several bioinformatic tools for the assembly of plastid genomes and found considerable differences in reproducibility and sensitivity to sequencing coverage, which have the potential to cause misinterpretations of the biological data. Based on our findings, we developed PlastidPipeline, an open bioinformatic pipeline producing highly reproducible, fully annotated and structurally standardized plastid genome assemblies from short read sequence data. Finally, we ask how far we can extrapolate from plastome to nuclear genome sequencing projects - what will we gain, and which pitfalls can we potentially avoid?

**S94.5 The benefits and value of large-scale reference genome generation in plants**

Pamela S. Soltis¹

1 Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA

The genomes of green plants vary tremendously in size, transposable element content, and structural complexity, making sequencing, assembly, and annotation challenging. Although many published plant genomes are complete or nearly so at the gene sequence level, their assemblies remain fragmentary, precluding certain types of comparative analyses. However, recent advances in sequencing technology and analytical software are enabling

chromosome-level assemblies even for large and complex genomes. Thus, high-quality reference genomes are being generated for many clades, providing key insight into specific genotype-to-phenotype relationships and facilitating comparative genomic analyses on an unprecedented scale. Large-scale community sequencing projects have been particularly effective at generating genomic anchors for diverse clades, and notable insights are emerging. Key among them is the consistent evidence for widespread whole-genome duplication, with even very small genomes bearing signatures of multiple duplication events. In other cases, expansions of gene families and the identification of gene clusters are being linked to production of key metabolites, defense compounds, and disease resistance. One of the most surprising discoveries is the frequency of ancient reticulation, based on extensive gene-tree conflict. How general are these results to date? Ongoing large-scale sequencing projects will continue to generate new genomes, but the number of plant species is immense, and many more such efforts are needed, particularly as the concept of the reference genome evolves from a high-quality assembly for a single individual to a pangenome that represents a species. Fortunately, the tools for sequencing, assembling, and annotating genomes are improving rapidly, and we can look forward to novel discoveries and the possibility of any plant species becoming a genomic model.

**S94.6 Single-cell spatial transcriptomic drives a new era in plant research**

Xun Xu

1 BGI Research, Beijing, China

Dissecting the delicate and complex plant tissues and cell types in single-cell resolution facilitates us to discover plant developmental mechanisms and how plants respond to various environmental stimuli. Based on the developed Stereo-seq technology and plant cell wall staining, we developed the sc-Stereo-seq (Single-cell SpaTial Enhanced REsolution Omics-sequencing) technique that enabled us to show the *in situ* spatial transcriptome profiles in various plant tissues at the real single-cell resolution. By analyzing *Arabidopsis* leaves, we successfully distinguished cell sub-types that show subtle but significant transcriptomic differences, including the upper epidermis and lower epidermis, spongy
mesophyll and palisade mesophyll. We also discovered cell-type-specific gene expression gradients from the main vein to the leaf edge for the first time. Furthermore, we managed to apply scStereo-seq in various plants and tissues. For example, the spatiotemporal developmental atlas of nodules enabled us to reveal the new function of stress-related genes in regulating nitrogen fixation, and the most refined spatiotemporal atlas of *Arabidopsis* seed

facilitated us to define the subtype of endosperm cells generated by differentiation during germination. Altogether, these findings show the crucial role of scStereo-seq in discovering new cell types and exploring their spatiotemporal cell-fate transition characteristics, and scStereo-seq will significantly advance our understanding of plant morphogenesis, plant-microbe interactions, and stress tolerance mechanisms in the future.

# S.95 ECOLOGICAL AND EVOLUTIONARY DYNAMICS AT THE REAR EDGE UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE

## S.95.1 Evolutionary history affects adaptation at the rear edge

Antoine Perrier¹, Laura F. Galloway¹

1 Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville VA, USA

How past evolutionary dynamics have shaped range limits remains a central and timely question in ecology and evolutionary research, especially when predicting how species ranges will respond to future climates. The rear edge - remnant populations persisting in former glacial refugia - is particularly exposed to climate change as these populations often occur at the warmer range limits. However, this range limit is largely overlooked in evolutionary research so we lack a clear picture of how past evolutionary dynamics may affect adaptation in these populations. Rear-edge populations may have served as distinct genetic diversity reservoirs during successive glaciation periods. High genetic diversity and differentiation may have provided beneficial variation to adapt to continuously warming post-glacial climates and will be crucial for the ability of these populations to persist and adapt to future climates. At the same time, rear-edge populations may be at particular risk for extinction, as strong genetic drift resulting from a history of demographic decline and isolation in marginal habitats may reduce their genetic diversity and constrain adaptation. This interplay of opposing evolutionary forces may result in a mosaic of adaptive capacities at species' rear edges. Here we assessed how past evolutionary dy-

namics shape climate adaptation at the rear edge of the North American herb *Campanula americana*. We studied populations from the core and the rear edge and found greater phenotypic differentiation among populations and greater adaptation to the marginal climates in rear-edge populations. These results will be discussed in a climatic, population genetic and phylogenetic context.

## S.95.2 Climate change and traits interact to explain abundance shifts in the aridity edges of Iberian trees

Josep Padullés Cubino¹,², Albert Vilà-Cabrera¹, Javier Retana¹,²

1 Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain. 2 Autonomous University of Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain

Climate change is expected to exert an amplified influence on the climate edges of species distribution owing to their proximity to ecological tolerances. However, a notable ambiguity persists regarding the interplay between climate change, plant functional traits, and their collective role in driving shifts in plant abundance at climate edges. Furthermore, the influence of historical land-use legacies in moderating this interaction remains unclear. Leveraging data from approximately 300,000 monitored trees spanning 66 widely distributed species in Spain, we quantified shifts in tree species abundance at aridity edges (i.e., cold and wet vs. warm and dry con-
<figure><img src="image_230.png" /></figure>

ditions) over 25 years. We also examined the rela-
tive significance of the interplay between climate
change and tree traits in driving these abundance
shifts. To evaluate the shifts in tree species abun-
dance at aridity edges, we used a null model to test
the hypothesis that such shifts occur randomly con-
cerning gains and losses of trees across the entire
aridity gradient. Our investigation revealed an over-
all increase in tree species abundance over time
across the studied region. Notably, a non-random
increase in tree species abundance was observed
at the cold and wet edge, while the increase at the
warm and dry edge appeared to follow a random
pattern. Furthermore, shifts in tree species abun-
dance across the entire aridity gradient, including its
edges, correlated with forest densification within the
surveyed plots. The influence of climate change on
shifts in tree species abundance was notably me-
diated by the traits of these species at the aridity
edges. Consequently, our study offers species-spe-
cific insights into the dynamics of tree abundance
at climatic edges, presenting valuable information
pertinent to informed decision-making in formu-
lating conservation, management, and restoration
strategies within the context of anthropogenical-
ly-induced global environmental changes.

S.95.3 Evolutionary rescue
of wild monkeyflower
populations during extreme
drought

Amy L. Angert¹, Daniel N. Anstett¹⁻⁵, Julia Anstett⁶,⁷, Seema N. Sheth⁸, Dylan R. Moxley¹, Mojtaba Jahani¹, Kaichi Huang¹, Marco Todesco¹,⁹,¹⁰, Rebecca Jordan¹¹, Jose Miguel Lazaro-Guevara¹, Loren H. Rieseberg¹

1 Biodiversity Research Centre and Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 2 Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA. 3 Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA. 4 Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA. 5 Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA. 6 Genomic Sciences and Technology Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 7 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 8 Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University,

Raleigh, USA. 9 Michael Smith Laboratories, Univer-
sity of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 10 De-
partment of Biology, University of British Columbia,
Kelowna, Canada. 11 CSIRO Environment, Sandy Bay,
Australia

Populations declining due to extreme climate
change may require adaptive evolutionary
change in order to persist. While evolutionary
rescue is well-established by theory and demon-
strated in microbial experiments, its relevance
to the persistence of natural populations facing
climate change remains largely unknown. Here
we document range-wide patterns of rapid evo-
lution and evolutionary rescue in scarlet mon-
keyflower after an exceptional natural drought
event in the western United States. We combine
10 years of field demographic monitoring with
whole-genome sequencing across 55 popula-
tions prior to the exceptional drought ("baseline"
genomics), and whole-genome resequencing of
12 populations throughout the drought ("time se-
ries" genomics). Range-wide population decline
during the drought was most closely associated
with precipitation anomalies. Genome-environ-
ment associations in baseline samples identify
approximately 600 snigle-nucleotide polymor-
phisms associated with spatial variation in his-
torical climate. In the time series samples, the
heat- or drought-associated allele at these 600
climate-associated loci increased more than ex-
pected by chance throughout the drought, con-
sistent with rapid evolution by natural selection.
Finally, rates of demographic recovery were pre-
dicted by genetic variation, not climate anom-
alies. Specifically, populations that recovered
most quickly had higher nucleotide diversity at
climate-associated loci in the baseline samples
and greater rates of temporal change in cli-
mate-associated loci in the time series samples.
Genetic variation, rapid evolution, and demog-
raphy showed weak latitudinal clines across the
species range, with rear edge populations fac-
ing some of the steepest demographic declines,
the lowest segregating genetic variation, and
the weakest response to selection. These find-
ings demonstrate evolutionary rescue in the wild,
showing that some populations can evolve to re-
cover from climate-change induced population
decline and that genomics tools can have an im-
portant role in predicting recovery capacity via
evolutionary rescue.
<figure><img src="image_231.png" /></figure>

## S.95.4 Forest ecosystem dynamics at rear edges in a changing world

Albert Vilà-Cabrera¹

1 CREAF, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain

Forests are home to a large part of terrestrial bio-diversity and underpin critical ecosystem processes, including climate regulation, and carbon and nutrient cycling. Unfortunately, ongoing anthropogenic climate change is reshuffling the geographic distributions of tree species with far-reaching implications for the beneficial contributions of forests to human populations. It is typically assumed that climate change-related risks to forests are higher at species rear edges, i.e., the low latitude and altitude edges of species distributions, because rear edge populations tend occur at the limit of the species' climatic tolerances. Yet evidence on uneven patterns of rear edge population loss and retention is accumulating. This variability in population responses may result from the large ecological heterogeneity at species rear edges, including site-level abiotic conditions decoupled from the regional climate, functional trait variability across populations or species interactions. Importantly, climatic stressors and other global change drivers such as anthropogenic land-use changes interact and strongly impact biological communities and may influence species redistributions. Here we present recent and ongoing research on these major regulating factors of forest dynamics at species rear edges. Refining our predictive understanding of species rear edges is essential to advance our ability to monitor and plan for the impacts of climate change on forest biodiversity and functioning.

## S.95.5 Genetic structure and mating system shift at a trailing edge of Sphagnum fuscum

Joan Cuscó-Borràs¹,²,³, Núria García-Jacas², Eulàlia Pladevall-Izard¹, Jordi López-Pujol², Nil Escolà-Lamora¹, Aaron Pérez-Haase¹.

1 Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 2 Institut Botànic de Barcelona (CSIC-ICUB), Barcelona, Spain. 3 Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.

Rear edge populations match in many cases with the extreme of species' niche. During the Holocene, one strategy for cold-adapted species has been migrating to refugia while conserving their ecological niche, in what is known as trailing edges. In such populations, long-distance dispersal is thus a crucial trait that may be under selective pressure. In the genus *Sphagnum* L. (peat mosses) such function relies on spores. Its production may be compromised by the species mating system, with sporophytes being less frequent in dioicous species rather than monoicous. Here, we studied the genetic structure and demographic traits of *Sphagnum fuscum* (Schimp.) Klinggr., a putative dioicous species, on its rear edge in the Pyrenees. We entirely genotyped seven populations through 16 microsatellite loci, and we assessed the production of sporophytes in each population. Genetic diversity within populations is extremely poor, harbouring only one to three private genotypes per population. Each genotype constitutes a separate group according to a Bayesian cluster analysis. Surprisingly, we found sporophytes in some monoclonal populations. We suggest that *S. fuscum* is a glacial relict in the Pyrenees. Its current genetic structure can be explained by a demographic contraction and altitudinal migration upwards after the Local Last Glacial Maximum. The remarkable uniqueness of every genotype may result from independent founder events and strong isolation. Our findings indicate that *S. fuscum* may have shifted to monoicy in the Pyrenees. This trait would enhance the fitness of small populations with limited and fragmented suitable habitat. Consequently, we think that *S. fuscum* would be a good model to study the molecular mechanisms underlying sex determination in the genus. Furthermore, it could provide valuable insights to understand mating system transitions in *Sphagnum* under an evolutionary ecology perspective.
# S.96 GRAPEVINES (VITIS SPP.): A MODEL FOR MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TO CONSERVING AND USING CROP WILD RELATIVES

## S.96.1 Optimized design of a genetic reserve network for the in situ conservation of wild grape Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris

Nerea Navarro¹, M. Luisa Rubio Teso¹, José M. Iriondo¹

1 Department of Biology, Rey Juan Carlos University, Móstoles, Spain

Wild grape is important for Spain because it is a) the third largest wine producer in the world, b) one of the most climate-affected European countries, and c) a rich source of wild grape diversity. As part of the implementation of the National Strategy for the Conservation and Utilization of Crop Wild Relatives and Wild Food Plants of Spain, we aimed at inventorying the occurrences of wild grape populations in Spain and developing an optimized design of a network for the establishment of wild grape genetic reserves. 796 wild grape populations were identified from various sources. An ecogeographic land characterization (ELC) map was created for Spain to estimate genetic differentiation between wild grape populations. 309 populations that occur in protected areas were found in 9 of the 10 ecogeographic categories in which the species occurs in Spain. Using a complementarity analysis, seven protected areas including nine populations were finally selected for the establishment of the genetic reserves. An eighth site in a non-protected area was also selected to cover the ecogeographic category that was not represented in the protected area populations. The proposed network is distributed across a latitudinal gradient including sites located in Navarra, Aragón, Madrid and Andalucía. The establishment of these genetic reserves would provide protection and enable access to the genetic resources for the breeding of new cultivars adapted to the forthcoming environmental conditions.

## S.96.2 Conservation and sustainable use of crop wild relatives for food security

Satishkumar M Khadia¹, Falguni G Bhabhor²

1 Department of Botany, Bhavan's Sheth R A College of Science, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India. 2 Department of Chemistry, Bhavan's Sheth R A College of Science, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India

A valuable resource for agrobiodiversity, sustainable agriculture, and overall food security are crop wild relatives, or CWRs. Genes for advantageous characteristics like high nutritional value, disease and pest resistance, resource efficiency, and climate adaptation may be present in CRWs. Their innate genetic diversity and the microbiota that coexists with it provide an abundance of resources for creating resilient, nutrient-dense, and productive crop varieties as well as for diversifying agricultural systems. Despite their value, a wide range of CWRs are threatened and face pressures, e. g. from the consequences of climate change, urbanization, pollution, and intensive agriculture. However, there is still a dearth of information regarding their deployment in breeding and conservation. As a result, there is a lack of understanding regarding the diversity that is present and the specific ways in which it can be applied to farming and crop improvement. Wild relatives of crops are an essential source of adaptive traits and genes, which can be used in plant breeding to improve sustainable food security in the face of obstacles like population growth and climate change. These traits and genes include resistance to diseases, pests, and stresses like drought and extreme temperatures. Crop wild relatives are valued at more than 120 billion US dollars annually (PwC, 2013). Their significance for maintaining agriculture in the future has been acknowledged internationally in the Convention on Biological Diversity (Aichi target 13), International Treaty on PGRFA, FAO Global Plan
<figure><img src="image_232.png" /></figure>

of Action, and The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2- Zero Hunger). The conservation of crop wild relatives is still an underfunded field of study, despite their economic significance to agriculture and the centuries-long influence they have had on the development of our food crops.

## S.96.3 Using phylogenetic relationships and species delimitations of North American Vitis to inform crop breeding and conservation action

Jun Wen¹, Alicia Talavera¹, Zhi-Yao Ma², Gabriel Johnson¹, Stefanie M. Ickert-Bond³, Elizabeth A. Zimmer¹, Ze-Long Nie⁴

1 Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, USA. 2 Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China. 3 UA Museum of the North Herbarium and Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, USA. 4 College of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Jishou University, Jishou, China

The North American *Vitis* species are of considerable economic importance and have played a significant role in saving the viticulture industry since the 1870's. With the recent advances in genomics and collections-based informatics, the taxonomy of *Vitis* is experiencing a new era of revolution. We conduct extensive phylogenomic analyses to unravel the complex evolutionary history of North American *Vitis* by densely sampling all New World species with representatives from Eurasia and by using a newly developed bait set target-capturing 1013 nuclear genes. We also target the sampling of several species complexes including the taxonomically challenging *Vitis aestivalis*, *V. arizonica* and *V. cinerea* complexes. Our analyses reveal extensive introgressive hybridizations of North American *Vitis* at the deep and shallow levels. Introgressive hybridization is a major mode of speciation in North American *Vitis*, driving the evolution of several species including *V. californica*, *V. novae-angliae*, and *V. shuttleworthii*. Geographic isolation plays an important role in generating morphological variations in the *V. aestivalis*, *V. arizonica* and *V. cinerea* complexes. *Vitis* is herein classified into three subgenera:

subgenus *Mesoamericana* J. Wen (subg. nov.), subgenus *Muscadinia* (Planch.) Rehder and subgenus *Vitis*, and the North American *Vitis* subgenus *Vitis* is placed into eight taxonomic series. The taxonomic framework, evolutionary relationships, phenotypic variations, geographic distribution, and ecological characters provide fundamental insights into crop breeding and conservation actions. We call the attention to further assess the distribution and conservation status of *V. novae-angliae*, a species that is supported to be of hybrid origin between *V. labrusca* and the common ancestor of *V. riparia* and its close relatives. Furthermore, *V. shuttleworthii* of peninsular Florida should be more closely monitored as the coastal narrow endemic can be threatened by rising ocean levels associated with climate warming.

## S.96.4 A multidisciplinary and collaborative model for conserving North American grapes (Vitis spp.)

Anne L. Frances¹, Wesley M. Knapp²

1 Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, USA. 2 Nature-Serve, Arlington, USA

Crop wild relatives are wild plants closely related to domesticated crop species. The genetic diversity found in crop wild relatives is utilized to improve crops in many ways, including increased resistance to pests and pathogens, and tolerance of heat, cold, and drought. Grapes are one of the most economically valuable crops globally, but production of grapevines is hindered by pests, pathogens, and climatic changes. North American wild grape germplasm was critical in providing resistance to the pest, phylloxera, that plagued many European vineyards in the late 1800s. North America is a major center of grape diversity, with about 25 taxa native to the United States. Several native North American *Vitis* taxa are used as rootstock for the cultivated grapevine (*V. vinifera*) or for scion breeding. North American wild grapes have been cultivated for their fruit for centuries, particularly muscadine grapes (*Vitis rotundifolia*). Due to changing climatic conditions, North American native grapes are increasingly important to improving the cultivated grapevine. As with other native plants, crop wild relatives are becoming more threatened, and further efforts are needed for conservation. However, information on the complementary conservation (in situ and
<figure><img src="image_233.png" /></figure>

ex situ) of North American native grapes is lacking and scattered among different stakeholder groups. To more comprehensively conserve North American *Vitis*, we convened a collaborative workshop in November 2022, which brought together 20 scientists from the agricultural and conservation communities to identify conservation gaps in North American native grapes. We discuss the conservation status of native grapes, the importance of hybrid wine grapes for sustainability, and a roadmap for the complementary conservation of North American grapes. We also address the positive outcomes from collaborating with multiple stakeholder groups to conserve crop wild relatives.

## S.96.5 Natural variation in North American Vitis species used as rootstocks influences shoot system phenotypes in grafted grapevines

Allison Miller¹,², Zach Harris²,³, Laszlo Kovacs⁴, Misha Kwasniewski⁵, Jason Londo⁶

1 Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA. 2 Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO, USA. 3 Taylor Geospatial Institute, St. Louis, MO USA. 4 Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, USA. 5 Department of Food Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA. 6 School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

North American grapevines (*Vitis* spp.) represent a morphologically, genetically, and ecologically diverse group of taxa that are important contributors of regional and global viticulture. Although few North American species are grown directly for grape production, these species have been used for more than one hundred years in the generation of disease-resistant hybrid vines derived from crosses between North American species and the European grapevine (*V. vinifera*). Beyond their use in hybrid vines, North American *Vitis* species have also been used as rootstocks: roots of domesticated *V. vinifera* are susceptible to damage caused by the North American aphid phylloxera, but North American *Vitis* species can withstand infestation. As a result, North American *Vitis* species and their hybrid derivatives are widely used as rootstocks for *V. vinifera* vines on multiple continents. In perennial woody systems like

grapevines, a fundamental question is how variation within and among species in below-ground features influences traits expressed in structures above ground, including leaves, flowers, and fruits. In this study, we used a rootstock experimental vineyard in which the clonally propagated grapevine cultivar 'Chambourcin', a European-American hybrid, was growing ungrafted and grafted to three hybrid rootstocks derived from crosses between *V. cinerea* ssp. berlandieri, *V. riparia*, and *V. rupestris*. Data collected over three years demonstrate seasonal and annual variation in rootstock effects on 'Chambourcin' phenotypes including leaf ion concentrations, gene expression patterns and epigenomic signatures, among others. These data indicate that natural variation grapevine root systems have a detectable influence on a multitude of traits observed in a grafted clonal scion. Additional work is required to document natural variation in wild grapevine species and its genetic and environmental influences, in order to fully leverage these taxa in ongoing efforts to adapt global viticulture for consumer preferences and changing climates.

## S.96.6 Importance of wild Vitis germplasm in historical and modern grape breeding

Matthew D. Clark¹, Surya Sapkota², Soon Li Teh¹

1 Department of Horticultural Science, University of Minnesota, USA, 2 School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, USA

Grapes, and its diversity offer a unique opportunity to tell the importance of germplasm for modern plant breeding while simultaneously highlighting the need for its conservation for future generations. Because of their abundance in our food system (as raisins, wine, juice, jelly, and for fresh eating), as well as their role in sacrament, grapes hold cultural significance in many ways. The history of grape breeding in both Europe and North America is rooted in controlling fungal diseases (powdery and downy mildew) and insects (phylloxera) which persist as the main breeding targets today along with high quality. Due to the narrow genetic base of *Vitis vinifera*, the predominantly grown grape in production worldwide, other *Vitis* species from Asia and North America have been critical for introgressing pest resistance and solving vineyard problems. This review will cover the importance of wild *Vitis* germplasm
through several examples/historic events that continue to impact the viticulture community. Grapes can be a model to exemplify the importance of wild species in impacting human life, culturally and economically, and the need for conservation in pro-

tecting important genetic resources. Modern plant breeding, although empowered through new genetic and genomic tools, at its core relies on access to the diversity for genetic improvement for sustainability and human benefits.

# S.97 SOLANACEAE: BIOLOGY, SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION. SESSION 1

## S.97.1 The anatomical and genetic bases of fruit diversity in Solanaceae

Natalia Pabón-Mora¹, Natali Hernandez-Ciro¹, Clara Ines Ortiz-Ramirez², Cristina Ferrándiz²

1 Instituto de Biología, Universidad de Antioquia. 2 Instituto de Biología Celular y Molecular de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, España

The diversity of fruit patterning and seed dispersal strategies in Solanaceae is outstanding. The family exhibits berries, capsules, drupes, pyrenes and intermediate forms of thin fleshy fruits that dehisce or thick fleshy fruits that dry out. The optimization of fruit type onto a phylogenetic framework results in a unidirectional shift, from dry fruits to fleshy fruits, in the special Solanoideae. However, independent acquisitions of fleshy fruits have occurred at least in Cestrum and Duboisia, and reversals to dry fruits take place in members of Daturae. We have undertaken comparative anatomical studies coupled with genetic studies to understand the evolution and development of different fruit types across Solanaceae. We have been documenting the carpel-to-fruit transformation in distantly related species across the family including Brunfelsia, Brugmansia, Capsicum, Cestrum, Petunia, Nicotiana, Nierembergia, Nicandra, Nolana, Salpiglossis, Saracha, Schizanthus, and Solanum, which have allowed us to assess key anatomical homologous and convergent features. We have reconstructed the evolution of specific anatomical features during the diversification of the family. We have also evaluated genes that are critical for fruit patterning, taking as reference the genetic network for fruit development established in Arabidopsis, where major transcription factors control valve identity (i.e., FRUITFULL), replum development (i.e., REPLUMLESS) and the differentiation

of the dehiscence zones (i.e., SHATTERPROOF, INDEHISCENT and ALCATRAZ). Our data indicates that the fruit developmental genetic network in the Brassicaceae cannot be extrapolated to the Solanaceae, due to independent duplication events and changes in expression patterns for key genetic hubs. We present data on their expression and function in species with different fruit type with Solanaceae emphasizing those convergent fruit types in Cestrum and Brugmansia and we discuss the implications of our findings in fruit evolution studies across the family

## S.97.2 Transposable Element Activity as Genome Evolution Driver: The Nicotiana Suaveolentes section Case

Agustín Amata¹, Sabela Quirós¹, Nicolas Sierro², Nikolai V. Ivanov², Aureliano Bombarely¹

1 Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (CSIC-UPV), Valencia, Spain. 2 PMI R&D, Philip Morris Products S.A., Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Nicotiana is an herbaceous plant genus of the Solanaceae family with 90 naturally occurring species divided into 13 sections. Five sections contain allopolyploids formed by interspecific hybridization between diploids. The largest section is Suaveolentes which includes 38 species, such as the well-studied Nicotiana benthamiana. The origin of this paleopolyploid clade is dated 6 MYA. Our previous work showed that Suaveolentes derives from the hybridization of the Alatae/Sylvestres and Noctiflorae/Petunioides ancestors. The polyploid genomes evolve to a diploid state in which repetitive elements are purged and some duplicated genes lose their function becoming pseudogenes or get removed by non-homologous recombination between
<figure><img src="image_234.png" /></figure>

the subgenomes. The transposable element analysis
has revealed an explosion of LTR/Copia elements at
the time of the diversification of the clade, shaping the
gene space of the most recent Suaveolentes species.

S.97.3 Evolution of sacred plants

Federico Roda¹, Ronald A. Pardo¹, Sofía Rojas-Contreras¹, Saleh Alseekh²,³, Pablo Perez Mesa¹, Andrés Orejuela¹, D. Estevan García¹,⁴, Liliana Lopez-Kleine⁴, Gina P. Sierra¹, Alisdair R. Fernie²,³

1 Max Planck Tandem Group GEME, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia. 2 Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany. 3 Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, Bulgaria. 4 Departamento de Estadística, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.

Plant species that produce tropane alkaloids (TAs) have been used by humans for millennia as medicines, stimulants, and for mystical-divinatory purposes. We ignore how the longstanding interaction with humans has shaped the genomes and metabolism of these sacred plants. We studied the evolution of TAs in members of the Solanaceae family, which includes multiple TA-producing species that are sacred to cultures around the world. We conducted a search for regulatory networks associated with TA evolution by integrating transcriptomic and metabolomic variation in hundreds of Solanaceae species. Our findings show that TAs are produced by independent phylogenetic clades, indicating the independent acquisition or loss of the TA pathway. Notably, TA genes are components of the same co-expression networks as genes involved in the production of other alkaloids, steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs), implying a regulatory tradeoff linking the two pathways. We identified candidate alkaloid genes whose expression shows a correlation with SGA and TA levels across samples. These genes could play a role in metabolic switching between TAs and SGAs during the evolution of the Solanaceae. A genomic analysis of the distribution of TA genes across the Solanaceae phylogeny highlights the significance of genomic clustering, gene duplication, and gene loss in the evolution of alkaloid pathways. Finally, we found that viruses and endophytes have shaped the use of TA-producing species by humans. Our study provides a unique view of the evolution of medicinal plants with potential applications for metabolic engineering of TAs.

S.97.4 Evolution of steroidal glycoalkaloid (SGA) metabolism in medicinal and wild plant species of Solanaceae

Pablo A Pérez Mesa¹, Thomas Gatter²,
Saleh Alseekh³, Sofía Rojas Contreras¹,
Karl Kaether², Gina P Sierra¹, Andrés
Orejuela⁴, Peter F Stadler², Alisdair G
Fernie³, Clara I. Bermúdez Santana¹,
Federico Roda¹

1 Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia. 2 Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. 3 Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany. 4 Instituto tecnológico del Putumayo, Mocoa, Colombia.

The Solanaceae family constitutes a promissory
group for genomic and metabolomics studies. This
condition is attributable to the morphological diversi-
ty, agronomic importance, and few polyploidy events
for most taxonomic groups. Within Solanaceae, wild
species in the Neotropic are a valuable source of
diversity to study the phylogenomic evolution of
different plant clades through specialized metabo-
lism. Steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) are among the
most interesting compounds of plant origin due to
their medicinal, antibiotic, and defensive properties
against pests. These compounds have been main-
ly studied in the domesticated species of the Solan-
num genus. Genomic synteny and gene expression
studies in species such as potatoes, tomatoes, and
eggplants have allowed the identification of genes
that determine the production of SGAs. These anal-
yses have shown that the genes associated with
the metabolism of SGAs are grouped in genomic
regions, forming what is known as biosynthetic clus-
ters (BCs). The expression and gene composition of
these BCs define the evolution of SGAs in cultivated
species. However, the genes that have generated the
diversity of SGAs in wild species have not yet been
studied. Understanding the genetic causes of the di-
versification of SGA metabolism in non-highlighted
species is fundamental to understanding the evolu-
tion of metabolism in Solanaceae and characteriz-
ing these compounds for biotechnological purposes.
Our project proposes to fill this gap by studying the
evolution, metabolism, expression, and genomic or-
ganization of genes associated with the production
of SGAs in wild and medicinal species of the Solana-
ceae family. Specifically, we identify candidate genes using co-expression and correlation analysis using the transcriptomes and metabolomes of dozens of species. In addition, we performed synteny analysis to characterize the BCs variation between cultivated and wild *Solanum* plants. Moreover, we validate some candidate genes using overexpression techniques to find new and promising compounds for medicinal purposes.

## S.97.5. Repetitive DNA in the Cyphomandra clade (Solanum, Solanaceae)

Sader, Mariela Analía¹, Vaio M², Urdampilleta JD¹
1-Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), Universidad de Córdoba-CONICET, Argentina
2- Laboratorio de Evolución y Domesticación de las Plantas, Departamento de Biología Vegetal, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de la República, Uruguay

The genus Solanum is quite diverse, containing a wide range of species including important crops like tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants, as well as many wild species. The Cyphomandra clade is a group within the Solanum (Solanaceae), commonly known as the nightshade family. One of the most well-known members of this clade is S. betaceum (tree tomato or tamarillo). Members of the Cyphomandra are typically found in tropical and subtropical regions and their

fruits are generally edible and used in culinary applications. Genome sizes (GS) within Solanum can vary significantly and Cyphomandra has giant genomes (Solanum GS mean=1.40pg, range 0.60-24.8pg, and Cyphomandra GS mean=10.71pg, range 6.80-24.80pg) compared to its cultivated relatives: Tomato (S. lycopersicum, 950Mb), Potato (S. tuberosum, 844 Mb) and Eggplant (S. melongena, 1,120 Mb). Giant genomes are characterized by often containing a high number of repetitive sequences and non-coding DNA. To understand and characterize the repetitive fraction, we sequenced DNA from four species (S. betaceum, S. glaucophyllum, S. confusum, S. stuckertii) using low coverage (0.1&times;). We also estimated the genome size, performed a clustering analysis, and mapped the most abundant repeats using FISH. The estimated GS were 12.5pg, 17.3pg, 21.7pg and 23pg for S. glaucophyllum S. stuckertii, S.confusum, and S. betaceum respectively. The repetitive fraction constitutes 54%, 53%, 63%, and 76% of the genome respectively, with the Ty3/gypsy-Tekay retrotransposon being the most abundant except in S. glaucophyllum (Ty3/gypsy-Ogre). Furthermore, we identified four distinct satellite DNA families in S. confusum, S. stuckertii and S. betaceum, with 0.45%, 1.93%, and 0.85% of repetitive fraction respectively, and 9 families in S. glaucophyllum (1.52%). We observed that in the species exists an accumulation of repetitive DNA sequences, especially retrotransposons, and different satellite families, confirming that these genomes are highly dynamic in their repetitive fraction.

## S.98 KIN DISCRIMINATION AND KIN SELECTION IN PLANTS

### S.98.1 Kin recognition and kin selection from an experimentalist's view

Bodil K. Ehlers¹

1 Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Denmark

Some plants are able to discriminate and alter their competitive phenotype towards a conspecific neighbor, depending on its genetic relatedness. This has spurred a large interest in studying kin selection in plants during the last two decades. The ability to show positive kin discrimination may create positive frequency dependent interactions in plant commu-

nities with implications on species co-existence and assembly as well as consequences for agronomy where selection of crops with more "co-operative" behaviors may prove fruitful. Whether plants actively avoid competing with their kin and the fitness consequences of such "behavior" is, however, tricky to study experimentally as alternative hypotheses may predict similar outcomes. Questions of importance are, what type of experiments could we conduct, which plant traits should we study and what are the results to expect in order to decide if we find evidence of kin recognition and kin selections or not? I present examples from different experiments and discuss how we may or may not interpret these as evidence for kin recognition and kin selection.
<figure><img src="image_235.png" /></figure>

## S.98.2 How to use kin selection models in plants: a theoretical perspective

Ryosuke Iritani¹,²

1 Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences Program (iTHEMS), RIKEN, Wako, Saitama, Japan. 2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Inclusive fitness theory of kin selection has been very successful in evolutionary biology, which provides both conceptual and theoretical explanations for the evolution of numerous traits ranging from social behaviors, microbial interactions, and disease evolution. There are also cases where inclusive fitness theory has been applied to plant ecology, for example, the evolution of sex allocation, seed dispersal, pollen dispersal, and dormancy. However, the conceptual gap between inclusive fitness theory and plant ecology is still large, rendering the powerfulness of the theory at most in its intuitiveness. In this talk, I tell you a bit about why inclusive fitness theory should be (re-)advocated in plant ecology. Specifically, I show some classical, elementary predictions derived from inclusive fitness theory, including (i) the effect of local competition on the evolution of interaction among relatives, (ii) kin recognition as unnecessary conditions for inclusive fitness theory, and (iii) the effects of plant reproductive traits (selfing, pollen dispersal, and seed dispersal) on inclusive fitness theory. Finally, I draw an example from the evolutionary dynamics of plant reproductive traits to highlight plant reproductive traits as model systems of inclusive fitness theory.

## S.98.3 Plant growth of Chenopodium quinoa (Willd.) is better when growing with kin than with non-kin regardless of soil nutrient condition

Jan Sher¹,³, Nasrullah Khan², Kyle W. Tomlinson¹

1 Center for Integrative Conservation & Yunnan Key Laboratory for Conservation of Tropical Rainforests and Asian Elephants, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Mengla, Yunnan, China. 2 Department of Botany, University of Malakand Pakistan. 3 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

Plants have the ability to recognize their kin neighbours, which may be a beneficial trait that increase inclusive fitness, by suppressing individual growth to support the combined growth of the group. However, the advantages of kin cooperation (known as kin selection theory), may differ across environmental gradients, with competition between related individuals potentially being detrimental under resource limitation (following niche partitioning theory). The study aimed to understand how quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) plants grow with kin or with non-kin under different nutrient supply rates. Plants were grown in treatments post-germination for 70 days. Biomass accumulation, allocation to organs, and organ traits related to resource acquisition were measured at the end of the experiment. Total mass and shoot mass were greater for plants grown with kin than with non-kin across nutrient treatments. Plants grown with kin had greater root allocation than with non-kin under low and high nutrients. Allocation to leaves, specific leaf area, and average leaf mass were greater for plants grown with non-kin than kin under high nutrient supply but did not differ under low nutrient supply. Allocation to stem was greater for plants grown with kin than non-kin under high nutrient supply but did not differ under low nutrient supply. Specific taproot length and specific stem length were respectively positively and negatively related to increased fertility, but unrelated to kinship. Our results suggest that both niche partitioning and kin selection processes may be at play in quinoa, depending on whether soil nutrient competition is more important. Under both situations, quinoa plants always grew better with kin than non-kin regardless of soil nutrient conditions.

## S.98.5 Specificity and context-dependency of plant-plant communication in response to herbivore and pathogen attacks

Xoaquín Moreira¹, Lucía Martín-Cacheda¹, Carla Vázquez-González¹, Luis Abdala-Roberts²

1 Misión Biológica de Galicia (CSIC), Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain. 2 Departamento de Ecología Tropical, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico

Over three decades of work on airborne plant communication have demonstrated that plants send,
<figure><img src="image_236.png" /></figure>

receive, and respond to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by neighboring plants. Much of this research has focused on the consequences of plant-plant communication on resistance against herbivory, with studies showing that VOCs emitted by herbivore-damaged plants increase resistance of neighboring undamaged plants. This phenomenon of plant communication is thought to be widespread and an increasing number of studies have proposed the use of plant VOC-mediated signaling as an alternative for sustainable crop protection against pests and diseases. However, a key aspect that has received relatively less attention concerns the ecological specificity and context-dependency of this phenomenon. Knowledge on this is crucial for assessing the ecological mechanisms that govern plant communication, determining its biological significance under natural conditions, as well as designing effective strategies for its use in crop plant resistance. Here, we talk about the ecological specificity of plant communication, as well as the chemical mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, based on three main aspects: plant-based specificity, enemy-based specificity, and the importance of the abiotic context.

**S.98.6 The fitness consequences of sharing pollinators with relatives**

Camilo Ferrón¹, Inés Álvarez²; Lucía DeSoto³, Yedra García¹⁴, Luis Giménez-Benavides¹, Javier Jiménez-López¹, Cristina Poyatos¹, Luis G. Quintanilla¹, Violeta Quiroga¹⁵⁶, Rubén Torices¹

1 University Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain. 2 Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. 3 Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 4 Lund University, Lund, Sweden. 5 Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), Almería, Spain. 6 Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain

Recently, it has been shown that the genetic composition of the intraspecific neighborhood can influence a plant's investment in attracting pollinators. Specifically, plants surrounded by kin exhibit significantly larger floral displays compared to those grown with non-kin. This increased floral display in kin groups could enhance plant inclusive fitness by attracting shared pollinators to other nearby kin. To investigate this hypothesis, we conducted an experiment using the model plant species Moricandia moricandioides. We established an experimental population of 560 plants, divided into 80 groups of seven plants each. Half of these groups consisted solely of half siblings, while the other half contained a random sample of genotypes. We then measured pollinator visitation rates and female reproductive success. Our findings provide the first experimental insights of the potential effect of kin selection on floral display evolution.

**S.99 USING GENOMIC DATA TO UNDERSTAND THE BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION OF LICHENS**

**S.99.1 Exploring Biosynthetic Gene Clusters in Lichens: Insights into Secondary Metabolites Evolution**

David Pizarro¹, Pradeep K. Divaka¹, Thorsten H. Lumbsch²

1 Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy and Botany, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain. 2 Collections, Conservation, and Research Division, Field Museum of Chicago, Illinois, USA

Lichens, symbiotic organisms comprising fungi and photosynthetic partners, are known for their

diverse array of secondary metabolites with pharmaceutical, ecological, and adaptive significance. The biosynthetic pathways responsible for these compounds are encoded within biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). In this study, we investigate the evolutionary processes shaping BGCs in lichens, focusing on the genetic mechanisms driving secondary metabolite diversification, particularly in cortical secondary metabolites such as usnic acid and atranorin, and a medullary substance as fumarprotocetraric acid. Advances in genomics and bioinformatics have provided a deeper understanding of the diversity and organization of BGCs across lichen-forming fungi. Comparative analyses reveal that BGCs have undergone dynamic evolutionary processes, including gene gain, loss
<figure><img src="image_237.png" /></figure>

and rearrangements. Furthermore, environmen-
tal and ecological pressures may have influenced
the evolution of BGCs, shaping the secondary me-
tabolite profiles, including those in the cortex of
lichens. Insights into BGC evolution enhance our
knowledge of lichen secondary metabolism and
its adaptation to various habitats, paving the way
for potential applications in biotechnology and
environmental sciences.

S.99.2 Speciation continuum
in non-model organisms:
revisiting the species-pair
concept in lichens

Ana Otero¹,², H. Thorsten Lumbsch¹, Polina Degtjarenko³,⁴ and Felix Grewe¹

1 The Grainger Bioinformatics Center & Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Collection, Conservation and Research Division, The Field Museum, Chicago, USA. 2 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Biología, Spain. 3 Institute of Ecology & Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Estonia. 4 Institute of Life Sciences and Technology, University of Daugavpils, Latvia.

Evolutionary biologists have long pursued under-
standing the continuum in which populations flow,
interact, and evolve to eventually diverge into
different species. Traditionally, these discussions
have centered around model organisms and re-
productive isolation. Lichens, redefined as com-
plex ecosystems, show impressive evolutionary
mechanisms that are far to be accounted for by
mainstream speciation definitions. Unlike in other
organisms, the so-called species-pair concept of
closely related taxa that only differ in their repro-
ductive mode is frequently documented in lichens.
We investigated this species-pair concept in the
iconic beard-like lichen Usnea using a compar-
ative approach through reference-based RAD-
seq combining multivariate and model-based
methods. Species pairs in Usnea showed con-
trasting scenarios of lineage divergence along
the speciation continuum. The reproductive mode
emerged as a major factor shaping lineage differ-
entiation, promoting upgrading the species-pair
concept into a continuum landscape of specia-
tion. Ultimately, this study contributes to expand-
ing the speciation continuum framework towards
non-model organisms and advancing our under-
standing of the consistency of speciation patterns
across the tree of life.

S.99.3 The genomic
landscape of recombination
in a fungal syngameon
(Pyrenodesmia,
Teloschistaceae)

Fernando Fernandez-Mendoza¹,², Eva
Andrea Strasser², Ester Gaya³, Martin
Grube²

1 Institute of Biomedical Informatics, Technological University of Graz, Graz, Austria. 2 Institute of Biology, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Graz, Austria. 3 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK

The role played by reproductive isolation in fungal
speciation remains poorly understood. Several
studies, especially based in in vitro experiments,
show that some fungi maintain open reproduc-
tive boundaries with more or less distantly re-
lated species, in a strategy that can be best de-
scribed as "first mate and then figure things out".
In nature, however, sexual isolation is shaped by
multiple factors that act simultaneously as bar-
riers to the flow of genetic information at differ-
ent scales and levels of organization. Geographic
and ecological boundaries limit gene-flow be-
tween populations, while molecular factors im-
plied in recognition, development or simply com-
pleteness of gene content, impose limits to the
viability of hybrid genotypes. The lichen genus
Pyrenodesmia s.s. provides a good example of
the limitations of phylogenetic methods of spe-
cies delimitation, and of the importance of inter-
specific hybridization in natural populations. The
phylogenetic study of Western European speci-
mens of the genus identified widespread inter-
specific mating, i.e., low pre- zygotic isolation as
well as discrepancy in phylogenetic signal linked
to hybridization. All species are interconnected
in a supraspecific syngameon in which species
remain partly distinguishable but also produce
hybrids and phenotypically intermediate morphs.
Comparative genomics data on selected speci-
mens, provides evidence that genome concerta-
tion plays an important role in fungal hybrids. The
mechanisms implicated in genome simplifica-
tion and in the concertation of gene content are
still a matter under scrutiny. IN our survey we dis-
cuss the role played by heterochromatin related
genome defense mechanisms, such as RIP, and
the proliferation and silencing of transposable el-
ements in the regionalization of the genome into
<figure><img src="image_238.png" /></figure>

areas of reduced and increased recombination. We hypothesize that this regionalization is largely responsible for the evolutionary success of this mating strategy, as it allows maintaining a stable core genome while allowing for the incorporation of xenologous genes of adaptive value in subtelomeric regions.

## S.99.4 Insights into the evolution of lichens using large-scale phylogenomic analyses

Philipp Resl¹, Christoph Hahn¹

1 Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Austria

The growing availability of genomic data from lichens enables us to test hypotheses about their evolution based on the information from entire genomes. Robust phylogenetic trees derived from the analysis of many genes not only resolve taxonomic relationships but also lay the groundwork for various downstream analyses. This has recently led to several novel findings about the evolution and inner workings of lichen symbioses. While the potential of genome based phylogenetics in lichen research remains huge, challenges in analyzing large genome-scale datasets reliably, reproducibly, and fast also persist. To mitigate common problems encountered in phylogenomics, we developed phylociraptor (http://github.com/reslp/phylociraptor), a tool facilitating streamlined phylogenomic analyses based on the information of hundreds to thousands of genomes. Starting from genome and transcriptome assemblies or sets of proteins, phylociraptor identifies genes, infers orthologs, performs and filters multiple sequence alignments and calculates phylogenomic trees using various methods. Finally, we showcase recent advancements in our understanding of lichen evolution by presenting large-scale phylogenomic analyses of lichens performed with phylociraptor. We concisely introduce the software and show how it helps to overcome several typical methodological challenges, while employing innovative strategies to enhance the robustness of phylogenomic analyses. The exploration of lichens using large-scale phylogenomic analyses promises to deepen our understanding of these fascinating symbioses, with implications extending to nearly all facets of lichen research.

## S.99.5 Intraspecific genomic differentiation in lichen-forming Umbilicaria species along climatic gradients

Imke Schmitt¹,²

1 Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt, Germany. 2 Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany

Many species of lichen-forming fungi have wide geographic ranges, and can occur in more than one biome. These species have evolved broad ecological tolerances to cope with different climatic conditions. Here we ask, how climate affects genome architecture and variation in populations of lichenized fungi. We study populations of different species of the rock-inhabiting genus Umbilicaria, collected along elevation gradients. The gradients are located in Europe and North America, and span different climate zones, e.g. the Mediterranean and cold temperate zone. In my talk I summarize research in my group over the past few years, which overall has shown that there is substantial and abrupt genome-wide divergence between high elevation and low elevation population groups, largely corresponding to biome borders. I report on fungal genes and genomic features affected by climate, and differences in genomic differentiation of sexually and asexually reproducing species. Furthermore, I discuss the symbiotic green algae associating with Umbilicaria (Trebouxia spp.), which show community turnovers along elevation, and preferred altitudinal distributions, suggesting that environmental filtering is one driver of symbiont distribution. All in all, our findings contribute to piecing together the complex picture of environmental adaptation in the lichen symbiosis.

## S.99.6 Using genomic data to assess species of conservation concern in western North America

Robert Hadfield¹,², Teagan Mulford¹,², Nopparat Anantaprayoon³, Makani Fisher⁴, Steven D. Leavitt¹,²

1 Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA. 2 Monte L. Bean Museum, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA. 3 Department of Botany, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand. 4
<figure><img src="image_239.png" /></figure>

Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

The northern North American Cordillera is a globally significant center of endemism. In western North America, imperiled arid steppe habitats support a number of unique species, including several endemic and threatened lichens. However, processes driving diversification and endemism in this region remains unclear, and genomic data can play critical roles in informing conservation decisions. Here, we investigate diversity and phylogeography of the threatened wanderlust lichens (mycobiont=Rhizoplaca species) which occur free on calcareous soils in steppe habitats in western North America. Wanderlust lichens comprise three species of lichen-forming fungi (LFF) – Rhizoplaca arbuscula, R. haydenii, and R. idahoensis (endangered, IUCN Red List) – which occur in fragmented populations in Idaho and Wyoming, with limited populations in southeastern Montana and northern Utah. Using a genome-skimming approach, we generated a 19.1Mb alignment, spanning ca. half of the complete LFF

genome, from specimens collected throughout the
entire range of wanderlust lichens. Phylogeographic
analyses suggest that both dispersal and vicariance
played a significant role throughout the evolutionary
history of the vagrant Rhizoplaca clade, with most
of the dispersal events originating from the Salmon
Basin in eastern Idaho - the center of diversity for
this group. This has resulted in an unexpected num-
ber of morphologically distinct, and geographical-
ly restricted lineages. Furthermore, niche modelling
suggests that vagabond lichens don't fully occupy
the areas of highest distribution probability. In fact,
documented records often occur in areas predict-
ed to be only marginally suitable. These data sug-
gest a potential mismatch between contemporary
habitats outside of the center of diversity in eastern
Idaho with the most suitable habitat, adding to the
vulnerability of this imperiled complex of endemic
lichens. We discuss how the implications of these
findings can help guide conservation strategies for
imperiled regional endemic lichens.

S.100 ETHNOBOTANY AND CONSERVATION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS. SESSION 2

S.100.1 Identifying Hmong postpartum medicinal herbs via DNA Barcoding

Alexandra Crum¹, Sophie Naylor², Annika Smeenk¹, Adiel J. Andino-Acevedo³, Zack Radford⁴, Natalie Hoidal⁵, Zongxee Lee, Mayyia Lee, Ya Yang¹

1 Plant & Microbial Biology Department, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.

2 Geology Department, Colgate University, Middle-

town, Connecticut, USA. 3 Agricultural Technology,

University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico, USA. 4 De-

partment of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina. 5 Minnesota Extension, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, St.

Paul, Minnesota USA

The Hmong people are an ethnic group that pri-
marily live in China and Laos. However, post-Viet-
nam War, many Hmong were forced to leave Laos
as refugees, with a large portion settling in the U.S.
Today, one of the largest communities of Hmong
in America is in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. In

traditional Hmong culture, to recover from giving
birth a new mother will follow a strict diet of chick-
en soup with medicinal herbs for 30 days post-
partum. In the Hmong diaspora, some Hmong
women brought these herbs with them and be-
gan growing them in their new homes, including
Mayyia Thao Lee. Now an organic farmer outside
St. Paul, MN, she and her daughters, Mhonpaj
and Zongxee, sell postpartum herbs to regional
hospitals for culturally relevant care. While they
have extensive knowledge of the plant's Hmong
names and uses, the scientific names are either
unknown or tentative. Noticing that many young-
er generations of Hmong are either skeptical or
lacking knowledge about the herbs, Mayyia and
Zongxee requested help assigning Latin names to
their soup herbs, so they could continue selling
to hospitals and preserve their knowledge. Com-
plicating species identification, many of them do
not flower outside of tropical/montane Asia, and
keys for this area are limited. Given these chal-
lenges, DNA barcoding is the best option for as-
signing scientific names. To identify these medic-
inal herbs, we sequenced the ITS and rbcL loci of
<figure><img src="image_240.png" /></figure>

these herbs, BLASTed them against NCBI GenBank, and inferred the phylogeny of our sequences and their close matches from GenBank. Taxonomic issues and limited publicly available sequences in some taxonomic groups complicated species identification for several of the plants. However, we were able to barcode 45 Hmong medicinal herbs, with 29 identified to species, 14 to genus, and 2 to family.

## S.100.2 Consequences of climate change on potential geographic distribution of some threatened African medicinal plants

Alex Asase¹, Daniel Jiménez-García², A. Townsend Peterson³

1 Centre for Plant Medicine Research, Mampong-Akuapem, Ghana. 2 Centro de Agroecología y Ambiente, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, México. 3 Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA

Climate change is anticipated to have significant impacts on medicinal plant distribution and populations. However, the effects of climate change on many African medicinal plants have not been evaluated. As such, we evaluated the anticipated climate change effects on the geographic distributions of three threatened but commonly used African medicinal plants (Garcinia afzelii, Khaya ivorensis, and K. senegalensis). We used primary biodiversity data records from GBIF and climatic data for the present and future, the latter characterized by two IPCC representative concentration pathway (4.5, 8.5) future emissions scenarios and 27 general circulation models for a 2050-time horizon. The modelled present-day distribution of the medicinal plants generally showed more suitable habitats in the south-eastern parts of its known distribution for G. afzelli and K. ivorensis whereas that of K. senegalensis was similar to its known distribution. Our results showed drastic range reductions and shifts, and only modest gains for the three medicinal plants under future climate change. Thus, climate change may reduce local availability of these medicinal plants which are considered to be threatened.

## S.100.3 Maya Q'eqchi' phytotherapy in Guatemala: transdisciplinary research to advance the evidence base for medicinal plants

Ana Isabel García-Ambrosy¹, Francesca Scotti², Michael Heinrich², Caroline Maake³, Rafael Grajeda-Estrada⁴, María Renée Álvarez-Ruano⁵, José Joaquín Ché⁶, Pablo Ax⁶, Mónica Berger-González¹

1 Unidad de Antropología Médica, Centro de Estudios en Salud, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Guatemala. 2 UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, UK. 3 Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Schweiz. 4 Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, México. 5 Departamento de Biología, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala, Guatemala. 6 Council of Q'eqchi' Maya Elders Releb'aal Saq'e', Petén, Guatemala

Maya Q'eqchi' phytotherapy plays a vital role in Guatemala's socio-natural capital, being one of the key elements in traditional healthcare provision services, which co-exist alongside the national public health system. The historical marginalization of indigenous communities, alongside biodiversity loss, habitat degradation, urbanization, monocultures, and invasive species compromises plant resources. This jeopardizes access to medicinal plants, hindering their availability, research, utilization, and benefits for traditional knowledge in meeting basic needs, like medicine. To understand the role of herbal therapies within traditional Maya systems and the potential for commercial scaling, the Green Health Project aimed to propose an implementation framework for the sustainable use, access, and distribution of benefits of biological species within the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) protocols. Under a transdisciplinary format with the collective participation of the Q'eqchi' Council ACGERS, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, UCL School of Pharmacy, University of Zürich, public and private sectors, an ethnographic and ethnobotanical research on Maya Q'eqchi' phytotherapy was conducted, proposing a protocol of access and benefit-sharing framed within the CBD. From 2019 to 2021, 15 Ajilonel (traditional healers and herbalists) from Guatemala participated in documenting 764 patient treatments in Epidemiological Booklets deriving a list of medicinal plants employed, to later collect specimens for identification. The UVG research team effected thirty-two transect walks in Guatemala, where indigenous
<figure><img src="image_241.png" /></figure>

community researchers helped gather 42% of the ethnobotanical data and plant samples. Of the 251 specimens collected, 132 morphospecies were identified across 51 taxonomic families and 92 genera. The healers addressed 130 physical and 36 energetic-spiritual conditions. Based on the Cultural Importance index, 11 species, including *Drymonia serrulata*, *Petiveria alliacea*, and *Anthurium pentaphyllum*, stood out for treating multiple conditions. Understanding plant-use relationships is crucial to comprehend sociocultural dynamics in traditional medicine, enabling the implementation of conservation efforts, benefits, and healthcare policies in the country.

## S.100.4 The medicinal plant *Buddleja asiatica* and its relation to the welfare of local people in the Pan-Himalayan region: past, present

Bishal Gurung¹,²,³, Feng-Mao Yang¹,²,³, Gao Chen¹,², Jia Ge¹,²

¹Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China. ²CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Biodiversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China. ³University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

*Buddleja asiatica* Lour. (Scrophulariaceae) is widely distributed across the Pan-Himalayan region. It has traditional medicinal applications and cultural value, as well as ecological significance. We conducted an ethnobotanical study combining field surveys from Nepal and Xizang, China with a literature review to assess the ethnobotanical, phytochemical, and pharmacological aspects of this species. We also employed *in silico* computational techniques to confirm the pharmacological findings. Our study highlights the cultural significance of *B. asiatica* within indigenous communities, and in particular the use of the leaves to make a starter culture for the preparation of wine. The origin of plant use as a starter culture is likely to be vertical transmission, as inferred from the phylogenetic comparative method. However, an evident intergenerational gap in knowledge transfer exists. The phytochemical investigation revealed the presence of various chemical classes (carbohydrates, terpenoids, flavonoids, saponins, esters, steroids, glycosides, fatty acids). The potential medicinal properties of these chemicals include anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cytotoxic, antihepatotoxic, antimicrobial, and anti-cholinesterase activities and our *in silico* molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation support the efficacy of iridoid glycosides as potent anti-inflammatory agents. We combine these lines of evidence to show the prospects for the livelihoods of local people across this region and propose future research directions.

## S.101 ALPINE PLANT ECOLOGY AND DIVERSITY: FROM SPECIES TO ECOSYSTEMS. SESSION 2

### S.101.1 Re-distributions of alpine plant species in the Anthropocene

Sabine Rumpf

Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Switzerland

Mountain ecosystems remain comparatively natural and harbor disproportionately high levels of biodiversity. Yet, they are warming about twice as fast as the global average and are additionally affected by nitrogen depositions from the lowlands. Recent

warming caused individuals of plant species already previously present to grow taller, and the overall plant community height increased. This increase of community height is, however, not only driven by intraspecific trait variation. The composition of plant species communities changed as well. A few plant species increased substantially in abundance at the expense of the majority of species which decreased in abundance. In addition, species shift their ranges to higher elevations to track the climatic conditions they are adapted to. Taller-growing nutriphilous and thermophilic species from lower elevations seem to profit by shifting their distributions faster than the less competitive, more specialized, and unique flo-
ra of higher elevations. These trends led together to a significant greening of the European Alps above the tree line. Yet, the vast majority of species is lagging behind recent trends, implying that even if climate change was halted now, its effects were likely to continue. Climate warming is, however, not slowing down but is rather accelerating. Potentially increasing lags might therefore become too large to overcome in the future, resulting in species extirpations. These local to regional extirpations might be reinforced by more competitive and faster shifting neophytes that start to arrive and spread in mountain ecosystems. Predicting these future responses of alpine plant species to global change is crucial to conserve global biodiversity. For accurately predicting the future it is, however, inevitable to first understand the past and its legacy effects.

## S.101.2 The importance of facilitative interactions for the plant diversity of alpine plant communities

Lohengrin A. Cavieres¹,²

1 Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Chile. 2 Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Chile

Facilitation among plants occurs when the fitness of one species increases in the presence of neighboring plants. It has been suggested that the importance of facilitative interactions among plants increase with the environmental harshness. In high-elevation (alpine) habitats the abiotic harshness increases with elevation, and several studies have addressed how the intensity of facilitation among plants change along elevational gradients. However very few have addressed the frequency and importance of these interactions for the diversity of alpine environments. Using a dataset spanning 78 sites and 5 continents, we assessed the relative importance of facilitative interactions in determining plant diversity in alpine ecosystems. We focused on alpine plant communities dominated by cushion plants, a particular growth form that act as nurse plant for other species. Samples from cushions and open areas were combined in a single matrix accounting for the difference in cover between both microhabitats, and through rarefaction curves we assessed how many more species are added to the community due to the presence of cushions. In general, the presence of

cushions consistently increased species richness at the entire community level. The magnitude of these increases in species richness varied with habitat severity where cushion species enhanced species richness more in systems with harsher environments and hence inherently impoverished in local diversity. Facilitative interactions with the nurse species appear to act as a "safety net" sustaining diversity under harsh conditions, demonstrating the importance of positive interactions among species in determining the diversity of alpine habitats in general.

Acknowledgments: Funded by Fondecyt-1211197, ACT-210038, FB-0006.

## S.101.3 Endemic species in the aerobiome? Evidence from floristic and aerobiological studies in the Italian Alps

Franziska Zemmer¹,², Antonella Cristofori¹,², Fabiana Cristofolini¹, Elena Gottardini¹,²

1 Environmental Botany Unit, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all' Adige, Italy. 2 National Biodiversity Future Centre, Palermo, Italy

Pollen as a proxy for plant diversity helps to interpret vegetation and/or to model vegetation shifts under climate change scenarios. Within the BIOALPEC project "Biodiversity in Alpine Ecosystems," we investigate the qualitative-quantitative input of pollen and spores on the bioaerosol of high altitudes exploring implications for ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. Here we present how the local flora and surrounding vegetation are sources of the bioaerosol at alpine receptor sites in Trentino, Italy. The methodology applied involves floristic studies and bioaerosol sampling with passive gravitational traps. We surveyed the flora at different local scales starting from the aerobiological sampler: i) within a circle of 10 m radius; ii) in 5 randomized 2 x 2 m plots within a circle of 100 m radius; iii) along a transect of 1000 m x 2 m. The bioaerosol was analyzed by microscopy and eDNA metabarcoding. Microscopic analysis permits the identification and quantification of pollen, while molecular analysis goes beyond morphological identification allowing for deeper taxonomic resolution and, thus, bio-diversity assessment. Results of floristic studies indicate the presence of Italian endemic species,
including *Anthyllis vulneraria* subsp. *alpestris*, *Galium baldense*, *Knautia baldensis*; and alpine endemits such as *Primula daonensis*; *Eritrichium nanum*, *Arabis caerulea*, *Alchemilla pentaphylla*, *Achillea erba-rotta* subsp. *moschata*, *Adeostyles leucophylla*, and *Bupleurum stellatum*. The bioaerosol analysis will verify the presence of pollen from endemic species in alpine ecosystems. Complementing floristic data with the results from optical microscopy and eDNA will be a step forward in exploring the potential of air to monitor terrestrial plant biodiversity.

**Acknowledgments:** This study is conducted within the National Biodiversity Future Centre, NBFC, funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR MISSION 4 COMPONENT 2, INVESTMENT 1.4 – D.D. 1034 17/06/2022, CN00000033).

### S.101.4 Upscaling the functional response of plant communities to summer drought in alpine tundra

Francesco Boscutti¹,², Marco Vuerich¹,², Giacomo Trotta¹,³, Alessandro Petraglia⁴, Enrico Braidot¹, Marco Zancani¹, T'ai G.W. Forte⁴, Michele Carbognani⁴

1 Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences (DI4A), University of Udine, Udine, Italy. 2NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy. 3 Department of Environmental and Life Sciences (DSV), University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy. 4 Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. *E-mail: francesco.boscutti@uniud.it

Climate change is causing remarkable impacts on plant species distribution and communities in cold biomes, with particular concern to arc- tic and alpine tundra. One prominent effect is the progressive increase of vegetation cover that is leading arctic and alpine greening, with far reaching consequences for the species per- sistence and the overall plant diversity. Nonethe- less, the greening magnitude is expected to be significantly shaped by the increasing frequency of summer heat waves and drought, in the alpine domain as well. Climate change induces plants to acclimate by both morphological and phys- iological traits due to their phenotypic plasticity. A functional trait approach is hence crucial to foresee the responses of dominant species,

whose changes could also affect the entire com- munity and ecosystem functioning. To get new insight into the ecological mechanisms involved in these changes, it is important to promote in- novative upscaling approaches, for linking field monitoring evidence to remote sensing data. We here present the results of a rain exclusion exper- iment conducted in alpine tundra (i.e., grasslands and dwarf shrub communities) in two localities of the eastern Alps. We measured individual growth and physiological traits, as well as community and ecosystem response to experimental treat- ments. Concurrently we carried out close-range and UAV (Unnamed Aerial Vehicle) multispec- tral surveys, obtaining remote sensing-derived vegetation indices for the upscaling of plant re- sponses. We found that precipitation induced a trait-mediated plant community response af- fecting the ecosystem functional response. We also found remote sensing-derived indices to be related to the analyzed plant traits, showing promising perspectives for the upscaling of plant responses to drought. Our findings shed new light on the potential use of remote sensing tools for understanding of the response of alpine vegeta- tion to the future climate scenarios, proving to be a promising method for long-term monitoring of such plant communities.

### S.101.5 Species responses to harsh environments in Alpine communities with contrasting regional pools

Teresa Morán-López³,⁴, Jesús López- Angulo¹,², David Sánchez Pescador¹,⁵, Adrián Escudero¹

1 Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain. 2 Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 3 Departamento Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Universidad de Oviedo e Instituto Mixto de Investigación en Biodiversidad (CSIC-Universidad de Oviedo-Principado de Asturias), Oviedo, Spain. 4 Grupo de Ecología Cuantitativa, INIBIO-MA, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina. 5 Departamento de Farmacología, Farmacognosia y Botánica, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.

Unravelling assembly processes that explain the composition and abundance of coexisting spe-
<figure><img src="image_242.png" /></figure>

cies is a backbone of community ecology. Local
communities emerge from the filtering of spe-
cies present in the regional pool in response to
assembly processes such as the suitability of
environmental conditions. Understanding how
plant communities with distinct levels of turn-
over respond to their environment is crucial for
comprehending these species-environment re-
lationships. The regional pool limits the amount
of functional variation among species, and
hence, their ability to cope with contrasting en-
vironments. However, we often lack information
about niche requirements of all species present
in the community, especially for rare ones. To
shed some light on this regard, we analysed the
distribution of plant species across two moun-
tain ranges with contrasting levels of regional
richness (63 and 159 species, Mediterranean and
Temperate respectively). We applied Hierarchi-
cal Modelling of Species Communities (HMSC)
to quantify species-specific environmental re-
sponses (to elevation, soil fertility and radiation)
and how they are affected by 3 functional traits
(vegetative height, LDMC, leaf thickness). Despite
differences in species turnover between commu-
nities, we detected common signals of filtering
with plant height and leaf harness (LDMC, thick-
ness) modulating the effects of environmental
stress (elevation and radiation). Contrary to our
expectations, functional responses of species
were more diverse in the species-poor Mediter-
ranean region. We found positive and negative
responses to elevation, whereas in the Temper-
ate area negative responses prevailed. In addi-
tion, in the Mediterranean area, species also re-
sponded to soil fertility according to their growth
strategies (height and leaf thickness). Taken to-
gether these findings highlight the importance of
functional traits related to growth strategies and
leaf economic spectrum in shaping species envi-
ronmental responses in high mountain contexts.
Also, they suggest that contrasting environmen-
tal stress (drought in summer and cold in winter)
may trigger diverse functional responses in spe-
cies poor mountains.

S.101.6 Are differences in soil
fungi communities between
the High Andean Forests
and Paramos preventing the
upslope migration of trees?

Lina Aragón¹, Eloisa Lasso²,³, Kenneth J.
Feeley¹

1 Biology Department, University of Miami, Miami, USA. 2 Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia. 3 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Panama.

Despite rising temperatures, treeline is stable (i.e.,
not shifting upslope) in many montane areas. In-
deed, recent studies have shown that treeline has
remained unchanged in Peru and other parts of the
tropical Andes for at least the last 40-50 years even
as many trees are shifting their distributions upslope
within the forested areas below treeline. Treeline sta-
bility suggests that factors other than temperature
must play essential roles in determining the upper
elevational limit of tree growth and the dynamics of
the forest-grassland ecotone in these systems. One
factor that could influence treelines is the compo-
sition and abundance of symbiotic soil fungi, which
are known to play important roles in determining
tree species performance in different habitats and
shaping forest ecosystems. To explore the possible
role of soil fungi in determining treeline location and
stability, we are studying the composition, diversity,
and abundance of soil arbuscular and ectomycor-
rhizal fungi in the Eastern Andes Cordillera of Colom-
bia from 3,000 to 3,500 masl. At each of our sites, we
collected soil samples in each habitat: the High An-
dean Forest (~3,000 - 3,200 masl), treeline ecotone
(~3,200 - 3,400 masl), and Páramo (>3,400 masl). At
each sampling site, we also measured the soil's pH,
mineral nitrogen, total nitrogen, available phospho-
rous, cationic exchange capacity, exchangeable
acidity, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and oxidiz-
able organic carbon. Microbial DNA was extracted
to determine soil fungi composition, diversity, and
abundance, and the ITS and SSU regions were se-
quenced for ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular my-
corrhizal fungi, respectively. By April 2024, we used
HMSC models to assess what are the environmen-
tal drivers of arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal fungi
communities from the High Andean Forest to the
Paramo. These data provide valuable insight into
the role of microbes in determining tropical mon-
# S.102 PLANT RESPONSES TO STRESSES AND CLIMATE CHANGE. SESSION 4

## S.102.1 Savannas retain water better than grasslands in central Brazil: findings from a novel Sentinel-1 derived vegetation water content

Paulo N. Bernardino¹,², Rafael S. Oliveira², Koenraad Van Meerbeek¹, Marina Hirota²,³, Mariana N. Furtado², Isabela A. Sanches¹, Ben Somers¹

1KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. 2 University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil. 3 Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil.

Assessing vegetation water content (VWC) dynamics is essential for understanding plant growth, water and carbon cycles, and ecosystems' drought response and stability in the face of climate change. However, acquiring field-based VWC estimates, consistently through space and time, is challenging due to time and resource constraints. Therefore, in this study we explored the potential of Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data for estimating VWC in natural ecosystems in central Brazil, ultimately using the generated VWC dataset to answer how the studied vegetation types (i.e., savannas, dry grasslands, and waterlogged grasslands) respond to seasonal dry periods in terms of water content. Field data from 82 plots, spanning various seasons and vegetation types, served to calibrate and validate the VWC estimation model. The calibrated model, with an R² of 0.519 and RMSE of 0.412 kg/m², was then applied to Sentinel-1 SAR backscatter data to generate monthly VWC maps for grassland and savanna ecosystems at 30 m spatial resolution between April 2015 and March 2023. These maps, combined with rainfall and potential evapotranspiration data, provided insights into how these ecosystems respond to water scarcity during dry seasons. More specifically, savannas showed to be able to retain higher water content levels during dry periods, likely attributed to their woody component's enhanced water-holding capacity and deep-root systems, en-

abling access to deeper groundwater. This research underscores the potential of Sentinel-1 SAR data for monitoring VWC in natural ecosystems, opening avenues for assessing ecosystem responses to drought events and alterations in their functioning, ultimately guiding informed land management decisions in the face of climate change.

## S.102.2 Mangrove forests: natural laboratories for studying epigenetic and climate changes

Matin Miryeganeh, David W. Armitage

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST)

The tolerance adaptations of mangrove trees to osmotic stress, high temperatures, and low nutrients make them a promising model system for studying trees' molecular responses to stress, which must occur relatively quickly to outpace climate change. Little is known about the transcriptomic and epigenomic contributions to stress responses and rapid local adaptation in mangroves. In Okinawa Japan, which near the global northern range limit of mangroves, we investigated the genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic contributions to stress adaptation over a local salinity gradient. Here, our data focuses on the mangrove *Bruguiera gymnorrhiza* (Rhizophoraceae), which grows over a wide salinity but experiences stunted growth at the ocean. We focused on two patches of *B. gymnorrhiza* growing within the same population but in two different saline environments – one brackish (15 psu) and one oceanside (34 psu). Individuals within each patch display remarkable morphological and physiological differences which may be associated with the observed differential expression of stress responsive genes from transcriptomic analysis. In addition, trees in saline environments had genome-wide DNA hypermethylation, especially of transposable elements (TEs) indicating marked epigenetic structuring in the absence of population genetic differences. DNA hypermethylation was con-
current with the transcriptional regulation of chromatin modifier genes, suggesting robust epigenomic regulation of TEs in the mangrove genome under osmotic stress. We then performed a reciprocal transplant of mangrove propagules between sites to investigate if and for how long the trees "remember" their parental environmental conditions at the transcriptomic and epigenomic level. Following whole genome methylation and transcriptome analysis, our results provide evidence for the transient persistence of DNA methylation and gene expression pattern for several weeks after transplantation. These results provide a first glimpse into the mechanisms underlying wild trees' adaptive capacities under novel stress conditions, which may be critical for understanding their responses to climate change more generally.

## S.102.3 Responses of southern European forest understorey species to macro and microclimatic variations

Cristina Gasperini¹,², Elisa Carrari¹,
Karen De Pauw², Giovanni Iacopetti¹,
Sofia Martini¹, Pieter Sanczuk², Thomas
Vanneste², Pieter Vangansbeke², Pieter
De Frenne², Federico Selvi

1 University of Florence, School of Agriculture, Florence, Italy. 2 Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium

Forests can mitigate climate change effects on understorey plants by maintaining microclimatic conditions which create local refugia for many species under ongoing climate warming. However, these microrefugia are today reduced and threatened by increasing forest fragmentation, land use change and anthropogenic or natural modification of the canopy cover, reducing the temperature buffering capacity of forests and exacerbating the negative effects of climate change on plants. Especially for species with a narrow ecological niche, such as forest specialist plants, their ability to respond to climate change through habitat tracking remains questionable, particularly in highly fragmented forest landscapes. Here, we assessed the functional trait responses of eight understorey plant species from southern Europe through a multi-factorial experiment performed in two deciduous forest types (thermophilous and mesophilous forests in Italy and Belgium, respectively) and along macro and microclimatic gradients

(in open vs dense forests and at the forest edge vs forest interior). A total of 576 individuals were transplanted within their range (Italy) and beyond their northern range limit (Belgium): 288 individuals derived from lowland forests and 288 from highland forests. Individuals of all species were sourced from Italian forest sites as seedlings, bulbs or rhizomes collected from local native populations and grown in nurseries for one year. Specifically, during two growing seasons, we investigated the individual responses in terms of survival, number of flowers, ground cover percentage, number of leaves, plant height, SLA and LMA. This allowed us to estimate infraspecific trait plasticity for all species along the experimental gradients. Preliminary results showed strong effects of forest structure and edge vs interior position on plant growth and performance with significant interactions between the two regions for most species, i.e., in contrasting ways depending on macroclimate.

## S.102.4 Regeneration response of Vepris dainellii, an endemic species of Ethiopia to disturbance in moist forest ecosystem

Befkadu Mewded¹, Kedir Erbo²

1 Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 2 Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, Hawassa, Ethiopia

Examining the regeneration response of species is one of the key ecological analyses vital to understanding and predicting the spatial structure of plant populations and designing specific management plans in the face of anthropogenic and climate change factors. Despite the ecological and traditional importance of Vepris dainellii species, little is known about the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on its natural regeneration patterns and recruitment structure. This study investigates the regeneration and recruitment response of V. dainellii and its correlation to disturbance particularly clear-cut in Sirso moist evergreen Afromontane forest, Ethiopia. By employing transect sampling technique, fifty sample plots (20 m×20 m size) were laid in five transect lines for exploring V. dainellii species in Sirso moist evergreen Afromontane forest. In plots, where V. dainellii were found, vegetation data and stumped individuals (timber pieces resulting from the illegal cutting of trees) were recorded. Regeneration was recorded using sub-plots. Vepris dainellii is the first ranked woody species by recorded a higher number of bowdlerized stems. The regeneration of V. dainellii
<figure><img src="image_243.png" /></figure>

species was higher in disturbed sites compared to un-disturbed sites. Besides, the regeneration of the species positively correlates with the intensity of clear-cuts or the number of stump individuals of the species (73.5%). Whereas, the species regeneration and forest canopy cover, altitude, slope and aspect were not correlated. *Vepris dainellii* is a disturbance resilient species with the presence of mother trees. Though, this study suggested detailed research on the threshold of clear-cut intensity and functional traits in response to disturbance in moist forest ecosystems.

### S.102.5 Phyto-nutrient profiling of Amaranth species grown under the organic medium enclosed trough system

Maeleletse G. Mopai, Semakaleng Mpai, Ashwell R. Ndhlala

Department of Plant Production, University of Limpopo, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Amaranth species are a highly popular group of indigenous leafy vegetables (ILV) consumed in South Africa as a relish. Amaranth is rarely cultivated due to lack of protocols for optimum production. Climate change impacts on vegetable production has mandated farmers to resort to and develop sustainable,

effective and efficient environmentally friendly growing practices. The Organic Medium Enclosed Trough (OMET) system is a non-drainable vegetable growing technique. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of the OMET system on primary and secondary metabolites of two Amaranth species: A. caudatus and A. cruentus. Primary metabolites of the two species determined after harvesting included %protein, macro- and micro-elements using AOAC methods. Secondary metabolites, targeted (total phenolics, flavonols and tannins) and untargeted metabolites were analysed using photometric assays and UHPLC-MS-Q-ToF techniques, respectively. A. caudatus and A. cruentus grown under OMET system exhibited higher contents of nutrients including %protein, Ca, Mg, P, K, Mn, Cu, Fe, Se, Zn compared to non-OMET grown A. caudatus and A. cruentus, respectively. In contrary, A. caudatus and A. cruentus grown under non-OMET system recorded the highest total phenolics, flavonols and tannins compared to the same Amaranth species, A. caudatus and A. cruentus grown under OMET. The use of unsupervised PCA showed less metabolic variation and the use of supervised OPLS-DA showed clear metabolic variation based on treatments, OMET and non-OMET. The use of OMET system can be recommended to mitigate the climate change impacts in vegetable production as well as to combat the crisis of malnutrition hence it eliminate water and nutrient seepage, especially in developing countries whereby irrigation water is the most scarcest agricultural commodity.

## S.103 ADVANCES IN PHYLOGENOMICS AND SYSTEMATICS OF THE BRASSICACEAE. SESSION 2

### S.103.1 The timing, placement, and impacts of the tribe Brassiceae mesohexaploidy

Shawn K. Thomas¹,², Craig A. Schenck³, Jacob D. Washburn⁴, J. Chris Pires⁵

1 Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, USA. 2 Bioinformatics and Analytics Core, University of Missouri, Columbia, USA. 3 Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri,

Columbia, USA. 4 Plant Genetics Research Unit, USA-ARS, Columbia, USA 5 Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA

Gene duplications are one mechanism that provides raw material for the emergence of novel traits. The two major mechanisms for duplicating genes are polyploidy events resulting in whole genome duplications/ triplications (WGD, WGT) and small-scale duplications (SSD). The combination of these is an important force in plant evolution. Mustard crops like bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, and canola among others (Brassica) share a relatively recent WGT. Duplicated genes from this WGT
<figure><img src="image_244.png" /></figure>

have been shown to influence patterns of domestication and phenotypic plasticity in mustard crops. However, it is unclear when and where on the mustard phylogeny this event has occurred. In this study we combine sequence and fossil data to both date and place this WGT event on the mustard phylogeny. Further we explore how gene/genome duplications influence the abiotic stress tolerance of a crop wild relative of mustard crops that shares this WGT. Using a combination of ionomics, metabolomics, and comparative genomics, we characterize aspects of salt stress response in Cakile maritima and identify retained duplicate genes that have likely enabled adaptation to salt and mild levels of cadmium. These findings help to phylogenetically localize and date this WGT. In addition, we demonstrate the power of using crop wild relatives as they can provide understanding of the evolution of environmental adaptation and genetic targets/tools for developing resilient crops in the face of global/climate change.

### S.103.2 The pathways of post-polyploid diploidization and descending dysploidy in Biscutella (Brassicaceae)

Yile Huang¹,², Terezie Mandáková¹,³, Nicolas Blavet¹, Manuel Poretti⁴, Xinyi Guo¹, Milan Pouch¹,², Rimjhim Roy Choudhury⁴, Manuel B. Crespo⁵, Christian Parisod⁴, Martin A. Lysak¹,²

1 CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. 2 National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. 3 Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. 4 Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland. 5 Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain

In plants, whole-genome duplications (WGDs) are often followed by genome-wide diploidization including descending dysploidy, i.e., chromosomal rearrangements that reduce chromosome number and genome size. However, the genomic basis and evolutionary significance of chromosomal rearrangements are still poorly understood. Here, we report the consequences of the WGD event for infrageneric diversification using comparative genomic analyzes of eight de novo assembled *Biscutella* species (Buckler mustard) that differ in genome size (0.7 to 1.1 Gbp) and chromosome number (n=6, 8 or 9).

The estimated 9 million-year rediploidization of the progenitor genome was marked by extensive reorganization of the parental subgenomes, genome downsizing, descending dysploidy (n=14×n=6, 8 or 9), and cladogenetic/speciation events in the genus *Biscutella*. We reconstructed the ancestral genome of *Biscutella* and analyzed two differently fractionated subgenomes, which have evolved at unequal rates during post-polyploid diploidization of the sequenced genomes. Although the dominant, less fractionated subgenome has retained more intact genes, the more fractionated subgenome has a more stable karyotype structure with fewer chromosomal breakpoints. In addition, duplicated syntenic genes and their extensive structural variation are associated with environmental adaptation. Our results provide new insights into the role of dysploid changes in plant genome evolution and speciation.

Acknowledgments: This work was supported by a grant from the Czech Science Foundation (21-07748L).

### S.103.3 Diversification and biogeography of yellowcress herbs (Rorippa, Brassicaceae)

Ting-Shen Han¹,², Yao-Wu Xing¹

1 CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xi-shuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan, China. 2 Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany

Yellowcress (*Rorippa Scop.*) is a Brassicaceae genus with an accepted 86 species and a worldwide distribution characterized by amphitropical disjunction. Most of *Rorippa* species have affinity for wet habitats, where migrating birds may transit their seeds or propagules far from local populations. They also have robust tolerance to whole-genomic changes, such as interspecific hybridization and polyploidization. About 70% of *Rorippa* are polyploids, and 90% of them are endemic to specific continents. *Rorippa* polyploids are globally distributed but more prevalent in the Southern Hemisphere (accounting for 91% of species). These observations highlight a potential role of long-distance dipsersal (LDD) in shaping the amphitropical disjunction of *Rorippa* and suggest that polyploidy may have promoted effective LDD. To test the polyploid role in LDD, we traced the biogeographic and speciation history for 17 diploids and 41 polyploids of *Rorippa* using variation from plastid genomes and multiple nuclear loci. The ploidy role
<figure><img src="image_245.png" /></figure>

in dispersal rate difference was demonstrated using trait-dependent biogeographic modeling. We demonstrate that polyploidy would be not only a driver but also a responder of LDD in *Rorippa*, highlighting a synergistic relationship between them. Our results provide a framework to uncover the biogeographic consequences of polyploidization and the joint roles of polyploidy and LDD in shaping the distribution of biodiversity.

## S.103.4 Population genomic evidence of inter-ploidy introgression in natural plant populations of Arabidopsis arenosa

Nélida Padilla-García¹, Jakub Vlček¹, Simon Martin², Vivaswat Shastry³, Joern Gerchen¹, Filip Kolár¹

1 Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. 2 Institute of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Edinburgh, UK. 3 University of Chicago, Chicago, USA

Polyploidy, the presence of multiple genome copies as a result of whole-genome duplications (WGD), is an important speciation mechanism in plants. WGD has been traditionally assumed to cause immediate reproductive isolation due to strong genetic incompatibilities leading to sterility between polyploids and their diploid progenitors and/or inviability of inter-ploidy offspring. However, recent field surveys, cytological and population genetic studies have demonstrated that gene flow between plants with different ploidy levels can happen in natural populations. Yet, it remains unclear how common such inter-ploidy introgression is and to what degree it contributes to plant adaptation. Here we present new results on *Arabidopsis arenosa*, a natural plant system in which both diploids and autotetraploids are present. We focused on one primary and three secondary contact zones across Europe, where diploid and tetraploid individuals of *A. arenosa* are found coexisting in mixed-ploidy populations and/or in geographically closed diploid and tetraploid populations. We used whole-genome sequencing to test for inter-ploidy gene flow on both genome-wide as well as local genomic scales. We found significant evidence of introgressed genomic regions across contact zones. We also identified genetic regions that can be acting as barriers to introgression between different ploidy levels. We identified the genes localized in these regions and we performed GO enrichment in order to interpret how

their functions could have contributed to adaptation of polyploids. Overall, our study provides further genetic evidence of inter-ploidy introgression across the genome and across different contact zones in a natural plant system and how this introgression may have an impact in the adaptation of polyploid lineages.

## S.103.5 Testing the 'snowball' theory on intraspecific reproductive isolation in Arabidopsis lyrata

Lise Huseby¹, Anne Brysting², Christian Brochmann¹, Lovisa Gustafsson¹, Johanna Leppälä³

¹Natural History Museum of Oslo, University of Oslo, Norway. ²Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Norway. ³Natural Research Institute, Finland

The Bateson-Dobzhansky-Muller (BDM) model posits that the evolution of intrinsic postzygotic barriers occurs when independent mutations become fixed in diverging populations. If we assume that new mutations become fixed at rate *n*, then the number of pair of potentially interacting loci that could contribute to reproductive isolation between the populations accumulates at rate *n*². This is the 'snowball' theory, which so far only has been empirically tested in interspecific studies in *Solanum*, *Eucalyptus*, and *Drosophila*. In this project we aim to address whether a 'snowball effect' also can be detected within a species using the outcrossing species *Arabidopsis lyrata* as a model. We 1) identify the number of loci responsible for reproductive isolation between populations assumed to represent different divergence times, and 2) test for a correlation between the number of loci contributing to reproductive isolation and population divergence. We selected three populations, previously demonstrated to produce varying degrees of F1 sterility in experimental crossing studies. We produced three *F*₁ hybrid populations and crossed two individuals from each of them to produce three *F*₂ populations, each comprising 500 individuals. We currently perform quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping of reproductive isolation (pollen fertility) in the *F*₂ populations using genotype data from restriction-site associated DNA sequencing. Preliminary results indicate a declining trend in fertility with respect to population divergence.
<figure><img src="image_246.png" /></figure>

## S.103.6 Identify potential cross-compatible CWRs in Brassicaceae using phylogenetic approaches

Elena Castillo-Lorenzo¹, Elinor Breman¹, Pablo Gómez Barreiro¹, Juan Viruel²

1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst, Ardingly, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, UK. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK

Crop wild relatives (CWRs) hold a wealth of genetic diversity which can be used to improve and help adapt traditional crops to succeed under environmental changes, being of paramount importance for research and conservation. Characterising and understanding the cross-compatibility between CWRs and crops, is essential to direct breeding efforts and to prioritise conservation of CWRs and facilitate their accessibility for future sustainable use. Wild species in the Brassicaceae family host desirable agronomic traits, biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. We reviewed the current classifications of CWRs in the Brassicaceae with the aim of identifying new potential cross-compatible CWRs from a total of 1,242 species using phylogenetic approaches.

These approaches were used to fill in gaps of species without genetic sequence data to estimate their evolutionary relationships with Brassicaceae crops. Gaps in ex situ conservation and characterisation of CWRs were reviewed by compiling globally available data. Around 70% of the wild Brassicaceae lacked genetic sequence data available, and chromosome numbers were available for only 40% of them. Generally, compatibility data between wild species and crops, and phenotype and genotype characterisation data were available for major crops and very limited for minor crops. Half of the species had no records of being conserved ex situ and 80% were not assessed for their conservation status. Generate more sequence data for more species is key to understanding the needs of the cultivated species and to identify new CWRs. Using phylogenetic distances, we proposed 103 new potential CWRs, which we recommend as priorities for cross compatibility tests with crops and for physiological and phenotypic characterisation, including 71 newly identified CWRs for 10 minor crops. Confirming the cross-compatibility of the new potential CWRs with the same chromosome number is critical, in addition to generating more DNA sequencing data to complete the genetic characterisation of the family.

## S.104 PLANT CONSERVATION GENETICS: FROM IN-SITU AND EX-SITU CONSERVATION TO REINTRODUCTIONS AND RESTORATIONS. SESSION 4

### S.104.1 Species delimitation and genetic conservation of the endangered firs Abies beshanzuensis and A. ziyuanensis

Ling Yang¹,²,³, Si-Qi Liang¹,²,³, Jia-Ming Pan¹,²,³, Jin-Xin Wei¹,²,³, Tao Ding⁴, Ri-Hong Jiang⁵, Yi-Zhen Shao⁶, Xian-Chun Zhang¹,², Yong-Bo Liu⁷, Qiao-Ping Xiang¹,²

1 State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. 2 China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, China. 3 College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. 4 Guangxi Institute of Botany, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guilin, Guangxi, China. 5 Guangxi Forestry Research Institute, Nanning, China 6 College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China. 7 State Environment Protection Key Laboratory of Regional Ecological Process and Functional Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China

Abies beshanzuensis is one of the most endangered species in the world, with only three individuals so far. The accuracy of endangered species delimitation
<figure><img src="image_247.png" /></figure>

largely determines the efficiency and conservation strategies. The taxonomy of *Abies beshanzuensis*, *A. ziyuanensis* and *A. dayuanensis* have always been controversial. *A. dayuanensis* has been considered as the synonym of *A. ziyuanensis*, whereas *A. ziyuanensis* is currently treated as a variety of *A. beshanzuensis*. To test this classification hypothesis, we performed target enrichment sequencing on 23 individuals from eight extant populations and obtained 805 single nucleotide polymorphic sites from 60 single-copy nuclear genes for population genetic analyses. Results of population genetic structure and demographic history analyses showed that this endangered fir group has diverged into two lineages corresponding to *A. beshanzuensis* and *A. ziyuanensis*. *A. ziyuanensis* first diverged from the common ancestor of *A. beshanzuensis* and *A. dayuanensis*, the latter two split apart later and more closely related, forming the other lineage. The genetic diversity is low within these populations. Strong genetic differentiation was found among populations. Gene flow is not detected after lineages split, probably because of the fragmented habitats which blocked effective genetic exchanges among populations. Ecological niche comparison showed that the average annual temperature and the temperature of the coldest quarter were significantly higher in the habitats of these endangered firs compared to those of non-threatened firs in East Asia. Therefore, we inferred that global warming is likely to push this group of endangered firs to the edge of extinction. According to the significant population differentiation, we provide genetic evidence that *A. dayuanensis* is a synonym of *A. beshanzuensis* and resurrect *A. ziyuanensis* as a separate species. We also highlight the necessity to carry out *ex-situ* conservation in the Hengduan Mountains and the Qingling-Bashan Mountains and conduct *in-situ* regeneration.

## S.104.2 Conserving the Florida ziziphus (Pseudoziziphus celata): integrating translocations, demography, and epigenetics

Aaron S. David¹, Sterling A. Herron¹,
Christine E. Edwards², Brigette Williams²,
Eric S. Menges¹

1 Archbold Biological Station, Venus, FL, USA. 2 Mis-
souri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO, USA

Florida ziziphus (*Pseudoziziphus celata* (Judd & D.W. Hall) Hauenschild) is a critically endangered, clonal shrub, endemic to sandhill habitat within the Lake Wales Ridge of central peninsular Florida. It was once thought to be extinct but was rediscovered in the wild in 1987 and several locations since then. Several barriers to species recover exist, including a highly restricted range, low genetic diversity, slow growth, and the presence of mating types. Since the 1990s, our comprehensive efforts to rescue the species combine demographic monitoring, ex-situ conservation, genetics, propagation, and translocation to establish new populations on protected lands. In this presentation, we (1) report on the genetic diversity in the species and how this information is used in conservation translocation, (2) describe advances in understanding the epigenetic diversity in this species, (3) report on demographic success of the species' introduction efforts. We have documented 46 genotypes in existence, and only three S-locus mating types, which severely limits cross-compatibility. DNA methylation patterns suggest a potential epigenetic basis for mating types, though further research is required. Demographic monitoring on 18 translocations established between 2002-2023 shows that the Florida ziziphus has a high survival rate but very low recruitment rate, so maintaining viable, self-sustaining populations remains a challenge. Nevertheless, strides have been made in developing germination techniques, tissue culture propagation, and best land management practices for transplant survival, especially prescribed burn management. Overall, Florida ziziphus serves as an important case study for the preservation of a highly endangered clonal species, which was brought back from the brink of extinction.

## S.104.3 Using genomic data to inform management decisions for augmentation of a rare San Diego endemic succulent

Caroline Iacuaniello¹, Christa Horn¹, Joyce Maschinski², Stephanie Steele¹, Katie Heineman²

1 San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Plant Conservation, San Diego, USA. 2 Center for Plant Conservation, San Diego, USA

San Diego County, USA is a hotspot of plant biological diversity. Many rare plant species are severely threatened by habitat fragmentation in this rapidly develop-
<figure><img src="image_248.png" /></figure>

ing population center. Dudleya brevifolia is a diminutive, deciduous succulent that is an edaphic endemic with 6 known extant occurrences all located within a five-mile radius. The range of this species' genetic diversity, both within and between occurrences, the degree of inbreeding, and the possibility of outbreeding depression was not previously known. Our study set out to genotype representative individuals from five of six known occurrences in order to inform management practices. We sought to understand 1) whether the distinct occurrences were genetically similar or different from one another, and 2) whether there was evidence of inbreeding due to fragmentation between populations. This information will help land managers decide if seed from more robust populations might be appropriate for supplementing smaller populations in augmentation projects. Genomic data indicated that individuals separated into three distinct clusters corresponding closely with geographic localities. Further analysis showed moderate differentiation (Fst) exists between the more distant populations, while slightly higher than expected heterozygosity (He) and low inbreeding (Fis) were seen across all sites. Based on this data, we suggest managing the clusters as populations where seed from occurrences within each cluster might be used to augment each other as needed.

**S.104.4 Conservation and population genetics of the federally endangered Florida torreya (Torreya taxifolia, Taxaceae).**

Lauren A. Eserman-Campbell¹, Amanda Carmichael¹, Ethan Baldwin², Chazz Jordan², Ashlynn Smith¹, Lilly Anderson-Messac³, Loy Xingwen¹, Laurie Blackmore¹, James H. Leebens-Mack², Emily E. E. D. Coffey¹

1 Department of Conservation & Research, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta, GA, USA. 2 Plant Biology Department, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA. 3 Torreya Keepers, Florida Native Plant Society, Florida, USA

Florida torreya, or *Torreya taxifolia* (Taxaceae), is one of the most endangered conifers in North America and is endemic to the ravines east of the Apalachicola river in the Florida panhandle. In the last century, populations have declined from nearly 700,000 trees in the early 1900s to around 800 trees today. This dramatic decline is the result of an invasive fungal pathogen, *Fusarium torreyae*. For the last 30 years, staff at

the Atlanta Botanical Garden have been collecting cuttings for safeguarding, caging trees to prevent deer browsing, and tagging and monitoring wild trees in Torreya State Park and the Nature Conservancy's Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve. Recently, partnership with the Florida Native Plant Society has allowed outreach to private landowners to locate, tag, and collect cuttings of trees on private lands. Using the collection of trees from across its range, we are performing conservation genetic studies of *Torreya taxifolia* using target gene capture to assess the level of genetic diversity and population structure remaining in the wild. Conifers are notorious for having extremely large and highly repetitive nuclear genomes, making typical population genomic techniques such as Genotype-by-Sequencing (GBS), restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq), and genome skimming unfeasible. Gene capture, in contrast, allows for targeted sequencing of specific loci in the genome and allows us to overcome the problem of the large, repetitive genome structure. This method is a cost-effective way to obtain DNA sequence variation necessary to distinguish among closely related populations. Results suggest that the entire species range is consistent with a single panmictic population. In addition, private landowners hold significant genetic diversity in this species, highlighting the importance of landowner relationships. Together, these projects will advance conservation efforts for this critically imperiled conifer.

**S.104.5 Genomics, morphology, and flow cytometry inform taxonomy and conservation of rare cacti in the genus Echinocereus**

Shannon Fehlberg¹, Kevin Fehlberg¹, Donna Dehn¹, Marc Baker², Paula Williamson³, James Beck⁴

1 Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona, USA. 2 Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA. 3 Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA. 4 Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, USA

*Echinocereus* is one of the most diverse genera of the Cactaceae family. Many *Echinocereus* species display wide variation in stem, spine and floral morphology within and among populations. Such variation has resulted in the description of over 70 taxa, with a number of these considered rare, threatened,
or endangered. While detailed morphological, cyto-
logical, and distributional studies have contributed
greatly to our knowledge of species, subspecies, and
varieties within *Echinocereus*, the addition of genom-
ic data are needed to enable understanding of evo-
lutionary relationships and eliminate long-standing
taxonomic confusion. Our recent work in *Echinoc-
ereus* has focused on three rare taxa: *E. arizonicus*
subsp. *arizonicus*, *E. fendleri* subsp. *kuenzleri*, and *E.
fitchii* subsp. *albertii*. For each of these taxa, popula-
tion-level samples have been collected throughout
the range and from a subset of close relatives. Pop-
ulation genetic and genomic, and flow cytometric
data have been obtained and analyzed using stan-
dard population genetic, clustering, ordination, and
phylogenetic approaches. Results indicate that ge-
netic variation is high and typically geographically
structured, sometimes supporting the rare taxon as

a unique evolutionary lineage, but sometimes sup-
porting stronger genetic affinity among geograph-
ically proximate populations and non-monophyly
of the rare taxon. Detailed morphological studies
for these same taxa have revealed that large sam-
ple sizes are critical for understanding the range of
morphological variation within and among popula-
tions and reducing sampling error and phenological
effects from environmental factors. Although most
results from these genetic and morphological stud-
ies are in alignment with each other and support
current taxonomy, some are not, which might be ex-
pected given the recent and rapid radiation of this
genus and the potential for convergent evolution in
characters that are typically used to define taxa. In-
formation gained from these studies is actively be-
ing discussed with conservation managers to help
prioritize and optimize conservation efforts.

# S.105 PATTERNS AND PROCESSES DRIVING CLIFF PLANT COMMUNITIES: APPROACHES FOR THE CONSERVATION OF ENDEMIC CLIFF FLORA. SESSION 2

S.105.1 Is the current conservation management effective to protect at-risk cliff plant species against increased climbing pressure?

Adrián Escudero¹, Martí March¹,
WorldClimb group

1 Instituto de Investigación en Cambio Global (IICG/URJC), Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain

Cliff flora constitutes one of the less studied bio-
diversity components worldwide. This is surprising
since it shelters a huge amount of very endangered
plant species, and also a high representation of very
ancient lineages and relicts which have survived
perched on the inaccessible rocks. Cliffs shelter low
competitive taxa which are refuged up there, but
also a complete guild of rupicolous specialists
which have developed morphological and phys-

iological adaptations to occur there. Consequent-
ly, cliffs are natural labs to evaluate microevolutive
mechanisms but also to have a complete perspec-
tive of the biological history of a territory. However,
our knowledge on the ecological and evolutive de-
terminants of these habitats is almost null, although
botanists have systematically explored the cliffs to
complete the checklists of every explored territory.
Threats are putting at risk this biological treasure.
Emergence and recent massification of climbing as
a very popular outdoor activity together with the in-
cidence of other drivers of Global Change such as
warming are pushing most of these plants at the
verge of extinction and make necessary to evaluate
the impact of this increasing pressure on the viabil-
ity of these plants. Here we evaluate the risk associ-
ated to the popularization of this sport and the ef-
fectivity of conservation measures taken to face this
problem. Specifically, we evaluated if the measures
taken within protected areas are effective and, also,
if they leakage to the surrounding areas. Preliminary
results suggest they are ineffective. A paradigmatic
example of this pressure is the almost total extinc-
tion of the population of *Petrocoptis grandiflora* in
the Enciña da Lastra Natural Park duto climbing.
<figure><img src="image_249.png" /></figure>

## S.105.2 Conservation of cliff plants with the aid of remote collecting drones

Ben Nyberg¹

1 National Tropical Botanical Garden, Hawaii, USA

Cliff ecosystems often host unique, narrowly endemic plants. Due to the terrain, it is difficult and dangerous to access these areas. Rapidly evolving drone technology has been helpful in developing a deeper understanding of these cliff taxa through efficient aerial survey. Here we present a high-resolution approach to exploration and documentation of plants growing on vertical surfaces. In addition, new drone-based remote collection hardware has been developed for collecting plants from these hard-to-reach areas. This combination of tools has had an amazing impact for the conservation of critically endangered Hawaiian cliff endemic taxa.

## S.105.3 CLIMB TO CONSERVE. An innovative approach to managing and mitigating the impact of climbing by sharing responsibilities between scientists, administration and climbers.

Lena Saiz¹,², Brais Hermosilla², Roberto Núñez³, Ignacio Artime³, Ignacio Díez³, Javier Cruz³, Miguel A. Acevedo³, Miguel Seoane⁴, Alfonso Louro⁴, Agustí Agut², Pablo Tejero⁴,⁵

1 Pyrenean Institute of Ecology. 2 Olarizu Botanical Garden. Vitoria-Gasteiz Council, Spain. 3 Castilla y León County Council, CSIC, Spain 4 Sustainable Climbing Galicia, Spain. 5. Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi, Spain.

Climbing has seen a rapid increase in the number of people practising the sport that has led into a growth in the number of outdoors climbing areas, which challenges the conservation of endemic plants related to rocky habitats. This has propelled administrations to develop mechanisms to protect this endemic species through regulation or ban of the activity

in certain areas, specially in legally protected environments. Scientific knowledge must provide tools to assess the adequacy of these measures as well as methods to undertake restoration and reinforcement interventions to improve the status of protected species. CLIMB TO CONSERVE aims to reinforce two populations of plants listed as 'Vulnerable' located in Bierzo region, Northwest area of Iberian Peninsula. In order to do that, a multidisciplinary team has been created, involving regional Administration, scientific community and climbers association. We work with Petrocoptis grandiflora Rothm. and P. viscosa (Rothm.) P.Monts. & Fern.Casas, two endemic species with a very restricted distribution that live in cracks, ledges and limestone overhangings. We focus on restoring one population of each specie that have been affected by non-regulated climbing activities, a challenge per se due to its lack of available water and its inaccessibility. The main contribution is the testing of restoration both in zones where climbing has been forbidden and is still taking place. We center our contribution on detailing the followed protocol and on discussing effects observed related to methods of sowing, sowing period and the effect of climbing in germination and survival of seedlings. CLIMB TO CONSERVE aims to join scientific criteria and the collaboration of climbers to restore affected plant populations. Furthermore, it sets a basis from where administration can implement regulations which help to create a conservation conscience and natural heritage custody in those who spend more time with these species, the climbers.

## S.105.4 Anthropogenic threats and conservation status of coastal plants: the case of two endemic Azorean taxa

Rúben M.C. Rego¹, Mónica Moura¹, Magui Olangua-Corral², Guilherme Roxo¹, Roberto Resendes¹, Luís Silva¹

1 Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal. 2 Jardim Botânico Canario "Viera y Clavijo", Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.

Natural and anthropogenic threats are causing alteration of coastal areas worldwide. Most of the coastal biodiversity is endangered, taking a particular toll on island ecosystems, like the Azores. To better understand the biotic and abiotic factors constraining the
<figure><img src="image_250.png" /></figure>

distribution and conservation status of the two endemic plants, *Azorina vidalii* (Campanulaceae) and *Lotus azoricus* (Fabaceae), we performed a global survey of coastal plant communities in the archipelago, also covering environmental descriptors, natural and anthropogenic threats. Moreover, we revised their IUCN conservation status and estimated the population fractions within protected areas. Non-indigenous plants were commonly found in plots with or without the target endemics, contributing for the absence of well-defined coastal plant communities. Nonetheless, indigenous taxa commonly occurred at the plots with *L. azoricus*. With a larger area of occurrence, *A. vidalii* ecological niche differed from *L. azoricus*, the latter being restricted to dry and rocky sea cliffs, mostly in Santa Maria Island. Besides the presence of invasive plants, signs of habitat destruction, trampling and grazing, and of natural threats, such as coastal erosion were commonly observed. Occurrence data indicated an endangered status for both species, although this would change to critically endangered for *L. azoricus* when using smaller occurrence plots. Both species are threatened since their habitat is restricted to a very narrow vegetation belt, strongly limited by sea influence and human pressure, and with the frequent presence of invasive plants. While focusing on two endemic plants, our study allowed a broader view of the conservation status of coastal plant communities in the Azores.

**S.105.5 Cliff species as indicators of dark diversity of an island habitat affected by invasive herbivores**

Juana María González-Mancebo¹*, Juan José García-Alvarado¹, Berta Casals¹, Ángel Palomares², Gustavo Balsera², Antonio Rodríguez², Jorge Rey-Medina¹, Víctor Bello-Rodríguez¹, Jonay Cubas¹

1 Plant Conservation and Biogeography Research Group, Departamento de Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain. *jglezm@ull.edu.es. 2 Caldera de Taburiente National Park, El Paso, La Palma, Spain

Widespread anthropic activities have left few well-preserved habitats in Europe, leading to a significant impoverishment in their ecosystems. This degradation has also occurred on oceanic islands, where, in addition, the introduction of invasive herbivores has resulted in many habitats being characterized by the least palatable species. Thus, there is a profound lack of knowledge about the original plant communities, as the ecosystems have been considerably impoverished, leaving most of the species richness restricted to cliffs inaccessible to herbivores. The Canary Islands have not been exempting from these problems, although still retain high endemicity. For many of their habitats, few well-preserved remnants of original vegetation remain. This has led to serious conservation problems as there are difficulties in restoring habitats without having suitable reference ecosystem. Some of the best species refuges are found on platforms and cliffs within Caldera de Taburiente National Park (La Palma island), which harbour an extensive representation of the Canarian pine forest. Traditionally, this ecosystem has been defined as poor in species, but high endemicity and richness rates are in the cliffs. On the other hand, the accessible areas barely preserve 10% of their potential richness. Here we present a comparative study of the diversity and composition of the flora in the pine forests of Caldera de Taburiente. Plots located on inaccessible platforms and cliffs, cliff base exclusion plots, restoration exclusion plots and their respective controls were used. The results obtained show that invasive herbivores density is the most important driver in determining gradients of diversity and species composition. The characteristic species of the pine forest in the presence of invasive herbivores are not dominant in inaccessible areas. The Canarian pine forest restoration must be aimed at a progressive enrichment in which the refugee species must be used to recover the diversity and structure of understory communities.

**S.105.6 Specialist plants on vertical calcareous rock formations in the Pyrenees share common traits and strategies**

Cirera-Sancho, Alberto¹, Tejero-Ibarra, Pablo¹, Palacio-Blasco, Sara¹

1 Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología IPE-CSIC, Jaca, Spain.

Among mountain environments, vertical rocky outcrops present especially extreme conditions for plant life. These outcrops are characterized by the strong effect of gravity, minimal soil presence, limited water and nutrients, and challenging seed dispersal. In