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Key messageThe important values of AMF in regulating endangered species Heptacodium miconioides growth and drought stress tolerance.The wild endangered tree Heptacodium miconioides is distributed sporadically in mountainous areas and often subjected to various abiotic stresses, such as drought. The mutualistic association between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is known to have a significant impact on plant growth and their ability to withstand drought conditions. However, the role of AMF in H. miconioides seedlings in regulating drought tolerance remains unknown. This study investigated the ability of AMF symbionts to mitigate drought and their underlying mechanism on H. miconioides leaves. The results showed that drought stress dramatically decreased the leaf biomass and damaged the chloroplast structure in seedlings. Conversely, inoculation with AMF noticeably alleviated the deleterious effects of drought stress by restoring leaf morphology and improving the photosynthetic capacity. Moreover, plants inoculated with AMF enhanced the proportion of palisade tissue to spongy tissue in the leaves and the size of starch grains and number of plastoglobules in the chloroplast ultrastructure. A transcriptomic analysis showed that 2157 genes (691 upregulated and 1466 downregulated) were differentially expressed between drought stress with AMF inoculation and drought treatment. Further examination demonstrated that the genes exhibiting differential expression were predominantly associated with the advancement of photosynthesis, sucrose and starch metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, chloroplast development, and phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathways, and the key potential genes were screened. These findings conclusively provided the physiological and molecular mechanisms that underlie improved drought resistance in H. miconioides in the presence of AMF, which could contribute to improving the survival and species conservation of H. miconioides.

The American South is famous for its astonishingly rich biodiversity. In this book, Georgann Eubanks takes a wondrous trek from Alabama to North Carolina to search out native plants that are endangered and wavering on the edge of erasure. Even as she reveals the intricate beauty and biology of the South's plant life, she also shows how local development and global climate change are threatening many species, some of which have been graduated to the federal list of endangered species. Why should we care, Eubanks asks, about North Carolina's Yadkin River goldenrod, found only in one place on earth? Or the Alabama canebrake pitcher plant, a carnivorous marvel being decimated by criminal poaching and a booming black market? These plants, she argues, are important not only to the natural environment but also to southern identity, and she finds her inspiration in talking with the heroes-the botanists, advocates, and conservationists young and old-on a quest to save these green gifts of the South for future generations. These passionate plant lovers caution all of us not to take for granted the sensitive ecosystems that contribute to the region's long-standing appeal, beauty, and character.

Rotala malabarica is a critically endangered and endemic aquatic plant belonging to the Lythraceae family. The present study intends to standardise a suitable protocol for the mass propagation and conservation of this species in vitro. Nodal segments from field-grown plants were inoculated on full and half-strength Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium supplemented with 0.2–1.5 mg/L of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) or kinetin (KN) for primary culture initiation, with half-strength MS medium containing 0.5 mg/L BAP yielding the highest response (94.1% and 103.6 shoots per explant). The effect of subculture stages on shoot multiplication was assessed by repeatedly subculturing in vitro nodal explants. The third subculture attained 100% response and maximum shoot yield (207.6 shoots per explant). Highest adventitious shoot induction response (78.3% and 23.7 shoots per explant) was achieved by culturing in vitro-derived internodes on MS medium augmented with 0.3 mg/L TDZ, and subculture of induced shoot clumps into multiplication medium further increased the shoots per clump. In vitro shoots rooted on half-strength liquid MS medium fortified with 0.5 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) obtained the best results (99.1% response and 15.4 roots per shoot). The well-rooted plantlets were transferred to paper cups containing soil from the original habitat of the plant for acclimatization. Shoot tip explants, encapsulated in a 3% sodium alginate and 100 mM calcium chloride matrix, yielded optimal synthetic seed quality. These beads exhibited a maximum germination rate of 93.6% and a mean shoot number of 7.4 per bead when cultured on half-strength MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L BAP and 0.2 mg/L IBA. Further, regardless of temperature, the germination frequency of synthetic seeds exhibited a gradual decline with extended storage duration. The optimized protocols outlined in this study could significantly contribute to the mass propagation and ex-situ conservation of critically endangered species R. malabarica. Key message A reproducible protocol for in vitro propagation and conservation of critically endangered Rotala malabarica was developed, including optimal media compositions for shoot multiplication, rooting, and synthetic seed production.

\"This work is a new, hopeful analysis from the world's top natural scientists that shows us the way to save the endangered species of the world\"-- Provided by publisher.

With the continuous increase in the demand for land and natural resources, driven by population growth and economic expansion, the conservation of rare and endangered species faces mounting pressure. Exploring how to achieve the target of conserving 30% of the global terrestrial area proposed by the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is of great significance for biodiversity and species protection. This study employed a combined SDMs–InVEST modeling approach to predict the current and future potential distributions, habitat quality, and carbon storage of 10 protected plant species in Hubei Province. Using the high‐potential distribution areas of these 10 species as conservation targets, combined with regions of high habitat quality and carbon storage, Marxan was applied to identify conservation gaps for these 10 protected plant species in Hubei Province. Results indicate that the province‐wide mean Habitat Quality Index (HQI) is projected to increase gradually from 0.355 to 0.366, while spatial heterogeneity of HQI will become more pronounced—western mountainous areas show marked HQI improvements, whereas HQI around central–eastern urban agglomerations declines significantly. Total ecosystem carbon storage in Hubei is projected to rise from 2.11 × 109 t to 2.13 × 109 t. On the basis of 423 occurrence records spanning 10 species (10 genera, 9 families), ensemble SDMs found climate to be the primary determinant of potential distributions; however, the future influence of anthropogenic disturbance and effects of habitat patches (EHPs) is projected to increase, leading to a 2.6% contraction in the total area of core potential distribution zones. These findings provide spatially explicit scientific guidance for optimizing regional protected‐area networks and for aligning biodiversity conservation with carbon management objectives under China's dual‐carbon strategy. Furthermore, multi‐period systematic conservation planning revealed significant protection gaps in interprovincial mountainous regions, forming four key aggregation zones: the Jinqian River source region (Shiyan–Shaanxi), the Tongbai Mountain belt (Suizhou–Henan), the Mufu Mountain region (Xianning), and the Wuling Mountain corridor (Enshi–Chongqing). These regions represent future conservation priorities. Our findings indicate that priority should be given to establishing new nature reserves selected from the 219 conservation gap planning units identified in this study, in order to strengthen the regional conservation‐planning system for rare and endangered plants in Hubei Province and to provide scientific and theoretical support for achieving the targets of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. An integrated SDMs‐InVEST approach coupled with SPP and HPP was applied to quantify and identify conservation gaps in Hubei Province. Although habitat quality is projected to improve, spatial heterogeneity and landscape fragmentation will intensify across the region. Multi‐period Marxan simulations revealed four major conservation gap clusters in interprovincial mountainous regions of Hubei Province.

\"An examination of the endangerment and extinction of certain plant life, exploring how plants in general affect Earth's biodiversity and temperature, as well as how they contribute to a healthier planet\"--Provided by publisher.

Considered an essential conservation tool, plant reintroductions have been conducted for many of the world's rarest plant species. The expertise and knowledge gained through these efforts constitute an essential storehouse of information for conservationists faced with a rapidly changing global climate. This volume presents a comprehensive review of reintroduction projects and practices, the circumstances of their successes or failures, lessons learned, and the potential role for reintroductions in preserving species threatened by climate change. Contributors examine current plant reintroduction practices, from selecting appropriate source material and recipient sites to assessing population demography. The findings culminate in a set of Best Reintroduction Practice Guidelines, included in an appendix. These guidelines cover stages from planning and implementation to long-term monitoring, and offer not only recommended actions but also checklists of questions to consider that are applicable to projects around the world. Traditional reintroduction practice can inform managed relocation-the deliberate movement of species outside their native range-which may be the only hope for some species to persist in a natural environment. Included in the book are discussions of the history, fears, and controversy regarding managed relocation, along with protocols for evaluating invasive risk and proposals for conducting managed relocation of rare plants. Plant Reintroduction in a Changing Climate is a comprehensive and accessible reference for practitioners to use in planning and executing rare plant reintroductions.