Within the last five years (2006-2011), we have predominance on the collection of plants specimen and related data in alpine belt of the Hengduan Mountains and Tibetan Plateau at home and abroad. In the studies of alpine plant phytogeography, alpine plant diversity origin and evolution and ecological adaption mechanisms, we feature distinctively in the following aspects:
1.We had development in the study about spatial patterns of seed plant species richness in the Hengduan Mountains.
(1) We made certain the elevations of coniferous forest had the highest species richness, and the most intense species differentiation, and these elevations were the core of the distribution and differentiation of species diversity in the Hengduan Mountains.
(2) We firstly confirm the 29ºN latitudinal line to be the division of the southern and northern Hengduan Mountains, and point out that the flora in the southern Hengduan Mountains are the core of the Sino-Himalayan (Qinghai-Tibet Plateau-Hengduan Mountains) flora.
(3) Clarified the composition and geographical distribution rule of the alpine periglacial belt flora, and confirmed that the alpine periglacial flora of the Hengduan Mountains has the richest plant diversity amongst the similar habitats worldwide.
(4) Plant inventory on un- or underexplored areas and systematic and taxonomy studies on some taxa.
2. New insights proposed for the origin and evolution of alpine flora in the Hengduan Mountains-Tibetan Plateau
(1) Three patterns of origin: northern high-latitude, the Tethys (including central Asia), and in situ.
a. Northern high-latitude
b. Tethys (Paleo-Mediterranean) origin
c. In situ
(2) Three patterns of speciation: radiation, allopatric speciation, and convergence
(3) Relationships and migration routes with North American flora
3. Cytogeography
4. Making great progresses in understanding the modern distribution patterns and adaptive strategy of plant species in Sino-Himalayan region.
(1) Phylogeograhic studies indicated that the modern distribution patterns of plant species in Hengduan Mountains areas, SE Qinghai-Tibet Plateau were strongly influenced either by climate oscillations during the Quaternary or by drainage system's evolution, such as river captures, of the southwest China.
(2) Giving preliminary explanations to the ecological significances of highly specialized morphological features of plant species inhabiting at high elevations of Sino-Himalayan Mountains.
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