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BCAS Vol.24 No.4 2010 Biodiversity Research in the Chinese Academy of Sciences MA Keping1, LOU Zhiping2 & SU Ronghui2 1 2 State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, CAS, Beijing 100093 Bureau of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, CAS, Beijing 100864 T he year 2010 has been designated the International Year of Biodiversity by United Nations. The theme for this initiative is “Biodiversity is life and biodiversity is our life.” A one-day high-level meeting took place on September 22, 2010, coinciding with the conclusion of the Millennium Development Goals Summit. Taking the continuing loss of biodiversity as a major obstacle to attain the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations General Assembly will consider strategies for speeding up the implementation of measures to protect and conserve species and ecosystems around the world. The State Council of Chinese government reviewed and approved China Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan from 2011 to 2030 on September 15, 2010, showing China’s commitment to the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Owing to the growing population and intensifying anthropogenic activities, biodiversity, which is concerned with human survival and development, has suffered from great threats mainly arising from human activities. Since the early 1980s, biodiversity conservation and research have become the focus of attention worldwide. As early as in the late 1980s, a group of biologists of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) introduced the concept, research progress and trend of biodiversity into China, and begun actively promoting biodiversity research in this country. This article reviews the course and achievements of biodiversity research in CAS over the past 20 years. A Good Start Although the biodiversity-related research at CAS could trace its history back to about 60 years ago, studies in the framework of biodiversity concept started in the late 1980s, almost at the same time with international community. The most significant event was the first biodiversity seminar held by the CAS Bureau of Biology and Biotechnology (BIOCAS) in March 1990, Beijing. More than 50 experts attended the seminar, and more than 20 of them gave speeches, introducing the progress of biodiversity research abroad, and making suggestions for starting biodiversity research in China. Proceedings of the seminar were edited afterwards and, though not formally published, played a great role in the dissemination of biodiversity concept and the startup of biodiversity research in China. The papers in the proceedings were cited frequently by publications on biodiversity in China 196 Bulletin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Proceedings of the CAS Biodiversity Seminar in March 1990. Vol.24 No.4 2010 HU Xiansu (1894–1968) ZHONG Guanguang QIAN Chongshu (1868–1940) (1883–1965) CHEN Huanyong (1890–1971) QIN Renchang (1898–1986) LIN Rong (1903–1981) YU Dejun (1908–1986) Review WU Zhengyi 1916– Part of Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae and associated chief contributors. in the early 1990s. The first biodiversity seminar and other related activities had a direct bearing on the establishment of a CAS biodiversity working group in January 1990. Led by Profs. WANG Sung from the CAS Institute of Zoology (IZCAS) and CHEN Lingzhi from the Institute of Botany (IBCAS), this working group included other eight members: CHEN Yiyu, HONG Deyuan, HU Zhi’ang, LI Dianmo, MEN Dapeng, SHI Liming, WANG Xianpu and XU Zaifu. Its activities had great influences on biodiversity studies in China: (1) Convening experts to compile Biodiversity in China (Biodiversity Committee,1992), Biodiversity in China: Current Situation and Conservation Policy (Chen, 1993), which made a basic evaluation on biodiversity in China, and provided abundant data for drawing up China Biodiversity Conservation Action Plan. Two collections of Biodiversity Translations were published, giving an overall introduction of the progress and trends of biodiversity research and conservation in the international community; (2) Actively applying for support from the CAS Major Research Project, leading to the initiation of the research project Biological Basis for Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use in 1991; and (3) Applying for a World Bank Loan project, namely Biodiversity Research and Information Management (BRIM), which was started in 1993. These two projects laid foundation for the biodiversity research in China in terms of scientific research and capacity building. Taking CAS Key Research Project in the field as an example, its research priorities were set on the basis of serious discussions by domestic experts and suggestions from some foreign experts. At present view, the research contents chosen at that time are comparably suitable: being both prospective and practical. The funds of 4.5 million US dollars for the BRIM project were used by 15 CAS institutes to purchase equipment, train competent young professionals and start building the Chinese Biodiversity Information System (CBIS). To meet the need of biodiversity research, the CAS Biodiversity Committee (http://www.brim.ac.cn/) was established in March 1992, with then CAS Vice President LI Zhensheng as director and then Director General of BIOCAS QIAN Yingqian as executive director. The committee’s important duties included implementation of BRIM (1993– 2002), co-organizing a biennial national symposium on biodiversity conservation and sustainable use since 1994 with formally published proceedings of the eight symposia (with the 9th symposium to be held in this November, 2010), launching the journal Chinese Biodiversity in 1993, which was renamed as Biodiversity Science in 2001 and remains the only academic journal of biodiversity science in China so far. The committee has organized scientists to prepare and publish five book series: Biodiversity Translations, Chinese Biodiversity Conservation and Research Progress, Biodiversity Research Monographs, Biodiversity Conservation Popular Science Series and Chinese Forest Biodiversity Monitoring Network Series, with 35 books published. To promote the nationwide biodiversity research and strengthen the communication and cooperation with international academic colleagues, Chinese National Committee for DIVERSITAS was established in 2004, CHEN Yiyu, then the vice president of CAS, was appointed the chairman. Since the key project of biodiversity research was initiated by CAS in 1991, CAS experts have successively presided over a number of key projects of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, taking a leading role in the development of Chinese biodiversity research. In the meanwhile, CAS has made huge investments in the construction of biological herbaria or museums, botanical gardens and seed banks to strengthen the infrastructure and instruments for biodiversity Bulletin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences 197 BCAS Vol.24 No.4 2010 research (Lou et al., 1997; Li et al, 2009). In addition, a special fund was established by CAS in 1989 to support taxonomic and biogeographic research, allocating money every year to back up the basic running of more than 20 herbaria or museums and over 10 botanical gardens of CAS, as well as the compilation of Flora of China, Fauna of China, Spore Flora of China, and the taxonomic research. All of them have played a critical role in promoting the development of taxonomy in CAS, especially in stabilizing the taxonomic research team and maintaining the necessary facilities. Major Achievements Rapid progress in biodiversity inventory Biodiversity inventory of China has made remarkable progress during the past 20 years. The Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae (FRPS), a masterpiece that comprehensively summarized the systematic classification of 31,142 vascular plants in China, consisting of 80 volumes and 126 books. Accomplished in October 2004, the FRPS is the world’s biggest flora to date in terms of the number of species involved. It was the sole first-class prize winner of the National Award for Natural Sciences for the year 2009. The Flora of China is a revised edition of FRPS in English. Two thirds of its volumes have been published so far, the others will be put to press by 2012. The Flora of Pan-Himalayas was started in 2010 as an international initiative with a plan to complete 80 books in 50 volumes within 12 years. Chinese botanists will work together with overseas institutions with good research basis from the countries of Himalayan region and beyond. More than 125 volumes of the Fauna of China have been published, including 31 volumes on vertebrates, 44 volumes on invertebrates and 50 volumes on insects. The Cryptogamic Flora of China includes the following five taxa: marine algae, freshwater algae, fungi, lichens and bryophytes. To date, 84 volumes of it have been completed, including 70 published volumes, with 254 families, 1,347 genera and 12,440 species of sporophyte plants. The whole set of 26-volume Flora Yunnanica was published in 2006, including 16,201 species belonging to 433 families and 3,008 genera. The Areal-types of Seed Plants and Their Origin and Differentiation (Wu et al., 2006), the Endemic Genera of Seed Plants of China (Ying and Zhang 1994), the China Endemic Birds (Lei et al., 2006) and the Checklist of Marine Biota of China Seas (Liu, 2008) are also important achievements on biodiversity inventory of China. More comprehensive description of the type, structure and function of Chinese ecosystems have been compiled together (Sun, 2005). The vegetation map of China is another important research project, which has been in rapid progress. Both the Vegetation Type Atlas of China (1:1,000,000) and the Vegetation Regionalization Map of China (1:6,000,000) have been published with digitized versions. Correspondingly, the database system of Chinese vegetation was integrated with Under the auspices of the Botanic Gardens Conservation International, CAS, Hubei Provincial Government, State Forestry Administration and Wuhan Municipal Government, the 3rd World Botanical Gardens Congress is held from April16 to 20, 2007, in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province. 198 Bulletin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Vol.24 No.4 2010 Review describe the taxonomy, endangerment category, population status, threats, conservation measures and breeding methods. In particular, Vol. 1 to 3 of China Species Red List were published in 2004 and 2005 (Wang et al. 2004). The authors adopted the "IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria" for the evaluation of the endangered status of the 10,211 species of animals and plants (5,803 animals and 4,408 plants) in China. Based on this, IBCAS is currently organizing botanists nationwide to evaluate all of the 34,000 higher plants distributed in China by using IUCN criteria, hoping to complete the project within two years. China Plant and Animal Red Data Books environmental information, thereby enlarging the application of the traditional vegetation maps, greatly promoting advances in vegetation ecology and bridging vegetation science with related sciences in China. This atlas exhibits an overall picture of vegetation in China, including the distribution of 11 vegetation type groups, 55 vegetation types, 960 formations and subformations, more than 2,000 dominant plant species, major agricultural crops and economic crops with great detailed illustrations enclosed. It is essential for natural resource management, environmental monitoring, basic research, and other public services. Since 2009, IBCAS has carried out the first project of compiling Vegetation Monographs of China and made a plan to provide comprehensive and systematic descriptions on main vegetation formations or formation groups of China. The first group of vegetation formations was selected, including "Leymus chinensis grassland and meadow", "spruce forest" and "beech forest." Leading the development of biodiversity informatics in China In the late1980s, CAS started the establishment of species databases under the framework of a science database project. Now, its biology section comprises tens of biological databases and provides the background information of plant and animal species in China (http://www1.csdb.cn/). Chinese Biodiversity Informatics System (CBIS), which was initiated in the early 1990s with the sponsorship of several projects such as World Bank loan project, has been developed by 15 CAS institutes. It has set up the biodiversity information network covering the whole country. At the beginning of the 21th century, the infrastructure of museums and herbaria has been fundamentally improved and the construction of its information system initiated. In the meanwhile, the digitization of biological specimens has been promoted with active participation of 25 museums and herbaria of CAS. In order to encourage data sharing, BIOCAS has promulgated Regulations on Administration of the Information System Network of Biological Museums and Berbaria in CAS (trial version) in 2003. The project "standardization and integration of specimen resources as well as the construction of sharing platform," presided over by CAS and sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology, was initiated in 2005 with the participation of 137 Comprehensive evaluation on the status of the threatened species in China China is one of the mega-diversity countries in the world and full of endemic species. Unfortunately, this biodiversity faces enormous threat. In the late 1980s, CAS experts began to conduct evaluation on the threatened status of animals and plants in China so as to effectively conserve the threatened species. In 1991, the first volume of the China Plant Red Data Book was published, encompassing 388 rare and endangered plant species. The red data book with color photographs provides clear information about the current status, morphology, distribution, ecological and biological features, protection value (academic and economic significance), conservation measures and cultivation methods for each plant species. China Red Data Book of Endangered Animals, published in 1998, comprises four volumes, including mammals, birds, amphibians Some biodiversity monographs published under the organization of the CAS Biodiversity Committee. & reptiles, and fish. These books comprehensively Bulletin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences 199 BCAS Vol.24 No.4 2010 research institutes and universities. The completed digitization adds up to more than eight million specimens, contributing a lot to the basic data accumulation of biodiversity informatics as well as the construction and development of sharing platform (http://beta.cvh.org.cn/is/). With the strengthening of international cooperation, CAS has been actively promoting the development of biodiversity informatics in China over the past five years. As some important biodiversity information facilities such as Species 2000-China node (http://www.sp2000. org/), Encyclopedia of Life China Regional Center (http://www. eolchina.org/), Biodiversity Heritage Library China Regional Center (http://www.bhl-china.org/cms/), Chinese Virtual Herbarium (CVH, http://www.cvh.org.cn/), and Chinese Field Herbarium (CFH, http://www.cfh.ac.cn/) were subsequently set up, and the related programs have achieved steady progress. In addition, the trial version of Catalogue of Life-China's CDRom was produced in 2007 and a revised version was officially launched in 2008. The updated edition of Annual Checklist of the Catalogue of Life-China is produced each year. This year’s annual checklist with the memory of the International Year of Biodiversity includes 55,274 known species distributed in China. Initiation of the biosafety research in China With the rapid development of biotechnology, the safety regarding the release of genetically modified organisms (GMO) has become a great concern. In China, discussions were started on the potential biosafety issues concerning the release of GMO (Qian, 1994). Based on the summary of the related research progress abroad, CAS initiated the strategy research for the assessments to the potential biosafety risks Invasion mode of red turpentine beetle (Dendroctonus valens) and its fungal associates (Drawn by Dr. Nancy Gillette) 200 Bulletin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences posed by GMO, and took active part in the international negotiation over the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Recently, encouraging advancements have been made on the experimental research upon environmental effects caused by the release of GMO such as anti-insect cotton and transgenic oilseed rape. Additionally, the invasion of exotic species has become one of the disastrous environmental problems. CAS has launched the key research project of "the Invasion Ecology Effects and Management Technology Research on the Important Exotic Species" and organized a group of related experts to tackle the key problems together. CAS scientists have found a series of effective control measures against harmful invasive species such as pinewood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus), red turpentine beetle (Dendroctonus valens), crofton weed (Eupatorium adenophorum) and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum). For example, a rapid sample and precise molecular diagnostics technique to detect pinewood nematode has played an important role in practice. Furthermore, some management strategies including legislation, quarantine, early warning, prevention and control were suggested (Zhang et al. 2009). Meanwhile, many significant progresses on the research of invasive species such as rapid evolution, prediction for potential spread trend and interaction with native species have been successfully made (Zhu et al. 2007; Feng et al. 2009; Lu et al. 2010; Huang et al.2010). Promotion of research platform establishment for further investigation of ecosystem diversity CAS has accomplished outstanding achievements on ecosystem research. Not only the research on the basis of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN), but also the publications and improvements of vegetation distribution as well as mapping systems, have laid a solid foundation for ecosystem diversity research. At the beginning of the 1990s, research was started on ecosystem changes and maintenance mechanisms under anthropogenic activities in key regions and ecosystem types and gained remarkable achievements with the support from the CAS Key Program and the Ministry of Science and Technology of China. After 2000, large-scale field experiments were successively conducted. These experimental facilities have greatly promoted the development of ecosystem diversity research. During four years from 2004 to 2007, four 20–25 ha. forest dynamic plots were set up one after another in the Changbai Mountains, Gutian Mountain, Dinghu Mountain and Xishuangbanna region, for exploring species coexistence mechanisms with sound data. Significant advances have been made in many aspects such as identifying the densitydependence mechanisms and tree species distribution patterns. (Chen et al., 2010; Wang et al., 2010; Li et al., 2009). Another four establishing large-scale forest dynamic plots are hopefully to be accomplished at the end of 2010. Consequently, China Forest Biodiversity Monitoring Network (CforBio) with Vol.24 No.4 2010 Manipulation experiment based in Duolun of Inner Mongolia eight forest dynamic plots would become the largest one of its kind in the world except for the Center for Tropical Forest Science (CTFS). In addition, research on grassland biodiversity maintenance mechanisms in Mongolian Grassland Ecosystem Research Station have made great achievements and received attention of counterparts both at home and abroad (Bai et al., 2004; 2007). In cooperation with tens of counterparts from Europe and North America under the support of Sino-German and China-US collaborative projects, IBCAS experts have established experimental fields in Dexing of Jiangxi Province and Xilingole of Inner Mongolia, respectively, for examining the biodiversity ecosystem functioning of forest and grassland ecosystems. The results from these field experiments have been published in top ecological journals (Bruehaide, 2010). A large-scale multi-factor manipulation experiment for detecting ecosystem adaptation to global change has also attained groundbreaking progress on impacts of different warming treatments and water-thermal interactions on ecosystems and biodiversity (Bai et al., 2009; Yang et al., 2010). Greenhouses of the South China Botanical Garden Tropical Botanical Garden (right, photo by Chen Jin) Review Fast paces in preservation and research of germplasm resources China has rich genetic resources with a long research history. Over the past 20 years, CAS researchers have made great advances in collection, preservation and research of wild relatives of crops, economic tree germplasm resources, e.g. tea plant, wild flowers germplasm resources, wild forage germplasm resources, aquatic plants germplasm resources, rare germplasm resources in the Yangtze River basin, marine biological germplasm resources and microbial resources. Especially, the establishment of Southwest China Germplasm Bank of Wild Species at the CAS Kunming Institute of Botany (KIB) in 2007 and the implementation of research projects on technical regulations and standards, and integration and share of collective and preservative technology of key wild germplasm resources (Li et al, 2009) and special project of forest germplasm resources in Northeast China have dramatically accelerated the preservation and investigation of germplasm resources. For instances, research into rice germplasm resources illustrates the origin and phylogeny of rice ployploid (Ge et al., 1999). In addition, the systematic research into origins and genetic diversities of main domestic animals, e.g., pig, cattle, sheep, goat, donkey, horse, dog, rabbit and chicken, reveals that East Asia, especially South China and regions nearby, is the key origin area for domestic animals (Chen et al, 2005). The State Key Laboratory of Genetics Resources and Evolution was established at the CAS Kunming Institute of Zoology in 2007, and the CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Innovation and Characteristic Agriculture was set up in the CAS Wuhan Botanical Garden in 2010. The construction of both the CAS South China Botanical Garden and the CAS Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden has made remarkable development in terms of facilities. More and more plant species have been introduced and cultivated in the two gardens. Moreover, the specific collections of such as Magnolia, Rhododendron, kiwifruit, clove, orchids, waterlily and so on have been set (left, photo by Liao Jingping) and a glance at the new extension area of Xishuangbanna Bulletin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences 201 BCAS Vol.24 No.4 2010 up and enriched for conserving rare germplasm resources. In recent years, China Barcode Promotion Project, advocated by ZHANG Yaping et al., has obtained great advance in DNA barcoding for animals, plants and fungi under the vigorous supports of CAS, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The project has joined the International Barcode of Life Project (iBOL), and become one of four key nodes in the world. Suggestions on Future Research Priorities CAS has good foundation, competent personnel and sound platforms to conduct biodiversity research. On the basis of major progresses already made, CAS should select research priorities to meet the national strategic needs at international academic frontiers, to provide scientific and technological support for Chinese biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, and to make contributions to the development of biodiversity science. Meanwhile, for the projects with better progress, special attention should be paid to extending regional scope, and strengthening international collaboration with other countries, in particular those in Asia. Therefore, for the coming five to 10 years, several research directions are proposed for consideration. service center; and (4) To construct China biodiversity e-Science platform even extending to continental level along with strengthening the constructions of special information platforms such as CoL-China, EOL-China, BHL-China, CVH and CFH, which will be the cores of national biodiversity information platform. Finally, next major aspects to consider in the construction of the biodiversity e-Science infrastructure should consist of strong coordination and organization, data standardization and extension, mass data storage and computation, ontology and semantic web development, thematic analysis and modeling, service standardization and contents, and specialized service for public community (Xu et al. 2010). Compilation of biological encyclopedia and biodiversity inventory The compilation of Flora of China, Fauna of China, Spore Flora of China, and Vegetation Monographs of China, and the continual update of Catalogue of Life — China should be the major tasks in terms of Chinese biodiversity inventory. As for endemic taxa such as higher plants, vertebrates, and macro fungi, we might be able to answer the question of how many species are there in China, but know little about their distribution, living status, and influenced factors. All knowledge on these questions is important foundation for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use. We have worked on these questions for decades, but still need more efforts. Enhancing Chinese network of biodiversity monitoring and conservation research Regarding the biodiversity monitoring and conservation in China, the priority should be placed on: (1) Extending the existing Chinese Forest Biodiversity Monitoring Network (CForBio) to cover better representative ecosystems of various types and regions; (2) Building up 60–80 grassland biodiversity monitoring sites along three transects in temperate area; (3) Supplementing the monitoring network with 10 marine ecosystems and 20 wetland ecosystems; (4) Accomplishing the biodiversity monitoring network covering the major ecosystem types and taxa in China within the next five to 10 years and carrying out the research on the biodiversity change and associated mechanisms; and (5) Choosing part of monitoring stations to carry out deeply conservation biology research for a long term in order to provide sound support for conserving the key species and ecosystems, especially to supply the baseline data and strategic measures for improving the management of nature reserves. E-Science and biodiversity informatics We will exert persistent efforts to the development of e-Science and biodiversity informatics in the future. Though a quite solid base has been laid down in existing biodiversity informatics platform, this still needs strengthening: (1) To construct the national biodiversity e-Science infrastructure, which serves as a platform of biodiversity data along with related analysis and modeling tools shared by multi-organizations; (2) To effectively validate, manage and integrate the multi-source data, as well as to manage the metadata and data source, on the basis of the existing data, analysis tools and website platforms, data standardization and transfer protocols; (3) To supply external applications with specific port platforms delivering types of services outward through 202 Bulletin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Biodiversity‘s role in adaption to and mitigation of climate change Since climate change is mainly due to human activities, it is paramount important to carry out research on the adaption of biodiversity to climate change by large-scale manipulation experiments and field observation to examine the response of key biological taxa to global climate change as well as the relationship among global change, biodiversity and ecosystem Vol.24 No.4 2010 function. Moreover, the corresponding results should be combined with species conservation and reasonable spatial distributions of nature reserves. Regarding the mitigation of climate change, besides the potential for carbon storage and sequestration, research on "Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation plus (REDD+)", along with establishing the objective assessment criterions and management models, should also be taken into account. Conservation and utilization of biological resources and application of DNA barcoding Biological resources are the important material basis for ensuring the economic and social development in a comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable way. Without biological resources, the innovation of biology industry and the development of biotechnology would fall into a terrible situation. The utilization of biological resources concerns, Review in either a direct or an indirect way, all the problems now facing mankind, such as food, energy supply and environment remediation, disease prevention and public heath, biochemical and biological weapons, without an exception. Biological economy will become the fourth type of economic forms, following agricultural economy, industry economy and information economy. To meet the needs of national strategy, scientists should collect and make full use of germplasm resources at global scale through international cooperation to provide material basis for biological research, biotechnological innovation and bioeconomic development. The comprehensive survey of biological resources at national scope, including the collection, storage, evaluation and utilization of germplasm resource should be prioritized. 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