Altitude drives the divergence of rumen fungal communities between cattle and yak in Yunnan plateau.

Ecosystem service supply-demand coupling for multifunctional agroforestry landscape planning: A case study of Yunnan, China.

Analysis of hydrological drought and TWS-related drivers in Yunnan Province Using GNSS-derived TWS, multi-source hydrological data and the XGBoost model

The Dai people of Lujiangba area, Baoshan, Yunnan Province, have rich knowledge of collecting and consuming wild edible plants (WEPs). These plants contribute significantly to local food security, nutrition, and cultural identity. Rapid economic development and environmental changes threaten the transmission of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of WEPs. However, few research or inventory of such TEK had been completed. This study adopted ethnobotanical research methods, including semi-structured interviews and participatory observation, involving 147 local participants. Data were analyzed using the relative citation frequency (RCF) index to determine commonly used species, traditional harvesting techniques, and conservation strategies. In the Lujiangba area, a total of 177 wild edible plants (WEPs) were documented among the Dai people, representing 64 families. Herbaceous species predominated, comprising 63.84% of the recorded flora, with leaves (58.19%) and stems (55.93%) as the principal edible parts. Vegetables (67.23%) and herbal medicine (29.38%) constituted the primary categories of utilization. Among these species, 171 were wild, while 66 were cultivated either in situ or in translocated sites, primarily distributed across homegardens, mountainous areas, and ricefields. Approximately 50.85% of wild edible plants required management interventions such as weeding, irrigating, or fertilizing, whereas 10.73% did not require any additional management. Harvesting exhibited distinct seasonality, predominantly occurring in spring (69.49%), followed by summer and autumn, with minimal activity in winter; only 2.82% of species were harvested year-round. Through RFC value, the more significant plants are: Diplazium esculentum, Elsholtzia kachinensis, Lasia spinosa, and Buddleja officinalis. These findings indicate that this pattern demonstrates the high degree of cultural adaptation embedded within their traditional ecological knowledge regarding species selection, management practices, and seasonal utilization. Furthermore, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of wild edible plants (WEPs) is in danger of being lost due to the influence of modern life and generations. The Dai people of the Lujiangba area exhibit profound TEK in their use of WEPs. The traditional ecological knowledge not only supports the sustainable use of plant resources but also embodies the Dai people's cultural identity and regional heritage, highlighting the importance of preserving and transmitting this knowledge to maintain local biodiversity and promote food security and cultural continuity. Furthermore, both in situ and ex situ conservation strategies can mitigate the loss of TEK. However, additional measures are required, including the development of comprehensive databases, the integration of TEK with scientific knowledge, and the promotion of multidisciplinary and cross-cultural exchange.

Research on vertical ecological compensation mechanism based on ecosystem services supply-demand balance—A case study of the Nine Plateau Lakes in Yunnan Province

This paper describes a new species of the genus Sipyloidea Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893 from Yunnan Province, China based on morphological and molecular evidence: Sipyloidea brachyptera sp. nov.. A taxonomic identification key for females of this genus in China is also provided.

Accurate identification of habitat quality sensitive areas and analysis of their driving mechanisms is crucial for ecological protection and governance. Traditional methods for identifying sensitive areas primarily rely on static assessments, which fail to consider the dynamic characteristics of habitat quality and its full response to environmental changes. Therefore, this study used Yunnan Province as a case study, employing the InVEST model, Sen's slope estimator, and the Mann-Kendall trend test to evaluate habitat quality and its changing trends from 1990 to 2020. A novel frequency-amplitude sensitivity framework was constructed to identify sensitive areas, followed by an analysis of spatial differentiation characteristics and driving mechanisms using spatial autocorrelation and the optimal parameters-based geographical detector (OPGD). The results show that from 1990 to 2020, habitat quality was high in the southeast and northwest and low in the east and west of Yunnan Province, with an overall favorable condition. However, habitat quality has shown a significant degradation trend over the past 30 years, with degraded areas accounting for 12.91%, primarily concentrated in economically active regions in central Yunnan and around lakes. Additionally, 59.27% of Yunnan Province was identified as a habitat quality sensitivity area, with H-H clusters concentrated in the central, eastern, and western regions. Shifts in population distribution were identified as the dominant factor affecting habitat quality sensitivity. Moreover, the interaction between population distribution and DEM primarily determined the spatial distribution of habitat quality sensitivity in Yunnan Province. The new method proposed in this study provides an innovative approach for the dynamic assessment and early warning of regional habitat quality. The research findings offer a scientific basis for habitat protection and sustainable development in Yunnan Province and beyond.

ABSTRACT Drought events are increasingly frequent and severe in Yunnan, affecting the livelihoods and economies of millions of people across the province. To mitigate the associated impacts, understanding the characteristics of drought and discussing its possible causes has become a crucial research focus. This study, therefore, analyzes the drought characteristics and the underlying influence of extratropical sea surface temperature (SST) over the South Pacific Ocean (SPO) from 1961 to 2022 during the winter–spring period. Findings indicate an increase in drought incidents after the 21st century, with a significant rise in the central‐eastern parts of the study region. A large portion of the Yunnan Province is affected by distinct drought categories, except for extreme drought, which frequently affects the border areas of the province. The drought characteristics suggest that most areas of Yunnan experienced frequent mild to moderate droughts, with a frequency reaching at least 60% and longer durations exceeding 3.5 months. Extreme drought features the highest intensity, whereas moderate drought comes with strong severity in most parts of the province. It is further found that the Yunnan drought is significantly and positively related to an SPO Dipole (SPOD) SST anomaly, independent of the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation effect. The positive phase of the SPOD, with anomalous warm SST off eastern New Zealand and cold SST centered around 65° S, 100° W in high latitudes, induces an upper‐level anticyclonic anomaly at middle latitudes. The eastern flank of this anomalous anticyclone triggers southeasterly winds that traverse from the mid‐latitudes of the South Pacific to Yunnan Province. This anomalous circulation favours the formation and development of an anomalous anticyclone associated with descending and divergent moist conditions at the low level over the province, which is conducive to precipitation deficits and drought conditions. The findings from this study add a valuable contribution to winter–spring drought prevention and mitigation measures in Yunnan.

Genetic characterization of the Bai population from Yunnan province in China based on Y-STR population data.

The red resin of Dracaena cochinchinensis (Lour.) S.C. Chen, known as Chinese dragon's blood, is formed through metabolic reprogramming following trunk injury, during which the original steroidal saponins are depleted and transformed. To investigate the steroidal degradation intermediates in this process, a systematic phytochemical study was conducted on the resin from Yunnan Province, leading to the isolation of 14 steroidal constituents (2 new and 12 known). The two new compounds, dracaenogenins C (1) and D (2), were identified as rare 12(13→14)-abeo-spirostanol aglycones, with 2 representing an unusual C-14α-hydroxylated derivative. Their structures, including absolute configurations, were unambiguously determined by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis (1D and 2D NMR, HRESIMS) and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Biogenetic analysis suggests that these unusual aglycones arise from the acid-catalyzed Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement of diosgenin-type saponins via C-18 angular methyl migration (C-10→C-13) and C-ring contraction, serving as rare catabolic intermediates trapped during the metabolic shift from saponin accumulation to polyphenol biosynthesis. Furthermore, cytotoxicity evaluation against HepG2 cells revealed that while the parent glycosylated saponins (e.g., dioscin and gracillin) exhibited significant toxicity, the rearranged aglycones (1, 2, and 3) and other degradation products were devoid of cytotoxicity, supporting a detoxification mechanism during resin formation.

Eucalyptus cinerea (Myrtaceae), commonly known as Argyle apple or Eucalyptus, is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to Australia. It was introduced to China in the 1980s (Silva et al. 2011) and is valued for pulp production and as ornamental foliage. In April 2025, a stem canker disease was observed on 2- to 10-year-old E. cinerea in forests and nurseries in Kunming, Songming, and Pu’er City, Yunnan Province, China. Symptoms included dry, sunken, rough, and cracked tissues on the main stems. Cracks often developed between diseased and healthy tissues, with translucent gummy exudates, a condition exacerbated after rainfall. The disease incidence exceeded 41% across four surveyed forest areas. Total 40 symptomatic tissues were randomly collected from four tree nurseries. Single-spore isolates were obtained from necrotic cortical tissue at the canker margin following Choi et al. (1999), using a sterile microneedle to transfer individual conidia to PDA amended with kanamycin. Seven morphologically similar isolates (YAGF01-YAGF07) were obtained. On potato dextrose agar (PDA), colonies were initially white, turning grey, with short, thick aerial hyphae and irregular margins. Conidiogenous cells were hyaline, aseptate, and narrowly fusiform. Conidia were hyaline, aseptate, subcylindrical, measuring 11.2-15.3×3.4-5.1 μm (n=50), consistent with Botryosphaeria species (Crous et al. 2006). B. dothidea was successfully isolated from 37 of 40 symptomatic tissues (92.5%), with consistent morphology and sequence identity across all isolates. For molecular identification, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), translation elongation factor 1- alpha (ef1-α) gene, and the beta-tubulin 2 (β-tub2) gene were amplified and sequenced (ITS accessions PX452877-PX452883; ef1-α accessions PX507525-PX507531; β-tub2 accessions PX507532-PX507538) using published primers (White et al. 1990; Ignazio and Linda, 1999; Glass and Donaldson 1995). BLASTn analysis revealed 99-100% identity to the ex-type strain of B. dothidea CWM8000. A phylogenetic tree constructed by Maximum Parsimony (MP) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) methods placed the seven isolates in a clade with B. dothidea with high bootstrap support (94%/95%) and were distinguished clearly from other species. Pathogenicity tests were performed using isolate YAGF01. Stems of six healthy 1-year-old E. cinerea saplings were surface sterilized with 75% ethanol and wounded with a sterile scalpel. A 3-mm mycelial plug of YAGF 01 from a 5-day-old PDA culture was applied to the wound. Control plants were inoculated with sterile agar plugs. All plants were incubated at 25°C with a 12 h photoperiod and 80% humidity. The entire assay was independently repeated three times. Within 5 days, all inoculated stems developed stem canker symptoms identical to those observed in the field, while controls remained asymptomatic. B. dothidea was re-isolated from all symptomatic tissues and confirmed by morphology and sequencing, thus fulfilling Koch's postulates. No fungus was isolated from controls. B. dothidea has been reported to cause stem canker on various hosts, including Cyclocarya paliurus, soybean, and apple(Ilyukhin et al. 2022; Chen et al. 2021; Zheng et al. 2020). To our knowledge, this is the first report of B. dothidea causing stem canker on E. cinerea in China. Given the high disease incidence observed, this pathogen poses a potential threat to the cultivation and economic value of E. cinerea in the region.

The Ephemeropteran genus Thalerosphyrus Eaton, 1881 (Heptageniidae: Ecdyonurinae) is an Oriental-endemic genus hitherto comprising ten species, distributed from Sundaland to the Western Ghats of India and northeastern Indochina. Here, Thalerosphyruslannaaesp. nov., belonging to the T.sinuosus group, is described from Yunnan Province (China), marking the northernmost record of the genus and extending its distribution into the Oriental–Palaearctic transitional zone. We also examined existing molecular data for T.flowersi, which revealed multiple deeply divergent lineages across India and Thailand, with the new species genetically closest to one of the Thai lineages. These findings highlight unrecognised cryptic diversity within the genus and underscore the need for taxonomic revision. An updated species key to Thalerosphyrus is provided. We discuss how larval preference for moderately cool, fast-flowing streams may explain the discovery of this tropically adapted Oriental-endemic genus in such high latitudes, and we explore the importance of transitional zones for aquatic insect diversity.

Yunnanopilia longistaminata is a rare forest vegetable, distributed in Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces of southeastern China. It is characterized by a unique flavor and rich nutritional value, making it a potential resource for dietary and medicinal applications. However, the absence of a high quality reference genome has limited the comprehensive development and utilization of this valuable plant resource. In this study, we present the chromosome-level genome assembly of Y. longistaminata using Nanopore sequencing and Hi-C technology. Its genome size was approximately 871.46 Mb, with a contig N50 of 8.47 Mb. A total of 870.61 Mb (99.97%) of the assembled sequences were anchored to ten chromosomes with a complete BUSCO score of 95.66%. Genome annotation revealed 22,050 protein-coding genes and 677.72 Mb of repetitive sequences. Phylogenomic analysis revealed Y. longistaminata forms a distinct clade with Santalum, exhibiting 1,525 expanded and 4,962 contracted gene families, and underwent two paleopolyploidization events. This frst high-quality Y. longistaminata genome will serve as a fundamental basis for future studies on functional genomics and genome evolution.

This study introduces a new species, Lasiobelonium sublanceolatum H.L. Su, K.D. Hyde & Q. Zhao, collected from Yunnan Province, China. This species differs from other members of Lasiobelonium Ellis & Everh. in the morphological characters of its hairs, paraphyses, asci, and ascospores. Phylogenetic analyses based on the combined internal transcribed spacer (ITS), nuclear ribosomal large subunit (LSU) and the two largest subunits of RNA polymerase II ( RPB1 and RPB2 ) sequences of Solenopeziaceae Ekanayaka & K.D. Hyde also support its recognition as a distinct species, sister to the clade including Las. belanense and Las. lonicerae . This study provides illustrations, detailed descriptions, phylogenetic relationships, and a comparative table summarizing the morphological characteristics of all reported Lasiobelonium species. Our findings increase the reported species diversity of Lasiobelonium and provide baseline data for understanding the discomycete diversity in Yunnan Province, China.

Group A rotavirus remains a major pathogen causing infantile diarrhea. Although rotaviruses are known for their zoonotic potential and frequent genomic reassortment, the virological features of newly isolated strains and their suitability as vaccine candidates remain unclear. In this study, a human rotavirus strain of genotype G3P[10] was isolated from the fecal sample of an infant with diarrhea in Xiangyun County, Yunnan Province, China in 2019, and subsequently cultured in MA104 cells in 2021. The strain was designated XYR-19. Its biological characteristics were assessed through morphological examination, serological testing, and molecular analyses. Whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatic approaches were then used to define its genetic profile. Similarly, an inactivated vaccine was prepared based on this strain and evaluated its immunogenicity. Biological characterization confirmed that XYR-19 demonstrated stable structural and replication properties, reaching a viral titer of 7.3 lg CCID₅₀/mL after propagation. Whole-genome sequencing revealed a genotype constellation of G3-P[10]-I8-R3-C3-M3-A9-N3-T3-E3-H6. Comparative analysis indicated that the VP4 and VP7 genes shared 99.41% and 96.57% nucleotide identity, respectively, with the circulating domestic strain bat-derived strain MYAS33, while also harboring distinct mutation sites. Phylogenetic analysis showed that XYR-19 clustered closely with human RVA strain MS2015-1-0001, CMH079, and CMH-S015-19. These findings expand current knowledge of rotavirus epidemiology in the region and provide essential data for tracking local transmission dynamics. Moreover, they offer a valuable basis for future rotavirus vaccine development and for designing strategies aimed at limiting cross-species transmission, ultimately supporting improved prevention and control of infantile diarrhea in the area.

A spatiotemporal deep learning framework integrating CNN-BiLSTM and attention mechanisms for GRACE data downscaling in Yunnan Province

Health risk assessment of fruit consumption in a potentially toxic elements-contaminated mining area, Yunnan province, China

Myristica fragrans: A comprehensive review of its botanical characterization, traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological properties.

Palaeogene Sequoia leaves from Yunnan Province, China and their biogeographical significance

Accurately identifying the spatial differentiation mechanisms of rural homesteads in ecologically fragile mountainous areas is essential for implementing United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11—building inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable human settlements—and for advancing differentiated rural revitalization strategies. Taking Zhaotong City in Yunnan Province as a case study, this study innovatively couples the binary logistic regression model with the geographic detector model to systematically analyze the spatial patterns and driving mechanisms of rural homesteads from the dual perspectives of “occurrence probability” and “agglomeration intensity.” The results show that: (1) Spatial pattern analysis reveals a macro-level distribution characterized by “higher density in the east than the west, and higher elevation in the south than the north.” At the local level, high-density small-scale clusters coexist with low-density large-scale clusters. The landscape is highly fragmented and morphologically complex, and can be classified into two regional types: “regular-dense” and “complex-expansive.” (2) The driving mechanism analysis reveals that the spatial differentiation of rural homesteads is closely linked to rigid topographic constraints, elastic responses to accessibility for both production and daily life, and adaptive adjustments to climatic conditions. Geodetector analysis further identifies widespread nonlinearly enhanced interactions among these factors, reflecting the synergistic interplay between natural and human elements. Building on these findings, this study proposes a three-tiered analytical framework—“rigid constraints–elastic responses–coupled amplification”—to characterize the multidimensional driving logic underlying homestead spatial differentiation in mountainous regions. This framework advances empirical understanding of mountain settlement dynamics in ecologically fragile developing countries and yields actionable governance insights: in areas exhibiting high landscape fragmentation, complex morphological patterns, and low agglomeration intensity, priority should be given to remediation strategies such as voluntary homestead withdrawal and ecological relocation. The findings provide a scientific basis for revitalizing existing homestead land, spatial restructuring, and refined governance in Southwest China’s mountainous regions. Furthermore, this research offers a transferable analytical framework and practical reference for sustainable human settlement development in similar contexts, including the Qinba and Hengduan Mountains, as well as ecologically fragile zones globally.