Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2025, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (10): 1583-1599.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2025.0003  cstr: 32100.14.cjpe.2025.0003

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Protection and restoration of endangered tree species on coastal islands of Zhejiang, China

HE Yi1,*, ZHOU Jing1,*, CHEN Chen1,*, FANG Ting-Zhou1,*, SU Jian1,*, GAO Hao-Jie3,*, CAO Jia-Hao1, YANG Fei-Yu1, FAN Qi-Bo1, ZHU Le-Yao1, CHEN Yi-Ming1, YANG Fei1, WANG Yi-Teng1, FENG Lei2, LIU Fei2, LIANG Shuang1, JIANG Ming-Kai1, CHEN Jun1, ZHAO Yun-Peng1, CHEN Wei-Le1, ZHAO Ying3,**(), HUANG Jian-Guo1,**()   

  1. 1State Key Laboratory for Vegetation Structure, Function and Construction (VegLab), College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
    2College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
    3Zhoushan Forestry Science Research Institute, Zhoushan, Zhejiang 316099, China
  • Received:2025-01-02 Accepted:2025-09-18 Online:2025-10-20 Published:2025-11-20
  • Contact: ZHAO Ying, HUANG Jian-Guo
  • About author:First author contact: Contributed equally to this work
  • Supported by:
    Key R&D Program of Zhejiang Province(2024C03244);The National Natural Science Foundation of China(32471669)

Abstract:

Conservation and restoration of endangered species represent a major challenge for humanity, requiring theoretical and practical guidance grounded in multidisciplinary perspectives and multi-platform technologies. Such efforts are essential to support biodiversity conservation, ecosystem productivity, and the sustainable development of local ecosystems. Focusing on endangered wild tree species along the coastal islands of Zhejiang Province, China, this paper reviews recent advances and existing limitations in their study and conservation. We propose an integrated conservation framework centered on near-natural habitat construction and population reintroduction, combining insights from global change ecology, dendrochronology, microbial ecology, population genetics, and conservation engineering. Future research should prioritize four key areas: (1) Mechanistic understanding, to elucidate adaptive genetic variation, population decline processes, and rhizosphere microbial functions; (2) Technological innovation, including efficient artificial propagation, quasi-natural cultivation, and microbial-assisted restoration; (3) Equipment development, such as integrated monitoring systems and early-warning tools for climate extremes; and (4) Applied demonstration, through the establishment of pilot sites for population recovery and habitat reconstruction. This framework provides a theoretical foundation, technical roadmap, and transferable model to advance biodiversity conservation in coastal ecosystems.

Key words: climate change, endangered tree species, near-natural habitat construction, wild population reintroduction, biodiversity conservation