Oral Paper

         Biogeography

Exploring the Impact of Last Glacial Maximum on the Demographic History of Asarum caudigerum

Presenting Author
Lei Zuo
Description
The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) greatly influenced plant distributions and mass migrations in Europe and North America. However, the effects of climate oscillations on plant distributions in subtropical areas of East Asia, particularly understory herbs, remain understudied. Fossil-pollen based palaeovegetation maps suggest a long-distance contraction-expansion pattern in East Asia between glacial and inter-glacial periods. While this pattern has been extensively studied in trees, the herb layer, characterized by its unique growth forms and reproductive mechanisms, requires further investigation. This study aims to address this gap by examining Asarum caudigerum, an ideal system to explore alternative patterns in subtropical China. Through extensive sampling across its entire distribution and the adoption of a new reduced representation sequencing technique – ISSRseq, we explore: 1) whether large scale southward contraction occurred in response to climate oscillations during the LGM, 2) the extent of LGM's influence on the species' distribution and the presence of multiple southern refugia, and 3) the potential general recolonization routes during post/interglacial periods. Answering these questions will contribute to the understanding of the connection between climate oscillation and varied floral responses, and further provide guidance for flora conservation in the face of global change.