Hong Liu

Florida International University | FIU · Department of Earth and Environment

Consumers employ a variety of foraging strategies, and oftentimes the foraging strategy employed is related to resource availability. As consumers acquire resources, they may interact with their resource base in mutualistic or antagonistic ways—falling along a mutualism‐antagonism continuum—with implications for ecological processes such as seed di...

A plant community’s response to disturbance is often unpredictable, particularly when compounding environmental changes are involved. Similarly, an altered disturbance regime can be a significant driver of plant community shifts, including rare plant loss. In February 2020, we resampled plots on Northwest Cape (Everglades National Park, United Stat...

Societal Impact Statement Botanical careers are more important than ever, given that environmental challenges such as climate change and deforestation threaten plants daily and because plants contribute to solutions to these problems. Plants act as our sources of food, medicine, textiles, and oxygen, which means finding ways to mitigate these envir...

Societal Impact Statement Humans are dependent upon plants for oxygen, food, textiles, and medicines. Climate change and deforestation represent serious threats to our planet, causing significant disruptions to our ability to access and utilize these plant resources; this makes a botanically literate workforce and plant science careers more importa...

The Lauraceae is a family of the order Laurales, with 2500–3000 species comprising 50 genera, mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests. Up to two decades ago, the systematic classification of the Lauraceae was based on floral morphology, but molecular phylogenetic approaches have made tremendous advances in eluc...

Pine rockland habitat of South Florida is among the most highly threatened terrestrial ecosystems in the neo-subtropics and is among the rarest worldwide. With only 1.2% of its original extent remaining outside Everglades National Park, fewer than 780 hectares of this ecosystem remains across all of South Florida. This fire-dependent ecosystem-habi...

Orchidaceae show remarkable diversity in pollination strategies, but how these strategies vary globally is not entirely clear. To identify regions and taxa that are data-rich and lend themselves to rigorous analyses or are data-poor and need attention, we introduce a global database of orchid reproductive biology. Our database contains > 2900 speci...

Orchidaceae show remarkable diversity in pollination strategies, but how these strategies vary globally is not entirely clear. To identify regions and taxa that are data-rich and lend themselves to rigorous analyses or are data-poor and need attention, we introduce a global database of orchid reproductive biology. Our database contains > 2900 speci...

In a time of global change, having an understanding of the nature of biotic and abiotic factors that drive a species' range may be the sharpest tool in the toolbox of conservation and management of threatened species. However, such information are lacking for most tropical and epiphytic species due to the complexity of life history, the roles of st...

Worldwide, thousands of orchid species are harvested from the wild. Widespread legal and illegal unsustainable trade has contributed to the decline of many species. However, there is also evidence of long-term, sustainable wild harvest of some orchid species that contribute to local livelihoods and cultural traditions. There is a clear need to help...

This list is the basis for a paper that we have submitted, "Beyond the various contrivances by which orchids are pollinated: global patterns in orchid pollination biology." Abstract: The Orchidaceae shows remarkable diversity in pollination strategies but how these strategies vary globally is not entirely clear. To identify regions and taxa that a...

Creating sustainable urban landscapes in light of growing population pressures requires interdisciplinary multi-functional solutions. Alternative agro-ecosystems described as food forests, permaculture gardens, and/or edible landscapes among others could offer potential ways to address the social, economic, and ecological goals of various stakehold...

Background Seed viability testing is essential in plant conservation and research. Seed viability testing determines the success of ex-situ conservation efforts, such as seed banking but commonly testing protocols of orchids lack consistency and accuracy, therefore, there is a need to select an appropriate and reliable viability test, especially wh...

Tropical forest ecosystems are rich in epiphytes that make up a significant portion of the overall plant diversity. However, epiphytic plants are often understudied due to inaccessibility and the lack of basic ecological information poses challenges to their conservation, particularly in a time of rapid global change. The mule-ear orchid, Trichocen...

Illicium difengpi is an over-harvested and threatened medicinal plant endemic in economically poor karst regions in southern China. To assess the feasibility of conservation introduction of I. difengpi and its microhabitat requirements, this species were transplanted into three sites with the following characteristics: karst slope with soil (KSS),...

Lauraceae is a large family of woody plants with high ecological and economic value. The tribal and generic division and phylogenetic relationship of Lauraceae have long been controversial. Based on morphological and molecular evidence, phylogenetic relationships within the Cinnamomeae, Laureae and Perseeae tribes, also called ‘the Core Lauraceae’,...

The cultivation of wild-harvested plant species is one strategy to achieve species conservation while meeting continued demand. A limitation to this approach for species used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, however, is that products produced under ex situ artificial agricultural conditions are often not a perfect replacement for their wild-collect...

Mangrove forest ecosystems, which provide important ecological services for marine environments and human activities, are being destroyed worldwide at an alarming rate. The objective of our study was to use molecular data and analytical techniques to separate the effects of historical and contemporary processes on the distribution of mangroves and...

Paphiopedilum armeniacum is a rare and endangered lady’s slipper orchid in China. It is distributed around the mid-elevations of the Nu Mountains in southwest China. Due to over-harvest, habitat loss, and degradation, wild populations of P. armeniacum has declined drastically. A combination of approaches involving biotechnology, habitat restoration...

Undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math students (STEM) are usually not attuned to the intricacies of plant life histories or to the dynamic role plants play in ecosystems and human society, a phenomenon termed plant blindness. Botany education has declined in the past decades, whereas career paths that need and benefit from a work...

2020. Generalized mycorrhizal interactions and fungal enemy release drive range expansion of orchids in southern Florida. Ecosphere 11(8): Abstract. A species' ability to establish and spread is influenced by different types of biotic interactions encountered in a new range. Species with high dependency on biotic interactions, such as orchids, are...

The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation is a target-oriented plant conservation strategy. Among the targets was a call for 75% of threatened taxa to be included in ex situ collections and 20% to be available for recovery and reintroduction programs. However, the percentage of threatened taxa worldwide subject to reintroduction is still far less...

Parakmeria omeiensis is a Critically Endangered tree species in the family Magnoliaceae, endemic to south-west China. The tree is functionally dioecious, but little is known about the species’ status in the wild. We investigated the range, population size, age structure, habitat characteristics and threats to P. omeiensis . We located a total of 74...

Orchids are of special interest to plant conservationists because of their high species diversity as well as their obligate dependencies on one or more biotic interactions, which often pose additional challenges in their conservation. In this study, we analyze threats to all known Chinese orchid species and evaluate whether current in situ and ex s...

Critical resources for birds nesting in cities can support populations in spite of the challenges imposed by urbanization, and the identification of such resources can shed light on how species are able to adapt to novel environments. In the case of woodpeckers, these resources also support the conservation of secondary cavity-nesters. Woodpecker n...

Wild-Orchid Trade in a Chinese E-Commerce Market. Globally, the unsustainable trade in wildlife has been recognized as a major factor of biodiversity loss. Monitoring and regulating wildlife trade has not been an easy task, and new challenges have been encountered as some of the trade moves onto virtual markets on the Internet. In this study, we ca...

Despite the grave threat illegal wildlife trade poses to species survival, few studies have attempted to link supply and demand data for the same wildlife product. All ca. 29,000 orchid species are listed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and many are protected under domestic legislation...

Overexploitation to meet commercial demands has threatened the existence of many species. In theory, one can adopt a portfolio of policies and measures from both the supply (i.e., encourage cultivation while punishing poaching) and demand (i.e., education of consumers) sides to achieve sustainable use. Here we examine the effects of governmental po...

Firmiana danxiaensis (Malvaceae) is a rare and endemic tree of South China. It has a very narrow distribution with only two extant populations in the wild. The aim of this study was to understand the nature of its seed dormancy, how to break the dormancy and the environmental requirements for the natural germination of its seeds. To identify whethe...

Euryodendron excelsum is a rare and endangered evergreen tree in South China. We conducted two experimental translocations (augmentation and conservation introduction) on this species and assessed morphological, anatomical and physiological traits of leaves after translocation. The introduction plants showed smaller specific leaf area, less develop...

Overharvesting is one of the greatest threats to species survival. Farming overharvested species is a conservation strategy that can meet growing market demand and conserve wild populations of the target species. This strategy is compatible with the international community's desire to uphold the right of local communities to use biological resource...

Inflorescence stalk herbivory on the Mule Ear orchid (Trichocentrum undulatum) has been observed in Cuba, which resembles the specialized herbivory interaction seen in southern Florida between a specialized dipteran, Melanagromyza miamensis (Agromyzidae) and the Mule Ear orchid. We are able to identify the inflorescence herbivore to be the genus Me...

Detecting how historical and contemporary factors contribute to genetic divergence and genetic structure is a central question in ecology and evolution. We examine this question by intergrating population genetics with ecological niche modelling of Litsea auriculata (Lauraceae), which is endangered and native to east China. Geographical and environ...

Ants are probably the most dominant insect family on earth, and flowering plants have been the dominant plant group on land for more than 100 million years. In recent decades, human activities have degraded natural environments with unparalleled speed and scale, making it increasingly apparent that interspecific interactions vary not only under dif...

Conservation introduction (CI), i.e. moving a species out of its current natural range for conservation purposes, is a highly controversial and rarely attempted conservation measure. One particular concern with these conservation actions is whether species with obligate symbiotic relationships will be able to form these associations in the recipien...

Tropical and subtropical ecosystems, especially those found on limestone substrates, are among the most diverse terrestrial habitats in China. However, little is known about patterns of plant diversity, ecology and conservation status within these ecosystems. In this special issue we present five reviews and/or in-depth studies of these tropical Ch...

For species relying on seeds for population regeneration, knowledge on seed germination behaviors in relation to environmental factors is critical in designing species recovery strategy. Dendrobium sinense is an orchid endemic to Hainan Island of China and listed as Endangered by the IUCN Redlist. It reproduces primarily via seeds in its natural ha...

Chinese nature reserve continues experimental use of fire to benefit the threatened Cycas panzhihuaensis - Volume 50 Issue 4 - Hong Liu, Wuying Lin, Xiaoya Li

Forecasted changes in global climate predict not only shifts in average conditions but also changes in the frequency and intensity of climate extremes. In the subtropics, the passage of extreme cold spells functions as a major structuring force for ecological communities, and can incur substantial losses to biodiversity, agriculture, and infrastruc...

The forecasted changes in global climate include not only shifts in average conditions, but also changes in the frequency and intensity of climatic extremes. One such climate extreme expected to change in the future are extreme cold spells. Although these disturbances may become less frequent, extreme cold spells are believed to persist in the fore...

Gradual warming and changes in extreme weather patterns associated with human induced climate change are altering the range distributions of species. However, species responses to climate change are predicted to be more strongly affected by extreme events than by changes in mean values. As a result, measuring species responses to extreme events in...

The Anhui elm Ulmus gaussenii is listed as a critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and is endemic to China, where its only population is restricted to Langya Mountain in Chuzhou, Anhui Province. To better understand the population genetics of U. gaussenii, we developed 12 microsatellite markers using an...

The rare and endangered plant, Begonia fimbristipula, shows red and green phenotypes, differentiated by a coloration of the abaxial leaf surface. In this study, we compared morphological and physiological traits of both phenotypes. The results showed that the red phenotype contained a significantly higher chlorophyll content, closer arrangement of...

Parrotia subaequalis (Hamamelidaceae) is a Tertiary relic species endemic in eastern China. We used inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers to access genetic diversity and population genetic structure in natural five populations of P. subaequalis. The levels of genetic diversity were higher at species level (H = 0.2031) but lower at population...

Camellia changii is an endemic and rare species in China with an extremely narrow range. It is an insect-pollinated and self-incompatible species. We conducted two types of conservation translocation experiments, augmentation and conservation introduction at two sites, Ehuangzhang and Tianxin, respectively, using 4-year-old grafted C. changii repro...

We assessed the current status of plant conservation translocation efforts in China, a topic poorly reported in recent scientific literature. We identified 222 conservation translocation cases involving 154 species, of these 87 were Chinese endemic species and 101 (78%) were listed as threatened on the Chinese Species Red List. We categorized the l...

The distribution of the Critically Endangered tree Manglietia longipedunculata , of which there are only 11 known wild individuals, is restricted to the Nankunshan Nature Reserve in South China. The species is threatened with extinction because of its small number of individuals and the impediments to its reproduction (a combination of protogyny, a...

Pseudolarix (Pinaceae) is a vulnerable (sensu IUCN) monotypic genus restricted to southeastern China. To better understand levels of genetic diversity, population structure and gene flow among populations of P. amabilis, we developed five compound SSR markers and ten novel polymorphic expressed sequence tags (EST) derived microsatellites. The resul...

Geodorum (Orchidaceae) has approximately ten species, and is mainly distributed in tropical Asia. Among them, Geodorum eulophioides Schltr. is of major conservation concern as it has only four known populations, two each found in China and others in Burma. In this study, we developed 18 polymorphic microsatellites markers in G. eulophioides with th...

Darwin (1877) noted that the ability of orchid flowers to set fruit correlated positively with pollinator activity but pollinator activity was influenced by environmental changes. The authors of this chapter addressed the current literature on how climate changes influence the activity and seasonality of insects and flowering plants. A three year f...

The distribution of the endemic threatened plant Camellia changii Ye (Family Theaceae) is restricted to a small area in southern China, and little else is known about its status in the wild. To provide information for the conservation of C. changii we investigated its distribution, population size and structure, and habitat, and assessed its conser...

Epiphylls widely colonize vascular leaves in moist tropical forests. Understanding the effects of epiphylls on leaf traits of host plants is critical for understanding ecological function of epiphylls. A study was conducted in a rain forest to investigate leaf traits of the host plants Photinia prunifolia colonized with epiphyllous liverworts and f...

An understanding of the ways in which levels of invasions by alien species are correlated with environmental factors is helpful to manage the negative impacts of these invasive species. Two tropical coastal areas in South China, Shenzhen Bay and Leizhou Bay, are national nature reserves, but they are threatened by invasive plants. Here, we investig...

About a quarter of Chinese wild orchid species are used in traditional medicine or as health food supplements. The market demand for some species, such as those in the epiphytic genus Dendrobium, has diminished many wild populations to local extinction or dangerously small numbers. Conservation of these heavily exploited orchids currently relies on...

Saurochory (seed dispersal by reptiles) among crocodilians has largely been ignored, probably because these reptiles are generally assumed to be obligate carnivores incapable of digesting vegetable proteins and polysaccharides. Herein we review the literature on crocodilian diet, foraging ecology, digestive physiology and movement patterns, and pro...

Byrsonima lucida (Mill.) DC is the only member of the tropical plant family Malpighiaceae native to North America, and is considered a threatened species by the state of Florida. In order to better conserve the remaining natural populations of B. lucida, we studied the breeding system of this species in natural and garden settings. We carried out f...

Achieving the balance between economic development and biodiversity conservation has become increasingly difficult. Here we propose a conservation model for medicinal orchids using Dendrobium catenatum as an example. Specifically we suggest establishment of production and advance processing facilities in the developed regions, and using organizatio...

Third Guangxi International Orchid Symposia - Volume 47 Issue 1 - Hong Liu

While we understand a great deal on the impacts of introduced generalist pollinators on the native ecosystems, very little is known about the impacts of naturalized specialist pollinators. The oil-collecting bee Centris nitida, which has recently naturalized in southern Florida, has been identified as a novel participant in an endemic specialized m...

Background/Question/Methods Plant and pollinator interactions are important drivers that shape community diversity. Studies quantifying the trajectory and strength of these interactions in the face of increasing human-mediated species exchange can help us understand and predict future community assemblages. Recently in southern Florida an introdu...

Background/Question/Methods Global warming induced species migration to higher latitudes and elevations has been widely reported. Against the average pattern of global warming, however, there have been several extreme cold weather events in the past few years. These extreme cold events may play a significant role in affecting species migration fro...

Assisted colonization of endangered species to locations outside their native ranges in response to projected climate change has emerged as a potential, but highly controversial conservation tool. The debate has been largely philosophical and hypothetical as little biological data exist in the literature. In 2006, nearly 1000 endangered wild orchid...

Numerous studies have suggested that Earth’s climate has changed and will continue to change in response to human activities. It is expected that average temperatures will increase, in some places as much as 4 °C, between 1990 and 2040 (IPCC 2007). In addition, precipitation will probably change, becoming drier in some areas and wetter in others. T...

Background/Question/Methods Comparative studies on endangered species and their more common congeners can shade light on the mechanism of species rarity, and are helpful for conservationists to formulate effective management strategies. Understanding the reproductive biology of endangered species is critical in guiding and establishing successful...

The yellow cowhorn orchid, Cyrtopodium flavum, has been naturalized in a small area of Miami-Dade County in southeastern Florida since the early 1970s We recently observed an alien oil-collecting bee Centris nitida pollinating C. flavum in Florida, an activity that could promote the spread of the weed We investigated the spread of the orchid and fo...