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Updated: Jan 14, 2026

Robust DNA Isolation and High-throughput Sequencing Library Construction for Herbarium Specimens

Robust DNA Isolation and High-throughput Sequencing Library Construction for Herbarium Specimens

Published on: March 8, 2018

Changes in species' elevational range limits and range sizes uncovered by herbarium specimens.

Kuiling Zu¹, Zhiheng Wang², Fusheng Chen¹

¹Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Subtropical Forest Resources Cultivation, Grassland Administration on Forest Ecosystem Protection and Restoration of Poyang Lake Watershed and Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology, College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China.

The New Phytologist

|October 27, 2025

Summary

Global warming is causing plant ranges to shift upwards and contract, especially at higher elevations. Temperature and thermal adaptation are key drivers, impacting species

Keywords:

biodiversity conservation climate change elevation elevational extents elevational range contractions lower limits range size upper limits

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Climate Change Biology
Botany

Background:

Global warming is causing species range shifts, posing extinction risks for terrestrial organisms unable to adapt.
Digitized herbarium specimens offer a valuable resource for studying species range dynamics and climate change impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate elevational range size changes and shifts in upper/lower range limits for plants across 29 Chinese mountains.
To identify the primary drivers influencing elevational range shifts and range size contractions.

Main Methods:

Analyzed elevational range size, upper, and lower range limits of plant species using digitized herbarium data from 29 Chinese mountains.
Compared factors determining shifts in elevational range size and range limits.

Main Results:

Plant upper range limits shifted downward by an average of 15m, while lower limits shifted upward by 34m.
Plant elevational range sizes generally contracted, with middle/high elevation species exhibiting greater reductions.
Temperature change and species' thermal adaptations were identified as primary drivers of range shifts, with distinct factors influencing upper and lower limits.

Conclusions:

Digitized herbarium data are crucial for understanding dynamic range shifts and informing biodiversity conservation strategies.
Species' elevational ranges are contracting due to climate change, with significant implications for extinction risk assessment.
Differential drivers affect upper and lower range limit shifts, highlighting the complex responses of plants to warming temperatures.