In a study published in journal Cell, researchers from Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University and Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) provided insights into the fig-wasp coevolution through comparative analyses of two Ficus genomes with and without aerial roots, monecious and dioecious, the genome of a coevolving wasp pollinator. They also sequenced more samples of figs and pollinators.

In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers from Thailand’s Suranaree University of Technology and Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) revealed a worrying situation where a huge number of reptile species are being exploited, with little international regulation, implying a lack of reliable a priori estimates of the impact on wild populations.

Xishuangbanna in southwest China's Yunnan Province is known for its diverse plant species and unique rainforest ecosystem. If you come to Xiaojie Central Primary School in Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna, you may be amazed by abundant plants thriving in the school. Apart from plumeria trees, golden shower trees and some other trees commonly seen in Xishuangbanna, the school even has a small botanic garden for students to learn about plants. The garden was built in 2014 with the help of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

In a study published in Ecological Monographs, researchers from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) combine comparative phylogenetics, detailed plant trait data, insect herbivore data and field observations to investigate the macroevolution of leaf defenses and resistance to herbivory in fig plants (Ficus) in a common-garden setting. The study focused on leaf defenses and susceptibility of figs to naturally occurring herbivores.

The Chinese version of the revised edition has been published this month by China CITIC Press Group and Chinese National Geography Books. The translation has been done by three nature lovers who have, over the period of six months, translated the book in their spare time. They are Zhao Jiangbo and Xia Xue, both of whom work at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, located in Yunnan province, and Wang Ximin, who works at the Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden.