Awarding ceremony of “Yunnan Science & Technology Prize 2025” was held on September 15 in Kunming. Among the prize winners, Prof. Liu Wenyao, Dr. Chen Chunfeng and Prof. Yu Diqiu and their respective teams of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) won the second prize.

Prof. Liu Wenyao won the prize for leading and accomplishing the research project “Three-dimensional patterns of epiphytic plant diversity and their response mechanisms to environmental change”. Focusing on epiphytic plant groups highly sensitive to environmental change, the project systematically revealed the three-dimensional spatial distribution patterns of their diversity, clarified their response mechanisms and adaptive strategies to environmental change, and expanded theories on biodiversity patterns and maintenance mechanisms. It also established an environmental change monitoring framework and methodology using epiphytes as indicator taxa.

Dr. Chen Chunfeng led and finished the project “Soil and water conservation mechanisms and ecological synergistic effects of rubber agroforestry systems in Yunnan”. The project revealed the ecological degradation mechanisms of rubber monoculture and the soil and water conservation mechanisms and ecological synergistic effects of agroforestry systems. It found that intercropping significantly enhanced soil and water conservation and improved soil multifunctionality and water regulation capacity in rubber plantations. It also clarified the potential nutrient reservoir role of termite nests and the patterns of sulfur migration and transformation, providing support for regional ecological security and sustainable management of rubber plantations.

Prof. Yu Diqiu and his team completed the project “Molecular mechanisms of plant responses to abscisic acid signaling in regulating seed germination and seedling growth”. Focusing on how abscisic acid (ABA) signaling regulates seed germination and seedling growth, the project systematically analyzed ABA signal transduction and its key regulatory factors, identified key genes regulating seed germination time, and revealed the molecular regulatory mechanisms by which ABA mediates seed germination and seedling growth. It provides an important theoretical basis and potential candidate genes for regulating timely crop germination and improving storage tolerance.