Understanding the interaction between large herbivores and pasture production, especially with respect to the grazing optimization hypothesis, is critical for pasture management and generating theoretical and testable predictions. However, the optimization hypothesis remains contradictory in alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). In this study, we tested the grazing optimization hypothesis using four yak-grazing intensities (no grazing, light grazing, moderate grazing and heavy grazing) in alpine meadow habitats from 2015 to 2017. The results indicated that species diversity did not differ significantly among grazing regimes during the experimental period. However, the aboveground net primary production (ANPP) under moderate grazing consistently significantly exceeded that in control enclosures over 3 years, confirming the grazing optimization hypothesis. Levels of overcompensation varied among grazing intensities and years, and grazing-induced plant compensation may only occur in the short term. The enhanced regrowth of Poaceae and Cyperaceae induced by yak grazing might contribute to the overall level of overcompensation by plant community. Our results strongly support the grazing optimization hypothesis in the context of alpine meadows grazed by yaks, emphasizing the complex interactions between ANPP, herbivores and other ecological factors in alpine meadows on the QTP. These findings provide new insights for the development of an ecological conservation strategy that will help restore this fragile ecosystem and balance the seemingly incompatible requirements of animal husbandry.

Natural selection serves as an important agent to drive and maintain interspecific divergence. Populus rotundifolia Griff. is an alpine aspen species that mainly occurs in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) and adjacent highlands, whereas its sister species, P. davidiana Dode, is distributed across southwest and central to northeast China in much lower altitude regions. In this study, we collected genome resequencing data of 53 P. rotundifolia and 42 P. davidiana individuals across their natural distribution regions. Our population genomic data suggest that the two species are well delimitated in the allopatric regions, but with hybrid zones in their adjacent region in the eastern QTP. Coalescent simulations suggest that P. rotundifolia diverged from P. davidiana in the middle Pleistocene with following continuous gene flow since divergence. In addition, we found numerous highly diverged genes with outlier signatures that are likely associated with high‐altitude adaptation of these alpine aspens. Our finding indicate that Quaternary climatic changes and natural selection have greatly contributed to the origin and distinction maintenance of P. rotundifolia in the QTP.

Radiation rather than bifurcating divergence has been inferred through a number of phylogenetic analyses using different DNA fragments. However, such inferences have rarely been tested by examining alternative hypotheses based on population genomic data. In this study, we sequenced the transcriptomes of 32 individuals from 13 populations of four Orychophragmus spp. (Brassicaceae) to investigate their divergence history. Cluster and population structure analyses recovered four distinct genetic clusters without any genetic mixture. Most orthologous genes produced unresolved bifurcating interspecific relationships with a star phylogeny. The resolved gene trees were highly inconsistent with each another in reconstructing interspecific relationships. Population genomic analyses suggested unexpectedly high genetic divergence and a lack of gene flow between the four species. We examined radiation vs. bifurcating divergence between these four species based on coalescent modelling tests of population genomic data. Our statistical tests supported a radiation of these species from a common ancestor at almost the same time, rejecting stepwise bifurcating interspecific divergence with time. This nearly simultaneous radiation was dated to the Quaternary, during which climate changes are suggested to have promoted species diversity in eastern Asia. Our results highlight the importance of population genomic data and statistical tests in deciphering interspecific relationships and tracing the divergence histories of closely related species.

The development of next‐generation sequencing technologies allows researchers to address complex problems in species delimitation, especially for non‐model organisms. The taxonomic status of North American Nyssa species has long been debated and remains controversial. To elucidate the genetic structure and phylogenetic relationships of the five currently recognized North American Nyssa species, we conducted whole‐genome sequencing of representative individuals and identified genome‐wide single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by utilizing the recently released chromosome‐level assembly of Nyssa sinensis genome. Population genetic and phylogenetic analyses consistently inferred four well‐supported genetic clusters from our sampled individuals, that is, N. aquatica, N. ogeche, N. sylvatica, and N. biflora–N. ursina. Although the identification of N. biflora and N. ursina is primarily based on the morphological characteristics of leaves and drupes, the present evidence, including our principal components analysis of leaf morphological traits, strongly supports the taxonomic designation of N. biflora and N. ursina as a single species. In addition, these four genetic clusters were grouped into two major clades, that is, clade 1 (N. aquatica and N. ogeche) and clade 2 (N. sylvatica and N. biflora–N. ursina). Despite the fact that no evidence of widespread gene flow was found between these two major clades, our analyses revealed the possibility of introgression from N. sylvatica into N. biflora, albeit at a relatively low frequency. This study demonstrates the use of whole‐genome sequences as a promising avenue for delimiting species boundaries and further advocates for an integrative approach in the assessment of species delimitation.

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