Top biology students explore plant survival strategies in Gaoligong Mountains

A field expedition team comprising students and professors from Yunnan University, Peking University, Xiamen University, and Lanzhou University ventured deep into the Gaoligong Mountains to uncover the secrets of plant survival in the wild.

The 2025 Summer Joint Field Research of Yunnan University's "Top Talent Program" in Biological Sciences recently took place in Tengchong, Yunnan province.

While on a steep trail, the team was greeted with a sudden downpour. Raindrops drummed against tarp raincoats as professors Zhao Ronghe and Wang Chongyun of Yunnan University led the students through the muddy slopes. It was there they discovered Fosbergia shweliensis, a rare shrub bearing deep brown woody fruit.

"There are four seedlings around the mother plant!" one student exclaimed. Carefully parting the wet foliage, the team observed multiple seedlings with separate root systems nearby. "This plant mainly relies on gravity for seed dispersal," said Wang Chongyun, one of the team's leading teachers, while pointing to the ripe fruits atop the mother plant. "Once mature, the fruit rolls downhill, helping the seeds colonize distant spots."

Three days later in Datang village, huddled around a few 5-centimeter-tall blades of grass, students observed silently. "This is Corybas himalaicus," a team leader said.

Thanks to careful conservation by the Tengchong branch of the Gaoligongshan Mountains National Nature Reserve, the Corybas himalaicus's blooming and fruiting rates have steadily improved. "Incredible!" said Zhu Chenyu, a student from Peking University.

From Fosbergia shweliensis using gravity to spread along steep slopes, to the rebirth of endangered Corybas himalaicus, the survival strategies honed by these plants over millions of years are now becoming valuable knowledge.