Mongolian medicinal plants in China: Distribution, conservation priorities, and phylogenetic insights
7 affiliations
- 1Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, 330004, China; State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China; National Pharmaceutical Engineering Center for Solid Preparation of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Nanchang, 330006, China
- 2Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, 330004, China; State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
- 3Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, 330004, China
- 4Jiangxi Business Technology Institute, Nanchang, 330200, China
- 5Dongguan Forestry Research Institute, Dongguan, 523106, China
- 6Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, 330004, China; Corresponding authors.
- 7State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China; Corresponding authors.
Abstract
Medicinal plants are vital for primary healthcare and modern drug discovery, but traditional knowledge associated with the use of medicinal plants is declining due to cultural acculturation and biodiversity loss. In China, the Mongol ethnic group maintains a distinct ethnomedicinal system shaped by nomadic culture and mountain-steppe environments, yet the spatial distribution of its commonly used medicinal plants and their representation within National Nature Reserves (NNRs) and National Parks (NPs) remain poorly understood. Here, across the 982 grid cells (100 km × 100 km), we integrated three species-based prioritization algorithms with Faith’s phylogenetic diversity (PD) and its standardized effect size (SES.PD). We further analyzed phylogenetic structure across 20 medicinal use categories using the Net Relatedness Index, Nearest Taxon Index, and D statistic. The three species-based algorithms identified 73 priority grid cells, while the upper 5% of Faith’s PD identified 49 PD hotspots. Their integration produced a network of 79 priority grid cells, comprising 43 integrated core priorities, 30 species-based priorities, and six phylogenetic supplementary priorities. Medicinal plants used for dermatological and digestive disorders exhibited consistent non-random phylogenetic structure, while Saussurea , Swertia , Gentiana , Arisaema , and Astragalus were highlighted by both criteria for candidate genus selection. This integrated spatial-phylogenetic framework can support the conservation of Mongol ethnomedicinal resources and inform knowledge-based drug discovery.
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BibTeX
@article{shan2026mongolian,
title = {{Mongolian medicinal plants in China: Distribution, conservation priorities, and phylogenetic insights}},
author = {Zhangjian Shan and Ling Feng and Yaqin Tang and Yutong Huang and Yuchang Yang and Lisi Hai and Shengfu Hu and Guibing Lin and Yulin Feng and Yanqin Xu and Xiaobo Zhang},
journal = {Global Ecology and Conservation},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04488},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04488},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Mongolian medicinal plants in China: Distribution, conservation priorities, and phylogenetic insights
AU - Zhangjian Shan
AU - Ling Feng
AU - Yaqin Tang
AU - Yutong Huang
AU - Yuchang Yang
AU - Lisi Hai
AU - Shengfu Hu
AU - Guibing Lin
AU - Yulin Feng
AU - Yanqin Xu
AU - Xiaobo Zhang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Global Ecology and Conservation
DO - 10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04488
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04488
AB - Medicinal plants are vital for primary healthcare and modern drug discovery, but traditional knowledge associated with the use of medicinal plants is declining due to cultural acculturation and biodiversity loss. In China, the Mongol ethnic group maintains a distinct ethnomedicinal system shaped by nomadic culture and mountain-steppe environments, yet the spatial distribution of its commonly used medicinal plants and their representation within National Nature Reserves (NNRs) and National Parks (NPs) remain poorly understood. Here, across the 982 grid cells (100 km × 100 km), we integrated three species-based prioritization algorithms with Faith’s phylogenetic diversity (PD) and its standardized effect size (SES.PD). We further analyzed phylogenetic structure across 20 medicinal use categories using the Net Relatedness Index, Nearest Taxon Index, and D statistic. The three species-based algorithms identified 73 priority grid cells, while the upper 5% of Faith’s PD identified 49 PD hotspots. Their integration produced a network of 79 priority grid cells, comprising 43 integrated core priorities, 30 species-based priorities, and six phylogenetic supplementary priorities. Medicinal plants used for dermatological and digestive disorders exhibited consistent non-random phylogenetic structure, while Saussurea , Swertia , Gentiana , Arisaema , and Astragalus were highlighted by both criteria for candidate genus selection. This integrated spatial-phylogenetic framework can support the conservation of Mongol ethnomedicinal resources and inform knowledge-based drug discovery.
SN - 2351-9894
ER -