On January 30, 2026, thirty experts and scholars from domestic and international research institutions and universities, along with more than a hundred faculty and students, gathered at the Guanggu Campus of the Wuhan Botanical Garden to celebrate the release of the Journal of Systematics and Evolution (JSE) special issue on Uplift history and biological evolution of the Himalaya (II). The release of this issue, the second volume of the JSE Himalayas Series, also included a journal development seminar and was jointly organized by JSE and the Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

In addition to promoting the second special issue of the JSE Himalayas Series, this event aimed to deepen discussions on the mechanisms of biodiversity formation and conservation strategies in the region, and further enhance the academic impact and international visibility of both the special issue and the journal. Professor Hongzhi Kong, Co-Editor-in-Chief of JSE, hosted the ceremony. The editors of this special issue, academician Shunping He and Prof. Jia-Tang Li, jointly presented the new release.

During the event, journal editors presented awards to recognize significant contributions to the special issue. The "Outstanding Contribution Award" was presented to editors who demonstrated exceptional leadership in its planning, organization, and academic development. Additionally, the "JSE Excellent Guest Editor" award was conferred on several researchers in recognition of their dedicated efforts in manuscript coordination, peer review, and editorial support. These awards highlight the collaborative spirit and scholarly commitment essential to the success of the issue.

The special issue, centered on the theme “Systematics and biodiversity in the Himalayan region”, includes 11 high-quality research articles. These studies systematically analyze the unique role of the Himalayas as a global biodiversity hotspot and an "evolutionary engine" from multiple dimensions, including geological history, climate change, and genomic evolution. Covering a wide range of groups such as fungi, fish, birds, insects, and key plant taxa (e.g., bamboos and Panax), the research employs next-generation sequencing and phylogenomic approaches to reveal historical processes of species differentiation, adaptive evolution, and dispersal pathways. For example, studies confirm that the Himalaya–Hengduan Mountains served as an origin center for certain fungal and insect groups, tracing their dispersal routes to Europe and North America. In addition, several articles address the genetic load and survival threats posed by climate change and human activities to endemic species, such as Asia’s tallest tree, Cupressus austrotibetica, providing a scientific basis for targeted conservation.

The release of this special issue represents not only a significant synthesis of biodiversity research in the Himalayas but also reflects the active role of JSE in advancing cutting-edge research in systematics and evolutionary biology worldwide. By consistently publishing focused thematic issues on major geographical regions and scientific topics, JSE has further strengthened its academic leadership within the discipline and promoted interdisciplinary and cross-regional scholarly exchange and collaboration.

Following the release event, participating experts engaged in an in-depth discussion on potential themes for the third Himalayas special issue, the future direction of the journal, and strategies to enhance its international influence, offering valuable suggestions for the sustained high-quality growth of JSE.

The publication and release of this special issue mark a series of internationally influential advances in Himalayan biodiversity research from China and provide important scientific insights for global biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Looking ahead, JSE will continue to support long-term research in this region and promote the international dissemination and exchange of outstanding research outcomes.

Welcome to read Himalayas Series Special Issue via the link below:

Special Issue I: https://www.jse.ac.cn/EN/volumn/volumn_12750.shtml
Special Issue II: https://www.jse.ac.cn/EN/volumn/volumn_12903.shtml

Also, welcome to follow the JSE website (www.jse.ac.cn) for more on the journal's content. Interested authors are invited to submit their manuscripts here (https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/josae), and readers are invited to follow us on the journal’s website (www.jse.ac.cn), WeChat (JSE1951), Twitter (@JournalSysEvo), Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/journalsysevo.bsky.social), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/jsysevo/), Mastodon (https://mstdn.science/@JSE), and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/journal.of.systematics.and.evolution).

For more information, please contact us at jse@ibcas.ac.cn.