常绿阔叶林是世界森林的重要组成部分，相比于全球同纬度其它地区，东亚亚热带地区是常绿阔叶林发育最为典型的区域。揭示东亚地区常绿阔叶林的演化历史对于理解该地区植物多样性形成与维持机制具有重要的科学意义。本项目拟以东亚地区常绿阔叶林特征性成分山茶科为研究对象，在对其代表性类群进行广泛取样的基础上，利用第二代测序技术获得直系同源低拷贝核基因和叶绿体全基因组，结合申请者前期研究已获得的部分类群的叶绿体基因组序列，构建全面可靠的山茶科系统发育框架；基于该科及近缘科可靠化石记录及地理分布信息，通过时间估算、物种分化速率分析及祖先分布区重建，揭示山茶科多样化历史及现今地理分布格局成因，以期阐明东亚地区常绿阔叶林形成的时空背景及其与该地区古气候演变如季风气候形成之间的联系。项目的实施有望为东亚地区常绿阔叶林的历史构建过程提供重要的证据支持，同时也将从植被演化的层面加深理解东亚地区植物多样性的起源。

Evergreen broadleaved forests (EBLFs), which was greatly developed in East Asia, is among the five major tree biomes. EBLFs is one of the most characteristic biomes in subtropical area of East Asia and are common in southern part of China. It contributes fundamentally to both the biodiversity maintenance and ecosystem services of the East Asiatic floristic kingdom. The East Asian EBLFs is considered a unique zonal vegetation that might have developed in concert with the Asian monsoons, particularly the summer monsoon that facilitates a humid climate. Understanding how East Asian EBLFs have responded to previous instances of climate change is critical for predicting the impact of future climate change on this important biome. Previous researchers studying the EBLFs mainly focused on population level comparisons and considered events since the Pliocene. Further studies are required to assess the historical construction of the EBLFs in East Asia and the relationship between its assembly and the temporal dynamics of the Asian monsoons. .Dated phylogenies allow inference of the history of biomes, which in many cases is not provided by the incomplete plant fossil record. Keystone plant groups can be used to infer the evolution of biomes and biogeographic change of communities. In this research, we will use the temporal and spatial history of the tea family (Theaceae), a characteristic component of EBLFs, to gain new insights into the assembly of this important biome. Based on our previous study, 43 species representing 9 genera and 3 tribes of Theaceae were sampled with their chloroplast genomes sequenced. Thus, in this study, we will focus our species sampling on genera with very limited samples such as Camellia and Laplacea. We use the target enrichment sequencing and genome skimming approaches to generate numerous low-copy nuclear genes and chloroplast genome data. The phylogenetic framework of Theaceae will be built based on both nuclear gene and the chloroplast genome sequences. Moreover, with the temporal and spatial history of Theaceae reconstructed based on the phylogeny from two different genomes, this research will investigate the historical construction of East Asian EBLFs and the relationship between its assembly with the dynamics of the Asian monsoons. Our research will therefore serve as an important evidence of the evolutionary history of East Asian EBLFs, and the findings will advance our understanding of the origin and mainenance of biodiversity within East Asia.