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Featured Publications

See also: ResearchGate | ORCID | Google Scholar

*: Corresponding author; #: Co-first author.

Poschlod P*, Mašková T*, Chen S-C, Phartyal SS, Rosbakh S, Silveira FAO, Saatkamp A, Dalling JW, Dalziell E, Dickie JB, Fernandez-Pascual E, Guja L, Jimenez-Alfaro B, Merritt DJ, Ooi MKJ, Vandelook P. (2026) A handbook for standardised measurements of regenerative plant functional traits. Australian Journal of Botany 74(2): BT25074. https://doi.org/10.1071/BT25074

Xie L#, Huang X#, Xia T, Wu L & Chen S-C*. (2026) Large old trees sustain avian communities and critical plant-bird interactions in highly urbanised environments. Biological Conservation 313: 111582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111582 (Media: 中新网)

Huang X & Chen S-C*. (2025) Humans perceive but animals don’t: Pitfalls in using plasticine models for assessing biotic interactions. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 292(2057): 20252247. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2025.2247 (Media: 湖北日报)

Fu Z#, Zhan Q#, Lenoir J#, Wang S, Qian H, Yang J, Sun W, Mbuni YM, Ngumbau VM, Hu G, Yan X, Wang Q-F, Chen S-C* & Zhou Y*. (2025) Climate change drives plant diversity attrition at the summit of Mount Kenya. New Phytologist. (In press) https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.20344

Wang H-Y, Chen X, Chen S-C*. (2025) Chinese Seed Trait Database: A curated resource for seed traits in the Chinese flora. New Phytologist 248(1): 11–16 (Cover Story) https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70296 (Media: EurekAlert!, 光明日报, 中新网, Phys.org, 中国科学院)

Barrero JM, Buitink J, Chen S-C, da Silva EAA, Hay F, Leprince O, Pawłowski TA, Pérez HE, Vijay D. (2025) Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the International Society for Seed Science. Seed Science Research 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0960258525000029 (Editorial)

Wan J-N, Wang S-W, Chen S-C & Wan T*. (2025) Escarpment evolution in Madagascar unveils a pathway to understanding island biodiversity. Journal of Systematics and Evolution 63(2): 205–207. https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.13162

Chen S-C*, Antonelli A, Huang X, Wei N, Dai C & Wang Q*. (2025) Large seeds as a defensive strategy against partial granivory in the Fagaceae. Journal of Ecology 113(3): 598–607. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.14480 (Media: EurekAlert!, Journal of Ecology Blog, 中国科学院, 湖北日报)

Huang X, Dalsgaard B & Chen S-C*. (2025) Weaker plant-frugivore trait matching towards the tropics and on islands. Ecology Letters 28(1): e70061. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.70061 (Media: 中国科学院)

Carta A*, Vandelook F, Ramírez-Barahona S, Chen S-C, Dickie J, Steinbrecher T, Thanos CA, Moles AT, Leubner-Metzger G & Mattana E. (2024) The seed morphospace, a new contribution towards the multidimensional study of angiosperm sexual reproductive biology. Annals of Botany 134(5): 701–710. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcae099

Wan J-N#, Wang S-W#, Leitch AR, Leitch IJ, Jian J-B, Wu Z-Y, Xin H-P, Rakotoarinivo M, Onjalalaina GE, Gituru RW, Dai C, Mwachala G, Bai M-Z, Zhao C-X, Wang H-Q, Du S-L, Wei N, Hu G-W, Chen S-C, Chen X-Y, Wan T* & Wang Q-F*. (2024) The rise of baobab trees in Madagascar. Nature 629:1091–1099. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07447-4

Wu L-M, Chen S-C, Quan R-C & Wang B*. (2024) Disentangling the relative contributions of factors determining seed physical defence: A global-scale data synthesis. Functional Ecology 38(5), 1146–1155. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14552

Chen S-C, Hu X-W*, Baskin CC & Baskin JM. (2024) A long-term experiment reveals no trade-off between seed persistence and seedling emergence. New Phytologist 241(2): 623–631. (Commentary on this article by Meitzel, 241(2): 521–522. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.19350)

Chen S-C*, Hu Z-A & Dai C. (2023) Unveiling human impacts on pollinators and pollination in the urbanisation era. Integrative Zoology 18(6): 1108–1110. https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12760

Silveira FAO, Fuzessy L, Dayrell RLC, Vandelook F, Vázquez-Ramírez J, Tavşanoğlu C, Abedi M, Naidoo S, Acosta-Rojas DC, Chen S-C, Cruz-Tejada DM, Jayasuryia G, Ordóñez-Parra CA & Saatkamp A. (2023) Overcoming major barriers in seed ecology research in developing countries. Seed Science Research 33(3):172–181. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0960258523000181

Fuji A*, Kusumoto B, Shiono T, Kubota Y*, Ulrich W, Dickie JB & Chen S-C. (2023) Geographic patterns of seed dormancy strategies along latitudinal and climatic gradients, Japanese East Asian islands. Japanese Journal of Statistics and Data Science 6: 885–901. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42081-023-00215-0

Yan K#, Luo Y-H#, Li Y-J, Du L-P, Gui H* & Chen S-C*. (2023) Trajectories of soil microbial recovery in response to restoration strategies in one of the largest and oldest open-pit phosphate mine in Asia. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 262: 115215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115215

Fernández-Pascual E, Carta A, Rosbakh S, Guja L, Phartyal S, Silveira F, Chen S-C, Larson J & Jiménez-Alfaro B. (2023) SeedArc, a global archive of primary seed germination data. New Phytologist 240(2): 466–470. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.19143

Everingham S, Chen S-C, Lewandrowski W & Plumanns-Pouton E. (2023) Novel and emerging seed science research from early to middle career researchers at the Australasian Seed Science Conference, 2021. Australian Journal of Botany 71(7): 371–378. (Invited paper) https://doi.org/10.1071/BT22101

Zhang H-X, Chen S-C*, Bonser SP, Hitchcock TD & Moles AT. (2023) Factors that shape large-scale gradients in reproductive mode selection. Journal of Biogeography 50(5): 827–837. (Editors’ Choice)

Zi H, Jing X, Liu A, Fan X, Chen S-C, Wang H* & He J-S. (2023) Simulated climate warming decreases fruit number but increases seed mass. Global Change Biology 29(3): 841–855. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16498

Wang M, et al. (including Chen S-C). (2022). Research progress on insect diversity. Biodiversity Science 30(10):22454 (in Chinese with English Abstract). [王明强 罗阿蓉 周青松 陈婧婷 谢婷婷 李逸 Douglas Chesters 石晓宇 肖晖 刘桓吉 丁强 周璇 罗一平 路园园 佟一杰 赵政宇 白明 郭鹏飞 陈思翀 Akihiro Nakamura 彭艳琼 赵延会 魏淑花 林晓龙 陈华燕 罗世孝 陆宴辉 鲁亮 余建平 周欣 邹怡 路浩 朱朝东 (2022) 昆虫多样性30年研究进展. 生物多样性, 30, 22454.] https://doi.org/10.17520/biods.2022454

Njoroge DM, Chen S-C, Zuo J*, Dossa GGO* & Cornelissen JHC. (2022) Soil fauna accelerate litter mixture decomposition globally, especially in dry environments. Journal of Ecology 110(3): 659–672. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117312

Zhou Y-D#, Xiao K-Y#, Chen S-C, Liu X, Wang Q-F* & Yan X*. (2022) Altitudinal diversity of aquatic plants in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Freshwater Biology 67(4): 709–719. https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.13875

Wang G, Ives AR, Zhu H, Tan Y, Chen S-C, Yang J & Wang B*. (2022). Phylogenetic conservatism explains why plants are more likely to produce fleshy fruits in the tropics. Ecology 103(1): e03555. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3555

Falster D*, et al. (including Chen S-C). (2021). AusTraits, a curated plant trait database for the Australian flora. Scientific Data 8 (1): 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-021-01006-6

Chen S-C*, Wang B & Moles AT. (2021). Exposure time is an important variable in quantifying post-dispersal seed removal. Ecology Letters 24(7): 1522–1525. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13744

Dener E, Ovadia O, Shemesh H, Altman A, Chen S-C & Giladi I*. (2021). Direct and indirect effects of fragmentation on seed dispersal in an agro-ecological landscape. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 309: 107273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2020.107273

Chen S-C*, Poschlod P, Antonelli A, Liu U & Dickie JB. (2020). Trade-off between seed dispersal in space and time. Ecology Letters 23(11): 1635–1642. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13595


Chen S-C*, Wu L-M, Wang B & Dickie JB. (2020). Macroevolutionary patterns in seed component mass and different evolutionary trajectories across seed desiccation responses. New Phytologist 228(2): 770–777. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.16706

Chen S-C*, Dener E, Altman A, Chen F & Giladi I. (2020). Effect of habitat fragmentation on seed dispersal ability of a wind-dispersed annual in an agroecosystem. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 304: 107138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2020.107138

Moles AT*, Laffan SW, Keighery M, Dalrymple RL, Tindall ML & Chen S-C*. (2020). A hairy situation: Plant species in warm, sunny places are more likely to have pubescent leaves. Journal of Biogeography 47(9): 1934–1944. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13870

Chen S-C* & Giladi I. (2020). Variation in morphological traits affects dispersal and seedling emergence in dispersive diaspores of Geropogon hybridus. American Journal of Botany 107(3): 436–444. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1430

Kattge J*, et al. (including Chen S-C). (2020). TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access. Global Change Biology 26(1): 119–188. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14904

Chen S-C*, Pahlevani AH, Malíková L, Riina R, Thomson FJ & Giladi I. (2019). Trade-off or coordination? Correlations between ballochorous and myrmecochorous phases of diplochory. Functional Ecology 33(8): 1469–1479. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13353

Chen S-C*, Tamme R, Thomson FJ & Moles AT*. (2019). Seeds tend to disperse further in the tropics. Ecology Letters 22(6): 954–961. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13255

Wu L-M#, Chen S-C# & Wang B*. (2019). An allometry between seed kernel and seed coat shows greater investment in physical defense in small seeds. American Journal of Botany 106(3): 371–376. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1252

Li N*, Wang Z, Li X-H, Yi X-F, Yan C, Lu C-H & Chen S-C. (2019). Effects of bird traits on seed dispersal of endangered Taxus chinensis (Pilger) Rehd. with ex-situ and in-situ conservation. Forests 10(9): 790. https://doi.org/10.3390/f10090790

Du Y, Yang B, Chen S-C & Ma K*. (2019). Diverging shifts in spring phenology in response to biodiversity loss in a subtropical forest. Journal of Vegetation Science 30(6): 1175–1183. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12806

Zhai D-L, Yu H, Chen S-C, Ranjitkar S & Xu J*. (2019). Responses of rubber leaf phenology to climatic variations in Southwest China. International Journal of Biometeorology 63(5): 607–616. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-017-1448-4

Liu J, Tang J, Chen S-C, Ma W, Zheng Z & Dong T*. (2019). Do tree cavity density and characteristics vary across topographical habitats in the tropics? A case study from Xishuangbanna, southwest China. Silva Fennica 53(1): 10019. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.10019

Chen S-C* & Giladi I. (2018). Allometric relationships between masses of seed functional components. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 35: 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2018.09.005

Chen S-C* & Moles AT. (2018). Factors shaping large-scale gradients in seed physical defence: Seeds are not better defended towards the tropics. Global Ecology and Biogeography 27(4): 417–428. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12704

Liu J-Y, Zheng Z, Xu X, Dong T* & Chen S-C*. (2018). Abundance and distribution of cavity trees and the effect of topography on cavity presence in a tropical rainforest, southwestern China. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 48(9): 1058–1066. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2018-0044

Zhou Y, Chen S-C, Hu G, Mwachala G, Yan X* & Wang Q*. (2018). Species richness and phylogenetic diversity of seed plants across vegetation zones of Mount Kenya, East Africa. Ecology and Evolution 8(17): 8930–8939. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4428

Zhang H*, Bonser SP, Chen S-C, Hitchcock T & Moles AT. (2018). Is the proportion of clonal species higher at higher latitudes in Australia? Austral Ecology 43(1): 69–75. https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.12536

Chen S-C*, Hemmings FA, Chen F & Moles AT. (2017). Plants do not suffer greater losses to seed predation towards the tropics. Global Ecology and Biogeography 26(11): 1283–1291. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12636

Chen S-C*, Cornwell WK, Zhang H-X & Moles AT. (2017). Plants show more flesh in the tropics: Variation in fruit type along latitudinal and climatic gradients. Ecography 40(4): 531–538. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.02010

Chen G*, Huang S-Z, Chen S-C, Chen Y-H, Liu X and Sun W-B*. (2016). Chemical composition of diaspores of the myrmecochorous plant Stemona tuberosa Lour. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 64: 31–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bse.2015.11.009

Dai Z-C, Fu W, Qi S-S, Zhai D-L, Chen S-C, Wan L-Y, Huang P & Du D-L*. (2016). Different responses of an invasive clonal plant Wedelia trilobata and its native congener to gibberellin: Implications for biological invasion. Journal of Chemical Ecology 42(2): 85–94. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-016-0670-6

Chen S-C* & Moles AT. (2015). A mammoth mouthful? A test of the idea that larger animals ingest larger seeds. Global Ecology and Biogeography 24(11): 1269–1280. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12346

Chen S-C, Cannon CH*, Kua C-S, Liu J-J & Galbraith DW. (2014). Genome size variation in the Fagaceae and its implications for trees. Tree Genetics & Genomes 10(4): 977–988. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-014-0736-y

Qi S-S, Dai Z-C, Zhai D-L, Chen S-C, Si C-C, Huang P, Wang R-P, Zhong Q-X & Du D-L*. (2014). Curvilinear effects of invasive plants on plant diversity: plant community invaded by Sphagneticola trilobata. PLOS ONE 9(11): e113964. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0113964