38 scientists from Germany and China gathered together in Kunming during August 5-9 to talk about the Yunnan biodiversity hotspot. The meeting was funded by the Sino-German Center of the Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and was the second the second Sino-German Meeting organized by Xishuangbanan Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG). The theme of the meeting was “The Yunnan Biodiversity Hotspot – Its History and Future Threats”.

   The meeting was jointly hosted by Prof. Zhe-Kun Zhou from XTBG and Prof. Volker Mosbrugger from Senckenberg Research Institute and Museum.

Prof. Hu Huabin, deputy director of XTBG, delivered a welcome speech at the opening ceremony.

The meeting was composed of four symposia: 1. When did the Yunnan hotspot first appear in Earth History, and how did diversity evolve? 2. Main drivers in the evolution of biodiversity. 3. Threats of ecosystems and their diversity. 4. Summary and discussion on achievements of recent research and project planning in breakout groups.

 Prof. Volker Mosbrugger talked about research questions in the Yunnan hotspot from the palaeo-perspective. Prof. Zhou Zhekun presented the floristic and vegetation changes in Yunnan since Miocene.

38 oral presentations were made at the meeting. The presentations covered such topics as palaeobotany, palaeoclimatic research, palaeogeology, palaeoanthropology, geochemistry, fossils, etc.

Prof. Hu Huabin delivers a welcome speech

Prof. Zhou Zhekun presides over the meeting

Prof. Volker Mosbrugger makes presentation

Group photo of participants