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In the early 20th century, numerous western botanists, often referred to as 'plant hunters', embarked on ambitious expeditions to China, playing a crucial role in the study of botany and botanical diversity. Despite their contributions, comprehensive assessments of their explorations are lacking. To bridge this gap, this article focuses on the work of Joseph Charles Francis Rock, a notable figure in that era. Our work revisits Rock's botanical expeditions within the broader context of botanical diversity conservation. It outlines his historical experiences in collecting plants in China and enumerates the species composition and phenotypic traits of the plants he collected. Additionally, it also analyzes the spatial distribution of the species, the completeness of his collection and the α- and β-diversity of the plants he collected. Our findings reveal that Rock led four major botanical expeditions in China between 1922 and 1933, amassing a total of 28 184 sheets and 16 608 numbers across 204 families, 1081 genera and 4231 species. His focus was predominantly on ornamental species, which exhibit a variety of flower colors and inflorescences. His collection work spanned 5 provinces, 35 cities and 72 counties, with a notable concentration in the Hengduan Mountains, a current biodiversity hotspot. This study not only reconstructs Rock's botanical legacy but also offers valuable historical data and fresh analytical insights for understanding contemporary plant diversity. It contributes to the ongoing discourse on the importance of preserving plant diversity as a cornerstone of environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban greening is the most effective way to regulate the microclimate environment and thermal discomfort. However, despite being an important type of vegetation, relatively few studies have investigated the effect of bamboo on microclimate characteristics and thermal comfort. In this study, the microclimate characteristics and the differences in the thermal comfort provided by common bamboo communities in East China were investigated in summer and winter, and the effects of canopy structure characteristics on microclimate and thermal comfort were analyzed. The results showed that there were significant differences in microclimate between bamboo communities and the control check in summer, but the differences in air temperature in winter were not obvious. In the daytime during summer, the maximum daily average temperature of the bamboo community decreased by 2.6 °C, and the maximum temperature–humidity index (THI) decreased by 1.1 °C. In the daytime during winter, the maximum daily average temperature increased by 0.5 °C and the maximum THI increased by 0.8 °C. Among the different bamboo communities, Sinobambusa tootsik var. laeta and Pseudosasa amabilis had better effects on improving microclimate and thermal comfort, while the effects of Phyllostachys nigra and Phyllostachys heterocycla 'Pubescens' were relatively small. Aspects of canopy structure, especially leaf area index and canopy coverage, had the greatest influence on the microclimate environment, while air temperature made the greatest contribution to thermal comfort. The goal of our study is to quantify the data to confirm the role of bamboo in improving urban climate problems and human comfort and to further select the appropriate bamboo species for urban green spaces and to utilize the ecological benefits of bamboo to optimize the human living environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous development of computer and information technology in the new era, more and more industries have entered the digital era, and parameterization has been widely applied in many industries. However, there is little systematic research on parameterization and plant landscape design. Based on the application of parametric design in various industries, this paper analyzes and obtains enlightenment, puts forward the idea of parametric design of plant landscapes, constructs the logical relationship between parametric design and plant landscape design, organizes the design process, and conceives the operation mode and the theoretical model. This study preliminary explores the combination model of parameterization and plant landscape design, popularizes the feasibility and promotes the industry to gain more understanding and research on parametric design of plant landscapes. To give full play to the advantages of parametric design is not to pursue design automation, but to take it as an auxiliary tool for plant landscape design, as a way of inspection and review, to improve the efficiency and scientificity of plant landscape design, and to promote the further development of landscape architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]