Spatiotemporal variations of ecosystem services and driving factors in the Tianchi Bogda Peak Natural Reserve of Xinjiang,China

Nature reserves play a significant role in providing ecosystem services and are key sites for biodiversity conservation.The Tianchi Bogda Peak Natural Reserve(TBPNR),located in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,China,is an important ecological barrier area in the temperate arid zone.The evaluation of its important ecosystem services is of great significance to improve the management level and ecological protection efficiency of the reserve.In the present study,we assessed the spatiotemporal variations of four ecosystem services(including net primary productivity(NPP),water yield,soil conservation,and habitat quality)in the TBPNR from 2000 to 2020 based on the environmental and social data using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs(InVEST)model.In addition,the coldspot and hotspot areas of ecosystem services were identified by hotspot analysis,and the trade-off and synergistic relationships between ecosystem services were analyzed using factor analysis in a geographic detector.During the study period,NPP and soil conservation values in the reserve increased by 48.20%and 25.56%,respectively;conversely,water yield decreased by 16.56%,and there was no significant change in habitat quality.Spatially,both NPP and habitat quality values were higher in the northern part and lower in the southern part,whereas water yield showed an opposite trend.Correlation analysis revealed that NPP showed a synergistic relationship with habitat quality and soil conservation,and exhibited a trade-off relationship with water yield.Water yield and habitat quality also had a trade-off relationship.NPP and habitat quality were affected by annual average temperature and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI),respectively,while water yield and soil conservation were more affected by digital elevation model(DEM).Therefore,attention should be paid to the spatial distribution and dynamics of trade-off and synergistic relationships between ecosystem services in future ecological management.The findings of the present study provide a reference that could facilitate the sustainable utilization of ecosystem services in the typical fragile areas of Northwest China.

Syntheses and properties of associative acrylamide copolymers containing short hydrophobic chains used in a friction reducer for slick-water fracturing

Two allyldimethylalkyl quaternary ammonium salt(AQAS)monomers,N,N-dimethylallylphenylpropylammonium bromide(AQAS1)and N,N-dimethylallylnonylammonium bromide(AQAS2),were synthesized and used to prepare modified polyacrylamide materials.Two new drag reducers were synthesized from acrylamide(AM),sodium acrylate(Na AA)and a cationic modified monomer(AQAS1 or AQAS2)via aqueous solution polymerization,and the copolymers were named P(AM/Na AA/AQAS1)and P(AM/Na AA/AQAS2),respectively.The structures of the drag reduction agents were confirmed by IR and1H NMR spectroscopies.The molecular weight(Mw)of P(AM/Na AA/AQAS1)was 1.79×10^(6)g/mol.When the copolymer concentration was 1000 mg/L and the flow rate was 45 L/min,in fresh water the highest drag reduction rate was 75.8%,in 10,000 mg/L Na Cl solution the drag reduction rate decreased to 72.9%.The molecular weight of P(AM/Na AA/AQAS2)was 3.17×10^(6)g/mol.When the copolymer concentration was500 mg/L and the flow rate was 45 L/min,the drag reduction rate reached 75.2%,and in 10,000 mg/L Na Cl solution the drag reduction rate was 73.3%,decreased by approximately 1.9%.The drag reduction rate for partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide(HPAM)was also investigated,and the results showed that the drag reduction rates for 500 and 1000 mg/L HPAM solutions were merely 43.2%and 49.0%in brine,respectively.Compared with HPAM,both of the above copolymers presented better drag reduction capacities.

Improving the Accuracy of Vegetation Index Retrieval for Biomass by Combining Ground-UAV Hyperspectral Data-A New Method for Inner Mongolia Typical Grasslands

Grassland biomass is an important parameter of grassland ecosystems.The complexity of the grassland canopy vegetation spectrum makes the long-term assessment of grassland growth a challenge.Few studies have explored the original spectral information of typical grasslands in Inner Mongolia and examined the influence of spectral information on aboveground biomass(AGB)estimation.In order to improve the accuracy of vegetation index inversion of grassland AGB,this study combined ground and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV)remote sensing technology and screened sensitive bands through ground hyperspectral data transformation and correlation analysis.The narrow band vegetation indices were calculated,and ground and airborne hyperspectral inversion models were established.Finally,the accuracy of the model was verified.The results showed that:(1)The vegetation indices constructed based on the ASD FieldSpec 4 and the UAV were significantly correlated with the dry and fresh weight of AGB.(2)The comparison between measured R^(2) with the prediction R^(2) indicated that the accuracy of the model was the best when using the Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index(SAVI)as the independent variable in the analysis of AGB(fresh weight/dry weight)and four narrow-band vegetation indices.The SAVI vegetation index showed better applicability for biomass monitoring in typical grassland areas of Inner Mongolia.(3)The obtained ground and airborne hyperspectral data with the optimal vegetation index suggested that the dry weight of AGB has the best fitting effect with airborne hyperspectral data,where y=17.962e^(4.672x),the fitting R^(2) was 0.542,the prediction R^(2)was 0.424,and RMSE and REE were 57.03 and 0.65,respectively.Therefore,established vegetation indices by screening sensitive bands through hyperspectral feature analysis can significantly improve the inversion accuracy of typical grassland biomass in Inner Mongolia.Compared with ground monitoring,airborne hyperspectral monitoring better reflects the inversion of actual surface biomass.It provides a reliable modeling framework for grassland AGB monitoring and scientific and technological support for grazing management.

Responses of arid plant species diversity and composition to environmental factors

An oasis is a unique natural landscape in arid and semi-arid areas,significant for regulating regional microclimates and hydrological processes in deserts.However,little is known regarding the response of natural oasis plants communities to various environmental factors.Nineteen sample plots(50 m×50 m)were selected in the Daliyabuyi Oasis in the Taklimakan Desert hinterland based on the location of groundwater monitoring wells and 76 vegetation quadrats(25 m×25 m)were established.A two-way indicator species analysis,Mantel test,detrended correspondence analysis,canonical correspondence analysis(CCA),and hierarchical partitioning were used to provide an in-depth analysis of community classification,species composition,and environmental interpretation of the oasis.A generalized linear model was used to verify the results which showed that the current oasis community could be divided into four types according to the dominant species,which is controlled by soil moisture.Measurement of species composition and distribution of communities showed significant differences between species diversity of individual community types.Variations in groundwater depth affects patterns of species diversity which is sensitive to richness,while the degree of surface water disturbance affects the pattern of species evenness.Moreover,the CCA ordination map showed that community distribution and diversity characteristics have their own preferences in habitat gradients.The study concluded that the species dominance of the community and the composition and distribution are not dominated by a single factor.There are differences in the scale and effect of different water resource types in maintaining community characteristics.

Effects of Typical Soil and Stratification Thickness on Water Infiltration Characteristics in Central Ningxia

In order to compare the influence of different soil types and stratification on water infiltration capacity,two main types of soil in the desert steppe,sierozem(S)and aeolian sandy soil(A),were selected,and infiltration simulation tests were conducted on homogeneous soil and layered soil(layer thickness 5,10,and 20 cm),respectively.The results show that during the whole experiment,there was a small difference between S5A95(aeolian sandy soil 95 cm thick was covered with sierozem 5 cm thick)and S10A90(aeolian sandy soil 90 cm thick was covered with sierozem 10 cm thick)in the wetting front process,infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration,but there was a significant difference between S5A95 and S20A80(aeolian sandy soil 80 cm thick was covered with sierozem 20 cm thick).In the initial infiltration stage,there was no significant difference between A5S95(sierozem 95 cm thick was covered with aeolian sandy soil 5 cm thick)and A10S90(sierozem 90 cm thick was covered with aeolian sandy soil 10 cm thick).However,with the increase of infiltration time,the wetting front process,A5S95,A10S90 and A20S80 had significant differences in terms of wetting front process,infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration.The infiltration capacity of A was significantly higher than that of S.Combined with linear R 2 value and model parameters,the three infiltration models were comprehensively compared,and the fitting process and results of the general empirical model for the infiltration process of homogeneous soil and layered soil showed good results.Three models were used to simulate the water infiltration process of layered soil with different textures,and the order of the effect is as follows:general empirical model>Kostiakov model>Philip model.Soil type and layer thickness had a great influence on water infiltration process.When sierozem was covered with aeolian sandy soil 20 cm thick,the infiltration capacity was the best.As aeolian sandy soil was covered with sierozem 10 cm thick,the infiltration effect was the worst.Therefore,once coarse graying occurs on the surface of sierozem(the thickness of sand is more than 20 cm)or when the content of fine particles overlying aeolian sandy soil(the thickness of silt and clay soil is more than 10 cm)during ecological restoration is high,the soil hydrological characteristics will change significantly,which may lead to changes in vegetation types and even ecosystem structure.

Nutrient resorption and its influencing factors of typical desert plants in different habitats on the northern margin of the Tarim Basin, China

The resorption of nutrients from senescent leaves allows plants to conserve and recycle nutrients. To explore the adaptation strategies of desert plants to nutrient-limited environments, we selected four typical desert plants(Populus euphratica Oliv., Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb., Glycyrrhiza inflata Batal., and Alhagi camelorum Fisch.) growing in the desert area of the northern margin of the Tarim Basin,China. The contents of nitrogen(N), phosphorus(P), potassium(K), calcium(Ca), magnesium(Mg), and Ferrum(Fe) in the leaves of these four typical desert plants and their resorption characteristics were analyzed. The relationship of nutrient resorption efficiency with leaf functional traits and soil physical-chemical properties in two different habitats(saline-alkali land and sandy land) was discussed.The results showed that the four plants resorbed most of the elements. Ca was enriched in the leaves of P.euphratica, G. inflate, and A. camelorum;Mg was enriched in the leaves of G. inflata;and Fe was enriched in the leaves of the four plants. The results of the redundancy analysis showed that leaf thickness, soil electrical conductivity, and soil P content were the major factors affecting the nutrient resorption efficiency of the four plants. Leaf thickness was negatively correlated with N resorption efficiency(NRE),P resorption efficiency, and Fe resorption efficiency;soil electrical conductivity was positively correlated with the resorption efficiency of most elements;and soil P content was negatively correlated with the resorption efficiency of most elements in the plant leaves. The results showed that soil physical-chemical properties and soil nutrient contents had an important impact on the nutrient resorption of plant leaves.The same species growing in different habitats also differed in their resorption of different elements. The soil environment of plants and the biological characteristics of plant leaves affected the resorption of nutrient elements in different plants. The purpose of this study is to provide small-scale data support for the protection of ecosystems in nutrient-deficient areas by studying leaf functional strategies and nutrient conservation mechanisms of several typical desert plants.

Reclamation during oasification is conducive to the accumulation of the soil organic carbon pool in arid land

Soil organic carbon(SOC)and its stable isotope composition reflect key information about the carbon cycle in ecosystems.Studies of carbon fractions in oasis continuous cotton-cropped fields can elucidate the SOC stability mechanism under the action of the human-land relationship during the oasification of arid land,which is critical for understanding the carbon dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems in arid lands under global climate change.In this study,we investigated the Alar Reclamation Area on the northern edge of the Tarim Basin,Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China,in 2020.In original desert and oasis farmlands with different reclamation years,including 6,10,18,and 30 a,and different soil depths(0-20,20-40,40-60 cm),we analyzed the variations in SOC,very liable carbon(C_(VL)),liable carbon(C_(L)),less liable carbon(C_(LL)),and non-liable carbon(C_(NL))using the method of spatial series.The differences in the stable carbon isotope ratio(δ^(13)C)and beta(β)values reflecting the organic carbon decomposition rate were also determined during oasification.Through redundancy analysis,we derived and discussed the relationships among SOC,carbon fractions,δ^(13)C,and other soil physicochemical properties,such as the soil water content(SWC),bulk density(BD),pH,total salt(TS),total nitrogen(TN),available phosphorus(AP),and available potassium(AK).The results showed that there were significant differences in SOC and carbon fractions of oasis farmlands with different reclamation years,and the highest SOC was observed at the oasis farmland with 30-a reclamation year.C_(VL),C_(L),C_(LL),and C_(NL) showed significant changes among oasis farmlands with different reclamation years,and C_(VL) had the largest variation range(0.40-4.92 g/kg)and accounted for the largest proportion in the organic carbon pool.The proportion of C_(NL) in the organic carbon pool of the topsoil(0-20 cm)gradually increased.δ^(13)C varied from-25.61‰to-22.58‰,with the topsoil showing the most positive value at the oasis farmland with 10-a reclamation year;while theβvalue was the lowest at the oasis farmland with 6-a reclamation year and then increased significantly.Based on the redundancy analysis results,the soil physicochemical properties,such as TN,AP,AK,and pH,were significantly correlated with C_(L),and TN and AP were positively correlated with C_(VL).However,δ^(13)C was not significantly influenced by soil physicochemical properties.Our analysis advances the understanding of SOC dynamics during oasification,revealing the risk of soil carbon loss and its contribution to terrestrial carbon accumulation in arid lands,which could be useful for the sustainable development of regional carbon resources and ecological protection in arid ecosystem.

Mercury accumulation,distribution,and isotopic composition in tissues of the Collared Scops Owl(Otus lettia)

Mercury is a ubiquitous contaminant known to accumulate in wildlife,particularly bird species at higher trophic levels.Knowledge of tissue-specific Hg distributions aids our understanding of Hg bioaccumulation in organisms.In this study,one adult and three juvenile Collared Scops Owls(Otus lettia)were studied to elucidate the bioaccumulation of Hg in body tissues.Six tissues and organs(feathers,nails,heart,liver,gizzard,and muscle),as well as gastric contents,were examined for total Hg(THg)and methylmercury(MeHg)contents,Hg isotopic compositions including mass-dependent fractionation(MDF;δ202Hg)and mass-independent fractionation(MIF;Δ199Hg andΔ201Hg),and C(δ13C)and N(δ15N)isotopic compositions.Tissue-specific THg and MeHg concentrations in the adult were in the ranges of 150–1360 ng/g and17–1060 ng/g,and lower in the juveniles at 91–419 ng/g and 67–350 ng/g,respectively.Theδ^(202)Hg values in the adult were strongly negative at-1.75‰±0.17‰compared with the juveniles at-0.99‰±0.25‰.The adult exhibited lower MIF values than the juveniles,at0.23‰±0.07‰forΔ^(199)Hg and 0.2‰±0.11‰forΔ^(201)Hg,comparedwith0.81‰±0.09‰and0.66‰±0.07‰,respectively.The lower adult MDF and MIF values suggest that the adult tended to accumulate negative Hg isotopes but the juvenile's positive Hg isotopes.Differences between adult and juvenile tissue Hg concentrations indicate that metabolic processes play an important role in Hg accumulation.

Trunk volume estimation of irregular shaped Populus euphratica riparian forest using TLS point cloud data and multivariate prediction models

Background: Trunk volume(Vt) is an essential parameter for estimating forest stand volume, biomass, and carbon sequestration potential. As the dominant tree species in desert riparian forests, Euphrates poplar(Populus euphratica) has a high proportion of irregularly shaped tree trunks along the Tarim River, NW China, where the habitat is very fragile owing to long-term water stress. This causes uncertainty in estimation accuracy as well as technical challenges for forest surveys. Our study aimed to acquire P. euphratica Vtusing terrestrial laser scanning(TLS) and to establish a species-specific Vtprediction model.Methods: A total of 240 individual trees were measured by TLS multiple-station in 12 sampling plots in three sections along the lower reaches of the Tarim River. Vtwas calculated by a definite integration method using trunk diameters(Di) at every 0.1-m tree height obtained from TLS, and all data were split randomly into two sets:70% of data were used to estimate the model parameter calibration, and the remaining 30% were used for model validation. Sixteen widely used candidate tree Vtestimation models were fitted to the TLS-measured Vtand tree structural parameter data, including tree height(H), diameter at breast height(DBH), and basal diameter(BD). All model performances were evaluated and compared by the statistical parameters of determination coefficient(R^(2)),root mean square error(RMSE), Bayesian information criterion(BIC), mean prediction error(ME), mean absolute error(MAE), and modeling efficiency(EF), and accordingly the best model was selected.Results: TLS point cloud reflection intensity(RI) has advantageous in the extraction of data from irregular tree trunk structures. The P. euphratica tree Vtvalues showed obvious differences at the same tree height(H). There was no significant correlation between Vtand H(R^(2)=0.11, P < 0.01), which reflected the irregularity of P. euphratica trunk shape in the study area. Among all the models, model(14): Vt=0.909DBH1.184H0.487BD0.836(R^(2)=0.97, RMSE=0.14) had the best prediction capability for irregularly shaped Vtwith the highest R^(2), BIC(-37.96), and EF(0.96), and produced a smaller ME(0.006) and MAE(1.177) compared to other models. The prediction accuracy was 93.18%.Conclusions: TLS point cloud RI has a potential for nondestructively measuring irregularly shaped trunk structures of P. euphratica and developed Vtprediction models. The multivariate models more effectively predicted Vtfor irregularly shaped trees compared to one-way and general volume models.

Effects of Combined Application of Biochar-based Organic Fertilizer and Reduced Nitrogen Fertilizer on Soil Enzyme Activity and Yield of Purple Cabbage(Brassica oleracea var.capita rubra)in Yuanmou County

[Objectives]In response to the issue of soil improvement in Yuanmou County,the effects of combined application of biochar-based organic fertilizer and reduced nitrogen fertilizer on soil nutrients,soil enzyme activity,and yield of purple cabbage(Brassica oleracea var.capita rubra)were investigated in the field base of Institute of Thermal Zone Ecological Agriculture,Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Yuanmou County.[Methods]A total of 13 treatments were set up by applying biochar-based organic fertilizer at three levels of 15,30 and 45 t/hm^(2)(T_(1),T_(2),T_(3)),combined with top application of nitrogen fertilizer(urea)at four levels:375(N_1),300(N_(2)),225(N_(3))and 0 kg/hm^(2),with non-fertilizing treatment as control check(CK),in order to explore the optimal ratio for the combined application of biochar-based organic fertilizer with nitrogen fertilizer.[Results]The application of biochar-based organic fertilizer could significantly improve soil nutrients,enzyme activity,and purple cabbage yield.The improvement effect of combined application with nitrogen fertilizer was higher than that of single application of biochar-based organic fertilizer,and the improvement effect was enhanced with the application amount of biochar-based organic fertilizer increasing.The contents of organic matter and total nitrogen were the highest in treatment T_(3)N_(3),of which the values increased by 81.39%and 56.09%compared with the CK,respectively.The contents of soil hydrolyzable nitrogen,available phosphorus,and available potassium were all the highest under treatment T_(3)N_(2),with increases of 92.76%,171.01%and 235.50%,respectively.There was a significant positive correlation between the activity of soil catalase,urease,and sucrase and organic matter,total nitrogen,and available nutrients.The overall soil enzyme activity was relatively higher in treatment T_(3)N_(2).The yield of purple cabbage treated with biochar-based organic fertilizer combined with nitrogen fertilizer could reach 85750 kg/hm^(2),which was 94.78%higher than that treated with biochar-based organic fertilizer alone.Based on comprehensive analysis,the optimal combination ratio was 45 t/hm^(2)of biochar-based organic fertilizer and 300 kg/hm^(2)of urea(T_(3)N_(2)).[Conclusions]This study provides data support for the promotion of biochar-based organic fertilizers and reduced fertilizer in agricultural soil in the Dam area of Yuanmou County.

Spatial distribution of soil salinization under the influence of human activities in arid areas,China

The Hotan Prefecture of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,China belongs to arid desert climate,with significant soil salinization issues.The study selected six rivers in Hotan Prefecture(Pishan,Qaraqash,Yurungqash,Celle,Kriya,and Niya rivers)to explore the spatial distribution of soil salinization in this area and its underlying mechanisms.Sampling was conducted along each river's watershed,from the Gobi in the upper reaches,through the anthropogenic impact area in the middle reaches,to the desert area in the lower reaches.Soil physical-chemical indicators,including total soluble salts,pH,K+,Na+,Ca2+,Mg2+,SO42-,Cl-,CO32-,HCO3-,organic matter,available nitrogen,available phosphorus,and available potassium,were tested,along with the total dissolved solids of surface water and groundwater.The results revealed that the soil water and nutrient contents in anthropogenic impact area were higher than those in Gobi and desert areas,while the pH and total soluble salts were lower than those in Gobi and desert areas.The ions in the soil of the study area were primarily Cl-,SO42-,K+,and Na+,and the ion concentration of soil salt were positively correlated with surface water and groundwater.Overall,the study area exhibited low soil water content,low clay content,infertile soil,and high soil salinization,dominated by weak to moderate chloride-sulfate types.Compared with Gobi and desert areas,the soil in anthropogenic impact area had higher soil water content,lower pH,lower soluble salts,and higher nutrients,indicating that human farming activities help mitigate salinization.These findings have practical implications for guiding the scientific prevention and control of soil salinization in the arid areas and for promoting sustainable agricultural development.

Diverse responses of fungal functional groups to desertification in forest soils of Pinus densata on the Chinese Tibetan plateau

Rapid increase in desertification is an environ-mental concern,especially for the health and sustainabil-ity of ecosystems in changing climates.How ecosystems respond to such changes may be partially understood by studying interactions and performance of critically impor-tant groups such as soil fungi functional groups.This study investigated variations in diversities of three soil fungi functional guilds(saprotrophic,symbiotic,pathogenic)and influencing abiotic factors in a Pinus densata forest on the southeast Tibetan Plateau where desertification is intense.The results indicate desertification significantly decreased the proportion of dominant fungal guild-symbiotic fungi(mean relative abundance decreasing from 97.0%to 68.3%),in contrast to saprotrophic fungi(increasing from 2.7%to 25.7%)and pathogenic(from 0.3%to 5.9%).Soil pH had the most significant impact on fungal community structure and negatively correlated with symbiotic fungal richness,which was significantly lower in arid soils,and positively correlated with saprotrophic and pathogenic fungal alpha-diversity,which were abundant.Different community struc-tures and regulators of the three fungi communities were observed,with pH,total phosphorus and ammonium(NH_(4)^(+))as the main determinants.This study links the biotic and abi-otic components during desertification and the interactions between them,and may be used as indicators of ecosystem health and for amendments to mitigate the effects of a chang-ing climate.

Evaluating the relative importance of predictors in Generalized Additive Models using the gam.hp R package

Generalized Additive Models(GAMs)are widely employed in ecological research,serving as a powerful tool for ecologists to explore complex nonlinear relationships between a response variable and predictors.Nevertheless,evaluating the relative importance of predictors with concurvity(analogous to collinearity)on response variables in GAMs remains a challenge.To address this challenge,we developed an R package named gam.hp.gam.hp calculates individual R^(2) values for predictors,based on the concept of'average shared variance',a method previously introduced for multiple regression and canonical analyses.Through these individual R^(2)s,which add up to the overall R^(2),researchers can evaluate the relative importance of each predictor within GAMs.We illustrate the utility of the gam.hp package by evaluating the relative importance of emission sources and meteorological factors in explaining ozone concentration variability in air quality data from London,UK.We believe that the gam.hp package will improve the interpretation of results obtained from GAMs.

Predicting changes in the suitable habitats of six halophytic plant species in the arid areas of Northwest China

In the context of changes in global climate and land uses,biodiversity patterns and plant species distributions have been significantly affected.Soil salinization is a growing problem,particularly in the arid areas of Northwest China.Halophytes are ideal for restoring soil salinization because of their adaptability to salt stress.In this study,we collected the current and future bioclimatic data released by the WorldClim database,along with soil data from the Harmonized World Soil Database(v1.2)and A Big Earth Data Platform for Three Poles.Using the maximum entropy(MaxEnt)model,the potential suitable habitats of six halophytic plant species(Halostachys caspica(Bieb.)C.A.Mey.,Halogeton glomeratus(Bieb.)C.A.Mey.,Kalidium foliatum(Pall.)Moq.,Halocnemum strobilaceum(Pall.)Bieb.,Salicornia europaea L.,and Suaeda salsa(L.)Pall.)were assessed under the current climate conditions(average for 1970-2000)and future(2050s,2070s,and 2090s)climate scenarios(SSP245 and SSP585,where SSP is the Shared Socio-economic Pathway).The results revealed that all six halophytic plant species exhibited the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values higher than 0.80 based on the MaxEnt model,indicating the excellent performance of the MaxEnt model.The suitability of the six halophytic plant species significantly varied across regions in the arid areas of Northwest China.Under different future climate change scenarios,the suitable habitat areas for the six halophytic plant species are expected to increase or decrease to varying degrees.As global warming progresses,the suitable habitat areas of K.foliatum,S.salsa,and H.strobilaceum exhibited an increasing trend.In contrast,the suitable habitat areas of H.glomeratus,S.europaea,and H.caspica showed an opposite trend.Furthermore,considering the ongoing global warming trend,the centroids of the suitable habitat areas for various halophytic plant species would migrate to different degrees,and four halophytic plant species,namely,S.salsa,H.strobilaceum,H.glomeratus,and H.capsica,would migrate to higher latitudes.Temperature,precipitation,and soil factors affected the possible distribution ranges of these six halophytic plant species.Among them,precipitation seasonality(coefficient of variation),precipitation of the warmest quarter,mean temperature of the warmest quarter,and exchangeable Na+significantly affected the distribution of halophytic plant species.Our findings are critical to comprehending and predicting the impact of climate change on ecosystems.The findings of this study hold significant theoretical and practical implications for the management of soil salinization and for the utilization,protection,and management of halophytes in the arid areas of Northwest China.

Environmental Drivers and Spatial Prediction of the Critically Endangered Species Thuja sutchuenensis in Sichuan-Chongqing,China

Identifying the ecological environment suitable for the growth of Thuja sutchuenensis and predicting other potential distribution areas are essential to protect this endangered species. After selecting 24 environmental factors thatcould affect the distribution of T. sutchuenensis, including climate, topography, soil and Normalized DifferenceVegetation Index (NDVI), we adopted the Random Forest-MaxEnt integrated model to analyze our data. Basedon the Random Forest study, the contribution of the mean temperature of the warmest quarter, mean temperatureof the coldest quarter, annual mean temperature and mean temperature of the driest quarter was large. Based onMaxEnt model prediction outputs, the potential distribution map not only identified areas that originallyrecorded T. sutchuenensis, such as Xuanhan County, Kai County and Chengkou County, but also identified highlysuitable distribution areas where T. sutchuenensis may exist, including Wanyuan County, Sichuan Province, andthe junction of Chongqing and Hubei Province. This provides a more explicit geographic range for ex situ conservation and reintroduction of T. sutchuenensis. Our results also indicate that, in addition to climate factors,topography and soil factors are also important environmental factors that affect distribution. This provides a theoretical basis for subsequent laboratory construction to simulate the indoor growth of T. sutchuenensis.

Bibliometric analysis and systematic review of electrochemical methods for environmental remediation

Electrochemical methods are increasingly favored for remediating polluted environments due to their environmental compatibility and reagent-saving features.However,a comprehensive understanding of recent progress,mechanisms,and trends in thesemethods is currently lacking.Web of Science(WoS)databases were utilized for searching the primary data to understand the knowledge structure and research trends of publications on electrochemical methods and to unveil certain hotspots and future trends of electrochemical methods research.The original data were sampled from 9080 publications in those databases with the search deadline of June 1st,2022.CiteSpace and VOSviewer software facilitated data visualization and analysis of document quantities,source journals,institutions,authors,and keywords.We discussed principles,influencing factors,and progress related to seven major electrochemicalmethods.Notably,publications on this subject have experienced significant growth since 2007.The most frequently-investigated areas in electrochemical methods included novel materials development,heavy metal remediation,organic pollutant degradation,and removal mechanism identification.“Advanced oxidation process”and“Nanocomposite”are currently trending topics.The major remediation mechanisms are adsorption,oxidation,and reduction.The efficiency of electrochemical systems is influenced by material properties,system configuration,electron transfer efficiency,and power density.Electro-Fenton exhibits significant advantages in achieving synergistic effects of anodic oxidation and electro-adsorption among the seven techniques.Future research should prioritize the improvement of electron transfer efficiency,the optimization of electrode materials,the exploration of emerging technology coupling,and the reduction in system operation and maintenance costs.

Mapping the spatial distribution of fossil geothermal manifestations and assessment of geothermal potential of the Tangyin rift,Southeast of Taihang Mountain in China

The spatial prediction of geothermal sites along the southeast side of Taihang Mountain in the Tangyin rift is a critical goal in the development of renewable energy resources in cities such as Hebi in Henan province,which has significant potential for geothermal energy production due to the existence of deep faults and Cenozoic volcano.The study aimed to delineate areas with high geothermal manifestations for detailed geothermal exploration and well-test drilling.To define favorable zones for geothermal potentiality,multi-source datasets were chosen to generate evidence thematic layers that demonstrate the distribution of geothermal anomalies such as geologic maps,structural maps,Land Surface Temperature maps(LST),and hydrothermal mineral alterations maps.The remote sensing and Geographical Information System(GIS)approaches were integrated to map fossil geothermal manifestations and appraise the promising geothermal zones from Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS and Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer-Digital Elevation Model(ASTER-DEM)dataset using the Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP),which is one of the Mult-criteria Decision Making methods.Results show LST values ranging from 22.6℃ to 45.4℃,with the highest values found along the faults and volcanic areas.The hydrothermal alteration minerals discriminated from band ratios of 4/2,6/5,and 6/7 for iron oxide,ferrous minerals,and clays reveal the presence of high amount of montmorillonite and illite minerals along the faults and volcanoes which are related to hot fluid circulation from subsurface.Structural analysis shows that the major structural trend follows the NNE Tangdong and Tangxi faults,with high density on the west side of the Tangxi fault where there is good exposure of outcrop but less fault density on the east side due to sedimentation in a low land which may conceal geological structures.Lastly,all the thematic layers of geothermal factors were reclassified,ranked,and integrated by the weight overlay logic model based on the influence of geothermal suitability to map potential areas for geothermal resources whereby 5 zones were obtained ranging from very poor to very good.The promising potential sites are mostly found along the highly deep structures of the major Tangxi fault crosscutting the permeable lithology of carbonate rocks and around the Hebi volcanoes.The distribution of hot springs and geothermal wells of the Hebi field were correlated and verified against the potential geothermal anomalies map.The overall integrated method proposes an advanced technique for designing the Tangyin rift’s exploration plan and development actions for geothermal resources utilization,which can be used for exploration of any unveiling geothermal potential sites.

Machine learning-based estimates of aboveground biomass of subalpine forests using Landsat 8 OLI and Sentinel-2B images in the Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve,Eastern Tibet Plateau

Accurate estimates of forest aboveground biomass(AGB)are critical for supporting strategies of ecosystem conservation and climate change mitigation.The Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve,located in Eastern Tibet Plateau,has rich forest resources on steep slopes and is very sensitive to climate change but plays an important role in the regulation of regional carbon cycles.However,an estimation of AGB of subalpine forests in the Nature Reserve has not been carried out and whether a global biomass model is available has not been determined.To provide this information,Landsat 8 OLI and Sentinel-2B data were combined to estimate subalpine forest AGB using linear regression,and two machine learning approaches–random forest and extreme gradient boosting,with 54 inventory plots.Regardless of forest type,Observed AGB of the Reserve varied from 61.7 to 475.1 Mg hawith an average of 180.6 Mg ha.Results indicate that integrating the Landsat 8 OLI and Sentinel-2B imagery significantly improved model efficiency regardless of modelling approaches.The results highlight a potential way to improve the prediction of forest AGB in mountainous regions.Modelled AGB indicated a strong spatial variability.However,the modelled biomass varied greatly with global biomass products,indicating that global biomass products should be evaluated in regional AGB estimates and more field observations are required,particularly for areas with complex terrain to improve model accuracy.

Plant Regeneration from Immature Inflorescence Culture and Genetic Transformation of Wheatgrass(Agropyron cristatum×A. desertorum cv. Hycrest-Mengnong)

The plants of hybrid wheatgrass （A. cristatum×A. desertorum cv. Hycrest-Mengnong） were directly induced from embryogenic callus regenerated from immature inflorescence. Immature inflorescence was cultured on improved MS medium containing 2.0-3.0 mg L^-1 2,4-D to regenerate callus. The calli were then transferred to hormone-free MS medium for differentiation and 1/2 MS medium for rooting. Results showed that callus initiation frequency was 83.4% and plant regeneration frequency was 59.6%. Phosphinothricin acetyltransferase （bar） gene was transformed into the hybrid wheatgrass by particle bombardment. Resistant callus was obtained using selecting agent, herbicide glufosinate of 0.5 mg L^-1, and some transgenic plants were recovered in vitro. The transgenic plants were identified by PCR and Southern blot analysis and these plants developed normally in the glufosinate medium, whereas the nontransgenic plants did not. The results demonstrated that bar cDNA integrated into the genomic DNA of the transgenic plants. The transgenic frequencies of bar gene were 1.1%.

Spatiotemporal variation and correlation of soil enzyme activities and soil physicochemical properties in canopy gaps of the Tianshan Mountains,Northwest China

The study of the heterogeneity of soil enzyme activities at different sampling locations in canopy gaps will help understand the influence mechanism of canopy gaps on soil ecological processes.In this paper,we analyzed the spatiotemporal variation of soil enzyme activities and soil physicochemical properties at different sampling locations(closed canopy,expanded edge,canopy edge,gap center)in different sampling time(December,February,April,June,August,and October)on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains,Northwest China.The results showed that soil catalase,cellulase,sucrase,and acid phosphatase activities were relatively high from June to October and low from December to April,and most of soil enzyme activities were higher at closed canopy than at gap center.Soil urease activity was high during December-February.The soil temperature reached the highest value during June-August and was relatively high at gap center in October,December,and February.Soil water content was significantly higher in December and April than in other months.Soil bulk density was higher at gap center than at closed canopy in December.Soil pH and soil electrical conductivity in most months were higher at closed canopy than at gap center.Soil organic carbon,soil total nitrogen,and soil total phosphorus were generally higher at gap center than at closed canopy.Furthermore,sampling time played a leading role in the dynamic change of soil enzyme activity.The key factors affecting soil enzyme activity were soil temperature and soil water content,which were governed by canopy gaps.These results provide important support for further understanding the influence mechanism of forest ecosystem management and conservation on the Tianshan Mountains.