On Reserves of Hippophae rhamnoides L. Fruit on the Territory of the Zarafshan National Nature Park of Uzbekistan

The article is devoted to the study of stocks of Hippophae rhamnoides fruits on the territory of the Zarafshan National Park. Hippophae rhamnoides is a medicinal plant. This species is a naturally distributed plant. All parts of Hippophae rhamnoides are a source of biologically active substances, especially flavonoids, carotenoids, phytosterols and others. In the course of field studies, 10 monitoring sites were selected in the size of 10 × 10 m, and the productivity of one site in the amount of 10 × 10 averaged 51.33 ± 8.24 kg. According to the results obtained, it was revealed that the biological reserve averages 21.9 tons, respectively, the operational reserve is 13.14 tons and the volume of annual harvesting averages 1.31 tons. When the water level of the Zarafshan River rises, some plants are damaged.

Assessment of habitat suitability of the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) in Qomolangma National Nature Reserve based on MaxEnt modeling

Habitat evaluation constitutes an important and fundamental step in the management of wildlife populations and conservation policy planning. Geographic information system （GIS） and species presence data provide the means by which such evaluation can be done. Maximum Entropy （MaxEnt） is widely used in habitat suitability modeling due to its power of accuracy and additional descriptive properties To survey snow leopard populations in Qomolangma （Mt. Everest） National Nature Reserve （QNNR）, Xizang （Tibet）, China, we pooled 127 pugmarks, 415 scrape marks, and 127 non-invasive identifications of the animal along line transects and recorded 87 occurrences through camera traps from 2014-2017. We adopted the MaxEnt model to generate a map highlighting the extent of suitable snow leopard habitat in QNNR. Results showed that the accuracy of the MaxEnt model was excellent （mean AUC=0.921）. Precipitation in the driest quarter, ruggedness, elevation, maximum temperature of the warmest month, and annual mean temperature were the main environmental factors influencing habitat suitability for snow leopards, with contribution rates of 20.0%, 14.4%, 13.3%, 8.7%, and 8.2% respectively The suitable habitat area extended for 7 001.93 km^2, representing 22.72% of the whole reserve. The regions bordering Nepal were the main suitable snow leopard habitats and consisted of three separate habitat patches Our findings revealed that precipitation, temperature conditions, ruggedness, and elevations of around 4 000 m a.s.I, influenced snow leopard preferences at the landscape level in QNNR. We advocate further research and cooperation with Nepal to evaluate habitat connectivity and to explore possible proxies of population isolation among these patches. Furthermore, evaluation of subdivisions within the protection zones of QNNR is necessary to improve conservation strategies and enhance protection.

Rhizosphere and bulk soil enzyme activities in a Nothotsuga longibracteata forest in the Tianbaoyan National Nature Reserve,Fujian Province,China

The rhizosphere, distinct from bulk soil, is defined as the volume of soil around living roots and influenced by root activities. We investigated protease, invertase, cellulase, urease, and acid phosphatase activities in rhizosphere and bulk soils of six Nothotsuga longibracteata forest communities within Tianbaoyan National Nature Reserve, including N. longibracteata ＋ either Phyllostachys pubescens, Schima superba, Rhododendron simiarum, Cunninghamia lanceolata, or Cyclobalanopsis glauca, and N. longibracteata pure forest. Rhizosphere soils possessed higher protease, invertase, cellulase, urease, and acid phosphatase activities than bulk soils. The highest invertase, urease, and acid phosphatase activities were observed in rhizosphere samples of N. longibracteata ＋ S. superba. Protease was highest in the N. longibracteata ＋ R. simiarum rhizosphere, while cellulase was highest in the pure N. longibracteata forest rhizosphere. All samples exhibited obvious rhizosphere effects on enzyme activities with a significant linear correlation between acid phosphatase and cellulase activities （p 〈 0.05） in rhizosphere soils and between protease and acid phosphatase activities （p 〈 0.05） in bulk soils. A principal component analysis, correlating 13 soil chemical properties indices relevant to enzyme activities, showed that protease, invertase, acid phosphatase, total N, and cellulase were the most important variables impacting rhizosphere soil quality.

Stability of Land-use/Land-cover in National Nature Reserves of Jilin Province, China

National nature reserves are an important part of classification management on ecological protection in China. Taking the national nature reserves of Jilin Province as examples, this paper introduced the stability index by referring to the intensity model of landuse and land-cover change(LUCC), and analyzed the overall stability of land-use and land-cover(LULC) in the study area from the time interval level and land category level. The stability of LULC in different types of nature reserves was tracked and identified by extracting land-use change trajectory, and the land-use change trajectory was divided into three types: stable type, sub-stable type and unstable type. The impact of LUCC on regional ecosystem services was studied by using hotspot analysis and gravity center analysis. The results showed that: 1) The LULC in the study area was stable on the whole, and the proportion of stable land area reached 86.08%. The intensity of LUCC showed an increasing trend in recent 20 years, and the conversion of cultivated land and construction land was active in continuous time interval. 2) The stability of LULC in forest ecological reserves and wildlife reserves in the eastern part of Jilin Province was the highest, while that in inland wetland reserves and geological relic reserves in the central and western part of Jilin Province was lower.3) The LUCC in national nature reserves not only changed the value of its own ecosystem service function, but also affected the ecosystem service function of the whole region. The combination of intensity analysis and land-use change trajectory was used to identify the characteristics of stability of LULC in nature reserves, which was conducive to deeply understand the process of LUCC in national nature reserves and provided reasonable suggestions for regional ecological protection.

Study on the Current Situation and Protection Countermeasures of Wild Plant Resources in Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve

[Objective] The aim was to study the current situation and protection countermeasures of wild plant resources in Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve. [Method] The current situation of wild plant resources in Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve was researched by means of route survey, sample plot survey and literature survey, and then the main impact factors of wild plant resources were analyzed by using participatory rural appraisal and problem tree analysis, finally protection countermeasures were put forward according to current situation and main impact factors. [Result] There were 2 779 species of vascular plants belonging to 214 families and 1 012 genera (including subfamilies and varieties) in Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, among them, there existed 261 species of pteridophyte belonging to 41 families and 91 genera, 14 species of gymnosperm belonging to 6 families and 6 genera, and 2 504 species of angiosperm belonging to 167 families and 915 genera. Wild plant resources in reserve were mainly affected by planting under forest, habitat fragmentation, cutting trees, collection and utilization of no-timber products, development of animal husbandry, insufficient recognition of community residents to reserve management establishment and lots of floating population. In the future, wild plant resources in reserve could be protected through strengthening propaganda, education and management, enforcing the law strictly and other countermeasures. [Conclusion] The study could provide theoretical foundation for the protection of wild plant resources in Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve.

Winter habitat use of snow leopards in Tomur National Nature Reserve of Xinjiang,Northwest China

Snow leopards are one of the least known large cats, the population of which has dramatically de- creased. Their habitat loss was considered the main reason for the decline during the last decade, but their habitat preferences are still not well known. In this paper, we studied the winter habitat preferences of snow leopards in the Tomur National Nature Reserve （TNNR） in Northwest China during 2004-2005. We used sign surveys and tran- sects to study the winter habitat selection of snow leopards. The results indicated that snow leopards showed a preference for habitat variabilities in slope aspect, vegetation cover, dominant topographical features, landform ruggedness and grazing status. We found that prey availability and dominant topographical features were the most important factors that determined the winter habitat selection of snow leopards. Our results supported the idea that the habitat preferences of snow leopards are a tradeoff between suitable habitat features and avoidance of potential human interactions.

Non-use value assessment for wetland ecosystem service of Hongxing National Nature Reserve in northeast China

By the contingent value method, we studied the non-use value of wetland ecosystem service of Hongxing National Nature Reserve （HNNR） in Heilongjiang Pro- vince, northeast China. The proportion of respondents willing to pay （WTP） for protection of HNNR was 63 %. The WTP ratio was affected by geographical area, contact nature, personal preferences, and familiar degree of the respondents. The WTP value was affected by age, education level and career of the respondents. The mainly reasons for people rejecting to pay for protecting HNNR were ＂I am not familiar to HNNR＂ and ＂I had no capacity for additional spending because of low income＂. Weighted average individual WTP value was CNY 59.26 Yuan ind.^-1 year^-1 for all the respondents with WTP. The total non-use ecosystem service value of HNNR was CNY 1430 million Yuan in 2013. The heritage value was highest followed by existence value and option value. From the high ecosystem service value in HNNR, it is very important to construct nature reserve for protecting natural ecosystems and human sustainable use of natural resources.

Spatial variations of Pb in the vertical zone of the soil-plant system in the Changbai Mountain National Nature Reserve

The characteristics of vertical and horizontal variations of lead element(Pb) in soil plant system of vertical zone in Changbai Mountain National Nature Reserve(CNNR) were studied. The results showed that Pb concentrations in soils of vertical zone are all above 25 mg/kg, and the average Pb concentration of each soil zone negatively correlates its degree of variation, i.e. brown coniferous forest soil zone has the lowest average Pb concentration of four soil zones, and the highest horizontal variation; however, mountain soddy forest soil has the highest average Pb concentration, and the lowest horizontal variation; the average concentration of plant Pb of each plant zone is lower than the worldwide average level of Pb in plant(Clarke), respectively, and plant Pb content order is consistent with soil Pb content order, but their horizontal variations are different from those in soil zones, the variation of mountain tundra forest zone is highest, but Betula ermanii forest zone the lowest. Vertical variation of plant Pb is obviously higher than that in soils with variation coefficient of 89.76%; the enrichment capability of plant for Pb is depended on the plant types and the different organs of plant; parent material and parent rock, pH values, soil organic matter and soil particle fraction etc. are the main factors influencing variations of Pb content in soil plant system of vertical zone in CNNR.

The Register and Characteristics of Chinese Key Protected Wild Plants in Dabie Mountains National Nature Preserve, Hubei Province

A study was conducted on the newly promulgated key protected wild plants distributed in the Dabie Mountains National Nature Reserve in Hubei in 2021.According to statistics,Dabie Mountains National Nature Reserve of Hubei Province has a total of 41 species of wild plants under national key protection,including 7 species in the first class and 34 species in the second class.Among them,6 are cultivated species,4 in the first class,and 2 species in the second class.The characteristics of Chinese key protected wild plants in the Dabie Mountains National Nature Reserve in Hubei Province were analyzed.

Measurement System of Landscape Fragmentation in National Nature Reserves:A Case Study of Dinghu Mountain National Nature Reserve,Guangdong Province

With the advancement of industrialization and urbanization,the natural landscape has been destroyed to varying degrees,presenting the trend of landscape fragmentation and ecosystem degradation.Taking Dinghu Mountain National Nature Reserve as an example,a three-dimension measurement system of separation degree,fractal dimension and interference intensity for landscape fragmentation is established and verified by collecting survey data through questionnaires.The research results will provide a theoretical reference for landscape conservation and sustainable development of national nature reserves.

Study on the Landcover Changes Based on GIS and RS Technologies: A Case Study of the Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve in the Hinterland Tibet Plateau, China

With global warming and increased human activity, more and more ground surface areas have been affected, which leads to the creation of many problems. To understand the ecological environment changes in a typical alpine region, information on landcovers changes in the study area from 2000 to 2020 was obtained by combining remote sensing, geographic information system, and traditional statistical analysis for the Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. The results show that the changes of surface cover in Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve are relatively concentrated, mainly distributed in the sections of south, northwest, central, and northeast, with the area of the changed regions and the unchanged regions being 31,127.45 km2 and 271,941.37 km2, respectively. The transformation between the various types of ground landcover is mainly characterized by a shift from other types to grassland and from grassland to bare land. And the regions of change are mostly concentrated between 3500 - 4600 m in elevation.

Interspecific association of sika deer in terrestrial animal communities of Liancheng National Nature Reserve, China

The prevention and control of invasive of alien species is an important work for nature reserves.This study analyzes the development trend of the alien species sika deer in Liancheng National Nature Reserve.From October 2019 to June 2020,3523 valid photos and videos of terrestrial animals were acquired from 130 camera traps,and sika deer were recorded in 21 photos from 13 traps.The survival of the sika deer population was investigated by means of morphological identification,population structure analysis,species relative abundance indices,and species spatial association analysis.A total of 13 sika deer individuals were identified by camera trapping,including two kids and three subadults representing the reproductive capacity of the population.Spatially,sika deer is not associated with any local species and was outside the spatial association network of terrestrial animals in Liancheng National Nature Reserve,indicating that the sika deer population has not been integrated into the local community and has failed to perform its ecological function.It is worth noting that the reserve provides habitat suitable for sika deer and that the population has adequate reproductive capacity.Due to the lack of large apex predators in the reserve,the population size of ungulates such as sika deer,red deer,and Siberian roe deer may expand and lead to population outbreaks and the associated problems for the ecosystem.To restore large-and medium-sized carnivores and avoid the population outbreak of the species,the present challenges require immediate attention in Liancheng National Nature Reserve.

Progress in neurorehabilitation research and the support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China from 2010 to 2022

The National Natural Science Foundation of China is one of the major funding agencies for neuro rehabilitation research in China.This study reviews the frontier directions and achievements in the field of neurorehabilitation in China and wo rldwide.We used data from the Web of Science Core Collection(WoSCC) database to analyze the publications and data provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China to analyze funding information.In addition,the prospects for neurorehabilitation research in China are discussed.From 2010 to 2022,a total of 74,220 publications in neurorehabilitation were identified,with there being an overall upward tendency.During this period,the National Natural Science Foundation of China has funded 476 research projects with a total funding of 192.38 million RMB to support neuro rehabilitation research in China.With the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China,China has made some achievements in neurorehabilitation research.Research related to neurorehabilitation is believed to be making steady and significant progress in China.

Land-cover changes of national nature reserves in China

For preventing ecosystem degradation, protecting natural habitats and conserving biodiversity within the habitats, 2588 nature reserves have been established in China at the end of 2010. The total area is up to 149.44 million ha and covers over 15% of Chinese terrestrial surface. Land-cover change, as the primary driver of biodiversity change, directly impacts ecosystem structures and functions. In this paper, 180 National Nature Reserves （NNRs） are selected and their total area is 44.71 million ha, accounting for 29.9% of all NNRs in China. In terms of the ecosystem characteristics and their major protected object, all selected NNRs are classified into 7 types. A Positive and Negative Change Index of Land-cover （PNCIL） was developed to analyze the land-cover change of each NNRs type from the late 1980s to 2005. The results show that the land-cover of all selected NNRs types have degradated to a certain degree except the forest ecosystem reserves with a decreasing rate, but the rate of degrada tion alleviated gradually. The mean positive and negative change rates of land-cover in all core zones decreased by 0.69% and 0.16% respectively. The landscape pattern of land-cover in the core zones was more stable than that in the buffer zones and the experimental zones. Furthermore, the ecological diversity and patch connectivity of land-cover in selected NNRs increased generally. In short, the land-cover of 180 selected NNRs in China had a beneficial chan qe trend after NNRs established, especially between 1995 and 2005.

Spatial distribution patterns of wetland plants in relation to environmental gradient in the Honghe National Nature Reserve, Northeast China

Quantifying correlation between the spatial patterns of natural wetland plants and environmental gradient gives better understanding of wetland habitats, which is the fundamental for the strategy making on the protection and restoration of natural wetlands. In this study, the spatial patterns of wetland plants and the environmental gradient of wetland habitats were assessed in the Honghe National Nature Reserve （HNNR） in Northeast China, a wetland of international importance on the Ramsar list. Biophysical parameters’ values of wetland plants were obtained by field sampling methods, and wetland mapping at the community scale was completed using remote sensing techniques. Digital delineation of the surface water system, hydrological zoning and wetness index were produced by spatial analysis methods in Geographic Information System. An ecological ordination method and two clustering methods were used to quantify the relationship between the spatial distribution patterns of wetland plants and the corresponding environmental gradients. Such quantitative analyses also present the specific diversity of different types of wetland plants based on the environmental attributes of their habitats. With the support from modern geo-information techniques, the experimental results indicate how four ecotypes of wetland plants spatially transit from forest swamp, shrub wetland and meadow into marsh wetland with increasing wetness index and water table. And they also show how wetland spatial distribution patterns are controlled by an environmental gradient of wetness. Another key finding of this research work is that our results present the exact fundamental differences between marsh and non-marsh plants of 11 wetland plant communities within the core study area. Hence, this case study gives a good sample for better understanding of the complex correlation between the spatial patterns of wetland plants and their environmental attributes using advanced digital analysis methods. It is also useful to show how to integrate geoinformatic techniques with statistical analysis methods based on the field data base.

Fauna characteristics and ecological distribution of Carnivora and Artiodactyla in Niubeiliang National Nature Reserve,China

Niubeiliang National Nature Reserve(NNR,108°45p-109°04p E,33°47p-33°56p N)is located on the east-ern range of the Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi Province,China and spans the southern and northern slopes of Mt.Qinling.A transect survey and investigation were carried out in NNR to determine the fauna characteristics and ecological distribution of carnivora and artiodactyla from May 2003 to August 2004.The NNR has 18 mammals(carnivore and artiodactyl),two of which belong to the first class and seven to the second class of state key protected wildlife in China.The results of this study indicated that ungulates were abun-dant in the NNR,as all ungulates that were distributed within Mt.Qinling could be found within the reserve.However,only 45.5%of the carnivores distributed within Mt.Qinling were detected within the NNR.Among the mammals,there were 12 oriental species(66.7%),1 palearctic specie(5.5%)and 5 widely-distributed species(27.8%).The NNR is a crossing area of palearctic species and oriental species on the zoogeo-graphical regions,and it is a transitional area from the oriental realm to the palearctic realm.The results of the analysis on the ecological distribution of carnivore and artiodactyl in the area showed that their elevation ranges had large differences.The species whose elevation ranges above 1300 m,about 1000 m,and in 450-700 m occupied one third respectively.The results also indicated that species richness for the mam-mals in the NNR peaked at a middle elevation(rising at first,then descending with the increase in elevation).Not only on the southern slope,but also on the northern slope of Mt.Qinling,the number of species distributed in the area at 1800-2200 m a.s.l.was the largest(more than 80%),while the number of species distributed in the area above 2600 m a.s.l.was the smallest(about 50%).Elevation gradients of species richness for the mammals in the NNR also embodied the mammal distributions among the vegetation types.The number of species distributed in the mixed coniferous and broadleaf deciduous forest at middle elevations was the larg-est,while the number of species distributed in the broadleaf deciduous forest at middle and low elevations,subalpine coniferous forest,subalpine shrubbery and meadow was relatively smaller.

Relationship between Tourism Development and Ecological Protection in Songshan National Nature Reserve,Beijing City

Nowadays Songshan National Nature Reserve attracts a rapidly increasing number of tourists. However, the development of a tourist economy and the further exploitation of the natural landscape threaten the ecology and management of the reserve. Therefore, defining the relationship between ecological tourism and ecological protection can provide a framework for the management and exploitation of the reserve. Based on the analysis of current situation and questions of the reserve, this paper probes into the relationship between tourism development and ecological protection. Furthermore, it provides specific measures and suggestions for the existing problems.

Aortic Dissection Research in China:Analysis of Studies Funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China

Objective The National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)has made great progress in promoting the development of aortic dissection research in recent years.This study aimed to examine the development and research status of aortic dissection research in China so as to provide references for future research.Methods The NSFC projects data from 2008 to 2019 were collected from the Internet-based Science Information System and other websites utilized as search engines.The publications and citations were retrieved by Google Scholar,and the impact factors were checked by the InCite Journal Citation Reports database.The investigator’s degree and department were identified from the institutional faculty profiles.Results A total of 250 grant funds totaling 124.3 million Yuan and resulting in 747 publications were analyzed.The funds in economically developed and densely populated areas were more than those in underdeveloped and sparsely populated areas.There was no significant difference in the amount of funding per grant between different departments’investigators.However,the funding output ratios of the grants for cardiologists were higher than those for basic science investigators.The amount of funding for clinical researchers and basic scientific researchers in aortic dissection was also similar.Clinical researchers were better in terms of the funding output ratio.Conclusion These results suggest that the medical and scientific research level of aortic dissection in China has been greatly improved.However,there are still some problems that urgently need to be solved,such as the unreasonable regional allocation of medical and scientific research resources,and the slow transition from basic science to clinical practice.

Community Characteristics and Species Diversity of Wetland Plants in the Yangguan Nature Reserve of Dunhuang

As a typical inland wetland, Yangguan nature reserve wetland in Dunhuang is one of the important stops of migratory route for birds, which is vulnerable and particular. Study on the community characteristics and species diversity of wetland has great signifi cance for biodiversity protection. Based on the fi eld investigation, the fl oristic composition, geographical elements and species diversity of wetland plants were studied in Yangguan reserve of Dunhuang. The results showed that 26 families, 56 genera and 74 species were recorded in the study area. The largest families were the Gramineae and Chenopodiaceae, accounting for 29.73% of the total. Herbs were the most abundant life-form, accounting for 77.03% of the total. The fl oral geographical elements of the plants were mainly composed of temperate zone distribution type. By using two way indicator species analysis(TWINSPAN), the vegetation in 36 sampling plots could be classifi ed into 8 communities. The species diversity indexes of communities were relatively low, but had large differences among each other. According to the importance value, the Margalef richness index(Rm) ranged from 0 to 4.200. Simpson diversity index(D) was between 0 and 0.512; Shannon diversity index(H) ranged from 0 to 1.400, and Pielou evenness index(J) was within the range of 0.538 to 1.000. The results indicated that the plant species were relatively rare and simple in general, the species diversity of communities was low, and the ecological environment was fragile in Yangguan nature reserve of Dunhuang.

Bird Species Diversity and Spatio-temporal Variation in the Sihong Hongze Lake Wetland National Nature Reserve in Eastern China

As an important hub on the East Asian-Australian Flyway(EAAF),Hongze Lake is an important migratory stopover and wintering site for hundreds of thousands of birds.However,research on bird community diversity in this area is still lacking.We conducted a bird survey from July 2020 to June 2021 using the line transect method on the terrestrial habitat,as well as the fixed-point method in the lake wetland at the Sihong Hongze Lake Wetland National Nature Reserve located in northwestern Hongze Lake,and analyzed the temporal-spatial variation in the bird community.The results showed that a total of 170432 detections of 215 bird species belonging to 18 orders and 55 families were recorded.In terms of species composition,the proportion of terrestrial birds was relatively high,followed by waterfowl richness,with high numbers of Anatidae species and shorebirds.For bird species abundance,waterfowl had the highest abundance of common coot(Fulica atra),belonging to the Rallidae family,followed by Anatidae and Ardeidae species.The abundance of shorebirds was extremely low,and that of non-waterfowl was also low.In terms of temporal patterns,the number of bird species and richness index were higher in spring and autumn but lower in winter and summer.The bird abundance was the highest in winter,and the remaining three seasons were similar in terms of bird abundance.The diversity index and evenness index were higher in spring,summer and autumn,and lowest in winter.For the spatial pattern,the open water in the western part of the reserve included the most densely distributed areas for birds,and the number of bird species and their abundance were both the highest in that part.There were significant differences in the bird community structures among the four habitats.The species number and richness index of birds in the reed habitat were the highest,and the bird abundance was also high,but the diversity index and evenness index were low.Although the bird abundance in the lake habitat was much higher than in the other habitats,the diversity index,evenness index and richness index were the lowest.The numbers of bird species and individuals in tourist attraction land and farmland were low,but the diversity index,evenness index and richness index were high.Our results reveal the spatial and temporal patterns of bird species diversity and abundance in Sihong Hongze Lake Wetland National Nature Reserve,and reflect the effects of different habitat types on bird diversity.