Classification and distribution of Comastoma (Gentianaceae) in Helan Mountains in China by floristic, ecological and geographical approaches

Four species of the Comastoma genus （Geianaceae） in Helan Mountains between Inner Mongolia and Ningxia Province in China have been recognized by morphological and geographical taxonomy. These four species are C. falcatum （Turcz.） Toyokuni, C. polycladum （Diels et Gilg） T. N. Ho, C. tenellum （Rottb.） Toyokuni and C. acutum （Michx.） Y. Z. Zhao et X. Zhang. Among them, C. tenellum （Rottb.） is a new recorded species and C. acutum （Michx.） Y. Z. Zhao et X. Zhang is a new combination. The floristic, ecological and geographical distribution of each species was analyzed and then a new key of Comastoma in Helan Mountains and the distribution maps have been generated, which will provide a reference for the revision of this genus and the analysis of the .flora in Helan Mountains. Key words Comastoma, classification, distribution, Helan Mountains

Characteristics of the three-dimensional deep electrical structure in the Helan Mountains-Yinchuan Basin and its geodynamic implications

Located in the north segment of the North-South seismic belt where the Alxa block(AB)and the Ordos block(OB)contact,the Helan Mountains-Yinchuan Basin(HLM-YCB)constitutes a typical normal faulting basin-mountain structure on the Chinese mainland.The 1739 M8.0 Pingluo earthquake occurred in the Yinchuan fault depression basin with such a basinmountain structure.Data on five magnetotelluric profiles encompassing distinct segments of the HLM-YCB were utilized for three-dimensional(3D)joint inversion in order to collect fine 3D electrical structure information at a crustal and upper mantle scale across the entire region.The electrical structure between the main blocks in the HLM-YCB and adjacent areas is characterized by east-west horizontal blocks OB,YCB,and HLM,which are divided by the Yellow River fault(F5)with the HLM eastern piedmont fault(F2)as electrical boundary zones on the east and west sides.The two main block units,AB and OB,exhibit an obvious layered resistivity structure.Besides,the HLM-YCB is characterized by a typical basin-mountain structure with the mountains as a high-resistivity body and the basin as a low-resistivity body,and in the northern YCB a large-scale lowresistivity structure exists,extending to the upper mantle,probably derived from the upwelling of mantle-derived materials.It is speculated from a combination of recent 3D crustal movement field information and other data that the HLM-YCB is an active tectonic zone formed via regional tensile action.The formation of the HLM-YCB lies in the interaction of the Tibetan Plateau(TP),AB,and OB and abnormal mantle activities beneath the YCB.The HLM-YCB reflects the joint action of upwelling and diffluence caused by the underplating of hot materials from the deep mantle with gravity and the redistribution of regional tectonic stress on the earth’s surface,which may be the main dynamic reason for the 1739 M8.0 Pingluo earthquake.

Effects of desert plant communities on soil enzyme activities and soil organic carbon in the proluvial fan in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain in Ningxia,China

It is of great significance to study the effects of desert plants on soil enzyme activities and soil organic carbon(SOC)for maintaining the stability of the desert ecosystem.In this study,we studied the responses of soil enzyme activities and SOC fractions(particulate organic carbon(POC)and mineral-associated organic carbon(MAOC))to five typical desert plant communities(Convolvulus tragacanthoides,Ephedra rhytidosperma,Stipa breviflora,Stipa tianschanica var.gobica,and Salsola laricifolia communities)in the proluvial fan in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,China.We recorded the plant community information mainly including the plant coverage and herb and shrub species,and obtained the aboveground biomass and plant species diversity through sample surveys in late July 2023.Soil samples were also collected at depths of 0–10 cm(topsoil)and 10–20 cm(subsoil)to determine the soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities.The results showed that the plant coverage and aboveground biomass of S.laricifolia community were significantly higher than those of C.tragacanthoides,S.breviflora,and S.tianschanica var.gobica communities(P<0.05).Soil enzyme activities varied among different plant communities.In the topsoil,the enzyme activities of alkaline phosphatase(ALP)andβ-1,4-glucosidas(βG)were significantly higher in E.rhytidosperma and S.tianschanica var.gobica communities than in other plant communities(P<0.05).The topsoil had higher POC and MAOC contents than the subsoil.Specifically,the content of POC in the topsoil was 18.17%–42.73%higher than that in the subsoil.The structural equation model(SEM)indicated that plant species diversity,soil pH,and soil water content(SWC)were the main factors influencing POC and MAOC.The soil pH inhibited the formation of POC and promoted the formation of MAOC.Conversely,SWC stimulated POC production and hindered MAOC formation.Our study aimed to gain insight into the effects of desert plant communities on soil enzyme activities and SOC fractions,as well as the drivers of SOC fractions in the proluvial fan in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain and other desert ecosystems.

Feeding habitats of blue sheep(Pseudois nayaur)during winter and spring in Helan Mountains,China

The feeding habitat selection of blue sheep(Pseudois nayaur)was studied by direct observation method in the Helan Mountains,China during winter(from Novembe r to December)and spring(from April to June)from 2003 to 2004.We established 25 line transects to collect information on feeding habitats used by blue sheep.Blue sheep in the study area preferred mountain savanna forests,a habitat dominated by Ulmus glaucescens,with medium tree density(<4 individuals/400 m^(2)),moderate tree height(4-6 m),higher shrub density(>5 individuals/100 m^(2)),higher shrub(>1.3 m),higher food abundance(>50 g),moderate distance to human disturbance(<500 m),and mild distance to bare rock(<2 m).Such habitats characterized by 12 ecological factors were preferred as feeding areas by blue sheep during winter.Similar to habitat selection by the species during winter,blue sheep also showed a preference for mountain savanna with tree dominated by Ulmus glaucescens and medium tree density(<4 individuals/400 m^(2))during spring.Nevertheless,blue sheep preferred medium tree height(<6 m),moderate tree density(5-10 individuals/100 m^(2)),medium shrub height(1.3-1.7 m),higher food abundance(>100 g),moderate altitude(<2000 m),moderate distance to water resource(<500 m),and medium hiding cover(50%-75%)during spring.Selection of the feeding habitats by sheep showed a significant difference in vegetation type,landform feature,dominant tree,tree height,shrub density,distance to the nearest shrub,food abundance,slope direc-tion,slope degree,distance to water resource,and hiding cover between winter and spring.Results of principal com-ponents analysis indicated that the first principal component accounted for 24.493%of the total variance among feeding habitat variance during winter,with higher loadings for vegetation type,dominant tree,tree height,distance to the nearest tree,shrub density,shrub height,altitude,distance to water resource,and distance to human disturbance.In spring,the first principal components explained 28.777%of the vari-ance,with higher loadings for vegetation type,distance to the nearest tree,shrub height,distance to the nearest shrub,food abundance,altitude,and distance to human disturbance.

Effects of gravel on the water absorption characteristics and hydraulic parameters of stony soil

The eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains in China are a typical mountainous region of soil and gravel,where gravel could affect the water movement process in the soil.This study focused on the effects of different gravel contents on the water absorption characteristics and hydraulic parameters of stony soil.The stony soil samples were collected from the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains in April 2023 and used as the experimental materials to conduct a one-dimensional horizontal soil column absorption experiment.Six experimental groups with gravel contents of 0%,10%,20%,30%,40%,and 50%were established to determine the saturated hydraulic conductivity(K_(s)),saturated water content(θ_(s)),initial water content(θ_(i)),and retention water content(θ_(r)),and explore the changes in the wetting front depth and cumulative absorption volume during the absorption experiment.The Philip model was used to fit the soil absorption process and determine the soil water absorption rate.Then the length of the characteristic wetting front depth,shape coefficient,empirical parameter,inverse intake suction and soil water suction were derived from the van Genuchten model.Finally,the hydraulic parameters mentioned above were used to fit the soil water characteristic curves,unsaturated hydraulic conductivity(K_(θ))and specific water capacity(C(h)).The results showed that the wetting front depth and cumulative absorption volume of each treatment gradually decreased with increasing gravel content.Compared with control check treatment with gravel content of 0%,soil water absorption rates in the treatments with gravel contents of 10%,20%,30%,40%,and 50%decreased by 11.47%,17.97%,25.24%,29.83%,and 42.45%,respectively.As the gravel content increased,inverse intake suction gradually increased,and shape coefficient,K_(s),θ_(s),andθ_(r)gradually decreased.For the same soil water content,soil water suction and K_(θ)gradually decreased with increasing gravel content.At the same soil water suction,C(h)decreased with increasing gravel content,and the water use efficiency worsened.Overall,the water holding capacity,hydraulic conductivity,and water use efficiency of stony soil in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains decreased with increasing gravel content.This study could provide data support for improving soil water use efficiency in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains and other similar rocky mountainous areas.

The protective effect of cyclodextrin on the color quality and stability of Cabernet Sauvignon red wine

The impact of cyclodextrins(CDs)on wine quality and stability remains largely unknown.This study systematically assessed the protective effect of the post-fermentation addition of CDs on color stability of red wine from the viewpoints of color characteristics,copigmentation and phenolic profiles.The grey relational analysis(GRA)and principal component analysis(PCA)methods were employed to dissect the key effective determinants related to color quality.The addition of CDs induced a significant hyperchromic effect of 8.19-25.40%,a significant bathochromic effect and an enhancement of the color intensity.Furthermore,the evolution of anthocyanin forms and the content of monomeric anthocyanins revealed that β-CD is a superior favorable cofactor during wine aging,but for long-term aging,2-HP-β-CD and 2-HP-γ-CD are more beneficial in promoting the formation of polymerized anthocyanins and color stability.This work provides an important reference for the use of CDs to enhance the color quality and stability of red wines.

January to August temperature variability since 1776 inferred from tree-ring width of Pinus tabulaeformis in Helan Mountain

Tree-ring standardized chronologies are developed by 78 cores collected from the eastern and western Helan Mountain. Statistical analysis shows that both the STD and RES chronologies correlate negatively with the temperature of different periods of early half year, especially with January to August mean （JA） temperature, which means that JA temperature is one of the predominant limiting factors of tree growth in the Helan Mountain. Based on this analysis, we reconstructed JA temperature, and the explained variance is 43.3% （F=21.422, p〈0.001 ）. The comparatively high temperature periods in the reconstruction were： 1805-1818 1828-1857, 1899-1907, 1919-1931 and 1968-1995; and the comparatively low temperatu re periods happened in 1858-1872, 1883-1895 and 1935-1953. Ten-year moving average curve shows three slow uplifting trends： 1766-1853, 1862-1931 and 1944-1995. Each temperature increase was followed by a sudden temperature decrease about 10 years, that is to say, the JA temperature in the Helan Mountain is characterized by slow increase and sudden decrease. The 70- and 10.77-year periodicities detected in the temperature series correspond to the Gleissberg （80-year） and Schwabe （11-year） periodicities of solar activity respectively, the 2.11-2.62 years cycles are considered to be influenced by QBO （Quasi-Biennial-Oscillation） and the local environmental change.

The Mechanical Characteristics and Damage Model of Helan Mountain Rock based on Acoustic Emission

With the risk of disappearing for the rock paintings considering long-term exposure in Helan Mountain,the freeze-thaw(F-T)cycling experiments were carried out with 12-hour F-T cycling(0,10,20,30,and 40 F-T cycles)under five kinds of confining pressures(5,10,20,30,and 40 MPa).The acoustic emission(AE)detect technology was used to reveal the rock fracturing characteristics during the triaxial compression test whole process.The stress-strain relation changes along with different confining pressures and F-T cycles.Peak stress and residual stress changes along with different confining pressures and damages,and the variation of axial stress-AE ringing counts-time changes along with different confining pressures and F-T cycles.The damage variable with AE parameter under F-T and force coupling was defined for the first time,and the damages model was established.The experimental results show that the F-T cycles lead to the decrease of rock strength and the gradual transformation of compression failure mode from brittleness to plasticity.The confining pressure provides a certain ability to resist deformation and inhibit crack growth for rock samples after F-T cycles.The temporal and spatial evolution law of AE counts well corresponds to the loading and failure process of the rock samples.The AE 3D positioning technology can accurately capture the development position and direction of internal cracks and pores of rock,and the failure form is conical shear failure.The established damage model has a better fittingness between the theoretical calculation results and the test results,and is reasonable to be used in the future for protection of Helan Mountain rock painting.

Circulations and Thermodynamic Characteristics of Different Patterns of Rainstorm Processes in the Eastern Foot of Helan Mountain

Based on the observational hourly precipitation data and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts(ECMWF)Reanalysis 5(ERA5)products from 2006 to 2020,22 rainstorm processes in the eastern foot of Helan Mountain are objectively classified by using the hierarchical clustering method,and the circulation characteristics of different patterns are comparatively analyzed in this study.The results show that the occurrences of rainstorm processes in the eastern foot of Helan Mountain are most closely related to three circulation patterns.PatternsⅠandⅢmainly occur in July and August,with similar zonal circulations in synoptic backgrounds.Specifically,the South Asia high and the western Pacific subtropical high are stronger and more northward than those in normal years.The frontal systems in westerlies are inactive,while the water vapor from the ocean surface in the south is mainly transported to the rainstorm area by the southerly jet stream at 700 h Pa.The dynamic lifting anomalies are relatively weak,the instability of atmospheric stratification is anomalously strong,and thus the localized severe convective rainstorm is more significant.Comparatively,rainstorm processes of patternⅠare accompanied by stronger and deeper ascending motions,and the warm-sector rainstorm is more extreme.PatternⅢshows a stronger and deeper convective instability,accompanied by larger low-level moisture.Rainstorm processes of patternⅡmainly occur in early summer and early autumn,presenting a meridional circulation pattern of high in the east and low in the west in terms of geopotential height.Moreover,the two low-level jets transporting the water vapor northward from the ocean on the east of China encounter with the frontal systems in westerlies,which makes the ascending motion in patternⅡanomalously strong and deep.The relatively weak instability of atmospheric stratification causes weak convection and long-lasting precipitation formed by the confluence of cold air and warm air.This study may help improve rainstorm forecasting in arid regions.

Terroir Suitability Zoning for the Six Prevailing Wine Grape Varieties in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region(with a Focus on the Helan Mountain East) of China

Terroir plays an important role in wine grape production and good wine making.Among all the aspects of terroir in a given region,climate,soil and variety are the most important ones.The goal of this study was to evaluate these three aspects of terroir in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China,with a focus on the Helan Mountain East.Based on historical weather data during the period 1981 to 2016 from 22 meteorological stations in the research area,the climatic indices were derived,with which the growable zone for wine grape cultivation in the research area was identified.By synthesizing the climatic indices and soil type data,stepwise and optimization methods were used to divide the growable zone into optimal,suitable,near-suitable and unsuitable zones for the six prevailing wine grape varieties.In the analysis,the six prevailing wine grape varieties include two white wine grape varieties of“Chardonnay”and“Riesling”and four red wine grape varieties of“Cabernet Sauvignon”,“Merlot”,“Pinot Noir”and“Grenache Noir”.With the Geographic Information System(ArcGIS)software,the geographical distributions of these terroir suitability zonings were mapped in the research area according to a small grid simulation model.The results showed that the growable zone for wine grapes was mainly focused in most of the northern and central parts of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.This particular zone was suitable for the typical red wine varieties like late-maturing“Grenache Noir”,medium-to-late maturing“Cabernet Sauvignon”,medium-maturing“Merlot”and early-maturing“Pinot Noir”.In particular,the optimal zone for these four red wine varieties was centered in Xixia county of Yinchuan city,Pigeon Hill of Qingtongxia city and Baima Township of Zhongning County.For the two early-to-medium maturing white wine varieties of“Riesling”and“Chardonnay”,the optimal and suitable zones were in the cool area of the central arid zone and the Qingshui River tributary.

Nutritional requirements and precise fertilization of wine grapes in the eastern foothills of Helan Mountain

Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in the wine-producing area of Helan Mountain,East Ningxia,China,were the research object in this study.The dissection of the roots and branching stems method was used to explore the dynamic changes in the nitrogen,phosphorus,and potassium nutrient requirements of wine grapes over a number of growth stages.The results showed that over the whole growth period,the nitrogen content of the roots was the highest during the leaf-expansion stage and lowest during the turning-color stage,and that the nitrogen content of the leaves and fruit showed a downward trend as growth progressed.The nitrogen content of the secondary branches was the lowest during the fruit expansion stage and the highest during the leaf-expansion stage;and the phosphorus content of the roots was the highest during the leaf-expansion stage and lowest during the fruit expansion stage.The phosphorus content of the trunk and primary branches showed a trend of“rising-falling-rising”.The phosphorus content of the leaves and secondary branches was the lowest during the turning-color stage,whereas the phosphorus content of the fruit was at its highest during this stage.The potassium contents of the secondary branches and fruit showed a downward trend,but the potassium content of the leaves was highest during the fruit expansion stage and lowest in the nutrient return stage.Over the whole growth period,the accumulation of nitrogen,phosphorus,and potassium in wine grapes was 129.92 kg/hm2,41.51 kg/hm2,and 189.47 kg/hm2,respectively,the total requirements for N,P2O5,and K2O were 262.38 kg/hm2,288.15 kg/hm2,and 569.04 kg/hm2,respectively,and the reasonable nutrient requirement ratio was 1.00:1.10:2.17.

Three-dimensional S-wave velocity structure of the crust and upper mantle for the normal fault system beneath the Yinchuan Basin from joint inversion of receiver function and surface wave

A series of parallel normal faults are distributed in the Helan Mountain-Yinchuan Basin tectonic belt,where a historical M8.0 earthquake occurred.It is rare that such a great earthquake occurs in a normal fault system within the continent.To deeply understand the fine structure of the normal fault system,we deployed 104 broadband temporary stations near the system,collected data from permanent stations and other temporary stations nearby,and obtained the high-precision threedimensional S-wave velocity structure beneath 206 stations via joint inversion of receiver function and surface wave.A typical graben-in-graben feature bounded by four major faults was identified in the Yinchuan Basin.We analyzed the seismicity in the normal fault system and found a seismic strip in the southern part of the basin,where there are significant changes in the sedimentary thickness,which is speculated to be the southern boundary of the normal fault system.There are significant differences in the crustal thickness and velocity structure in the crust on both sides of the boundary between the Helan Mountain and the Yinchuan Basin,and a low-velocity zone was identified in the upper mantle beneath this boundary,which could be related to the fact that the Helan Mountain-Yinchuan Basin tectonic belt is located between the Alxa Block and the Ordos Block.The M8.0 Yinchuan-Pingluo earthquake occurred at the junction of four major faults in the Yinchuan Basin,which was located in the high-velocity zone near the velocity transition zone at the basin-mountain boundary.The low-velocity zone in the upper mantle beneath this boundary may have promoted the nucleation of this earthquake.Based on evidence from geological drilling,micro seismicity,the regional stress field,and the velocity models obtained in this study,it is inferred that the eastern piedmont fault zone of the Helan Mountain was the seismogenic fault of the 1739 M8.0 Yinchuan-Pingluo earthquake.

Foliar application of chelated sugar alcohol calcium fertilizer for regulating the growth and quality of wine grapes

The eastern foothills of Helan Mountain are a production area of high-quality wine grapes,but the low content of water-soluble calcium in the alkaline soil in this area has become an important limiting factor for the production of high-end wines.In this study,7-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown at Lilan Winery,which is located at the eastern foot of Helan Mountain in Ningxia,China,were used to examine the effect of exogenous calcium supplementation on fruit growth and berry quality.Calcium sugar alcohol was applied as a foliar spray at 1.2 L/hm^(2)(T1),2.4 L/hm^(2)(T2),3.6 L/hm^(2)(T3),4.8 L/hm^(2)(T4),and 6.0 L/hm^(2)(T5)concentrations at the fruit expansion stage,the early stage of grape veraison,the middle stage of grape veraison,and the later stage of grape veraison.Water control was used for comparison.The results showed that foliar calcium supplementation can significantly enhance the photosynthetic characteristics of wine grape leaves,increase the chlorophyll content of leaves,and improve the quality of grape berries.Under the T3(3.6 L/hm^(2))concentration of exogenous calcium,the transverse diameter,the longitudinal diameter,and fruit shape index of grapes were the highest,which were increased by 1.71%,5.33%,and 3.92%compared to the control,respectively.The application of high calcium concentrations(T4 and T5)inhibited the physiological development of grapes.The spike length,hundred-grain weight,yield of wine grapes,sugar-acid ratio,tannin,and total phenols were the highest in the T2(2.4 L/hm^(2))treatment.The results of principal component analysis based on multiple indicators showed that foliar application of 2.4-3.6 L/hm^(2)chelated sugar alcohol calcium on the leaf surfaces of grape leaves was the most suitable for improving the physiological characteristics and berry quality of wine grapes.