Researchers Construct a Genome-wide Map of Adaptive Genetic Variants of Tibetan Highlanders

A recent study led by Dr.XU Shuhua from CASMPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology(PICB),CAS Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health(SINH),was published online in National Science Review,entitled"Prioritizing natural selection signals from the deep-sequencing genomic data suggests multivariant adaptation in Tibetan highlanders".

Evaluation of the intracellular lipid-lowering effect of polyphenols extract from highland barley in HepG2 cells

Active ingredients from highland barley have received considerable attention as natural products for developing treatments and dietary supplements against obesity.In practical application,the research of food combinations is more significant than a specific food component.This study investigated the lipid-lowering effect of highland barley polyphenols via lipase assay in vitro and HepG2 cells induced by oleic acid(OA).Five indexes,triglyceride(TG),total cholesterol(T-CHO),low density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-C),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),and alanine aminotransferase(ALT),were used to evaluate the lipidlowering effect of highland barley extract.We also preliminary studied the lipid-lowering mechanism by Realtime fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction(q PCR).The results indicated that highland barley extract contains many components with lipid-lowering effects,such as hyperoside and scoparone.In vitro,the lipase assay showed an 18.4%lipase inhibition rate when the additive contents of highland barley extract were 100μg/m L.The intracellular lipid-lowering effect of highland barley extract was examined using 0.25 mmol/L OA-induced HepG2 cells.The results showed that intracellular TG,LDL-C,and T-CHO content decreased by 34.4%,51.2%,and 18.4%,respectively.ALT and AST decreased by 51.6%and 20.7%compared with the untreated hyperlipidemic HepG2 cells.q PCR results showed that highland barley polyphenols could up-regulation the expression of lipid metabolism-related genes such as PPARγand Fabp4.

Fecal microbiota transplantation:whole grain highland barley improves glucose metabolism by changing gut microbiota

Highland barley(HB)is a high-altitude cereal with rich nutritional components and potential health benefits.To clarify its hypoglycemic effect and mechanism,we investigated the effect of whole grain HB and fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT)on glucose metabolism and gut microbiota in high-fat diet and streptozotocin(HFD/STZ)-induced diabetic mice.The results showed that HB(40%)significantly decreased fasting blood glucose and the area under the glucose tolerance curve,significantly increased insulin secretion and improved insulin resistance in HFD/STZ-induced diabetic mice(P<0.05).Inflammatory factors and blood lipid indices were also significantly alleviated after 12 weeks of 40%HB intervention(P<0.05).Additionally,beneficial bacteria,such as Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia,were significantly enriched in the gut of diabetic mice after whole grain HB intervention.Meanwhile,the results of further FMT experiments verified that the fecal microbiota after the 40%HB intervention not only significantly increased the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia but also effectively improved glucose metabolism and alleviated the inflammatory state in HFD/STZ-induced diabetic mice.Collectively,our study confirmed the bridge role of gut microbiota in improving glucose metabolism of whole grain HB,which could promote the development of precision nutrition.

Classifying moisture sources associated with snowfall in the mountains of Lesotho

An average of eight snowfall events occur each year in the eastern Lesotho Highlands.These snowfall events are typically associated with cut-off low(CoLs)systems and mid-latitude cyclones.However,the moisture sources of the snowfall are unclassified and unclear.The Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory(HYSPLIT)model,an air mass back trajectory model,has been used to evaluate moisture source waters locally in southern Africa and internationally in China and Europe.This study uses HYSPLIT to determine the source moisture of snow in Lesotho.A list of all 82 snowfall events in Lesotho spanning 2017 to 2022 was compiled using the Snow Report SA Instagram page,including the date and location of snowfall.A 72-hour back trajectory for each snowfall event was initiated for both Afriski and the whole of Lesotho.This amounts to models of moisture source trajectories for 28 and 82 snowfall days,respectively.These air mass pathways are classified according to their frequency per snowfall event,per month in the snow season,per year and for the full period.From this,associated moisture source regions and dominant air mass trajectories were identified.This study reports that the air mass trajectories associated with Afriski and Lesotho as a whole are very similar.The most common pathway of air mass trajectories transporting snow-bearing moisture to Lesotho was an inland trajectory from the northern regions of southern Africa.This pathway makes up 16.6%of all trajectories reported and is associated with the Angola Low,the Congo Air Boundary and the St.Helena High Pressure.

Improvement of glucose metabolism in middle-aged mice on a high-fat diet by whole-grain highland barley is related to low methionine levels

Methionine restriction(MR)is an effective dietary strategy to regulate energy metabolism and alleviate oxidative stress and inflammation in the body,especially in the middle-aged and elderly population.However,the high methionine content of meat products makes this dietary strategy impossible to combine with protein supplementation and MR.Highland barley(HB),a low-methionine cereal,not only provides the body with protein but also has improved glucose metabolism and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.Therefore,this study evaluated the feasibility of HB as a source of methionine-restricted dietary protein and the potential mechanisms.Middle-aged C57BL/6J mice were fed a control diet(CON),a high-fat diet(HFD),a whole-grain HB high-fat diet(HBHF),or a HBHF+methionine diet(HBHFmet)for 25 weeks.The results showed that the HBHF could keep the body weight,fasting glucose,insulin,homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR),blood lipids,inflammation,and oxidative stress of HFD mice at normal levels.Compared with the HFD groups,HBHF inhibited pancreatic cell apoptosis and improved insulin secretion while improving hepatic and skeletal muscle glucose metabolism.However,these efficacies were attenuated in HBHFmet group mice.These findings suggest that HBHF has an MR strategy.

Source model of the 2018 M_(w)7.5 Papua New Guinea earthquake constrained by InSAR measurements: Insight into a blind rupture beneath the New Guinea Highlands

The Southern Highland Fold and Thrust Belt(SHFTB),the boundary of the Australian plate and the New Guinea Highland block,significantly contributes to the convergent deformation along the plate bound-ary.However,due to the lack of observation data,the detailed slip pattern of the SHFTB and the orogenic mechanism beneath the New Guinea Highlands remains controversial.On 25 February 2018,the M_(w)7.5 Papua New Guinea(PNG)earthquake struck the southeastern segment of the SHFTB.The detailed rupture characteristics of this event is significant for further clarifying the inter-seismic slip pattern along the SHFTB.Here,the coseismic deformation field of this earthquake was obtained using high-resolution ALOS-2 satellite images.We find that the 2018 M_(w)7.5 PNG earthquake ruptured a large-scaled fault(SHFTB)extending to the lower crust(deeper than 20 km)beneath the New Guinea Highlands,with a dip angle of 24°.The slips on the fault plane are equivalent to moment magnitudes of M_(w)7.51.Three major asperities with thrust-dominated slip of up to 3.94 m are detected on the fault plane.This finding implies that the slip pattern on the eastern segment of the SHFTB is dominated by thrust,rather than with significant sinistral movement,as previously reported.The tectonic deformation across the New Guinea Highlands is possibly concentrated on the large-scale fault SHFTB and primarily controls the intra-continental orogeny in the central Papua New Guinea.

Impact of climate and human activity on NDVI of various vegetation types in the Three-River Source Region, China

The Three-River Source Region(TRSR)in China holds a vital position and exhibits an irreplaceable strategic importance in ecological preservation at the national level.On the basis of an in-depth study of the vegetation evolution in the TRSR from 2000 to 2022,we conducted a detailed analysis of the feedback mechanism of vegetation growth to climate change and human activity for different vegetation types.During the growing season,the spatiotemporal variations of normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)for different vegetation types in the TRSR were analyzed using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS)-NDVI data and meteorological data from 2000 to 2022.In addition,the response characteristics of vegetation to temperature,precipitation,and human activity were assessed using trend analysis,partial correlation analysis,and residual analysis.Results indicated that,after in-depth research,from 2000 to 2022,the TRSR's average NDVI during the growing season was 0.3482.The preliminary ranking of the average NDVI for different vegetation types was as follows:shrubland(0.5762)>forest(0.5443)>meadow(0.4219)>highland vegetation(0.2223)>steppe(0.2159).The NDVI during the growing season exhibited a fluctuating growth trend,with an average growth rate of 0.0018/10a(P<0.01).Notably,forests displayed a significant development trend throughout the growing season,possessing the fastest rate of change in NDVI(0.0028/10a).Moreover,the upward trends in NDVI for forests and steppes exhibited extensive spatial distributions,with significant increases accounting for 95.23%and 93.80%,respectively.The sensitivity to precipitation was significantly enhanced in other vegetation types other than highland vegetation.By contrast,steppes,meadows,and highland vegetation demonstrated relatively high vulnerability to temperature fluctuations.A further detailed analysis revealed that climate change had a significant positive impact on the TRSR from 2000 to 2022,particularly in its northwestern areas,accounting for 85.05%of the total area.Meanwhile,human activity played a notable positive role in the southwestern and southeastern areas of the TRSR,covering 62.65%of the total area.Therefore,climate change had a significantly higher impact on NDVI during the growing season in the TRSR than human activity.

Thorium anomaly on the lunar surface and its indicative meaning

The Moon has been divided into three terranes:Procellarum KREEP Terrane(PKT),Feldspathic Highland Terrane(FHT),and South Pole-Aitken Terrane(SPAT),using globally measured Th and FeO.Many lunar evolu-tion models have predicted that a lunar magma ocean will produce a residual layer enriched in incompatible elements such as K,REE,and P(i.e.,KREEP)in the late age of crys-tallization;and that the distribution of thorium can be used as a proxy for determining the global distribution of KREEP.The thorium distribution in these three terranes is inhomo-geneous.The highest concentration of thorium is in PKT,the medium concentration of thorium is in SPAT,and almost none in FHT.Then what is the specific distribution in each of the terrane and what enlightenment can it tell us?Here we present and describe the detailed thorium distribution in PKT,SPAT,and FHT and provide some information for the origin of asymmetries on the lunar surface.

Assessing Crop Water Demand and Deficit for the Growth of Spring Highland Barley in Tibet, China

The aim of this study was to assess the crop water demand and deficit of spring highland barley and discuss suitable irrigation systems for different regions in Tibet, China. Long-term trends in reference crop evapotranspiration and crop water demand were analyzed in different regions, together with crop water demand and deficit of spring highland barley under different precipitation frequencies. Results showed that precipitation trends during growth stages did not benefit the growth of spring highland barley. The crop coefficient of spring highland barley in Tibet was 0.87 and crop water demand was 389.0 ram. In general, a water deficit was found in Tibet, because precipitation was lower than water consumption of spring highland barley. The most severe water deficit were in the jointing to heading stage and the heading to wax ripeness stage, which are the most important growth stages for spring highland barley; water deficit in these two stages would be harmful to the yield. Water deficit showed different characteristics in different regions. In conclusion, irrigation systems may be more successful if based on an analysis of water deficit within different growth stages and in different regions.

An assessment of the climatic suitability of Afriski Mountain Resort for outdoor tourism using the Tourism Climate Index(TCI)

Tourism Climatic Indices(TCIs)are widely used in the global North to quantify the climatic suitability of a destination for tourism.Only one such study has been conducted in southern Africa to date.It is in a chronic shortage of research on tourism and climate change in the southern hemisphere.This study presents the application of the TCI in Lesotho,calculated for the eastern Lesotho Highlands.The region has an emerging tourism sector,which primarily comprises outdoor activities.These include hiking,horse-riding,music festivals,mountain biking,cultural visits,sightseeing,and at the Afriski lodge,skiing and snowboarding.These activities are reliant on climatic conditions that are conducive to the activity taking place,prolonged periods outdoors,and tourist satisfaction of the activity.Climate is a major determinant of both the length of season for these activities and the timing of peak tourist arrivals.Rising temperatures and changes in relative humidity and precipitation pose real threats to hiking,sightseeing and snow tourism at Afriski.The reliance of tourism in the region on specific climatic conditions for successful tourism prompted the use of the TCI.TCI results classify the eastern Lesotho Highlands as having‘good'climatic conditions with an overall TCI score of 64 for the period 2012-2017.Monthly TCI scores for the eastern Lesotho reveal a bimodal-shoulder,meaning the peak climatic conditions are in the regional summer months(December to February).This conflicts with the peak tourist seasons of summer and winter,which align with South African school holidays,and the timing of the most profitable tourism activity(skiing)which occurs during the winter months of June,July and August.Lesotho is landlocked by South Africa.TCI analysis for South Africa reveals more suitable climatic conditions for tourism than Lesotho,with significantly higher scores of 80-89.

New constraints on the P-T path of HT/UHT metapelites from the Highland Complex of Sri Lanka

We report here rare evidence for the early prograde P-Tevolution of garnet-sillimanite-graphite gneiss(khondalite)from the central Highland Complex,Sri Lanka.Four types of garnet porphyroblasts(Grt_1,Grt_2,Grt_3 and Grt_4)are observed in the rock with specific types of inclusion features.Only Grt_3 shows evidence for non-coaxial strain.Combining the information shows a sequence of main inclusion phases,from old to young:oriented quartz inclusions at core,staurolite and prismatic sillimanite at mantle,kyanite and kyanite pseudomorph,and biotite at rim in Grt_1;fibrolitic sillimanite pseudomorphing kyanite±corundum,kyanite,and spinel+sillimanite after garnet+corundum in Grt_2;biotite,sillimanite,quartz±spinel in Grt_3;and ilmenite,rulite,quartz and sillimanite in Grt_4.The pre-melting,original rock composition was calculated through stepwise re-integration of melt into the residual,XRF based composition,allowing the early prograde metamorphic evolution to be deduced from petrographical observations and pseudosections.The earliest recognizable stage occurred in the sillimanite field at around 575℃ at 4.5 kbar.Subsequent collision associated with Gondwana amalgamation led to crustal thickening along a P-T trajectory with an average dP/dT of ~30 bar/℃ in the kyanite field,up to ~660℃ at 6.5 kbar,before crossing the wet-solidus at around 675 ℃ at 7.5 kbar.The highest pressure occurred at P > 10 kbar and T around 780℃ before prograde decompression associated with further heating.At 825℃ and 10.5 kbar,the rock re-entered into the sillimanite field.The temperature peaked at 900℃ at ca.9-9.5 kbar.Subsequent near-isobaric cooling led to the growth of Grt_4 and rutile at T ~880℃.Local pyrophyllite rims around sillimanite suggest a late stage of rehydration at T<400℃,which probably occurred after uplift to upper crustal levels.U-Pb dating of zircons by LAICPMS of the khondalite yielded two concordant ^(206)Pb/^(238)U age groups with mean values of 542±2 Ma(MSWD=0.24,Th/U=0.01-0.03)and 514±3 Ma(MSWD=0.50,Th/U=0.01-0.05)interpreted as peak metamorphism of the khondalite and subsequent melt crystallization during cooling.

Optimization of Formula of Matsutake Highland Barley Biscuit by Response Surface Methodology

Taking refined flour,matsutake powder,and highland barley powder as main raw materials,this experiment studied the optimal formula of matsutake highland barley biscuit. Besides,single factor experiment was carried out for the amount of highland barley powder,white granulated sugar,and shortening. Then,the response surface optimization analysis was made on crispness and sensory score of the biscuit. The experiment indicates that taking the refined flour as the base 100 g( 100%),the formula of 20% highland barley powder,25% white granulated sugar,and 26% shortening can bake crisp biscuit with complete shape,pure flavor and high quality.

A systematic review of highland barley:Ingredients,health functions and applications

Due to its high nutritional and dietotherapy values,highland barley has attracted the attention and favor of people all over the world in recent years.It has been demonstrated that the nutritional components of highland barley are comprehensive and unique,with the characteristics of high protein,high fiber,high vitamin,lowfat,low sugar and variety of bioactive components.As the most important component in highland barley,highland barley starch not only has low digestibility,but also has good freeze-thaw stability,high solubility,good emulsion stability and superior film forming performance,which makes it have great application value in food,medicine and industrial production.The content of highland barley protein,which is rich in 18 kinds of amino acids,is higher than that of most grains,and its derivatives play an important role in medical treatment.Unfortunately,highland barley protein cannot form gluten network structure,which limits the application in daily staple food to a certain extent.Highland barley also contains a large amount of dietary fiber,especiallyβ-glucan.Long-term consumption could significantly reduce the incidence of chronic diseases and metabolic syndromes such as heart disease and diabetes.However,the research on the application of highland barley is still in the laboratory stage,which failed to achieve large-scale application in the actual production.The value of highland barley has not been brought into full play,which leads to the waste of its resources and the reduction of its added value.This paper reviewed themacronutrients,health functions and applications of highland barley,aiming to provide some reference for the development of highland barley in food and health industry.

Distinct metamorphic evolution of alternating silica-saturated and silica-deficient microdomains within garnet in ultrahigh-temperature granulites: An example from Sri Lanka

Here we report the occurrence of garnet porphyroblasts that have overgrown alternating silica-saturated and silica deficient microdomains via different mineral reactions. The samples were collected from ultrahigh-temperature(UHT) metapelites in the Highland Complex, Sri Lanka. In some of the metapelites, garnet crystals have cores formed via a dehydration reaction, which had taken place at silicasaturated microdomains and mantle to rim areas formed via a dehydration reaction at silica-deficient microdomains. In contrast, some other garnets in the same rock cores had formed via a dehydration reaction which occurred at silica-deficient microdomains while mantle to rim areas formed via a dehydration reaction at silica-saturated microdomains. Based on the textural observations, we conclude that the studied garnets have grown across different effective bulk compositional microdomains during the prograde evolution. These microdomains could represent heterogeneous compositional layers(paleobedding/laminations) in the precursor sediments or differentiated crenulation cleavages that existed during prograde metamorphism. UHT metamorphism associated with strong ductile deformation, metamorphic differentiation and crystallization of locally produced melt may have obliterated the evidence for such microdomains in the matrix. The lack of significant compositional zoning in garnet probably due to self-diffusion during UHT metamorphism had left mineral inclusions as the sole evidence for earlier microdomains with contrasting chemistry.

Impact of Altitude and Land Use Type on Some Physical and Chemical Properties of Acidic Soils in Tsegede Highlands, Northern Ethiopia

A study was conducted in the Tsegede highlands of Tigray Region, northern Ethiopia to determine the changes in some physical and chemical attributes across three adjacent acidic soil sites with different elevation and three land use types. Analytical results of the collected surface layer soil samples showed significant (P ≤ 0.05) correlation of soil bulk density, OM and total N with elevation. In the lower elevation site (Indaslasie), soil OM content declined by about 43 and 52% compared with that of the two higher elevation sites (Cheguarcudo and Indamariam), respectively. Soil pH, exchangeable acidity, exchangeable Al, OM, total N and available phosphorus also exhibited significant (P ≤ 0.05) disparity across the three land use types of the area. Soils of the forest land were less acidic by 0.43 and 0.68 pH units than the cultivated and grazing lands, respectively. The soil OM content of the cultivated land was significantly lower by about 25 and 35% than the grazing and forest land soils, respectively. Available soil P status was low and showed significant correlations with pH (r = 0.65), exchangeable acidity (r = –0.58) and Al (r = –0.53). In general, the study results revealed altitude did not impose any significant effect in aggravating soil acidity whereas land use type affected significantly not only soil acidity but also the important soil fertility related parameters such as OM, total N and available P contents. Therefore, it can be suggested that besides to the usual acid soil management and/or reclamation practices, introducing proper land use management systems are of paramount importance.

应用数学方面一些最新的进展

Some activities of applied mathematics are seen from different angles in a two-part series. In part 1, we will emphasize on mathematical modeling, exponential prediction models. On a systemic construction of the quantitative mathematics, it is shown that there is an impassible chasm between pure and applied mathematics, that existance and structures of systems are independent of human consciousness. For the purpose of prediction, concepts of calculus are generalized to discrete time series.

Stand structure, floristic composition and species diversity along altitudinal gradients of a Bornean mountain range 30 years after selective logging

The mountain ecosystem is a hotspot of biodiversity and provides a significant contribution to the humans’ livelihoods. However, there is still a lack of information regarding floral diversity and how it has been affected due to a logging operation in Sarawak. A study was conducted to determine vegetation recovery at the Heart of Borneo conservation area at different elevations: 750–1200 m(S1), 1200–1500 m(S2) and >1500 m(S3). A total of 891 trees were enumerated. The trees comprised 55 families, 98 genera and 203 species. The lowest elevation site, S1, contained the highest number of species(117) and families(42), while the highest elevation site, S3, contained the lowest diversity(25 families and 59 species). A similar forest structure was recorded, whereby diameter at breast height(dbh), basal area and height decreased as elevation increased. The most speciose families in S1 were Dipterocarpaceae(11 species) and Lauraceae(10 species), while Lauraceae and Fagaceae were the dominant tree families at S2 and S3. Secondary tree species are still abundantly found in the logged plots, especially at S2(45.5%), indicating that after 30 years, these stands are still in the recovery stages. The logged plots retained typical secondary forest appearances with lower canopy diameters and heights and dbh than the unlogged forest. Although the species richness approached that of the unlogged plots, especially at S1(90.9%) and S3(94.9%), there were still major differences in the floristic compositions between logged and unlogged plots(35.4%, 21.5% and 44.7% for S1, S2 and S3, respectively). Although potential seed sources were in close proximity, succession at S2 has proceeded much slower than at S1 and S3. Lower concentrations of soil nutrients, especially N, may be the main reason for the slow recovery. In conclusion, the results suggested that the selectively logged forest at the Payeh Maga Highland required more than three decades to recover and achieve a climate forest stage.

Moving beyond Component Research in Mountain Regions: Operationalizing Systems Integration at Farm and Landscape Scales

Most research in support of agricultural development and natural resource management in densely settled mountain ecosystems continues to emphasize component over system-level goals. Research by plant breeders, foresters and animal scientists is generally designed to maximize the yield of products within their particular area of expertise (edible plant parts, tree products and livestock products, respectively), while soil scientists aim largely to increase soil nutrient stocks. At landscape level the same dynamic holds within the agronomic sciences, while water engineers work independently to conserve water through its isolation from broader landscape dynamics, and other common property resources remain largely ignored. Opportunities to foster positive synergies between system components, and to integrate livelihood with conservation goals, are generally missed. This paper presents experiences of the African Highlands Initiative, an ecoregional program of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and a network of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), in operationalizing integrated research at farm and landscape scale. Following a discussion of the shortcomings of the conventional research paradigm that beg for strongerintegration and a review of the contributions of extant research paradigms that help us move in the right direction, the paper lays a conceptual foundation for integrated research. System components at farm and landscape level are delineated, and this somewhat arbitrary conceptual partitioning of agroecological systems shown to influence the current research paradigm as well as the partitioning of institutional mandates. Diverse meanings of systems integration are then discussed to illustrate the synergies that might be built into agricultural and natural resource research programs. The distinction between the logic of maximization and optimization is then utilized to distinguish between component and “system-level” goals. This conceptual overview is followed by several case studies to illustrate how these concepts can guide the formulation of integrated research objectives, methods and outputs at farm and landscape scale. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of this alternative research paradigm for the structure, function and skill base of national and international agricultural research systems.

An integrated classification method for thematic mapper imagery of plain and highland terrains

The classification of thematic mapper imagery in areas with strong topographic variations has proven problematic in the past using a single classifier, due to the changing sun illumination geometry. This often results in the phenomena of identical object with dissimilar spectrum and different objects with similar spectrum. In this paper, an integrated classification method that combines a decision tree with slope data, tasseled cap transformation indices and maximum likelihood classifier is introduced, to find an optimal classification method for thematic mapper imagery of plain and highland terrains. A Landsat 7 ETM+ image acquired over Hangzhou Bay, in eastern China was used to test the method. The results indicate that the performance of the inte- grated classifier is acceptably good in comparison with that of the existing most widely used maximum likelihood classifier. The integrated classifier depends on hypsography (variation in topography) and the characteristics of ground truth objects (plant and soil). It can greatly reduce the influence of the homogeneous spectrum caused by topographic variation. This integrated classifier might potentially be one of the most accurate classifiers and valuable tool for land cover and land use mapping of plain and highland terrains.

Use of ^(137)Cs and ^(210)Pb_(ex) fallout radionuclides for spatial soil erosion and redistribution assessment on steeply sloping agricultural highlands

The steeply sloping agricultural highlands in Korea have severe soil erosion.Estimation of both soil erosion and sedimentation in these highlands is necessary to make plans for soil-conservation measures,but it is not feasible using existing soil-erosion models.This study measured the site-specific concentrations of ^(137)Cs and ^(210)Pb_(ex) on both a highland slope(33%slope)and a reference site(undisturbed flat area)to estimate soil erosion and redistribution.The use of the fallout radionuclide(FRN)method was evaluated to see if it is a suitable method for characterizing soil erosion.Results were compared with those obtained with the Universal Soil Loss Equation(USLE),which is an empirical model that estimates annual soil erosion.The average concentrations of ^(137)Cs and ^(210)Pb_(ex) at the reference site were 11.57±0.24 Bq kg^(-1) and 59.74±4.2 Bq kg^(-1),respectively.Concentrations of ^(137)Cs and ^(210)Pb_(ex) in the experimental slope were 16.4%and 10.8%,respectively,of those at the reference site.Radionuclide inventories were lower at the upper point of the slope than those at the basal point of the slope.Concentrations of ^(137)Cs and ^(210)Pb_(ex) were significantly correlated with available phosphorus,organic matter,CEC,and exchangeable cations.Estimation of soil redistribution rate using ^(137)Cs and ^(210)Pb_(ex) showed site-specific variations at different points along the slope,and respective ranges were^(-1)7.46~-207.51 and 1.55~-581.38 Mgha^(-1) yr^(-1),which indicated that more erosion was assessed by ^(210)Pb_(ex) than by ^(137)Cs.Redistribution analysis showed that soil erosion occurred along the entire slope,except for the bottom point of the slope where 1.55 Mgha^(-1) yr^(-1) of sediment accumulated.The USLE provided a single value of the average annual soil loss in the entire slope,which was either 166 or 398 Mgha^(-1) yr^(-1),depending on the soil erodibility factor(soil series factor and calculated factor from soil sample analysis)used in the model.We conclude that the FRN method using ^(137)Cs and ^(210)Pb_(ex) radionuclides can be used to assess soil erosion and redistribution in steeply sloping agricultural highlands.Verification of soil-erosion values using the FRN method and soil-erosion models has been controversial,but it merits further study at many locations with different soils,topography,and management practices.