Response of vegetation variation to climate change and human activities in the Shiyang River Basin of China during 2001-2022

Understanding the response of vegetation variation to climate change and human activities is critical for addressing future conflicts between humans and the environment,and maintaining ecosystem stability.Here,we aimed to identify the determining factors of vegetation variation and explore the sensitivity of vegetation to temperature(SVT)and the sensitivity of vegetation to precipitation(SVP)in the Shiyang River Basin(SYRB)of China during 2001-2022.The climate data from climatic research unit(CRU),vegetation index data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS),and land use data from Landsat images were used to analyze the spatial-temporal changes in vegetation indices,climate,and land use in the SYRB and its sub-basins(i.e.,upstream,midstream,and downstream basins)during 2001-2022.Linear regression analysis and correlation analysis were used to explore the SVT and SVP,revealing the driving factors of vegetation variation.Significant increasing trends(P<0.05)were detected for the enhanced vegetation index(EVI)and normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)in the SYRB during 2001-2022,with most regions(84%)experiencing significant variation in vegetation,and land use change was determined as the dominant factor of vegetation variation.Non-significant decreasing trends were detected in the SVT and SVP of the SYRB during 2001-2022.There were spatial differences in vegetation variation,SVT,and SVP.Although NDVI and EVI exhibited increasing trends in the upstream,midstream,and downstream basins,the change slope in the downstream basin was lower than those in the upstream and midstream basins,the SVT in the upstream basin was higher than those in the midstream and downstream basins,and the SVP in the downstream basin was lower than those in the upstream and midstream basins.Temperature and precipitation changes controlled vegetation variation in the upstream and midstream basins while human activities(land use change)dominated vegetation variation in the downstream basin.We concluded that there is a spatial heterogeneity in the response of vegetation variation to climate change and human activities across different sub-basins of the SYRB.These findings can enhance our understanding of the relationship among vegetation variation,climate change,and human activities,and provide a reference for addressing future conflicts between humans and the environment in the arid inland river basins.

Removal of Microcystin-LR in lake water sample by hydrophilic mesoporous silica composites under high-throughput MALDI-TOF MS detection platform

Microcystins(MCs),a family of cyclic heptapeptide cyanotoxins,exists in aquatic environment where cyanobacterial bloom happens,which will accumulate in aquatic organisms and transfer through the food chain to higher trophic levels,posing a health risk to both animals and human bodies.Among various MCs,Microcystin-LR(MC-LR)is worthiest studied for its strong toxicity,ubiquity and widespread.Here in this work,iminodiacetic acid(IDA)decorated magnetic mesoporous silica(mSiO_(2))nanocomposites(Fe_(3)O_(4)@mSiO_(2)-IDA)were facilely synthesized which possessed the merits of large surface area(188.21 m^(2)/g),accessible porosity(2.66 nm),excellent hydrophilicity and rapid responsiveness to magnetic field.Then the composites were successfully employed to the removal process of Microcystin-LR in real water samples followed by Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry(MALDI-TOF MS)analysis,achieving the removal efficiency above 92.5%even after ten recycles of the composites.It provided a potential method for removing MC-LR in aqueous environment with high effectiveness,lower costs and less secondary contamination.

Application of Ecological Footprint Method Based on Net Primary Productivity in Inner Mongolia

Using ecological footprint method based on net primary productivity （NPP）, the ecological footprint, ecological carrying capacity and ec- ological deficit/surplus in Inner Mongolia in 2005 and 2010 were calculated firstly, and then their temporal and spatial variations were analyzed. Fi- nally, the main driving factors of changes in the ecological footprint were discussed through linear regression analysis. The results show that the ec- ological footprint increased faster than the ecological carrying capacity in Inner Mongolia from 2005 to 2010, and Inner Mongolia was in ecological deficit on the whole. In addition, the ecological state became worse from the northeast to the southwest in Inner Mongolia, and the ecological state was the worst in Ordos City where the ecological deficit reached 0.9 km2/capita in 2010. As a result of increase of industrial intensity and unreason- able industrial structure, the sustainability in Inner Mongolia decreased.

Removal of nitrogen from wastewater with perennial ryegrass/artificial aquatic mats biofilm combined system

To develop a cost-effective combined phytoremediation and biological process, a combined perennial ryegrass/artificial aquatic mat biofilm reactor was used to treat synthetic wastewater. Influent ammonium loading, reflux ratio, hydraulic retention time （HRT） and temperature all had significant effects on the treatment efficiency. The results indicated that the effluent concentration of ammonium increased with increasing influent ammonium loading. The reactor temperature played an important role in the nitrification process. The ammonium removal efficiency significantly decreased from 80% to 30%-50% when the reactor temperatttre dropped to below 10℃. In addition, the optimal nitrogen removal condition was a reflux ratio of 2. The nitrate and ammonium concentration of the effluent were consistent with the HRT of the combined system. The chemical oxygen demand （COD） removal efficiency was at a high level during the whole experiment, being almost 80% after the start-up, and then mostly above 90%. The direct uptake of N by the perennial ryegrass accounted for 18.17% of the total N removal by the whole system. The perennial ryegrass absorption was a significant contributor to nitrogen removal in the combined system. The result＇illustrated that the combined perennial ryegrass/artificial aquatic mat biofilm reactor demonstrated good performance in ammonium, total N and COD removal.