Effect of Soil Drought Stress on Leaf Water Status, Membrane Permeability and Enzymatic Antioxidant System of Maize

A simulation experiment on the responses of maize (Zea mays L.) from the third leaf stage to maturity for different soil water levels (well-watered, moderately stressed, and severely stressed) was conducted by controlling irrigation and using a mobile rain shelter in a neutral loam, meadow soil to determine the effects on leaf water status, membrane permeability and enzymatic antioxidant system for different growth stages. The results indicated that drought stress relied on drought intensity and duration, with more severe drought stress creating more serious effects on maize. Compared with well-watered conditions, during the silking and blister stages moderate stress did not significantly change the relative water content (RWC) and did change significantly the relative conductivity (RC) (P < 0.05) of the leaves; however, severe stress did significantly decrease (P < 0.01) the leaf RWC and increase (P < 0.01) membrane permeability (leaf relative conductivity). Furthermore, under severe drought stress antioxidant enzyme activities declined significantly (P < 0.01) in later stages, namely for superoxide dismutase (SOD) the tasseling and blister stages, for peroxidase (POD) the milk stage, and for catalase (CAT) during the tasseling, blister, and milk stages. Meanwhile, membrane lipid peroxidation (measured as malondialdehyde content) significantly increased (P < 0.01) in all stages.

Effects of Water Stress on the Protective Enzyme Activities and Lipid Peroxidation in Roots and Leaves of Summer Maize

A systematic study was conducted to determine the effects of water stress on the activities of protective enzymes and lipid peroxidation in maize. The results showed that, under water stress, the activities of superoxide dismutase （SOD）, catalase （CAT）, and peroxidase （POD） in leaves and roots increased sharply at prophase and metaphase growth stages, such as, male tetrad stage, but then declined towards the physiological maturity. The protective enzyme activities in roots were lower than those in leaves. The content of malondialdehyde （MDA） increased according to the severity of water stress. The content of MDA in roots was lower than that in leaves. The activities of protective enzymes and lipid peroxidation in roots were positively related to that in leaves with most of the correlation coefficients being significant. The content of soluble proteins in roots and leaves decreased with increasing drought stress. The ear characteristics deteriorated and the economic yields of maize decreased significantly under water stress. The main factors that caused reduction of yields were the decrease in the number of ear kernels and 100-kernel weight.

regionalclimate Characteristics of regional climate change and pattern analysis on Ordos Plateau

The characteristics of precipitation, temperature and their combination determine the special ecological environment pattern of Ordos Plateau. Analyzing its evolutionary trend attributes to understanding the succession process of the ecological environment of Ordos Plateau and has crucial instructional significance on the ecological restoration research being conducted in this region. Four time scales, arranging from ten days, one month, one season(growing season contrasting to non growing season)to one year were adopted to analyze the climate data which included nearly 30 years and were collected by eight weather stations on Ordos Plateau. The results indicated that the mean annual temperature and the mean monthly temperature of February, September and December, had increased significantly during the late 30 years. The annual precipitation did not show significant changes but its distribution pattern had changed obviously. The ratio of precipitation of major growing season (May October)to annual precipitation had increased distinctively,and five counties' precipitation reached statistically significant level. And the ratio of precipitation of latter growing season (September)to one year decreased significantly while the ratio of non growing season(November next April)to one year changed insignificantly. The results showed that maybe the interaction of increased mean temperature and insignificant change of precipitation in non growing season was one of the reasons why the desertification of the region was deteriorating in recent years. Using some factors closely relating to vegetation succession such as mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation, distributive pattern of precipitation, mean temperature of the coldest month, mean temperature of the warmest month, precipitation of the warmest month, mean temperature of growing season, precipitation of growing season, potential evapotranspiration(PET)and radiative dryness index(RDI), to synthetically analyze the climate characteristics of Ordos Plateau. The regionalized Ordos Plateau to three synthetical climate types were recognized as follows: Type I, semi humid and low evaporation(including Jungar Banner, Dongsheng City and Ejin Horo Banner), Type II, semi arid, semi humid and moderate evaporation(including Uxin Banner and Dalad Banner), Type III,arid and high evaporation(including Hanggin Banner, Otog Banner and Otog Qian Banner).

Seed movement of bare alkali-saline patches and their potential role in the ecological restoration in Songnen grassland, China

The dynamics of soil seed banks and seed movement was investigated in three bare alkali-saline patches in Songnen grassland, Northeast China, for exploring their potential role in the vegetation restoration of bare alkali-saline patches. The results showed that the seed banks and the seed movement in these patches were very similar to each other, and to some extent the seed movement was related to patch-side vegetation there. Seed movement across the soil surface of these bare alkali-saline patches was abundant and dominated by the seeds of pioneer species, such as Chloris virgata and Suaeda corniculata, which accounted for over 96% of these trapped seeds. In the contrast, soil seed banks of bare patches were extremely small, in different seasons, especially in May and June, even no any seed have been found, mainly due to lowest retaining capacity of surface soil to those abundant seed movement. Both soil seed banks and seed movement showed seasonal variation, and usually reached the maximum in October. Soil seed banks of bare alkali-saline patches, which were extremely small and difficult to recruit naturally, may inhibit speed of vegetation restoration. It is suggested that seed movement would be the potential seed source and play a potentially important role in the process of vegetation restoration of bare alkali-saline patches by enhancing the soft retaining capacity to seed movement.

Structure design and establishment of database application system for alien species in Shandong Province,China

This paper presents a case study on structure design and establishment of database application system for alien species in Shandong Province, integrating with Geographic Information System, computer network, and database technology to the research of alien species. The modules of alien species database, including classified data input, statistics and analysis, species pictures and distribution maps, and out date input, were approached by Visual Studio.net 2003 and Microsoft SQL server 2000. The alien species information contains the information of classification, species distinction characteristics, biological characteristics, original area, distribution area, the entering fashion and route, invasion time, invasion reason, interaction with the endemic species, growth state, danger state and spatial information, i.e. distribution map. Based on the above bases, several models including application, checking, modifying, printing, adding and returning models were developed. Furthermore, through the establishment of index tables and index maps, we can also spatially query the data like picture, text and GIS map data. This research established the technological platform of sharing information about scientific resource of alien species in Shandong Province, offering the basis for the dynamic inquiry of alien species, the warning technology of prevention and the fast reaction system. The database application system possessed the principles of good practicability, friendly user interface and convenient usage. It can supply full and accurate information inquiry services of alien species for the users and provide functions of dynamically managing the database for the administrator.

Fractal Characteristics of Population Canopy Structure of the Mangrove,Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) Lamk

The fractal characteristics of the canopy structure of B. gymnorrhiza population are investigated by fractal dimension analysis in the National Shankou Mangrove Nature Reserve. The 3-year-old branches have box dimensions between 1.22 and 1.55, showing the complexity degree of branching structure and the ability of occupying and utilizing ecological space. It may be considered that fractal dimension provides a useful index for the study of light utilization efficiencies and growth processes of B. gymnorrhiza. Calculated by using the two-surface method, the fractal dimensions for the crown pattern of individuals with ages of 20 to 50 years range from 2.21 to 2.54, indicating that the filling degree of foliage to a tree crown is relatively low and B. gymnorrhiza has the property of a sun plant. Along with the increase of ages of individuals, the filling degree of foliage to a tree crown changes from high to low, and so does the fractal dimension. The box dimensions obtained from the grayscale curves of population canopy are between 1.47 and 1.61. The greater the box dimension, the more loosely organized the canopy spatial structure, and the more the light spots. The canopy structural information and complexity of a population can be effectively captured by box dimensions obtained from canopy grayscale curves.

Fractal Characteristics of the Distribution Pattern of Mangrove Bruguiera Gymnorrhiza Populations in Southern China

The distribution patterns of mangrove Bruguiera gymnorrhiza population s in southern China are analyzed using the box-counting method of fractal theory. The patterns of B. gymnorrhiza populations could be thought of as fractals as they exhibit self-similarity within the range of scale considered. Their fractal dimensions are not integer but fractional, ranging from 1.04 to 1.51. The unoccupied dimensions change from 0.49 to 0.96. The combined conditions of population density, pattern type and aggregation intensity together influence the values of fractal dimensions of patterns. The box counting is a useful and efficient method to investigate the complexity of patterns. Fractal dimension may be a most desirable and appropriate index for quantifying the horizontal spatial microstructure and fractal behaviors of patterns over a certain range of scales.

Soil Organic Carbon and Labile Carbon Along a Precipitation Gradient and Their Responses to Some Environmental Changes

Based on data from a field survey in 2001 along the Northeast China transect (NECT), a precipitation gradient,and a short-term simulation experiment under ambient CO2 of 350 μmol mol-1 and doubled CO2 of 700 μmol mol-1with different soil moisture contents of 30%-45%, 45%-60%, and 60%-80% soil water holding capacity, the distributionof soil organic carbon and labile carbon along the NECT, their relationships with precipitation and their responses toCO2 enrichment and soil moisture changes were analyzed. The results indicated that the soil labile carbon along thegradient was significantly related to soil organic carbon (r = 0.993, P < 0.001). The soil labile carbon decreased morerapidly with depth than organic carbon. The soil organic and labile carbon along the gradient decreased with decrease inlongitude in both the topsoils and subsoils, and the coefficient of variation for the labile carbon was greater than that forthe organic carbon. Both the soil organic carbon and labile carbon had significant linear relationships with precipitation,with the correlation coefficient of soil organic carbon being lower (0.677 at P < 0.001) than that of soil labile carbon(0.712 at P < 0.001). In the simulation experiment with doubled and ambient CO2 and different moisture contents, thecoefficient of variation for soil organic carbon was only 1.3%, while for soil labile carbon it was 29.7%. With doubled CO2concentration (700 μmol mol-1), soil labile carbon decreased significantly at 45% to 60% of soil moisture content. Theseindicated that soil labile carbon was relatively more sensitive to environmental changes than soil organic carbon.

Spatial distribution analysis on climatic variables in northeast China

Information ecology is a new research area of modern ecology. Here describes the spatial distribution analysis methods of four sorts of climatic variables, i.e. temperature, precipitation, relative humidity and sunshine fraction in Northeast China. First, digital terrain models was built with large scale maps and vector data. Then trend surface analysis and interpolation method were used to analyze the spatial distribution of these four kinds of climatic variables at three temporal scale: (1) monthly data; (2) mean monthly data of thirty years, and (3) mean annual data of thirty years. Ecological information system were used for graphics analysis on the spatial distribution of these climatic variables.

Altitudinal Pattern of Plant Species Diversity in Shennongjia Mountains, Central China

One hundred and sixty plots, approximately every 100 m above sea level （a.s.1.） along an altitudinal gradient from 470 to 3 080 m a.s.1, at the southern and northern watershed of Mt. Shennongjia, China, were examined to determine the altitudinal pattern of plant species diversity. Mt. Shennongjia was found to have high plant species diversity, with 3 479 higher plants recorded. Partial correlation analysis and detrended canonical correspondence analysis （DCCA） based on plant species diversity revealed that altitude was the main factor affecting the spatial pattern of plant species diversity on Mt. Shennongjia and that canopy coverage of the arbor layer also had a considerable effect on plant species diversity. The DCCA based on species data of importance value further revealed that altitude gradient was the primary factor shaping the spatial pattern of plant species. In addition, the rule of the “mid-altitude bulge” was supported on Mt. Shennongjia. Plant species diversity was closely related to vegetation type and the transition zone usually had a higher diversity. Higher plant species diversity appeared in the mixed evergreen and deciduous broadleaved forest zone （900-1500 m a.s.1.） and its transition down to evergreen broadleaved forest zone or up to deciduous broadleaved forest zone. The largest plant species diversity in whole communities on Mt. Shennongjia lay at approximately 1 200 m a.s.1. Greatest tree diversity, shrub diversity, and grass diversity was found at approximately 1 500, 1 100, and 1 200 m a.s.l., respectively. The southern watershed showed higher plant species diversity than the northern watershed, with maximum plant species diversity at a higher altitude in the southern watershed than the northern watershed. These results indicate that Mt. Shennongjia shows characteristics of a transition region. The relationship between the altitudinal pattern of plant species diversity and the vegetation type in eastern China are also discussed and a hypothesis about the altitudinal pattern of plant species diversity in eastern China is proposed.

Lack of Evidence for 3/4 Scaling of Metabolism in Terrestrial Plants

Scaling, as the translation of information across spatial, temporal, and organizational scales, is essential to predictions and understanding in all sciences and has become a central issue in ecology. A large body of theoretical and empirical evidence concerning allometric scaling in terrestrial individual plants and plant communities has been constructed around the fractal volume-filling theory of West, Brown, and Enquist （the WBE model）. One of the most thought-provoking findings has been that the metabolic rates of plants, like those of animals, scale with their size as a 3/4 power law. The earliest, single most-important study cited in support of the application of the WBE model to terrestrial plants claims that whole-plant resource use in terrestrial plants scales as the 3/4 power of total mass, as predicted by the WBE model. However, in the present study we show that empirical data actually do not support such a claim. More recent studies cited as evidence for 3/4 scaling also suffer from several statistical and data-related problems. Using a forest biomass dataset including 1 266 plots of 17 main forest types across China, we explored the scaling exponents between tree productivity and tree mass and found no universal value across forest stands. We conclude that there is not sufficient evidence to support the existence of a single constant scaling exponent for the metabolism-biomass relationship for terrestrial plants.

Clonal Plasticity in Response to Reciprocal Patchiness of Light and Nutrients in the Stoloniferous Herb Glechoma Iongituba L.

Interconnected ramets of clonal plants can functionally specialize in the uptake of resources from aboveground and/or underground sources. Ramet pairs of the clonal stoloniferous herb Glechoma Iongltuba L. were grown In spatially heterogeneous environments with complementary availability of light and nutrients. Plasticity with respect to root-shoot ratio, fitness-related traits （biomass, number of ramets and dry weight per ramet）, morphological traits （lamina area, root length） were experimentally examined. The aim was to understand the adaptation of G. Iongltuba to an environment with reciprocal patchiness of light and soil nutrients by plasticity In Its root-shoot ratio and clonal morphology. The results showed that the performance of ramets growing In patches with high light Intensity and low soil nutrients into the adjacent opposite patches was Increased in terms of fitness-related traits. However, the performance of those from patches with low light Intensity and high soil nutrients into the adjacent opposite patches was not changed. The root-shoot ratio and clonal morphology were plastic. Morphological traits such as lamina area and root length were altered In a way that enhanced the capture of light resources and soil nutrients. Apparent reciprocal resource transport between the ramets In an environment of reciprocal patchiness of resources can enhance the growth of ramets with complementary resource deficiencies.

Modeling gross primary production of a temperate grassland ecosystem in Inner Mongolia, China, using MODIS imagery and climate data

Carbon fluxes in temperate grassland ecosystems are characterized by large inter-annual variations due to fluctuations in precipitation and land water availability. Since an eddy flux tower has been in operation in the Xilin Gol grassland, which belongs to typical temperate grassland in North China, in this study, observed eddy covariance flux data were used to critically evaluate the biophysical per- formance of different remote sensing vegetation indices in relation to carbon fluxes. Furthermore, vegetation photosynthesis model (VPM) was introduced to estimate gross primary production (GPP) of the grassland ecosystem for assessing its dependability. As defined by the input variables of VPM, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradimeter (MODIS) and standard data product MOD09A1 were downloaded for calculating enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and land surface water index (LSWI). Measured air temperature (Ta) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) data were also included for model simulating. Field CO2 flux data, during the period from May, 2003 to September, 2005, were used to estimate the 'observed' GPP (GPPobs) for validation. The seasonal dynamics of GPP predicted from VPM (GPPVPM) was compared quite well (R2=0.903, N=111, p【0.0001) with the observed GPP. The ag- gregate GPPVPM for the study period was 641.5 g C·m?2, representing a ~6% over-estimation, compared with GPPobs. Additionally, GPP predicted from other two typical production efficiency model (PEM) represents either higher overestimation or lower underestimation to GPPobs. Results of this study demonstrate that VPM has potential for estimating site-level or regional grassland GPP, and might be an effective tool for scaling-up carbon fluxes.

Fluctuation of Picea timberline and paleoenvironment onthe northern slope of Tian-shan Mountains during the late Holocene

As a good indicator of Holocene climate, the fluctuation of alpine timberline is a synthetical result of impacts of many environmental factors dur-ing geological and historical periods and modern times. As the dominant tree species of mountainous conifer forests on the northern slope of Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, the distribution of Picea schrenkiana and its population size are sensitive to climatic change. The typical natural profile of Huashuwozi and the nearby Xiaoxigou archaeologi-cal profile, located in Quanzijie Township, Jimusaer County in Xinjiang, were chosen to analyze and compare the relative high-resolution pollen records, and to measure 14C dating and SEM (scanning elec-tron microscope) microstructure for charcoal frag-ments contained in Xiaoxigou profile’s cultural layers. The results show that in these two profiles, the high percentages of Picea (more than 20% and 35%, re-spectively) appeared in the stratum of the same pe-riod (2000-1300 a BP), which corresponds to the charcoal fragment’s age of Picea schrenkiana con-tained in Xiaoxigou cultural layers. These results convincingly revealed that during the period of 2000-1300 a BP, the timberline for Picea schrenkiana on the northern slope of Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang declined by about 330m compared with the present.

Seasonal Variation and Correlation with Environmental Factors of Photosynthesis and Water Use Efficiency of Juglans regia and Ziziphus jujuba

Both the photosynthetic light curves and CO2 curves of Juglans regia L. and Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa in three seasons were measured using a LI-6400 portable photosynthesis system. The maximal net photosynthetic rate （Amax）, apparent quantum efficiency（φ）, maximal carboxylation rate （Vcmax） and water use efficiency （WUE） of the two species were calculated based on the curves. The results showed that Amax of J. regia reached its maximum at the late-season, while the highest values of Amax of Z. jujuba occurred at the mid-season. The Amax of J. regia was more affected by relative humidity （RH） of the atmosphere, while that of Z. jujuba was more affected by the air temperature. Light saturation point （LSP） and Light compensation point （LCP） of J. regia had a higher correlation with RH of the atmosphere, those of Z. jujuba, however, had a higher correlation with air temperature. Vcmax of both J. regia and Z. jujuba had negative correlation with RH of the atmosphere. WUE of J. regia would decrease with the rise of the air temperature while that of Z. jujuba increased. Thus it could be seen that RH, temperature and soil moisture had main effect on photosynthesis and WUE of J. regia and Z. jujuba. Incorporating data on the physiological differences among tree species into forest carbon models will greatly improve our ability to predict alterations to the forest carbon budgets under various environmental scenarios such as global climate change, or with differing species composition.

Growth Rings of Roots in Perennial Forbs in Duolun Grassland, Inner Mongolia, China

Annual growth rings of roots in perennial forbs have been used in studies of climate change and the ecology of grasslands. However, little has been done in this aspect of research in China. In this study, we report the characteristics of growth rings in the main roots of 13 herb species sampled in Duolun of the Inner Mongolia grassland in northern China. The results show that around two thirds of the species possess clearly demarcated annual rings in the root xylem. Some species of the same genera show different patterns in anatomical structure of the root xylem. Standardized annual ring widths of three species, Potentilla anserine L., Cymbaria dahurica L. and Lespedeza daurica （Laxm.） Schindh, show a common linear trend, indicating a continued favorable growth condition in the sampling sites. Our results provide evidence that growth rings in roots of some perennial forbs in the Inner Mongolia grassland can serve as a new and useful indicator of past changes in the grassland environment.

Distribution of plant species and species-soil relationship in the east central Gurbantunggut Desert, China

The distribution of plant species and relationships between species and soil factors in the east central part of Gurbantunggut Desert was studied to provide more insight into the flora and determine differences in vegetation across various parts of the desert. Two-way Cluster Analysis showed that the vegetation in the area could be divided into three groups, the first group was dominated by the shrub species, Ephedra przewalskii and the grass species, Carex physodes mainly in areas of flat grounds and gentle slopes; the second group was dominated by C. physodes, Artemisia songorica and A. xerophytica mainly on the slope of sand dunes and the third group was dominated by the shrub species, Haloxylon persicum mainly on the top of sand dunes. There was no difference in plant density between Groups 1 and 2 but there was a significant decrease in Group 3. Soil water under vegetation Group 3 was much lower than that in the other two groups at all soil depths. The EC, organic matter, total P and soluble Na, Ca and Mg varied very similarly with soil water. Canonical corre- spondence analysis （CCA） satisfactorily assessed the species-soil relations in the area. The distribution of plant species was strongly correlated with the soil factors of water content, organic matter, EC and nutrients. The variations in species occurrence explained by the three CCA axes were about 70%, indicating that some explanatory site variables may exist outside our studied parameters. Soil texture is suggested to be included in future studies to improve the explanation of CCA.

Distribution of Vascular Plant Species Richness Along an Elevational Gradient in the Dongling Mountains, Beijing, China

Quantifying spatial patterns of species richness and determining the processes that give rise to these patterns are core problems In blodlverslty theory. The aim of the present paper was to more accurately detect patterns of vascular species richness at different scales along altitudinal gradients In order to further our understanding of blodlverslty patterns and to facilitate studies on relationships between blodlverslty and environmental factors. Species richness patterns of total vascular plants species, Including trees, shrubs, and herbs, were measured along an altitudinal gradient on one transect on a shady slope In the Dongllng Mountains, near Beljlng, China. Direct gradient analysis, regression analysis, and geostatlstlcs were applied to describe the spatial patterns of species richness. We found that total vascular species richness did not exhibit a linear pattern of change with altitude, although species groups with different ecological features showed strong elevatlonal patterns different from total species richness. In addition to total vascular plants, analysis of trees, shrubs, and herbs demonstrated remarkable hierarchical structures of species richness with altitude （I.e. patchy structures at small scales and gradients at large scales）. Species richness for trees and shrubs had similar spatial character-Istics at different scales, but differed from herbs. These results Indicated that species groups with similar ecological features exhibit similar blodlverslty patterns with altitude, and studies of blodlverslty based on species groups with similar ecological properties or life forms would advance our understanding of variations In species diversity. Furthermore, the gradients or trends appeared to be due mainly to local variations In species richness means with altitude. We also found that the range of spatial scale dependencies of species rlchnese for total vascular plants, trees, shrubs, and herbs was relatively large. Thus, to detect the relationships between species richness with environmental factors along altitudinal gradients, It was necessary to quantify the scale dependencies of environmental factors In the sampling design or when establishing non-linear models.

Insecticidal activity of residual Bt protein at the second trophic level

Measurements were taken of Bt protein expressed in the leaves of transgenic cotton (Gos- sypium hirsutum) transformed with a synthesized Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cry1A gene and its persistent level in larval bodies and faeces of a non-targeted insect pest, beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua). We performed enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and bioassays using neonate larvae of cot- ton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) to detect the insecticidal activity of residual Bt protein at the sec- ond trophic level. The results showed that Bt protein content in functional leaves was different at various developmental stages and was different among plants at the same stage. Even though Bt protein concentration in the larval bodies and faeces de- creased 97.5%―99% compared to that found in cotton leaves subsequently fed to beet armyworm larvae, it still had a lethal effect on neonate cotton bollworm larvae. Therefore, Bt protein present at the second trophic level had insecticidal activity. This result is important in understanding and predicting the effect of transgenic plants on nontarget organisms.

Relationship between increase rate of human plague in China and global climate index as revealed by cross-spectral and cross-wavelet analyses

Plague has caused the death of hundreds of millions of people throughout the human history.Today this disease is again re-emerging and hence is again becoming an increasing threat to human health in several parts of the world.However,impacts of global climate variation(e.g.El Nino and Southern Oscillation[ENSO])and global warming on plagues are largely unknown.Using cross-spectral analysis and cross-wavelet analysis,we have analyzed the relationship between increase rate of human plague in China during 1871–2003 and the following climate factors(as measured by the Southern Oscillation Index[SOI],Sea Surface Temperature of east Pacific equator[SST]and air Temperature of the Northern Hemisphere[NHT]).We found in the frequency domain that increase rate of human plague was closely associated with SOI and SST.Cross-spectral analysis reveals that significant coherencies between increase rate of human plague and ENSO were found over short periods(2–3 years),medium periods(6–7 years)and long periods(11–12 years,30–40 years).Cross-wavelet analysis reveals that increase rate of human plague oscillates in phase with SOI,but in anti-phase with SST over periods of 2–4 years and approximately 8 years(6–10 years).These results indicate that ENSO-driven climate variation may be important for occurrences of human plague in China.However,there is a need for a further analysis of the underlying mechanism between human plague in China and ENSO.