Table of Content

10 January 2025, Volume 44 Issue 1

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Interannual dynamics and homeostasis of soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus stoichiometry in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest: Based on ten years observation.

FU Zhigao, XIAO Yihua, XU Han, SHI Xin, LUO Handong, BEN Chunli, YANG Zinong, LI Ming

2025, 44(1):  1-10.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.029

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Clarifying ecological stoichiometry and dynamic characteristics of soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus helps to understand nutrient storage, supply capacity and nutrient limitation in forest soils, and provide important guidance for ecosystem restoration and conservation. Soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), pH value, soil temperature (ST), soil water content (SWC), mean annual precipitation (MAP), temperature (MAT) and humidity (MAH) of a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest were quantified for ten years. Analysis of variance, correlation, redundancy, variance decomposition and multiple linear regression analysis were used to explore the interannual variations and stability of soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as their stoichiometric ratios and the effects of environmental factors. The results showed that the contents of SOC, TN, and TP were 15.37-21.21, 1.19-2.03, and 0.08-0.14 g·kg^-1 in the dry season, respectively, with great interannual variations (P<0.01). In the rainy season, the contents of SOC, TN, and TP were 24.44-28.50, 1.76-2.32, and 0.17-0.22 g·kg^-1, respectively, with great interannual variations of TP content (P<0.05). The ratio of C∶N was significantly higher in the rainy season than that in the dry season (P<0.01), while the ratios of C∶P and N∶P were significantly higher in the dry season than that in the rainy season (P<0.01). (2) In the dry season, TN was significantly positively correlated with ST, TP was significantly positively correlated with MAH, while N∶P ratio was significantly negatively associated with MAH. However, there were no significant correlations between environmental factors and SOC, TN and TP, and ecological stoichiometry in the rainy season. Overall, environmental factors had less effect on TN (interpretation rate 23%) than on TP (68%) and SOC (53%), and TN was more susceptible to pH (independent effect 1%). N∶P was more responsive to environmental change (32%) than C∶N (14%) and C∶P (23%). (3) In the dry season, MAT (general dominance value 28.9%), ST (61.2%), and MAH (46.2%) were the dominant factors affecting SOC, TN, and TP content, respectively. Nevertheless, MAT was the dominant factor affecting SOC (87.5%) and TN (48.8%), but MAH (31.27%) was the key factor driving TP in the wet season. (4) The trend of interannual stability was as follows: N∶P>TP>C∶P>SOC>C∶N>TN. Moreover, the stability of SOC (40.0%) and TP (47.5%) was affected by MAP, while that of TN (47.9%) was affected by ST. In summary, the interannual variations of SOC, TN and TP contents were significantly affected by soil moisture limitation in the dry season, and the effect of environmental factors on TP was greater than on SOC and TN. Furthermore, temperature was the dominant environmental factor affecting SOC, TN and TP contents. The interannual stability of SOC and TP was mainly influenced by rainfall, while that of TN was driven by temperature.





Characteristics and influencing mechanisms of soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities in Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations with different stand ages.

LU Anqi, CHEN Zhijie, LI Xue, WANG Zhenyu, LI Shuaijun, FENG Lixuan, WANG Sirong, ZOU Bingzhang, HUANG Zhiqun

2025, 44(1):  11-20.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.049

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Understanding changes in soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities with stand development is crucial for post-afforestation management. Here, we examined the changes in microbial biomass carbon, nitrogen, extracellular enzyme activities and their association with environmental factors in different soil layers (0-10, 10-20 and 20-40 cm) in Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations of different stand ages (5, 8, 21, 27 and 40 years old) in the southern Wuyi Mountains, China. The results showed that soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen increased significantly with stand development. Soil enzyme activities showed a unimodal trend. Specifically, cellulose hydrolase, glucosidase, β-N-acetylglucosaminidase and acid phosphatase activities peaked in 8 years old stand, whereas polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activities peaked in 21 years old stand. Soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen and enzyme activities decreased with increasing soil depth across all stand ages. Results of redundancy analysis revealed that soil moisture, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and soluble organic nitrogen contents significantly influenced soil microbial biomass and soil hydrolytic enzyme activities, while oxidative enzyme activities were primarily regulated by soil moisture and available potassium. In conclusion, soil nutrient contents were the primary drivers of the variations in enzyme activities across different stand stages. When evaluating the impacts of nutrients on soil microbial properties and enzyme activities during the stand development of C. lanceolata plantations, the important role of available potassium on oxidative enzyme activities cannot be ignored.





Ecological niche characteristics and spatial distribution patterns of woody plants in the understory of Castanopsis fissa forest after clearcutting. 

WU Qiaoyun, LIN Han, CHEN Can, FAN Hailan, ZHANG Bin, HE Jun, FANG Chen, YUAN Feng, WANG Yingzi, WU Chengzhen

2025, 44(1):  21-31.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.021

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Ecological niche is a key indicator for the adaptive capacity of a species in the environment, offering insights into population status. Meanwhile, the spatial distribution of individuals provides crucial information for population dispersion characteristics and development trends. To clarify the regeneration dynamics of understory woody plant communities in a replanted broadleaved forest, we examined the woody species thriving beneath the replanted C. fissa forest, which was established 23 years ago after the clear-cutting of low-yield and low-efficiency Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation in Jianyang State-owned Forest Farm of Nanping City. Levins niche breadth and Pianka’s niche overlap were used to analyze the niche characteristics of species. Seven aggregation indices were employed to explore the spatial distribution pattern of dominant species with importance values greater than 1. The results showed that: (1) the seedlings of C. fissa were predominant in the understory community, with the largest importance value and niche breadth, which were 115.30% and 1.00 respectively. A substantial niche overlap was observed with other species, which maintained its dominant position with the upper canopy species. (2) There were no correlations between the importance values, niche breadths and niche overlaps. The niche overlap values among species pairs were distributed within the range of \[0, 1\], with most of the species pairs displaying significant overlap (0.5≤O_ik<1). (3) Most understory woody species were clustered in spatial distribution, and a few showed even distribution. The influence of different scales on the spatial distribution pattern of the populations within the small-scale range was mainly manifested in the change of clustering intensity. In general, the natural recovery of understory woody plants was at good condition, the interspecific relationship was stable, and the understory vegetation was in the stage of succession recovery.





Interspecific relationships, ecological niches of main woody species, and community stability in Pinus massoniana forest in Guangdong Ruyuan Grand Canyon.

FU Zhigao, XIAO Yihua, XU Han, ZOU Jianping, BEN Chunli, SHI Xin, CAO Guosong

2025, 44(1):  32-40.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.025

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Exploring the interspecific relationships, ecological niches of main plant species, and community stability in Pinus massoniana forest of canyon habitat is beneficial to creating a scientific foundation for forest resource management in the Guangdong Grand Canyon. The importance value (IV), niche breadths (B_L and B_S), niche overlaps (O_ik), OI and DI indices of dominant plant species were calculated based on survey data and the 2×2 contingency table of Pinus massoniana forest plot. The interspecific associations (AC) of dominant species were analyzed using the variance ratio (VR) method and the chi-square test. Community stability was evaluated using the Godron method. The results showed that: (1) As the constructive species, Pinus massoniana had the highest importance value (IV=40.11%) and ecological niche breadth (B_L=12.53, B_S=2.64), followed by Cunninghamia lanceolata, Rhododendron kwangtungense, Schima superba, Platycarya longipes, Myrica rubra, and Elaeocarpus glabripetalus. Those seven species dominated resource competition in the community, with substantial niche overlap with other species. (2) Among the 78 species pairs of the dominant species, the species pairs with negative associations (53.85%) outweighed that of positive associations (44.87%). The results of χ² test showed that the species pairs with significant associations accounted for 10.26% and those with non-significant associations accounted for 89.74%. The species pairs with OI and DI values less than 0.4 accounted for 69.23% and 73.08% of the total species pairs, respectively, indicating a high degree of negative inter-species association, strong relative independence and loose association of the species pairs. (3) Results of the Godron method demonstrated that the community was at an unstable state, with a negative interspecific association in the community (VR=0.62, W=18.44). We proposed that Rhododendron kwangtungense, Schima superba, Platycarya longipes, Myrica rubra, and Elaeocarpus glabripetalus should be selected as the constructive species to promote near-natural succession in the Pinus massoniana forest in Guangdong Grand Canyon.





Population structure and dynamics of Acer mono, a companion tree species in the broad-leaved Korean pine forest of Changbai Mountain.

ZHANG Jinfeng, LI Junqing

2025, 44(1):  41-48.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.023

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Acer mono is a major companion tree species in the broad-leaved Korean pine forest located on the north slope of Changbai Mountain. To establish a scientific foundation for the conservation of A. mono and the rehabilitation of broad-leaved Korean pine forests, we examined the population structure and dynamics of A. mono through field surveys. We used various analytical tools, such as static life table, survival curve, mortality curve, vanishing rate curve, quantitative dynamic index, four survival functions, and a time series prediction model. The results showed that the population exhibited a comprehensive structure, with a notable proportion (78.98%) belonging to the Ⅰ-Ⅲ age groups, signifying robust growth potential. The population dynamics indices showed V_pi>V′_pi>0, indicating that the A. mono population was growth-oriented. Nonetheless, the survival curve closely resembled the Deevey-Ⅲ type, signifying a substantial loss of young individuals and underscoring the juvenile phase as a critical bottleneck period for the self-development of the A. mono population. Moreover, results of the survival functions showed that the A. mono population experienced a growth trend from the Ⅰ to Ⅵ age classes, maintained relative stability at the Ⅶ age class, and subsequently entered a recession phase. Results of the time series prediction analysis showed that the abundance of each age class would increase steadily over the next 2-10 age classes. Our results indicate the robust resilience and stable age structure of the A. mono population in the broad-leaved Korean pine forest, suggesting a promising outlook for future population development.





Relationship between freezing damage and age class and slope aspect of Juglans regia in Xinjiang, China.

LIU Huaqing, WANG Bo, JIA Yanyan, BA Xuerui, ZHANG Wei

2025, 44(1):  49-55.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.019

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Severe freezing damage leads to stunted growth of walnut, reduced yield and even plant death. In this study, we investigated the freezing damage on Juglans regia in the Xinjiang Wild Walnut Nature Reserve, and analyzed the distribution characteristics of freezing damage levels of J. regia and the response of freezing damage to age class of trees and slope aspect. The results showed that: (1) The freezing damage on J. regia reached 87.1%. The proportion of damage at level 1, 2, 3, and 4 was 22.5%, 43.4%, 17.5%, and 3.7%, respectively, with the severe and very severe freezing damage together being 21.2%. (2) The proportion of freezing damaged J. regia varied in different slope aspects, with the highest proportion on semishaded slopes (26.6%), followed by semi-sunny slopes (23.7%) and shaded slopes (21.2%), and the lowest in the sunny slopes (15.6%). Resistance abilities varied among different age classes of J. regia, with the highest proportion of frozen damage in seedlings (43.4%), followed by middle-aged trees (36.5%), elderly trees (19.1%), and the lowest in young trees (1.0%). There were significant differences in the proportion of freezing damage of J. regia in the same age class from different slope aspects (P<0.05). (3) Mild and moderate freezing damage mainly occurred on the semi-sunny slopes, while severe and very severe freezing damage mainly occurred on the semi-shaded slopes. Level 1 and level 4 freezing damage mainly occurred on seedlings, while level 2 and level 3 freezing damage mainly occurred on middle-aged trees. (4) Freezing damage was significantly correlated with diameter at the breast height and slope aspect of J. regia (P<0.05), and significantly negatively correlated with crown width (P<0.01). Nearly 90% of J. regia in the reserve suffered from freezing damage. The proportion of freezing damage level of J. regia varied greatly in different slope aspects and age classes. Our results provided scientific reference for the prevention of freezing damage on J. regia.





Direct and indirect effects of nitrogen addition on the increase of above and below-ground biomass of poplar.

YAN Xiangru, LI Pin, WU Xianjie, SUN Yuqian

2025, 44(1):  56-64.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.022

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The increase of plant biomass caused by nitrogen (N) addition is one of the important factors to enhance carbon sequestration potential of plants. At present, the effects of direct and indirect interactions between plants, soil, and microorganisms under N addition on the above and below-ground carbon sequestration (C) function of forests are unclear. We used structural equation models to analyze the direct and indirect effects of leaf and fine root chemical traits, soil microbial community and soil physicochemical factors on above and below-ground biomass increase of poplar 107 (Populus euramericana cv. ‘74/76’) saplings under four N input levels (no N addition, additions of 50, 100, and 200 kg·hm^-2·a^-1 urea). The results showed that with the increases of exogenous N input, the increase of aboveground biomass was greater than that of belowground biomass, resulting in a decrease of root-shoot ratio. The increase of N input significantly increased leaf N concentration and decreased leaf C concentration, resulting in the decrease of leaf C∶N, but the effect on the chemical traits of fine roots was limited. The increase of N input did not affect rhizosphere soil microbial community. The structural equation modeling showed that the direct and indirect factors affecting above and below-ground biomass were consistent, i.e., exogenous N input, leaf C and leaf N had direct effects, while NH₄⁺-N, NO₃^--N content, and leaf N had indirect effects. Our results clarified the direct or indirect interactions among plants, soil and microorganisms, providing a scientific basis for evaluating the effects of N addition on the above and below-ground carbon sequestration of poplar plantations.





Characteristics and determinants of species turnover rate in the regenerated Larix gmelinii forest across a fire chronosequence in the Great Xing’an Mountains of northeast China.

LI Qiumei, JIA Kuangdi, WANG Bo, ZHOU Zhiyong

2025, 44(1):  65-73. 

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Projecting the trajectories of the community structure and function of forests following fire disturbance is an important research area in restoration ecology. There are many uncertainties in above and belowground biological processes during the secondary succession. We monitored species composition and soil physicochemical properties of forests in 2018, along a fire chronosequece, i.e., 2, 3, 9, 15, 31, 50 and 150 years since fire (YSF). The results showed that the temporal pattern of species turnover rate was characterized by a mono-peak curve. The smallest dissimilarity was found between communities in 15 YSF and in 150 YSF, but the total species turnover rate was largest. The abundance of Carex rigescens, Sanguisorba officinalis, Adenophora teraphylla and Ledum palustre increased over time after fire disturbance. The beta diversity of the regenerated communities was codetermined by the soil nutrient content and the stoichiometry of soil microbial biomass, while species composition was controlled by soil microbial biomass N∶P and soil C∶N and varied with successional stages. Similar species composition was found between the communities in 2 and 15 YSF and that in 150 YSF. Soil microbial biomass N∶P was higher in earlier stages of the secondary succession series. There was a positive correlation between soil microbial biomass N∶P and the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity index. The lowest soil C∶N ratio was detected in the community of 9 YSF, which was negatively correlated with the total species turnover rate. The communities of 9 and 15 YSF had comparatively lower species turnover rate under the edaphic conditions with a higher soil C∶N ratio. In general, soil nutrient content and soil microbial biomass stoichiometry are two predominant variables driving the recovery of beta diversity and community structure for the fired forest communities.





Construction and application of biomass estimation model of common shrubs on expressway slopes in Henan Province.

XU Enkai, HU Yongge, ZHAI Xinyu, DONG Nalin, GU Hansi, ZHAO Ming, WANG Hua, LI Congshi, TIAN Guohang, ZHANG Guoyu, LEI Yakai

2025, 44(1):  74-84.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.048

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Biomass is an important metric to quantify vegetation productivity. Shrub biomass models are one of the important methods for quickly estimating shrub biomass. This study focused on three common slope-protection shrub species, Amorpha fruticosa, Vitex negundo, and Lespedeza bicolor, on the slopes of expressways in Henan Province. Based on data of leaves, stems and aboveground biomass obtained by field harvesting as well as the estimation of plant height, crown width and basal diameter of each shrub, the estimation models for foliage, stem and aboveground biomass of the three shrub species were established. The optimal prediction models were selected according to the size of the determination coefficient (R²), the size of the standard error (SEE) of the estimated value and the significance level of the regression test (P). The biomass of three shrub species was estimated by using the aboveground biomass optimal models. The results showed that stem/leaf ratio of the three species had little difference, ranging from 2.57-3.35. Plant volume (V), plant height (H) or basal diameter square multiplied by plant height (D₂H) were used as the independent variables for the optimal models, and the optimal models were mainly quadratic or cubic functional equations. The results of the measured values showed that the prediction accuracy of the function models was above 97%, with good prediction accuracy. The aboveground biomass of shrubs on the expressway slopes in Henan Province was 6.86 × 10⁷ kg. The results demonstrated that the established models can be applied to the estimation of the leaves, stems and total aboveground biomass of Amorpha fruticosa, Vitex  negundo, and Lespedeza bicolor on expressway slopes.





Characteristics of soil CO₂ flux and hydrothermal factors during the growing season in Qilihai wetland, Tianjin.

LI Shiyong, DING Hu, CHEN Jing, HAN Xiaokun, XUE Hao, HUA Haifeng, LANG Yunchao

2025, 44(1):  85-93.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.047

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Soil respiration plays a critical role in the CO₂ emissions of terrestrial ecosystems. It is of great significance to identify the dynamics of CO₂ and its controlling factors for global change research. Nevertheless, continuous in-situ observations of soil respiration in wetlands are relatively rare. In this study, we utilized CO₂ flux sensor and soil temperature and moisture sensors to continuously monitor soil respiration in the Qilihai wetland, located in Tianjin, the Bohai Rim. Our objective was to investigate the diurnal and seasonal variations of CO₂ flux, hydrothermal factors in wetland soil, and the response of CO₂ flux to soil hydrothermal factors during the growing season (May 1 to September 30, 2022). The results showed that soil CO₂ flux exhibited a first increasing and then decreasing trend during the growing season, with a mean value of 6.68±2.55 μmol·m^-2·s^-1. Temperature was positively correlated with soil CO₂ flux, which explained 75.7% of the variation in soil respiration during the study period. Moreover, wetland soil demonstrated a strong temperature sensitivity of soil respiration, with a Q₁₀ value of 3.21. On a diurnal scale, CO₂ flux displayed a unimodal variation, with a lag effect to soil temperature and a counterclockwise characteristic overall. Additionally, soil respiration exhibited a weak negative correlation with soil water content. With the limitations of initial soil moisture, CO₂ flux reached a transient peak at the beginning of rainfall event, followed by a significant reduction in CO₂ emissions during the rainfall, and then a rapid increase in CO₂ flux at the end of the short-term rainfall. Overall, our results illustrated that soil temperature was the primary controlling factor for soil respiration during the growing season, and soil respiration was also influenced by soil water content during rainfall events. Thus, future warming and rainfall frequency associated with climate change could lead to significant changes in soil carbon fluxes in wetland ecosystems.





Effects of rhizosphere microenvironment of different plant assemblages on the performance of constructed wetlands and greenhouse gas emission reduction.

GAO Zijing, WANG Wenyue, WANG Xiaoyan, WANG Kang, WANG Sen, KONG Fanlong

2025, 44(1):  94-106.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.035

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In this study, we conducted hydroponics and constructed wetlands (CWs) experiments with six assemblages of four plant species. We examined the relationships between rhizosphere microenvironment factors and water quality treatment performance and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction capacity of CWs, to select the plant assemblage that can simultaneously remove pollutants in water and reduce GHG. In the hydroponics experiment, “Lythrum salicaria+Phragmites australis” accelerated plant growth and had the highest rate of radial oxygen loss (ROL) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). After reaching stability, the CW with “Lythrum salicaria+Phragmites australis” had the highest removal efficiencies of COD (82.8%), TP (59.4%) and TN (68.9%). Moreover, the “Lythrum salicaria+Phragmites australis” had the lowest global warming potential (GWP), with 311.72±0.13 mg·m^-2·h^-1 CO₂eq in hydroponics experiment and 561.80±0.22 mg·m^-2·h^-1 CO₂eq in CWs experiment. High-throughput sequencing results showed that the assemblage “Lythrum salicaria+Phragmites australis” increased microbial richness and diversity, improved the abundance of nirS, nosZ and pmoA, and decreased mcrA abundance in the CW. In conclusion, the assemblage of “Lythrum salicaria+Phragmites australis” could simultaneously achieve higher pollutant removal efficiency and lower GHG emissions, providing a new choice for improving ecological benefits of CWs.





The abundance of nitrite reducing genes and the driving factors in acidic agricultural soils from Jiangxi Province.

CHENG Yuheng, FENG Mengmeng, WAN Song, DENG Milin, HE Jizheng, LIN Yongxin

2025, 44(1):  107-112.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.036

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Different land use patterns can substantially alter the structure and function of agricultural ecosystems. The impacts of land use on the abundance of nitrite reducing genes, which are critical in producing nitrous oxide, at a regional scale remain largely unclear. We collected dryland soils that grow peanut and paddy soils from sixteen counties or cities in Jiangxi Province to determine the abundance of nitrite reducing genes nirS and nirK using real-time quantitative PCR. Results showed that nitrate and available phosphorus contents in dryland soils were significantly higher than those in paddy soils, while total carbon, total nitrogen and ammonium contents showed opposite trends. There were no significant differences in pH and dissolved organic carbon content between dryland and paddy soils. The abundance of nirS was two order of magnitudes higher than that of nirK in both dryland and paddy soils, indicating that nirS dominated in the acidic agricultural soils. Moreover, the abundance of nirS and nirK was significantly higher in dryland soils than that in paddy soils, indicating that nitrite reducing microorganisms might prefer dryland soils. Soil total nitrogen (TN) and NH₄⁺-N contents were the best predictors for the abundance of nirS and nirK genes in dryland soils and paddy soils, respectively. Taken together, soil nitrogen forms and contents were the most important abiotic factors controlling the abundance of nitrite reductase genes in acidic agricultural soils of Jiangxi Province.





Spatial-temporal variations and improvement of potential productivity of summer peanut in Henan Province.

GUO Kangjun, LI Chunyan, ZHANG Xihe, LI Tongxiao, YU Weidong

2025, 44(1):  113-121.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.005

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To help rational use of climate resources and clarify the potential productivity, yield gap and main limiting factors of summer peanut in Henan Province, we analyzed the meteorological data of 112 stations in Henan Province from 1991 to 2020 and the actual summer peanut yield data of Zhengyang County Meteorological Bureau from 2011 to 2020. The photosynthetic potential productivity, light-temperature potential productivity and climatic potential productivity of summer peanut in Henan Province from 1991 to 2020 were calculated using the method of successive correction of climatic factors. We analyzed the variation characteristics of three kinds of yield gaps, including that between photosynthetic potential productivity and light-temperature potential productivity, between light-temperature potential productivity and climatic potential productivity, between climatic potential productivity and actual yield. Moreover, measures to reduce the yield gap of summer peanut were explored based on the DNDC model. The average photosynthetic potential productivity of summer peanut in Henan Province in recent 30 years was 15821.4 kg·hm^-2, and showed a decreasing trend from northeast to southwest. The average light-temperature potential productivity was 13206.2 kg·hm^-2, and showed a decreasing trend from east to west. The average climatic potential productivity was 10135.9 kg·hm^-2, and showed a decreasing trend from east to west and from south to north. On the whole, water limitation was more significant than temperature for summer peanut yield in Henan Province. The yield gaps between photosynthetic potential productivity and light-temperature potential productivity of summer peanut, and between climatic potential productivity and actual yield were 2615.2 and 6465.5 kg·hm^-2 in Henan Province in recent 30 years, respectively, and showed significant decreasing trends. The difference between photosynthetic potential productivity and light-temperature potential productivity decreased from west to east, while the difference between light-temperature potential productivity and climatic potential productivity decreased from north to south. The DNDC model had a good simulation effect on the summer peanut yield in Zhengyang County. In 2013, for example, the summer peanut yield increased first and then decreased with irrigation amount at the pod stage and the sowing dates, and the maximum yields were achieved when the irrigation amount was 19.1 mm and the sowing date was delayed for 6 days.





Fish diversity in the Eco-green Integrated Development Demonstration Zone of the Yangtze River Delta.

MA Chenghao, TONG Chunfu

2025, 44(1):  122-130.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.008

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Fishes are an important component of aquatic ecosystems. Fish diversity and its conservation are of considerable importance in regional ecological protection and sustainable development. In September and November 2022, we investigated fish communities across 10 fixed sampling sites that were set up at both Yuandang Lake and Dalian Lake in the Eco-green Integrated Development Demonstration Zone of Yangtze River Delta (hereafter the Demonstration Zone). Eighteen fish species were collected in Yuandang Lake, belonging to six families and six orders. Coilia ectenes and Erythroculter alburnus (IRI>20) were dominant species, while Rhinogobius giurinus was sub-dominant species (20>IRI>10). Seventeen fish species were collected in Dalian Lake, belonging to six families and six orders. The dominant species in Dalian Lake was Carassius auratus (IRI>20). Acheilognathus taenianalis and Rhinogobius giurinus were sub-dominant species (20>IRI>10). Yuandang Lake was dominated by the upper, carnivorous, and river-sea migratory fishes in terms of abundance and biomass. Dalian Lake was dominated by upper and sedentary fishes in terms of abundance and biomass, while omnivorous fishes dominated in terms of abundance, and planktivorous fishes dominated in terms of biomass. The Margalef species richness index (D) and Shannon diversity index (H) in Yuandang Lake were significantly lower than those of Dalian Lake (P<0.05). The Pielou evenness index (J) was not different between Yuandang Lake and Dalian Lake (P>0.05). The dominant fish species and ecological types were different among Yuandang Lake, Dalian Lake, and other water systems in the Dianshan Lake group. The diversity and composition of fish communities were affected by anthropogenic activities (fishery harvesting, fish stocking and releasing, and construction) and fish biology and environmental factors (water level, water quality, hydrological connectivity, and local habitat complexity). We suggest that multiple nets and seasonal continuous monitoring should be engaged in the surveys, and that the intensity of stocking and releasing and fishery harvesting should be effectively coordinated to ensure the stability of fish community and lake ecosystem in the Demonstration Zone. To promote sustainable development of the ecological conditions in the Demonstration Zone, ecological construction should be strengthened and human activities should be guided.





Multiple analysis of the effects of morphological traits on body mass of different Conger myriaster populations in the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea of China.

XIAO Peiyi, JIANG Xiaozi, YANG Lan, ZHAO Yao, YANG Tianyan

2025, 44(1):  131-138.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.006

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To explore the main morphological traits driving the development of body mass and the differences among populations, we randomly sampled 131 Conger myriaster individuals from four geographical populations (Dalian, Weihai, Rushan and Qingdao) along the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea of China. Body mass (Y) and eleven morphological traits (total length (X₁), tail length (X₂), snout-vent length (X₃), length before the first dorsal fin (X₄), trunk length (X₅), head length (X₆), head width (X₇), snout length (X₈), eye length (X₉), eye distance (X₁₀) and the head length behind the eye (X₁₁)) were measured, and their relationships were analyzed by correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, path analysis, and grey relational analysis. The results showed that the coefficient of variation of body mass (Y) was the largest, indicating great potential for genetic improvement. Four morphological traits (X₁, X₃, X₁₀ and X₁₁) were significantly correlated with body mass as indicated by the path coefficients (P<0.01). The optimal multivariate linear equation for each population was as follows: Y_Dalian=-119.682+1.468X₁, Y_Weihai=-116.838+1.117X₃+2.971X₁₀, Y_Rushan=-142.089+7.663X₁-2.399X₁₁, Y_Qingdao=-107.977+4.770X₁. The grey correlations between 11 morphological traits and body mass ranged from 0.598 to 0.830. The grey relational grades of five morphological traits (X₁, X₂, X₃, X₅ and X₈) to body mass were much higher than those of other traits, which were inconsistent with the results of path analysis. Total length (X₁) and snout-vent length (X₃) were the main factors affecting body mass, which should be used as the dominant selection traits during the genetic breeding.




The indicative function of Lophius litulon as a biological collector: A case of radial sand ridges.

WANG Shuyan, ZHANG Hushun, SONG Dade, YANG Fan, LI Guodong, XIONG Ying, ZHONG Xiaming

2025, 44(1):  139-145.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.002

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This study aimed to explore the indicative effect of Lophius litulon as a biological acquisition device on community structure of crustaceans. From March to April 2022, we collected samples of Lophius litulon and crustaceans in the radial sand ridges of Lüsi fishing ground, with a total of 17 catch samples and 116 Lophius litulon samples being collected. We analyzed species composition of stomach contents of Lophius litulon and the species composition of crustacean catches. There were 37 species  as food for Lophius litulon in the radial sand ridges of Lüsi fishing ground. The dominant food resource was the crustacean (index of relative importance (IRI)=12107.59). Portunus tritubeiculatus (IRI=3684.90) and Palaemon gravieri (IRI=3140.23) were the dominant food organisms. There were 20 species of crustaceans in the catch, with Palaemon gravieri (IRI=8323.41), Portunus tritubeiculatus (IRI=4306.85), Leptochela gracilis (IRI=1920.79) and Alpheus distinguendus (IRI=1392.24) as the dominant species. The trophic level of Lophius litulon in the study area was 2.9, which was much lower than the values in other studies. The composition of crustaceans in the stomach contents of Lophius litulon was highly similar to that of crustaceans in the sea area of radial sand ridges (0.870-0.885), indicating that the stomach contents of Lophius litulon could be used as an indicator for crustacean community structure in the habitat.





Assessing age and growth mode of Phrynocephalus axillaris (Agamidae) by skeletochronology.

RAN Jiangmiao, LI Ye, YUAN Chaogang, SHI Lei

2025, 44(1):  146-154.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.001

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Age assessments could be used to examine the ecological characteristics of amphibians and reptiles, which is of significance for analyzing life-history traits and predicting population dynamics. Skeletochronology could effectively identify individual age and estimate the growth rates of amphibians and reptiles. In this study, 66 individuals (39 females, 27 males) of the Yarkand toad-headed agama Phrynocephalus axillaris were collected from the Lop Nur Wild Camel National Nature Reserve in southeastern Xinjiang. We measured 21 external morphological traits of all individuals. The 3rd section of the 2nd phalange of the right fore limb was removed for skeletochronological age assessment from paraffin thin sections. The results showed that the maximum age of both males and females was five years. There was a significantly positive correlation between snout-vent length and age for both males and females, but the growth rate continuously decreased with age. The lengths of the fore limbs, hind limbs, and tail in males are significantly longer than that in females. The growth rate of the tail base width in males was significantly higher than that in females. At the age of 3 years, the snout-vent length as well as the lengths of the fore limb, hind limb, tail, second fore toe, and the third, fourth, and fifth hind toes were all significantly greater in males than in females. At the age of 4 years, the tail base width and the lengths of the hind limb, tail, fourth fore toe, and the first, second, third, and fourth hind toes were all significantly greater in males than in females. With the increases of age, resource investment to locomotor-related organs in males increased, consistent with the prediction of sexual selection hypothesis.





Effects of trap duration and attractant types on the capture efficiency of ground-dwelling arthropods on typical steppe.

WANG Yadong, LIU Xinmin, WANG Yanan, CHENG Jianwei, LI Xiaoqin, WANG Ning, Frank Yonghong LI

2025, 44(1):  155-163.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.028

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Pitfall trap is one of the main methods to investigate the diversity of ground-dwelling arthropods. Trapping duration and trapping agent type can directly affect the efficiency and results of investigation. By sampling traps at trapping durations and drawing the richness-time curve, we examined the effects of trap placement time on the trapping efficiency of ground-dwelling arthropods. With the increases of trap duration, the richness of ground-dwelling arthropod increased first and then changed gently. It is suggested that the trapping duration of ground-dwelling arthropods should be longer than or equal to 12 days. Considering the influence and limitation of experimental purpose, manpower, material resources, time and other factors, the duration of trapping can be appropriately shortened, but not less than 2 days. By analyzing the difference of trapping efficiency of five different trapping agents, it was found that the trapping groups in typical steppe of Inner Mongolia were abundant under glycerol alcohol mixed solution, and sweet, sour, alcohol and water (1∶2∶1∶20) mixed solution, showing good trapping effectiveness. It is of great significance to select the best trapping agent and shorten the duration of trapping on the premise of ensuring the reliability and accuracy of the investigation results, which would help expand the investigation scope of grassland ground-dwelling arthropods.





Rotifer diversity and its response to environmental factors in reservoirs with different nutritional status in Guizhou Province.

WANG Pengfei, LIU Chen, PAN Shaopu, LUO Jiangzhi, GU Taibo, DENG Kaiqian, LI Qiuhua

2025, 44(1):  164-174.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.007

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To understand the biodiversity characteristics of rotifers in reservoirs with different nutritional status in Guizhou Plateau and their responses to changes in environmental factors, we investigated the physicochemical parameters of water, and community structure of rotifers in Hailong Reservoir, Langou Reservoir, Gupitan Reservoir and Wanfeng Reservoir in October 2020, April, June and August 2021. Data were analyzed using the methods of trophic level index (TLI), non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and redundancy analysis (RDA). The results showed that 37 rotifer species were detected in the four reservoirs, with 25, 25, 30, and 22 species in Hailong Reservoir, Langou Reservoir, Goupitan reservoir, and Wanfeng Reservoir, respectively. There were 16 dominant rotifer species, including Keratella cochlearis, Brachionus forficula, Polyarthra vnlgaris. The average abundance of rotifers in Hailong, Langou, Goupitan and Wanfeng reservoirs was 212, 568, 137 and 102 ind·L^-1, and the average biomass was 43.23, 41.19, 13.93 and 8.89 μg·L^-1, respectively. The average value of Shannon diversity index in Hailong, Langou, Goupitan and Wanfeng reservoirs was 1.09, 1.09, 0.92 and 0.83, and the average value of Margalef richness index was 1.30, 1.45, 1.12 and 0.94, respectively. The average values of Pielou evenness index was 0.62, 0.58, 0.60 and 0.55, respectively. The results of NMDS showed that the community structure of rotifers in mildly eutrophicated reservoir was significantly different from that in mesotrophic reservoirs in October 2020 and April 2021 (P<0.01). The results of RDA showed that chlorophyll a, total phosphorus, and water temperature were the main environmental factors affecting the changes of rotifer community in Hailong Reservoir, ammonium nitrogen, chlorophyll a and total phosphorus were the main environmental factors affecting the compositional changes of rotifer community in Langou Reservoir, and water temperature and transparency were the main environmental factors affecting the compositional changes of rotifer community in Goupitan and Wanfeng reservoirs.





Distribution characteristics and risk assessment of heavy metals in river sediments of the Pearl River delta.

SUN Kuokai, HOU Qingye, YANG Zhongfang, YU Tao, WANG Jiaxin

2025, 44(1):  175-184.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.034

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We analyzed the contents of eight heavy metals (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Hg and Cr), pH, organic carbon content, and oxide content in river sediments of the Pearl River Basin, aiming to clarify the content and distribution characteristics of heavy metals. Heavy metal content was classified and a spatial distribution map was drawn, based on the background values, median values, threshold effect concentrations (TECs), and possible effect concentrations (PECs) of national river sediments. The pollution level and ecological risk of heavy metals were evaluated using sediment quality guideline (SQG) and sediment toxicity index (STd) methods. The positive matrix factorization (PMF) model was used to trace the source of heavy metals. The results showed that heavy metals in the sediments of Pearl River system as a whole had a moderate ecological risk, and the risk of heavy metal pollution was high near Beijiang River, Zhaoqing City and the downstream river network area. The main sources of heavy metals in river sediments include natural and anthropogenic sources. The natural sources mainly include carbonate rocks, acid igneous rock and weathering erosion of various metal deposits in the Pearl River basin. Human sources mainly include agricultural sewage sludge, urban sewage, industrial emissions, and the combustion of fossil fuels. Among the eight heavy metal elements, As and Cd contribute the most to pollution factors.





Heavy metal pollution and health risk assessment of paddy soil-rice system in Guizhou Karst geological high background area.

JI Hongwei, XU Xiaohang, XU Zhidong, HAN Jialiang, LIU Jiemin, WANG Heng, QIU Guangle

2025, 44(1):  185-195.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.046

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We collected 112 paddy soil and rice samples from five sites in Guizhou Province, including Chengguan Town of Dushan County in southern Guizhou Province, Bagu Town of Duyun City, Longshan Town of Longli County, and Jinzhong Town of Kaiyang County in central Guizhou Province, and Miluo Town of Shuicheng County in western Guizhou Province. We analyzed the concentrations of heavy metals Cd, Cr, Mn, Zn, As and Pb. Monte Carlo simulations were used to estimate the concentrations of these heavy metals in both paddy soil and rice samples. The ecological risk of soil was evaluated by single factor, Nemerow comprehensive index and potential ecological risk index. The health risk evaluation model recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency was used to assess the potential health risks associated with heavy metals in rice consumption. The results showed that Cd and As were the two heavy metals with the highest average over-standard rate of soil sampling points in the study sites. Specifically, Cd in Duyun had the highest over-standard rate of 81.1%, while As in Kaiyang had the highest over-standard rate of 76.2%. The comprehensive pollution index of heavy metals in soil was highest in southern Guizhou, followed by central and western Guizhou. The ecological risk index (RI) in southern Guizhou was the highest, with Cd being the major risk element. In terms of rice contamination, As had the highest average over-standard rate across the five study sites, with Dushan having the highest over-standard rate of As at 41.2%. The non-carcinogenic risk index (HI) was in an order of Dushan > Longli > Kaiyang > Duyun > Shuicheng, with all values exceeding 1. The non-carcinogenic risk was mainly contributed by As, with an average contribution rate of 45.4%. The cancer risk index (TCR) exceeded the acceptable threshold of 10^-4 in all study sites, with the highest TCR observed in Dushan followed by Longli, Kaiyang, Shuicheng, and Duyun. Cd was identified as the primary contributor to TCR, with an average contribution rate of 72.9%. Our analysis of different population groups showed that both HI and TCR were higher among children than adults. There was a significant positive correlation between Cd, Zn, As and Pb in soil, with Cd and Zn exhibiting a strong correlation coefficient of 0.959, indicating a possible common source for these four elements. The correlation coefficient between Cd and Zn in rice was only 0.414, indicating an antagonistic effect and synergistic absorption mechanism of Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺. The safety thresholds for total Cd in soil were determined to be 0.33 (pH≤6.5) and 0.42 mg·kg^-1 (pH>6.5). These thresholds are close to the existing risk screening values for soil pollution in agricultural land, which stand at 0.4 and 0.6 mg·kg^-1. Additionally, we identified safety thresholds for soil Cr, As, and Pb based on soil pH levels. For pH≤6.5, the safety thresholds were 25.7, 9.75, and 44.8 mg·kg^-1, respectively, being lower than the corresponding risk screening values of 250, 30, 100 mg·kg^-1; while for pH>6.5, they were 37.6, 17.2, and 54.2 mg·kg^-1, respectively, being lower than the corresponding risk screening values of 300, 25, 140 mg·kg^-1. Our results indicate that paddy soil and rice in the five sites of Guizhou Province were polluted by Cd and As in varying levels, which may pose potential health risks to consumers.





Cold-stress response and cold-tolerance ability of arsenic hyperaccumulators.

LIU Chaozhu, YANG Aixuan, WU Boxian, JU Yongwang, LIU Xue

2025, 44(1):  196-205.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.032

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Pteris vittata (PV) is the first known arsenic (As) hyperaccumulating plant and an ideal material for As-contaminated environment remediation. However, low temperature is an important factor affecting the growth and geographical distribution of P. vittata. Here, seven ecotypes of P. vittata (Guangzhou, Wenshan, Kunming, Tengchong, Xiamen, Zhaotong, and Fuzhou) and two As-hyperaccumulators Pteris cretica (PC) and Pteris multifida (PM) from the same genera were used to examine their physico-biochemical responses to cold stress. Plants were cultivated for 24, 72 and 120 h in an artificial intelligence incubator at 4 ℃. After treatment, malondialdehyde (MDA) content in cell membrane, proline (Pro) content for osmoticregulation, peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities in protective enzyme system and relative conductivity were analyzed. Membership function method was used to evaluate the cold tolerance ability of plants. The results showed that: (1) The MDA content and the activities of Pro, POD and CAT increased with the increasing treatment duration, with increments of 11.9%-1720%, 0.5%-115%, 98.9%-946% and 10.7%-220% respectively after 120 h of cultivation. The largest increases occurred in PC, PM, and Xiamen PV, which were 3.79-144, 1.14-2.43, 1.99-2.54 and 1.94-20.6 folds that of Kunming, Fuzhou and Guangzhou PV, respectively. Specifically, MDA in PC, Pro in PM, and POD and CAT in Xiamen PV were increased by 17.2, 11.5, 9.46, and 2.2 times respectively, indicating the three species are sensitive to cold stress. The relative conductivity was increased by 17.7%-82.6% at 72 h then decreased by 9.7%-51.7% at 120 h, with the largest increase occurring in PC, reaching 74.8%. Two principal components (PC1 and PC2) were extracted by principal component analysis, with a total contribution reaching 62.1%. The contribution of indicators was in an order of: relative conductivity (26.8%) > Pro (25.5%) > POD (21.7%) > MDA (16.6%) > CAT (9.5%). (2) Results of fuzzy membership function method, comprehensive evaluation and cluster analysis showed that plants can be divided into three groups based on their cold tolerance ability: high tolerance (Fuzhou > Kunming > Guangzhou > Wenshan), medium tolerance (PC > Tengchong > Xiamen > PM), and low tolerance (Zhaotong). This indicated that PC, PM, and PV ecotypes evolved different adaptabilities and responses to cold stresses. Under cold stress, plants can increase Pro content and POD and CAT activity to regulate cell metabolism to adapt to cold environment. The information helps to better understand the regulatory mechanisms of plants’ cold stresses responses and provide theoretical supports to breed cold-resistant species and genotypes.





The influence of watershed land use on the ecological environment in Lugu Lake.

LIU Yuanyuan, CHEN Guangjie, WANG Lu, SUO Qi

2025, 44(1):  206-215.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.004

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In the context of global warming, increasing human activities have significantly altered the ecological evolution of lakes. To understand the relationships between watershed processes and the ecological environment of Lugu Lake, we measured the weathering rate of carbonate rocks under different vegetation types in the watershed, and investigated seasonal dynamics of water quality and diatom communities in 2019. The weathering rate of carbonate rocks was significantly different between habitats with different vegetation types, which was higher under natural vegetation (forest land, shrub, grassland, etc.) than that under humandisturbed land (farmland). Catchment weathering and terrestrial input exerted significant effects on seasonal variations of dissolved inorganic carbon concentration in water column. Three factors (nutrient concentrations, water temperature, and silicate concentration) shaped the seasonal variations of diatom communities, which were dominated by nitrophilous taxa through the whole year and by small-sized species (Cyclotella ocellata) in summer. Our results indicate that there is a strong coupling between catchment processes and lake environments, and highlight the dependence of lake protection and effective management on the rational planning and exploitation of lake catchment.





Spatiotemporal dynamics and driving forces of trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services in Jiangxi Province.

YANG Shaowei, LIU Jianfeng, KUANG Yuanwen, WANG Qi, HUANG Ruizhi, NIE Wen, SUN Jingyi, ZHAO Yipei

2025, 44(1):  216-225.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.003

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Understanding the spatiotemporal variations and driving factors of trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services is of great significance for ecosystem management and resource allocation optimization. In this study, the InVEST models were used to quantify ecosystem services in Jiangxi Province from 2000 to 2020, including habitat quality, carbon storage, water yield, total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) outputs, and soil conservation. The trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services were determined by Spearman correlation analysis and geographically weighted regression, and their determinants were further identified by random forests. The results showed that habitat quality of Jiangxi Province remained relatively stable during the study period. The TP and TN outputs showed an increasing trend. Carbon storage showed a slight decreasing trend, and water yield and soil conservation increased but followed by decreasing trends. Habitat quality, carbon storage and soil conservation exhibited spatial patterns of “low in middle and high in the periphery”, while TP and TN outputs were opposite. There were significant synergies between habitat quality and carbon storage, between habitat quality and soil conservation, and between carbon storage and soil conservation. There were trade-offs between the outputs of TN and habitat quality, carbon storage and soil conservation. Gross domestic product, precipitation and slope were the determinants on habitat quality, water yield and soil conservation, respectively. The distance to river was the driving factor for the TP and TN outputs. The intensities of trade-offs/synergies between ecosystem services were jointly regulated by precipitation, the distance to rivers and settlements, elevation, temperature and population.





Spatiotemporal variations of ecological well-being performance in Chinese cities and its dynamic simulation.

ZHANG Jie, LIU Run, YANG Yongchun, PENG Sha

2025, 44(1):  226-239.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.016

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The promotion of urban ecological well-being performance is essential for sustainable urban development. We used the super-efficiency slacks-based measure (SBM) model based on undesired output and the global Malmquist-Luenberger (GML) index model to quantify the temporal and spatial variations in urban ecological well-being performance from static and dynamic perspectives. The panel data covering 282 cities in China from 2005 to 2020 was utilized for the analysis. Furthermore, the panel Tobit model was employed to explore the factors influencing urban ecological well-being performance. Lastly, a grey BP neural network model was used to predict the dynamics of urban ecological well-being performance from 2025 to 2035. The results showed that: (1) From 2005 to 2020, the ecological well-being performance of Chinese cities was characterized by an N-shaped pattern, with a certain degree of heterogeneity in the distribution of performance values. In terms of spatial distribution, low-level cities were primarily distributed in the northeast, central and southwest regions of China. Relatively low-level cities were mostly concentrated. Relatively high-level cities were mainly found in the northwest and southeast regions of China. High-level cities were mainly situated in the southwest region of Inner Mongolia, the northern regions of the three northeast provinces, and the southeast coast of China. There were significant differences in the number of cities of different types across these regions. (2) The annual average value of the GML index of urban ecological well-being performance was greater than 1, and the overall level of urban ecological well-being performance showed an upward tendency from 2005 to 2020. Both technical efficiency change and technical progress change were credited as having a positive impact on urban ecological well-being performance, with technical progress change being the primary influencing factor. (3) The mechanism of urban ecological well-being performance was clarified from the natural and socio-economic dimensions. Urban ecological well-being performance was positively impacted by technological progress, environmental regulation, openness, and consumption level. In contrast, industrial structure and urban-rural integration had an inhibitory effect on urban ecological well-being performance. (4) During 2025 to 2035, China’s urban ecological well-being performance levels would exhibit an upward trend with specific clustered evolution characteristics. During this period, the growth rate of low-level cities was gradually slowing down, the number of relatively low-level cities was decreasing year by year, while the number of relatively high-level and high-level cities was increasing annually. Accordingly, policy recommendations are put forward in three aspects, including the path of enhancement, the mechanism of influence, and the direction of development, to provide theoretical references for the enhancement of the performance level of ecological well-being in different types of cities and the realization of the goal of regional high-quality development.





Spatial-temporal variations and driving factors of ecosystem services in western Jilin Province.

LI Yuhong, WANG Wenjuan, FEI Long, Suri G. Bao, SUN Hongchao, ZHANG Jin, BA Shengjie

2025, 44(1):  240-249.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.045

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Climate change and human disturbances have resulted in the degradation of ecosystem services, impeding regional sustainable development. A thorough scientific understanding of ecosystem service changes and the underlying mechanisms is essential to formulating policies for regional sustainable development and ecological security enhancement. In this study, we used the InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs Tools) model to quantitatively evaluate ecosystem services (water yield, soil conservation, and habitat quality) in western Jilin Province over the past decade (2010-2020). We further examined the temporal and spatial variations of ecosystem services and revealed the relative contributions of climate change, land use/cover change (LUCC) and their interactions to the changes of ecosystem services. The results showed that: (1) Over the past decade, the area of drylands, wetlands and unused lands decreased, while the area of paddy fields, forest lands, grasslands and construction lands showed an increasing trend, primarily driven by land management policies. The reduced drylands were mainly converted into paddy fields or forest land. (2) The overall trend of ecosystem services in western Jilin Province was increasing, but with significant spatial heterogeneity. Water production and soil conservation increased by 24.2% and 51.6%, respectively, while habitat quality overall showed a decreasing trend (-4.8%). The increases in water production were mainly concentrated in the wetlands and paddy fields that located in the central and northwestern parts of the study area. In contrast, the increases in soil conservation were mainly found in the wetlands and grasslands of the western and northeastern regions. (3) The increases in water production were primarily affected by the positive effects of climate change, such as increasing temperature and precipitation. The increases in soil conservation were mainly affected by climate change and its interaction with LUCC (resulting from increased vegetation cover). The decreases in habitat quality were primarily driven by the negative effects of LUCC, such as increased arable land area and urban expansion. Our findings can provide a scientific foundation for the enhancement of ecosystem services and the rational utilization and arrangement of resources in western Jilin Province.





Analyzing changes of urban built-up area and landscape ecological security pattern based on multi-source data: A case study of Liaoning Province.

LIU Pudong, HUANG Li, LIU Jiantao, ZHANG Dong, WANG Lingxiang

2025, 44(1):  250-259.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.024

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Mastering the changes of urban areas and constructing a provincial-scale ecological security pattern is crucial for maintaining regional ecological security. We collected nightlight data, land use data, and point of interest data of Liaoning Province using the Google Earth Engine. We used a fusion algorithm to extract different urban built-up areas in Liaoning Province. With those data, the spatial and temporal variations of ecological security pattern and urban expansion in Liaoning Province were explored. The results showed that: (1) A fusion extraction method could compensate for single data source deficiencies in provincial-scale built-up area extraction, which increased the average extraction accuracy of built-up areas to 88%, being 33% higher than that of single nightlight data. (2) Based on the morphological spatial pattern analysis model and the minimum cumulative resistance model, the core regions were extracted, 28 ecological source areas were selected, 58 ecological corridors were identified. Ecological security distances with different radii were established as buffer zones to construct the ecological security pattern at the provincial level. (3) Based on the built-up area, population and GDP, the center of gravity of the city was established. With the condition in 2012 as reference, the center of gravity of the city was shifted to the southwest at a small angle. It is of great significance to combine the long sequence time-series changes of built-up areas and the constructed ecological security pattern of ecological sources, ecological corridors and ecological buffer zones as urban ecological planning for improving urban planning and ecological coordination at the provincial scale.





The relationships between vegetation coverage and climate factors over multiple scales in Hunan Province.

LI Si, XIE Hongxia, ZHOU Qing, SHEN Xuanyang, DUAN Liangxia

2025, 44(1):  260-270. 

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The effect of climate change on vegetation cover is time-scale dependent. Based on the MODIS NDVI data from 2000 to 2020, the pixel dichotomy model was used to obtain fractional vegetation coverage in Hunan Province. The correlations between vegetation coverage and climate factors at different temporal scales were quantified by using multivariate empirical mode decomposition (MEMD). The vegetation coverage in Hunan Province was predicted. The MEMD could decompose the fractional vegetation coverage into seven intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) and the residuals. The dominant scale was IMF3 (12 months), followed by IMF1 (3 months) and IMF2 (6 months). The total contribution rate of those three scales to the variance of fractional vegetation coverage was 94.5%. Fractional vegetation coverage was significantly correlated with precipitation and potential evapotranspiration at each scale (P<0.05). There was no relationship between air temperature and fractional vegetation cover at 3-month time scale. However, air temperature, precipitation and potential evapotranspiration all had significant effects on vegetation growth when the time scales were greater than 12 months (P<0.05). The accuracy of fractional vegetation coverage prediction based on MEMD (R²=0.73) was better than that of the stepwise multivariate regression directly using the original data (R²=0.67). Temperature and potential evapotranspiration were the predominant factors in predicting fractional vegetation coverage. This study can provide a scientific basis for regional vegetation restoration and sustainable development of ecological environment.





Research progress on the effects of earthworms on soil carbon cycling and their potential to achieve carbon neutrality.

TAO Zongxin, ZHENG Tong, XU Jing, OUYANG Shaohu, ZHOU Qixing

2025, 44(1):  271-282. 

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With the intensification of human activities, greenhouse gas emissions are increasing promptly. Soil carbon pool plays a crucial role in global carbon emission. Soil CO₂ emission accounts for 20% of the total greenhouse gas emission. Therefore, the carbon neutrality of soil ecosystems is extremely important to reduce greenhouse gas emission. Earthworms, as a typical invertebrate in soil, play a vital role in regulating soil carbon balance. Here, we summarize the effects of earthworms on soil CO₂ and CH₄ emission, generalize the carbon sequestration pathways of earthworms in soil, and evaluate their carbon sequestration potential in the remediation of contaminated soil. Moreover, we also reveal the carbon neutral role of earthworms in soil ecosystem protection. Earthworms have great application prospect in soil carbon sequestration. This paper provides theoretical basis and guiding significance for achieving carbon neutrality faster and better.





Application of machine learning to the prediction of soil properties: A review.

QIU Haolei, WANG Haiyan

2025, 44(1):  283-294.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.033

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Machine learning has been widely used in the prediction of soil physical, chemical and biological properties in recent years. We summarized the research advances in this area from the following three aspects: (1) Typical machine learning types and common machine learning algorithms in prediction of soil property, including random forest, support vector machine, and BP neural network; (2) Model accuracy indices commonly used in regression prediction of soil property; (3) The general process and recent research cases of soil property prediction using machine learning. In the future research of soil property prediction, we should pay attention to the uncertainty assessment of prediction and coupling multiple models through ensemble methods, which would help improve work efficiency and pursue high accuracy of models. It is necessary to explore ways to improve the interpretability, generalization and robustness of models. When selecting machine learning algorithms and comparing models, it is recommended to use multiple types of predictor variables to ensure the accuracy of prediction after consideration of research needs and content.





Research advance on the effects and underlying mechanisms of sound on plant growth and physiology.

WEI Linlin, DONG Wei

2025, 44(1):  295-303.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.031

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The phenomenon that plants could perceive sound and communicate with each other has always been of interest to the academic community. Since the 1960s, scientists have explored the response of plants to sound as well as the pathways and mechanisms of related signaling using a variety of technical means. Numerous scientific experiments have confirmed that sound is an external mechanical force, and like other mechanical stimuli (e.g., wind, rain, touch, and vibration), regulating plant growth and development while activating signature cellular defense mechanism events during adversity response, such as scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS), primary metabolic alterations, and hormonal signals. This defense mechanism plays an important role against herbivores, pests, pathogens, and environmental changes by activating changes in its behavior through the production of compounds or substances that cause signaling cascades (the major transduction processes involving the transduction of plant signals and transmembrane transformations, plant intercellular signaling, and physiological and biochemical responses of plant cells) in response to external stimuli such as sound. We systematically analyzed the research progress during the period of 1965-2022 on the effects and mechanistic impacts of sound on plants, combed the current research methodologies in plant acoustics, and proposed new concepts and perspectives such as acoustic stimulation of chemosensitization in plants. The aim of this review was to promote the inter-disciplinary research among the disciplines of acoustic ecology, audiomechanics, and plant physiology. We further elaborated the specific implementation path and application prospects of sound in promoting plant growth, yield quality, etc., aiming to effectively exploring the processes and pathways affecting plant life from “living” sound and to provide a theoretical basis for the construction of sound plant factories in the future.





Niche expansion of species and the influences from carbon emission.

YAO Jue, OUYANG Shaohu, ZHENG Tong, WU Kangying, ZHOU Qixing

2025, 44(1):  304-313.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.042

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Ecological niche is the sum of all resources available to species. Study on the response of species niche to climate change is essential for understanding and conserving species diversity and stability. Biotic (e.g., inter and intraspecific competition, predatory interactions, and presence or absence of natural enemies) and abiotic factors (e.g., climate and human activities) can influence niche expansion of species, resulting in species invasion, morphological evolution, and other eco-evolutionary effects. Among the abiotic factors, climate change (especially temperature and precipitation) is the key factor to determine species niche. Carbon emission is the main driving factor of climate change. Carbon emission can influence the niche expansion of species through three processes: increasing CO₂ concentration, rising temperature, and changing frequency of extreme weather events. The expansion mechanisms mainly include climate-mediated change in tolerance, genetic variation, trait adaptation, and behavioral changes. We systematically summarized the phenomena, characteristics and influencing factors of niche expansion of species and clarified the main processes and mechanisms on species niche expansion caused by carbon emission. We prospected the future direction of species niche research, which has important guiding significance and application value for biodiversity conservation and the establishment and protection of nature reserves.





The “source-flow” model of urban design for waterfront areas towards a healthy city.

LIU Ruihan, ZHOU Qin, WANG Yiquan, LI Pengcheng, JI Xian, WU Wen

2025, 44(1):  314-324.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.040

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The health-oriented planning and design for cities have emerged as crucial approaches as urban environmental challenges become increasingly prominent. In this study, we extended the “source-to-sink” theory, incorporating social and economic factors, and proposed a “source-flow” model tailored for urban design. This model emphasizes the critical issues of “human health” and “city health” within healthy cities, treating them as the “sources”. By interconnecting environmental, social, and economic solutions as the “flows”, the model collectively optimizes urban structures to mitigate environmental problems and enhance life quality of residents. Caita Modern Service Industry Area in Shenyang is an archetypal old city center facing challenges, including unfavorable wind environment, poor comfort and limited vibrancy. With this area as an example, we leveraged both “wind source” and “people source” perspectives, and used PHOENICS software to quantify and simulate the wind environment. Our proposed optimization strategies encompass “air flow + water flow + green flow” and “people flow + traffic flow + economic flow”. The results demonstrate that these strategies can expand ecological benefits along waterfronts, improve the quality of the wind environment, invigorate neighborhoods, elevate residents’ happiness, and offer novel insights for urban waterfront planning and revitalization.





Spatial pattern evaluation and spatial optimization of natural protected areas in Taihang Mountains based on the MGWR model.

WANG Chengwu, LUO Junjie, WANG Zhoufeng, ZHANG Qiao, XIE Liang

2025, 44(1):  325-336.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.041

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The natural protected areas in the Taihang Mountains play a critical role in ecosystem restoration, biodiversity conservation, and natural heritage protection, with consequence on the construction of ecological civilization in the north China. In this study, we analyzed the spatial patterns of the number and size of 300 natural protected areas (including national, provincial, and municipal levels) in Taihang Mountains using spatial analysis methods, including Moran’s index, multi-distance spatial clustering, and kernel density analysis. The multi-scale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) model was used to analyze the spatial heterogeneity of influencing factors, aiming to provide a scientific basis for the spatial optimization of natural protected areas. The results showed that: (1) The number of natural protected areas was significantly clustered in spatial distribution (I_global=0.9707). Wetland parks (I_wetland=0.7130) and scenic areas (I_scenic=0.5031) had a stronger degree of clustering than other types. (2) The area of natural protected areas formed a “double-core and one-belt” clustered pattern in space. Specifically, it was manifested as the northeastern highdensity core areas centered on Baoding City (Lushui County, Yixian County), the northwestern high-density core areas centered on Shijiazhuang City (Lingshou County) and Xinzhou City (Wutai County), and the core-belt formed by the linking of Xingtai County, Huguan County, and Jiyuan City as the core. (3) The influencing factors of the spatial pattern of the area of natural protected areas had significant spatial heterogeneity. Vegetation coverage rate and road network density had the strongest positive impact, while elevation and construction land area had the strongest negative impact. Therefore, the attribute characteristics of different types of natural protected areas should be distinguished in the planning and construction of natural protected areas. While the improvement of vegetation coverage in natural protected areas should be emphasized, we should pay attention to the positive impact of road network density and the inhibitory effect of construction land on natural protected areas in urbanized regions. In high-altitude areas, the number and scale of natural protected areas should be designed moderately.





Stable isotope analysis of commercially available organic and non-organic vegetables.

TAO Junliang, LONG Yuchong, LIAN Wengao, LI Zhaoxing

2025, 44(1):  337-343.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.030

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To distinguish organic vegetables from non-organic ones, we analyzed the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope compositions (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) of 19 non-organic and 34 organic samples of 17 categories of vegetables collected from various sources (physical retailers, e-commerce platforms, takeaway platforms, farming base). The results showed that there was no significant difference of δ¹³C between organic and non-organic samples, while δ¹⁵N was significantly higher in the organic samples. The effectiveness of δ¹⁵N varied in different vegetable categories. The fussy C-means clustering based on dual isotope compositions (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) showed that 44.45% of non-organic samples and 15.14% of organic samples were consistent with the market labeling. 21.22% of market-labeled organic products were identified as clustered non-organic. No market-labeled non-organic samples were classified as clustered organic. The rest of the samples were classified as transitional products. The δ¹⁵N of both organic and non-organic samples in this study was higher than that in other studies, possibly due to different fertilizing habits, which suggests that regional difference should be fully considered when using δ¹⁵N methods.





Clarifying the migration routes and characteristics of Tundra Swans (Cygnus columbianus) wintering in Chongming Dongtan based on satellite tracking.

XU Huan, DENG Shuaitao, TANG Ling, PAN Tingting, MA Zhijun, GAO Zijing, XUE Cheng

2025, 44(1):  344-352.  doi:10.13292/j.1000-4890.202501.020

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In recent years, Chongming Dongtan has become an important overwintering ground for Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) in China. It is therefore of great significance to understand their migration routes and patterns for the cross-regional joint protection of migratory birds. During February to December in 2022, 10 individuals of Tundra Swan were satellite-tracked in Chongming Dongtan and 1336688 positioning data points were collected. We identified three migration routes for Tundra Swan wintering in Chongming Dongtan to the west, middle and east. The middle route along the southern coast of the Kara Sea in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia was a new record. The wintering grounds of Tundra Swan were widely spread in Anhui, Jiangxi, Shanghai and some other places. The migration duration and stopover times of overwintering Tundra Swan in Chongming Dongtan in spring were significantly higher than those in autumn, while the migration speed was significantly lower than that in autumn, indicating that spring migration process was slower than that in autumn. In spring migration, the averaged duration was 107.9±31.8 d, and the averaged distance was 5805.7±648.2 km at the average flight speed of 1256.2±385.3 km·d^-1 and the averaged stopover times of 13.7±3.7. The autumn migration lasted 61.3±15.3 d, and the birds traveled 5348.5±705.9 km at the average flight speed of 1014.3±335.7 km·d^-1 and the averaged stopover times of 6.0±1.9. We updated the important stopovers along the migration routes, including the Yellow River wetlands in Inner Mongolia and the Luanhe River valley in Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province. Our results will help judge the current situation of the overwintering Tundra Swan population and its habitat in China, so as to adopt reasonable monitoring and management measures for conservation.