Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Kaifang Liu, Ting Li, Xingwu Duan, Song Zhang, Meiping Chen, Haiyan Hou, Zelin Wang, Anlan Yu, Danhong Chen, Xiaoliang Zhang, Jinming Hu, Yifan Dong, Dong Liu, Rongxiao Che
Summary: Grassland degradation negatively impacts the planet's health and its ability to provide ecosystem services. This study aimed to understand the response of soil microbes to grassland degradation in low-latitude subalpine meadows. The degradation of these meadows resulted in decreased soil nutrient concentrations, changes in soil pH and texture, and alterations in the microbial community profiles. The relative abundance of beneficial microbial taxa decreased while potentially harmful taxa increased with degradation. Soil microbial richness and the complexity of microbial co-occurrence networks were also reduced. These changes in the soil microbiome were correlated with plant biomass and highlight the importance of regulating soil microbiome for grassland restoration efforts.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Olga Gavrichkova, Gaia Pretto, Enrico Brugnoli, Tommaso Chiti, Kristina V. Ivashchenko, Michele Mattioni, Maria Cristina Moscatelli, Andrea Scartazza, Carlo Calfapietra
Summary: The study found that longer grazing seasons are more beneficial for promoting species richness, carbon accumulation, and better soil microbial functioning. The change in soil pH is also likely an important factor contributing to the success of primary producers and decomposers at the site.
Article
Microbiology
Yongqin Liu, Zhihao Zhang, Mukan Ji, Aoran Hu, Jing Wang, Hongmei Jing, Keshao Liu, Xiang Xiao, Weishu Zhao
Summary: The comparison of prokaryotic communities between Mount Everest and the Mariana Trench reveals distinct differences in taxonomic composition but striking commonality in metabolic capabilities, suggesting similar adaptation strategies of prokaryotes in elemental cycling and overcoming different environmental stresses.
Article
Ecology
Mia Svensk, Marco Pittarello, Ginevra Nota, Manuel K. Schneider, Eric Allan, Pierre Mariotte, Massimiliano Probo
Summary: The study investigated the impact of Green alder encroachment on plant community composition and diversity, as well as the spatial distribution and utilization of Highland cattle in such environments. The results suggest that Highland cattle are able to tolerate harsh environmental conditions and have the potential to reduce Green alder encroachment in the long-term.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Review
Plant Sciences
Cui Xiao, Zhixiang Zhang, Keping Ma, Qinwen Lin
Summary: South Asia, consisting of eight countries, is a significant global biodiversity hotspot. The botanical survey in this region has two distinct phases: the British India period and the post-British period. The Flora of British India, published in seven volumes, is the most important contribution to flora research in South Asia. Additionally, independent floristic surveys have been conducted in different countries.
Article
Forestry
Zhihui Wang, Yi Bai, Jianfeng Hou, Fei Li, Xuqing Li, Rui Cao, Yuyue Deng, Huaibin Wang, Yurui Jiang, Wanqin Yang
Summary: This study investigated the composition and diversity of soil microbial communities during forest succession on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. The results showed that forests at different stages of succession not only protect the same microbial populations but also promote unique microbial diversity. The composition and structure of soil microbial communities varied significantly with forest succession, and soil pH was found to be the main factor influencing the changes in soil microbial diversity.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Majid Ali, Khan Faqir, Bilal Haider, Khurram Shahzad, Nosheen Nosheen
Summary: The potential impact of BRI on the South Asian environment needs attention, and the study suggests that partner countries should adopt the principles of environmental impact assessment.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiahao Cao, Bo Li, Rui Qi, Ting Liu, Xuelong Chen, Benqiang Gao, Kun Liu, Carol C. Baskin, Zhigang Zhao
Summary: Increased precipitation and temperature in the subalpine region due to global warming, combined with human disturbances, have significant effects on aboveground vegetation. However, the seed bank shows a strong buffering capacity against environmental changes and can maintain more stable species composition and diversity compared to aboveground vegetation.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shawan Chowdhury, Shofiul Alam, Mahzabin Muzahid Labi, Nahla Khan, Md Rokonuzzaman, Dipto Biswas, Tasmia Tahea, Sharif A. Mukul, Richard A. Fuller
Summary: The biodiversity in South Asian Protected Areas (PAs) is facing a wide range of anthropogenic threats, with research biased towards India and focusing mainly on species distribution. Most PAs are very small and have not yet reached international biodiversity targets.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Hitendra Padalia, Ishwari Datt Rai, Divesh Pangtey, Kuldeep Rana, Anzar Ahmad Khuroo, Subrata Nandy, Gajendra Singh, K. Chandra Sekar, Neeraj Sharma, Sanjay K. Uniyal, Gautam Talukdar, Sameer Saran, Naveen Chandra, Aimon Bushra, Rameez Ahmad, Anil Thakar, Jikmat Stanzin, Gopal Singh Rawat
Summary: The subalpine-alpine vegetation in the Himalayan global biodiversity hotspot is the highest and unique ecosystem in the world, which is currently threatened by global warming. A classification scheme was developed to map the vegetation patterns in the Western Himalaya region using remote sensing datasets and machine learning approaches. The study provides valuable information for conservation planning and bioresource utilization.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Hitendra Padalia, Ishwari Datt Rai, Divesh Pangtey, Kuldeep Rana, Anzar Ahmad Khuroo, Subrata Nandy, Gajendra Singh, K. Chandra Sekar, Neeraj Sharma, Sanjay K. Uniyal, Gautam Talukdar, Sameer Saran, Naveen Chandra, Aimon Bushra, Rameez Ahmad, Anil Thakar, Deepak, Jikmat Stanzin, Gopal Singh Rawat
Summary: The subalpine-alpine vegetation of the Himalayan global biodiversity hotspot is under threat from global warming, making it crucial to study its vegetation forms and ecological niches. This research used remote sensing data and machine learning methods to map the vegetation patterns at a regional scale, providing valuable information for conservation planning and bioresource utilization.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jose M. Garcia-Ruiz, Jose Arnaez, Yasmina Sanjuan, Juan Lopez-Moreno, Estela Nadal-Romero, Santiago Begueria
Summary: The subalpine belt of the Central Spanish Pyrenees has experienced constant deforestation and land degradation since the Neolithic era, mainly due to livestock management. The geomorphic processes and landforms in the area are influenced by elevation, gradient, plant cover, and soil characteristics. The reduction in livestock pressure since the mid-20th century has led to forest recovery, with potential hydrological, geomorphological, and biogeographical consequences that are still not fully understood.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Yang Bai, Zhou Fang, Alice C. Hughes
Summary: Developing effective conservation targets is a global debate, with some proposing ambitious targets for a significant portion of the Earth's land surface. A framework based on China's ecological conservation redline has been put forward to determine ecological priorities in Mainland Southeast Asia, incorporating ecosystem services, ecological sensitivity, and biodiversity indicators. The study found that a certain percentage of the land in the region covers overlaps between biodiversity, service provision, and sensitivity hotspots, in alignment with post-2020 global biodiversity framework targets.
Article
Forestry
Hu Chen, Yuanyuan Zhou, Yifan Fei, Qiang Wei
Summary: This study aims to document the moss mite communities in the subalpine wetlands of Fanjing Mountain, with a focus on the trends in moss mites at different stages of vegetation succession. The results show that the moss mite communities in the wetlands are rich in species composition, and the overall development of the moss mites is favorable to its diversity as the vegetation succession progresses. The differences in moss mite ecological taxa also demonstrate the variability and complexity of the wetland environment.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mingming Zhang, Zhaojun Bu, Hongkai Li, Shasha Liu, Jie Chen, Yaxin Cui
Summary: The study reconstructed hydrological dynamics over the past 700 years in Northeast Asia using samples from the Hani peatland in the Changbai Mountains, revealing wetter conditions from 1300-1700 AD, dry conditions from 1700-1850 AD, and wet conditions from 1850-2018 AD. The driving mechanisms for these hydrological variations were identified as La Nina-like conditions, volcanic aerosol effects, and El Nino-like conditions. The results suggest that solar activity and sunspot cycles may control the hydrological dynamics in Northeast Asia on a decadal-centennial scale.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
