Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jinren Ni, Haizhen Wang, Tao Ma, Rong Huang, Philippe Ciais, Zhe Li, Yao Yue, Jinfeng Chen, Bin Li, Yuchun Wang, Maosheng Zheng, Ting Wang, Alistair G. L. Borthwick
Summary: This study finds that the Three Gorges Dam has significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions along the Yangtze River, leading to a decrease in CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions and a reduction in emissions to the sea. These findings highlight the importance of whole-system budgeting of greenhouse gases under the influence of large dams.
NATIONAL SCIENCE REVIEW
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Muhammad Arif, Zheng Jie, Hamid M. Behzad, Li Changxiao
Summary: This paper examines the impact of ecotourism activities on riparian health indicators (RHIs) and finds a correlation between recreational activities and RHIs. The study also highlights the influence of different land-use patterns on the distribution of RHIs. The findings suggest that zoning could be an essential option for sustainable use of riparian zone ecosystem services.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xueqin Liu, Qiangqiang Xu
Summary: The ecological impacts of hydropeaking on riverine ecosystems have not been well studied. Through research on the Three Gorges Dam, we found that hydropeaking significantly influenced the elevational distributions, assemblage structure, and species-specific biomass patterns of riverine plants. These findings highlight the importance of water level management in the conservation and restoration of riverine plants.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yafei Shen, Ruimei Cheng, Wenfa Xiao, Lixiong Zeng, Lijun Wang, Pengfei Sun, Tian Chen
Summary: This study investigates how the Three Gorges Dam operation affects the soil nutrient dynamics in riparian zones along the Yangtze River. Long-term flooding and water level fluctuations influenced the distribution of soil organic matter, available phosphorus, total nitrogen, total potassium, and pH. The elevation, soil layer, and flood cycle were found to be key factors in explaining the changes in soil properties.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Xiaosong Zhao, Xingwang Fan, Timothy J. Griffis, Ke Xiao, Xiang Li, Yuanbo Liu, Xijun Lai, Rongrong Wan, Tingting Li
Summary: This study examines the impact of the Three Gorges Dam on CO2 fluxes in China's largest freshwater lake, the Poyang Lake. The results show that the lake has transitioned from a CO2 source to a sink after the construction of the dam, especially during the impoundment period. The Three Gorges Dam explains approximately 6% of the annual differences in CO2 fluxes.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xixi Liu, Yuchun Wang, Mingming Hu, Yufei Bao, Xinghua Wu, Jie Wen, Shanze Li, Di Zhang, Meng Sun
Summary: This study analyzed the changes in interactions among indicators in the comprehensive social-economic-ecological system of the Yangtze River Basin to explore the impact of the Three Gorges Dam on ecology. The construction of the dam altered the network structure of the system, with fewer positive and negative connections among indicators. The findings suggest that the sustainable development of the Yangtze River Basin may be at a moderate level after the operation of the dam.
Article
Ecology
Can Huang, Xiao-Fan Li, Zhe You
Summary: The industrial agglomeration strategy has been widely implemented in China, but its impact on water ecological environment quality needs empirical testing. The study finds that manufacturing industry agglomeration plays an important role in improving water ecological environment quality, but the reliance on dirty technologies hinders the indirect effects of industrial agglomeration on improving environmental quality.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yunchuan Dai
Summary: Identifying and improving existing ecological security patterns in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region is crucial for promoting ecological security and achieving sustainable development goals. This study evaluated current habitat quality, identified vital ecological sources, and constructed ecological corridors and nodes. The results have significant implications for ecological security promotion and biodiversity conservation in the region.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Civil
Yunping Yang, Jinhai Zheng, Lingling Zhu, Huaqing Zhang, Jianjun Wang
Summary: This study examines the impacts of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) impoundment on sediment sorting and downstream transport characteristics. The results show that the reservoir prevents a significant amount of upstream sediments from reaching the downstream area of the dam, leading to a decrease in the discharge of fine and coarse particles. The study highlights the importance of understanding the effects of large dams on sediment transport in river systems.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yu Gao, Li Chen, Wei Zhang, Xin Li, Quanxi Xu
Summary: This study examined the impacts of the Three Gorges Dam impoundment on the flow process, sediment transport, and river morphology in the downstream reaches of the Yangtze River. Results indicated that characteristic discharge decreased post-dam construction, with significant spatial variations along the river. The study provides valuable insights for assessing the channel-forming capacity of flow-sediment regimes worldwide and predicting river morphology evolution.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hua Wang, Weihao Yuan, Yichuan Zeng, Dongfang Liang, Yanqing Deng, Xinyue Zhang, Yuanyuan Li
Summary: The study found significant differences in the movement speed, distribution, and trajectory of copper footprints in Poyang Lake before and after the Three Gorges Dam. The dam had both pros and cons for the copper footprints in the reserves, and the impact on key species like Siberian White Cranes varied significantly.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lirong Yin, Lei Wang, Barry D. Keim, Kory Konsoer, Wenfeng Zheng
Summary: This study aims to analyze the changes in river discharge and regional precipitation records before and after the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. The findings show a decrease in precipitation and reduced variability after the dam was built, as well as a decrease in river discharge.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenzhong Tang, Limin Shu, Jack C. Ng, Yaohui Bai, Yu Zhao, Hui Lin, Hong Zhang
Summary: This study analyzed the content characteristics of seven metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn) in the surface sediment of Dongting Lake (DTL) and found that the metal fluxes in DTL have shifted from deposition to export, with a weakening effect on sediment quality in recent years.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
David Shankman, Xijun Lai
Summary: The Three Gorges Dam is built mainly for flood control, reducing peak discharge in the upper basin. However, it does not have the ability to prevent severe floods caused by abnormally high rainfall throughout the Changjiang basin. The dam also has no impact on the large tributaries in the middle Changjiang, and the decreasing volume of Poyang and Dongting Lakes further affects the interaction between the Changjiang River and the lakes.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lirong Yin, Lei Wang, Barry D. Keim, Kory Konsoer, Zhengtong Yin, Mingzhe Liu, Wenfeng Zheng
Summary: This research used wavelet coherence analysis to examine the relationship between dam operation and river discharge rates, as well as precipitation along the Yangtze River. The analysis revealed strong coherence between dam operation and river discharge rates, and a minor seasonal coherence between dam operation and precipitation. Further studies are needed to understand the reasons for this coherence and its impact on other factors like soil moisture, groundwater levels, air humidity, and the monsoon.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Qiushi Ning, Liangchao Jiang, Guoxiang Niu, Qiang Yu, Jushan Liu, Ruzhen Wang, Sha Liao, Jianhui Huang, Xingguo Han, Junjie Yang
Summary: The effects of mowing on soil microbial biomass under nitrogen enrichment are still not clear.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yan Liu, Xingguo Han, Li Kang
Summary: Ni-SiC nanocoatings were produced using the jet pulse electrodeposition method, and their morphology, microstructure, corrosion characteristics, and microhardness were evaluated. A BP neural network was used to predict the corrosion mass loss and microhardness of the nanocoatings, and the results were compared with experimental data. The highest microhardness and the lowest corrosion current density were achieved under specific plating parameters.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS ENGINEERING AND PERFORMANCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Hai-Yang Zhang, Xiao-Tao Lu, Cun-Zheng Wei, Jeff R. Powell, Xiao-Bo Wang, Ding-Liang Xing, Zhu-Wen Xu, Huan-Long Li, Xing-Guo Han
Summary: Understanding the mechanisms behind community assembly and biodiversity patterns is crucial in the fields of ecology and evolution. The size of an organism's genome (GS) has been suggested to potentially impact its ability to tolerate environmental stress and therefore influence community assembly. However, the role of GS in driving beta-diversity (spatial variation in species composition) is still uncertain.
Article
Ecology
Wentao Luo, Taofeek O. Muraina, Robert J. Griffin-Nolan, Wang Ma, Lin Song, Wei Fu, Qiang Yu, Alan K. Knapp, Zhengwen Wang, Xingguo Han, Scott L. Collins
Summary: Recurrent droughts caused by climate change have uncertain effects on grassland ecosystems. A 6-year experiment was conducted in a semiarid grassland, which experienced two drought periods separated by a recovery period. The initial drought reduced aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) due to limited growth of certain plant species, but total ANPP recovered as grass productivity compensated for forb productivity. However, the subsequent drought had a greater impact on total ANPP, resulting from declines in both grass and forb productivity. Soil moisture directly influenced ANPP responses during the initial drought, and indirectly during the subsequent drought by affecting functional diversity.
Article
Ecology
Wentao Luo, Robert J. Griffin-Nolan, Lin Song, Niwu Te, Jiaqi Chen, Yuan Shi, Taofeek O. Muraina, Zhengwen Wang, Melinda D. Smith, Qiang Yu, Alan K. Knapp, Xingguo Han, Scott L. Collins
Summary: Plant traits are significant indicators of plant strategies and can affect how communities and ecosystems respond to climate extremes, such as severe drought. However, there is limited research on the immediate and delayed effects of drought on community-weighted mean (CWM) plant traits, particularly regarding the roles of interspecific and intraspecific trait variability in these responses.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yinliu Wang, Guoxiang Niu, Ruzhen Wang, Kathrin Rousk, Ang Li, Muqier Hasi, Changhui Wang, Jianguo Xue, Guojiao Yang, Xiaotao Lu, Yong Jiang, Xingguo Han, Jianhui Huang
Summary: Determining the abundance of N isotope (delta N-15) in natural environments provides information on the N cycling dynamics and status in an ecosystem under exogenous N inputs. The study assessed the response of N-15 signatures and growth of three dominant plant species to the addition of different N compounds and N addition rates. The results showed that the plants had different initial foliar delta N-15 values, and the foliar delta N-15 increased with increasing N addition rates, with different responses to different N compounds.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shuang-Li Hou, Feike A. Dijkstra, Xiao-Tao Lu, Xing-Guo Han
Summary: Increasing atmospheric nitrogen deposition leads to ecosystem N-P imbalances, which alters plant N:P ratios and has important consequences on ecosystem services. A field experiment in a temperate semiarid grassland showed that changes in species composition have a more sensitive effect on community-level plant N:P ratio than arithmetic means of different species. This exacerbation of plant N-P imbalances is caused by the dominance of two species with higher N:P stoichiometry flexibility stimulated by N inputs.
Review
Plant Sciences
Jing Lu, Ruzhen Wang, Jordi Sardans, Josep Penuelas, Yong Jiang, Xingguo Han
Summary: This review summarizes the studies on grassland phenology and its associations with tradeoffs in plant resource investment, functional traits, environmental and genetic regulators, genome size (GS), and management practices. It identifies several knowledge gaps, including the lack of clarity on the constraints of resource acquisition and allocation strategies on phenology, the tuning of phenology by functional traits, the role of keystone regulatory genes, the links between GS and phenology, and the effects of management practices on phenological stages. These gaps highlight the need for further research to improve understanding of plant community responses and evolutionary mechanisms under global environmental change.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN PLANT SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Textiles
Xiaohui Song, Caixia Xie, Wenfang Guan, Huadong Qin, Yishen Ye, Zhi Ma, Xingguo Han
Summary: In this study, wild jujube pit (WJ) was combined with hydroxyapatite (HA) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) for 3D printing. The properties of the materials and their samples were investigated, showing that the addition of WJS or HA improved the reactivity of PLA and increased its hydrophilicity and biodegradability. The introduction of HA and WJS also enhanced the tensile strain and plasticity of PLA. Porous PLA/WJS/HA scaffolds with interconnected pores and a rougher surface were successfully fabricated, demonstrating excellent stiffness.
FIBERS AND POLYMERS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jianqiang Qian, Zhiming Zhang, Yawei Dong, Qun Ma, Qiang Yu, Jinlei Zhu, Xiaoan Zuo, Caitlin M. Broderick, Scott L. Collins, Xingguo Han, Wentao Luo
Summary: Climate change is expected to increase extreme drought in grassland ecosystems. However, there is limited research on the response of bud banks to drought and their relationship with above-ground plant structure. This study found that the legacy effects of drought on bud banks can affect grassland functioning and resilience. Incorporating bud bank dynamics will improve projections of grassland ecosystems under future climate change.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jiamei Sun, Bin Zhang, Qingmin Pan, Wei Liu, Xiaoliang Wang, Jianhui Huang, Dima Chen, Changhui Wang, Xingguo Han
Summary: As precipitation patterns become more extreme worldwide, our understanding of grassland responses to extreme drought and wet years, as well as the relationship between precipitation and above-ground net primary productivity (ANPP), remains unclear. This study addresses this research gap by conducting a multi-level precipitation gradient experiment and a long-term observational study in a grassland ecosystem.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Guo-Jiao Yang, Carly Stevens, Zi-Jia Zhang, Xiao-Tao Lu, Xing-Guo Han
Summary: Through a study on a temperate meadow steppe, it was found that nitrogen enrichment had a nonlinear positive effect on above-ground and total net primary productivity (NPP), but a negative effect on below-ground NPP. Soil nitrogen enrichment played a key role in driving the negative impact on below-ground NPP and the earlier occurrence of the NPP nitrogen saturation threshold. This suggests that previous studies on the positive effects of nitrogen deposition on primary productivity might have overestimated its impact on above-ground productivity.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Wentao Luo, Wang Ma, Lin Song, Niwu Te, Jiaqi Chen, Taofeek O. Muraina, Kate Wilkins, Robert J. Griffin-Nolan, Tianxiao Ma, Jianqiang Qian, Chong Xu, Qiang Yu, Zhengwen Wang, Xingguo Han, Scott L. Collins
Summary: Grasslands are expected to face more frequent and severe droughts in the future. This study focuses on understanding the responses and recovery of grasslands to drought using functional traits, particularly bud and clonal traits. The research found that drought reduced total above-ground net primary productivity (ANPP) over a four-year period, but post-drought recovery was driven by the rapid recovery of rhizomatous and bunch grasses.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Wei Yang, Junjie Yang, Yi Fan, Quankuan Guo, Nana Jiang, Olubukola Oluranti Babalola, Xingguo Han, Ximei Zhang
Summary: The study investigates the stability of plant and soil microbial community in response to nitrogen (N) deposition. The researchers conducted a long-term field trial in a semiarid steppe, examining resistance and resilience of plants and microbes to N addition. The results show that plant resistance is negatively correlated with N application rate, while microbial resistance is independent of N rate. Mowing reduces plant resistance and resilience, but improves soil microbial resilience. This study provides important insights into the resistance-resilience relationship and offers a theoretical basis for the conservation of semiarid steppe.
Article
Plant Sciences
Pei Zheng, Ruonan Zhao, Liangchao Jiang, Guojiao Yang, Yinliu Wang, Ruzhen Wang, Xingguo Han, Qiushi Ning
Summary: Plant litter decomposition is crucial for carbon balance and nutrient turnover in terrestrial ecosystems, and is affected by anthropogenic nitrogen input. Previous short-term studies may have underestimated the real effect of nitrogen on litter decomposition. Therefore, long-term experiments are necessary to evaluate the dynamics of litter decomposition under nitrogen enrichment. In a 4-year experiment, the addition of nitrogen consistently decreased the decomposition rate of Leymus chinensis litterfall, due to changes in soil environment, microbial activity, litter quality, and plant community. The findings improve our understanding of how increasing nitrogen input affects long-term litter decomposition and terrestrial carbon cycling.
JOURNAL OF PLANT ECOLOGY
(2023)
