Article
Environmental Sciences
Guanguang Chen, Dongxia Yue, Yanyan Zhou, Dong Wang, Hai Wang, Cang Hui, Jianjun Guo
Summary: Groundwater depth was found to significantly impact plant community functional traits, soil properties, and vegetation distribution. It plays a key role in driving species distribution in arid zones, along with soil K+ and soil total nitrogen content. The changes in groundwater depth can alter soil structure and nutrient enrichment, ultimately impacting vegetation distribution through water-soil-plant interactions.
LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ali Bahadur, Zhenqing Zhang, Wasim Sajjad, Fahad Nasir, Muhammad Amir Zia, Guangxiu Liu, Tuo Chen, Wei Zhang
Summary: The study on bacterial communities associated within microhabitats in three sites of the Black Gobi desert, China, revealed significant differences in bacterial communities influenced by each microhabitat. The microhabitats formed by black stones were found to support highly diverse and biologically active bacterial communities, providing new opportunities to explore soil bacterial communities in the Black Gobi desert.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Jiannan Lu, Shuang Feng, Shaokun Wang, Baolong Zhang, Zhiying Ning, Ruixiong Wang, Xueping Chen, Liangliang Yu, Hongsheng Zhao, Dengming Lan, Xueyong Zhao
Summary: Soil nutrient stoichiometry plays a crucial role in the ecological functioning of the desert-grassland transition zone. This study investigated the spatial pattern of soil nutrient stoichiometry and identified the key factors driving its variation. The results showed that soil nutrient contents and ratios differed among vegetation types, soil types, and soil depths. Precipitation, silt and clay content were found to be the most critical factors influencing soil nutrient stoichiometry. These findings highlight the importance of climate and soil property in shaping soil nutrient dynamics and provide insights into the impacts of future climate change on ecosystem functioning in this transition zone.
Article
Agronomy
Tianle Xu, Xiao Chen, Yanhui Hou, Biao Zhu
Summary: The study found that microbial communities in two alpine ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau showed significant shifts in biomass, community composition, diversity, and potential functioning along the soil profile. Different microbial groups exhibited varied patterns of vertical diversity, which may have important implications for carbon and nutrient cycling in alpine ecosystems along the soil profile.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wenjing Li, Lamei Jiang, Yang Zhang, Dexiong Teng, Hengfang Wang, Jinlong Wang, Guanghui Lv
Summary: Soil microbial community structure is influenced by soil water content, salinity, pH, and soil nutrients, with soil nutrients being the main driving factor. Nitrogen has differential effects on different microbial communities, mainly affecting the bacterial community of Alhagi sparsifolia through nitrate nitrogen and the fungal community through ammonium nitrogen.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yumei Liang, Yong Gao, Ruidong Wang, Xia Yang
Summary: The decay process of Salix psammophila sand barriers affects the surrounding soil by altering its physical and chemical properties, resulting in decreased lignin and cellulose content and increased availability of potassium and nitrogen. Soil available nitrogen, pH, and moisture significantly influence the distribution of fungal communities, with Sordariomycetes being predominantly affected by pH and Eurotiomycetes by moisture and porosity. Further studies are needed to confirm the contribution of these interactions to the desert ecosystem.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yumei Liang, Yong Gao, Ruidong Wang, Xia Yang
Summary: The decay process of Salix psammophila sand barriers alters the physical and chemical properties of surrounding soil, significantly affecting the fungal community distribution. Soil available nitrogen, soil pH, and soil moisture content play crucial roles in influencing the fungal community composition during the decomposition process.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Liyan Yang, Wanxu Chen, Jie Zeng, Sipei Pan, Yangyi Zhong, Tianci Gu
Summary: This study used multi-source data and spatial statistics models to analyze the regional differences and driving forces of ecosystem health in the Yangtze River basin from 2000 to 2020. The ecosystem health index showed a decreasing trend and regional differences increased during this period. Urbanization was found to be the main driver of ecosystem health deterioration.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tinghui Yang, Xiaojuan Li, Bin Hu, Fanglan Li, Dandan Wei, Zilong Wang, Long Huang, Weikai Bao
Summary: In this study, soil samples were collected from 98 natural shrublands in arid valleys of southwest China to investigate the patterns and drivers of soil total nitrogen (TN) and its fractions along a latitudinal gradient. The results showed that TN and inorganic nitrogen (NH4D and NO3D) exhibited specific distribution patterns along the latitudinal gradient. Soil organic carbon content was the main driver of TN variations, while soil sorption capacity and vegetation composition strongly influenced the distribution of inorganic nitrogen.
JOURNAL OF SOILS AND SEDIMENTS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Le Cao, Zhenlong Nie, Min Liu, Lifang Wang, Jinzhe Wang, Qian Wang
Summary: Groundwater is crucial for vegetation growth and soil salinization in arid areas. In this study, the relationships between vegetation fractional coverage (VFC) and groundwater depth (GWD), soil salinity, soil moisture, and precipitation were comprehensively analyzed in Minqin, northwest China. The results showed that VFC was negatively correlated with soil salinity and GWD, highlighting the importance of surface soil water and groundwater for vegetation growth. The ecological differences in the shallow-buried areas in Minqin suggest the need for zoning and grading policies for ecological protection.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jinjun Han, Jianping Wang, Liang Chen, Jiangyun Xiang, Zhiyong Ling, Qingkuan Li, Erlong Wang
Summary: The Qaidam Basin in China is rich in salt mineral resources, but desertification has severely impacted residents' lives and economic development. Through a comprehensive analysis of desertification and its driving factors using geographical detector model and GIS, it was found that regions with abundant water resources had low desertification while areas with high evaporation in the central and western Qaidam Basin experienced high levels of desertification. Evaporation was identified as the most significant factor contributing to desertification, followed by precipitation, vegetation type, soil type, and temperature.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
Rong Hui, Ruiming Zhao, Lichao Liu, Xinrong Li
Summary: The study found that increasing snow depth led to higher water content, while snow removal or reduction decreased nutrient and microbial biomass concentrations in both types of biocrust. The concentrations of nutrients and microbial biomass significantly decreased when snow depth doubled ambient conditions. Snow depth, crust type, and their interaction significantly influenced nutrient concentrations and microbial biomass.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Bayan Nuralykyzy, Amanzhan Nurzhan, Na Li, Qian Huang, Zhaolong Zhu, Shaoshan An
Summary: Soil organic carbon (SOC) is crucial for soil health and productivity, and its stocks are significantly influenced by land-use practices. This study examined the impact of different land-use types on SOC fractions in the Qaidam Basin of China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The results showed that grasslands had the highest particulate organic carbon (POC) content, while facility lands had the highest mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) content. The findings highlighted the importance of long-term land management practices in preserving and enhancing soil organic carbon in different land-use systems.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marie Spohn, Stefan Holzheu
Summary: The study reveals that soil CO2 concentration increases linearly with depth in desert soil, showing a diel oscillation that decreases with soil depth as well as a hysteretic relationship between topsoil CO2 concentration and air/soil temperature. Thermal convective venting is likely responsible for the observed dynamics, suggesting a significant control of temperature differences on gas exchange within soil systems.
Article
Microbiology
Xu-Yang Wei, Hai-Yan Zhu, Liang Song, Ri-Peng Zhang, Ai-Hua Li, Qiu-Hong Niu, Xin-Zhan Liu, Feng-Yan Bai
Summary: This study investigated the diversity of culturable yeast in the northeast Qaidam Basin and identified 12 genera and 21 species, including 19 basidiomycetous yeasts. Additionally, five new species were discovered, and their salt tolerance was studied at different sodium chloride concentrations.
Article
Ecology
Wasim Sajjad, Barkat Ali, Ali Bahadur, Prakriti Sharma Ghimire, Shichang Kang
Summary: This study evaluated bacterial diversity and community structure in glacial soil and meltwater runoff at the frontier of Baishui Glacier No.1 using high throughput sequencing. The results showed that bacterial diversity was higher in soil compared to water, with soil samples having a more similar taxonomic composition influenced by ecological parameters. The relative abundance of bacterial phyla varied greatly between soil and water samples, with Proteobacteria dominating in water runoff and Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes dominating in soil. Environmental factors played a significant role in determining bacterial community structures in this ecosystem.
Review
Plant Sciences
Fahad Nasir, Ali Bahadur, Xiaolong Lin, Yingzhi Gao, Chunjie Tian
Summary: Symbiotic partnerships between land plant species and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are crucial for nutrient acquisition and environmental adaptation. Host plants use specific receptors and signals to monitor and control symbiosis, ensuring a mutually beneficial association. Recent discoveries in receptor-mediated signaling have expanded our understanding of how host plants regulate arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Wei Zhang, Ali Bahadur, Wasim Sajjad, Xiukun Wu, Gaosen Zhang, Guangxiu Liu, Tuo Chen
Summary: Coastal salinity impacts soil microbial communities, which in turn affect nutrient cycles. This study examined seasonal variations in fungal communities in a salt-tolerant plant population. Results showed higher richness and diversity in the spring, with variations in phyla and orders across seasons. The abundance and diversity of fungi were correlated with organic carbon and nitrogen, showing changes in fungi functional groups across seasons.
Article
Microbiology
Wei Zhang, Ali Bahadur, Wasim Sajjad, Gaosen Zhang, Fahad Nasir, Binglin Zhang, Xiukun Wu, Guangxiu Liu, Tuo Chen
Summary: By sequencing soil samples from cold-desert habitats in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it was found that bacterial diversity and abundance were high, with significant variation across different sites. Physicochemical variables such as total nitrogen and electrical conductivity significantly influenced the bacterial community structure.
Article
Microbiology
Ali Bahadur, Wei Zhang, Wasim Sajjad, Fahad Nasir, Gaosen Zhang, Guangxiu Liu, Tuo Chen
Summary: This study utilized 454 pyrosequencing platforms to explore bacterial community composition in sand and vegetative ecosystems in northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. The findings revealed significant variations in bacterial diversities and community structures between the two ecosystems, with Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes being the dominant phyla. Environmental factors, particularly EC, TC, and TOC, were found to explain a large percentage of the bacterial communities. These results expand our understanding of bacterial communities in desert ecosystems and highlight the impact of environmental factors on bacterial abundance and diversity.
ARCHIVES OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Wasim Sajjad, Nikhat Ilahi, Shichang Kang, Ali Bahadur, Sahib Zada, Awais Iqbal
Summary: Endolithic microbial communities in rocks exhibit high diversity and survive in extreme environments. This review provides comprehensive information on their diversity, survival strategies, and potential applications in various ecosystems.
INTERNATIONAL BIODETERIORATION & BIODEGRADATION
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Barkat Ali, Wasim Sajjad, Nikhat Ilahi, Ali Bahadur, Shichang Kang
Summary: Investigating the bioavailability of soot in the atmosphere is crucial for understanding its environmental impacts. This study demonstrates that psychrotolerant bacterial consortia can use soot as a carbon and nutritional source, leading to a reduction in OC and EC in soot residues.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nikhat Ilahi, Ali Bahadur, Wenyin Wang, A. Allan Degen, Shichang Kang, Wasim Sajjad, Zhanhuan Shang
Summary: This study examines the geochemistry and bacterial diversity, distribution, community structure, and function in lake-debris and melt-water after a severe glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF). The results show that concentrations of dissolved free amino acids are similar in lake-debris and melt-water, but potentially toxic elements and cations are higher in lake-debris, and anions concentrations are higher in melt-water. Proteobacteria dominant in lake-debris, while Proteobacteria and Firmicutes dominant in melt-water. Genes responsible for metabolism and energy production are higher in lake-debris bacteria, whereas genes for other cellular mechanisms are higher in melt-water bacteria.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Ali Bahadur, Ting Li, Wasim Sajjad, Fahad Nasir, Muhammad Amir Zia, Minghui Wu, Gaosen Zhang, Guangxiu Liu, Tuo Chen, Wei Zhang
Summary: This study investigated the transcriptional response of Planomicrobium strain AX6, isolated from a cold-desert ecosystem in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China, to H2O2 stress. The results revealed that the strain utilizes up-regulated genes involved in antioxidant defense pathways to scavenge H2O2, providing a competitive advantage for its survival in H2O2-polluted environments.
Article
Microbiology
Xue Yu, Wei Zhang, Gaosen Zhang, Yujie Wu, Shiyu Wu, Mao Tian, Wei Ding, Ali Bahadur, Tuo Chen, Guangxiu Liu
Summary: A novel species of Arthrobacter, capable of producing a water-soluble blue pigment, was discovered in the soil of Mt. Everest. This species shows significant genetic distance to its closest relatives and has high tolerance to hydrogen peroxide.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Ying Wen, Gaosen Zhang, Ali Bahadur, Yeteng Xu, Yang Liu, Mao Tian, Wei Ding, Tuo Chen, Wei Zhang, Guangxiu Liu
Summary: The desert Streptomyces strain D23 exhibits antimicrobial activity and stress resistance due to its rich secondary metabolite production capacity and stress-responsive genes. The genomic analysis reveals several gene clusters and proteins associated with environmental stress adaptation.
Article
Plant Sciences
Ali Bahadur, Shengjing Jiang, Wei Zhang, Wasim Sajjad, Muhammad Usman, Fahad Nasir, Muhammad Amir Zia, Qi Zhang, Jianbin Pan, Yongjun Liu, Tuo Chen, Huyuan Feng
Summary: In the Tibetan Plateau grassland ecosystems, the increase in nitrogen availability has a significant impact on the competitive interactions between Vicia faba and Brassica napus mediated by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). AMF inoculation improves the competitive potential of V. faba and facilitates its growth in mixed-culture with B. napus. The effect of AMF on the competition between the two plant species depends on the N-addition status and the harvest stage, with the potential to change the growth and nutrient uptake of both species.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Nikhat Ilahi, A. Allan Degen, Ali Bahadur, Abdul Haq, Wenyin Wang, Shichang Kang, Wasim Sajjad, Zhanhuan Shang
Summary: In a recently formed supraglacial lake resulting from a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), bacterial diversity was studied through the collection of lake debris and meltwater samples. Samples were analyzed for free amino acids, anions, cations, and heavy metals. Culturable bacteria were identified in both meltwater and debris samples, with a higher abundance of Gram-positive bacteria. Molecular identification revealed dominant bacterial phyla in meltwater and lake debris. The study improves our understanding of bacterial diversity and antibiotic resistance released from glaciers due to GLOFs.
INTERNATIONAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wasim Sajjad, Nikhat Ilahi, Shichang Kang, Ali Bahadur, Abhishek Banerjee, Sahib Zada, Barkat Ali, Muhammad Rafiq, Guodong Zheng
Summary: Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a major cause of environmental pollution and has significant implications for public health and ecology. This study explores the microbial response to AMD effluents and identifies potential survival strategies in extreme ecosystems. The results show variations in heavy metal concentrations and microbial diversity across different sites within a mine, highlighting the importance of pH and physicochemical characteristics. The study also reveals the presence of unclassified and unknown genera, indicating potential novelty in phylogenetic and taxonomic diversity in AMD.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wasim Sajjad, Barkat Ali, Hewen Niu, Nikhat Ilahi, Muhammad Rafiq, Ali Bahadur, Abhishek Banerjee, Shichang Kang
Summary: This study investigated the characteristics, prevalence of resistance genes, and tolerance genes in antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) isolated from glacier debris and meltwater in China. The results showed that these bacteria exhibited resistance to multiple antibiotics and metals, with distinct resistance genes identified. The study also highlighted the horizontal transfer of resistance genes between different bacteria species and a strong positive correlation between antibiotic resistance genes and metals tolerance genes.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)