Divergent rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil microbial structure and function in long-term warmed steppe due to altered root exudation.

While there is an extensive body of research on the influence of climate warming on total soil microbial communities, our understanding of how rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil microorganisms respond to warming remains limited. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the impact of 4 years of soil warming on the diversity and composition of microbial communities in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil of a temperate steppe, focusing on changes in root exudation rates and exudate compositions. We used open top chambers to simulate warming conditions, resulting in an average soil temperature increase of 1.

Structure and function of microbiomes in the rhizosphere and endosphere response to temperature and precipitation variation in Inner Mongolia steppes.

Introduction: Owing to challenges in the study of complex rhizosphere and endophytic microbial communities, the composition and function of such microbial communities in steppe ecosystems remain elusive. Here, we studied the microbial communities of the rhizosphere and endophytic microbes of the dominant plant species across the Inner Mongolian steppes using metagenomic sequencing and investigated their relationships with changes in mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP).

Methods: Metagenomic sequencing based on Illumina high-throughput sequencing, using the paired end method to construct a small fragment library for sequencing.

Spatial variation of sulfur in terrestrial ecosystems in China: Content, density, and storage.

Sulfur (S) is an important macronutrient that is widely distributed in nature. Understanding the patterns and mechanisms of S dynamics is of great significance for accurately predicting the geophysical and chemical cycles of S and formulating policies for S emission and management. We systematically investigated and integrated 17,618 natural plots in China's terrestrial ecosystems and built a S density database of vegetation (including leaves, branches, stems, and roots) and surface soil (0-30 cm depth).

Effects of volatile organic compounds of smoke from different woods on the heterocyclic amine formation and quality changes in pork patty.

This study investigated the effects of smoke derived from cypress (CY), mulberry (MU), metasequoia (ME), pine (PI), and camphor (CA) on the heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAs), flavor, and sensory attributes of smoked pork patty. The results showed that the smoke derived from the five kinds of wood and the flavor of the corresponding smoked meat were classified into three types. Moreover, the smoke of CY and PI, and the smoke of MU and ME can be classified into one category respectively, which significantly improved the flavor of the smoked meat.

Restoration Measures of Fencing after Tilling Guided Succession of Grassland Soil Microbial Community Structure to Natural Grassland in the Sanjiangyuan Agro-pasture Ecotone of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

In the fragile Sanjiangyuan (SJY) agro-pasture ecotone of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), planting and fencing have been used to alleviate grassland degradation and to provide high-quality grass seeds for the implementation of the project of "grain for green". The soil microbe is the major driving factor in maintaining plant productivity and soil nutrient cycling. However, few studies have explored the effects of planting and fencing on soil microorganisms in the SJY agro-pasture ecotone.

A Natural Moisture Gradient Affects Soil Fungal Communities on the South Shore of Hulun Lake, Inner Mongolia, China.

Soil moisture content (SWC) can change the diversity and composition of soil fungal communities by affecting soil texture and soil nutrients. To explore the response of soil fungal communities to moisture in the grassland ecosystem on the south shore of Hulun Lake, we set up a natural moisture gradient that was subdivided into high (HW), medium (MW), and low (LW) water contents. Vegetation was investigated by quadrat method, and aboveground biomass was collected by the mowing method.

Root Exudates Mediate the Processes of Soil Organic Carbon Input and Efflux.

Root exudates, as an important form of material input from plants to the soil, regulate the carbon input and efflux of plant rhizosphere soil and play an important role in maintaining the carbon and nutrient balance of the whole ecosystem. Root exudates are notoriously difficult to collect due to their underlying characteristics (e.g.

The Effects of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) on the Formation of Heterocyclic Amines (HAs) in Meat Patties, under Different Smoking Temperatures and Durations.

In this study, UPLC-MS/MS was used to study the effects of smoking duration and temperature on the formation of heterocyclic amines (HAs) in smoke-processed meat patties. Four kinds of free HAs—including F-7,8-DiMeIQx; F-MeAαC; F-Harman and F-Norharman—and six kinds of protein-bound HAs—including B-AαC; B-7,8-DiMeIQx; B-Glu-p-1; B-MeAαC; B-Harman and B-Norharman—were detected and quantified. Among the free HAs, we observed a 23-fold content increase (p < 0.

The effect of high-frequency oscillatory ventilator combined with pulmonary surfactant in the treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) combined with pulmonary surfactant (PS) in the treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS).

Methods: This study is a retrospective clinical study. Seventy-two NRDS neonates were selected as the subjects from November 2019 to November 2020, and divided into observation group (40 cases, HFOV treatment) and control group (32 cases, conventional mechanical ventilation treatment).

Spatial variation and allocation of sulfur among major plant organs in China.

Sulfur (S) is a functional element that plays an important role in abiotic stress resistance and environmental adaptation in plants. However, knowledge of the biogeographic patterns of S among major plant organs remains limited. We conducted a methodologically consistent field survey of 2745 plant species across 78 typical communities throughout China.

The Diversity of Soil Bacteria and Fungi Under Altered Nitrogen and Rainfall Patterns in a Temperate Steppe.

The response of soil microorganisms to altered nitrogen (N) and rainfall patterns plays an important role in understanding ecosystem carbon and nitrogen cycling processes under global change. Previous studies have separately focused on the effects of N addition and rainfall on soil microbial diversity and community composition. However, the combined and interactive impact of N addition and rainfall on soil microbial diversity and function mediated by plant and soil processes have been poorly investigated for grassland ecosystems.

Ecological Health Assessment of Chinese National Parks Based on Landscape Pattern: A Case Study in Shennongjia National Park.

Assessing the health of the ecosystem based on the landscape pattern of national parks can facilitate policy makers in formulating more targeted conservation policies to better manage national park ecosystems. To analyze the landscape patterns and characteristics of the national park, the ecosystem health evaluation index system of the national park was constructed using the vigor-organization-resilience (VOR) model to evaluate the health status. In this study, the Shennongjia National Park in China was selected as a case study area to be assessed using the index system.

Effects of warming on the bacterial community and its function in a temperate steppe.

As a significant environmental issue, global warming will have a significant impact on soil microorganisms, especially soil bacteria. However, the effects of warming on the network structure of bacterial communities and the function of ecosystems remain unclear. Therefore, we examined the effects of three-year simulated field warming on the complexity of soil bacterial communities and predicted functions in a temperate steppe of Inner Mongolia.

Plant Trait Networks: Improved Resolution of the Dimensionality of Adaptation.

Functional traits are frequently used to evaluate plant adaptation across environments. Yet, traits tend to have multiple functions and interactions, which cannot be accounted for in traditional correlation analyses. Plant trait networks (PTNs) clarify complex relationships among traits, enable the calculation of metrics for the topology of trait coordination and the importance of given traits in PTNs, and how they shift across communities.

Variation and evolution of C:N ratio among different organs enable plants to adapt to N-limited environments.

Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) are the primary elements involved in the growth and development of plants. The C:N ratio is an indicator of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and an input parameter for some ecological and ecosystem models. However, knowledge remains limited about the convergent or divergent variation in the C:N ratios among different plant organs (e.

Fine-Root Turnover, Litterfall, and Soil Microbial Community of Three Mixed Coniferous-Deciduous Forests Dominated by Korean Pine () Along a Latitudinal Gradient.

Carbon dynamics in forests and in particular in soils are of primary importance in the context of climate change. A better understanding of the drivers controlling carbon storage is needed to improve climate mitigation strategies. Carbon storage is the result of a balance between inputs and outputs.

A conserved but plant-specific CDK-mediated regulation of DNA replication protein A2 in the precise control of stomatal terminal division.

The R2R3-MYB transcription factor FOUR LIPS (FLP) controls the stomatal terminal division through transcriptional repression of the cell cycle genes () (), , and (). We mutagenized the weak mutant allele seeds with ethylmethane sulfonate and screened out a suppressor 1 () that suppressed the stomatal cluster phenotype. encodes RPA2a subunit of Replication Protein A (RPA) complexes that play important roles in DNA replication, recombination, and repair.

Effects of Plant Functional Group Loss on Soil Microbial Community and Litter Decomposition in a Steppe Vegetation.

Globally, many terrestrial ecosystems are experiencing a rapid loss of biodiversity. Continued improvements in our understanding of interrelationships between plant diversity and soil microbes are critical to address the concern over the consequences of the decline in biodiversity on ecosystem functioning and services. By removing forbs, or grasses, or, to an extreme scenario, both forbs and grasses in a steppe vegetation in Inner Mongolia, we studied how plant functional group (PFG) loss affects soil microbial community composition using phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) and litter decomposition using a litter-bag method.

Composition and structure of Pinus koraiensis mixed forest respond to spatial climatic changes.

Background: Although some studies have indicated that climate changes can affect Pinus koraiensis mixed forest, the responses of composition and structure of Pinus koraiensis mixed forests to climatic changes are unknown and the key climatic factors controlling the composition and structure of Pinus koraiensis mixed forest are uncertain.

Methodology/principal Findings: Field survey was conducted in the natural Pinus koraiensis mixed forests along a latitudinal gradient and an elevational gradient in Northeast China. In order to build the mathematical models for simulating the relationships of compositional and structural attributes of the Pinus koraiensis mixed forest with climatic and non-climatic factors, stepwise linear regression analyses were performed, incorporating 14 dependent variables and the linear and quadratic components of 9 factors.

Structure and Composition of Natural Gmelin Larch (Larix gmelinii var. gmelinii) Forests in Response to Spatial Climatic Changes.

Background: Many theoretical researches predicted that the larch species would decrease drastically in China under future climatic changes. However, responses of the structural and compositional changes of Gmelin larch (Larix gmelinii var. gmelinii) forests to climatic changes have rarely been reported.

Comparing soil organic carbon dynamics in perennial grasses and shrubs in a saline-alkaline arid region, northwestern China.

Background: Although semi-arid and arid regions account for about 40% of terrestrial surface of the Earth and contain approximately 10% of the global soil organic carbon stock, our understanding of soil organic carbon dynamics in these regions is limited.

Methodology/principal Findings: A field experiment was conducted to compare soil organic carbon dynamics between a perennial grass community dominated by Cleistogenes squarrosa and an adjacent shrub community co-dominated by Reaumuria soongorica and Haloxylon ammodendron, two typical plant life forms in arid ecosystems of saline-alkaline arid regions in northwestern China during the growing season 2010. We found that both fine root biomass and necromass in two life forms varied greatly during the growing season.

Soil microbial properties and plant growth responses to carbon and water addition in a temperate steppe: the importance of nutrient availability.

Background: Global climatic change is generally expected to stimulate net primary production, and consequently increase soil carbon (C) input. The enhanced C input together with potentially increased precipitation may affect soil microbial processes and plant growth.

Methodology/principal Findings: To examine the effects of C and water additions on soil microbial properties and plant growth, we conducted an experiment lasting two years in a temperate steppe of northeastern China.

Irrigation and enhanced soil carbon input effects on below-ground carbon cycling in semiarid temperate grasslands.

Global climate change is generally expected to increase net primary production, resulting in increased soil carbon (C) inputs. To gain an understanding of how such increased soil C inputs would affect C cycling in the vast grasslands of northern China, we conducted a field experiment in which the responses of plant and microbial biomass and respiration were studied. Our experiment included the below-ground addition of particulate organic matter (POM) at rates equivalent to 0, 60, 120 and 240 g C m(-2), under either natural precipitation or under enhanced precipitation during the summer period (as predicted for that region in recent simulations using general circulation models).