Iron forms regulate methane production and oxidation potentials in paddy soils.

Paddy fields serve as significant sources of methane (CH) emissions. The periodic flooding and draining in paddy soils induce alternating redox processes, leading to iron transformations and further influencing the production and oxidation of CH. However, the relationships between CH production/oxidation and the concentrations/forms of iron oxides in rice paddies across different regions are largely unknown.

Microplastics and biochar interactively affect nitrous oxide emissions from tobacco planting soil.

Biochar application to amend acidified tobacco-soils can enhance tobacco quality and reduce nitrous oxide (NO) emissions. Microplastics from agricultural mulch are commonly found in cash-crop farmland soils and, together with biochar, affect soil NO emissions. In this study, we applied three types of microplastics (polyethylene, PE; polylactic acid, PLA; polybutylene adipate terephthalate, PBAT) and rice biochar alone or in combination to acidified tobacco planting soil in central China to investigate their effects on soil NO emissions, soil chemical properties, nitrogen-cycle-related functional genes, and microbial functional diversity during a 35-day laboratory incubation period.

Carbon availability and microbial activity manipulate the temperature sensitivity of anaerobic degradation in a paddy soil profile.

Soil contains a substantial amount of organic carbon, and its feedback to global warming has garnered widespread attention due to its potential to modulate atmospheric carbon (C) storage. Temperature sensitivity (Q) has been widely utilized as a measure of the temperature-induced enhancement in soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition. It is currently rare to incorporate Q of CO and CH into the study of waterlogged soil profiles and explore the possibility of artificially reducing Q in rice fields.

Fe(III) stabilizing soil organic matter and reducing methane emissions in paddy fields under varying flooding conditions.

The role of iron (Fe) in soil organic matter (SOM) stabilization and decomposition in paddy soils has recently gained attention, but the underlying mechanisms during flooding and drying periods remain elusive. As the depth water layer is maintained in the fallow season, there will be more soluble Fe than during the wet and drainage seasons and the availability of oxygen (O) will be different. To assess the influence of soluble Fe on SOM mineralization during flooding, an incubation experiment was designed under oxic and anoxic flooding conditions, with and without Fe(III) addition.

A Dynamic DEA Analysis of Health Output Efficiencies of Cities and Counties in Taiwan.

This research utilizes the dynamic slack-based measure (DSBM) model to evaluate health output efficiencies in Taiwan's administrative districts from 2014 to 2018. To measure health output efficiency, it adopts four input variables, one output variable, and one carry-over (exercise expenditure). This paper includes both public goods in totals and private goods per capita as the inputs of health output.

Role of tea plantations in the maintenance of bird diversity in Anji County, China.

Background: Tea plantations support regional sustainable development and have the potential to support more biodiversity than urban open spaces. Numerous studies have shown the value of low-intensity agroecosystems for preserving biodiversity, however tea plantations have received less attention. The relationship between tea plantations and the diversity of macro-organisms, such as birds, is still not fully understood.

microRNA regulation of skin pigmentation in golden-back mutant of crucian carp from a rice-fish integrated farming system.

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small non-coding RNAs (21-25 nucleotides) that act as essential components of several biological processes. Golden-back crucian carp (GBCrC, Carassius auratus) is a naturally mutant species of carp that has two distinct body skin color types (golden and greenish-grey), making it an excellent model for research on the genetic basis of pigmentation. Here, we performed small RNA (sRNA) analysis on the two different skin colors via Illumina sequencing.

[Effect of Phosphorus Addition on NO Emissions from Rice-Rapeseed Rotation Soils].

The red soils in southern China are generally classified as phosphorus-deficient, and therefore planting crops in these regions usually requires high applications of phosphate fertilizer. However, the effect of phosphorus addition on NO emissions in rice-rapeseed rotation soils is not clear. We carried out an incubation experiment with the rice-rapeseed rotation soil from Qianjiang and Xianning to explore the effect of different concentrations of phosphorus (0, 15, and 30 mg·kg) and different concentrations of nitrogen (0 and 100 mg·kg) on NO emission.

Effects of iron(III) reduction on organic carbon decomposition in two paddy soils under flooding conditions.

Iron oxidation and reduction have important effects on soil organic carbon conversion in paddy soil during flooding and dry conditions. This study selected two paddy soil samples, one from the city of Yueyang of Hunan Province and one from the city of Haikou of Hainan Province, that differ significantly in iron content. During a 25-day incubation, the effects of Fe(II) and Fe(III) contents and changes in the levels of several major iron forms on soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC) levels and emission of CH and CO were observed.

Environment-adjusted total-factor energy efficiency of Taiwan's service sectors.

This study computes the pure technical efficiency (PTE) and energy-saving target of Taiwan's service sectors during 2001-2008 by using the input-oriented data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach with the assumption of a variable returns-to-scale (VRS) situation. This paper further investigates the effects of industry characteristics on the energy-saving target by applying the four-stage DEA proposed by Fried et al. (1999).