Evaluating urban water ecological carrying capacity and obstacles to its achievement using an integrated DPSIR-based approach: A case study of 16 cities in Hubei Province, China.

Urban Water Ecological Carrying Capacity (UWECC) is an important dimension for measuring the health of urban water ecosystems and is crucial for promoting the coordination between economic and social development and ecological protection. This study introduces a novel UWECC assessment method by coupling criterion layers with driving indicators and is the first to examine the impact of COVID-19 on UWECC. Taking the 16 prefecture-level cities in Hubei Province, China, as an example, first a comprehensive evaluation index system for UWECC was constructed based on the DPSIR framework.

Xylem plasticity of root, stem, and branch in under drought stress: implications for whole-plant hydraulic integrity.

Introduction: A better understanding of xylem hydraulic characteristics in trees is critical to elucidate the mechanisms of forest decline and tree mortality from water deficit. As well as temperate forests and forests growing in arid regions, subtropical and tropical forests are also predicted to experience an increased frequency and intensity of climate change-induced drought in the near future.

Methods: In this study, 1-year-old seedlings (a typical subtropical species in southern China) were selected for a continuous controlled drought pot experiment of 45 days duration.

Soil microbial community, dissolved organic matter and nutrient cycling interactions change along an elevation gradient in subtropical China.

To identify possible dominating processes involved in soil microbial community assembly, dissolved organic matter (DOM) and multi-nutrient cycling (MNC) interactions and contribute to understanding of climate change effects on these important cycles, we investigated the interaction of soil chemistry, DOM components and microbial communities in five vegetation zones - ranging from evergreen broad-leaved forest to alpine meadow - along an elevation gradient of 290-1960 m in the Wuyi Mountains, Fujian Province, China. Soil DOM composition and microbial community assembly were characterized using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) and Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing, respectively. Sloan's neutral model and the modified stochasticity ratio were used to infer community assembly processes.