[Develop the rural ecology in the New Era].

Rural ecology is a comprehensive field of study that takes the rural social-ecological-economic systems as the objective object and emphasizes spatial carrier governance. The development of rural ecology in the New Era embodies and implements comprehensively the core concepts of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Cha-racteristics for a New Era, including harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, rural revitalization, green development, and the comprehensive construction of a socialist modernized nation. Under the goal of Chinese-style modernization, rural ecology exhibits characteristics distinct from the past, such as the integration of research objects, the intersectionality of basic theories, the computational feature of technical methods, and the orientation of exporting outcomes.

[Spatio-temporal variations of vegetation cover in semi-arid regions and its response to climate change: A case study of Xilin Gol, Inner Mongolia, China].

The quantitative analysis of spatio-temporal variations of vegetation cover and its correlation with climate are of great significance for understanding of ecological environment, ecological civilization construction, and sustainable development in semi-arid areas. We investigated the spatio-temporal variations of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and its response to climate change during 2000-2020 in Xilin Gol, Inner Mongolia, by using trend analysis, regression analysis and partial correlation analysis based on the data of MODIS-NDVI, tempe-rature, precipitation, digital elevation model. The results showed that vegetation cover in Xilin Gol had been increased from 2000 to 2020, which generally included three phases, , stable fluctuation, rapid growth, and steady growth.

[Approach and evidence-based study of provincial-level eco-economic development planning].

The development of ecological economy is one of the core elements of the ecological civilization system and an essential means to optimize the social-ecological systems. The key to developing ecological economy lies in preparing the development plan to realize concrete implementation. Given the objective and realistic demand for the development of ecological economy, it is critically needed to propose the approach of eco-economic planning and conduct empirical research.

[Nitrogen flow and polluted nitrogen footprint accounting of rural systems at the municipal scale: The case of Shenyang].

Understanding the process of nitrogen flow, emission, and utilization in rural systems is of great importance to reduce pollutant emissions caused by agricultural activities and to promote the sustainable utilization of nutrient resources. Based on the NUFER (nutrient flow in food chain, environment and resources use) model and nitrogen footprint approach, we proposed a nitrogen accounting framework for municipal-scale rural systems, and conducted a quantitative and time series-based comparative study on nitrogen flow, recycling, and footprint from the perspective of three subsystems, namely planting, animal husbandry, and rural human settlement in Shenyang from 1998 to 2018. The results showed that: 1) nitrogen utilization rates of the planting subsystem, animal husbandry subsystem, and rural human settlement subsystem were 36.

[An emergy-ecological footprint model based evaluation of ecological security at the old industrial area in Northeast China: A case study of Liaoning Province.].

Based on the integrated model of emergy-ecological footprint approaches, the ecological security of Liaoning Province, a typical case for the old industrial area, was quantitatively evaluated from 2003 to 2012, followed by a scenario analysis on the development trend of the ecological secu-rity by employing the gray kinetic model. The results showed that, from 2003 to 2012, the value of emergy ecological-capacity per capita in Liaoning Province decreased from 3.13 hm to 3.

[Analysis on barriers of urban sustainable development based on DEMATEL: a case of Shenyang City].

To scientifically identify the key barriers which the urban sustainable development is facing and to analyze the interrelationships among the barriers are of significance to promote urban sustainable development. Through literature review, site investigation and structural interview, 21 factors affecting the Shenyang City's sustainable development were recognized, and based on questionnaire survey and statistics analysis, 12 main factors were screened. Further, by employing decision-making and trial evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method, the interrelationships among these factors were analyzed.

[Driving forces of carbon emission from energy consumption in China old industrial cities: a case study of Shenyang City, Northeast China].

To quantitatively analyze the effects of anthropogenic factors on regional environmental quality is a hot topic in the field of sustainable development research. Taking the typical old industrial city Shenyang in Northeast China as a case, and by using the IPCC method for calculating carbon emission from energy consumption, this paper estimated the carbon emission from energy consumption in the city in 1978-2009, and a time series analysis on the anthropogenic factors driving this carbon emission was made by the STIRPAT model based upon Kaya equation and ridge regression. In 1978-2009, the carbon emission in the city had a slow increase first, slow decrease then, and a rapid increase thereafter.

Biological leaching of heavy metals from a contaminated soil by Aspergillus niger.

Bioleaching of heavy metals from a contaminated soil in an industrial area using metabolites, mainly weak organic acids, produced by a fungus Aspergillus niger was investigated. Batch experiments were performed to compare the leaching efficiencies of one-step and two-step processes and to determine the transformation of heavy metal chemical forms during the bioleaching process. After the one or two-step processes, the metal removals were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and least-significance difference (LSD).

[Catalytic dechlorination of 2, 2', 3, 4, 4', 5, 5'- heptachlorobiphenyl in soil by Pd/Fe].

Dechlorination of 2, 2', 3, 4, 4', 5, 5'- heptachlorobiphenyl in soil was studied by using Pd/Fe bimetallic catalytic reduction. 2, 2', 3, 4, 4', 5, 5'- heptachlorobiphenyl can be dechlorinated effectively by Pd/Fe bimetal. It was found that the removal efficiency of 2, 2', 3, 4, 4', 5, 5'- heptachlorobiphenyl in soil could reach 54% after 5 days of reaction with 1 g of Pd/Fe (Pd loading 0.

Effects of dissolved low molecular weight organic acids on oxidation of ferrous iron by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans.

A few researchers have reported on work concerning bioleaching of heavy-metal-contaminated soil using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, since this acidophile is sensitive to dissolved low molecular weight (LMW) organic acids. Iron oxidation by A. ferrooxidans R2 as well as growth on ferrous iron was inhibited by a variety of dissolved LMW organic acids.

[Study on phytoremediation of phenanthrene-contaminated soil with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)].

Pot experiment was used to investigate phytoremediation of phenanthrene-contaminated soil with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Results indicated that phenanthrene had inhibitive effect on alfalfa growth, and higher phenanthrene concentration seriously prevent alfalfa growth.