Search Results (4,493)

The worldwide value of the honey bee as an agricultural animal is increasingly being recognized. Not only does the honey bee directly produce useful agricultural products, but also large portions of crops are dependent on the pollination activities of honey bees. Apis cerana (A. cerana), the native honey bee of China, is widely distributed in the country. Studying the biological environment and colony management of A. cerana is important for its conservation and breeding. This study investigated the apiculture of A. cerana among a total of 201 beekeepers in the eastern, southern, northwestern and central regions of China and conducted data analysis on the surveyed data. The results showed that the most favorite traits for beekeepers are colony size, colony health and honey production. Compared with Apis mellifera ligustica, A. cerana is more adaptable to low temperature and scattered nectar sources. The results help to optimize the breeding programs of A. cerana and further contribute to substantive breeding accomplishments with honey bees which have enhanced their role in modern agriculture. Full article

Sedimentary records of event deposits are crucial for regional natural disaster risk assessments and hazard history reconstructions. After Super Typhoon Haiyan passed through the South China Sea in 2013, five gravity cores were collected along the typhoon path in the southern South China Sea basin (>3800 mbsl). The results showed that Super Typhoon Haiyan deposits with clear graded bedding are preserved at the top of all cores. The thickness of the typhoon layers ranges from 20 to 240 cm and is related to changes in typhoon intensity. The lack of river-connected submarine canyon systems limited the transportation of terrestrial sediments from land to sea. Super Typhoon Haiyan-induced large surface waves played an important role in carrying suspended sediment from the Philippines. The Mn-rich layers at the bottom of the typhoon layers may be related to the soil and rock composition of the Palawan region, which experienced tsunami-like storm surges caused by Super Typhoon Haiyan. These Mn-rich layers may serve as a proxy for sediment export from large-scale extreme terrigenous events. This study provides the first sedimentary record of extreme typhoon events in the deep ocean, which may shed light on reconstructing regional hazard history. Full article

Ammonia (NH₃) volatilization caused by urea application has negative implications for human health, environmental quality, and the value of nitrogen fertilizers. It remains to be investigated how management strategies should be adopted to not only reduce NH₃ volatilization but also improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in the agriculture industry at present. Hence, a two-year field trial, including subplots, was conducted to simultaneously evaluate the effects of mulching treatments (NM: non-mulching; SM: straw mulching) and different fertilizer treatments (U: urea; U + NBPT: urea plus 1% N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide; U + CRU: the mixture of urea and controlled-release urea at a 3:7 ratio; U + OF: urea plus commercial organic fertilizer at a 3:7 ratio) on NH₃ volatilization, crop production, and NUE in an oilseed rape–maize rotation system in the sloping farmland of purple soil in southwestern China between 2021 and 2023. Compared with NM + U, NH₃ volatilization losses under the NM + U + NBPT, NM + U + CRU, and NM + U + OF treatments decreased, on average, by 64.13%, 17.39%, and 15.09% during the oilseed rape growing season but by 64.01%, 11.67%, and 10.13% during the maize growing season, respectively. An average increase in NH₃ volatilization of 35.65% for the straw-mulching treatment was recorded during the oilseed rape season, while during the maize season, this parameter showed an increase of 10.69%, in comparison to NM + U. With the combination of urea with NBPT, CRU, and organic fertilizer, contrastingly, a reduction in NH₃ volatilization was achieved under the SM + U + NBPT, SM + U + CRU, and SM + U + OF treatments. When compared with NM + U, the difference in the NUE between the NM + U + NBPT, NM + U + CRU, and NM + U + OF treatments was not significant in the oilseed rape season. The NUE was around 4.27% higher under NM + U + NBPT during the maize season (p < 0.05). Compared with NM + U, under the NM + U + NBPT, NM + U + CRU, and NM + U + OF treatments, consistently lower values of yield-scaled NH₃ volatilization were noted: 13.15–65.66% in the oilseed rape season and 10.34–67.27% in the maize season. Furthermore, SM + U, SM + U + NBPT, SM + U + CRU, and SM + U + OF showed average annual emission factors (AEFs) of 14.01%, 5.81%, 12.14%, and 11.64%, respectively. Overall, straw mulching, along with the application of the mixture of NBPT and urea, was found to be the optimal strategy to effectively reduce the NH₃ emissions in the purple soil areas of southern China. Full article

The Xiong’ershan district is situated on the southern margin of the North China Craton (NCC) and located within the Qinling–Dabieshan Orogen’s orogenic zone. It is adjacent to the XiaoQinling mining district and exhibits very favorable geological conditions for mineralization, as the district contains numerous gold deposits, positioning it as one of the key gold-producing areas of China. The Miaoling gold deposit is a hydrothermal deposit and is controlled by the Mesozoic nearly NS-trending fault. The ore bodies are hosted in the Mesoproterozoic Xiong’er Group of the Changcheng System of volcanic rocks, with reserves reaching large-scale levels. Pyrite is the main gold-bearing mineral and can be classified into four generations: early-stage fine- to medium-grained euhedral to subhedral cubic pyrite (Py1); medium- to coarse-grained euhedral to subhedral cubic granular pyrite in quartz veins (Py2a); fine-grained subhedral to anhedral disseminated pyrite in altered rocks (Py2b); and late-stage anhedral granular and fine-veinlet pyrite in later quartz veins (Py3). Through in situ trace element analysis of the pyrite using LA-ICP-MS, a positive correlation between Au and As was observed during the main mineralization stage; gold mainly exists as a solid solution within the pyrite lattice, and the ablation signal curve reflecting the intensity of trace element signals showed that gold also occurs as micron-scale mineral inclusions. The trace element content suggested a gradual increase in oxygen fugacity from Stage 1 to Stage 2, followed by a decrease from Stage 2 to Stage 3. The Co/Ni values in the pyrite (0.56 to 62.02, with an average of 12.34) exhibited characteristics of magmatic hydrothermal pyrite. The in situ sulfur isotope analysis of the pyrite using LA-MC-ICP-MS showed δ³⁴S values of 4.24‰ for Stage 1, −6.63‰ to −13.79‰ for Stage 2, and −4.31‰ to −5.15‰ for Stage 3. Considering sulfur isotope fractionation, the δ³⁴S value of the hydrothermal fluid during the main mineralization stage was calculated to be between 0.31‰ and 2.68‰. Full article

Codon usage bias (CUB) refers to the different frequencies with which various codons are utilized within a genome. Examining CUB is essential for understanding genome structure, function, and evolution. However, little was known about codon usage patterns and the factors influencing the nuclear genomes of eight ecologically significant Sapindaceae species widely utilized for food and medicine. In this study, an analysis of nucleotide composition revealed a higher A/T content and showed a preference for A/T at the third codon position in the eight species of Sapindaceae. A correspondence analysis of relative synonymous codon usage explained only part of the variation, suggesting that not only natural selection but also various other factors contribute to selective constraints on codon bias in the nuclear genomes of the eight Sapindaceae species. Additionally, ENC-GC3 plot, PR2-Bias, and neutrality plot analyses indicated that natural selection exerted a greater influence than mutation pressure across these eight species. Among the eight Sapindaceae species, 16 to 26 optimal codons were identified, with two common high-frequency codons: AGA (encoding Arg) and GCU (encoding Ala). The clustering heat map, which included the 8 Sapindaceae species and 13 other species, revealed two distinct clusters corresponding to monocots and dicots. This finding suggested that CUB analysis was particularly effective in elucidating evolutionary relationships at the family level. Collectively, our results emphasized the distinct codon usage characteristics and unique evolutionary traits of the eight Sapindaceae species. Full article

The ascomycete family Nectriaceae includes soil-borne saprobes, plant pathogens and human pathogens, biodegraders, and biocontrol agents for industrial and commercial applications. Cinnamomum camphora is a native tree species that is widely planted in southern China for landscaping purposes. During a routine survey of Eucalyptus diseases in southern China, disease spots were frequently observed on the leaves of Ci. camphora trees planted close to Eucalyptus. The asexual fungal structures on the leaf spots presented morphological characteristics typical of the Nectriaceae. The aim of this study is to identify these fungi and determine their pathogenic effect on Ci. camphora. Of the isolates obtained from 13 sites in the Fujian and Guangdong Provinces, 54 isolates were identified based on the DNA phylogeny of the tef1, tub2, cmdA, and his3 regions and morphological features. Two isolates were identified as Calonectria crousiana, and fifty-two isolates were described as a new genus, including a single species. These fungi were named Recticladiella inexpectata gen. et sp. nov. The identification of the new genus was based on strong DNA base differences in each of the four sequenced gene regions. The conidiophores of this fungus had several avesiculate stipe extensions tapering toward a straight, occasionally slightly curved terminal cell, distinguishing it from other phylogenetically close Nectriaceae genera. The results indicate that R. inexpectata is distributed in wide geographic regions in southern China. Inoculation showed that R. inexpectata and Ca. crousiana caused lesions on the leaves of Ci. camphora seedlings within 6 days of inoculation, indicating that they are pathogenic to native Ci. camphora in China. Full article

Bursaphelenchus xylophilus is one of the most destructive quarantine pests, causing irreversible damage to pine trees. However, the unexpected identification of pine wilt disease in Northern China indicates that Bursaphelenchus xylophilus can survive under low temperatures. In this study, we analyzed the reproductivity variations among 18 different isolates, and SC13 was identified to have excellent low temperature resistance. Subsequent molecular analysis of SC13 indicated its distinct gene expression under low temperatures. The epidermal growth factor, nematode cuticle collagen and G-protein-coupled receptor genes with environmental adaptation functions were demonstrated to be differentially expressed under low temperatures. Meanwhile, morphological observations also indicated that SC13 contained significantly more lipid drops in low-temperature treatments. Generally, the identification of representative Bursaphelenchus xylophilus isolates will facilitate relevant studies in the future, and the discovery of the gene expression and morphological changes of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus under low temperatures could expand the current understanding of the environmental adaption abilities of such invasive nematodes. Full article

N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) is a widespread post-transcriptional modification of RNA in eukaryotes. The conserved YTH-domain-containing RNA binding protein has been widely reported to serve as a typical m⁶A reader in various species. However, no studies have reported the m⁶A readers in Ginkgo biloba (G. biloba). In this study, a systematic analysis of the m⁶A reader (YTH) gene family was performed on G. biloba, identifying 10 YTH genes in its genome. Phylogenetic analysis of protein-coding sequences revealed that YTH genes from G. biloba could be classified into two subgroups: GbDC1 and GbDC2 in GbDC and GbDF1-8 in GbDF, each with similar motifs and gene structures. In G. biloba, the predicated aromatic cage pocket of the YTH domains in the YTH gene family is uniformly composed of tryptophan residues (WWW). Subcellular localization experiments verified that GbDC1 is indeed localized in the nucleus, while GbDF1 is localized in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. The expression patterns of the identified m⁶A reader genes showed a wide distribution but were tissue-specific. Most genes were highly expressed in leaves, followed by the stem, while the lowest expression tendency was found in the roots. Cis-regulatory element analysis predicted the possible functions of YTH genes in G. biloba, which were mainly responsive to plant hormones such as ABA and MeJA, as well as stress responses. Furthermore, the expression levels of YTH genes indeed changed significantly after ABA, MeJA, and NaCl treatments, suggesting that they can be affected by these abiotic factors. In addition, the PLAAC prediction results indicate that prion domains exist in GbDF1, GbDF2, GbDF3, GbDF4, GbDF6, GbDF7, GbDF8, and GbDC1, and phase separation is possible. This study provides a foundation for further investigation of the effects of m⁶A methylation on gene expression regulation in G. biloba and other forest trees. Full article

Heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils has garnered increasing attention, yet research on the spatiotemporal trends of heavy metal pollution in tropical regions with multiple annual crop harvests remains limited. This study examines data from 41 studies published between 2000 and 2024, including 206 records from 4122 sampling points on Hainan Island in China, to investigate the spatial distribution and temporal trends of heavy metal pollution. The results reveal that the average concentrations of Cd, Pb, As, Cr, and Hg in surface soil samples from agricultural lands on Hainan Island are 0.12, 28.28, 4.36, 63.98, and 0.075 mg/kg, respectively, all below the risk screening thresholds set by the Soil Pollution Risk Control Standard for Agricultural Land (GB 15618-2018). Spatially, heavy metal concentrations exhibit considerable regional variation. Cd levels are lower in the central region but higher in the northern and southern parts of the island. Both the cumulative pollution index and potential ecological risk index are elevated at the northern and southern ends, indicating more severe pollution in these areas. Pb and As show similar spatial patterns, with higher concentrations in the west and lower concentrations in the east. Conversely, Cr has higher concentrations in the northeast and lower concentrations in the southwest. Hg levels are elevated at the northern and southern ends of the island, though the overall pollution and ecological risk in these areas remain relatively low. Temporally, the concentration of heavy metals in agricultural soils has increased overall over the past two decades, with peak values occurring between 2017 and 2023. From 2002 to 2013, the variation was modest, while the largest fluctuations occurred between 2014 and 2016. Among the metals, Cr exhibited the most significant increase, indicating the most severe pollution, followed by Cd and Hg. As and Pb showed relatively lower levels of contamination. Regarding exceedance rates, the exceedances were evaluated against the thresholds established in GB15618-2018 and GB15618-1995. Cd’s exceedance rate increased from approximately 1% between 2002 and 2014 to between 7.78% and 20.93% in the following years, peaking in 2017. The exceedance rate for As rose slightly from 0% to 0.83%, with sporadic exceedances starting in 2015. Although these were relatively minor, a severe pollution point for As was observed in 2019. Exceedance rates for Pb and Cr increased significantly, from 0.75% and 7.50% in 2019 to 1.94% and 9.44% in 2023, reflecting increases of 4.8 to 10 times. These findings underscore the need for strengthened monitoring and management of heavy metal pollution in agricultural soils on Hainan Island to safeguard land quality and ensure the sustainability of local agricultural practices. Full article

Carbon (C) and phosphorus (P) in soil are closely related to plantation types in afforestation practices. However, the trade-off between soil C and P in response to different restoration patterns on degraded hilly land is still not clear. In this study, four restoration patterns, including natural recovered shrubland (NS), Castanopsis hystrix plantation (CH), 10-species mixed plantation (10MX), and 30-species mixed plantation (30MX) were selected, and the physicochemical properties and readily oxidized carbon (ROC) in different layers of 1 m depth soil were measured to understand the effects of natural restoration and artificial afforestation on soil P and C pool and their trade-off on degraded hilly land in southern China. The results indicate that the total P (TP) content in each soil layer was observed to follow the order of CH > 10MX > 30MX > NS, with monoculture (CH) exhibiting higher levels of TP than mixed plantation. However, the soil C storage of NS (59.61 t hm⁻²) and 30MX (57.71 t hm⁻²) was similar, while that of 10MX boasted the highest C storage (64.99 t hm⁻²) of the four restoration patterns, with CH being the lowest (42.75 t hm⁻²). In deep soil layers (20–100 cm), the 10MX plantation presented the highest for both the C pool index (CPI) and C pool management index (CMI). Moreover, the structural equation model (SEM) revealed that the soil CMI was directly regulated by the levels of soil-available P and total N, while soil C pool activity was directly influenced by soil pH. Thus, our study suggests that compared to mixed plantations, the monoculture plantation (CH) demonstrates lower P uptake and utilization, resulting in a higher soil P content. Furthermore, 10MX plantation showed a superior C fixation capacity over those with 30MX and monoculture plantations. These suggests that the trade-off between soil C and P contents was commonly observed among different plantation restoration patterns. Therefore, afforestation with different tree composition and nutrient regulation is necessary for maintaining the balance between soil C and P and keeping the sustainability of plantation management in the degraded hilly lands. Full article

Vaccinium mandarinorum Diels, a wild blueberry species distributed in the south of the Yangtze River in China, holds significant ecological and commercial value. Understanding its potential distribution and response to climate change is crucial for effective resource utilization and scientific introduction. By using the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model, we evaluated V. mandarinorum’s potential distribution under current (1970–2000) and future climate change scenarios (2041–2060, 2061–2080, and 2081–2100) based on 216 modern distribution records and seven bioclimatic variables. The results showed that the MaxEnt model could effectively simulate the historical distribution and suitability degree of V. mandarinorum. The top two major environmental variables were precipitation of the driest quarter and annual precipitation, considering their contribution rates of 61.3% and 23.4%, respectively. Currently, the high suitability areas were mainly concentrated in central and northern Jiangxi province, central and southern Zhejiang province, southern Anhui province, central and northern Fujian province, and the border areas of Hunan and Guangxi provinces, covering 21.5% of the total suitable area. Future projections indicate that habitat will shift to higher latitudes and altitudes and that habitat quality will decline. Strategies are required to protect current V. mandarinorum populations and their habitats. The study results could provide an important theoretical reference for the optimization of planting distribution and ensure the sustainable production of the blueberry industry. Full article

Rosa rugosa is a representative aromatic species. Wild roses are known for their strong tolerance to highly salty environments, whereas cultivated varieties of roses exhibit lower salt stress tolerance, limiting their development and industrial expansion. Previous studies have shown that C2H2-type zinc finger proteins play a crucial role in plants’ resistance to abiotic stresses. In this study, 102 C2H2-type zinc finger genes (RrC2H2s) were identified in R. rugosa via a comprehensive approach. These genes were categorized into three lineages, and their motif constitutions were grouped into four classes. RrC2H2s were distributed across all seven rose chromosomes, with 15 paralogous gene pairs identified within synteny regions. Additionally, 43 RrC2H2s showed differential expression across various tissues under salt stress, with RrC2H2-8 being the only gene consistently repressed in all tissues. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that the RrC2H2-8 protein was localized in the nucleus. The heterologous expression of RrC2H2-8 in Arabidopsis significantly improved its growth under salt stress compared to the wild-type (WT) plants. Furthermore, the malondialdehyde content in the roots of transgenic Arabidopsis was significantly lower than that in the WT, suggesting that RrC2H2-8 enhanced salt tolerance by reducing cellular damage. This study provides a systematic understanding of the RrC2H2 family and identifies RrC2H2-8 as a regulator of salt tolerance, laying a foundation for future research on the mechanisms of salt stress regulation by RrC2H2. Full article

Formulating a scientifically sound and efficient approach to allocating carbon quota aligned with the carbon peaking goal is a fundamental theoretical and practical challenge within the context of climate-oriented trading in the power sector. Given the highly irrational allocation of carbon allowances in China’s power sector, as well as the expanding role of renewable energy, it is essential to rationalize the use of green energy in the development of carbon reduction in the power sector. This study addresses the risk of “carbon transfer” within the power industry and develops a predictive model for CO₂ emission based on multiple influential factors, thereby proposing a carbon quota distribution scheme adapted to green energy growth. The proposed model employs a hybrid of the gray forecasting model-particle swarm optimization-enhanced back-propagation neural network (GM-PSO-BPNN) for forecasting and allocating the total carbon quota. Assuming consistent total volume control through 2030, carbon quota is distributed to regional power grids in proportion to actual production allocation. Results indicate that the PSO algorithm mitigates local optimization constraints of the standard BP algorithm; the prediction error of carbon emissions by the combined model is significantly smaller than that of the single model, while its identification accuracy reaches 99.46%. With the total national carbon emissions remaining unchanged in 2030, in the end, the regional grids received the following quota values: 873.29 million tons in North China, 522.69 million tons in Northwest China, 194.15 million tons in Northeast China, 1283.16 million tons in East China, 1556.40 million tons in Central China, and 1085.37 million tons in the Southern Power Grid. The power sector can refer to this carbon allowance allocation standard to control carbon emissions in order to meet the industry’s emission reduction standards. Full article

In the context of growing concerns over food security and climate change, research on sustainable agricultural development increasingly emphasizes the interconnections within agricultural systems. This study developed a regionally integrated optimization and prediction agricultural model to systematically analyze the impacts of climate change on agricultural systems and their feedback mechanisms from a water-energy-food-carbon (WEFC) nexus perspective. Applied to the Pearl River Basin, the model evaluates future trends in grain yield, water use, energy consumption, and carbon emissions under various climate scenarios throughout this century. The results indicate that rising temperatures significantly reduce crop yields, particularly in the western basin, increasing the environmental footprint per unit of grain produced. However, the CO₂ fertilization effect substantially offsets these negative impacts. Under the SSP585 scenario, CO₂ concentrations rising from 599.77 ppm to 1135.21 ppm by the century’s end led to a shift in crop yield trends from negative (Z = −7.03) to positive (Z = 11.01). This also reduces water, energy, and carbon footprints by 12.82%, 10.62%, and 10.59%, respectively. These findings highlight the critical importance of adaptive management strategies, including precision irrigation, optimized fertilizer use, and climate-resilient practices, to ensure sustainable agricultural production. Despite these insights, the model has limitations. Future research should incorporate uncertainty analysis, diverse adaptation pathways, and advanced technologies such as machine learning and remote sensing to improve predictive accuracy and applicability. This study offers valuable guidance for mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change on the WEFC nexus, supporting sustainable agricultural practices and science-based policy development. Full article

Discovered within the North Himalayan Metallogenic Belt (NHMB), the Zhaxikang Pb–Zn–Ag–Sb deposit stands as the sole super-large scale ore deposit in the region. This deposit holds significant quantities of Pb and Zn (2.066 million tons at 6.38% average grade), Ag (2661 tons at an average of 101.64 g/t), and Sb (0.235 million tons at 1.14% average grade), making it one of China’s foremost Sb–polymetallic deposits. Stibnite represents the main carrier of Sb in this deposit and has been of great attention since its initial discovery. However, the trace element composition of stibnite in the Zhaxikang deposit has not yet been determined. This study carried out an analysis of the distribution patterns and substitution processes of trace elements within stibnite gathered from the Zhaxikang deposit, aiming to provide crucial information on ore-forming processes. Utilizing high-precision laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), we discovered that the studied stibnite is notably enriched in arsenic (~100 ppm) and lead (~10 ppm). Furthermore, the notably consistent time-resolved profiles suggest that elements such as Fe, Cu, As, In, Sn, Hg, and Pb predominantly exist as solid solutions within stibnite. Consequently, it is probable that the enrichment of Cu, Pb, and Sn in stibnite is due to isomorphic substitution reactions, including 3Pb²⁺↔2Sb³⁺, Cu⁺ + Pb²⁺↔Sb³⁺, and In³⁺ + Sn³⁺↔2Sb³⁺. Apart from that, Mn, Pb, and Hg with the spiky signals indicate their existence within stibnite as micro-inclusions. Overall, we found that the trace element substitutions in stibnite from the Zhaxikang Pb–Zn–Ag–Sb deposit are complicated. Incorporations of trace elements such as Pb, Cu, and In into stibnite are largely influenced by a variety of factors. The simple lattice structure and constant trace elements in studied stibnite indicate a low-temperature hydrothermal system and a relatively stable process for stibnite formation. Full article