Soil environmental anomalies dominate the responses of net ecosystem productivity to heatwaves in three Mongolian grasslands.

Climate change is causing more frequent and intense heatwaves. Therefore, it is important to understand how heatwaves affect the terrestrial carbon cycle, especially in grasslands, which are especially susceptible to climate extremes. This study assessed the impact of naturally occurring, simultaneous short-term heatwaves on CO2 fluxes in three ecosystems on the Mongolia Plateau: meadow steppe (MDW), typical steppe (TPL), and shrub-grassland (SHB). During three heatwaves, net ecosystem productivity (NEP) was reduced by 86 %, 178 %, and 172 % at MDW, TPL, and SHB, respectively. The changes in ecosystem respiration, gross primary production, evapotranspiration, and water use efficiency were divergent, indicating the mechanisms underlying the observed NEP decreases among the sites. The impact of the heatwave in MDW was mitigated by the high soil water content, which enhanced evapotranspiration and subsequent cooling effects. However, at TPL, insufficient soil water led to combined thermal and drought stress and low resilience. At SHB, the ecosystem's low tolerance to an August heatwave was heavily influenced by species phenology, as it coincided with the key phenological growing phase of plants. The potential key mechanism of divergent NEP response to heatwaves lies in the divergent stability and varying importance of environmental factors, combined with the specific sensitivity of NEP to each factor in ecosystems. Furthermore, our findings suggest that anomalies in soil environment, rather than atmospheric anomalies, are the primary determinants of NEP anomalies during heatwaves. This challenges the conventional understanding of heatwaves as a discrete and ephemeral periods of high air temperatures. Instead, heatwaves should be viewed as chronologically variable, compound, and time-sensitive environmental stressors. The ultimate impact of heatwaves on ecosystems is co-determined by a complex interplay of environmental, biological, and heatwave features.

circTADA2A inhibited SLC38A1 expression and suppresses melanoma progression through the prevention of CNBP trans-activation.

BACKGROUND: CircTADA2A has been demonstrated to play critical roles in the occurrence and development of human cancer. However, the expression pattern and biological mechanisms of circTADA2A in melanoma remains largely unknown. METHODS: CircTADA2A were detected by quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) and validated by Sanger sequencing. Function of circTADA2A and its protein partner in melanoma cells was investigated using RNA interference and overexpression assays. Interaction of circTADA2A, CCHC-type zinc finger nucleic acid binding protein (CNBP) and solute carrier family 38 member 1 (SLC38A1) was confirmed by RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA pull-down, and dual-luciferase reporter assay. The expression of genes and proteins were detected by qRT-PCR and western blot assays. RESULTS: Data from the investigation showed that a novel circRNA (circTADA2A, hsa_circ_0043278) was markedly downregulated in melanoma cells. Functionally, circTADA2A repressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion in melanoma cells. Mechanistically, circTADA2A interacted with CNBP, acting to suppress the binding of CNBP to the SLC38A1 promoter and subsequently restrained SLC38A1 transcription, which resulting in repression of melanoma progression. CONCLUSIONS: CircTADA2A suppresses melanoma progression by regulating CNBP/SLC38A1 axis, indicating a potential therapeutic target in melanoma.

The greenhouse gas emissions from meat sheep production contribute double of household consumption in a Eurasian meadow steppe.

With the rapid development of the economy, household activities have emerged as an important source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, making them a crucial focal point for research in the pursuit of sustainable development and carbon emission reduction. Hulunber, as a typical steppe region in eastern Eurasia, is representative of studying the GHG emissions from household ranches, which are the basic production units in this region. In this paper, based on survey data of 2018 and 2019, we quantified and assessed GHG emissions from household ranches by combining life cycle assessment (LCA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) approaches, with LCA to define household ranches system boundary and SEM to determine the key driving factors of emissions. The results showed that GHG emissions of meat sheep live weight was 23.54 kg CO2-eq/kg. The major contributor to household GHG emissions was enteric methane (55.23 %), followed by coal use (20.80 %) and manure management systems (9.16 %), and other contributing factors (14.81 %). The SEM results indicated that the GHG emissions from household ranches were derived primarily by economic level, while the economic level was significantly affected by income. This study also found a significant positive and linear correlation between household GHG emissions and the number of meat sheep (R2 = 0.89, P < 0.001). The GHG emissions from meat sheep production (67.52 %) were double times greater than household livelihood consumption (32.48 %). These findings emphasized the importance of reducing emissions from meat sheep production and adjusting the energy mix of household livelihood, contributing to the establishment of a low-carbon household livelihood operation.

Spatiotemporal patterns and driving factors of gross primary productivity over the Mongolian Plateau steppe in the past 20 years.

The Eurasian steppe is the largest temperate grassland in the world. The grassland of the Mongolian Plateau (MP) represents an important part of the Eurasian steppe with high climatic sensitivity. Gross primary productivity (GPP) is a key indicator of the grassland's production, status and dynamic on the MP. In this study, we calibrated and evaluated the grassland-specific light use efficiency model (GRASS-LUE) against the observed GPP collected from nine eddy covariance flux sites on the MP, and compared the performance with other four GPP products (MOD17, VPM, GLASS and GOSIF). GRASS-LUE with higher R2 (0.91) and lower root mean square error (RMSE = 0.99 gC m-2 day-1) showed a better performance compared to the four GPP products in terms of model accuracy and dynamic consistency, especially in typical and desert steppe. The parameters of the GRASS-LUE are more suitable for water-limited grassland could be the reason for its outstanding performance in typical and desert steppe. Mean grassland GPP derived from GRASS-LUE was higher in the east and lower in the west of the MP. Grassland GPP was on average 205 gC m-2 over the MP between 2001 and 2020 with mean annual total GPP of 322 TgC yr-1. 30 % of the MP steppe showed a significant GPP increase. Growing season precipitation is the main factor affecting GPP of the MP steppe across regions. Anthropogenic factors (livestock density and population density) had greater effect on GPP than growing season temperature in pastoral counties in IM that take grazing as one of main industries. These findings can inform the status and trend of the productivity of MP steppe and help government and scientific research institutions to understand the drivers for spatial pattern of grassland GPP on the MP.

Coupling heat wave and wildfire occurrence across multiple ecoregions within a Eurasia longitudinal gradient.

Understanding the relationship between heat wave occurrence and wildfire spread represents a key priority in global change studies due to the significant threats posed on natural ecosystems and society. Previous studies have not explored the spatial and temporal mechanism underlying the relationship between heat waves and wildfires occurrence, especially over large geographical regions. This study seeks to investigate such a relationship with a focus on 37 ecoregions within a Eurasia longitudinal gradient. The analysis is based on the wildfire dataset provided by the GlobFire Final Fire Event Detection and the meteorological dataset ERA5-land from Copernicus Climate service. In both cases we focused on the 2001-2019 timeframe. By means of a 12 km square grid, three wildfire metrics, i.e., density, seasonality, and severity of wildfires, were computed as proxy of fire regime. Heat waves were also characterized in terms of periods, duration, and intensity for the same period. Statistical tests were performed to evaluate the different patterns of heat wave and wildfire occurrence in the 37 ecoregions within the study area. By using Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) we modeled the spatial varying relationships between heat wave characteristics and wildfire metrics. As expected, our results suggest that the 37 ecoregions identified within the Eurasia longitudinal gradient differ in terms of fire regimes. However, the occurrence of heat waves did not show significant differences among ecoregions, but a more evident variability in terms of relationship between fire regime metrics and heat waves within the study area. The outcome of the GWR analysis allowed us to identify the spatial locations (i.e., hotspot areas) where the relationship between heat waves and wildfires is positive and significant. Hence, in hotspots the presence of heat waves can be seen as a driver of wildfire occurrence in forest and steppe ecosystems. The findings from this study could contribute to a more comprehensive assessment of wildfire patterns in this geographical region, thus supporting cross-regional prevention strategies for disaster risk mitigation.

First report of four rare strongylid species infecting endangered Przewalski's horses (Equus ferus przewalskii) in Xinjiang, China.

BACKGROUND: The Przewalski's horse (Equus ferus przewalskii) is the only surviving wild horse species in the world. A significant population of Przewalski's horses resides in Xinjiang, China. Parasitosis poses a considerable threat to the conservation of this endangered species. Yet, there is limited information on the nematode parasites that infect these species. To deepen our understanding of parasitic fauna affecting wild horses, we identified the intestinal nematodes of Przewalski's horses in Xinjiang and added new barcode sequences to a public database. METHODS: Between 2018 and 2021, nematodes were collected from 104 dewormed Przewalski's horses in Xinjiang. Each nematode was morphologically identified to the species level, and selected species underwent DNA extraction. The extracted DNA was used for molecular identification through the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) genetic marker. RESULTS: A total of 3758 strongylids were identified. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to identify four specific parasitic nematodes (Oesophagodontus robustus, Bidentostomum ivashkini, Skrjabinodentus caragandicus, Petrovinema skrjabini) and to obtain the ITS2 genetic marker for P. skrjabini. CONCLUSIONS: The ITS2 genetic marker for P. skrjabini enriches our understanding of the genetic characteristics of this species and expands the body of knowledge on parasitic nematodes. Our findings extend the known host range of four strongylid species, thereby improving our understanding of the relationship between Przewalski's horses and strongylids. This, in turn, aids in the enhanced conservation of this endangered species. This study introduces new instances of parasitic infections in wild animals and offers the DNA sequence of P. skrjabini as a valuable resource for molecular techniques in nematode diagnosis among wildlife.

The extreme wet and large precipitation size increase carbon uptake in Eurasian meadow steppes: Evidence from natural and manipulated precipitation experiments.

The distribution of seasonal precipitation would profoundly affect the dynamics of carbon fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems. However, little is known about the impacts of extreme precipitation and size events on ecosystem carbon cycle when compared to the effects of average precipitation amount. The study involved an analysis of carbon fluxes and water exchange using the eddy covariance and chamber based techniques during the growing seasons of 2015-2017 in Bayan, Mongolia and 2019-2021 in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, respectively. The components of carbon fluxes and water exchange at each site were normalized to evaluate of relative response among carbon fluxes and water exchange. The investigation delved into the relationship between carbon fluxes and extreme precipitation over five gradients (control, dry spring, dry summer, wet spring and wet summer) in Hulunbuir meadow steppe and distinct four precipitation sizes (0.1-2, 2-5, 5-10, and 10-25 mm d-1) in Bayan meadow steppe. The wet spring and summer showed the greatest ecosystem respiration (ER) relative response values, 76.2% and 73.5%, respectively, while the dry spring (-16.7%) and dry summer (14.2%) showed the lowest values. Gross primary production (GPP) relative response improved with wet precipitation gradients, and declined with dry precipitation gradients in Hulunbuir meadow steppe. The least value in net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) was found at 10-25 mm d-1 precipitation size in Bayan meadow steppe. Similarly, the ER and GPP increased with size of precipitation events. The structural equation models (SEM) satisfactorily fitted the data (χ2 = 43.03, d.f. = 11, p = 0.215), with interactive linkages among soil microclimate, water exchange and carbon fluxes components regulating NEE. Overall, this study highlighted the importance of extreme precipitation and event size in influencing ecosystem carbon exchange, which is decisive to further understand the carbon cycle in meadow steppes.

Monitoring of carbon-water fluxes at Eurasian meteorological stations using random forest and remote sensing.

Simulating the carbon-water fluxes at more widely distributed meteorological stations based on the sparsely and unevenly distributed eddy covariance flux stations is needed to accurately understand the carbon-water cycle of terrestrial ecosystems. We established a new framework consisting of machine learning, determination coefficient (R2), Euclidean distance, and remote sensing (RS), to simulate the daily net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) and water flux (WF) of the Eurasian meteorological stations using a random forest model or/and RS. The daily NEE and WF datasets with RS-based information (NEE-RS and WF-RS) for 3774 and 4427 meteorological stations during 2002-2020 were produced, respectively. And the daily NEE and WF datasets without RS-based information (NEE-WRS and WF-WRS) for 4667 and 6763 meteorological stations during 1983-2018 were generated, respectively. For each meteorological station, the carbon-water fluxes meet accuracy requirements and have quasi-observational properties. These four carbon-water flux datasets have great potential to improve the assessments of the ecosystem carbon-water dynamics.

Mowing mitigated the sensitivity of ecosystem carbon fluxes responses to heat waves in a Eurasian meadow steppe.

The heat waves (HW) will be more frequent and intense in the future with increased human activity and uncertain implications for ecosystem carbon fluxes. The semi-arid Eurasian grassland is sensitive to climate change and under frequent HWs attacks. Mowing as one of the most common human practices in this region, combining with HW can have comprehensive effects on plant communities, biomass, and nutrient cycling. Hence, a 3-year (2019-2021) field manipulation experiment was conducted to assess how mowing influenced the carbon cycling under HWs, and the interactions between HWs and mowing on carbon fluxes at the community and ecosystem levels in a Eurasian meadow steppe. Over the three years, HW significantly reduced net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) and gross ecosystem production (GEP) by 28 % and 8 % (P < 0.05), respectively, whereas ecosystem respiration (Re) did not show significant changes. Moderate mowing (stubble height was set at 6-8 cm) for harvest effectively mitigated ecosystem sensitivity to HWs and significantly increased ecosystem carbon fluxes (NEE, Re, and GEP), biomass and the number of species. Mowing reduced the negative impact of HWs on ecosystem carbon fluxes by about 15 % compared to HWs alone, contributing to the invasion of species such as Thalictrum squarrosum and Vicia amoena, and increased the indirect effect of HW on NEE in the structural equation model. In addition, the higher soil water content (SWC) was another effective way to reduce the impact of HWs. Therefore, mowing and higher SWC would be effective ways to counteract the negative effects of HWs on carbon fluxes in future grassland management.

Wild and Captive Environments Drive the Convergence of Gut Microbiota and Impact Health in Threatened Equids.

To explore how the living environment influences the establishment of gut microbiota in different species, as well as the extent to which changes in the living environment caused by captive breeding affect wildlife's gut microbiota and health, we used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and shotgun metagenomic sequencing to compare the gut microbiome of two species of threatened equids, the Przewalski's Horse and the Asian wild ass, in the wild and captivity. The results revealed that different species of Equidae living in the same environment showed remarkable convergence of gut microflora. At the same time, captive populations exhibited significantly "unhealthy" microbiota, such as low Alpha diversity, high levels of potentially pathogenic bacteria and biomarkers of physical or psychological disease, and enrichment of microbial functions associated with exogenous exposure and susceptibility, implying that the artificial environment created by captivity may adversely impact the health of wildlife to some extent. Our findings demonstrate the importance of the environmental factors for the establishment of gut microbiota and host health and provide new insights into the conservation of wildlife in captivity from the perspective of the microbiome.

Analysis on short-term change of macular function and the correlates after intravitreal conbercept for CRVO-ME.

AIM: To study the short-term change of macular function and the correlates after intravitreal conbercept for CRVO-ME. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, clinical study. METHODS: Twenty Three patients(23 eyes) were recruited, who were non-ischemia central retinal vein occlusion diagnosed by FFA (fundus fluorescein angiography) and treated with intravitreal conbercept for macular edema, best - corrected visual acuity ( BCVA), central macular thickness(CMT), amplitude density of P1 wave and implicit time of P1,N1 wave from ring 1 and ring 2 of mf-ERG were measured before and 1 week、2 month after treatment. RESULTS: Compared to the baseline, BCVA、CMT、amplitude density of P1 wave and implicit time of P1,N1 wave from ring 1 and ring 2 were greatly improved at 1 W、2 M after treatment; better results were gained at 2 M compared to 1 W; Pearson correlation analysis shows no significantly correlation between the improvement of mf-ERG with the change of BCVA、CMT. CONCLUSION: The BCVA、the structure and the function of macular were greatly improved after intravitreal conbercept for central retinal vein occlusion induced macular edema; however no significantly correlation between the improvement of the function of macular with the strcture of macular and BCVA.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi enhance nutrient acquisition and reduce aluminum toxicity in Lespedeza formosa under acid rain.

Lespedeza formosa is an economically important shrub in the agroecosystems of southern China, where acid rain (AR) is an increasingly serious environmental issue. However, the roles of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in adapting the plants to AR stress are poorly understood. In this study, L. formosa seedlings were cultivated in a greenhouse, where the inoculated (colonization with Rhizophagus irregularis and Diversispora versiformis, alone and in combination) and non-inoculated plants were treated with three AR regimes (pH 5.6, 4.0, and 2.5) to evaluate the roles of AMF under acidic conditions. The results showed that AR individually suppressed plant growth by inhibiting photosynthetic parameters and induced Al phytotoxicity in non-mycorrhizal plants. However, mycorrhizal inoculation, especially in combination, significantly increased the total dry weight, photosynthetic capabilities, shoot nitrogen (N) concentration (average 15.8 and 16.7 mg g-1 for non-mycorrhizal and mycorrhizal plants, respectively) and plant phosphorus (P) concentration (average 1.6 and 2.3 mg g-1 for non-mycorrhizal and mycorrhizal plants, respectively) at pH 4.0, reduced N/P ratio (average 9.5 and 6.9 for non-mycorrhizal and mycorrhizal plants, respectively) at pH 4.0, and protected roots against Al phytotoxicity (average 2.0 and 1.4 mg g-1 for non-mycorrhizal and mycorrhizal roots, respectively), indicating that AMF could mitigate some of the detrimental effects of AR. Moreover, our findings suggest that AMF mainly benefited the plant through the combined effects of N concentrations and N/P ratios in shoots and Al3+ concentrations in roots under acidic conditions.

Spatial distribution of Gasterophilus pecorum (Diptera) eggs in the desert steppe of the Kalamaili Nature Reserve (Xinjiang, China).

BACKGROUND: The dominant Gasterophilus species in the desert steppe (Xinjiang, China) Gasterophilus pecorum poses a serious threat to the reintroduced Przewalski's horses. We investigated the distribution pattern of G. pecorum eggs in June 2017. METHODS: Two sampling methods, transect and grid, were used, and the results were analyzed via geostatistics by semivariance. The nest quadrat was used to determine the optimal quadrat size. RESULTS: Eggs were found in 99 quadrats (63.1%) and 187 clusters (1.5%) of Stipa caucasica on the steppe. The mean oviposition count of a cluster was 3.8 ± 1.6. Three-eggs is the mode of which females oviposit on each ovigerous S. caucasica (22.0%). Semivariogram analysis revealed that the distance of spatial dependence for eggs was 921 m, 1233 m and 1097 m for transect 1, transect 2 and grid methods, respectively, while spatial continuity was 62%, 77% and 57.0% for transect 1, transect 2 and grid, respectively. The eggs showed a patchy, aggregated distribution pattern. This suggested the spherical model is most applicable. The proportion of ovigerous S. caucasica was significantly correlated with the distance from water resources (r = - 0.382, p = 0). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated that diversification of G. pecorum oviposition was a new adaptative strategy for its survival in the desert steppe ecological niche. This made it more efficient at infecting hosts in the local environment. Areas surrounding water resources, especially around the drinking paths of equids (500 m radius surrounding the water), were concentrated epidemic areas. It is suggested that more attention to be paid to the ecological characteristics of G. pecorum in order to develop control measures that would reduce the infection risk for Przewalski's horses.

Improved Tolerance of Mycorrhizal Torreya grandis Seedlings to Sulfuric Acid Rain Related to Phosphorus and Zinc Contents in Shoots.

Acid rain (AR) is an increasingly serious environmental problem that frequently occurs in Southern China with sulfuric acid rain (SAR) as the main type. SAR can negatively affect the growth and physiological properties of trees, but mycorrhizal associations may mitigate such detrimental effects. However, the mechanisms by which arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi control SAR-induced impacts on Torreya grandis plants remain unclear. A pot experiment was conducted on T. grandis seedlings, an economically important tree species in Southern China, in which inoculated and non-inoculated T. grandis seedlings were subjected to three simulated SAR regimes (pH of 5.6, 4.0, and 2.5, respectively) to examine the effects on the growth, osmotic regulation, and nutrient absorption of these seedlings. The results show that, although SAR had no effect on the accumulation of biomass, it significantly decreased the concentrations of proline and soluble protein, shoot Zn2+, P, K+, and Ca2+ concentrations, and the Fe2+ and Mn2+ concentrations of shoots and roots. Mycorrhizal inoculation, especially with Rhizophagus irregularis, significantly increased total biomass, proline concentration, and the Zn2+, P, and K+ concentrations in the shoots of T. grandis under lower pH conditions. Moreover, our findings suggest that the combination of root colonization, acid tolerance, and the concentrations of shoot-P, shoot-Zn2+, and root-Fe2+ of T. grandis jointly conferred mycorrhizal benefits on the plants under SAR conditions. Given the enhancement of the nutritional quality of T. grandis owing to mycorrhizal associations, inoculation with R. irregularis may be preferable for the culturing and management of these plants under acidic conditions.

Temperature thresholds of ecosystem respiration at a global scale.

Ecosystem respiration is a major component of the global terrestrial carbon cycle and is strongly influenced by temperature. The global extent of the temperature-ecosystem respiration relationship, however, has not been fully explored. Here, we test linear and threshold models of ecosystem respiration across 210 globally distributed eddy covariance sites over an extensive temperature range. We find thresholds to the global temperature-ecosystem respiration relationship at high and low air temperatures and mid soil temperatures, which represent transitions in the temperature dependence and sensitivity of ecosystem respiration. Annual ecosystem respiration rates show a markedly reduced temperature dependence and sensitivity compared to half-hourly rates, and a single mid-temperature threshold for both air and soil temperature. Our study indicates a distinction in the influence of environmental factors, including temperature, on ecosystem respiration between latitudinal and climate gradients at short (half-hourly) and long (annual) timescales. Such climatological differences in the temperature sensitivity of ecosystem respiration have important consequences for the terrestrial net carbon sink under ongoing climate change.

Spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of methane uptake across a climate transect in Inner Mongolia Steppe.

Steppe soils are important biological sinks for atmospheric methane (CH4), but the strength of CH4 uptake remains uncertain due to large spatiotemporal variation and the lack of in situ measurements at regional scale. Here, we report the seasonal and spatial patterns of CH4 uptake across a 1200 km transect in arid and semi-arid steppe ecosystems in Inner Mongolia, ranging from meadow steppe in the east plain to typical and desert steppes on the west plateau. In general, seasonal patterns of CH4 uptake were site specific, with unimodal seasonal curves in meadow and typical steppes and a decreasing seasonal trend in desert steppe. Soil moisture was the dominant factor explaining the seasonal patterns of CH4 uptake, and CH4 uptake rate decreased with an increase in soil moisture. Across the transect, CH4 uptake showed a skewed unimodal spatial pattern, with the peak rate observed in the typical steppe sites and with generally higher uptake rates in the west plateau than in the east plain. Soil moisture, together with soil temperature, soil total carbon, and aboveground plant biomass, were the main drivers of the regional patterns of CH4 uptake rate. These findings are important for model development to more precisely estimate the soil CH4 sink capacity in arid and semi-arid regions.

[Suitable summer habitat of the khulan in the Mt. Kalamaili Ungulate Nature Reserve and estimation of its population]. / 新疆卡拉麦里山有蹄类野生动物自然保护区夏季蒙古野驴适宜生境与种群数量评估.

The khulan (Equus hemionus hemionus) is a representative species in desert, semi-desert and desert steppe in Asia. The estimation of suitable habitat and population density of khulan can provide scientific decision-making basis for the conservation management. We investigated the distribution and population density of khulan in the Mt. Kalamaili Ungulate Nature Reserve in Xinjiang during May-August in 2018 and 2019, using the line transect method. The khulan population density, number and the encounter rate were estimated by the Distance 7.0 software, and through the MaxEnt model analysis and combining environmental variables, we assessed the most suitable habitats and main influencing factors. In total, we recorded 4782 individuals from 718 groups and 363 effective occurrences. Our results showed that the suitable summer habitat covered an area of 6737.5 km2, accounting for 45.4% of the total reserve area and located mainly in the central and eas-tern parts of the reserve. We estimated that the density of the summer khulan population was (0.5±0.1) individuals·km-2 and the total khulan population were (3246±575) individuals in the Mt. Kalamaili Ungulate Nature Reserve. The prediction accuracy of MaxEnt model was relatively high, with an average AUC of 0.890. The results of the Jackknife test showed that the distance to water sources, vegetation type, distance to human interference, distance to national highway G216, altitude, and precipitation of driest areas were the most important factors affecting the habitat suitability for khulan. For improving the protection of the khulan population in this reserve, we suggested strengthen the protection of water sources, adjust the core areas, monitor wildlife passages, and enhance traffic construction.

Intra-Annual and Interannual Dynamics of Evaporation Over Western Lake Erie.

Evaporation (E) is a critical component of the water and energy budget in lake systems yet is challenging to quantify directly and continuously. We examined the magnitude and changes of E and its drivers over Lake Erie-the shallowest and most southern lake of the Laurentian Great Lakes. We deployed two eddy-covariance tower sites in the western Lake Erie Basin-one located nearshore (CB) and one offshore (LI)-from September 2011 through May 2016. Monthly E varied from 5 to 120 mm, with maximum E occurring in August-October. The annual E was 635 ± 42 (±SD) mm at CB and 604 ± 32 mm at LI. Mean winter (October-March) E was 189 ± 61 mm at CB and 178 ± 25 mm at LI, accounting for 29.8% and 29.4% of annual E. Mean daily E was 1.8 mm during the coldest month (January) and 7.4 mm in the warmest month (July). Monthly E exhibited a strong positive linear relationship to the product of wind speed and vapor pressure deficit. Pronounced seasonal patterns in surface energy fluxes were observed with a 2-month lag in E from R n, due to the lake's heat storage. This lag was shorter than reports regarding other Great Lakes. Difference in E between the offshore and nearshore sites reflected within-lake spatial heterogeneity, likely attributable to climatic and bathymetric differences between them. These findings suggest that predictive models need to consider lake-specific heat storage and spatial heterogeneity in order to accurately simulate lake E and its seasonal dynamics.

Causes of Visual Impairment and Blindness in the 2006 and 2014 Nine-Province Surveys in Rural China.

PURPOSE: To investigate the primary causes of visual impairment and blindness in rural China. DESIGN: Population-based, cross-sectional study. METHODS: Geographic cluster sampling was used in randomly selecting residents from a rural county/district within 9 provinces in the East Coast, Inland Middle, and West regions of mainland China. Persons aged 50 years or older were enumerated through household visits and invited to examination sites for visual acuity testing and ocular examination. Causes of vision impairment and blindness in 2014 were compared with data from an earlier 2006 survey. RESULTS: Mild visual impairment (20.4% prevalence) was caused by uncorrected refractive error in two thirds of cases and by cataract in nearly another one fourth; moderate-to-severe visual impairment (10.3% prevalence) was caused by cataract in over onec half of cases and by uncorrected refractive error in another one fifth; blindness (1.66% prevalence) was caused by cataract in approximately one half of cases and in another one fourth by retinal disease. Primary causes of visual impairment and blindness in cataract-operated eyes were uncorrected refractive error, posterior capsule opacity, and retinal disease. From 2006 to 2014, the proportion of visual impairment caused by uncorrected refractive error increased, but rates for unoperated cataract were reduced. CONCLUSIONS: Uncorrected refractive error and unoperated cataract are the 2 primary causes of mild, moderate, and severe visual impairment in rural China, with unoperated cataract and retinal diseases primary causes for blindness. An effective public health strategy to increase service delivery for these causes would lead to substantial reduction in vision impairment and blindness.