Spatial and Seasonal Patterns of Sediment Bacterial Communities in Large River Cascade Reservoirs: Drivers, Assembly Processes, and Co-occurrence Relationship.

Sediment bacteria play an irreplaceable role in promoting the function and biogeochemical cycle of the freshwater ecosystem; however, little is known about their biogeographical patterns and community assembly mechanisms in large river suffering from cascade development. Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal distribution patterns of bacterial communities employing next-generation sequencing analysis and multivariate statistical analyses from the Lancang River cascade reservoirs during summer and winter. We found that sediment bacterial composition has a significant seasonal turnover due to the modification of cascade reservoirs operation mode, and the spatial consistency of biogeographical models (including distance-decay relationship and covariation of community composition with geographical distance) also has subtle changes. The linear regression between the dissimilarity of bacterial communities in sediments, geographical and environmental distance showed that the synergistic effects of geographical and environmental factors explained the influence on bacterial communities. Furthermore, the environmental difference explained little variations (19.40%) in community structure, implying the homogeneity of environmental conditions across the cascade reservoirs of Lancang River. From the quantification of the ecological process, the homogeneous selection was recognized as the dominating factor of bacterial community assembly. The co-occurrence topological network analyses showed that the key genera were more important than the most connected genera. In general, the assembly of bacterial communities in sediment of cascade reservoirs was mediated by both deterministic and stochastic processes and is always dominated by homogeneous selection with the seasonal switching, but the effects of dispersal limitation and ecological drift cannot be ignored.

The release inhibition of organic substances from microplastics in the presence of algal derived organic matters: Influence of the molecular weight-dependent inhibition heterogeneities.

As the emerging contaminants, the behavior and fate of microplastics (MPs) were highly related to the interactions with surrounding organic matters. However, information on the effects of molecular sizes of organic matters on the interaction is still lacking. In this study, the bulk algal-derived organic matter (AOM) samples were obtained and further fractionated into high molecular weight (HMW-, 1kDa-0.45 µm) and low molecular weight (LMW-, < 1 kDa) fractions. The interaction between MPs [polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS)] and these MW-fractionated AOMs were characterized by dissolved organic carbon, fluorescence and absorbance spectroscopy, and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. Results showed that presence of AOM could effectively inhibit the release of additives from MPs. Further analysis found that the inhibition extents decreased in the order of HMW- > bulk > LMW-AOM. The absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy showed that aromatic protein-like substances in HMW fraction exhibited higher adsorption affinity to MPs than the bulk and LMW counterparts. The strong sorption of aromatic substances may offer more binding sites for additives to inhibit the release of organic substances. Moreover, two dimensional FTIR correlation spectroscopy revealed that the HMW non-aromatic substances were preferentially adsorbed onto PS, which led to an enhanced adsorption capacity to additives by forming H-bonding. Therefore, the MW- and component-dependent heterogeneities of AOM samples must be fully considered in evaluating the environmental behavior of MPs.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from the high dam reservoir in longitudinal range-gorge regions on the Lancang-Mekong River, southwest China.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a greenhouse gas that should not be overlooked, and its emissions from plain reservoirs as well as small- and medium-sized reservoirs have been extensively studied; however, N2O emission patterns from high-dam reservoirs in longitudinal range-gorge regions remain unclear. In this study, the N2O concentration and emission flux from the high-dam Xiaowan Reservoir were investigated using static headspace gas chromatography and a boundary layer approach in the Lancang River. The factors influencing N2O production and emissions, especially the influence of damming, were explored. Our results demonstrated that the Xiaowan Reservoir, a source of N2O emissions, had an N2O emission flux of 15.48 ± 2.87 µmol m2·d-1 in 2019; the N2O concentration and emission flux exhibited an increasing trend along the flow direction within the Xiaowan Reservoir but decreased downstream of the dam. During the two water seasons, water temperature, the concentration of DO, NO3- and NH4+are all influencing factors of the N2O concentration in the XWR. the N2O in the XWR during the wet season was produced by nitrification, during the dry season the production mechanism of N2O was relatively complicated, but mainly produced by nitrification. This study advances our knowledge of N2O emissions from high-dam reservoirs in longitudinal range-gorge regions.

Reservoir effects on the variations of the water temperature in the upper Yellow River, China, using principal component analysis.

Water temperature is an important factor that affects the number and variety of river species. After a reservoir is built, a river's thermal regime changes significantly. Analyzing and evaluating river water temperature variation trends caused by damming can provide scientific support for developing effective water management strategies for reservoirs. This paper aimed to construct an index system of water temperatures in high and cold areas of the Upper Yellow River, and a method was proposed for identifying river water temperature variation based on principal component analysis (PCA). The variation degree in the river water temperature caused by large reservoirs was analyzed quantitatively. A three-dimensional water temperature model was developed to simulate the effect of a stratified intake on the alleviation of low-temperature water. The results indicated that (1) the water temperature decreased in summer and increased in winter, seasonal temperature changes decreased, there was a time delay in water temperature processes and a time fluctuation in the temperature threshold. (2) Certain indices were obtained that considered fish spawning and breeding, thermal condition changes and interactions between the organisms influenced by the reservoirs. (3) A stratified intake has a good effect on mitigating the impact of low water temperatures on fish spawning to some extent. The index system of the water temperature and its gradient changes effectively analyzed the influence of the reservoirs on river water temperature variations.

Land use change and its effects on water quality in typical inland lake of arid area in China.

Land-use change is very important for determining and assessing the influence of human activity on aquatic environment of rivers and lakes. The present work with Bosten River basin as the subject, analyzes features of dynamic land-use change of the basin from 1993 to 2013, in order to study the influence of land-use pattern change on the basin water quality, according to the land-use/land-cover(LUCC) chart from 2000 to 2013 made by ArcGIS and ENVI. It shows cultivated land, wetland and forestland constitute most of Bosten River basin, taking up over 41.7% of the total; from 1993-2000, LUCC of the basin is relatively small, with an increase of cultivated land, residential-industry land, water wetlands by 15.09%-18.33%,most of which are transformed from forestland, grassland and unused land; from 2000-2013, LUCC of the basin is relatively significant, with a continuing and bigger increase of cultivated land and Residential-industry area, most of which are transformed from water wetlands and unused land. Based on analysis of landuse pattern and water quality index, it can be told that water pollution is positively correlated to cultivated land and residential-industry area and negatively correlated to water and grassland. Also, the influence of land-use pattern change on water quality has been discussed, whose finding can serve as the scientific evidence for land-use optimization and water pollution control.

Spatiotemporal patterns and co-occurrence patterns of dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium community in sediments of the Lancang River cascade reservoirs.

Dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) is an important nitrate reduction pathway in freshwater sediments. Many studies have focused on the DNRA process in various natural habitats. However, the joint operation of cascade reservoirs will affect the physical and chemical properties of sediments, which may change the DNRA process and bacterial community pattern in the surface sediments of cascade reservoirs. Our study was the first to investigate the spatiotemporal distribution patterns of potential DNRA rate, nrfA gene abundances, and DNRA bacterial community diversity in surface sediments of the Lancang River cascade reservoirs. The results of slurry incubation experiments combined with the 15N isotope tracer experiment ascertained that the potential rates of DNRA were 0.01-0.15 nmol-N cm-3 h-1, and qPCR results indicated that the abundance range of nrfA was 1.08 × 105-2.51 × 106 copies g-1 dry weight. High throughput sequencing of the nrfA gene revealed that the relative abundance of Anaeromyxobacter (4.52% on average), Polyangium (4.09%), Archangium (1.86%), Geobacter (1.34%), and Lacunisphaera (1.32%) were high. Pearson and RDA correlation analysis exhibited that nrfA gene abundance was positively correlated with altitude, pH, OC, and sand concentration. Anaeromyxobacter was positively correlated with reservoir age and DNRA potential rate. The deterministic environmental selection process plays a crucial role in the formation of the DNRA bacterial community. Network analysis displayed that the dominant DNRA genus was the key population of the DNRA microbial community in the sediments of Lancang River cascade reservoirs. This study reveals that the variation of DNRA bacterial activity and community structure is largely driven by the construction of cascade reservoirs, and provides a new idea for further understanding the characteristics of the DNRA community in the cascade reservoir ecosystem.

Operation parameters and temperature affected sludge microbial metabolisms: An integrated perspective considering extracellular polymeric substances, soluble microbial products, biomass quantities, and community shifts.

Effluent soluble microbial products (SMP) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are significant organics that pose challenges to advanced treatment processes. However, their production, transformation, and decomposition remain unclear due to their heterogeneity and the combined effects of environmental and operational factors. In this work, we investigated the impact of solids retention time (SRT), hydraulic retention time (HRT), and temperature on the changes in effluent SMP, with the consideration of the co-variation of EPS, sludge biomass, and community structures. Results show that longer SRT increased the biomass and relative abundance of functional microorganisms such as Myxococcota, Actinobacteria, and Terrimonas, which hindered EPS-to-SMP turnover and/or facilitated SMP consumption. This resulted in the accumulation of EPS and lower SMP concentrations at the beginning of the SRT adjustment. Both longer and shorter HRT (12 h and 8 h) led to increased SMP concentration, with the shorter HRT nearly doubling it (from approximately 6 to 12 mg/L), especially in terms of its protein and polysaccharide contents. Lower temperatures increased the SMP concentration and the relative abundance of Proteobacteria (including Zoogloea, the most dominant phylum and genus, relative abundance from 15.7 % to 61.1 %) while decreasing fluorescent EPS components, indicating the key role of Proteobacteria in SMP production and fluorescent EPS-to-SMP transformation. The results provided key insights into how changes in operational/environmental parameters impact sludge-EPS-SMP interactions, which could benefit the model development and operational optimization of activated sludge systems. This study also highlighted the important role of the sludge community in the EPS/SMP dynamics.

Spatiotemporal Evolution of Winter Wheat Planting Area and Meteorology-Driven Effects on Yield under Climate Change in Henan Province of China.

This study examines the impact of climate change on winter wheat production in Henan Province. The analysis, under the utilization of GLASS LAI data, focuses on shifts in the planting areas of winter wheat. In addition, a comprehensive assessment of the spatiotemporal trends in meteorological factors during the winter wheat growth period has also been conducted. The findings reveal a fluctuating increase in accumulated temperature across Henan Province, ranging from 3145 °C to 3424 °C and exhibiting a gradual rise from north to south. In particular, precipitation patterns from 1980 to 2019 showed limited significant trends, while notable abrupt changes were observed in 1983, 2004, 2009, and 2016. Geographically, southwestern Henan Province experiences greater precipitation than the northeast. Moreover, a fluctuating downward trend in sunshine hours has been observed, gradually decreasing from north to south. The study further highlights an increase in winter wheat planting frequency in the northwestern region of Luoyang and the northeastern part of Zhumadian, contrasted by a decrease in Zhengzhou and Kaifeng. Accumulated temperature is positively correlated with the expansion of winter wheat planting areas (R2 = 0.685), while sunshine hours exert a suppressive effect (R2 = 0.637). Among meteorological factors, accumulated temperature emerges as the most crucial determinant, followed by precipitation, with sunshine hours having a relatively minor influence. Yield demonstrates a positive association with accumulated temperature (R2 = 0.765) and a negative correlation with sunshine hours (R2 = -0.614). This finding is consistent with the impact of meteorological factors on winter wheat production. The results of this study enhance the understanding of how the underlying mechanisms of climate change impact crop yields.

Analysis of the Spatial-Temporal Distribution Characteristics of Climate and Its Impact on Winter Wheat Production in Shanxi Province, China, 1964-2018.

The possible influence of global climate changes on agricultural production is becoming increasingly significant, necessitating greater attention to improving agricultural production in response to temperature rises and precipitation variability. As one of the main winter wheat-producing areas in China, the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of precipitation, accumulated temperature, and actual yield and climatic yield of winter wheat during the growing period in Shanxi Province were analysed in detail. With the utilisation of daily meteorological data collected from 12 meteorological stations in Shanxi Province in 1964-2018, our study analysed the change in winter wheat yield with climate change using GIS combined with wavelet analysis. The results show the following: (1) Accumulated temperature and precipitation are the two most important limiting factors among the main physical factors that impact yield. Based on the analysis of the ArcGIS geographical detector, the correlation between the actual yield of winter wheat and the precipitation during the growth period was the highest, reaching 0.469, and the meteorological yield and accumulated temperature during this period also reached its peak value of 0.376. (2) The regions with more suitable precipitation and accumulated temperature during the growth period of winter wheat in the study area had relatively high actual winter wheat yields. Overall, the average actual yield of the entire region showed a significant increasing trend over time, with an upward trend of 47.827 kg ha-1 yr-1. (3) The variation coefficient of winter wheat climatic yield was relatively stable in 2008-2018. In particular, there were many years of continuous reduction in winter wheat yields prior to 2006. Thereafter, the impact of climate change on winter wheat yields became smaller. This study expands our understanding of the complex interactions between climate variables and crop yield but also provides practical recommendations for enhancing agricultural practices in this region.

Dissolved organic matter promoted hydroxyl radical formation and phenanthrene attenuation during oxygenation of iron-pillared montmorillonites.

The oxygenation of Fe(II)-bearing minerals for hydroxyl radicals (HO•) formation and contaminant attenuation receives increasing attentions. However, information on dissolved organic matter (DOM) with different types, concentrations, and molecular weights (MWs) in manipulating HO• formation and contaminant attenuation during mineral oxygenation remain unclear. In this study, four iron-pillared montmorillonites (IPMs) and two DOM samples [e.g., humic acids (HA) and fulvic acids (FA)] were prepared to explore the HO• formation and phenanthrene attenuation during the oxygenation of IPMs in the presence or absence of DOMs. Results showed that iron-pillared and high-temperature calcination procedures extended the interlayer domain of IPMs, which provided favorable conditions for a high HO• production from 1293 to 14537 µmol kg-1. The surface-absorbed/low crystalline Fe(Ⅱ) was the predominant Fe(Ⅱ) fractionations for HO• production, and presence of DOMs significantly enhanced the HO• production and phenanthrene attenuation. Moreover, regardless of the types and concentrations, the low MW (LMW, <1 kDa) fraction within DOM pool contributed highest to HO• production and phenanthrene attenuation, followed by the bulk and high MW (HMW-, 1 kDa∼0.45 µm) fractions, and FA exhibited more efficient effects in promoting HO• production and phenanthrene attenuation than HA. The fluorescent spectral analysis further revealed that phenolic-like fluorophores in LMW-fraction were the main substances responsible for the enhanced HO• production and phenanthrene attenuation. The results deepen our understandings toward the behaviors and fate of aquatic HO• and contaminants, and also provide technical guidance for the remediation of contaminated environments.

Relationship of 2D:4D finger ratio with androgen receptor CAG and GGN repeat polymorphism.

OBJECTIVES: The relative length of the second-to-fourth digits (2D:4D) has been linked with prenatal androgen in humans. A recent study shows that the 2D:4D ratio in mice is controlled by the balance of androgen to estrogen signaling during a narrow window of digit development. Androgen receptor (AR) activity is higher in digit 4 than in digit 2, and inactivation of AR decreases growth of digit 4, which causes a higher 2D:4D ratio. At the molecular level, the effect of androgens is mediated through the activation of AR. The CAG/GGN repeat polymorphisms of the AR gene are associated with AR activity. Here, we investigate the effect of CAG/GGN repeat polymorphisms in AR on 2D:4D in Chinese. METHODS: Digit lengths of the second and fourth fingers were measured from photocopies of the ventral surface of the hand and by actual finger measurements. We genotyped AR polymorphisms by ABI 3730 DNA analyzer. RESULTS: We found that left hand 2D:4D ratio was longer than that of the right hand both in males and in females. We failed to find any relationship between CAG / GGN alleles and the left hand, right hand, right minus left-hand or mean hand 2D:4D ratios (all, r < 0.20, P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we first found that the left hand 2D:4D ratio was longer than that of the right hand in both males and females. However, we found that both CAG and GGN alleles were not associated with the left hand, right hand, right minus left-hand or mean hand 2D:4D ratios.

[Polymorphisms of (CAG)n and(GGN)n repeats of androgen receptor gene among ethnic Hui and Han Chinese from Ningxia].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the distribution of (CAG)n and (GGN)n repeats polymorphisms of androgen receptor (AR) gene between Hui and Han ethnic Chinese from Ningxia. METHODS: Genotypes of above repeats were determined with DNA sequencing method. RESULTS: The distribution of (GGN)n repeats was significantly different between the two ethnic groups (P< 0.01), though no such difference was detected with (CAG)n repeats (P> 0.05). Particularly, Han Chinese women carrying 23 GGN repeats were significantly fewer (48.4%) than Hui women (64.7%, P=0.01). CONCLUSION: The distribution of GGN repeat is significantly differently among Hui and Han Chinese ethnics from Ningxia.

Defining the sources and the fate of nitrate by using dual isotopes and a Bayesian isotope mixing model: Water-nitrate management in cascade dams of Lancang river.

A multi-isotopes approach involving the use of stable nitrate isotopes (δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3-) combined with stable water isotopes (δD-H2O and δ18O-H2O) and SIAR model as tracers can help identify the nitrogen source and understand the transformation process in a river-cascade reservoirs system. In this study, we identify the potential impact of the N source in the Lancang River basin, clarified the seasonal variations in the isotope values and estimated the probability distribution and proportional contribution of multi-terminal NO3--N sources using Bayesian isotope mixing model. In addition, we investigate the factors that led to the seasonal variations of the stable isotopes and evaluated the relationship between the uncertainty of the contribution ratio of the N sources and isotopic variations in the river-cascade reservoirs system. The NO3--N is the main component of DIN (dissolved inorganic nitrogen), accounting for 68.1 % of DIN. The ratios of δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3- ranged from +4.2 ‰ to +10.3 ‰, and from +5.9 ‰ to +9.3 ‰ in the Lancang River. The δD-H2O and δ18O-H2O of the surface waters ranged from -109.47 ‰ to -76.44 ‰, and from -15.13 ‰ to -11.61 ‰, respectively. The SIAR model analysis results show that nitrification of livestock and poultry manure is the main source of NO3--N in the upstream natural reach, accounting for 40.2 %. There is little difference between the wet season and the dry season. Nitrification of soil organic nitrogen is the main source of NO3--N in the cascade development reach, accounting for 42.3 %. The contribution rate of atmospheric precipitation to nitrate concentration in both sampling periods is low (<5 %). This study provides a useful insight for reservoir water environmental managers to verify cascade development river pollution contributors and to better apply remedial solutions.

Investigation of cytotoxic cadmium in aquatic green algae by synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy: Role of dissolved organic matter.

The heavy metal Cd can cause severe toxicity on aquatic algae, but there are few studies on the cytotoxicity of heavy metal on algae based on synchrotron radiation technology. In this study, synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform infrared spectromicroscopy (SR-FTIR) was used to characterize in vivo the toxic effects of Cd on Cosmarium sp. cells, emphasizing the influence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on Cd toxicity. Results showed that, in the absence of DOM, obvious growth inhibition, cell volume reduction, and photosynthesis disruption could be observed with increasing Cd concentrations (0-500 µg/L). Based on the SR-FTIR imaging and functional group quantification, it was shown that the biosynthesis of biomolecules such as proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates was inhibited in algal cells. However, the addition of DOM caused significant heterogeneities in biomacromolecule biosynthesis that an increased biosynthesis of carbohydrates and structural lipids but an inhibited biosynthesis of proteins and storage lipids were observed. Furthermore, the correlation analysis and principal component analysis showed a good correlation between v(C-OH)/Amide II and biochemical parameters, indicating that changes of carbohydrates could be used as the biomarker to indicate the cytotoxicity of heavy metals to algal cells. These findings provide insight into the mechanisms of heavy metal cytotoxicity to aquatic algae and systematic cytotoxicity assessment under various aquatic conditions.

Dissolved organic matters with low molecular weight fractions exhibit high photochemical potential for reactive oxygen formation.

The photochemical properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) were highly related to the molecular weight (MW) and organic compositions. In this study, the bulk algae- and macrophyte-derived DOM (ADOM and MDOM, respectively) and Suwannee River humic acid (SRHA) were applied and fractionated into low MW- (LMW, <1 kDa) and high MW-(HMW-, 1 kDã0.45 µm) fractions. The formation and mechanisms of photochemically produced reactive intermediates (e.g., HO•, 1O2, and 3CDOM*) for these bulk and MW-fractionated samples were compared via the irradiation experiment, fluorescence and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). Results showed that humic-/fulvic-like substances were mainly distributed in the LMW fraction which occupied about 44-60% of total organic carbon for ADOM and MDOM and 13% for SRHA. Photochemical experiments showed that the autochthonous DOMs (e.g., ADOM and MDOM) were characterized with comparable formation rates and quantum yields of reactive oxygens with the allochthonous SRHA, suggesting the high photochemical formation potential. Further analysis showed obvious MW-dependent heterogeneities that, irrespective of DOM types, the LMW-fraction exhibited higher formation rates and quantum yields, followed by the bulk- and then the HMW-fractions. The fluorescence and FT-ICR-MS results indicated that the unique biochemical classes, i.e., humic-/fulvic-like moieties and protein-/lipid-derived compounds in the LMW fractions may be responsible for the high apparent quantum yields. This study highlighted the importance of simultaneous characterization of MW and organic compositions for evaluating the photochemical potential and other behaviors and effects of aquatic DOMs.

Investigation of carbon dynamics in rhizosphere by synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform infrared combined with two dimensional correlation spectroscopy.

Rhizosphere, formed via the input of root exudates, is one of the most dynamic biological interfaces on earth. Investigation of carbon dynamics in rhizosphere is thus crucial for the understanding of soil biogeochemical processes. Herein, synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform infrared (SR-FTIR) combined with two dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS) was used to probe and identify the changes of chemical constituents and functional groups of organic carbon on the root/soil interface in rhizosphere of two plants [Leptochloa chinensis (L.) Nees and Cyperus rotundus L.]. The SR-FTIR results showed obviously heterogeneous distributions of functional groups in rhizosphere at microscale. Specifically, regardless of plant species, about 20-30 µm regions in rhizosphere can be affected by root activities. The peak area ratios of organic-OH and aliphatic-C to clay-OH on the root/soil interface in rhizosphere were 4.04-8.48 times higher than that in bulk soil, providing direct evidence of the organic carbon storage due to root activities. 2D-COS analysis suggested that the root activities induced the first adsorption or sequestration of newly organics (3350 cm-1) on the root/soil interface, followed by the destruction of clay-OH (3621 or 860 cm-1), leading to the release of mineral associated organics and nutrients (e.g., 1510 and 1150 cm-1) from the soil. These results can enlarge our knowledge on the concentration, distribution, and dynamics of organic carbon in rhizosphere at the microscale level and also the environmental behaviors and fate of other elements and contaminants that associated with organic carbon in rhizosphere. CAPSULE: SR-FTIR combined with 2D-COS can explore the distribution and dynamics of organic carbon on the root/soil interface in rhizosphere.

Spatial-temporal dynamics and influencing factors of archaeal communities in the sediments of Lancang River cascade reservoirs (LRCR), China.

The spatial and temporal distribution of the archaeal community and its driving factors in the sediments of large-scale regulated rivers, especially in rivers with cascade hydropower development rivers, remain poorly understood. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the 16S rRNA archaeal gene were used to comprehensively investigate the spatiotemporal diversity and structure of archaeal community in the sediments of the Lancang River cascade reservoirs (LRCR). The archaeal abundance ranged from 5.11×104 to 1.03×106 16S rRNA gene copies per gram dry sediment and presented no temporal variation. The richness, diversity, and community structure of the archaeal community illustrated a drastic spatial change. Thaumarchaeota and Euryyarchaeota were the dominant archaeal phyla in the sediments of the cascade rivers, and Bathyarchaeota was also an advantage in the sediments. PICRUSt metabolic inference analysis revealed a growing number of genes associated with xenobiotic metabolism and carbon and nitrogen metabolism in downstream reservoirs, indicating that anthropogenic pollution discharges might act as the dominant selective force to alter the archaeal communities. Nitrate and C/N ratio were found to play important roles in the formation of the archaeal community composition. In addition, the sediment archaeal community structure was also closely related to the age of the cascade reservoir and hydraulic retention time (HRT). This finding indicates that the engineering factors of the reservoir might be the greatest contributor to the archaeal community structure in the LRCR.

Effects of photovoltaic panels on soil temperature and moisture in desert areas.

Photovoltaic power generation is an important clean energy alternative to fossil fuels. To reduce CO2 emissions, the Chinese government has ordered the construction of a large number of photovoltaic (PV) panels to generate power in the past two decades; many are located in desert areas because of the sufficient light conditions. Large-scale PV construction in desert areas can alter the local microclimate and soil conditions, thereby affecting the growth of vegetation. However, few studies have focused on the effects of PV panels on the environment of desert areas. In this study, we investigated the effects of PV panels on soil moisture and temperature via a whole-year field experiment at a PV power plant in a desert area in western China. The in situ soil moisture and temperature at a depth of 0-0.4 m were measured under three types of PV shading conditions: shaded by fixed-tilt (FIX) PV panels, shaded by oblique single-axis (OSA) PV panels, and no shading. The results showed that the soil temperature and moisture at sites under PV shading were significantly affected compared with those at sites without shading. PV panels increased the average soil temperature during winter but decreased it during the other three seasons. Moreover, the warming effect of FIX PV panels on the soil is more apparent than that of OSA PV panels. PV panels have positive effects on soil moisture. Compared with that at the sites without shaded areas, the average soil moisture under the FIX PV panels and under the OSA PV panels increased by 14.7% and by 11.1%, respectively. These data provide support for future studies on vegetation restoration around PV power plants in desert areas.

Reducing Nitrogen and Phosphorus Losses from Different Crop Types in the Water Source Area of the Danjiang River, China.

Nitrogen and phosphorus are essential for plant growth and are the primary limiting nutrient elements. The loss of nitrogen and phosphorus in agricultural systems can cause the eutrophication of natural water bodies. In this paper, a field simulated rainfall experiment was conducted in a typical small watershed of the Danjiang River to study the nutrient loss process of nitrogen and phosphorus in slope croplands subjected to different crops and tillage measures. The characteristics of the runoff process and nutrient migration of different slope treatments were studied, which were the bare-land (BL, as the control), peanut monoculture (PL), corn monoculture (CL), bare land (upper slope) mixed with peanut monoculture (lower slope) (BP), corn and peanut intercropping (TCP), corn and soybean intercropping (TCS), downslope ridge cultivation (BS) slope, and straw-mulched (SC), respectively. The results showed that the runoff of CL, SC, TCS, BS, BP, PL and TCP slope types were 93%, 75%, 51%, 39%, 28%, 12%, and 6% of the those of the bare land, respectively. The total nitrogen concentration in runoff on different slope types decreased in the order of BP > PL > BS > SC > TCP > BL > CL > TCS. The BL was characterized with the highest NRL-TN (the loss of total nitrogen per unit area), with the value of 1.188 kg/hm2, while those of the TCP is the smallest with the value of 0.073 kg/hm2. The total phosphorus concentration in runoff decreasd in the order of BS > BP > PL > BL > TCP > SC > CL > TCS. The PRL-TP (the loss of total phosphorus per unit area) of BL is the largest (0.016 kg/hm2), while those of TCP is the smallest (0.001 kg/hm2). These indicate that the loss of nitrogen is much higer than that of phosphorus. The loss of nitrogen in runoff is dominated by nitrate nitrogen, which accounts for 54.4%-78.9% of TN. Slope croplands in the water source area should adopt the tillage measures of TCP and PL.These measures can reduce 85% of the runoff of nitrogen and phosphorus compared to the bare land. The results may assist in agricultural non-point source pollution control and help promote improved management of the water environment in the Danjiang River's water source area.

Occurrence and risk assessment of antibiotics in the Xi'an section of the Weihe River, northwestern China.

Fifteen antibiotics, including seven sulfonamides (SAs); three macrolides (MLs); three quinolones (QNs); one lincosamide, lincomycin (LIN); and one tetracycline (TC), were detected in the surface water of the Xi'an section of the Weihe River by using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The detection rates were 12.50-100%, and the detected concentrations were in the range of nd-270.60 ng/L. The average detected concentrations of the SAs, MLs, QNs, LIN and TC were 113.68, 111.79, 20.55, 23.81 and 25.66 ng/L, respectively. Among these, SAs and MLs were the dominant antibiotics detected in the Weihe River. Compared with those in other water bodies in China and abroad, the antibiotic residues in the Weihe River were at a moderate contamination level. The SAs concentration distribution followed upstream > midstream > downstream, while the MLs concentration distribution was midstream < downstream < upstream. The correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that domestic sewage, livestock discharge, and aquaculture and pharmaceutical wastewater are the main sources of antibiotic residues in the Weihe River. In addition, the detected ciprofloxacin (CFX), ofloxacin (OFX) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) pose high ecological risk in the short and long term.