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Drylands, which account for 41% of Earth’s land surface and are home to more than two billion people, play an important role in the global carbon balance. This study analyzes the spatio-temporal patterns of vegetation carbon sinks and sources in the arid region of northwest China (NWC), using the net ecosystem production (NEP) through the Carnegie–Ames–Stanford approach (CASA). It quantitatively evaluates regional ecological security over a 20-year period (2000–2020) via a remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) and other ecological indexes, such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), fraction of vegetation cover (FVC), net primary productivity (NPP), and land use. The results show that the annual average carbon capacity of vegetation in NWC changed from carbon sources to carbon sinks, and the vegetation NEP increased at a rate of 1.98 gC m−2 yr−1 from 2000 to 2020. Spatially, the annual NEP in northern Xinjiang (NXJ), southern Xinjiang (SXJ) and Hexi Corridor (HX) increased at even faster rates of 2.11, 2.22, and 1.98 gC m−2 yr−1, respectively. Obvious geographically heterogeneous distributions and changes occurred in vegetation carbon sinks and carbon sources. Some 65.78% of the vegetation areas in NWC were carbon sources during 2000–2020, which were concentrated in the plains, and SXJ, the majority carbon sink areas are located in the mountains. The vegetation NEP in the plains exhibited a positive trend (1.21 gC m−2 yr−1) during 2000–2020, but this speed has slowed since 2010. The vegetation NEP in the mountain exhibited only intermittent changes (2.55 gC m−2 yr−1) during 2000–2020; it exhibited a negative trend during 2000–2010, but this trend has reversed strongly since 2010. The entire ecological security of NWC was enhanced during the study period. Specifically, the RSEI increased from 0.34 to 0.49, the NDVI increased by 0.03 (17.65%), the FVC expanded by 19.56%, and the NPP increased by 27.44%. Recent positive trends in NDVI, FVC and NPP have enhanced the capacity of vegetation carbon sinks, and improved the eco-environment of NWC. The scientific outcomes of this study are of great importance for maintaining ecological stability and sustainable economic development along China’s Silk Road Economic Belt.

Groundwater plays a key role in supplying water for drinking water, irrigation water, and industry water in the northern China. Recently, the availability and quality of groundwater resources in the eastern Loess Plateau (Shanxi province) have a serious impact on the agriculture, industry, and domestic sectors. This paper investigates the spatiotemporal variations of chemical and stable isotope composition of groundwater, and provides important information for the research of controlling factors of groundwater hydrochemical distribution in Shanxi province during two seasons. About 95 groundwater samples were collected from two seasons and measured the content of major ions and stable isotope, pH values, and total dissolved solids (TDS). The results showed that groundwater samples were mildly alkaline. Among all the groundwater samples, the HCO3− and Na+ dominated the total mass of the anions and cations, respectively. Significant seasonal and spatial variations can be observed in the TDS, deuterium (δ2H), and oxygen (δ18O) in groundwater samples. More pronounced variations of the groundwater TDS appeared in the quick-flow season with the highest TDS concentration observed at the central region and lower TDS values appeared in the northern and southern Shanxi. The groundwater samples mainly belong to the (HCO3−-Ca2+-Na+) type and the (HCO3−-SO42−-Ca2+-Na+) type. Rock weathering is the key controlling factor for the chemical composition of groundwater. In addition, nitrogen pollution of groundwater caused by human input is more significant in river valley basins such as the Yuncheng Basin, Linfen Basin, and Changzhi Basin. The significant influence of surface water-groundwater interaction for the groundwater can be observed at the valley basin in the central part of the Shanxi Province. The interaction between surface water and groundwater in the Linfen basin is especially remarkable.

Water environment monitoring is an important way to optimize the allocation and sustainable utilization of regional water resources and is beneficial for ensuring the security of regional water resources. In order to explore hydrochemical distributions in a mountain–oasis ecosystem in Central Asia, surface water and groundwater samples from the Kaidu River basin were collected over four seasons. pH values, major ions, total dissolved solids (TDS) and stable isotopes were determined during the period from 2016 to 2017. The results showed: (1) that most water bodies in the study areas were mildly alkaline and that hydrochemical distributions showed significant seasonal and spatial variation; (2) that δD and δ18O in surface water and groundwater showed enrichment in summer and autumn and poverty in spring and winter, with higher δ18O values appearing in the oasis area and lower δ18O values appearing in the mountain area; (3) that most of the water bodies in the study areas were of HCO3−Ca2+ type, with the hydrochemical types of groundwater presenting obvious spatial inconsistency relative to surface water; (4) that rock weathering was the main factor controlling hydrochemical composition in the study areas and that human activities had an influence on the groundwater environment in the oasis area; (5) and that surface water–groundwater interactions also displayed spatial inconsistency, especially in summer. The interaction between river water and groundwater was more obvious in the traditional oasis area, especially in spring and summer. The results will be important for regional water resource management and sustainable water utilization.

Planting plants to increase soil carbon input has been widely used to achieve carbon neutrality goals. Tartary buckwheat not only has good barren tolerance but is also rich in nutrients and very suitable for planting in barren areas. However, the effects of different genotypes of Tartary buckwheat roots and rhizosphere microorganisms on soil carbon input are still unclear. In this study, ozone sterilization was used to distinguish the sources of soil organic acids and C-transforming enzymes, and the contribution of root and rhizosphere microorganisms to soil carbon storage during the growth period of two genotypes of tartary buckwheat was studied separately to screen suitable varieties. Through the analysis of the experimental results, the conclusions are as follows: (1) The roots of Diqing tartary buckwheat have stronger carbon sequestration ability in a barren environment than Heifeng, and the microorganisms in Diqing tartary buckwheat soil will also increase soil carbon input. Therefore, Diqing tartary buckwheat is more suitable for carbon sequestration than Heifeng tartary buckwheat in barren soil areas. (2) In the absence of microorganisms, the rhizosphere soil of tartary buckwheat can regulate the storage of soil organic carbon by secreting extracellular enzymes and organic acids. (3) The structural equation model showed that to promote carbon sequestration, Heifeng tartary buckwheat needed to inhibit microbial action when planted in the barren area of Loess Plateau, while Diqing tartary buckwheat needed to use microbial-promoting agents. Adaptive strategies should focus more on cultivar selection to retain carbon in soil and to assure the tolerance of fineness in the future.

As an important agricultural and gathering area in arid inland areas of China, the ecological environments of oasis areas are more sensitive to regional climate change and human activities. This paper investigates the dynamic evolution of the oases in the Tarim River basin (TRB) and quantitatively evaluates the regional ecological security of oases via a remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) and net primary productivity (NPP) through the Carnegie–Ames–Stanford approach (CASA) from 2000 to 2020. The results indicate that the total plain oasis area in the TRB during the study period experienced an increasing trend, with the area expanding by 8.21%. Specifically, the artificial oases (cultivated and industrial land) showed a notable increase, whereas the natural oases (forests and grassland) exhibited an apparent decrease. Among the indictors of oasis change, the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) increased from 0.13 to 0.16, the fraction of vegetation cover (FVC) expanded by 36.79%, and NPP increased by 31.55%. RSEI changes indicated that the eco-environment of the TRB region went from poor grade to general grade; 69% of the region’s eco-environment improved, especially in western mountainous areas, and less than 5% of the regions’ eco-ecological areas were degraded, mainly occurring in the desert-oasis ecotone. Changes in land- use types of oases indicated that human activities had a more significant influence on oases expansion than natural factors. Our results have substantial implications for environment protection and sustainable economic development along the Silk Road Economic Belt.

Precipitation plays an important role in global water cycle, and the stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes of precipitation provide useful information in hydrological processes. To evaluate the controlling factors on stable isotopes of precipitation in the northwesternmost Tibetan Plateau (NWTP), the spatial-temporal variation of δ18O and δ2H in precipitation was investigated based on 120 event-based precipitation samples collected from 3 stations (Jiangka, Shaman and Xihexiu) during 2011–2014 and 45 monthly average precipitation data of Hetian station (GNIP) and 23 individual precipitation events of Shiquanhe station during 2001. The values of δ18O and δ2H in precipitation are more positive in the summer (June to July) and negative in the winter (November to March). The seasonal d-excess pattern observed in the NWTP is remarkably different from that in adjacent regions. The local meteoric water line (LMWL) was calculated as δ2H = 8.22 δ18O + 12.41 (R2 = 0.98, n = 194) based on the event-based samples. Temperature and altitude effects show significant influence on the precipitation δ18O in the study area. Sub-cloud evaporation and recycling moisture also are important controlling factors during the precipitation process. The sub-cloud evaporation decreased d-excess between 1.7% and 45.8%, and the d-excess decreased linearly with increasing sub-cloud evaporation at about 1.15‰ per 1% change of sub-cloud evaporation. The recycled moisture has an important influence on the precipitation on the Xihexiu, Shaman and Jiangka stations. The result of this study is helpful to the understanding of regional water cycling and optimal water resource management during water shortages.

Soil erosion is a critical environmental problem of the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP). The effects of vegetation cover on soil erosion reduction under different rainfall types are not well understood especially in the eastern Chinese Loess Plateau (ECLP). In this study, we monitored runoff and sediment yield at the Fengjiagou water and soil conservation station with five types of vegetation cover (arbor trees (ARC), shrubs (SHC), arable (ABC), natural vegetation (NVC), and artificial grass (APC)) and three slope gradients (10°, 15°, and 20°) in the ECLP. Based on long-term monitoring data, five rainfall types were classified by the maximum 30 min rainfall intensity (I30). We also quantitatively revealed the interactive effects of different types precipitation, vegetation cover and slope gradients on regional soil erosion. The results showed that (1) The RII (13 times) and RIII (eight times) type are the most threatening erosive rainfall in this region. (2) The ARC and SHC type were most beneficial for soil and water conservation in the ECLP; The APC and ABC are not conductive to the prevention of regional soil erosion. (3) Runoff and sediment yields increased with the slope gradient. The farmland is vulnerable to soil erosion when the slope gradient exceeds 10°. The results of this study can improve the understanding of regional soil erosion processes on the ECLP and provide useful information for managing regional water and land resources.

The increasing shortage in water resources is a key factor affecting sustainable socio-economic development in the arid region of Northwest China (ARNC). Water shortages also affect the stability of the region’s oasis ecosystem. This paper summarizes the hydrological processes and water cycle of inland river basins in the ARNC, focusing on the following aspects: the spatial-temporal features of water resources (including air water vapor resources, runoff, and glacial meltwater) and their driving forces; the characteristics of streamflow composition in the inland river basins; the characteristics and main controlling factors of baseflow in the inland rivers; and anticipated future changes in hydrological processes and water resources. The results indicate that: (1) although the runoff in most inland rivers in the ARNC showed a significant increasing trend, both the glaciated area and glacial ice reserves have been reduced in the mountains; (2) snow melt and glacier melt are extremely important hydrological processes in the ARNC, especially in the Kunlun and Tianshan mountains; (3) baseflow in the inland rivers of the ARNC is the result of climate change and human activities, with the main driving factors being the reduction in forest area and the over-exploitation and utilization of groundwater in the river basins; and (4) the contradictions among water resources, ecology and economy will further increase in the future. The findings of this study might also help strengthen the ecological, economic and social sustainable development in the study region.

The Tien Shan is regarded as the “Water tower of Central Asia,” being a solid reservoir of freshwater resources and also a natural and early warning indicator of climate change. Research on glaciers is important for the sustainable development and management of water resources in Central Asia. This study investigated the spatiotemporal dynamics of glaciers in the northern Tien Shan from 1990 to 2015 using multi-source remote sensing and meteorological data. The results showed that the total area and volume of glaciers in the northern Tien Shan exhibited negative trends, decreasing by 456.43 km2 (16.08%) and 26.14 km3 (16.38%), respectively. The reduction in the total glacier area exhibited an accelerating trend, decreasing by 0.60%/a before 2000, but by 0.71%/a after 2000. Glaciers in the outer northern Tien Shan region, with areas < 2 km2 showed the greatest shrinkage, especially those in the northeastern and southwestern regions. All aspects in the northern Tien Shan exhibited negative trends in the glacier area, especially in the east–west aspects (shrinkage of 24.74–38.37%). Regarding altitude, the termini of glaciers rose continuously from 1990 to 2015, particularly for glaciers below 3700 m, with a total area decrease of 30.37%, and the lower altitude of the glaciers showed a higher area decrease.

Groundwater is an important source for drinking, agricultural, and industrial purposes in the Linfen basin of the Eastern Chinese Loess Plateau (ECLP). To ensure the safety of drinking water, this study was carried out to assess the quality using the water quality index (WQI) and potential health risks of groundwater using the human health risk assessment model (HHRA). The WQI approach showed that 90% of the samples were suitable for drinking, and Pb, TH, F−, SO42−, and TDS were the most significant parameters affecting groundwater quality. The non-carcinogenic health risk results indicated that 20% and 80% of the samples surpassed the permissible limit for adult females and children. Additionally, all groundwater samples could present a carcinogenic health risk to males, females, and children. The pollution from F−, Pb, and Cr6+ was the most serious for non-carcinogenic health risk. Cd contributed more than Cr6+ and As to carcinogenic health risks. Residents living in the central of the study area faced higher health risks than humans in other areas. The research results can provide a decision-making basis for the scientific management of the regional groundwater environment and the protection of drinking water safety and public health.

Potential evapotranspiration (ET0) is an integral component of the hydrological cycle and the global energy balance, and its long-term variation is of much concern in climate change studies. The Loess Plateau is an important area of agricultural civilization and water resources research. This study analyzed the spatial and temporal evolution processes and influential parameters of ET0 at 70 stations in different topographical areas of the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP). Using the Mann−Kendall trend, Cross wavelet transform, and the ArcGIS platform, the ET0 of each station was quantified using the Penman−Monteith equation, and the effects of climatic factors on ET0 were assessed by analyzing the correlation coefficients and contribution rates of the climatic factors. The results showed that: (1) the overall trend of the ET0 in different terrains of the Loess Plateau is consistent, however, the ET0 values differ; the hill region (HR) has the highest ET0, followed by the valley region (VR), and the mountain region (MR) has the lowest, and ET0 changes differ between seasons. (2) Spatial distribution characteristics of multiyear mean ET0 in the study are as follows: the ET0 values in mountain and hilly areas are decreasing from west to east, and the higher mean annual ET0 value in the VR is mainly concentrated in the eastern CLP. (3) In the past 58 years, the annual mean and the seasonal ET0 of the region showed increasing trends, however, differences in different terrains were obvious. (4) ET0 has significant correlations with El Niño−Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Pacific−North American teleconnection (PNA), and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). The resonance period of ET0 and ENSO was 3−6 a, mainly in 1976−1985. The mean coherence phase angle was close to 360°, indicating that ET0 lags behind PNA by approximately 2−6 a; ET0 has a very strong positive correlation with AMO. (5) Relative humidity (RH) is the main influencing factor of ET0 change in the Loess Plateau. Temperature (T) variation has the highest contribution rate (42%) to the regional ET0 variation in the entire CLP. We should pay more attention to the variation of evaporation under future climate change, especially temperature change.

Soil NO3− in the South China Plain has recently received considerable attention because it is closely related to soil leaching. Elevated atmospheric O3 influences soil N through altered rhizosphere C allocation. Little is known about how elevated O3 (eO3) concentrations affect the availability of soil NO3−. Here, we used structural equation modeling (SEM) to investigate the direct and indirect influence of eO3 on soil NO3− in the rhizosphere of Yannong 19 (O3-sensitive) and Yangmai 16 (O3-tolerant) wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar. Compared with ambient O3 (aO3), eO3 led to a significant decrease in soil pH, soil moisture (SM), nitrification enzymes and protease and an increase in soil NH4+ and NO3−. SEM showed direct and indirect connections between eO3 and increased NO3− through nitrification enzymes, Protestant and total nitrogen. Additionally, based on redundancy analysis (RDA), O3 is the main element among the selected environmental factors, including soil pH, soil moisture (SM), total nitrogen, NH4+ and NO3−, that affects nitrification enzymes and Protestant. In conclusion, in the jointing stage in wheat, enzymes play an important role in determining the direct and indirect influence of eO3 on soil NO3− concentration.

Stable isotopes of water have been widely used in understanding the hydrological functions of alpine inland catchments. This study identifies dominant runoff generation mechanisms based on isotopic...

Runoff generation and dynamics is an important issue in watershed and water resource management. Taking the Aksu River as a typical inland river, the spatial and temporal variations of δ18O and δD of the river water and its sources component pattern were investigated from May 2012 to May 2013. The results showed the following three main findings. Firstly, we analysed the runoff generation and mechanism over a longer time-scale in two tributaries of the Aksu River. Secondly, 46–54% of the runoff in the Aksu River was derived from groundwater, 31–36% from glacier meltwater, 5–8.8% from snow meltwater and 10% from precipitation. The third major finding was the significant inconsistency of the climate change impact on water resources. Specifically, our results showed that the Toxkan River is recharged by more glacier meltwater (36%), and responds to sensitive temperature changes. Autumn runoff is more sensitive to changes of precipitation and temperature.Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz Associate editor Not ass...

By using 233 isotope samples, we investigated the spatial and temporal variations of δ(18)O and δ(2)H in precipitation and surface water, and the contribution of different water sources in the rivers within the Tarim River Basin (TRB), which receives snow/glacier meltwater, groundwater, and rainfall. Our study revealed a similar seasonal pattern of precipitation δ(18)O and δ(2)H at both the north and south edges of the basin, indicating the dominant effect of westerly air masses in the summer and the combined influence of westerly and polar air masses during the winter, although the southern part showed more complex precipitation processes in the summer. River water in the basin has relatively large temporal variations in both δ(18)O and δ(2)H showing a distinct seasonal pattern with lower isotope values in May than in September. Higher d-excess values throughout the year in the Aksu river and the Tizinafu river suggest that water may be intensively recycled in the mountains of the TRB. Based on isotopic hydrograph separation, we found that groundwater is the main water source that discharges the entire basin although individual rivers vary.

A pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of two different low nitrogen tolerant tartary buckwheat varieties’ (Diqing buckwheat (DQ, low nitrogen resistance) and Heifeng 1 (HF, low nitrogen sensitive) response mechanism of organic acids to low nitrogen stress. The results showed that the soil moisture of HF and DQ under low nitrogen treatment decreased 24.2% and 14.32%, respectively when compared with normal nitrogen treatment, and the water consumption of DQ was significantly higher than that of HF at seedling stage. Under low nitrogen treatment, the soil pH value of DQ was 1.44% and 8.44% lower than that of HF at seedling and flowering stages, respectively, the content of NH4+ in DQ soil was 8.2% lower than that of HF at maturity stage, the content of NO3− was significantly higher than that HF 49.2%, 12.9%, and 16.6% in each growth period, respectively. Split plot analysis showed that nitrogen treatment significantly affected the organic acids content in the soil of the buckwheat. The secretion content of organic acids are different among buckwheat cultivars under low nitrogen stress. In the soil of DQ, the content of malonic acid was higher than that of HF by 34.39% at maturity stage; the content of oxalic acid was respectively higher than that of HF by 24.86% and 24.52% at seedling and flowering stages; the content of propionic acid was significantly higher than that of HF by 7.36%, 9.44% and23.47% in each growth period, respectively; and tartaric acid acetic acid also showed the same trend at flowering and maturity stages. In summary, tartary buckwheat may regulate the nutrient availability of rhizosphere soil through the secretion of organic acids in the root system to cope with the low nitrogen stress environment. For the cultivation of tartary buckwheat on poor soil should consider the differences cultivaring barren resistance varieties to increase efficiency in the future.

Runoff generation and its dynamics are fundamental to hydrology and very crucial to water resource management. Based on isotope hydrograph method, we explored and compared the runoff generation mechanism of two typical inland rivers in the Tianshan Mountains (i.e., Urumqi River on the north slope and Huangshuigou River on the south slope), based on a year-long frequently monitored weather, flow and isotope data. Results show the following: (1) In both rivers, precipitation, river water and groundwater exhibit noticeable spatial and temporal variations in stable δ18O and δD compositions in the Urumqi River and Huangshuigou River, and there is an increasing trend of δ18O in the river water during snowmelt period; (2) isotope hydrograph separation shows that generally groundwater is the major recharging source (over 50 % of streamflow), followed by glacier melt, snowmelt and precipitation in these two rivers, and Urumqi River has a larger contribution from glacier melt than Huangshuigou River; (3) these two rivers have similar contribution components in all seasons except spring in which Huangshuigou River has similar contributions from groundwater (55.6 %) and snowmelt (44.4 %) whereas Urumqi River has a larger contribution from groundwater (72.7 %) than snowmelt (27.3); (4) the Urumqi River is more sensitive to the temperature change than the Huangshuigou River, which might cause flooding that resulted from glacier melt in the Urumqi River.

The plasmid DNA was purified using the Fractogel EMD TMAE (M) anion exchange media. The dynamic loading capacity of this media for plasmid DNA was 0.62 mg/mL. It was found that when the lysate of bacteria was incubated with either Triton X-114 or Triton X-100 before purification, the average content of endotoxin left in the purified plasmid DNA was 6.42 EU/mg or 9.50 EU/mg, respectively. These results were much lower than that without pre-incubation (67.82 EU/mg). The purification of plasmid DNA and the removal of endotoxin were achieved in one step using anion-exchange chromatography. This method is simple, fast and of low cost.