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Hungary's first national park was created in 1973 in the Hortobágy area to protect Europe's largest contiguous steppe area and its flora and fauna. The Hortobágy National Park—the Puszta was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural landscape in 1999. The park's outstanding importance is due to the predominantly non-arboreal steppe vegetation, home to a unique bird fauna, and alkaline and chernozem soils with a complex, mosaic-like spatial structure. In addition, the landscape of Hortobágy has a pastoral history stretching back thousands of years. Several hypotheses have been put forward that suggest that the alkaline soils and the habitats that cover them were formed as a result of human activities related to river regulation that began in the second half of the 19th century. However, paleoecological and paleobiological studies over the last 30–40 years have pointed to the natural origin of the alkaline steppes, dating back to the end of the Ice Age. For thousands of years, human activities, in particular, grazing by domestic animals, hardly influenced the natural evolution of the area. The drainage of marshy and flooded areas began in the 19th century, as well as the introduction of more and more intensive agriculture, had a significant impact on the landscape. This paper aims to describe the past natural development of this special alkaline steppe ecosystem, with particular reference to the impacts of past and present human activities, including conservation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is devoted to the study of the flora of silica-scaled chrysophytes in water bodies of the steppe zone of the Southern Urals (Russia). Twenty-four taxa were identified via scanning and transmission electron microscopy, twenty of which are representatives of the genus Mallomonas Perty, while four are species of the genus Synura Ehrenberg. In the course of the study, a species new to science from the genus Mallomonas, M. baturinae sp. nov., was described. This species belongs to the section Papillosae. The stomatocyst of M. doignonii was described. For the first time in Russia and for the third time since description, M. phasma and M. solea-ferrea var. irregularis were reported in the studied area. Here, their extended description is provided with illustrations of their scales in detail. Some rare taxa for the flora of Russia have been identified: M. doignonii, M. pillula f. exannulata, and M. pillula f. valdiviana. One taxon of the genus Mallomonas has not been identified to a species level and is probably a taxon new to science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper established a mathematical method for the spectral feature extraction of ratholes, based on UAV hyperspectral imaging technology. The degradation of grasslands is a major challenge to terrestrial ecosystems. Rodents not only promote soil erosion and accelerate the process of grassland degradation, but also carry diseases that can easily cause epidemics. The calculation of the number of rodent holes and grassland vegetation cover is an important indicator for monitoring and evaluating grassland degradation. Manual surveys have drawbacks in efficiently monitoring large areas and are human- and material-costly, hardly meeting the current needs of grassland degradation monitoring. Therefore, there is an urgent need to conduct real-time dynamic monitoring of grassland rathole distributions and grassland degradation processes. In this study, a low-altitude remote sensing platform was constructed by integrating a hyperspectral imager with a UAV to collect spectral data of the desert steppes in central Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. Then, the spectral features of ratholes were extracted via radiation correction, noise reduction, and principal component analysis (PCA). Meanwhile, the spectral features of vegetation and bare soil were extracted based on the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which was inputted to calculate the vegetation cover. The results showed that the single-band map extracted based on PCA could effectively determine the location of ratholes, where the overall accuracy and kappa coefficient were 97% and 0.896, respectively. Therefore, the method proposed in this study can accurately identify the location of desert steppe rodent holes. It provides a high-precision technical means for scientific and effective control of grassland rodent infestation and also provides a higher technical means for grassland degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Important land surfaces from hill and mountain areas from the northern hemisphere formerly used for cropping were abandoned. Often, the abandoned land evolved by natural succession to grassland, shrubland or even to forest. The main goal of this paper is to bring new datasets necessary for the understanding of the evolution of ex-arable grassland vegetation from the forest steppe area into relationship with climate. The researches were performed in the locality of Grădinari (Caraş-Severin County, Western Romania) on an ex-arable plot abandoned since 1995. The vegetation data were collected for 19 years (time interval 2003–2021). The analyzed vegetation features were floristic composition, biodiversity and pastoral value. The climate data considered were air temperature and rainfall amount. The vegetation and climate data were correlated statistically, with a view to highlighting the potential impact of the temperature and rainfalls during the evolution of succession process on the grassland's floristic composition, biodiversity and pastoral value. The pressure of the increased temperatures on the natural restoration process of the biodiversity and pastoral value of ex-arable forest steppe grassland could, at least partially, be mitigated by random grazing and mulching works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grasshoppers can greatly interfere with agriculture and husbandry, and they will breed and grow rapidly in suitable habitats. Therefore, it is necessary to extract the distribution of the grasshopper potential habitat (GPH), analyze the spatial-temporal characteristics of the GPH, and detect the different effects of key environmental factors in the meadow and typical steppe. To achieve the goal, this study took the two steppe types of Xilingol (the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China) as the research object and coupled them with the MaxEnt and multisource remote sensing data to establish a model. First, the environmental factors, including meteorological, vegetation, topographic, and soil factors, that affect the developmental stages of grasshoppers were obtained. Secondly, the GPH associated with meadow and typical steppes from 2018 to 2022 were extracted based on the MaxEnt model. Then, the spatial-temporal characteristics of the GPHs were analyzed. Finally, the effects of the habitat factors in two steppe types were explored. The results demonstrated that the most suitable and moderately suitable areas were distributed mainly in the southern part of the meadow steppe and the eastern and southern parts of the typical steppe. Additionally, most areas in the town of Gaorihan, Honggeergaole, Jirengaole, as well as the border of Wulanhalage and Haoretugaole became more suitable for grasshoppers from 2018 to 2022. This paper also found that the soil temperature in the egg stage, the vegetation type, the soil type, and the precipitation amount in the nymph stage were significant factors both in the meadow and typical steppes. The slope and precipitation in the egg stage played more important roles in the typical steppe, whereas the aspect had a greater contribution to the meadow steppe. These findings can provide a methodical guide for grasshopper control and management and for further ensuring the security of agriculture and husbandry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper adopts an ecological perspective to investigate the visual and material remains associated with the Xianbei people, a nomadic group active in Northeast Asia from the turn of the common era to the early medieval period. Through the study of metal plaques bearing animal motifs and the environmental contexts of these artworks, I articulate the entangled relationship between humans, animals, and nature. More specifically, this research highlights three groups of zoomorphic designs, including the deer, the horse, and the human–animal juxtaposition. By investigating the stylistic changes and geographical distributions of these three types of zoomorphic metal plaques, I analyze the various roles that animals played in the Xianbei society and the different ways in which the Xianbei people engaged with animals. The shifting relationship between humans and animals as reflected in the zoomorphic metal plaques, I argue, likely resulted from the changing environment of the Xianbei people as they migrated from the Greater Khingan Range to the southern Mongolian Steppe and, finally, to North China. At various stages of their migration, the Xianbei people conducted different modes of living, ranging from hunting, pastoral nomadism, to a sedentary lifestyle, which significantly shaped the design of their zoomorphic metal plaques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Scythians, nomads who roamed between the Pontic steppe and the Altai mountains throughout the 7th to 3rd centuries BC, are well known for their iconic animal style art. Composed of vivid stylised representations of animals, but depicting few humans, this art poses a challenge to interpretation. The Scythians left no written sources to give insight on their beliefs, and scholars have often had to make recourse to non-nomadic Greek and Persian sources, but these sources are not without their issues. In this paper I will propose the anthropological concept of cosmological perspectivism, first developed by Eduardo Viveiros de Castro, as a new way through which to think about and develop a better understanding of what Scythians thought and believed about the animal subjects of their art. I will explore the importance of predators, prey, and the contest between them in both perspectivism and Scythian art, and demonstrate how perspectivism might help us approach these works. Turning to a number of objects that combine Hellenistic and Scythian styles, I will examine how they support a perspectivist reading and explore what they can tell us about how the Scythians thought about animals and how they used them to represent human stories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods for remote sensing of the underlying surface in the microwave range based on moisture dependence of soil emissivity were successfully used in monitoring droughts and assessing water availability of the studied territories. Soil moisture influence on soil cover emissivity calibrated in units of the radio brightness temperature (TB) was studied. We used values of TB derived from SMOS satellite data. This paper presents the results of a comparative analysis of soil, meteorological conditions and physical characteristics of soils in the test territories of the Kulunda Plain. The experimental data were applied in computing trends of TB and physical temperature (T) described by linear dependencies. Volume fractions of water (W) in soil were calculated based on the satellite sensing data, the results of field studies and laboratory measurements of dielectric characteristics of soils. A map scheme of spatial distribution of W was constructed and the influences of snow cover, precipitation and surface wind velocity on drought were analyzed. The comprehensive analysis of remote, field and laboratory data suggest that the rate of change in the brightness temperature (dTBH/dD—up to 17 K per day), which characterizes the rate of fall in volume humidity of soil (ΔW—up to 0.009 cm3/cm3 per day), can be used as a short-term radio-physical harbinger of drought. An experimental dependence of the rate of change in radio brightness temperature on the rate of change in soil moisture was established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Grasshoppers are among the most dangerous agricultural pests of China. However, the monitoring, prediction and control of grasshoppers are complex and difficult. Therefore, it is crucial to detect the key factors affecting the spatial distribution of grasshopper occurrence, understand the role of the environmental factors in grasshopper occurrence, and study whether different laws exist between different grass types. Here we conduct a species–environmental matching model integrated by Maxent model and remote sensing data to identify the spatial distribution of grasshopper occurrence in Inner Mongolia of China, analyze the related environmental variables and detect the most relevant environmental factors for grasshopper occurrence both in typical steppe and meadow steppe. Grasshoppers mainly threaten natural grassland vegetation and crops. Therefore, it is of great significance to understand the relationship between environmental factors and grasshopper occurrence. This paper studies the spatial distribution and key factors of grasshopper occurrence in two grass types by integrating a machine learning model (Maxent) and remote sensing data within the major grasshopper occurrence areas of Inner Mongolia, China. The modelling results demonstrate that the typical steppe has larger suitable area and more proportion for grasshopper living than meadow steppe. The soil type, above biomass, altitude and temperature mainly determine the grasshopper occurrence in typical steppe and meadow steppe. However, the contribution of these factors in the two grass types is significantly different. In addition, related vegetation and meteorological factors affect the different growing stages of grasshoppers between the two grass types. This study clearly defines the different effects of key environmental factors (meteorology, vegetation, soil and topography) for grasshopper occurrence in typical steppe and meadow steppe. It also provides a methodology to guide early warning and precautions for grasshopper pest prevention. The findings of this study will be helpful for future management measures, to ensure grass ecological environment security and the sustainable development of grassland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows the work carried out to obtain a methodology capable of monitoring the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) aid line for the protection of steppe birds, which aims to improve the feeding and breeding conditions of these species and contribute to the improvement of their overall biodiversity population. Two methodologies were initially defined, one based on remote sensing (BirdsEO) and the other on Machine Learning (BirdsML). Both use Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data as a basis. BirdsEO encountered certain impediments caused by the land's slope and the crop's height. Finally, the methodology based on Machine Learning offered the best results. It evaluated the performance of up to 7 different Machine Learning classifiers, the most optimal being RandomForest. Fourteen different datasets were generated, and the results they offered were evaluated, the most optimal being the one with more than 150 features, including a time series of 8 elements with Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 data and derived products, among others. The generated model provided values higher than 97% in metrics such as accuracy, recall and Area under the ROC Curve, and 95% in precision and recall. The methodology is transformed into a tool that continuously monitors 100% of the area requesting aid, continuously over time, which contributes positively to optimizing the use of administrative resources and a fairer distribution of CAP funds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrological regime of large meandering rivers of the West Siberian Plain in the Late Pleniglacial/Late Glacial was reconstructed from the hydraulic geometry of palaeochannels. The main tools for the reconstruction were the power law relationship between channel bankfull width and mean maximum discharge, taken in the downstream direction, and relationships between peak flood discharge and the contributing basin area. Reconstructed values of daily maximum surface runoff depth during the snow thaw period in the Late Pleniglacial/Late Glacial were 60–75 mm/day in the north of the plain with tundra and sparse forest and 20–40 mm/day in the south with periglacial steppe. The mean daily maximum surface runoff depth for the entirety of West Siberia was about 46 mm, which is more than five times greater than the modern value. Annual river runoff was calculated with the ratio between mean annual and mean maximum runoff depths, estimated for the modern region's analogues of ancient periglacial landscapes and climates. Total annual flow of the Ob into the ocean was about 1000 km3. This is three times the current flow from the same basin, so the river was a significant source of fresh water to the Arctic Ocean during the last deglaciation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During a study of the distribution and status of Carabus hungaricus Fabricius, 1792 (Coleoptera: Carabidae), with pitfall traps exposed between November 2021 and April 2022, immediately south of Petrovski Krast Peak (1206 m a.s.l.) in the Chepan Planina Mt., at 1188 m a.s.l., the rare and stenotopic steppe species Carabus bessarabicus Fischer von Waldheim, 1823, was found for the first time in Bulgaria and the European Union. In October 2022, elytra of both species were also found by handpicking in the same area. The coexistence of these two specific and rare steppe species has been recorded only in few localities in Ukraine and Russia and in no EU country. This finding is also very interesting given the high conservation status of Carabus bessarabicus, the significant remoteness of its newly established locality (more than 1200 km) from its previously known range, and its strong south-westward drift. The species is used as a bioindicator for the anthropogenically uninfluenced steppe environment, which can also probably be applied in Bulgaria. The establishment of this first record for the EU also implies an increase in the conservation status of the species through its inclusion in the Union-wide conservation documents and ecological networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem carbon use efficiency (CUE) is a key parameter in the carbon cycling of terrestrial ecosystems. The magnitude of CUE reflects the ecosystem's potential for CO2 sequestration. China's grasslands play an important role in the carbon cycle. Here, we aimed to investigate the comparation of CUE and its environmental regulation among different grassland in Northern China based on eddy covariance carbon fluxes measurements of 31 grassland sites. The results showed that the average CUE of grassland in Northern China was 0.05 ± 0.22, with a range from −0.42 to 0.66. It was demonstrated that there were significant differences in CUE among different grassland types, and CUE values were ranked by type as follows: alpine grassland > temperate meadow steppe > temperate typical steppe > temperate desert steppe, driven by a combination of climatic, soil, and biological factors, with net ecosystem productivity (NEP) having the greatest impact on them. Except for meadow steppes, moisture had a greater impact on grassland CUE in Northern China than temperature. While temperate desert grassland CUE decreased with increasing soil water content (SWC), the CUE of other grassland types increased with higher precipitation and SWC. These findings will advance our ability to predict future grassland ecosystem carbon cycle scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grassland, as a key component of the carbon cycle in terrestrial ecosystems, is vital in confronting global climate change. Characterising the carbon density of grassland ecosystems in the Longzhong Loess Plateau is important for accurately assessing the contribution of grasslands to global climate change and achieving the goal of "peak carbon" and "carbon neutral". In this study, the Longzhong Loess Plateau was used as the research object to explore changes in the plant–soil system carbon density in two grassland types by analysing the aboveground vegetation biomass carbon density, belowground vegetation biomass carbon density, 0–100 cm soil carbon density, and ecosystem carbon density of temperate steppe and temperate desert. The results showed that the vegetation biomass (standing and living, litter, and belowground biomass), soil, and ecosystem carbon densities of the temperate steppe were significantly higher than those of the temperate desert (p < 0.05). Their carbon densities were 700.51, 7612.95, and 8313.45 g·m−2, respectively. The vertical distribution of belowground biomass and soil carbon density in the temperate steppe was significantly higher than that in the temperate desert. The overall trend of belowground biomass carbon density in the temperate steppe and temperate desert showed a gradual decrease, whereas soil carbon density showed a steady increase. More than 91% and 96% of the carbon was stored in soil in the temperate steppe and temperate desert, respectively, and the belowground biomass carbon stock accounted for more than 84% of the total biomass carbon pools in both temperate steppe and temperate desert. Temperate steppe has a significant effect in improving the carbon stock of grassland ecosystems, so ecological protection and restoration of grassland should be strengthened in the future to enhance the capacity of grassland to sequester carbon and increase sinks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seedling stage of plants is a crucial and vulnerable period in population and community dynamics. Despite this, studies on how plant traits respond to different environmental stresses often tend to overlook this early stage. Our study focused on Sophora alopecuroides L. seedlings in Ningxia Yanchi desert steppe, analyzing the effects of sand burial, salinity, and drought on their key aboveground and belowground traits. The results showed that sand burial significantly negatively affected stem biomass (SB), leaf biomass (LB), stem diameter (SD), leaf length (LL), leaf width (LW), leaf area (LA), and total root volume (RV), but positively influenced total root length (RL). As sand burial depth increased, SB, LB, SD, LL, LW, LA, RV, root biomass (RB), RV, and lateral root numbers (LRN) significantly decreased. Salinity stress negatively affected SB, LB, SD, LL, LW, LA, RB, RL, and RV, with these traits declining as the stress concentration increased. Drought stress had a positive effect on SD and LL, with both traits showing an increase as the intensity of the drought stress intensified; however, it adversely affected RL. In Ningxia Yanchi desert steppe, salinity stress had the most significant effect on the traits of S. alopecuroides seedlings, followed by sand burial, with drought having the least significant effect. This study provides essential theoretical support for understanding how S. alopecuroides seedlings cope with environmental stresses in their early life stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncovering the complex periodic variations in soil moisture can provide a significant reference for climate prediction and hydrological process simulation. We used wavelet analysis to quantify and identify the multi-scale periodic variations of soil moisture in the desert steppe of Inner Mongolia from 2009 to 2019 and analyzed the differences between the multi-scale periodic changes in soil moisture at the bottom (BS) and upper slope (US). The results show that the interannual variability in soil moisture at the BS and US has a significant upward trend. Moreover, the amount and volatility decrease with the increase in soil depth in the range of 0–30 cm, and the soil moisture at the BS is 26.4% higher than the US. The soil moisture has periodic changes of 0.5a, 1a, 2a, 3a and 3.5a in the desert steppe environment of Inner Mongolia. The periodic structure and intensity of different slope positions are greatly different. Soil moisture at the US has more complex multi-scale periodic changes, and the periodic oscillations of 3.5a, 3a, and 1a are dominant. The periodic oscillations of 0.5a and 1a are dominant at the BS. At the BS, the intensity of periodic oscillation of 1a after January 2015 has weakened. The weakening of soil moisture by temperature, rainfall and soil temperature caused the change in the multiple time-scale periodic oscillation of soil moisture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics of the productivity of the sunflower hybrid "Baiterek 17" were studied for rainfed conditions of the steppe and dry steppe zones of Kazakhstan for two fertilizer levels (without fertilizers and with the application of a nitrogen-phosphorous fertilizer), two sowing dates, and three seeding rates. The growing season duration varied among zones and was affected by sowing dates. An increase in duration (3–5 days) was observed for the early sowing date and fertilized treatments, regardless of the zone. Increasing the seeding rate for all treatments by sowing date and fertilizer application reduced the duration of the growing season by 3–6 days. The fertilizer application did not affect the formation of seedlings in the study areas. In the dry steppe zone, from 2.5 to 4.8 plants/m2 were formed before harvesting, with an increase in the number of plants at the high seeding rate (57,000 seeds/ha). In the steppe zone, the same pattern was preserved: from 3.5 to 4.9 plants/m2 at a seeding rate of 65 thousand seeds/ha. The maximum diameter and weight of the flower head were found for the early sowing date and fertilized treatments at a low seeding rate, with a strong effect on the yield for both the steppe and dry steppe zones in 2022. On average, for both years, the highest yield for the dry steppe zone was obtained for the sowing date of 15 May and at a seeding rate of 57,000 seeds/ha, while for the steppe zone, the highest yield was obtained for the 10 May planting date and at a sowing rate of 65,000 seeds/ha. Improving plant nutrition and increasing the plant density up to a seeding rate of 65,000 seeds/ha for the early sowing dates (10 May) increased the plasticity in the steppe zone. For the dry steppe zone, the plasticity of the hybrid decreased, but the highest plasticity was also obtained for an earlier sowing date (15 May) and at a seeding rate of 57,000 seeds/ha crop. The study shows that the hybrid "Baiterek 17" has a high ecological plasticity under changing environmental conditions and, with an increase in moisture availability, it requires intensive agricultural practices (fertilization, increased seeding rate, and early sowing dates) to obtain a high yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introducing new forage crops such as Japanese millet (Echinochloa frumentacea) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is crucial for mitigating the impacts of climate change in the dry steppe zone, expanding forage crop options, and obtaining nutritious feed for the development of animal husbandry. The aim of this study was to assess the productivity and feed value of these crops. Field experiments were conducted in 2021 and 2022 to investigate the changes and variations in the yields and chemical compositions of Japanese millet and pearl millet when grown as sole crops or in mixed cropping in the dry steppe zone of northern Kazakhstan. Among the annual crops sown via sole cropping, the hay of the Japanese millet, sown in the third decade of May and harvested during full heading, was observed to have a higher content of raw protein and other nutrients than Sudanese grass hay, that is, the raw protein content was higher at 1.81%, the raw oil content at 0.12, and the raw ash content at 1.88%. In addition, among the mixtures of crops, the hay of the crop mixtures containing pearl millet, sown in the above period and harvested as hay during the milky stage, the full heading stage, and the formation of spikelets in the grain family stage, differed from the hay of Sudanese grass sown in the same period and collected during full heading in terms of the contents of raw protein and other nutrients and the low content of raw ash, that is, the content of raw protein was at 2.16%, raw oil at 0.39, raw ash at 0.95, without nitrogen extractives (WNEs) at 3.78, and starch at 0.11. The calcium content was higher by 0.08% and carotene by 0.11 mg/kg, and raw lentils were lower by 0.94%. The analysis of the results revealed that the variation in the crops' phenological phases depended on the moisture availability and the sowing time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing frequency of global drought events poses a significant threat to the stability of grassland ecosystems' functionality. The Inner Mongolian grasslands stand out as one of the world's most drought-prone regions, facing elevated drought risks compared to other biomes. An in-depth comprehension of the impact of drought on grassland ecosystems is paramount for their long-term sustainability. Using the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) from 1982 to 2018, this study identified various drought events within the Inner Mongolian grasslands, encompassing moderate drought, severe drought, and extreme drought. The resistance of the vegetation to the different drought conditions, assessed through net primary productivity (NPP) as a metric (reflecting its capacity to maintain its original level during drought periods), was examined. The research findings indicated that the period from 2001 to 2018 witnessed a substantial increase in both the frequency and the extent of drought events compared to the period from 1982 to 2000, particularly concerning severe and extreme droughts. The areas most severely impacted by extreme drought were the Xilingol League and the Alxa League. From 1982–2000 to 2001–2018, under moderate drought conditions, vegetation resistance exhibited a minor decrease in the central and eastern regions but experienced a slight increase in the western region. In contrast, under severe drought conditions, the western region saw a significant decrease in vegetation resistance. Remarkably, under extreme drought conditions, the western region showed a substantial increase in vegetation resistance, while the central and eastern regions experienced a slight decrease. Across all three drought conditions, as precipitation levels declined, the resistance of the meadow–steppe–desert ecosystems demonstrated a high–low–high distribution pattern. The temperate desert steppe exhibited a minimal vulnerability to drought, boasting resistance levels exceeding 0.9. Notably, extreme drought had the most pronounced impact on the temperate meadow steppe, temperate steppe, and temperate desert steppe, particularly within the temperate meadow steppe category. Given these findings, the authorities responsible for grassland management should prioritize regions characterized by frequent drought occurrences and low drought resistance, such as Ulanqab City, the Xilingol League, and the western part of Hulun Buir City. Safeguarding steppe ecosystems is of paramount importance for stabilizing vegetation productivity and land carbon sinks, especially under the anticipated exacerbation of climate conditions in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dominant species play a principal role in controlling and maintaining ecosystem stability. Stipa breviflora is the dominant species in desert steppe. Changes in the stability of a plant population will further affect the stability of the broader habitat, such as the desert steppe. In the desert steppe ecosystem, it is not clear what level of grazing intensity is best for improving the grazing tolerance and stability of the vegetation. And, the study of this question should involve a multi-dimensional, comprehensive analysis. This study will utilize variance analysis, plant population stability, and trade-off index to study S. breviflora, the dominant species in the desert steppe in Inner Mongolia, and its performance under four grazing intensities (control, CK, 0 sheep·ha−1·half year−1; light grazing, LG, 0.93 sheep·ha−1·half year−1; moderate grazing, MG, 1.82 sheep·ha−1·half year−1; and heavy grazing, HG, 2.71 sheep·ha−1·half year−1) over six scales (5 cm × 5 cm; 10 cm × 10 cm; 20 cm × 20 cm; 25 cm × 25 cm; 50 cm × 50 cm; and 100 cm × 100 cm). The characteristics of the population stability of S. breviflora were explored. The results showed that the response of S. breviflora's stability to heavy grazing was multidimensional. Heavy grazing reduced the population stability of S. breviflora. Across different dimensions, base coverage was the first of the population stability metrics of S. breviflora to destabilize, followed by projection coverage, density, and height. Heavy grazing also affected the trade-offs of S. breviflora's population stability across different dimensions. In general, the trade-off degree decreased as the grazing intensity increased, and it increased as the scale increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to evaluate the dynamics of soil loss through soil erosion by water in agricultural lands in steppe areas using a modification of the RUSLE2 model from the 1980s to the 2010s. The calculation was performed using a raster model of data that included a model of the slope angle, slope length, soil erodibility, rainfall and snowmelt erosivity factors, types of land use, and cover management factor. All data were taken from open sources. The average soil erosion in the territory studied amounted to 1.48 t ha−1 year−1 in the 1980s and 1.72 t ha−1 year−1 in the 2010s. The discrepancy with other studies was 12% for the level of the 1980s and 2–7% for the level of the 2010s. The main factor leading to an increase in soil loss was soil erodibility due to the loss of soil organic matter, which affected about 52% of the studied lands. The increase in the amount of soil loss occurred against a background of compensating processes: reduction in precipitation and climate change (getting drier), as well as the overgrowth of agricultural lands with natural steppe vegetation. Modified model RUSLE2 has shown good results correlated with other studies for the research area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pastoral nomadic regional confederations, states, and empires have assumed a prominent place in the histories of the Eurasian steppe zone; however, anthropological theory devoted to understanding these political systems is still debated and relatively inchoate. A major question concerns the techniques of political integration that might have brought together dispersed mobile herders under the aegis of these complex, large-scale steppe polities. The first such polity in East Asia, the Xiongnu state (c. 250 BC–150 AD) of Mongolia, has been characterized as a polity built by mobile herders, but in fact the steppe populations of this period followed quite diverse lifeways. Most notably, the establishment of more permanent settlements for craft and agricultural production has complicated the typical narrative of the pastoral nomadic eastern steppe. This study considers ways to conceptualize these interesting variations in lifeway during the Xiongnu period and raises the question of how they might have promoted a novel Xiongnu political order. We analyze transformations within the Egiin Gol valley of northern Mongolia to better understand the organizational, productive, and settlement dynamics and present the first regional landscape perspective on the local transformations incurred by the creation of a Xiongnu agricultural hub. To understand these radical changes with respect to the long-term pastoral nomadic and hunting-gathering traditions of the valley's inhabitants, Salzman's flexibility-based model of multiresource pastoralism is of great use. Egiin Gol valley transformations indeed attest to a scale of political economy far beyond the bounds of this local area and suggest an innovative role for indigenous farming in Eurasian steppe polity building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptogams, often neglected in vegetation dynamics studies, compose a large part of biomass and contribute to the biodiversity of sandy grasslands. Since the work of Verseghy (1970s), their productivity has not been analyzed in Hungary. We studied the lichen and bryophyte dynamics (hereinafter called cryptogams) at two Eastern Hungarian dry sandy grassland sites. The sites of Corynephorus canescens and of Festuca vaginata dominance, respectively, belonging to the community Festuco vaginatae–Corynephoretum have been monitored. We aimed at (1) quantifying the diversity and biomass of the cryptogamic communities; (2) exploring the cryptogamic response to management changes; and (3) studying the effect of experimental management (fencing) on the cryptogamic assemblages. The sites have been compared in 2013 and 2018, respectively. Forty microplots per site per management have been analyzed in both years. Samples of lichens and bryophytes were hand-sorted, dried and then measured. Fencing has led to increased biomass of cryptogams within a few years. Lichens in general benefited comparatively more from exclosure than bryophytes. The increase in lichen biomass (especially that of Cladonia rangiformis) is clearly due to the over 10-year absence of grazing. The only lichen favored by moderate grazing is the legally protected C. magyarica. Short spells of low-intensity grazing can promote the species richness of cryptogams in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant photosynthesis has a non-negligible influence on forage quality and ecosystem carbon sequestration. However, the influence of long-term warming, increasing precipitation, and their interactions on the photosynthesis of dominant species in desert steppe remains unclear, and the main factors regulating plant photosynthesis in desert steppes have remained unrevealed. Therefore, we measured the photosynthetic parameters and specific leaf area of the dominant species and calculated the water and nitrogen content of leaves and soil in a desert steppe after long-term warming and increasing precipitation (air temperature, W0, air temperature increases of 2 °C and 4 °C, W1 and W2; natural precipitation, P0, natural precipitation increases of 25% and 50%, P1 and P2). Results showed that warming and increasing precipitation significantly enhanced photosynthesis in C3 and C4 species (p < 0.05). Compared to W0P0, the net photosynthetic rate of C3 and C4 species in W2P2 increased by 159.46% and 178.88%, respectively. Redundancy analysis showed that soil water content significantly explained the photosynthesis of C3 and C4 plants (the degree of explanation was 48% and 67.7%), followed by soil-available nitrogen content (the degree of explanation was 19.6% and 5.3%). Therefore, our study found that climate change enhanced photosynthesis in C3 and C4 plants, and soil water content plays a critical role in regulating photosynthesis in desert steppes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global change and environmental pollution have reawakened ecologists to the great threat of multi-stress interactions to different growth stages of plants. Sophora alopecuroides L., a dune plant, has been widely studied for its medicinal components and strong salinity tolerance. S. alopecuroides seeds, obtained from the desert steppe of Yanchi, Ningxia, China, were used to analyze the effects of sand burial, salinity, drought, and their interactions on seed germination (germination percentage, germination energy, and germination index). The results showed that sand burial and salinity stress had significant effects on the seed germination ability of S. alopecuroides, and drought stress had no significant effect, but the interaction of the three stresses had a significant effect. Under different drought-stress treatments, the interaction of no sand burial and a certain degree of salinity stress significantly improved the germination ability of S. alopecuroides, and the overall intensity of the effects of the three stresses showed that sand burial > salinity > drought. Considering the germination percentage, germination energy, and germination index of S. alopecuroides under various stress interactions, the treatment of no sand burial × 1% soil saline-alkali content × 18–20% soil water content was adopted to maximize the germination ability of S. alopecuroides. In the desert steppe area of Yanchi, Ningxia, sand burial stress was still the most limiting factor for seed germination of S. alopecuroides, and soil saline-alkali content should be increased moderately, and soil moisture should be ensured to obtain the best germination ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dependence of the width of annual rings of woody plants on the characteristics of the snow cover is analyzed in various natural zones of the West Siberian Plain and adjacent mountainous areas: the maximum depth and water reserve for the entire winter period and for individual months, the dates of disappearing, establishment, and duration of the occurrence of a stable snow cover. It has been shown that the role of the depth and water content of snow cover for the radial growth of trees is differentiated by geographical location. On the plain, it intensifies in the forest-tundra and dry steppe. The response of radial growth to snow cover in the upper and lower parts of the forest belt is often the opposite. Dates of establishment of stable snow cover are more important for tree growth compared to dates of disappearance. Dates of disappearance of stable snow cover are more significant in the southern regions than in the northern ones. The value of the duration of the period with stable snow cover for tree growth is higher in the southern regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New methodologies, rules, modalities, and procedures for the mechanism established under Article 6(4) of the Paris Agreement have led to the need to change the national conditions for the implementation of climate projects, including climate projects in forests. However, the issue of evaluating the effectiveness of such projects and their attractiveness to investors remains controversial, as their place and role in the modern economy remain uncertain. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the investment attractiveness and silvicultural feasibility of implementing reforestation climate projects in the central forest steppe of Russia. Thanks to mathematical models (including the developed coefficient of carbon intensity of investment costs) and the calculations carried out, it will be possible to develop a differentiated approach to assessing the investment attractiveness of climate projects' implementation in forests. Reforestation projects including the planting of fast-growing tree species were considered. Maximum carbon sequestration for these projects is expected to occur over a period of 10–30 years. It was found that the coefficient of carbon intensity of investment costs, discounted by the duration of such projects, may become the basis for decision-making on investments in afforestation and reforestation in the central forest steppe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The alpine grasslands account for approximately 54.5% of the total carbon in China's grasslands, and carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) play key roles in the turnover of carbon. However, the variation and factors influencing gene-encoding enzymes for plant- and microbial-derived carbon decomposition in alpine steppes and alpine meadows remain unclear. Here, the trends in microbial carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) and their responses to the decomposition of biomass of different origins were studied using metagenomics in the alpine steppes and alpine meadows on the Tibetan Plateau. Our results revealed the abundance of GTs and CBMs was higher in the alpine steppes than in the alpine meadows, whereas AAs were higher in the alpine steppes than in the alpine meadows. Soil properties (i.e., soil water content, soil ammonium nitrogen, and nitrate nitrogen) highly related to CAZyme genes (GTs, CBMs, and AAs) showed an abundant pattern between the alpine steppes and alpine meadows. Moreover, our results indicated that the relative abundance of genes encoding CAZymes involved in the decomposition of plant- (indicated by cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) and fungal-derived carbon (indicated by chitin and glucans) was higher by 8.7% and 10.1%, respectively, in the alpine steppes than in the alpine meadows, whereas bacterial-derived carbon (indicated by peptidoglycan) was lower by 7.9% in the alpine steppes than in the alpine meadows. Soil water content (SWC), nitrate nitrogen (NO3−), and pH influenced on the abundance of CAZyme genes involved in the decomposition of plant-, fungal-, bacterial-derived carbon. In addition, the dominant microbial phyla (Actinobacteria, Protebacteria, and Acidobacteria) mineralized carbon sources from plant- and microbial-derived carbon through their corresponding CAZyme families. In conclusion, our study compared plant- and microbial-derived carbon decomposition potentials and influencing factors to illustrate the contribution of dead biomass to carbon accumulation in alpine grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored the influence of habitat structure on bird density and species richness in the poorly known bird communities in the steppes of Eastern Morocco, along a 200 km long N–S gradient of increasing aridity. The birds were surveyed, and habitat structure was measured in 44 transects regularly distributed along the gradient and during the winter and spring seasons in two consecutive years. After applying a principal component analysis (PCA), five axes were identified, including one related to the latitude–altitude–soil-type gradient and another describing the development of herbaceous vegetation. Generalized linear models were used to explore the relations between bird density and species richness with PCA axes in each season, considering both the entire community and groups of granivorous, insectivorous, and mixed-diet species. More than 90% of the birds were year-round residents, with larks dominating the community in both seasons. We conclude that a distinct multifactorial response can be identified for each functional group of species. In the winter, the community is mainly affected by the structure of the habitat, while aridity (and its assumed relation to primary production) is less influential. In the spring, habitat structure continues to have the greatest explanatory power, but location along the aridity gradient becomes more relevant. These findings reveal the interaction of the negative effects of climatic and anthropogenic changes in the habitat available to these bird communities, with a greater impact expected on birds with diets that include seeds, as well as a general shift of optimal breeding conditions toward more northerly latitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the effect of litter on ANPP and species composition (using ground cover) in a Desert Steppe community by removing or adding litter, during plant dormancy, in a single event in either fall or spring. Litter was removed or added in three intensity treatments (heavy, moderate, control—undisturbed) as the main plot and season (fall or spring) as the secondary treatment in a split-plot design with five replications. The experiments were repeated in each of 5 years while three of those were resampled twice. The year effect was analyzed by classifying them into high or low precipitation categories and including those in the statistical model. We found few treatment effects one year after treatment and no persistent effect. Therefore, we focus our examination on the first year only. The total ANPP of individual plant types, or their proportions, were not affected by litter treatment or its interaction with season of treatment or precipitation category. Only the ground cover of selected species was influenced by the treatment. The ground cover of Stipa breviflora was greater with heavy litter removal in fall but unaffected by litter removal in spring while Neopallasia pectinata had a greater cover with moderate or heavy removal in years when precipitation was low. Litter addition resulted in a greater ground cover of Neopallasia pectinata and reduced the cover of Convolvulus ammannii in years of low precipitation. The marginal effectiveness of litter treatments on the plan community in the Desert Steppe suggests that it need not be a factor for consideration in grazing management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drivers and spatial distribution trends for net primary productivity (NPP) in Ningxia were studied to determine the priority vegetation restoration areas. NPP data from MOD17 A3 were used to determine the future NPP trends through slope trend analysis and the Hurst index. Spatial drivers were defined by a geographic detector and correlation analysis. Results indicate that NPP positively fluctuated from 2000 to 2020 with an average range between 119.98 and 249.66 gC/m2a, and a multi-year average of 190.15 gC/m2a. The spatial distribution has more obvious divergent characteristics, showing distribution characteristics of low in the central and northern sides and high in the southern and northern middle. Superimposed on the analysis of slope and Hurst indices, the future vegetation NPP in Ningxia will show four scenarios of continuous increase, continuous decrease, change from increase to decrease and change from decrease to increase, accounting for 22.35%, 1.36%, 71.42% and 2.86% of the area of the region, respectively. Driving factor influence can be divided into dominant factors and important factors. The interaction between the two factors is positive, and the maximum q value under the interaction of precipitation and temperature is 0.687. NPP is mainly driven by climatic factors in 50.92% of the area and is mainly distributed in the central, western and southern parts of Ningxia. The non-climatic-factor-driven areas can be used as priority vegetation restoration areas, which accounting for 47.08%, are mainly concentrated in the northern Yellow River irrigation area, the desert steppe in the central and eastern parts, and a small part in the southern Liupan Mountains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The Chinese Red Steppe Cattle (CRS) is a well-known dual-purpose (meat and milk) cattle breed. Here, the genetic variation and population structure of CRS were studied using 100 K SNP genotyping data. The results show that the genetic structure of CRS is different from other populations, the level of genetic diversity is high, and the level of inbreeding is low. In conclusion, our research provides the genetic basis for the prominent characteristics of CRS, which can be used to improve the breeding program of CRS in the future. Chinese Red Steppe Cattle (CRS), a composite cattle breed, is well known for its milk production, high slaughter rate, carcass traits, and meat quality. Nowadays, it is widely bred in Jilin and Hebei Province and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous region. However, the population structure and the genetic basis of prominent characteristics of CRS are still unknown. In this study, we systematically describe their population structure, genetic diversity, and selection signature based on genotyping data from 61 CRS individuals with GGP Bovine 100 K chip. The results showed that CRS cattle had low inbreeding levels and had formed a unique genetic structure feature. Using two complementary methods (including comprehensive haplotype score and complex likelihood ratio), we identified 1291 and 1285 potentially selected genes, respectively. There were 141 genes annotated in common 106 overlapping genomic regions covered 5.62 Mb, including PLAG1, PRKG2, DGAT1, PARP10, TONSL, ADCK5, and BMP3, most of which were enriched in pathways related to muscle growth and differentiation, milk production, and lipid metabolism. This study will contribute to understanding the genetic mechanism behind artificial selection and give an extensive reference for subsequent breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sagebrush steppe has presented increasing levels of degradation. The addition of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and biochar have been suggested to restore ecosystems. However, little is known about their effects on sagebrush steppe plants. We tested three sources of AMF inoculum: soil from a disturbed site (Inoculum A), soil from an undisturbed site (Inoculum B), and commercial inoculum (Inoculum C), all with and without biochar, to test if they could mediate growth of Pseudoroegneria spicata (native perennial), Taeniatherum caput-medusae (early seral; exotic annual) and Ventenata dubia (early seral; exotic annual) under greenhouse conditions. We measured AMF colonization and biomass. We hypothesized that the plant species would be differently affected by the inoculum types. The colonization of T. caput-medusae and V. dubia was greatest when inoculated with Inoculum A (38.8% and 19.6%). In contrast, the colonization of P. spicata was greatest with Inoculum B and Inoculum C (32.1% and 32.2). Biochar decreased biomass production but increased colonization with Inoculum A for P. spicata and V. dubia and with Inoculum C for T. caput-medusae. This study reveals the response of early and late seral sagebrush steppe grass species to contrasting sources of AMF and suggests that late seral plant species respond better to late seral inocula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of global warming and desertification on bird populations of semi-arid North African ecosystems has been little studied, although ecosystems in those areas are suffering dramatic changes. Dupont's lark is one of the most endangered passerines in Europe, but it is also considered scarce in North Africa, where its range and numbers are only well known for Morocco. We analyzed the current distribution and population size of Dupont's lark in Tunisia and compared the current figures with older data. To assess the presence of the species in the patches of adequate habitat that we found, we elicited territorial calls by broadcasting the males' territorial songs during early breeding season (N = 123, ≈40 h). Fieldwork (45 persons/day) and analysis of satellite images were combined to determine the current minimal extent of occurrence and area of occupancy, following IUCN definitions. In the only habitat where we found the species (well-preserved pure or mixed alfa patches in the Feriana-Kasserine region), the extent of occurrence in and effective area of occupancy were small (56.3 and 33.2 km2, respectively), particularly when compared with previous estimates (presence of the species in adequate habitat over ca. 89,000 km2). The species has not been detected at all in a large area in the southern part of its potential range, where additional surveys are urgently needed to locate possible remnant small and isolated populations that could persist, as suggested by two recent records of the species there. The breeding population of Dupont's lark in Tunisia is estimated to be fewer than 600 song birds (335–577). The drastic reduction of range and numbers of this species must have been caused by the disappearance or degradation of alfa grasslands due to agricultural development, overgrazing, and increased aridity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews all available information on the species composition, current distribution, and origins of the neobiotic (non-indigenous and restoring the lost range) freshwater mollusks in Siberia. An extensive literary search has been carried out, and virtually all existing publications of recent decades on the findings of freshwater mollusk species new to Siberia were taken into account. We examined extensive malacological collections of some of Russia's and Kazakhstan's scientific organizations. The core of the examined material is our own observations and collections made in various parts of Siberia and adjacent areas. An annotated checklist of neobiotic species of mollusks reliably recorded in Siberia is presented, and probable mechanisms and "corridors" of infiltration of these species into the region are discussed. Most of the discovered snail species belong to a group popular among aquarists, and their source of introduction is obvious. Another large portion of species infiltrate into the region with the development of fish farming. A classification of species of neobiotic freshwater mollusks of Siberia was proposed and a forecast was made for changes in the Siberian freshwater malacofauna for the coming decades. In our opinion, at present it is possible to accept the newest stage in the genesis of the freshwater malacofauna of Siberia, occurring in conditions specific to the Anthropocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enclosure is one of the useful measures to protect and restore degraded grasslands, and it is widely used around the world. The vegetation characteristics of grasslands directly reflect the recovery status of degraded grasslands; however, conflicting results of plant traits were continually achieved in the numerous on-site studies of enclosure in the last two decades. It is necessary to conduct a systematic assessment to find a general conclusion for the effects of enclosure on different grasslands. Studies on the enclosure grasslands in China were taken as the objects to refine the relationships between grassland vegetation characteristics and enclosure measures using meta-analysis. Enclosure had positive effects on the restoration of vegetation coverage, aboveground and belowground biomass, and diversity of degraded grasslands. Different vegetation characteristics and grassland types showed different responses to enclosure duration. The vegetation productivity reached a maximum in the 11–15 years of enclosure for alpine grasslands and typical steppe grasslands, 6–10 years for desert grasslands, and more than 15 years of enclosure for meadow grasslands. Plant species diversity reached the peak values when alpine grasslands and typical steppe grasslands were enclosed approximately 10 years, desert grasslands approximately 11–15 years, and meadow grasslands approximately 5 years. These results indicated that the management strategies of enclosed grasslands should be adjusted reasonably according to the types and the management objectives of grasslands in order to maintain or even improve the condition and services of grassland ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During their feeding process, dung beetles perform a series of ecosystem functions that provide valuable ecosystem services, such as soil fertilization, improvement of soil properties, plant growth enhancement, and biological pest control. However, in the grasslands of the Central Asian dry steppe, the effects of dung beetles on dung removal remain almost unstudied. Here, we examined dung removal by different dung beetle species (Colobterus erraticus (Linnaeus, 1758), Onthophagus bivertex Heyden, 1887, Onthophagus gibbulus (Pallas, 1781), Gymnopleurus mopsus (Pallas, 1781), Cheironitis eumenes Motschulsky, 1859, and Geotrupes koltzei Reitter, 1892), and compared the impacts with control treatments (without beetles) under natural pasture conditions and in the laboratory. We examined the influence of different variables on dung removal rates, such as dung type and dung beetle traits (nesting strategies, abundance, body size, and biomass). We found higher dung removal rates during the initial 48 h in field and laboratory conditions. Among nesting strategies, tunnellers demonstrated significantly higher dung removal rates than dweller and roller species. The highest amount of dung removal was estimated for C. eumenes (6.5 g/day by seven individuals). We found no significant relationship between dung removal rates and dung beetle body size or biomass, but we observed a strong negative correlation between dung beetle abundance and dung removal rates. Our findings highlight the importance of dung type and age, nesting strategies and abundances of dung beetles, and experimental conditions, which are the main factors driving the process of dung removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in soil micronutrient availability may have adverse consequences on grassland productivity, yet it's still largely unclear how concurrent human practices, such as fertilization and mowing, affect micronutrient cycling in the plant-soil systems. Here, we measured six essential micronutrient (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Co and Mo) contents in both plant pool (separated as aboveground plant parts, litter, and belowground roots) at the community level and soil pool (0–10 cm depth) after 12-year consecutive nitrogen (N) addition (0, 2, 10, and 50 g N m−2 year−1) and mowing in a typical steppe of the Mongolian Plateau. The results show that (i) medium-N (10 g m−2 year−1) and high-N (50 g m−2 year−1) addition rates significantly increased contents of soil-available Fe (+310.0%, averaging across the two N addition rates), Mn (+149.2%), Co (+123.6%) and Mo (+73.9%) irrespective of mowing treatment, whereas these addition treatments usually decreased contents of soil total Fe (−8.9%), Mn (−21.6%), Cu (−15.9%), Zn (−19.5%), Co (−16.4%) and Mo (−34.7%). (ii) Contents of Fe in aboveground plant parts, litter, and roots significantly decreased, whereas plant Mn increased with N addition. Contents of above ground plant Cu, Zn, Co, and Mo significantly decreased at high-N addition rate, whereas contents of micronutrients in roots and litters, except for Fe, generally increased with N addition. Moreover, the total amount of micronutrients in the plant pool (contents × biomass) significantly increased at the medium-N addition rate but decreased at the high-N addition rate. All N addition rates significantly enlarged the pool of litter micronutrients, and roots could hold more micronutrients under N addition, especially combined with mowing treatment. Importantly, although mowing could regulate the effects of N addition on variables (i) and (ii), the effects were weaker overall than those of N addition. (iii) Changes in root micronutrients, except for Mn, could explain corresponding changes in plant micronutrients (R2: 0.19–0.56, all p < 0.01), and significant linear correlations were also observed between soil-available Fe and Fe in plant and roots. Aboveground plant Mn was significantly correlated with soil-available Mn, while Co and Mo in roots were also significantly correlated with soil-available Co and Mo. These results indicate that soil micronutrient supply capacity may decrease due to a decrease in total micronutrient contents after long-term N addition and mowing. They also suggest that different magnitude responses of soil micronutrients in plants (i.e., litters, roots) and soil should be considered when comprehensively examining nutrient cycling in grassland ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization are important for maintaining the health and productivity of Leymus chinensis steppe, their impact on the abundance and community structure of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) in this ecosystem is still unclear. We used the amoA gene as a molecular marker to monitor changes in AOA and AOB under low and high N and P fertilization and applied the resin-core technique to measure soil N mineralization. We found that the abundance of AOA based on amoA gene copies, ranging from 7.51 × 107 to 1.23 × 108 copies g−1 soil, was higher than that of AOB. Fertilization, especially high N and P, increased the number of amoA copies associated with AOB. AOA and AOB communities were dominated by Crenarchaeota and Proteobacteria, respectively. Fertilization decreased the relative abundances of Thaumarchaeota in the AOA community and Proteobacteria in the AOB community and increased the relative abundance of Ammonia_oxidizing_bacteria_ensemble. In N and P fertilization treatments, soil N transformation was closely related to AOB but not AOA. Soil ammonium N and nitrate N reshape the structure of ammonia oxidizers of AOB but not those of AOA on L. chinensis steppes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of the sustainable management of the interaction between agriculture and the environment requires an increasingly deep understanding and numerical description of the soil genesis and properties of soils. One of the areas of application of relevant knowledge is digital irrigated agriculture. During the development of such technologies, the traditional methods of soil research can be quite expensive and time consuming. Proximal soil sensing in combination with predictive soil mapping can significantly reduce the complexity of the work. In this study, we used topographic variables and data from the Electromagnetic Induction Meter (EM38-mk) in combination with soil surface hydrological variables to produce cartographic models of the gravimetric soil moisture for a number of depth intervals. For this purpose, in dry steppe zone conditions, a test site was organized. It was located at the border of the parcel containing the irrigated soybean crop, where 50 soil samples were taken at different points alongside electrical conductivity data (ECa) measured in situ in the field. The modeling of the gravimetric soil moisture was carried out with the stepwise inclusion of independent variables, using methods of ensemble machine learning and spatial cross-validation. The obtained cartographic models showed satisfactory results with the best performance R2cv 0.59–0.64. The best combination of predictors that provided the best results of the model characteristics for predicting gravimetric soil moisture were geographical variables (buffer zone distances) in combination with the initial variables converted into the principal components. The cartographic models of the gravimetric soil moisture variability obtained this way can be used to solve the problems of managed irrigated agriculture, applying fertilizers at variable rates, thereby optimizing the use of resources by crop producers, which can ultimately contribute to the sustainable management of natural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, frequent compound dry and hot events have posed a great threat to humans and the ecological environment, especially in Inner Mongolia, which has arid and semi-arid characteristics. In this study, monthly temperature and precipitation data from 115 meteorological stations in Inner Mongolia from 1982 to 2020 were used to establish a standardized dry and hot index (SDHI). Theil–Sen median trend analysis, Mann–Kendall test, partial correlation analysis, and stepwise multiple regression models were used to characterize the changes in compound dry and hot events and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from 1982 to 2020, and the relationship between the SDHI and NDVI was quantitatively evaluated. The results showed that the overall SDHI values in Inner Mongolia showed a significant decrease at a rate of 0.03/year from 1982 to 2020, indicating an increase in the severity of compound dry and hot events. NDVI values showed a significant increasing trend and NDVI showed mutated 2001. Among the grassland vegetation types, SDHI and NDVI trends were more significant in forests, and meadow steppe, desert steppe, and desert were more susceptible to compound dry and hot events, and forests had the greatest severity of compound dry and hot events. The results of the partial correlation analysis showed that the average value of the partial correlation coefficient between the SDHI and NDVI was 0.68, and the area of positive correlation was 84.13%. Spatially, it showed strong response characteristics in the middle and gradual weakening towards the east and west sides. The correlation between NDVI and climatic conditions varied greatly in different vegetation areas. The forest area is most sensitive to the influence of temperature, and the desert steppe area is most affected by compound dry and hot events. The overall vegetation growth in Inner Mongolia was most affected by temperature conditions, followed by compound dry and hot conditions, and the influence of drought conditions was the least significant. The results of the relative importance analysis confirmed this. The research results provide a more detailed understanding of compound dry and hot events in arid and semi-arid regions and useful insights and support for ecological protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil loss prevention is an important ecosystem service for protecting human and environmental health. Using spatiotemporal climate and environmental data of the Eastern Gobi Steppe, a region missing from previous studies of Mongolian wind-based soil erosion, we implemented the Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ) model to estimate soil loss. A replicable pipeline was developed to perform these computations, and made available openly. Soil loss was estimated on a monthly basis to analyze seasonal variations. The results show that the annual total soil loss was 61 × 1010 kg over an area of 69.3 × 103 km2, which is about 90 tonnes per hectare. Increasing fractional vegetation coverage to a uniform 50% coverage (doubling current vegetation coverage in every 1 km2) could reduce soil loss by 60%, highlighting the importance of protecting and increasing vegetation coverage in ecosystem service preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dust storms are common in Mongolia and northern China, this is a serious threat to the ecological security and socioeconomic development of both countries and the surrounding areas. However, a complete quantitative study of the source area, affected area, and moving path of dust storm events (DSEs) in Mongolia and China is still lacking. In this study, we monitored and analyzed the spatiotemporal characteristics of the source area and affected areas of DSEs in Mongolia and China using the high-spatiotemporal-resolution images taken by the Himawari-8 satellite from March to June 2016–2020. In addition, we calculated the moving path of dusty weather using the HYSPLIT model. The results show that (1) temporality, a total of 605 DSEs occurred in the study area, with most of them occurring in April (232 DSEs), followed by May (173 DSEs). Spatially, the dust storm sources were concentrated in the arid inland areas such as the Taklimakan Desert (TK, 138 DSEs) and Badain Jaran Desert (BJ, 87 DSEs) in the western, and the Mongolian Gobi Desert (GD, 69 DSEs) in the central parts of the study area. (2) From the affected areas of the DSEs, about 60% of the DSEs in Mongolia started locally and then affected downwind China, as approximately 55% of the DSEs in the Inner Mongolia Desert Steppe and Hunshandake Sandy Land came from Mongolia. However, the DSEs in the TK located in the Tarim Basin of northwest China affected the entire study area, with only 31.3% belonging to the local dust. (3) From the moving path of the dusty weather, the dusty weather at the three meteorological stations (Dalanzadgad, Erlian, and Beijing), all located on the main transmission path of DSEs, was mainly transported from the windward area in the northwest, accounting for about 65.5% of the total path. This study provides a reliable scientific basis for disaster prevention and control, and has practical significance for protecting and improving human settlements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymorph Allium pallasii s.l. from monotypic A. sect. Pallasia was studied using a wide spectrum of methods and divided into two clearly morphologically, geographically, cytologically and genetically isolated species: A. pallasii s. str.—North-East Kazakhstan, Western Siberia, and the Altai Mountains; A. caricifolium—Kyrgyzstan, Northwest China, South-East Kazakhstan until Zaysan Lake in the east. Despite serious genetic differences, both species are sisters and are related to species of the A. sect. Codonoprasum (Subg. Allium). Allium caricifolium differs from A. pallasii s. str. by taller stems, dense inflorescence, and with filaments longer than perianth. The possible phylogenetic reasons for the separation of these species are discussed. A nomenclature analysis of synonyms was carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deliblato Sands is the single largest expanse of sand in Europe. It is the most fire-prone area of Serbia due to the absence of surface water, sandy soils, specific microclimate conditions, and vegetation composition. Post-fire regeneration is a long-term process that includes many aspects of vegetation regrowth and habitat recovery. In the third year following one of the disastrous fires, the growth dynamics of two geophyte species in unburned and burned sites were studied. During the growing season, burned and unburned populations of Crocus reticulatus Steven ex Adam and Iris pumila L. were assessed for growth parameters (biomass production, specific leaf area, leaf area index) and leaf-level ecophysiological traits (photosystem II efficiency, chlorophyll amount, relative water content). Species acclimated differently to changed abiotic and biotic site conditions after the fire event. C. reticulatus burned and unburned populations differed significantly in terms of flowering phenology and ecophysiological traits, whereas I. pumila burned and unburned populations differed significantly in terms of growth parameters. The findings support the assertion that geophytes are generally well adapted to environmental disturbances. Species, however, responded differently to fire-induced changes in the physicochemical and biotic environment, depending on their ecological requirements and adaptive capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change is altering the amounts of ice and snow in winter, and this could be a major driver of soil microbial processes. However, it is not known how bacterial and fungal communities will respond to changes in the snow cover. We conducted a snow manipulation experiment to study the effects of snow removal on the diversity and composition of soil bacterial and fungal communities. A snow manipulation experiment was carried out on the meadow steppe in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, China, during the winter period October 2019–March 2020. Soil samples were collected from the topsoil (0–10 cm) in mid-March 2020 (spring snowmelt period). Snow removal significantly reduced soil moisture and soil ammonium concentration. Lower snow cover also significantly changed the fungal community structure and beta diversity. Snow removal did not affect the bacterial community, indicating that fungal communities are more sensitive to snow exclusion than bacterial communities. The relative importance analysis (using the Lindeman–Merenda–Gold method) showed that available nitrogen (AN), soil water content (SWC), total organic carbon (TOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) together explained 94.59% of the variation in soil fungal beta diversity, where AN was identified as the most important predictor. These finding provide insights into potential impacts of climate warming and associated reduced snow cover on soil microbial communities and processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem services (ESs) provided by dryland regions are very vulnerable to environmental dynamics and management transformation, and it is still unclear how these services will be affected by the combined effects of accelerated climate variability and land-use changes at a regional macro level. In this study, the status, patterns and trends of ESs provided by the Xilingol steppe were quantitatively evaluated, and the impact of climate and land-use change on ESs were discussed. The results showed that favorable climatic conditions and the implementation of ecological policies had a substantial positive impact on regional vegetation restoration during 2000–2015. As a result of the vegetation greening, water retention and carbon sequestration increased significantly at rates of 16.01 m3 ha−1 and 1.75 g C m−2 yr−1, respectively. Soil loss caused by wind erosion, an ecosystem disservice, decreased significantly at a rate of −0.57 t ha−1 yr−1. Although several environmental factors had differing impacts on the ESs changes in the subregions, including the meadow, typical and desert steppes, the main factors that contributed to the enhancement of overall ESs benefits were the climatic humidification and the reduced grazing pressure in the entire study area. The above conclusion shows that, in the era of climate change, the implementation of sustainable farming–pastoral strategies can realize a "win-win" situation between ecological restoration and socioeconomic development in arid and semi-arid steppes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial grasslands have been regarded as an effective method to improve grass production and quality, especially on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Soil ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) plays an important role in sustainable regional development. However, few studies have investigated the impacts of artificial grasslands on soil EMF. Here, we constructed single-species artificial grasslands in a natural temperate steppe and investigated soil microbial communities, abiotic factors (soil moisture and pH), and functions related to biogeochemical cycles to explore (1) how the transformation from temperate steppe to artificial grasslands affected soil EMF and (2) the roles of species and phylogenetic microbial diversities, microbial community composition, and abiotic factors in driving differences in soil EMF. Our results showed that artificial grasslands decreased soil EMF regardless of planting species; that the bacterial and fungal community composition contributed more to soil EMF prediction than species and phylogenetic diversities; and that microbial phylogenetic diversities were negatively associated with soil EMF. Soil pH played an important role in the effects of artificial grasslands on soil EMF—artificial grasslands increased soil pH, which was negatively associated with soil EMF. Overall, the benefits of establishing artificial grasslands, for example, higher grass production and quality, might be at the expense of soil EMF. Further studies should explore mixed-species artificial grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]