Search

The lead trade associations of the bio-pharma and semiconductor industries have differed systematically in their roles in facilitating the development of innovation networks between Shanghai and Shenzhen, two prominent high-tech metropolises in China. Divergent associational roles stem from variations in the regional state policy regime that has exerted differential shaping influence on the structure of social cleavages and strength of reciprocity norms among member firms and on their willingness to actively and cooperatively engage in association-led networking activities. The bio-pharma and semiconductor associations whose network-building roles have been structured differently through varied state policy regimes have displayed dissimilar abilities to reduce network failures and promote the innovation competences of their member firms between the two metropolises. The empirical findings of the article carry important implications for understanding the causes and consequences of varied associational roles in the process of technology development in China, other emerging markets, and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the issues of submerged vegetation restoration in the deep-water area of Baiyangdian Lake, a type of suspended ecological bed was developed, which was constructed with aquatic plants, ropes and supporting poles. The depth of a suspended ecological bed could be adjusted based on the water level. From July to November 2019, the phytoplankton community structure in the water around the suspended beds was continually monitored, and the effects of the submerged plants present in the suspended beds on the phytoplankton community structure in the deep-water area of the lake were studied. The results showed that Myriophyllum spicatum L. grew well in the suspended beds, with 95% survival after 60 d. The maximum biomass was reached in 55 d, and the water surface coverage reached 23%. There were 71 species of phytoplankton belonging to seven phyla in the water surrounding the suspended ecological beds. Over half (36 species) were members of Prochlorophyta, and the average density and biomass of phytoplankton gradually decreased month by month. The proportion of cyanobacteria in the community showed a downwards trend, while the proportions of other phytoplankton phyla showed upwards trends. The annual average Shannon–Wiener diversity index was 0.88, the annual average Pielou evenness index was 0.32, and the annual average Margalef richness index was 1.21. The Shannon–Wiener diversity index and Pielou's evenness index both showed increasing trends. This comprehensive analysis shows that planting submerged plants in suspended beds can improve the phytoplankton community structure of the surrounding water and increase the biodiversity of phytoplankton, making this an effective measure for restoring submerged vegetation in algae-dominated northern lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The capital market in China has progressed rapidly within the realm of ESG and sustainability. This study investigates whether and how ESG investing works in China. The portfolio-level analysis shows that both high- and low-level ESG portfolios can earn higher abnormal returns, which implies a non-linear relationship between ESG and portfolio excess returns. In stock-level analysis, the effect of ESG on future stock returns varies by pillar and sector. Governance and social pillars work in opposite directions to predict returns. In the secondary (tertiary) sector, higher ESG scores predict lower (higher) returns. Furthermore, we find that higher ESG performance is associated with worse future profitability, which impairs firm value, and lower cost of equity capital, which increases firm value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrozoobenthos and submerged macrophytes interact closely. However, studies in China have focused on the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, where shallow lakes are concentrated, rather than on temperate lakes. To clarify the responses of taxonomic and functional groups of macrozoobenthos in temperate lakes to changes in submerged macrophyte biomass (BMac) on a large scale, 19 temperate lakes within Baiyangdian Lake were investigated in this study. The BMac differed greatly across the 19 lakes, and Potamogeton crispus was the dominant species. According to the BMac, the 19 lakes were divided into 4 groups. One-way analysis of variance and Pearson correlation analysis showed that the water environmental parameters were different among the 4 groups, and the BMac was significant correlated with all the physical and chemical parameters of water bodies (except for water depth). Forty-one taxa of macrozoobenthos were identified in the 19 lakes, with oligochaetes, Hirudinea, gastropods, crustaceans, chironomid larvae, and aquatic insects (excluding chironomid larvae) represented by 9, 1, 4, 2, 19, and 6 species, respectively. Chironomid larvae and oligochaetes dominated by density, and gastropods and chironomid larvae dominated by biomass. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that the BMac was the most important factor affecting the macrozoobenthos community structure in group 1 to group 4. Macrozoobenthos with low pollution tolerance values were mainly found in areas with high BMac, while species with high pollution tolerance values were mainly distributed in areas with low BMac and high nutrient contents. Different taxonomic and functional groups of macrozoobenthos responded differently to changes in BMac. As BMac increased, density and biomass of oligochaetes and chironomid larvae tended to decrease, while those of gastropods and aquatic insects tended to first decrease and then increase. Collectors had more species than any other functional group in group 1 to group 4. As BMac increased, density and biomass of collectors gradually decreased, while density of predators, shredders, and scrapers tended to first decrease and then increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial inclusion plays a positive role in protecting agriculture during or after disaster. This paper focuses on the protective effect of digital financial inclusion on the agricultural supply chain and analyzes three mechanisms of the protective effect: financial widening, financial deepening, and financial services digitization. Based on the Gravity Equation, we conduct an empirical study using agricultural logistics and digital financial inclusion data from China. The regression results indicate that a 1% increase in the digital financial inclusion, measured by the Peking University Digital Inclusion Index, increases agricultural trade during the COVID-19 pandemic by approximately 1.6%. Furthermore, heterogeneous protective effects exist between regions in China. Digital financial inclusion is more effective in the Eastern regions in protecting the ASC than in other regions. This paper enriches the understanding of financial inclusion in helping agriculture supply chain recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a major, sudden infectious disease occurs, people tend to react emotionally and display reactions such as tension, anxiety, fear, depression, and somatization symptoms. Social media played a substantial awareness role in developing countries during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to analyze public opinion regarding COVID-19 and to explore the trajectory of psychological status and online public reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic by examining online content from Weibo in China. This study consisted of three steps: first, Weibo posts created during the pandemic were collected and preprocessed on a large scale; second, public sentiment orientation was classified as "optimistic/pessimistic/neutral" orientation via natural language processing and manual determination procedures; and third, qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted to reveal the trajectory of public psychological status and online public reactions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public psychological status differed in different periods of the pandemic (from December 2019 to May 2020). The newly confirmed cases had an almost 1-month lagged effect on public psychological status. Among the 15 events with high impact indexes or related to government decisions, there were 10 optimism orientation > pessimism orientation (OP) events (2/3) and 5 pessimism orientation > optimism orientation (PO) events (1/3). Among the top two OP events, the high-frequency words were "race against time" and "support," while in the top two PO events, the high-frequency words were "irrationally purchase" and "pass away." We proposed a hypothesis that people developed negative self-perception when they received PO events, but their cognition was developed by how these external stimuli were processed and evaluated. These results offer implications for public health policymakers on understanding public psychological status from social media. This study demonstrates the benefits of promoting psychological healthcare and hygiene activity in the early period and improving risk perception for the public based on public opinion and the coping abilities of people. Health managers should focus on disseminating socially oriented strategies to improve the policy literacy of Internet users, thereby facilitating the disease prevention work for the COVID-19 pandemic and other major public events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis) is critically endangered. • Porpoise clustering was observed in a confluence of the Wanhe River Estuary, China. • A hydrodynamic model was created to investigate the driving mechanism of clustering. • We showed a preference for vorticity in the range 0.001 s−1–0.0015 s−1 • This has implications for habitat protection and feeding behavior of freshwater cetaceans. The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis) is critically endangered. Finless porpoises rely on small fish as their primary food source. Fish distribution is impacted by topography and vorticity (i.e., water flow patterns), which are markedly more complex in river channel confluences than in other aquatic habitats. Thus, the hydrodynamic conditions imposed by confluences may influence habitat selection by fish and the subsequent behavior and predation strategies of porpoises. However, hydrodynamic effects and driving mechanisms for porpoise occurrence, distribution, and feeding strategies remain unclear. Based on survey data and hydrologic measurements, we created a hydrodynamic model to investigate the driving mechanism of porpoise clustering in a confluence of the Wanhe River Estuary, China. We showed a preference for vorticity in the range 0.001 s−1–0.0015 s−1. Our multivariate logarithmic linear model revealed a fit of R2 = 0.792, indicating consistency between theoretical and actual occurrence values. Certain patch parameter effects suggest that vorticity fragmentation affects porpoise habitat selection and utilization. Our study provides a new perspective on the ecological impact of the Yangtze River wading project and the habitat protection of aquatic animals in rivers and aids future research examining hydrodynamic effects on the feeding behavior of freshwater cetaceans. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural production in China is crucial for socioeconomic development and food security. Land consolidation has been regarded as an important way to maintain food security and is highly valued by the Chinese government. However, whether productivity improvements can be achieved through land consolidation is not yet clear. To address this, we propose a straightforward method to assess agricultural productivity changes using remote-sensing data. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is used to represent yield, as its changes correlate significantly with yield changes. The analysis uses a Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer NDVI time series covering a period of 13 years (2001–2013) at a spatial resolution of 250 m and data on projects completed in 2006 and 2007. Control sites near the projects are used to eliminate the influence of other factors. The results show that 62.90% and 58.34% of projects in 2006 and 2007, respectfully, were effective at improving productivity, whereas 56.51% and 52.56%, respectfully, effectively stabilized productivity. Generally speaking, 78.67% of projects in 2006 and 78.32% of those in 2007 proved effective at either improving or stabilizing productivity; however, only 40.56% and 34.34%, respectfully, were effective at doing both. Furthermore, it should be noted that areas with effective productivity improvements mainly benefitted from growth in the cropping area and that the annual yield per unit area on project areas decreased within a few years after consolidation. The lack of effectiveness may be caused by problems of engineering, construction, and subsequent management. Governments must thus consider new consolidation projects comprehensively and cautiously before launching them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation communities in floodplain lakes are adapted to natural water regimes. Construction of sluices or dams between rivers and their floodplain lakes will inevitably lead to great changes in plant communities. In order to evaluate the effects of water level fluctuations (WLFs) on lakeshore vegetation in floodplain lakes of the Yangtze River, a field investigation was conducted in two river-disconnected lakes (Wuchang Lake and Shengjin Lake) and one river-connected lake (Shimen Lake). The results showed that plant species richness was highest in the disconnected Shengjin Lake with intermediate amplitude of WLFs, and lowest in the connected Shimen Lake. Species composition differed among the three lakes and the two disconnected lakes with more similar WLFs exhibiting the greatest similarity. Six plant communities were classified using TWINSPAN. Multivariate analyses showed that the amplitude of WLFs was the most important factor in determining the distribution of lakeshore plants, followed by relative elevation and duration of submergence. Our results provide an eco-hydrological basis for plant restoration in the Yangtze floodplain lakes. We suggest that fluctuating amplitude should be increased in lakes with small WLFs, and small habitats with various hydrological regimes should be created in lakes with large WLFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Soil nematode abundance, community composition and biomass were determined in the Fengqiu State Key Agro-Ecological Experimental Station, North China, in order to evaluate the effects of tillage system (conventional tillage and no-tillage) and residue management (0, 50% and 100% wheat residue incorporation/coverage) on the nematode communities. Two kinds of indicators (descriptive and evaluative) were categorized. Of the descriptive indicators, residue management had a significant effect on the total nematode abundance, biomass and trophic groups except for bacterivores. Of the evaluative indicators, Shannon diversity (H′), generic richness (GR), nematode channel ratio (NCR) and enrichment index (EI) significantly increased with increasing residue quantity, whereas dominance (λ), basal index (BI) and channel index (CI) exhibited an opposite trend. Significant tillage effects were observed on the trophic diversity (TD), EI, CI and carbon production (P). The responses of nematodes to tillage and residue were genus-dependent. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that tillage explained 4.9% and 15.4%, and residue management explained 5.2% and 13.1% of the variations in soil nematode abundance and biomass, respectively. Different metabolic footprint characteristics of the food web were demonstrated graphically by enrichment and structure footprints. The evaluative indicators, such as EI and CI, were sensitive to both tillage and residue management. The descriptive indicators could be used to obtain an intuitive answer to the effect of residue management and the evaluative indicators were more comprehensive for interpreting the structure and function of the soil food web under different tillage and residue management regimes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Submerged vegetation is essential for maintaining a clear water state in shallow lakes. To determine the optimal submerged macrophyte coverage required to improve water quality, field investigations and a simulation experiment were carried out in a sub-lake of Baiyangdian Lake, China. The effects of two seasons and five submerged macrophyte coverage gradients (0 [C-0], 25 [C-25], 50 [C-50], 75 [C-75], and 90% [C-90]) were examined in the field study, while the five submerged macrophyte coverage gradients were examined in an 80-day simulation experiment. In the field study, plant coverage, season, and their interaction all had a significant effect on most physicochemical parameters. Compared with C-0, the Secchi depth and pH of the water were higher, while the total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations were lower when submerged vegetation was present. Lowest values of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and conductivity all appeared under C-50. Meanwhile, in the simulation experiment, the total nitrogen content decreased by 76.43, 90.98, 88.28 and 84.32%, and the total phosphorus content decreased by 85.15, 88.48, 87.76 and 79.00% at C-25, C-50, C-75 and C-90 compared with C-0, respectively. Moreover, plant coverage and time had a significant effect on all eight physiochemical parameters. There were no significant differences in the total nitrogen content among C-50, C-75 and C-90, but values were significantly lower than at C-0 and C-25. In contrast, the total phosphorus content was significantly higher at C-0 than all other groups, and the lowest value was observed at C-50. Overall, these findings suggest that 50% is the optimal submerged macrophyte coverage for improvements in water quality in temperate shallow lakes. • Field and simulation results suggest that submerged macrophytes improve water quality. • Coverage affected the physicochemistry of the water in the field and simulation. • Submerged macrophyte coverage of 50% was optimal. • Above 50% coverage, no further improvements in water quality were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognition and diagnosis of loiasis is problematic in areas where this infection is not endemic but may be imported. A previously healthy Chinese male returned from Equatorial Guinea presenting with migratory masses. He was diagnosed with loiasis following detection of Loa loa by nested polymerase chain reaction using DNA extracted from tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this study were to explore whether student suicide reporting is consistent with media recommendations for suicide reporting; analyze public opinion and sentiments toward student suicide reports. A keyword search was performed on the WeiboReach platform. This study included 113 student suicide report posts and 176,262 readers’ comments on suicide news reports. Hierarchical generalized linear modeling was used to analyze the relationships between adherence to reporting recommendations and negative emotions in readers’ comments. None of the media reporting of student suicide was consistent with all of the media recommendations for suicide reporting. Netizens were less likely to post negative comments when the reports describe the suicide method used (OR 1.169, 95% CI 1.022∼1.337), and not specifying the cause of suicide was a protective factor for public negative emotion (OR 0.799, 95% CI 0.707, 0.905). The findings suggest improving responsible media reporting on student suicide to reduce negative public emotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil microorganisms play important roles in nutrient cycling and ecosystem functioning. Knowledge on the responses of soil microbial metabolic characteristics to agricultural practices is critical to better understand soil microbial processes in agroecosystems. The study aimed to explore the responses of soil microbial metabolic activities and their carbon utilization under different tillage and crop succession systems in a 12-year field experiment in a clay loam soil of Jilin Province, China. This experiment was set up in a split-plot design with four replicates including no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) as main plots and continuous corn (CC) and corn-soybean succession (CS) treatments as subplots. Soil samples were collected from 0 to 5 cm and 5–15 cm depths. The results showed that compared with CT, NT increased soil organic carbon, soil microbial biomass carbon, basal respiration and microbial coefficient at 0–5 cm depth. Greater basal respiration was observed under CC than under CS at both depths. Compared with NTCC, NTCS decreased microbial functional diversity at 0–5 cm depth and increased microbial metabolic quotient at 5–15 cm depth. Redundancy analysis indicated that crop succession management induced the changes in soil microbial carbon utilization. Compared with other soil environmental factors, NO 3 − -N and soil moisture significantly affected soil microbial metabolic activities. No significant correlation was found between microbial carbohydrate utilization and soil organic carbon in this study. Structural equation modeling analysis suggested that corn-soybean succession practice could stimulate the consumption of aromatic acids, which indirectly affected the accumulation of soil organic carbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 85 plant species from 6 Yangtze floodplain lakes were classified into 8 guilds based on 7 functional traits. • Amplitude of WLFs and duration of submergence significantly affected LPG distribution. • The biomass of two indictor guilds can be used to evaluate the alterations in WLFs. • Morphological parameters of LPGs showed no significant linear relationships with the increase in WLFs. River–lake disconnection has led to alterations in natural water level fluctuations (WLFs) in lakes along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River to various extents. To predict the effects of altered WLFs on lakeshore vegetation, lakeshore herbaceous plant guilds (LPGs) in six Yangtze floodplain lakes were classified in this study. The lakeshore herbaceous plant distribution pattern, main influencing factors, and responses of different LPGs to altered WLFs were analyzed. A total of 130 plant species were identified from the six lakes. With the increase in the amplitude of WLFs, the total species number in the six lakes showed a hump–shaped trend, whereas the lakeshore herbaceous plant coverage showed a positive correlation. The Qili Lake with the largest WLFs had the lowest species number and highest plant coverage. The species numbers, average biomass, and coverage of lakeshore herbaceous plants in all the six lakes were obviously higher in spring than in autumn. The lakeshore herbaceous plants in the six lakes were classified into eight guilds. Small differences in pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus were detected in the substrate among the eight LPGs, but obvious differences in soil moisture content and duration and depth of submergence were observed. The canonical correspondence analysis showed that the main environmental factors affecting the distribution of different LPGs in the six lakes in spring and autumn were the amplitude of WLFs and duration of submergence. The regression analyses showed that the biomass of perennial mesophyte with erect stem guild and perennial hygrophyte with well–developed rhizome guild responded sensitively to alterations in the amplitude of WLFs and duration of submergence, and the guilds could be considered as indicator groups at a regional scale. Morphological parameters such as plant height, stem diameter, leaf thickness, and specific leaf area of the eight LPGs showed no significant linear relationships with the increase in WLFs. The use of these parameters in the evaluations of alterations in WLFs needs to be further analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The contents of (heavy) metals in ML soils were higher than those in YB and DX soils. • ML soils contained more chlorite in clay minerals/soils than YB and DX soils. • The hydroxyl groups with hydrogen bonds were mainly existed in ML soils. • Molecular soil chemistry could affect the accumulation of heavy metals in karst area. Heavy metals with high average background values in soils from karst regions of China have been reported previously. However, the accumulation mechanism of heavy metals in karst soils derived from different parent materials related to the molecular soil chemistry is still unclear. In this study, six soil cores (0–100 cm) from three locations were collected from Hengxian County, a typical karst basin of Guangxi, among which soils of Maling (ML1 and ML2) were derived from the weathering and leaching residues of carbonate rocks, and soils of Yunbiao (YB1 and YB2) and Dengxu (DX1 and DX2) were mainly developed from deposits of Quaternary formations. Soil heavy metal quantification, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform infrared (SR-FTIR) spectroscopy, and two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2DCOS) analysis were combined to study the contents of heavy metals, mineral compositions, and functional assignments in the karst soils. The results showed that the total concentrations of As, Cr, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the soils from ML exceeded the risk screening values from the agricultural soil quality standard in China (GB15618-2018), while the contents in the soils from YB and DX were below the risk screening values. The mineral components were significantly different in soils and their clay minerals. ML soils contained more Fe and Mn oxides than YB and DX soils. Furthermore, it was interesting to find extensive existence of chlorite in ML soils (36.73%-39.07%) and their clay minerals (90.49%-90.97%). While illite was the dominant mineral in YB and DX clay fractions (75.08%-100%) and its percentages decreased to 6.06%-35.23% in the soil samples. In addition, ML soils contained the hydroxyl groups with hydrogen bonds (v O-H: 3523, 3450, and 3378 cm−1) and the hydroxyl groups without hydrogen bonds (v O-H: 3698, 3623 cm−1), while YB and DX soils only had the hydroxyl groups without hydrogen bonds (v O-H: 3695, 3622 cm−1). Our study indicated that the accumulation of heavy metals in karst soils from different parent materials was significantly attributed to their molecular soil chemistry. For instance, the higher contents of Fe-Mn oxides and more reactive v O-H (3523, 3450, and 3378 cm−1) and v Si-O (1000 cm−1) assignments could contribute to the higher contents of heavy metals in ML soils compared to the soils from YB and DX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to clarify the effects of the high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GSs) 1Dx3+1Dy12 (3+12) and 1Dx4+1Dy12 (4+12) at the Glu-D1 locus on gluten and Chinese steamed bread (CSB) quality. The grain protein content and composition, gluten content and gluten index, farinograph properties, and CSB quality were investigated using four wheat near-isogenic lines (NILs) carrying HMW-GSs 1Dx2+1Dy12 (2+12), 3+12, 4+12 and 1Dx5+1Dy10 (5+10), respectively. The unextractable polymeric protein (UPP) and glutenin macropolymer (GMP) content, gluten index, dough development time, stability time, and farinograph quality number of four NILs all ranked as 5+10 > 3+12 > 2+12/4+12, such as the gluten index ranked as 5+10(44.88%) > 3+12(40.07%) > 2+12(37.46%)/4+12(35.85%); however, their contributions to the quality of CSB were ranked as 3+12 > 5+10 > 2+12/4+12, such as the specific volume ranked as 3+12(2.64 mL/g) > 5+10(2.49 mL/g) > 2+12(2.36 mL/g)/4+12(2.35 mL/g), which indicated that a suitable gluten strength (3+12) was crucial to making high-quality CSB. In addition, subunits 4+12 had a similar quality performance to low-quality subunits 2+12. All these findings suggested that, except for the acknowledged high-quality subunits 5+10, the introduction of 3+12 at the Glu-D1 locus is an efficient way for quality improvement of gluten as well as CSB., (© 2024 Institute of Food Technologists.)

Carex communities in most Yangtze-disconnected lakes have been degraded severely due to alterations in water level fluctuations. To explore the feasibility of restoring the lakeshore Carex communities through ecological regulation of water level, the present study selected the Yangtze-connected Qili Lake (the lakeshore was dominated by Carex) and the Yangtze-disconnected Wuchang Lake (the lakeshore was dominated by Zizania latifolia) as model systems, and analyzed the lakeshore seed bank characteristics and seed-related quantitative, morphological, and germination traits of three representative Carex species. According to the results, although Carex seed density in the Qili Lake seed bank was obviously higher than that in Wuchang Lake, their contribution to the total seed density in both lakes was extremely low, with no significant difference between the two lakes. The results indicate that restoration of the degraded Carex communities using existing seed bank in Yangtze-disconnected lakes exclusively through water level regulation is not feasible. In addition, the seed densities of aboveground parts of Carex cinerascens, Carex dimorpholepis, and Carex argyi in Qili Lake were 6.9 × 10 4 , 45.1 × 10 4 , and 3.6 × 10 4 seeds/m 2 , respectively, which can provide high numbers of seeds continuously for lakeshore Carex restoration. The results of seed germination experiments showed that light, burial depth, and their interaction had significant effects on seed germination of the three species, whereas water condition had a significant effect only on C. dimorpholepis seed germination. The average germination rates of the three Carex species were 16.63 %, 19.06 %, and 7.78 %, respectively. However, considering the high seed densities in the aboveground parts of the three species, there are considerable numbers of seeds that can be used for Carex restoration. Therefore, the restoration of Carex communities in lakeshore zones of Yangtze-disconnected lakes is still possible if water level regulation can be combined with natural or artificial seed supplementation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aquatic vegetation in lakes along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River has been seriously degraded by human disturbances such as river-lake disconnection and water eutrophication. Chaohu Lake is a typical lake with reservoir-like water-level fluctuations (WLFs). Since a sluice was built in 1962, the coverage of aquatic vegetation in Chaohu Lake has been very low (0.77%). In this study, field investigations of the aquatic vegetation and seed bank of Chaohu Lake were conducted, and aboveground vegetation diversity was found to be low. Forty-eight species were recorded, of which submerged, floating-leaved, and emergent macrophytes were 1, 5, and 10, respectively. Currently, artificially planted Phragmites australis and Salix communities have become the main community types. A total of 18 aquatic macrophytes were identified in the seed bank, of which the number of submerged, floating-leaved, and emergent macrophytes and hygrophytes were 2, 2, 3, and 11, respectively; the seed density was 2.05, 2.05, 16.93, and 9.30 ind./m 2 , respectively. The seed density of aquatic macrophytes was much lower in Chaohu Lake than in the lakes with quasi-natural WLFs, and the seeds were mainly distributed in the estuary area. Only two emergent macrophyte species (Typha) germinated in the open water area. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the distance to bank was the main environmental factor that affected aquatic macrophyte diversity and seed density in the seed bank. It is not feasible to promote the natural reconstruction and restoration of aquatic macrophytes in Chaohu Lake by decreasing the water level or increasing water transparency, but the area near the estuary can be identified as a priority restoration area (PRA) for aquatic macrophytes. Artificial transformation of the micro-topography can be used to guide some hydrochorous seeds in the tributaries to the PRA and restore aquatic vegetation in the local area., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Plant roots in lakeshore areas can directly determine the survival of the aboveground plant parts. However, most current studies are focused on the aerial shoots, and less attention has been paid to the functions of the roots. In order to evaluate the effects of water level fluctuations (WLFs) on root architectural and morphological traits of plants in lakeshore areas, field investigations were conducted seasonally in three subtropical floodplain lakes with different types of WLFs. The results showed that both the pH and moisture contents of the soils were significantly different in all seasons among the three lakes, while the total nitrogen and total phosphorus in the soils only showed significant differences in certain seasons. Significant differences were also found in the two architectural trait parameters (root length density and root branching number) and three morphological trait parameters (root tissue density, root surface area, and root volume), all of which (except for root tissue density) were highest in the Dahuchi lake that experiences intermittent WLFs, and lowest in the Chaohu Lake with reservoir-like WLFs. With increasing lakeshore elevation gradients, we found that root length density, root branching number, root surface area, and root volume in the three lakes changed significantly, and all these root trait parameters increased first and then decreased. However, no significant differences were found for the above four root traits in the three lakes over the different seasons. Spearman correlation analyses indicated that both the hydrological and physicochemical factors were strongly correlated with the architectural and morphological root trait parameters, and the duration of submergence (duration) was the most important factor, judging from the correlation coefficients (R). The results of stepwise multiple regression further indicated the duration was the key factor affecting plant root traits. Based on the results of this study, we suggest that the WLFs in reservoir-like lakes should be changed in order to improve the ecological functions of the lakeshore.

By using equal compartment agar method (ECAM), and through measuring the root length, shoot height, and root-and shoot dry weights of test ryegrass, this paper evaluated the allelopathic potentials of thirty-three wheat varieties with different origins in Northeast China against ryegrass. The results showed that different wheat varieties had significantly different allelopathic effects on ryegrass growth. With RI value as allelopathic index and through cluster analysis, these varieties could be divided into three groups, among which, four varieties (Longfu 9, Longfu 13, Jin 2003, and Xiaobing 33) were demonstrated to be obviously allelopathic, and inhibited the ryegrass growth strongly.