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Based on our fieldwork in Yunnan Province and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, this paper explores the different ways in which Chinese rural women engage with the rising industry of e-commerce livestreaming related to agricultural products and villages. Our analytical framework is informed by feminist political economy, which pays heed to the gendered social settings, operation of power, and entanglement between women's domesticity and productivity that underpin people's economic activities. We argue that Chinese rural women's simultaneous empowerment and disempowerment by e-commerce livestreaming are characterized by "mobile immobility", a term inspired by Wallis's (2013) research on rural women's technological empowerment by mobile phones a decade ago. On the one hand, this latest form of e-commerce has created an apparently accessible path for rural women, who tend to be geographically immobile, to achieve social mobility by becoming professional webcasters and/or vloggers. On the other hand, this enablement is in fact classed, aged, and preconditioned on in-laws' support and willingness to share these women's domestic duties, which are not guaranteed. The urban-oriented digital economy of e-commerce livestreaming capitalizes on rural young women's femininity, docile bodies and labor as well as the reproductive labor performed by their family members at the microlevel, reinforcing the urban–rural disparity at the macrolevel. The paper ends with reflections on the role of information and communication technologies and e-commerce in the development of rural China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The management of wild mushroom is interdisciplinary in nature, whereby the biophysical considerations have to be incorporated into the context of a wide range of social, economic and political concerns. However, to date, little documentation exists illustrating an interdisciplinary approach to management of wild mushrooms. Moreover, the empirical case studies necessary for developing applicable and practical methods are even more rare. This paper adopted an interdisciplinary approach combining participatory methods to improve the habitat management of Thelephora ganbajun, an endemic and one of the most economically valuable mushroom species in Southwest China. The paper documents an empirical case of how an interdisciplinary approach facilitated the development of a scientific basis for policy and management practice, and built the local capacity to create, adopt and sustain the new rules and techniques of mushroom management. With this integrative perspective, a sustainable management strategy was developed, which was found not only technically feasible for farmers, but also acceptable to the government from an ecological and policy-related perspective. More importantly, this approach has greatly contributed to raising the income of farmers. The paper highlights how the integration of biophysical and socioeconomic factors and different knowledge systems provided a holistic perspective to problem diagnosis and resolution, which helped to cope with conventional scientific dilemmas. Finally, it concludes that the success of this interdisciplinary approach is significant in the context of policy decentralization and reform for incorporating indigenous knowledge and local participation in forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of mining activities on groundwater quality is a growing concern due to highly toxic metals in the tailings. Carbonate rocks are common in the surrounding rocks of ore deposits. But such mining districts generally do not have the conditions to construct traditional tailings impoundments due to the different degrees of karstification. This paper utilises field investigations, chemical analyses, and permeability tests, etc. to study the effect of tailings impoundments on the underlying karst water systems in the Gejiu world-class Sn-polymetallic mine located in a typical karst region in southern China, with samples collected from both karst springs deriving from the mining area and tailings porewater. Because of the abundance of sulphide minerals in the ores, acid mine drainage is expected to pose a high risk. However, the results indicate that the tailings porewater is moderately neutral and is characterized by the SO4–Ca–Mg hydrochemical type. This can be attributed to the substantial buffering capacity of carbonate minerals. Pollution elements in the tailings porewater mainly include SO42− and toxic metals including As, Cd, Mn, Pb, and Hg. The type of pollution factors and the degree of contamination are not consistent in the different tailings impoundments. The hydrochemical classification of four karst springs distributed in the south of the mining area is HCO3–Ca–Mg. The concentrations of SO42− and the toxic constituents in the springs are far below the national standards for drinking water. The spring water not being contaminated may be attributed to the operation mode of the tailings impoundments (peripheral discharge and reuse of ponded water), the residual clay between the tailings impoundments and the carbonate bedrocks and the sufficient buffering capacity of the underlying karst systems. The tailings disposal at the Gejiu tin mine within the natural karst depressions is able to provide a reference for the operation of karst mines in China and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cinnamomum chago is a tree species endemic to Yunnan province, China, with potential economic value, phylogenetic importance, and conservation priority. We assembled the genome of C. chago using multiple sequencing technologies, resulting in a high-quality, chromosomal-level genome with annotation information. The assembled genome size is approximately 1.06 Gb, with a contig N50 length of 92.10 Mb. About 99.92% of the assembled sequences could be anchored to 12 pseudo-chromosomes, with only one gap, and 63.73% of the assembled genome consists of repeat sequences. In total, 30,497 genes were recognized according to annotation, including 28,681 protein-coding genes. This high-quality chromosome-level assembly and annotation of C. chago will assist us in the conservation and utilization of this valuable resource, while also providing crucial data for studying the evolutionary relationships within the Cinnamomum genus, offering opportunities for further research and exploration of its diverse applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sandy Dolomite is a kind of widely distributed rock. The uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of Sandy Dolomite is an important metric in the application in civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, and underground engineering. Direct measurement of UCS is costly, time-consuming, and even infeasible in some cases. To address this problem, we establish an indirect measuring method based on the convolutional neural network (CNN) and regression analysis (RA). The new method is straightforward and effective for UCS prediction, and has significant practical implications. To evaluate the performance of the new method, 158 dolomite samples of different sandification grades are collected for testing their UCS along and near the Yuxi section of the Central Yunnan Water Diversion (CYWD) Project in Yunnan Province, Southwest of China. Two regression equations with high correlation coefficients are established according to the RA results, to predict the UCS of Sandy Dolomites. Moreover, the minimum thickness of Sandy Dolomite was determined by the Schmidt hammer rebound test. Results show that CNN outperforms RA in terms of prediction the precision of Sandy Dolomite UCS. In addition, CNN can effectively deal with uncertainty in test results, making it one of the most effective tools for predicting the UCS of Sandy Dolomite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aphidius gifuensis is a parasitoid wasp and primary endoparasitoid enemy of the peach potato aphid, Myzus persicae. Artificially reared, captive wasps of this species have been extensively and effectively used to control populations of aphids and limit crop loss. However, the consequences of large-scale releasing of captive A. gifuensis, such as genetic erosion and reduced fitness in wild populations of this species, remains unclear. Here, we sequence the genomes of 542 A. gifuensis individuals collected across China, including 265 wild and 277 human-intervened samples. Population genetic analyses on wild individuals recovered Yunnan populations as the ancestral group with the most complex genetic structure. We also find genetic signature of environmental adaptation during the dispersal of wild populations from Yunnan to other regions. While comparative genomic analyses of captive wasps revealed a decrease in genetic diversity during long-term rearing, population genomic analyses revealed signatures of natural selection by several biotic (host plants) or abiotic (climate) factors, which support maintenance of the gene pool of wild populations in spite of the introduction of captive wasps. Therefore, the impact of large-scale release is reduced. Our study suggests that A. gifuensis is a good system for exploring the genetic and evolutionary effects of mass rearing and release on species commonly used as biocontrol agents. Parasitoid wasps are reared and released as biocontrol agents to manage aphids and protect crops. Here, the authors use genomes from 542 wasps to show that, in spite of wide scale release of low-diversity captive individuals, diversity in wild populations is maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrite, the most common sulfide mineral, is a ubiquitous component of many hydrothermal gold deposits. Geochemical patterns within the refractory pyrite structure represent a valuable repository of information that can help constrain the sources of ore-forming materials, and the evolution of ore-forming processes over time. However, there are still a lot of debates on the mechanisms of physico-chemical processes in ore-forming fluid controlling trace element and sulfur isotope distributions in pyrite during growth. In our manuscript, we use cutting-edge complementary microanalytical methods to understand the origin and evolution of zoned gold-bearing pyrite in samples from the largest gold deposit in the Ailaoshan gold belt, SW China, Zhenyuan (exceeding 100t Au, average grade: 5.3 g/t). Pyrite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, and stibnite are the most abundant sulfide minerals in most orebodies. Of these, pyrite is dominant and is also the most important host for gold. Two types of pyrite can be clearly distinguished: framboidal pyrite and hydrothermal pyrite. Gold is most commonly hosted by hydrothermal pyrite. Framboidal pyrite, mainly hosted by carbonaceous slate, hosts negligible Au, and features low δ34S values ranging from − 35.0 (± 0.9) to − 25.6 (± 1.0)‰. Hydrothermal pyrite is characterized by complex intra-grain zoned textures with alternating As-rich and As-poor bands readily recognizable on backscattered electron images. Scanning electron microscopy and trace-element analyses show that both visible and invisible gold occur only in the As-rich bands. Compared to the As-poor bands (72.1% of Au concentration data < 1.96 ppm, n = 43), the As-rich bands are characterized by far higher concentrations of Au (up to 1420 ppm), Cu, Ag, Sb, and Tl, but lower concentrations of Co and Ni. In-situ sulfur isotope analysis indicates that the δ34S values of As-rich zones range from − 7.3 (± 0.6) to 2.9 (± 0.6)‰ and are similar to those of As-poor zones (from − 6.9 (± 0.7) to 2.8 (± 0.6)‰), but distinct from the framboidal pyrite. Combined with published fluid inclusion data and a probable age for the magmatic event associated with mineralization, these data suggest that magmatic–hydrothermal fluids contributed most ore-forming materials and that periodic boiling led to formation of the rhythmic As-rich and As-poor bands in pyrite. Our data for pyrite constrain the evolution of ore-forming processes and provide new insights into the formation of zoned pyrite, with the conclusions having broad implications for analogous hydrothermal gold deposits worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Shuijingmiyou' pummelo (SJ), one of the most popular fruits in Yunnan province of China, is of relatively low fruit shape (FS) quality. In this study, we compared the FS promoting effects of cross pollinations using pollens from seven pummelo varieties, and found that 'Guanximiyou' pummelo (GX) cross-pollination showed the best FS promoting effects on SJ fruits by shortening its fruit neck. To explore the underlying mechanism, physiochemical and transcriptomic differences between self- and cross-pollinated SJ ovaries (SJO and GXO) were investigated. Higher salicylic acid, gibberellin and indole acetic acid contents and superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase activities, and lower polyphenol oxidase activity were determined in GXO compared with SJO. Enrichment analysis of the identified 578 differentially expressed genes (123 up-regulated and 455 down-regulated) in GXO showed that genes involved in solute transport, RNA biosynthesis, phytohormone action and cell wall organization were significantly enriched. The results obtained in this study will be helpful in understanding the influences of cross-pollination on pummelo ovary and fruit development, and can provide the basis for clarifying the underlying mechanism of cross-pollination improved fruit quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bulletin of Engineering Geology & the Environment is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bulletin of Engineering Geology & the Environment is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the mountains of northwest Yunnan, China, a valuable mushroom, matsutake or song rong (Tricholoma matsutake) was commodified in the 1980s. Since that time, it has been exported in large quantities to Japan. The sale of matsutake now contributes more to the income of Shangri-la County (Diqing Autonomous Tibetan Prefecture) than any other crop, including timber and livestock. During the 1980s and 1990s, villagers in this remote region used their mushroom earnings to build spacious, beautiful new houses in the traditional local (Kham) style, and in some cases to buy motor vehicles or open businesses. In villages with access to productive matsutake habitat, virtually every household was able to build a new house; entire villages were transformed. During the 1990s, several villages developed locally based management regimes to enhance production and to address the problems and conflicts that arose from the harvest of such a valuable product. More recently, government agencies and NGOs have played a highly visible role in promoting "sustainable" harvest policies. The implications of their involvement are briefly examined and the future of matsutake harvest in Yunnan is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matsutake are economically important wild mushrooms that contribute greatly to rural livelihoods and local economies in many parts of the northern hemisphere. This paper provides an overview of the matsutake trade in Yunnan province, China, where increased attention is being given to the sustainable utilization of nontimber forest products. Topics covered include the distribution, production, and export of matsutake in Yunnan, and the market chain for matsutake in Yunnan, whereby matsutake are harvested from the wild and exported to Japan within 48 hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats, recognized as considerable reservoirs for coronaviruses (CoVs), serve as natural hosts for several highly pathogenic CoVs, including SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. Investigating the bat CoV community provides insights into the origin for highly pathogenic CoVs and highlights bat CoVs with potential spillover risks. This study probes the evolution, recombination, host range, geographical distribution, and cross-species transmission characteristics of bat CoVs across China and its associated CoVs in other regions. Through detailed research on 13,064 bat samples from 14 provinces of China, 1141 CoV strains are found across 10 subgenera and one unclassified Alpha-CoV, generating 399 complete genome sequences. Within bat CoVs, 11 new CoV species are identified and 425 recombination events are detected. Bats in southern China, particularly in Yunnan province, exhibit a pronounced diversity of CoVs. Limited sampling and low detection rates exist for CoVs in Myotacovirus, Nyctacovirus, Hibecovirus, Nobecovirus in China. The genus Myotis is highlighted as a potential ancestral host for Alpha-CoV, with the genus Hipposideros suggested as a likely progenitor host for bat-associated Beta-CoV, indicating the complexity of cross-species transmission dynamics. Through the comprehensive analysis, this study enriches the understanding of bat CoVs and offers a valuable resource for future research. In this study, Han, Xu, and Wang et al. probe the diversity of bat coronaviruses (CoVs), revealing their evolutionary pattern with hosts. It underscores the evolutionary processes of CoVs, including SARS-CoV-2, and emphasizes the urgency of ongoing bat CoV surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhododendron vialii (subgen. Azaleastrum) is an evergreen shrub with high ornamental value. This species has been listed as a plant species with extremely small populations (PSESP) for urgent protection by China's Yunnan provincial government in 2021, due to anthropogenic habitat fragmentation. However, limited genomic resources hinder scientifically understanding of genetic threats that the species is currently facing. In this study, we assembled a high-quality haplotype-resolved genome of R. vialii based on PacBio HiFi long reads and Hi-C reads. The assembly contains two haploid genomes with sizes 532.73 Mb and 521.98 Mb, with contig N50 length of 35.67 Mb and 34.70 Mb, respectively. About 99.92% of the assembled sequences could be anchored to 26 pseudochromosomes, and 14 gapless assembled chromosomes were included in this assembly. Additionally, 60,926 protein-coding genes were identified, of which 93.82% were functionally annotated. This is the first reported genome of R. vialii, and hopefully it will lay the foundations for further research into the conservation genomics and horticultural domestication of this ornamentally important species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats are reservoir hosts for many zoonotic viruses. Despite this, relatively little is known about the diversity and abundance of viruses within individual bats, and hence the frequency of virus co-infection and spillover among them. We characterize the mammal-associated viruses in 149 individual bats sampled from Yunnan province, China, using an unbiased meta-transcriptomics approach. This reveals a high frequency of virus co-infection (simultaneous infection of bat individuals by multiple viral species) and spillover among the animals studied, which may in turn facilitate virus recombination and reassortment. Of note, we identify five viral species that are likely to be pathogenic to humans or livestock, based on phylogenetic relatedness to known pathogens or in vitro receptor binding assays. This includes a novel recombinant SARS-like coronavirus that is closely related to both SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. In vitro assays indicate that this recombinant virus can utilize the human ACE2 receptor such that it is likely to be of increased emergence risk. Our study highlights the common occurrence of co-infection and spillover of bat viruses and their implications for virus emergence. Viral diversity and abundance in bats are incompletely understood. Here, analyzing individual bat viromes, the authors observe a high frequency of co-infection and spillover among the animals and identify viruses with the potential to infect humans or livestock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On base of the content of Pb in the soil under different land use patterns in Lanping Lead-zinc mining area, Yunnan in southwest China, the root morphology and leaf traits of maize in different concentration Pb (20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 150, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000 mg/L) were analyzed. The results showed that maize germination rate, germination vigor and growth index decreased with the increase of Pb concentration. The root length, surface area of maize increased by 0.21%–81.58%, 8.99%–73.43%, 1.50%–77.37%, respectively, under 20–500 mg/L Pb concentration. However, these parameters under 1000–3000 mg/L Pb concentration decreased by 37.86%–553.54%, 44.99%–766.16%, 55.99%–92.81%, respectively, and these lowest value appeared in 3000 mg/L Pb treatment. The root volume of maize increased by 4.57%–89.25% in 20–80 mg/L Pb concentration, and it decreased with the increase of Pb concentration when the Pb concentration was higher than 80 mg/L and decreased by 94.13% in 3000 mg/L Pb. The root surface area and length of 0.50–1.00 diameter class were higher than those of other diameter classes, and these value of maize under 500 mg/L Pb were higher than those of other concentrations. The length and perimeter of maize leaves with the highest value of 220.36 and 962.68 mm, respectively appeared in 60 mg/L Pb treatment. The leaf width and area of maize with the highest value of 15.68 mm and 2448.31 mm2, respectively, appeared in 40 mg/L Pb treatment, which indicated that the leaf traits of maize were promoted by low concentration Pb and inhibited by high concentration Pb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sauropterygia is the largest, most successful group of Mesozoic marine diapsids, spanning from the late Early Triassic to the Late Cretaceous. Plesiomorphic for sauropterygians, pachypleurosauroids are important for our understanding on the early evolution of this group. Here, we present a new pachypleurosaurid, Luopingosaurus imparilis gen. et sp. nov., based on an exceptionally preserved skeleton from the early Middle Triassic Luoping Lagerstätte in Yunnan, China. The discovery documents the first long-snouted pachypleurosaurid with an unexpected hyperphalangy in the manus, providing new insights into the morphological diversification, ecological adaption and biogeographic evolution of this clade. The discovery further indicates that there is a morphological divergence between short-snouted (brevirostrine) keichousaurids and relatively long-snouted (longirostrine) pachypleurosaurids, which was probably driven by ecological specializations related to feeding and foraging. Additionally, an evolutionary trend towards the reduction of the ratio of the hyoid length to mandibular length (HM ratio) is recognized in pachypleurosauroids. This reduction of HM ratio, associated with the increase of the snout length, might implicate a gradual recession of suction feeding in pachypleurosauroid evolution. Phylogenetic studies incorporating Luopingosaurus recover European pachypleurosaurids as successive sister groups to Chinese derived pachypleurosaurids, supporting a western Tethyan origin for this family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the economic development and industrialization, the increasingly accumulated tailings ponds in China have become a great risk. Due to the difficulty of selecting proper site for a new reservoir in Yunnan, a sub-dam was built at the downstream original reservoir. This study explored the fracture development and progressive failure characteristics of the tailings reservoir area after capacity expansion based on a similarity experiment and the numerical simulation. The results showed that the primary cracks in the reservoir area were more than those at the top of the sub-dam. With the increase of the upper load, the primary cracks further developed and penetrated the whole sub-dam top, and the sub-cracks were then produced under the concentrate stress of the primary cracks. After the further development of the sub-cracks, the secondary cracks parallel to the primary cracks were formed on the outer slope of the sub-dam. The progressive failure of a tailings dam can be summarized as: the maximum shear stress was firstly generated at the toe of the slope or the top of the dam which then extended to the top of the sub-dam in the form of a curve and finally formed the failure surface by connecting with the primary fracture of the tensile plastic zone at the top of the dam. The study also found that in the process of tailings accumulation in the new reservoir area, tailings would form "back pressure slope protection" at the initial dam of the original reservoir, which not only effectively delayed the occurrence of shear failure, but also inhibited the generation and penetration of tensile plastic zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected areas are key to meeting biodiversity conservation goals, but direct measures of effectiveness have proven difficult to obtain. We address this challenge by using environmental DNA from leech-ingested bloodmeals to estimate spatially-resolved vertebrate occupancies across the 677 km2 Ailaoshan reserve in Yunnan, China. From 30,468 leeches collected by 163 park rangers across 172 patrol areas, we identify 86 vertebrate species, including amphibians, mammals, birds and squamates. Multi-species occupancy modelling shows that species richness increases with elevation and distance to reserve edge. Most large mammals (e.g. sambar, black bear, serow, tufted deer) follow this pattern; the exceptions are the three domestic mammal species (cows, sheep, goats) and muntjak deer, which are more common at lower elevations. Vertebrate occupancies are a direct measure of conservation outcomes that can help guide protected-area management and improve the contributions that protected areas make towards global biodiversity goals. Here, we show the feasibility of using invertebrate-derived DNA to estimate spatially-resolved vertebrate occupancies across entire protected areas. Invertebrate-derived eDNA (iDNA) is an emerging tool for taxonomic and spatial biodiversity monitoring. Here, the authors use metabarcoding of leech-derived iDNA to estimate vertebrate occupancy over an entire protected area, the Ailaoshan Nature Reserve, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the intense tectonic activity and significant seasonal surface mass change, Southwest China is characterized by noticeable vertical land movement. We determined the vertical movement of Southwest China using 10 years of data from 41 continuous global positioning system (GPS) stations, gravity recovery and climate experiment (GRACE), and surface loading model (SLM). The annual variation in hydrological loading is the main factor causing the seasonal oscillation of surface deformation in Southwest China. Seasonal deformations captured by GPS, GRACE, and SLM are consistent to a certain extent, and the correlation coefficients between GPS/GRACE, and GPS/SLM are 0.82 and 0.81, respectively. After deducting the results yielded by GRACE and SLM from the GPS time series, the average reductions in root mean square were 41.3% and 38.0%, respectively. However, some systematic differences were observed among the annual amplitudes and phases of the seasonal deformations among the three products. For example, the average amplitudes estimated by GRACE and SLM were 7.4 mm and 6.1 mm, respectively, which were smaller than the amplitude deduced from GPS (9.7 mm). Furthermore, mean phase delays of 16, 22, and 6 days were observed between GPS/GRACE, GPS/SLM, and GRACE/SLM. The data processing errors and local geophysical signals in GPS and the underestimation of land water storage in GRACE and SLM were jointly responsible for the systemic differences. The simulated data show that the misestimating of hydrological loading can explain approximately 50%, 64%, and 83% of the phase delays between GPS/GRACE, GPS/SLM, and GRACE/SLM, respectively. In addition, we obtained long-term vertical crustal motion rates by subtracting the loading deformation rates estimated by GRACE from the linear rates of the GPS. The vertical crustal motion in this region is block-dependent. The Central Yunnan block and its eastern boundary are uplifted; meanwhile, the Southwest Yunnan block, which features stretching in the horizontal direction, appears to be subsiding. The aforementioned results can provide data support for the study of water resource utilization and geodynamics in Southwest China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heavy metal pollution level in soils is heavily affected by the soil particle size distribution. However, the heavy metal loss during particle size extraction and the effect of calcite on the heavy metals removal in terms of the particle size are unclear. In this study, the distribution of heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Cr, Co, Ni, Zn, Pb, U, and V) was determined in five particle fractions (> 2, 2–0.25, 0.25–0.02, 0.02–0.002, and < 0.002 mm) of two soil and one sediment samples collected from the floodplain of Dongchuan, Yunnan Province, Southwest China. The sampled floodplain soils were mainly composed of gravel and sand fractions (> 97%). The concentrations of all nine heavy metals in the sampled soils and sediment increase significantly with decreasing particle sizes. The maximal loss rate of Cd and Cu reaches 54% and 8.6%, respectively, which should be considered in the process of particle size fraction extraction in soils. The removal amount and removal rate of heavy metals in solution by pure calcite ranks in the order of Pb2+ > Cu2+ > Cr6+, while the removal rate of Pb (93.13%) is much higher than that of Cu (24.56%) and Cr (10.71%), which increase with the calcite particle size decreasing. The stabilization of carbonate minerals in soils is crucial for heavy metal pollution control in floodplain soils with high carbonate concentrations in Dongchuan, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Schima genus of Theaceae is confined to subtropics and tropics of South, East and Southeast Asia. Thirteen species of Schima are distributed in subtropical China. Many of them appear as dominant canopy species in the subtropical forests. To date, Schima species richness distribution patterns of China have remained unknown. Meanwhile, there has been a longtime debate as to whether forests dominated by Schima species are early or late successional forests. We aim to clarify Schima species richness patterns and these species' roles in the forest succession and regeneration dynamics of the subtropical ecosystem in Yunnan Province, China. Method: We mapped Schima species richness distribution patterns in China. Based on 71 vegetation plots, we analyzed forest characteristics, population structure, and regeneration dynamics of Schima species in Yunnan. Results: Yunnan was found to harbor the greatest richness and the highest rarity-weighted richness of Schima species in the subtropical regions of China. We classified five primary and six secondary forest types containing Schima species as one of dominants. Yunnan had the high floristic diversity and varying stand structure of forests containing Schima species. The Schima species studied generally had a sporadic regeneration type and a long life-span. Four species (Schima argentea, Schima villosa, Schima sinensis, Schima sericans) were shade-intolerant. But three species (Schima noronhae, Schima khasiana and Schima wallichii) were considered as bi-modal type species having shade-intolerant and shade-tolerant traits. Schima noronhae was seen to be a top dominant in late successional forests, while S. wallichii was found as a top-dominant in early or middle or late successional forests. S. khasiana, Schima villosa, Schima sinensis usually appeared as a top dominant in early or middle successional secondary forests, though they also presented as a second dominant in late-successional forests. Schima argentea and Schima sericans dominated only in the early or middle/seral successional forests. Schima species' regeneration establishment depended mainly on forest canopy gap formation through moderate human and natural disturbances. Conclusions: Yunnan has high species richness and rarity-weighted richness of Schima. Both moderate human and natural disturbances have provided regeneration niches for Schima species. Some of the Schima species studied as a second dominant (rare as the top-dominant) present in the late-successional forests. Some of them are more often as the top-dominant in early or middle successional forests, where as time goes by the dominance of Schima species would be replaced by their associated dominant taxa such as Castanopsis species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions comes from the manufacture of synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizers consumed in crop production processes. And the application of synthetic N fertilizers is recognized as the most important factor contributing to direct N2O emissions from agricultural soils. Based on statistical data and relevant literature, the GHG emissions associated with synthetic N manufacture and fertilization for wheat and maize in different provinces and agricultural regions of China were quantitatively evaluated in the present study. Results: During the 2015–2017 period, the average application rates of synthetic N for wheat and maize in upland fields of China were 222 and 197 kg ha−1, respectively. The total consumption of synthetic N on wheat and maize was 12.63 Mt year−1. At the national scale, the GHG emissions associated with the manufacture of synthetic N fertilizers were estimated to be 41.44 and 59.71 Mt CO2-eq year−1 for wheat and maize in China, respectively. And the direct N2O emissions derived from synthetic N fertilization were estimated to be 35.82 and 69.44 Gg N2O year−1 for wheat and maize, respectively. In the main wheat-cultivating regions of China, area-scaled GHG emissions were higher for Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu and Xinjiang provinces. And for maize, Gansu, Xinjiang, Yunnan, Shannxi and Jiangsu provinces had higher area-scaled GHG emissions. Higher yield-scaled GHG emissions for wheat and maize mainly occured in Yunnan and Gansu provinces. Conclusions: The manufacture and application of synthetic N fertilizers for wheat and maize in Chinese croplands is an important source of agricultural GHG emissions. The current study could provide a scientific basis for establishing an inventory of upland GHG emissions in China and developing appropriate mitigation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest fires have caused considerable losses to ecologies, societies, and economies worldwide. To minimize these losses and reduce forest fires, modeling and predicting the occurrence of forest fires are meaningful because they can support forest fire prevention and management. In recent years, the convolutional neural network (CNN) has become an important state-of-the-art deep learning algorithm, and its implementation has enriched many fields. Therefore, we proposed a spatial prediction model for forest fire susceptibility using a CNN. Past forest fire locations in Yunnan Province, China, from 2002 to 2010, and a set of 14 forest fire influencing factors were mapped using a geographic information system. Oversampling was applied to eliminate the class imbalance, and proportional stratified sampling was used to construct the training/validation sample libraries. A CNN architecture that is suitable for the prediction of forest fire susceptibility was designed and hyperparameters were optimized to improve the prediction accuracy. Then, the test dataset was fed into the trained model to construct the spatial prediction map of forest fire susceptibility in Yunnan Province. Finally, the prediction performance of the proposed model was assessed using several statistical measures—Wilcoxon signed-rank test, receiver operating characteristic curve, and area under the curve (AUC). The results confirmed the higher accuracy of the proposed CNN model (AUC 0.86) than those of the random forests, support vector machine, multilayer perceptron neural network, and kernel logistic regression benchmark classifiers. The CNN has stronger fitting and classification abilities and can make full use of neighborhood information, which is a promising alternative for the spatial prediction of forest fire susceptibility. This research extends the application of CNN to the prediction of forest fire susceptibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been confirmed that the karst rocky desertification (KRD) has severely changed the interactions between atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystem which would cause a significant effect on regional climate system. In this study, the Weather and Research Forecasting model was applied to investigate the biogeophysical impact on temperature and precipitation change by land use/land cover change data with different KRD conditions in 1993, 2003, and 2013 in Southwest China. The results showed that an improving trend of KRD has been found in Southwest China, especially in east Sichuan, Chungking, southwest Yunnan, and south Guangxi. The 2-m air temperature decreased by 0~− 1 °C in general with this improving trend. The possible reason was the decreasing KRD accompanied by the decreasing albedo, causing the increasing net shortwave radiation and the increasing net radiation. Meanwhile, the increasing evaporation strengthened the latent heat flux and weakened the sensible heat flux so that decreased temperature was addressed in forest areas. The effect of KRD change transferred to the upper troposphere through atmosphere vertical convection, which made the subtropical high to be strengthened and westerly extended. Therefore, the upward moisture flux at the surface (QFX) was weakened in the central part of Guangxi, southern Guizhou, which led to the decrease of the precipitation. Moreover, the southwest monsoon was strengthened, which caused the increasing water vapor flux and led to the heavy rainfall in the west of Yunnan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gentiana rigescens, an important medicinal plant in China, has been widely cultivated in Yunnan province, China. Previous studies were focused on analysis and determination of the metabolites isolated from this species, the accumulation of these metabolites during growth period are not yet clear. In this study, samples for the experiments were obtained by tissue culture. FT-IR and LC-MS/MS method were performed to distinguish the variation on the major metabolites in G. rigescens during growing stage when combined with chemometrics. Results: Methodology validations were all within the required limits. The metabolites were visually different in tissue culture samples and mature plants. The diversity of metabolites increased proportionally with plant growth. The quantitative analysis showed the content of gentiopicroside was significantly vary during different growing stage. The highest content of gentiopicroside (122.93 ± 7.01 mg/g) was detected in leaf of regenerated plantlet, whereas its content in root significantly increased along with underground parts growth. Moreover, flavonoids mainly distributed in aerial parts showed potential competitive relationship during plant growth. Conclusion: The distribution and accumulation of metabolites are associated with different parts and plant growth, which provide potential evidences for the rational application and exploitation of G. rigescens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are abundant mineral resources in Yunnan Province, which is located in the southwestern part of China, due to its unique geological conditions. The distribution of minerals is related to geological formations and past tectonic movements. The mineral resources extracted in Yunnan Province constitute 83 % of total mineral production in China. The local environment around the mines in Yunnan Province has been destroyed due to harmful mining methods. Yunnan is a province with complicated and serious mining-induced environmental problems. Mining-induced geo-hazards found here include collapse, landslide, debris flow, sinkhole collapse, earth fissure, and water flowing into mine pits. To protect and control the geological environments in mining areas, countermeasures such as monitoring, and engineering rehabilitation and recovery, need to be adopted. Monitoring measurement combined with a digital mine information system can be used to forecast mine induced geo-hazards effectively. Moreover, appropriate engineering rehabilitation technology should be chosen according to the type of mining-induced geo-hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil apes are known from several late Miocene localities in Yunnan Province, southwestern China, principally from Shihuiba (Lufeng) and the Yuanmou Basin, and represent three species of Lufengpithecus. They mostly comprise large samples of isolated teeth, but there are also several partial or complete adult crania from Shihuiba and a single juvenile cranium from Yuanmou. Here we describe a new, relatively complete and largely undistorted juvenile cranium from the terminal Miocene locality of Shuitangba, also in Yunnan. It is only the second ape juvenile cranium recovered from the Miocene of Eurasia and it is provisionally assigned to the species present at Shihuiba, Lufengpithecus lufengensis. Lufengpithecus has most often been linked to the extant orangutan, Pongo pygmaeus, but recent studies of the crania from Shihuiba and Yuanmou have demonstrated that this is unlikely. The new cranium reinforces the view that Lufengpithecus represents a distinct, late surviving lineage of large apes in the late Miocene of East Asia that does not appear to be closely affiliated with any extant ape lineage. It substantially increases knowledge of cranial morphology in Lufengpithecus and demonstrates that species of this genus represent a morphologically diverse radiation of apes, which is consistent with the dynamic tectonic and biotic milieu of southwestern China in the late Miocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organization of the head provides critical data for resolving the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of extinct and extant euarthropods. The early Cambrian-period fuxianhuiids are regarded as basal representatives of stem-group Euarthropoda, and their anterior morphology therefore offers key insights for reconstructing the ancestral condition of the euarthropod head. However, the paired post-antennal structures in Fuxianhuia protensa remain controversial; they have been interpreted as both 'great appendages' and as gut diverticulae. Here we describe Chengjiangocaris kunmingensis sp. nov. and Fuxianhuia xiaoshibaensis sp. nov. from a new early Cambrian (Stage 3) fossil Lagerstätte in Yunnan, China. Numerous specimens of both species show a unique 'taphonomic dissection' of the anterodorsal head shield, revealing the cephalic organization in detail. We demonstrate the presence of a pair of specialized post-antennal appendages (SPAs) in the fuxianhuiid head, which attach at either side of the posteriorly directed mouth, behind the hypostome. Preserved functional articulations indicate a well-defined but restricted range of limb movement, suggestive of a simple type of sweep feeding. The organization of the SPAs in fuxianhuiids is incompatible with the (deutocerebral) anterior raptorial appendages of megacheirans, and argue against the presence of protocerebral limbs in the fuxianhuiids. The positions of the fuxianhuiid antennae and SPAs indicate that they are segmentally homologous to the deutocerebral and tritocerebral appendages of crown-group Euarthropoda respectively. These findings indicate that antenniform deutocerebral appendages with many podomeres are a plesiomorphic feature of the ancestral euarthropod head. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhenyuan gold deposit is the largest super large gold deposit in the Ailaoshan gold belt, but its precise mineralization age is still lack. Re-Os isotopic age of the auriferous pyrite from the Zhenyuan gold deposit was determined by using a high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HR-ICP-MS). The pyrite samples were decomposed in carius tubes, Os was separated by distillation and Re was extracted by acetone, respectively. The results show that the Re-Os isochron age is 229±38 Ma (MSWD=2.0, confidence level is 95%), with an initial Os/Os value of 0.68±0.24 and a corresponding γOs value of 442±91. The Re/Os ratios of the pyrite vary from 40.8 to 100.5. The data suggest that at least one important ore-forming event was occurred during Indosinian epoch, and the ore-forming materials probably derived from mixed sources of crustal and mantle, while the later dominated. The Ailaoshan composite orogen experienced complicated evolutional processes, including formation of Precambrian-Early Paleozoic basement, subduction and orogenesis of Late Paleozoic era, collisional orogenesis of Late Hercynian-Indosinain epoch, and extensional or striking orogenesis of Yanshainan-Cenozoic epoch. The polycycle tectonic evolution and magmatism in this area caused multi-stage and superposition metallization characteristics of the Zhenyuan gold deposit: the mineralization probably occur mainly during the Indosinian collisional orogeny, while the minor gold ores of altered granite-porphyry and altered lamprophyre may be formed in the late superposition metallization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Holocene palaeorecord from Lake Shudu, Yunnan Province, southwestern China is dominated by (1) a pronounced basin-wide sedimentary hiatus after ca. 7.2 kcal yr BP, spanning some 4,000 years and (2) significant changes in sediment source/supply and an increase in heavy metal influx coupled with a shift to more eutrophic lake conditions from ca. 0.9 kcal yr BP, lasting ~300 years. The hiatus is most likely a due to a significant and abrupt reduction in sedimentation rates, the driver of which is unclear; although it appears likely to have been climatically driven. The environmental changes captured in the Lake Shudu palaeorecord provide unambiguous evidence of late Holocene anthropogenic activity, most likely linked to mining activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated temporal heavy metal characteristics over the past 20 years and the spatial variation of heavy metal characteristics at the Manwan Reservoir tail, center, and head in the Lancang River, Yunnan Province, China. The following heavy metals were selected for analysis: Hg, Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, As, Cr, Fe, and Mn. Multivariate statistical methods, including principal component analysis (PCA) and the Pearson correlation matrix were used to distinguish the main pollution factors and sources before and after dam construction. The results indicate that the average annual values of heavy metals were far lower than the recommended values of the surface water quality standards in China with the exception of Hg. The concentration of metals showed considerable variation by season, where higher levels of metals generally occurred in high flow periods. The results from PCA show that three significant components were extracted, explaining 76.25% of the total variance. The ANOVA results indicate that Pb, Fe, Mn, and Cr had significant spatial variation ( P < 0.05) at the reservoir tail, center and head. The enrichment factor (EF) used to compare the accumulation effect of heavy metals indicated that there was no enrichment (EF < 1) of heavy metals with the exception of Mn, which showed minor enrichment (1 < EF < 3) between the reservoir center and head. The spatiotemporal variation and the accumulation effects of water heavy metals were not distinct due to the construction of the Manwan Reservoir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using observations from two remote sites during July 2004 to March 2005, we show that at Akdala (AKD, 47° 06′ N, 87° 58′ E, 562 m asl) in northern Xinjiang Province, there were high wintertime loadings of organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and water-soluble (WS) ${\rm SO}_{4}^{2-}$, ${\rm NO}_{3}^{2-}$, and ${\rm NH}_{4}^{+}$, which is similar to the general pattern in most areas of China and East Asia. However, at Zhuzhang (ZUZ, 28° 00′ N, 99° 43′ E, 3,583 m asl) in northwestern Yunnan Province, the aerosol concentrations and compositions showed little seasonal variation except for a decreasing trend of OC from August to autumn–winter. Additionally, the OC variations dominated the seasonal variation of PM10 (particles ≤10 μm diameter) level. Chemical characteristics combined with transport information suggested sea salt origin of ionic Na + , Mg2 + , and Cl − at ZUZ. At AKD, ionic Ca2 + , Mg2 + , Na + , and Cl − primarily originated from salinized soil. Furthermore, the WS Ca2 + contributions (5.4–6%) to the PM10 mass during autumn, winter, and early spring reflected a constant dust component. The results of this study indicated that both sites were regionally representative. However, the representative regions and scales of these background sites may vary seasonally as the regional atmospheric transport patterns change. Seasonal variations in the background aerosol levels from these two areas need to be considered when evaluating the regional climate effects of the aerosols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thermophilic lipase (lipGRD) from Geobacillus sp. RD-2, isolated from a hot spring in Yunnan, China, was cloned and over-expressed in Escherichia coli. The function of the conserved residue, Tyr224, near the presumed temperature switch site was analyzed by site-directed saturation mutagenesis. The activity of the wild type lipGRD was optimal at 55°C and pH 7.5, but that from mutant Y224C was optimally active at 35°C, whereas Y224P lipase was optimally active at 65°C. Furthermore, the latter lipase retained 60% of its activity after incubation at 65°C for 5 h. The conserved residue Tyr224, which is close to the lid helix, is the key amino acid residue determining the thermostability of the thermostable lipase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important component of sustainable development in mountain areas, evaluation for sustainable land use is always one of the hotpots of researches on sustainable development. Traditional evaluation for sustainable land use mainly focuses on the sustainability of land use model and biological production on temporal scale, and overlooks the effects of land use patterns on the sustainability, while landscape ecology can be a good help to realize the spatial analysis of sustainable land use. In this study, a synthetic evaluation indexes system for sustainable land use was constructed through the application of landscape metrics. Taking Yongsheng County of Yunnan Province, China as a case study, a series of quantitative evaluation were conducted in 1996, 1999 and 2001, to monitor the temporal dynamics of regional land use sustainability. Two indicators, contributing amount of indexes, and obstacle amount of indexes, were also set up to ascertain the significance of all the evaluation indexes to the evaluation results. The results showed that, in the study phases, the land use sustainability of the whole county had been low with a stable but great spatial difference, and great changes took place in regional land use system in 1999 with the deviation from the aim of sustainable land use. It also showed that, the most important indexes contributing for the land use sustainability in the study period, were the indexes of population density and land use degree, followed by the index of landscape diversity and cropping index. And the most important indexes counteracting the land use sustainability were the indexes of per unit area total production value of industry and agriculture, per unit area yield of cereal crops, landscape fragmentation, followed by the indexes of per unit area yield of economic crops and fertilizer consume per unit area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two sets of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) hypervariable segment I (HVS-I) data from four ethnic populations (Tibetan, Va, Dai, and Lahu) from Yunnan Province, China, were analyzed here by using phylogeographic methods. The results suggest that more attention should be paid to sampling methodology when addressing the genetic relationship and affinity among ethnic populations. Comparison of related data from different labs may serve as a check for the credibility of the data and will help discern the origin of the ethnic populations. Generally, Tibetan populations have more north-prevalent haplogroups (clades of the mtDNA phylogeny), while Dai and Lahu populations have high frequencies of south-prevalent haplogroups. The Vas, although autochthonous according to historical records, show signs of gene admixtures from northern and southern populations, for they harbor high frequencies of the south-prevalent haplogroup F and the north-prevalent haplogroup D as well as other northern mtDNA lineages such as M9 and G2a. The consanguineous marriage customs of the Lahu, together with possible genetic drift during this group's historical migration, left a conspicuous genetic imprint on its current gene pool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on a study of the effects of crop heterogeneity on the vulnerability of monocultured crops to disease. Details of the study which used rice crops planted in Yunnan Province, China; Use of control plots of monocultured crops to calculate the effect of diversity on the rice; Suggestion that crop diversification can control disease.

Reports the discovery of vertebrate fish fossils from the Cambrian period in Yunnan, China. Importance of the discovery in light of the lack of vertebrate fossils from this period; Implications for evolutionary dating methods; Comparison of the fossils to lampreys and hagfish.