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The theoretical and practical research of industrial integration provides new directions for the development of many industries and new ideas for the reform of many technologies. In particular, it provides new impetus for the development of agricultural modernisation. This paper takes the rural development of Inner Mongolia as the research object, discusses the integration of the primary, secondary and tertiary industries in agriculture, and then provides guidance for the further development of agriculture. Moreover, this paper combines big data technology to construct an input–output analysis model for the integration of primary, secondary and tertiary industries in rural areas of Inner Mongolia, and on this basis, conducts research and analysis on the model. In addition, this paper uses a simulation model to analyse the industrial integration and uses the statistical yearbook data of Inner Mongolia as the input to calculate the data mining effect and data analysis effect of this model. Through experimental research and analysis, it can be seen that the model constructed in this paper can play a certain effect in the analysis of the integration of primary, secondary and tertiary industries in the rural areas of Inner Mongolia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early stages of forest fires are usually accompanied by large amounts of smoke, so smoke identification and concentration inversion can effectively warn and locate the fire point. To achieve smoke identification and concentration inversion, this paper first analysed the spectral differences between smoke and underlying background features based on the samples selected from Landsat 8/OLI fire data of Qiqian forest in Inner Mongolia, China, andNew South Wales, Australia. Then, the sensitive band of smoke identification was screened and the relative smoke concentration indices were established. Finally, a mathematical model between the indices and smoke concentration level was constructed and the best inversion model was established by accuracy test based on samples in each background. The results show that (1) the reflectance increases with increasing smoke concentration in B1-B4 bands under different backgrounds (vegetation, water, bare ground), and the reflectance was significantly different between different concentrations of smoke; (2) the smoke concentration inversion model form is y = kx + b with R2 > 0.8 (x denotes the smoke concentration level, y denotes the relative smoke concentration index), and the visible brightness index (VBI = B1 + B2 + B3 + B4) was the best relative smoke concentration index under different background; (3) the model's accuracy was tested using each background smoke sample with a known level of smoke concentration, and the inversion accuracy was above 90%. The results show that the VBI can effectively reflect the spectral variation between different smoke concentrations and background features; the variation is closely related to smoke concentration which determines that the mathematical correlation model between VBI and relative smoke concentration can be established; the model is accuracy and can be used for the relative smoke concentration inversion of forest fire cases in different study areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parameters as well as their corresponding reference values, adopted to control the compaction quality during the construction of High-speed Rail(HSR) embankments in different countries are summarised in this paper. Different measurement methods for the degree of compaction are analysed with the comparison of the features of various plate loading tests. To investigate the relationships between different compaction control parameters, we conducted in-situ compaction tests on three particular subdivisional railway earthworks at Zhangjiakou-Datong HSR and Inner Mongolia-Jiangxi Railway: a bridge foundation pit below the embankment-bridge transition section, a geogrid-reinforced cushion above embankment foundation, and an excavated channel for drainage ditch. We investigate the relations of the Dynamic Deformation Modulus (Evd) versus the Reaction Modulus (K30), Evd versus the compaction coefficient (K) by analysing the measured data. The analysis result shows good linear correlations between Evd and K30, as well as Evd and K. Based on the analysis performed in this paper combined with our engineering practices, recommended reference values of the compaction control indicators for bridge foundation pit below a transition section and the bottoms of drainage ditches are also proposed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, field spectroradiometer and aboveground biomass (AGB) data were acquired at the harvest stage at two sites in semiarid grasslands in Inner Mongolia, China. Four forms of commonly used vegetation indices (VIs) using all possible combinations of narrow-band first derivative (FDR) and raw reflectance (RR) were calculated, and the best FDR-VIs and RR-VIs were chosen by a linear regression analysis against AGB. The stepwise multiple linear regression (SMLR) models using the optimal FDR-VIs, RR-VIs, and both FDR-VIs and RR-VIs as input variables were developed for estimating the AGB. Results demonstrated that the estimation performance using the best FDR-VIs were comparable with the best RR-VIs, while the accuracy has been further improved by combining the best FDR-VIs and RR-VIs (maximum decrease in RMSE of 44% and minimum RMAE of 4.7%). The approach was found to be an important step for more accurate and effective grassland AGB estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-source remote sensing data can provide abundant Earth observation information for lithology classification and identification, especially in some areas with complex geological conditions where the field geological survey is difficult to carry out. Compared with mountainous areas with large outcrops of rock, the lithology information obtained based on traditional field measurement and single optical remote sensing data in semi-arid areas is greatly limited due to the uneven vegetation coverage. While the combination of microwave and optical remote sensing technologies can effectively improve the integrality and reliability of the obtained lithology information in semi-arid areas. This paper selected Duolun County of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region as the study area, added vegetation suppression for microwave and optical images into the conventional lithology classification process, and integrated Sentinel-1A and Landsat-8 images of the study area to carry out the experiment. The improved water-cloud model with the parameter of vegetation coverage and the method of feature-oriented principal component analysis based on multiple vegetation indices were used to realize the vegetation suppression in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) backscattering images in two polarization modes and multispectral images. The processed SAR backscattering, SAR texture and spectral feature images were used to form seven feature combinations for lithology classification by the maximum likelihood method. The results showed that the proposed lithology classification scheme cannot achieve high-precision classification of all lithologic types, but it was effective in identifying the major lithologies dominated in the Quaternary deposits of the study area. In all feature combinations, the combination of all the three types of features reached the highest classification accuracy, with the overall classification accuracy of 88.60% and the kappa coefficient of 0.75 for five major lithologies. The experimental results fully demonstrated the advantages of integrating microwave and optical remote sensing data in lithology classification in a semiarid area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper follows the recent definition of heritage as a socio-political construct to examine the politics of intangible cultural heritage in Inner Mongolia, China. It focuses on how the UNESCO system in concert with the PRC's cultural agenda led to the successful but controversial registration of Mongolian overtone singing (khoomei) to the UNESCO intangible heritage list as a significant tradition of the Mongolian ethnic group in China in 2009. As one of China's major strategic frontiers and one of its five ethnic minority autonomous regions, Inner Mongolia is under-represented in the literature. Inner Mongolia and Mongolia are also a crucial context in which to study the politics of transnational cultural heritage. Empirically, this paper documents unique and valuable local voices in Inner Mongolia speaking about the registration of khoomei through semi-structured face-to-face interviews in Mongolian and Chinese and an analysis of academic and non-academic published work in Chinese. Theoretically, this paper critically examines the influence of transnational heritage registration, initiated and endorsed by UNESCO heritage programs and the PRC's cultural agenda, on sub-national heritage-making in Inner Mongolia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concerns the comparison of two sample non parametric regression. An asymptotically correct simultaneous confidence band (SCB) is proposed for the difference of two-sample non parametric regression functions to achieve the goal of comparison. Simulation experiments provide strong evidence that corroborates the asymptotic theory. The proposed SCB is used to analyze different samples of strata pressure data from the Bullianta Coal Mine in Erdos City, Inner Mongolia, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-yield coal mining and ecological environment protection are the main aspects of the sustainable development of ecologically fragile mining areas in Western China. This paper briefly describes the development and current situation of solid filling coal mining in China, puts forward a green and sustainable filling coal mining method providing a maximum annual treatment capacity of waste gangue of 2 4 million tons, and analyzes the mechanical compaction properties of solid waste gangue, eolian sand, and loess in these areas. Taking a Coal Mine in Inner Mongolia, China, as an example, the effects of three key indices, namely mining height, face width, and backfill materials' compaction ratio (BMCR) on the subsidence, horizontal deformation, horizontal movement, inclined deformation, and curvature of Quaternary aquiclude are studied. At a mining height of 3 m and BMCR = 80%, the maximum aquifer subsidence is below 168 mm. Based on the surface vegetation growth capacity analysis, the design principle of controlling the SBM key parameters by the ecological water level threshold is substantiated. The results show that the mining height and the BCMR of goaf are the key control indices affecting the stability of Quaternary aquifers, the evolution of ecological water level, and the production of surface vegetation. Combining the underground intelligent dry coal preparation and in-situ filling coal mining technology with a reasonable adjustment of the above parameters, the ecological environment protection can be realized for the whole life cycle of local coal seam mining in the areas under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of cupressaceous fossil leaves are described in this paper that come from the lower Miocene of Inner Mongolia, northern China. These new examples of fossil leaves are compressed, have their branchlets arranged in a plane, either spreading or ascending, and are flat. These specimens also possess scale-like leaves that are dimorphic, preserved facial leaves that are rhomboidal and have obtuse apices, and lateral leaves that are boat-shaped and have slightly incurved apices. The epidermal cells of these fossils are quadrangular, rectangular, or narrowly rectangular, while the leaves are amphistomatic, and stomata are elliptical or oblong, and monocyclic. In comparison with both living and related fossil taxa, we identify the new fossils as Platycladus preorientalis sp. nov. Taken in combination with a molecular phylogenetic analysis, the new fossils suggest that the genus Platycladus originated in the Oligocene in mid and high Asian latitudes. Thus, the ancient Platycladus lineage probably migrated from Europe to Asia following the closure of the Turgai strait during the Oligocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a global infectious disease severely threatening children's health. It has been recognized that climate factors play an important role in the transmission of HFMD. In this paper, the bootstrap test in the geographically weighted regression (GWR) literature is extended to geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) models for identifying homogeneous explanatory variables and spatiotemporally heterogeneous ones. The resulting mixed GTWR model is then used to investigate spatiotemporal effect of climate factors on the HFMD incidence in Inner Mongolia, China, a provincial autonomous region with extensive area and different climatic conditions. The results demonstrate that the effect of relative humidity is global over space and time, while that of air temperature, air pressure and wind speed varies spatiotemporally. The extended bootstrap test provides a solid statistical basis for model selection. The findings from the study may provide not only a deep understanding of spatiotemporal variation characteristics of the climatic effect on the HFMD incidence, but also some useful evidences for taking measures of the disease prevention and control at the county level in different seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonionic surfactants have been applied to improve the lignite floatability in the flotation process. In this paper, Inner Mongolia lignite was pretreated by three type surfactants, including sorbitan monolaurate, sorbitan monostearate, and sorbitan monooleate, respectively. It was investigated that the effect of the length and saturability of hydrocarbon chain on the collectivity and selectivity of surfactant. The flotation results indicated that the optimum efficiencies were found at the dosages of about 35 kg/t for the three surfactants. However, the recovery of combustible material of lignite pretreated by sorbitan monolaurate is comparatively low, which may relate to the weak collectivity of this shorter hydrocarbon chain surfactant. On the other hand, XPS results showed that the C1s can be fitted to C-C, C-H, C-O, and COO- with the contents of 10.99%, 9.19% and 2.11% on the raw lignite surface, respectively. After the pretreatment, the contents of hydrophobic C-C, C-H were increased to 13.53%, 16.07% and 17.18% for the three surfactants. Obviously, the hydrophobic functional groups were much higher after pretreated by sorbitan monooleate, which was corresponded with the better flotation results. Therefore, the longer and unsaturated hydrocarbon chain in sorbitan monooleate molecule is beneficial for the collectivity and selectivity for lignite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to supply water for growing industrial needs in Ordos City, Hangjin Irrigation District on the south bank of the Yellow River, Inner Mongolia has traded some of its irrigation water to downstream factories. The trading is termed “irrigation water-saving supported by industrial investment, with saved water traded to industry”. At the same time, Hangjin Irrigation District has conducted a comprehensive reform of irrigation water management focused on water rights. This paper describes the current status of water management in the district, outlines some of the problems water trading has produced, and presents a framework for further water rights reform focused on rights allocation, the granting of volumetrically-capped water certificates and tickets, water use planning and monitoring, and the responsibilities of water user associations in ensuring that individual farmers receive fair allocations. The paper then summarizes key recommendations of relevance to Hangjin and other irrigation districts in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable information of croplands has useful implications for agriculture. Based on random forest classifier, a cropland extraction method was developed. Multi-temporal image data of Landsat 8 were used for classifying crop and non-crop vegetation, since these data contain useful information. However, there is also large redundancy. To solve this problem, a new feature selection method was proposed in this paper. The primary innovativeness resides in a temporal feature selection criterion. A classification experiment was carried out to validate the proposed technique. The results showed that the proposed method can decrease feature redundancy with little cost on classification performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method for predicting the dynamic spatio-temporal variations of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) based on precipitation is proposed using combined nonlinear autoregressive with exogenous input (NARX) networks and artificial neural networks (ANNs). The proposed method is validated by applying to predict the spatio-temporal NDVI for the Hulunbuir grassland located in Inner Mongolia, China. The results show the good predictive ability for the spatio-temporal variations of NDVI with the mean absolute percentage error of 11.59%, mean absolute error of 7.11 × 10−2 and root mean square error of 8.06 × 10−2, respectively. The approach presented in the paper can be further used as the guidance to reduce the occurrence of overgrazing in the arid and semi-arid grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The settlements in pastoral areas have the spatial distribution characteristics of "broad scattering and small agglomeration". The extension of range makes their physical information attributes change into a spatial awareness with psychological information attributes. In this paper, the psychological cognitive range in herdsmen's spatial awareness was taken as the basis for establishing a spatial network and the social network analysis method was used to quantitatively study the spatial network relationship of settlements and the layout of public service facilities in pastoral areas of Inner Mongolia. The results show that the construction of control equilibrium point of interaction between spatial characteristics of settlements and public service facilities in pastoral areas can be rebuilt by using 10 km psychological cognitive range information; the zoning characteristics of spatial settlement network constructed on the basis of Pajek social network and ArcGIS spatial analysis are obvious; It is of great theoretical and practical significance for pastoral areas and low population density areas to take the index of network node degree as the basis of constructing dynamic layer layouts of public service facilities network and to establish "spatial Network + dynamic layout" layer model of public service facilities layout according to the characteristics of spatial network zoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mining-induced subsidence has caused severe casualties and poses a threat to the safe operation of coal extraction, especially under the roads, buildings and rivers. This alarming situation demands the large-area subsidence detection and the large-gradient deformation monitoring to ensure safety. Although the traditional Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technology can monitor surface deformation in high accuracy, unfortunately, it often fails to recover the sufficient deformation when facing the effects of decorrelation and large gradient displacement. Therefore, this study firstly proposes a Stacking-InSAR and coherence gradient fusion method to detect the mining-induced subsidence over large area. Secondly, the robust offset tracking method is applied to retrieve the large-gradient deformation in Buertai mining site. Both Gaofen-3 and Sentinel-1A Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) datasets are acquired over the border of Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia, China, for experimental test. The results show that 179 mining-induced subsidence sites are detected with the proposed method, and the complete spatial temporal deformation fields are obtained by both Gaofen-3 and Sentinel-1A offset tracking method with maximum deformation of 3 m in range direction. This study provides a valuable tool for detecting the fine boundary of mining subsidence and recovering the accurate deformation time series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Han Chinese migration into Inner Mongolia has been an ongoing process. There have been academic studies on such migration, and on Han Chinese peasant migrants and their interactions with the Mongols. This paper is a study of a particular group of Han migrants, known in English as the sent-down youths, sent by the government to Inner Mongolia, in the movement of 'going up to the mountains and down to the villages', or the rustication movement, which reached its height during the Cultural Revolution (1966 -1976). Among the total of 17 million urban middle school graduates sent to various parts of China to become farmers, about 200,000 went to Inner Mongolia. By the mid-1980s the majority of these sent-down youths had returned to the cities and regained their urban household status. Based on works written by those who went to Inner Mongolia, and especially the interviews I conducted with some of them, this paper analyses their experiences, what it meant to them and the impact they had on the ecology and the political and ethnic integration of Inner Mongolia. I argue that the rustication movement as a Communist 'civilizing' project had negative effects on the ecology of Inner Mongolia. The sent-down youths functioned as instruments in the Han demographic and economic expansion and domination, but in the process, as individuals they underwent journeys of discovery of themselves and of the Mongols. To some, the experiences meant more awareness of ethnic diversity and more consciousness of ethnic rights as well as environmental issues. On the popular level, they played a role in enhancing ethnic integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most cities or leagues in Inner Mongolia are the result of resource-based industrialization processes and animal husbandry development, leading to a heterogeneous composition and configuration of urban areas seldom guided by proper urban ecological landscape regulation policies. In this paper, we chose Xilingol as a case study, and put forward novel ecological landscape regulation approaches based on ecosystem services (ES) for achieving sustainable development in it. An urban ES simulation model and an urban classification model were used to assess the change of ES and to guide the future urban ecological landscape regulation. The results showed a rapid land use change in different subsystems of Xilingol from 2008 to 2013, providing relative values of each type of land per unit in three subsystems (core urban area, suburb and rural), and detected the change of ES in three subsystems and the change of ES per capita in the whole administrative urban area. We suggest that (a) long-term, stable, and ecosystem-services-based land use policies and urban ecological landscape regulation approaches are needed; and (b) highlight an urban ecological landscape regulation approach covering economic, social and natural dimensions for achieving sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Techniques for mapping and monitoring vegetation status under human disturbance (e.g., grazing livestock) can contribute to sustainable development of grasslands. The main objective of this paper is to investigate whether the effects of differences in grazing intensity (measured by stocking rate (SR)) could be discriminated using in situ spectral data. The experiment was conducted with controlled SRs on the Sino-German experimental farm in the Xilingol grassland, Inner Mongolia, P.R. China. Canopy spectral measurements were made on experimental paddocks that varied by SRs, terrain and management type. Eight vegetation indices (VIs) were calculated from ASD field spectrometer data for each paddock. We modelled the variability within and between paddocks using a linear mixed model to isolate the effect of grazing intensity on VI response. All VIs showed significant negative relationships to grazing intensity that were ameliorated on paddocks with haying compared to traditional direct grazing. The best VIs for detecting differences in paddocks due to the levels of SR were photochemical reflectance index (PRI), broadband normalized difference vegetation index (bNDVI) and narrowband NDVI (nNDVI1). The responses of VIs to vegetation conditions as affected by different SRs offer promise for the use of airborne and satellite remote sensing to map vegetation status and to evaluate the effects of grazing intensities at regional scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Validation of Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) land surface reflectance products is important to effective utilization of such products for earth systems science. Ground-based measurements are normally utilized for such validation. However, the major scale mismatch between the ground ‘point’ measurement and MODIS resolution (500 m and 1 km) makes direct comparison infeasible over many land surface types. In this paper, an indirect comparison between ground ‘point’ measurements and MODIS land surface products via high-resolution remotely sensed imagery (Landsat Thematic Mapper/TM) was utilized in semi-arid grassland of Inner Mongolia in summer 2005, where ground measurements are relatively sparse in comparison with other locations around the world. Within the validation, the TM reflectance imagery was first calibrated by the ground ‘point’ measurements, and then aggregated to MODIS data resolution for determination of their accuracy. Besides common direct spectral band comparison of reflectance between TM and MODIS, empirical/indirect comparison between TM and MODIS was also implemented. Both types of validation showed that the absolute error of bidirectional reflectance from atmospheric correction (MOD09) is less than 9.4%, and for nadir bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF)-adjusted reflectance (MOD43B4) it is less than 3.1%, in which the error of visible bands of two data sets is less than 1.35% and 0.95%, respectively. This validation will help improve the accuracy of MODIS products used in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of China's five autonomous regions, Inner Mongolia has not been highlighted in the international news, and the Mongols have not demonstrated significant political will for greater autonomy in the way the Tibetans and the Uighurs have in recent decades. Why haven't the Mongols mobilized? This paper argues that the Mongols' lack of aspiration for greater autonomy is in part due to the relationship between Inner Mongolia and Mongolia as an independent kin state. The different trajectories of national identity construction in these two places and the perception of better living conditions in Inner Mongolia have made the Inner Mongols less anxious about their current incorporation within the Chinese state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community ecologists and vegetation scientists in grassland research have a strong interest in quantifying biotic communities in detail. However, a satisfactory classification with fine biotic details has been challenged by the coarse resolutions of Landsat images, although they are easily accessible. In this paper, a hybrid fuzzy classifier (HFC) for vegetation classification with Landsat ETM+ imagery on the typical grassland in Xilinhe River Basin, Inner Mongolia, China has been developed. Three vegetation classification systems were created from different aspects: the botanical system (Bio-classes, also as the final mapping units for vegetation cover), the combined botanical and spectral system (Bio-S classes), and the spectral system (Spec-classes). The HFC designed a fuzzy logic to measure the similarity between Spec-classes, extracted by the unsupervised classification, and Bio-S classes, built from the field samples, when considering the spectral variations of samples within the same Bio-class. Then, Bio-S classes, which served as a bridge for assigning Spec-classes to the target Bio-classes, were merged to restore Bio-classes for the final mapping. To assess the classification accuracy, the HFC was compared with a conventional supervised classification (CSC). The overall result of the HFC was much better than that of the CSC, with an accuracy percentage of 80.2% as compared to 69.0% for the CSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a study of endangered plants using remote sensing data. The aim of this study was to investigate and assess spatial distribution changes and temporal coverage changes of the following endangered rare plants: Tetraena mongolica, Helianthemum soongolicum, Reaumuria trigyna, Reaumuria soongorica, Potaninia mongolica, and Ammopiptanthus mongolicus, in the West Ordos Plateau National Conservation Region in Inner Mongolia, China. Using ETM+ (August 1999) remote sensing data, DEM data, and data from 25 field samples collected from Gangdeger Mountain in July 1999, digital maps highlighting endangered plant populations (1994) were processed using the ‘MPH feature extraction method’ to view the current spatial distribution pattern of the endangered plants. The ‘radiometric normalization’ and ‘vegetation change detection’ methods were then used to reveal temporal coverage changes of the endangered plants, using TM (September 1987) and ETM+ (August 1999) data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One new genus Evacuxyela gen. nov., with two new species, Evacuxyela conflata sp. nov. and Evacuxyela hsiaoae sp. nov., is described and illustrated on the basis of two fossils from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of northeastern China. The new genus Evacuxyela gen. nov. is placed in the subfamily Macroxyelinae Ashmead, 1898, tribe Angaridyellini of Xyelidae, mainly based on veins C and R connected by a bridge next to pterostigma. The two new fossil species are similar, but differentiated by degree of expansion for hind femur, sclerotisation of pterostigma and venational details. In addition, the well-preserved spurs and expanded femora of hind legs provide important morphological characters to enhance our understanding of Xyelidae. ZooBank ID (LSID): Evacuxyela: Evacuxyela conflata: Evacuxyela hsiaoae: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monitoring and evaluation of environmental and ecological status in mining area is critical for effective mineral management guidance, and remote sensing is a cost-effective solution for covering a wide spatial area with high temporal frequency. However, the diverse landscape in mining areas presents a challenge for finding a suitable monitoring method. To address this challenge, this study proposes a remote sensing-based comprehensive mining ecological index (CMEI), which integrates vegetation greenness, soil wetness, urban heat, air quality and water quality indicators obtained from Landsat images and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) products. The integration is achieved through a principal component analysis (PCA) to encapsulate various aspects of the environment in opencast mining areas. The proposed CMEI was then applied to assess the performance of an ecological restoration project carried out in the Xilinhot coalfield in Inner Mongolia, China, over the past two decades. Our findings show that the overall ecological environment in the dumping sites and backfilling sites of Xilinhot coalfield has improved from a score of 0.15 in 2005 to 0.33 in 2020, according to the CMEI. Nevertheless, our study also highlights that some newly established dumping sites require further strengthening of management and maintenance measures. The CMEI presents a novel and effective approach for monitoring and evaluating the ecological environment in mining areas, and it can potentially be applied to assess the ecological environment of opencast mining areas globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaborative governance is a promising pattern for grassland governance because the failure of single-subject governance has gradually increased in recent years. To conduct better collaborative governance, it is necessary to specify the roles of the factors that influence grassland collaborative governance. However, there are still few studies that focus on the influencing mechanisms for grassland collaborative governance. To systematically explore the influencing mechanisms, a case study was conducted in 4 banners and counties of Inner Mongolia based on questionnaire surveys and the structural equation model (SEM). The results show that the following three factors all have a positive influence on the collaboration degree (CD): the participation degree of collaborative participants (PDCP), the effectiveness of collaborative leadership (ECL) and the trust degree (TD), and their effects vary. Additionally, TD has a positive mediation effect on the influential paths of PDCP to CD and ECL to CD. Moreover, multigroup analysis shows that both gender and income have significant moderating effects. These findings not only offer a theoretical foundation for the further exploration of the mechanism of collaborative governance but also provide a practical reference for the implementation of collaborative governance in grassland governance and other fields in China and other regions of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have shown that several microRNAs (miRNAs) are specifically expressed in testis, play an essential role in regulating testicular spermatogenesis. Hainan and Mongolian cattle are two representative Chinese native cattle breeds representing Bos indicus (indicine cattle) and Bos taurus (taurine cattle), respectively, which are distributed in hot Hainan and cold Inner Mongolia province. To study the functional differences of miRNA in spermatogenesis between indicine and taurine cattle, six mature testes samples from indicine cattle (n = 3) and taurine cattle (n = 3) were collected, respectively. We detected miRNA expression using small RNA sequencing technology following bioinformatic analysis. A total of 578 known miRNAs and 132 novel miRNAs were detected in the six libraries. Among the 710 miRNAs, 564 miRNAs were expressed in both indicine and taurine cattle, 73 miRNAs were found solely in indicine cattle and 73 miRNAs were found solely in taurine cattle. After further analysis, among the miRNAs were identified in both indicine and taurine cattle, 184 miRNAs were differentially expressed (|log2 fold change| ≥ 1 and corrected p-value <0.05). Among the miRNAs that were only expressed in indicine cattle, 10 miRNAs were differentially expressed, whereas, among the miRNAs that were only expressed in taurine cattle, six miRNAs were differentially expressed. The enrichment analysis result showed that predicted target genes of a total of 200 differentially expressed miRNAs were enriched on some testicular spermatogenesis-related Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, especially mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. These findings identify miRNAs as key factors to regulate spermatogenesis in both indicine and taurine cattle, which may also be helpful for improving cattle reproductive performance in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution history of the Hegenshan Ocean is an important part of studying the evolution of the Xingmeng orogenic belt, but it is still controversial. Here we present an integrated study of petrology, zircon U–Pb geochronology, whole-rock geochemistry, and Sr–Nd isotopes on a series of intrusive rocks from the Baiyinguole area, Xiwuqi, central Inner Mongolia, NE China. Chronological data indicate that the intrusive rocks can be divided into three stages: 326–317, 297–295, and 259–254 Ma. The 326–317-Ma gabbros and diorites belong to the calc-alkaline series, and are characterized by positive whole-rock εNd(t) values (+1.1–+6.7), relatively low La/Ba ratios (0.04–0.10), and high La/Nb ratios (1.82–3.18), indicating that the magma source is from a subduction-modified lithospheric mantle. These samples have arc features owing to the southward subduction of the Hegenshan oceanic crust. The 297–295-Ma granodiorites and monzogranites show positive εNd(t) values (+1.9–+2.4), low 87Sr/86Sri ratios (0.704185–0.705234), and young Nd two-stage model ages (TDM2), which is consistent with typical I-type granites. On various tectonic setting discrimination diagrams, the granodiorites and monzogranites are plotted in the syn-collisional field. The 259–254-Ma syenogranites have low abundances of mafic minerals, low contents of Zr/Hf (18.31–31.35) and Nb/Ta (6.80–11.80) values, high SiO2 (76.36–78.54 wt.%) content, A/CNK (1.08–1.76), and D.I. of 96.8–97.4 (average 97.1), and notable negative Eu anomalies (δEu* = 0.07–0.17) and weakly tetrad-effects in REE pattern, which is affinity to the characteristics of highly differentiated granites. Moreover, they have positive εNd(t) values (+2.0–+2.1) with scattered TDM2 of 730–1217 Ma and low Nb/U ratios. This study suggests that the syenogranites are formed in a post-collisional tectonic setting, which is related to the closure of the Hegenshan Ocean. In addition, based on a review of the pre-existing literature data, a model of southward ridge subduction is proposed to explain the tectonic evolution of the Hegenshan Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of leguminous crops for crop rotation can mitigate the negative effects of continuous cropping on soil health. In this experiment, we designed ten cropping patterns to optimise the rotation effect with different combinations of crop types, planting years, and order in a mainly potato-growing region. A 5-year cycle with three crops, undertaken in Inner Mongolia since 2009, was used to test soil properties and microbial structure. The relative abundance of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) was 32.1% in the cycle oats oats alfalfa alfalfa alfalfa and 22.4% in 5-year mono-cropping of alfalfa, which was higher than that of mono-cropping of potatoes and other crop rotations. Soil moisture was the main factor influencing bacterial and fungal communities. The effect of the type of plant introduced into the rotation on soil was greater than that of the number of years a certain crop was planted in the rotation, and this effect was greater than that of planting order. The findings suggest that the rotation of oats and alfalfa mixed → alfalfa → oats → potatoes → potatoes is a suitable 5-year cycle to maintain biodiversity and better soil physico-chemical properties for sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) contains many microblocks, and their Precambrian basement origin and crustal evolution are disputed. This study focuses on the geochronology of metamorphic complexes from the Shuangsheng area, southeastern Inner Mongolia. Combined with regional geological data, we discuss the tectonic attribution of the metamorphic complexes and provide geochronological evidence for regional crustal evolution and tectonic affinity. From the Shuangsheng area, the Pingandi metamorphic complex and Baolige metamorphic complex are composed of greenschist–amphibolite facies metamorphic intrusive rocks and metamorphic supracrustal rocks, mainly including tremolite rock, chlorite rock, actinolitite (gneissic) plagioamphibolite, actinolitite schist, marble, and feldspar quartzite. Zircon U-Pb geochronology analysis of actinolitite and plagioamphibolite suggests that there were two intermediate-acid magmatic events (2500–2400 Ma and 2050–1980 Ma), one basic magmatic event (1860 Ma), and three metamorphic events (1930–1890 Ma, 1815–1785 Ma and 1740–1730 Ma). Based on comparisons with the regional Precambrian chronological spectrum, geotectonically, Precambrian geological records from the Shuangsheng area should belong to the basement of the Bainaimiao Arc Terrane (BAT). Each segment of the BAT shows consistent Precambrian chronological frameworks, which indicates that the BAT has a unitive Precambrian basement. The basement underwent crustal growth during 3.0–2.4 Ga and 2.1–1.4 Ga and multistage crustal reconstruction between 2.75 and 0.55 Ga, which is different from the crustal evolution of the North China Craton, northeast Gondwana continent, and Tarim Craton. In the early Palaeozoic, the Precambrian material provided varying source contributions to the arc crust of the BAT through crust–mantle interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantification of grassland above-ground biomass (AGB) and grazing intensity (GI) and their distribution in space is of great significance to grassland management and eco-conservation. Remote-sensing technology is widely applied, but it is difficult to measure accurately when monitoring GI. In this study, the neural network, random forest and statistical function models of the relationship between Landsat NDVI and AGB were constructed by field survey and literature data collection in Inner Mongolia grassland, China. By comparing the accuracy among the three models, we constructed a remote-sensing retrieving model of grass AGB. We also estimated the grassland AGB during the peak growing season (August) for Inner Mongolia. Frequency histograms were then made to identify AGB thresholds under four GI levels (light or ungrazed, moderate grazing, overgrazing and extreme grazing) for each of three grassland types (meadow steppe, typical steppe and desert steppe). This study shows that the random forest model simulates grass AGB more accurately than other models. The spatial distribution of AGB in Inner Mongolia grasslands showed a tendency of decreasing from southeast to northwest, with an increasing trend in the last 10 years. The four GI levels in 2021 accounted for 18%, 25%, 36% and 21% of the grasslands in Inner Mongolia, respectively, and over the last 10 years the GI first improved and then deteriorated. This study provides a guideline to remote monitoring for grassland AGB and GI, and supplies scientific support for sustainable management and grassland restoration of large-scale grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 3-year field experiment was conducted to determine the impact of corn residue-derived biochar on soil organic matter (SOM), soil nutrients, corn yield and partial factor productivity of synthetic fertilizer in Hetao Irrigation District, Inner Mongolia of China. Three rates of biochar, 15 (B15), 30 (B30) and 45 (B45) t ha−1, and a non-biochar control (B0) were applied to a corn field one time at the first crop growing season under film-mulched with drip-irrigation. Relative to B0, the B30 led to a significant increase in SOM at top 30 cm soil layer (15.3%) and partial factor productivity of fertilizers (12.8%) as averaged across 3 years. Amendment in B30 also increased the available nutrients in the soil (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), corn yield and economic benefit. In contrast, the first year showed the largest improvements for corn yield and economic benefit for B30, followed by the second year and the third year. The corn grain yield has potentially increased when the SOM and the available phosphorus were increased when compared to the available nitrogen and potassium. A single biochar amendment at the rate of 30 t ha−1 can be adequate for the corn production in 3 years under dry climatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugar beet is a characteristic cash crop in Inner Mongolia, and water and fertilizer is an important management measure in sugar beet planting. The interaction between water and nitrogen is of practical significance in regulating the growth of sugar beet. The coordinated relationship between water and fertilizer can achieve the purpose of water saving, fertilizer saving, cost saving and efficiency increasing. The cultivation method of drip irrigation under plastic mulch was adopted in this study. The effects of water nitrogen supply on water metabolism and photosynthetic performance of sugar beet were studied through two years of field experiments in order to provide theoretical basis for improving the utilization efficiency of water and fertilizer and rational fertilization and irrigation. The results showed that the water nitrogen supply level and its proportion had influence with the water potential, Transpiration rate (Tr), Photosynthetic rate (Pn) and stomatal Conductance (Cond) of sugar beet leaves. And they were significantly positively correlated with the yield of sugar beet. When the water potential of sugar beet leaves was −0.38 ∼ −0.23 MPa in the period of leaf fast growth, root and sugar growth, and −0.45 ∼ −0.38 MPa in the period of sugar accumulation, the yield and sugar content were the highest. Under the coupling condition of water and nitrogen, the irrigation amount of sugar beet was 1350 ∼ 1427 m3·ha−1, and the nitrogen application amount was 150 ∼ 179.22 kg·ha−1. Sugar beet has the highest utilization rate of light energy and yield and sugar content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study intended to investigate the injury severity of animal-vehicle crashes (AVCs) and identify the contributing factors from the perspective of animals. To achieve this objective, Bayesian random parameter probit regression model with endogenous variable was proposed with a case study application on two places in Inner Mongolia, China. First, from the perspective of animals, pooled probit regression model with endogenous variable was presented to address the endogeneity issue. Next, panel data model integrated with probit regression model with endogenous variable was presented in order to accommodate the heterogeneity issue due to unobserved factors within Bayesian framework, and to identify the significant influencing factors of injury severity. Results revealed that the endogenous variable (number of casualty) and vehicle type are significant factors for the animal injury severity. Meanwhile, it is demonstrated that there exists an endogeneity issue between injury severity and the number of casualty; while the panel data model integrated with Bayesian probit regression model accommodates the heterogeneity due to unobserved factors. The findings can contribute to the implementation of more reliable countermeasures to prevent the injury severity from drivers and animals in pastoral areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has announced its goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2060, which will have a profound impact on its energy and economic systems. During this process, the power sector will play a key role in helping the country on its road towards carbon neutrality. This study develops a multi-regional power dispatch and capacity expansion model to combine long-term capacity expansion with short-term power dispatch. The model is built to optimise the carbon-neutral transition pathway from the perspective of economics, focussing on power system stability and reliability under high penetrations of renewables. Using the case study of North China, the cost-effective methods for power system transitions under the targets of reaching peak emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 are discussed under different scenarios. We find that the future power supply system will rely heavily on renewable energy which will account for more than 89% of power generation. Inner Mongolia will produce more than 84% of power in the North China region. The inter-regional power transmission capacity will be five times higher than its current level. Policy choices will lead to different transition pathways as the early-stage installation decisions will have a lock-in effect on the following carbon emission reduction strategies and determine the importance of technologies adopted in achieving carbon neutrality. Although the transition to a low-carbon economy will result in an increase in cost by 17–19%, it will bring huge climate benefits to the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The group referred to informally as the corystosperms, described initially based on compression fossils from the Triassic of Gondwana, have long been considered critical extinct plants for understanding seed plant phylogeny, the evolution of seed plant reproductive structures and the relationships of angiosperms. Here we describe a new genus and species of corystosperm seed-bearing structure, Jarudia zhoui gen. et sp. nov., based on abundant silicified material collected from the newly discovered chert in the Early Cretaceous Huolinhe Formation of eastern Inner Mongolia, north-eastern China. Jarudia zhoui is a lax seed cone consisting of a flexible central axis bearing deciduous, helically arranged, lateral seed-bearing units. Individual seed-bearing units consist of an elongate bract partially fused to an unbranched cupule stalk that bears a single, reflexed cupule apically. Each cupule is formed by the strongly reflexed cupule stalk and one median and two lateral flaps. The cupule stalk supplied by two vascular bundles and three unvascularized flaps partially enclose two three-angled seeds. Jarudia zhoui bears a striking resemblance to Doylea tetrahedrasperma from the Early Cretaceous of Canada and similar plants from the Early Cretaceous of Mongolia. There are also strong similarities with ovulate structures of Umkomasia from the Triassic of Gondwana in the structure and anatomy of individual cupules, their axial nature, and the architecture of the entire seed-bearing structure that has two orders of branching. New information from Jarudia zhoui, together with information on other corystosperm ovulate organs from the Northern Hemisphere, significantly expands our understanding of this key group of extinct plants, suggests that the cupules of the Early Cretaceous and Triassic corystosperms are homologous, and raises critical questions about the definition and phylogenetic circumscription of the corystosperms, including how Early Cretaceous and Triassic corystosperms are related to each other and to other groups of seed plants, including angiosperms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new genus and species of middle size bunodont artiodactyl (Mammalia), Erlianhyus primitivus, is established based on a partial maxilla with P3–M3 from the lower middle Eocene Irdin Manha Formation, Erlian Basin, Nei Mongol, China. Erlianhyus is characterised by a low tooth crown, bunodont cusps, a protocone smaller and lower than the paracone on P4, a large metaconule, reduced paraconule, no hypocone and styles on M1–3, and weak crista between the main cones on the upper cheek teeth. Erlianhyus is more similar in dental morphology to the Asian Myanmarius, Myaingtherium and Siamotherium rather than to other artiodactyls. Our cladistics analysis shows that Erlianhyus is positioned outside of the anthracotheriid-suoid-dichobunoid clade and is located more basally within the Artiodactyla, so now it is not referred to any known family or superfamily in artiodactyls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a numerical model for river ice dynamics (DEMRICE) based on the discrete element method is developed. The ice dynamic component of this model considers moving surface ice floes as discrete elements. It uses a three-dimensional dilated polyhedral discrete element method to resolve contact and external forces on individual ice floes. The hydrodynamic component uses a streamline upwind Petrov–Galerkin (SUPG) finite-element method to solve the two-dimensional unsteady hydraulic equations. The model is validated with the analytical solution for equilibrium ice jams and the DynaRICE model. The ice jam evolution in a straight rectangular channel and the corresponding flow condition changes are simulated and discussed. Finally, the model is applied to simulate the ice transport and cover development in a reach of the Yellow River near Shisifenzi, Inner Mongolia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We name a rare, hypercarnivorous and durophagous mustelid Sonitictis moralesi, new genus and species, in honour of Jorge Morales for his contributions to carnivore palaeontology. Sonitictis moralesi is from the middle Miocene Tunggur Formation of Inner Mongolia, China (Tunggurian Land Mammal age). S. moralesi has a short and robust jaw that deepens slightly behind the m1 and possesses a shallow groove at its ventral surface. Dentally, it has robust premolars and highly hypercarnivorous m1 that has lost the metaconid and a trenchant talonid. Known by three jaw fragments, knowledge of this new mustelid is still poor and its relationship uncertain. However, based on its possession of a ventral groove, robust premolars and hypercarnivorous first molar, we tentatively place it in the subfamily Mellivorinae, which includes modern Mellivora capensis (honey badger) and extinct species of Eomellivora, plus others. We conducted mandibular force profile analyses on one S. moralesi specimen and compared bite force estimates to several specimens of E. piveteaui, E. wimani and M. capensis. The results suggest that Sonitictis likely was a more capable predator and consumer of vertebrate prey than the extant Mellivora, reaching the low end of the bite force estimates for the larger and more robust Eomellivora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brachyericinae is a subfamily of Erinaceidae (hedgehogs and moonrats) with a very short history and limited distribution. Fossil records of brachyericines, with rare materials, were confined to the Oligocene and early Miocene in Central Asia and to the Miocene in North America. Here, we report three forms of short-faced hedgehogs: Synexallerix junggarensis, Brachyericinae gen. et sp. indet. 1 and Brachyericinae gen. et sp. indet. 2 from Aoerban and Gashunyin Adege, localities of the early Miocene in Central Nei Mongol. S. junggarensis is the first discovery outside the Suosuoquan Formation in Xinjiang and detailed description of the new materials, including a nearly complete skull, clarifies its taxonomic position within the Brachyericinae. The new Nei Mongol material is important not only because they include a nearly complete skull of S. junggarensis (previously known by a rostral part of the skull) but also because of the presence of three taxa of the brachyericines from the same general area. The similarity of its morphological characteristics with the North American genera also further confirms the close affinities of brachyericines from the two continents during the early Miocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review data for the Tuva–Mongolia Massif and show that this massif was not derived from the Siberian Craton. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Enclosure is an effective strategy for enhancing soil carbon sequestration in the desert steppe. Soil organic carbon (SOC) and its stock during changes in the plant community influence soil fertility and the global carbon cycle. We studied changes in SOC and its stock along with six plant community types in the desert steppe of Inner Mongolia, northern China. The goal of this study was to explore differences in SOC and its stock among plant communities while accounting for the effects of environmental factors. We collected 336 soil samples at four soil depths (0–5 cm, 5–10 cm, 10–20 cm, and 20–30 cm) and vegetation attributes from 84 plots in the enclosure. The results revealed that plant community type and soil depth were the most influential factors for root biomass, SOC, and SOC stock. Total root biomass varied from 229.21 to 731.71 g·m−2 and was ranked as follows: Koeleria cristata > Leymus chinensis > Stipa krylovii >Allium mongolicum >Stipa breviflora > Convolvulus ammannii. Mean SOC and its stock of soils associated with K. cristata were 1.94 and 1.62 times higher than that measured for C. ammannii soils, respectively. Root biomass, SOC, and its stock gradually decreased with soil depth. Stratification ratios (SRs) of SOC increased with soil depth for different plant communities and showed better soil quality (except C. ammannii and A. mongolicum). Results from redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that root biomass, clay, coverage, and litter biomass had significant impacts on SOC and SOC stock. We conclude that the plant community had the greatest effect on improving SOC stock after enclosure, and plant root biomass contributed the most to SOC stock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetranychus huhhotensis n. sp. and T. zeae n. sp. are described and illustrated from corn leaves in Inner Mongolia. Tetranychus huhhotensis n. sp., assigned to Flechtmann and Knihinicki's Group 4 of Tetranychus, can be separated from its allied species by having the aedeagal knob with dorsal surface distinctly emarginate centrally. Tetranychus zeae n. sp. is distinctive in Group 9 of this genus in that the aedeagal knob is minute, with anterior projection practically absent and posterior projection conspicuous, acute. Summer females of the two new species are pale greenish-yellow, while their diapausing females are pale-orange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinization is one of the main problems hindering the agricultural development in the arid and semi-arid regions. However, many previous studies of soil salinization monitoring failed to consider the impact of irrigation on soil salinity. To explore such impact, we used a UAV with a portable spectrometer to monitor the dynamic change of soil salinity before and after spring irrigation. In this study, 120 soil samples at the surface (0–10 cm) were taken in Shahaoqu Irrigation Area, Inner Mongolia, China, in mid-April (before spring irrigation) and mid-June (after spring irrigation), and the images of the four study zones A, B, C and D in this area were obtained from the UAV system. Based on these images, 25 spectral covariates (6 spectral bands, 16 spectral indices, and 3 two-dimensional indices) were calculated. Then, the sensitive spectral covariates were selected with such different variable selection methods as variable importance in projection (VIP), competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS), and genetic algorithm (GA). Finally, Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and BP neural network algorithm (BPNN) was used to establish models for soil salinity inversion, based on which salinity maps of the study area were plotted. The results showed that the soil salinity of the study zone A (covered with vegetation) increased while that of the other three zones decreased after the spring irrigation. The general tendency was: the higher the original soil salinity was, the more obvious decrease the soil salinity had after the irrigation. All the three variable selection methods improved the inversion model accuracy, but the GA-BPNN model had the best performance (RP2 = 0.78, RMSEP = 0.16, and RPD = 2.13 before spring irrigation; and RP2 = 0.80, RMSEP = 0.14, and RPD = 2.26 after spring irrigation). It indicated that relatively accurate regional salinity maps could be plotted based on the spectral indices selected by GA and the salinity inversion model built on BPNN. These results have certain reference for soil salinization monitoring and farmland irrigation using UAV multispectral remote sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Wuda Tuff Flora from the Taiyuan Formation of Inner Mongolia is a palaeobotanical lagerstätte that is key to our current understanding of the composition and ecology of the earliest Permian Cathaysian floras. We investigate an anatomically preserved axis that represents an additional plant family recorded in this flora and considers its palaeobiogeographical implications. The specimen possesses an ω-shaped vascular strand and has features that conform to the botryopterid fern Botryopteris. Comparisons indicate greatest similarity with Botryopteris scottii from the Pennsylvanian of England but due to limited information we assign it to Botryopteris cf. scottii. The new finding represents the earliest stratigraphic occurrence of botryopterids in the Cathaysian floras. Alongside Botryopteris tridentata and Botryopteris cf. forensis in slightly younger Cisuralian strata from China, it demonstrates migration of closely related species from the Pennsylvanian wetlands of Euramerica into the Permian wetlands of Cathaysia. Together with unexpectedly early stratigraphic occurrences of the 'Methuselah taxa' Yuania, Gigantonoclea and Autunia in the roof shale flora of the coal seam overlying the Wuda Tuff Flora, B. cf. scottii adds to a growing body of evidence that records significant floral interchange and migration from different ecological settings in the Cathaysian and Euramerican floras by the earliest Permian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schlosseria magister, Breviodon? minutus and Lophialetes expeditus are dominant species in the family of Lophialetidae, an extinct group of tapiroids widely distributed in the Eocene sediments of Asia. In this study, we provide insight into the paleodiet and palaeoecology of these Eocene lophialetids via microwear analysis of fossil teeth (N = 132) from Huheboerhe area, Erlian Basin, China. The results suggest that L. expeditus was likely a mixed feeder consuming substantial grit and a small amount of fruit during feeding, while Breviodon? minutus was a browser with fruit and/or seeds incorporated into its dietary regime. The dietary preference of S. magister shifted towards more abrasive diets over time (from browsers to mixed feeders). This dietary shift is probably correlated to the decreasing trend in global temperatures following the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum which likely led to the changes of terrestrial vegetation and environment in the Huheboerhe area during that time interval. Combining the microwear analysis and other evidence (mesowear, stable carbon isotope and the fossil record), the landscape of the early-middle Eocene Erlian Basin was probably becoming more arid and/or open over time and a mixed habitat, which included forest, woodland and shrubland, was most likely present in the middle. Eocene Erlian Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many surface coal mines located in Inner Mongolia, which has dry and scarce topsoil, and the selection of topsoil alternatives is key to coal-mined land reclamation. This study used the largest surface coal mine in the Holonbuyr grassland as the experimental site. The soil of layer II (loess) and layer III (mild clay) under the local topsoil, which has a high clay content and good texture, has the potential to be a substitute for topsoil. To reduce its viscosity and improve its nutrients, soil amendments mixed with organic matter, such as corn stalk and sheep and cattle manure and microbial agents, were added to four mixed substrates with different formulas. Twelve topsoil alternatives were produced and compared for further research. The results show that (1) by mixing a variety of substrates, topsoil alternatives can fully meet the alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) growth requirement. (2) The addition of exogenous organic matter and microbial agents could significantly increase the nutrient content and the number of microorganisms in the soil, thereby increasing the plant height of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and the average dry mass of the aboveground and underground parts [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Linxi Formation is widely deposited in eastern Inner Mongolia (NE China), especially along northern parts of the Solonker-Xar Moron Suture (SXMS) in the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt, yet its depositional age and provenance remain ambiguous. We studied the petrography, geochronology, and Hf isotopes of two sandstone samples from this formation, and estimated the depositional age and the provenance of the Linxi Formation, and further constrained the evolution of the Paleo-Asian Ocean (PAO). Based on detailed field observations and measurements, we. Zircons from rocks of the Linxi Formation are mainly composed of detrital zircons of magmatic origin. The determined ages of detrital zircons range from 233 ± 2 Ma to 1365 ± 14 Ma, and indicate that the provenance of the Linxi Formation experienced at least four tectonic-thermal events between 1365 and 233 Ma: Neoproterozoic (ca. 1365–543 Ma), Early Palaeozoic (ca. 512–426 Ma), Late Palaeozoic (ca. 418–251 Ma), and Early Mesozoic (ca. 249–233 Ma). The youngest detrital zircon, with a U-Pb age of 233 ± 2 Ma, defines the maximum depositional age of the Linxi Formation. The εHf (t) values of dated zircons from the sandstone samples have a large range (−7.8–15.0). The four dominant age groups and the range in εHf (t) values are widely found in the Xing'an Block and Songnen-Zhangguangcai Range, which imply that the source of the Linxi Formation had an affinity with northeastern China. These data together with previous geochronological data (from west to east along the SXMS) on the crystallization and depositional ages of detrital zircon suggest that the Linxi Formation was deposited in different tectonic settings: convergent, collisional, and extensional. This study provides further evidence and constraints for the non-synchronous closure of the PAO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chroniosuchians were the only clade of non-amniotic reptiliomorphs that survived into the Triassic. Recent discoveries have increased their species and anatomical diversity and expanded their distribution in time and space. Most species were represented only by osteoderms, and complete or articulated remains are rare. Here we report a partial skull with a mandible and associated postcranial skeleton from the Naobaogou Formation in the Daqingshan, Nei Mongol, China. It is referred to Laosuchus based on the absence of a preorbital fenestra, the presence of a well-developed transverse flange of the pterygoid that contacts the maxilla, an internal crest on and above the dorsal side of the palate (vomer, ectopterygoid and pterygoid), a shallow otic notch formed by the tabular horn and the posterior part of the squamosal, a thin and high ventromedial ridge on the parasphenoid; the surangular dorsal surface forming a fossa for the insertion of the external adductors, the maxilla and quadratojugal separated by the jugal, and a jugal with a ventral (alary) process bordering the subtemporal fenestra. A new species, L. hun, is established based on its palatal dentition that is reduced, with but a few denticles on the vomer and pterygoid, and an irregular posterior cheek margin. Laosuchus can be referred to Chroniosuchidae based on cranial features, and the divergence of the Chroniosuchidae and Bystrowianidae is confirmed in this study. New findings reinforce the hypothesis of the migration route from North China to Laos in the late Permian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]