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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]

Devonian cutinitic liptobiolith is a special cuticle-rich coal formed during the early stage of land plant evolution. In China, this special coal has previously only been reported in the Yangtze area, with the Luquan Devonian cutinitic liptobiolith of Yunnan Province being the most well-known. Recently, this type of coal was first discovered in the Bulonggoer Sag, to the northwest of the Junggar Basin, NW Xinjiang. Its geological age is regarded as the Givetian period of the late Middle Devonian, which is equivalent to the age of the Luquan Devonian coal. The cutinitic liptobiolith from NW Xinjiang has a distinct sheet-like texture resembling a stack of paper or leaf sheets in appearance, and so it is commonly called "paper coal" or "leaf coal". Ribbon-like cutinite (thick-walled type) is the most abundant maceral in the coal (>60% and up to 80%, on a mineral-free basis), followed by ribbon-like collotelinite. The NW Xinjiang and Luquan cutinitic liptobioliths share similar maceral compositions; while their coal-forming plants and depositional conditions are distinct. The NW Xinjiang cutinitic liptobiolith was deposited in a regional fluvial or flood plain condition, with lycopsids as the dominant coal-forming plants. In contrast, the Luquan cutinitic liptobiolith formed in a coastal-lagoon environment, with primitive ferns as the predominant coal-forming plants, followed by lycopsids. The saturated fractions of the NW Xinjiang and Luquan liptobioliths are mainly composed of tetracyclic diterpanes. However, the tetracyclic diterpane compositions in the NW Xinjiang cutinitic liptobiolith are distinct from those in the Luquan Devonian coal: The former is dominated by atisanes and the latter is mainly composed of phyllocladanes. Different coal-forming plants may have contributed to the distinct tetracyclic diterpane compositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yunnan Province of China is located in the southwest frontier, with high altitude, fragile geological environment, uneven spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall, and more localized rainfall and landslide geological hazards caused by rainfall are extremely common. Therefore, based on saturated–unsaturated seepage theory, it is of great engineering significance to deeply study the change law of internal seepage of slopes under different rainfall conditions and the influence of dynamic seepage on slope stability. In this paper, based on the saturated–unsaturated seepage theory, the soil–water characteristic curve and unsaturated permeability coefficient prediction model are determined, and GEO-Studio finite element software is used to explore the changes of seepage field, stress field, displacement field, and stability coefficient of the slope under different rainfall conditions from the perspectives of seepage mechanics and rock mechanics, and to reveal the changes of unsaturated soil The mechanical response mechanism of unsaturated soil slopes in the process of dynamic seepage and the influence of seepage on the stability of slopes. The results show that: (1) the volumetric water content and saturation of the shallow soil will increase rapidly when the unsaturated soil slope is affected by rainfall, and the pore water pressure, maximum shear stress, and total displacement in the corresponding area will increase with the increase of rainfall time; (2) the stability of the slope is closely related to the rainfall time, and the longer the rainfall time, the lower the stability coefficient. At the same time, it provides theoretical support for the study of similar landslide mechanisms and prevention engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pu'er tea is a Yunnan geographical indication product, and its brand value ranks first in China. At present, qualitative and quantitative methods with low prediction accuracy are used to predict price. In this paper, based on the current situation and industry characteristics, a differential autoregressive integrated moving average model (ARIMA) is used to predict the short-term price. From the perspective of macro and micro, back-propagation neural network model (BP) was established to predict the long-term price based on the weight ranking of 16 factors affecting the price by technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution method (TOPSIS). The future price is predicted and analyzed, and then based on the empirical results, suggestions are put forward for the industry in terms of reducing production capacity, increasing consumer demand and combining with the publicity and promotion of Internet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is of great significance to accurately grasp ground-level ozone concentration on a wide scale in order to cope with the increasingly serious ground-level ozone pollution problem. Currently, satellite technology can be used to monitor ground-level ozone concentration on a wide scale, but there is the problem of insufficient spatial resolution. The use of ground monitoring stations to detect ground-level ozone concentration can obtain more accurate ozone concentration around the station, but there are problems of limited number of stations and sparse distribution. Therefore, it is still a challenge to accurately grasp the ground-level ozone concentration at a large scale and high spatial resolution. To address this issue, this paper proposes a ground-level ozone concentration inversion algorithm based on deep learning methods, incorporating data from remote sensing satellites, ground monitoring stations, meteorological conditions, geography, and land use. Taking Yunnan Province in China as the experimental region and utilizing five-fold cross-validation, the model's Mean Square Error (MSE) reached 340.45 and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) reached 18.45. Compared to machine learning models, the error decreased by 14.53%, outperforming Random Forest models, Convolution Neural Networks, and Vision Transformers. This study offers a referential approach for accurately capturing ground-level ozone concentrations at a large scale with high spatial resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yilong Lake is the southernmost plateau freshwater lake in China. The health of its watershed ecosystem is of special strategic significance to maintain the ecological security and ensure the sustainable development of regional economy and society. This paper analyzed the characteristics of landscape type in Yilong Lake Basin of 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2018 and discussed the impact of landscape pattern type changes and its effect on ecosystem services values (ESV). The results showed that: (1) The landscape types of Yilong Lake are mainly forest land and the largest dynamic degree of comprehensive 1andscape type in the six stages is 2010–2015 and the smallest is 2015–2018. (2) Spatially, the most frequent conversion was arbor forest land, which turned to shrub forest land and garden land. The rapid expansion of construction land and transportation land were turned by cultivated land area. (3) Temporally, from 1990 to 2018, the total ESV also increases year by year, and the regional distribution of high ESV is consistent with the distribution of water areas and gardens. The comprehensive analysis shows that the implementation of governance projects such as ecological protection and governance of Yilong Lake surface mountain are conducive to increase the landscape types and the total ESV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gejiu ore district (~ 3.2 Mt Sn) is located in eastern Yunnan Province, southwest China, and is one of the largest Sn polymetallic ore districts in the world. Athough it has been widely studied, the petrogenesis of ore-related granites is still unclear. In this paper, we present petrological, geochemical, and geochronological data on the granites associated with the Kafang Cu–Sn deposit in the Gejiu ore district (65 Mt Cu ore at a grade of 1.2% and 32 Mt Sn ore at a grade of 0.6%). We use these data to constrain the source, evolution, oxygen fugacity, and tectonic setting of the granitic magmatism. Zircon U–Pb dating yielded an age of 82.8 ± 0.6 Ma for the Kafang granite. The high zircon δ18O values (7.45–9.74‰; mean = 8.80‰) and narrow range of εNd(t) values (–9.0 to –7.7) of the Kafang granite indicate a highly evolved S-type granite derived by partial melting of metamorphic basement rocks of the Jiangnan orogenic belt. Rayleigh fractional crystallization modeling, along with the increase in Hf and Sn contents and decrease in Eu/Eu* values of zircons, record extensive fractional crystallization, and Sn enrichment during magmatic evolution. The Kafang granite was relatively reduced, as evidenced by low zircon Ce/Ce* (10.0–366; mean = 171), (Ce/Nd)N (0.76–8.32; mean = 4.41), △FMQ (–2.5 to 1.2) values, and Fe3+-depleted biotite compositions (Fe3+/(Fe3+ + Fe2+) = 0–0.10), which were favorable for Sn mineralization but not for Cu mineralization. Copper in the Kafang deposit may not have been derived from the granite. Our results suggest that biotite and zircon geochemical compositions, particularly biotite Mg# and A/CNK values and zircon Hf contents, Eu anomalies, and Ce/Ce* and (Ce/Nd)N ratios, are robust tracers of different types of magmatic-hydrothermal ore deposits (i.e., Cu, Mo, W, and Sn). Late Cretaceous magmatism in the Gejiu region and other areas along the southern margin of South China formed an E–W-trending igneous belt that was likely related to northward subduction of the Neo-Tethyan plate rather than northwestward subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rock joints in faulted zones are usually filled with large amounts of fault gouge, in which clay-rich fillings are very common. Fault water can significantly influence the mechanical parameters of clay-rich fillings and affect the shear mechanical behaviour of rock joints. Based on a tunnelling project passing through a faulted zone in Yunnan Province of China, this paper investigates the mechanical behaviour of rock joints with clay-rich fillings. A series of direct shear tests are conducted on rock joint samples made from rock blocks and fillings collected from a fault zone. The shear stress‒displacement curves and shear failure characteristics of rock joints are obtained, and several key factors of the fillings are considered, such as particle size, mineral composition, clay content, and water content. Furthermore, the peak and residual shear strengths are analysed by considering the influence of the water content and normal loading pressure. The test results show that water content of fillings has a great influence on shear strength of clay-filling rock joints; there is a trend to a negative correlation between the shear strength of rock joints when water content (w) exceeds the plastic limit (wp). Finally, a shear strength model for rock joints with clay-rich fillings is proposed based on the JRC-JCS strength criterion. Influence of water content on the shear strength of rock joints with clay-rich fillings is studied. A series of direct shear tests are conducted on rock joint samples based on a tunnelling project. The shear stress–displacement curves of rock joints with clay-rich filling are obtained. A shear strength weakening model of clay-filled joints is proposed. Highlights: Influence of water content on the shear strength of rock joints with clay-rich fillings is studied. A series of direct shear tests are conducted on rock joint samples based on a tunnelling project. The shear stress-displacement curves of rock joints with clay-rich filling are obtained. A shear strength weakening model of clay-filled joints is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to give full play to the alkaline neutralization value of carbide slag and reduce the environmental hazards of carbide slag, it is of great practical significance to study the resource utilization of carbide slag. The adsorption of sulfur compounds on carbide slag was studied in the laboratory, and the process parameters of carbide slag desulfurization were explored and optimized. The specific surface area, pore distribution, and other physicochemical parameters were analyzed by XRD and SEM, which explained the changes of products and carbide slag before and after desulfurization. The test results show that carbide slag and limestone have almost the same desulfurization effect. The kinetics of carbide slag desulfurization process conforms to pseudo-first-order kinetics, and the sulfur content of calcium carbide slag reaches to 1000 mgSO2·g−1. A project demonstration was carried out in the gold smelting Tielu Plant of Zhenyuan Huashuo Precious Metals Development Co., Ltd., in Yunnan. The results of the 2-year demonstration project showed that the desulphurization efficiency of the four-stage series desulphurization tower exceeds 95%. The concentration of sulfur dioxide in the discharged flue gas is reduced to less than 20 mg·m−3, which meets the requirements of ultra-low emission standard in China. Therefore, whether from theoretical research or engineering practice analysis, it is feasible to replace limestone with calcium carbide slag for flue gas desulfurization. The paper also discusses the problems existing in the demonstration project, and provides a new idea of "using waste to treat waste" in order to solve the problem of carbide slag disposal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslide susceptibility analysis based on the strong ability of data mining of Geographic Information System (GIS) has become a hot topic in international landslide research. This paper used optimized decision tree and GIS databases to analyze the sensitivity in the northwest mountain areas of Yunnan province of China, and then discussed the formation mechanism of the landslide happened in the area. The translational landslide located in the area with an average gradient less than or equal to 28.7° was reclassified as a higher level 3 sensitive area than before according to the normalized different fault index (NDFI). The results showed that the data mining based on GIS 3D space–time information database can help to find the unique topography, geology hydrology and the other typical spatial information of some special typed of landslides such as translational landslides, thus it can illustrate the relationship between the landslides and their sensitivity factors. The improved landslide susceptibility analysis will provide a new method for identifying the genetic mechanism of landslide, and play an important role in the government regional planning and disaster prevention measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interregional migration has broad and far-reaching impacts on regional urbanization process in ethnic minority areas of Southwest China. The previous literature of interregional migration paid less attention on the ethnic minority areas with fragile geographical feature and marginal socio-economic context in the developing world due to the dearth of reliable data. Based on the 2015 national 1% population sampling survey at the village/community scale, taking Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, Yunnan Province, China as the case study, this paper analyzed the spatial differentiation pattern. The results showed that: (1) migration in Yulong Naxi Autonomous County exhibited obvious spatial differentiation characteristics in terms of population aggregation, population loss, migration direction, and migration activity; (2) the overall spatial differentiation of migration exhibited a "layer + sector" pattern in Yulong Naxi Autonomous County: the first layer was active areas with net inflows (< 20 km from the seat of the county government), the second layer was inactive areas (within 20–60 km of the seat of the county government), and the third layer was a mixed "layer + sector" zone (> 60 km to the seat of the county government), comprised of inactive areas and active areas with net outflows; (3) the spatial differentiation pattern of migration was highly correlated with the regional contexts including the regional economic development, regional transportation accessibility and regional social development, while regional physical geographical factors had insignificant relationships with the migration pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nickel (Ni) in small plateau lake sediments plays an important role in influencing the quality of lake ecosystems with a high degree of endemism and toxicity. This paper focuses on the spatial distribution and ecological risks of nickel in the sediments of Jianhu Lake, a small plateau lake in China, and the influence of pH and total organic carbon (TOC) on nickel concentrations. The results showed that average total nickel concentrations were 138.99 ± 57.57 mg/kg (n = 38) and 184.31 ± 92.12 mg/kg (n = 60) in surface sediments (0–10 cm top layer) and sediment cores (0–75 cm depth), respectively, and that the residual fraction was the main form of nickel. Simultaneously, through a semivariogram model, strong spatial dependence among pH, TOC, and the oxidizable fraction was revealed, whereas total nickel, exchangeable and the weak acid soluble fraction, reducible fraction, and residual fraction showed moderate spatial dependence. The vertical distribution revealed that nickel accumulated mainly in the bottom 5 cm (70-75 cm) of the sediment layer and that the pH was higher there, whereas TOC was concentrated mainly in the top 5 cm of sediment. Using geoaccumulation and a potential ecological risk index, moderate nickel pollution and moderate risk levels were found in most surface sediments, but moderate nickel pollution and high risk levels were observed in most sediment cores. In addition, pH and TOC were found to have a strong effect on the distribution and concentration of nickel and its fractions in the small plateau lake. In summary, nickel posed a certain degree of pollution and ecological risk, which deserves attention in the sediments of small plateau lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Ms 6.5 earthquake shocked the Ludian County, Yunnan Province, China, on 3 August 2014 and triggered the Hongshiyan landslide dam. The dam, with a height of 83 m and a lake capacity of 260 × 10 m, threatened more than 10,000 people. A unique feature of this landslide dam was that it formed between a man-made dam and a hydropower plant. An existing drainage tunnel connecting the lake and the hydropower plant became a natural drainage conduit for the landslide dam, which played an important role in the mitigation of the landslide dam risks. This paper reports a quantitative risk assessment for the Hongshiyan landslide dam considering both engineering and non-engineering risk mitigation measures. The risk assessment is divided into three stages according to the implementation of two engineering measures: construction of a diversion channel and excavation of a branch drainage tunnel. The dam breaching hydrographs, flood zones, population at risk, and likely fatalities in each of the three stages are analysed. The optimum evacuation strategy in each stage is also studied based on the principle of minimum total consequence. It is found that the diversion channel decreases the dam breaching peak discharge and the associated risks significantly. The branch drainage tunnel prevent the landslide dam from overtopping failure in non-flooded period; however, the landslide dam may fail by overtopping in a future flood if the inflow rate is larger than the outflow rate through the drainage tunnels, resulting in serious losses of lives and properties. The dam breaching risks in all the three stages could be largely reduced by the optimal evacuation decision, which shows that timely evacuation is vital to save life and properties. The study provides a scientific basis for decision making in landslide dam risk management. [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]

The Longbohe Cu deposit, which is located in the southern part of the Honghe ore-forming zone, Yunnan Province, China, belongs to a typical ore field where volcanic rocks are of wide distribution and are associated with Cu mineralization in time and space. The volcanic rocks in the ore field, which have experienced varying degree of alteration or regional metamorphism, can be divided into three types, i.e., meta-andesite, meta-subvolcanic rock and meta-basic volcanic rock in accordance with their mineral asemblages. These three types of volcanic rocks in the ore field are relatively rich in Na and the main samples plot in the area of alkali basalts in the geochemical classification diagram. With the exception of very few elements, these three types of volcanic rocks are similar in the content of trace elements. In comparison to the basalts of different tectonic settings, the meta-volcanic rocks in the ore field are rich in high field strength elements (HFSE) such as Th, Nb, etc. and depleted in large ion lithophile elements (LILE) such as Sr, Ba, etc. and their primary mantle-normalized trace element patterns show remarkable negative Th and Nb anomalies and negative Sr and Ba anomalies. These three types of volcanic rocks are similar in REE content range and chondrite-normalized REE patterns with the exception of Eu anomaly. Various lines of evidence show that these three types of volcanic rocks in the ore field have the same source but are the products of different stages of magmatic evolution, their original magma is a product of partial melting of the metasomatically enriched mantle in the tensional tectonic setting within the continent plate, and the crystallization differentiation plays an important role in the process of magmatic evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reveal the petrological characteristics, metamorphic evolution history and tectonic setting of the pelitic granulites from Ailaoshan Orogen, West Yunnan, China, a comprehensive study in mineral chemistry, petrogeochemistry and geochronology studies is presented in this paper. Two metamorphic stages of the granulites can be established: (1) the peak metamorphism recorded by the mineral assemblage of garnet, kyanite, K-feldspar and rutile, and the initial retrograde metamorphism shown by the mineral assemblage of garnet, sillimanite, sapphirine, spinel, K-feldspar, plagioclase and biotite; (2) the superimposed metamorphism recorded by the mineral assemblage of biotite, muscovite, plagioclase, quartz and ilmenite. Zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating indicates that the protolith of the granulite was deposited after 337 Ma. The initial retrograde metamorphism occurred at P-T conditions of 8.6–12 kbar at 850–920 ºC estimated by mineral assemblages, the low pressure limit of kyanite stability and GBPQ geothermobarometer in Indosinian (about 235 Ma), and the late superimposed metamorphism occurred at the P-T condition of 3.5–3.9 kbar at 572–576 ºC estimated by GBPQ geothermobarometer since 33 Ma. The first stage was related to the amalgamation of the South China and Indochina blocks during the Triassic, and the second stage was possibly related with the large scale sinistral slip-shearing since the Oligocene. It is inferred that the upper continental crust was subducted/underthrusted to the lower continental crust (deeper than 30 km) and underwent granulite-facies metamorphism and then quickly exhumed to the middle-upper crust (10–12 km) and initial retrograde metamorphism occurred due to the collision of the Indochina and South China blocks during Indosinian, which was followed by superimposition of the second stage of metamorphism since the Oligocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a methodology for landslide susceptibility assessment at a regional scale in Yunnan, southwestern province of China. A landslide inventory map including 3,242 landslide points was prepared for the study area. Five factors recognized as correlated to landslide (namely, lithology, relative relief, tectonic fault density, rainfall, and road density) were analyzed and mapped in geographic information system. An index expressing the correlation between each factor and landslides [called class landslide susceptibility index (CLSI)] was proposed in the study. While analyzing landslide distribution in a large area, point aggregation might be expected. To quantify the uncertainty caused by aggregation, class landslide aggregation index was proposed. To account for the importance of each of the factors in the landslide susceptibility assessment, some weights were calculated by means of analytic hierarchy process. We propose a weighted class landslide susceptibility model (WCLSM), obtained by the combination of CLSI values of each factor with the correspondent weight. WCLSM performance in the study area was evaluated comparing the results obtained by first modeling all landslides and then by performing a time partition. The model was run including only landslides that occurred before 2009 and then validated with respect to landslides that occurred after 2009. The prediction-rate curve shows that the WCLSM model provides a good prediction for the study area. Of the study area, 21.4 % shows very high and high susceptibility and includes the 87.7 % of the number of landslides that occurred after 2009. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yangla Cu skarn deposit is located in the central part of the Jinshajiang Suture Zone, southwest China, with a total reserve of 150 Mt Cu @ 1.03%. The newly discovered antimony orebodies at the depth of Yangla are strictly controlled by the stratum, structure, and lithology, which are lenticular and vein-like within the marble fracture zone, which can provide a window into multistage mineralization and ore genesis at Yangla. Mineralization can be divided into three types, Cu–Pb–Zn (skarn) pyrite, galena, and sphalerite, Cu (porphyry) chalcopyrite and pyrite, and Sb (hydrothermal) stibnite and pyrite. The mineral assemblages were stibnite + pyrite + calcite + quartz ± minor scheelite in antimony ores. This study presents quantitative measurements of the trace element compositions of pyrite and stibnite from the Yangla antimony ores. Analysis of pyrite with electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) showed enrichment in Co, Ni, Sb, As, and Mo, and deficit in its S and Fe contents when compared to the stoichiometric concentrations of S and Fe in pyrite. The Sb-related pyrite may belong to sedimentary-reworked genesis and may be modified by hydrothermal fluids, thereby presenting a certain difference (i.e., crystal morphology, texture, and chemical composition) compared to the skarn and porphyry Cu-related pyrite in the Yangla Cu skarn deposit. Analysis of stibnite with EPMA and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry showed enrichment in As, Pb, Sn, Pb, Cu, and Zn, and presented much higher Sb contents and slightly lower S contents when compared to the stoichiometric concentrations of Sb and S in stibnite. Statistical analysis of the stibnite trace elements showed correlations for the elemental pairs Cu–Pb, As–Sb, and Sn–Pb, and the coupled substitution equations Sb3+ ↔ Cu+ + Pb2+, Sb3+ ↔ As3+, and Sn2+ ↔ Pb2+ may be the major factors governed the incorporating Cu, Pb, As and Sn within the stibnite. Moreover, this study preliminary shows that the antimony mineralization may belong to a carbonate replacement hydrothermal genesis at Yangla. [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]

The Mekong River Basin in Southeast Asia is experiencing extensive hydropower development. Concerns have been raised about the consequences of the development for the ecosystems, livelihoods and food security in the region. The largest planned hydropower dam cascade in the basin, the Lancang-Jiang cascade, is currently under construction and already partly built into the Upper Mekong Basin, China. In this paper we assess the impact of the Lancang-Jiang cascade on downstream hydrology by using a combination of a hydrological model and a reservoir cascade optimization model. The hydrological changes were quantified in detail at the Chiang Saen gauging station in Thailand, the first gauge station downstream from the cascade, and in lesser detail at four other downstream locations in the Mekong mainstream. We found that on average the Lancang-Jiang cascade increased the December-May discharge by 34-155 % and decreased the July-September discharge by 29-36 % at Chiang Saen. Furthermore, the Lancang-Jiang cascade reduced (increased) the range of hydrological variability during the wet season (dry season) months. The dry season hydrological changes were significant also in all downstream gauging stations, even as far as Kratie in Cambodia. Thus the Mekong's hydrological regime has been significantly altered by the Lancang-Jiang cascade, but what the consequences are for ecosystems and livelihoods, needs further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate prediction of debris flows occurrence that will allow the reduction or prevention of economic losses and human casualties is presently the most difficult aspect of debris flows studies but also the aspect that receives most attention. Most prediction methods are based on rainfall as the basic parameter, with the moment of occurrence as only result, and without a prediction of debris flow travel time and size. This paper takes Jiangjia Gully in Dongchuan of Yunnan Province as an example, and considers, on the basis of the fulfillment of the essential condition: the abundant availability of loose materials, the conditions for the formation of debris flows. Based on the mechanism of the initiation of debris flows in channels and the volume of rainfall in the basin, this paper also gives a systematic analysis on the travel time and size of the debris flow and suggests that the hydrological condition for forming debris flow is the unit discharge of the flood ≥0.35 m/s.m. It uses the 10-min rainfall intensity to calculate both the run-off of the rainfall and the unit discharge caused by the run-off, thus predicting the occurrence of debris flows. The velocity and the travel time of a debris flow can also be determined using the unit discharge of the run-off. The total volume of debris flows can be calculated using the 10-min intensity of rainfall and the total volume of the run-off, together with the volume concentration of the sediment in a debris flow. [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]

Yunnan Province is the main planting area of the precious Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) Panax notoginseng; however, it locates the geological area with high soil heavy metals in China. The frequent land replacement due to continuous cropping obstacles and excessive application of chemicals makes P. notoginseng prone to be contaminated by heavy metals under the farmland P. notoginseng (FPn) planting. To overcome farmland shortage, understory P. notoginseng (UPn) was developed as a new ecological planting model featured by no chemicals input. However, this newly developed planting system requires urgently the soil–plant heavy metal characteristics and risk assessment. This study aimed to evaluate the pollution status of eight heavy metals in the tillage layer (0–20 cm), subsoil layer (20–40 cm) and the plants of UPn in Lancang County, Yunnan Province. Pollution index (Pi) showed that the contamination degree of heavy metals in the tillage layer and subsoil layer was Cd > Pb > Ni > Cu > Zn > Cr > Hg > As and Pb > Cd > Cu > Ni > Cr > Hg > Zn > As, respectively. Potential ecological risk index (PERI) for the tillage layer and subsoil layer was slight and middle, respectively. The exceeding standard rate of Cd, As, Pb, Hg, Cu in the UPn roots was 5.33%, 5.33%, 13.33%, 26.67% and 1.33%, respectively, while only Cd and Hg in the UPn leaves exceeded the standard 10% and 14%, respectively. The enrichment abilities of Cd and Hg in the roots and leaves of UPn were the strongest, while that of Pb was the weakest. The Hazard index (HI) and target hazard quotient (THQ) of eight heavy metals in the roots and leaves of UPn were less than 1.Therefore, our results prove that Upn has no human health risk and provide a scientific basis for the safety evaluation and extension of UPn. [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]

The Southeastern Yunnan region is one of the most important polymetallic ore districts in South China. Located in the southern margin of the South China Block, these ore districts are part of a wider granite-related magmatic-hydrothermal system. Laojunshan granite intrusions, located in the western part of the Southeastern Yunnan, are closely related to W-Sn mineralisation. In this paper we report zircon U-Pb ages, geochemical and petrological characteristics for the ore-related granites in Laojunshan area. Three samples from three intrusive suites of the granitic rocks in Laojunshan intrusion have been analyzed by the LA-ICPMS zircon U-Pb techniques, yielding ages of 86.66 ± 0.42 Ma, 86.72 ± 0.47 Ma and 86.02 ± 0.48 Ma, respectively. Bulk analysis reveals that three intrusive suites are strongly-peraluminous, silica-rich, aluminum-rich and alkali-rich granites and their ACNK values fall mainly into a small range of 1.10-1.38. Moreover, all granites show enriched Rb, La and Zr and depleted Ba, Sr and Ti, as well as a uniformly flat REE-pattern with a marked negative Eu anomaly. The granites and polymetallic W-Sn mineralization possibly both occurred during the Late Coniacian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debris flows in Jiangjia Ravine in Yunnan province, China are not only triggered by intense storms but also by short-duration and low-intensity rainfalls. This reflects the significance of antecedent rainfall. This paper tries to find the debris flow-triggering threshold by considering antecedent rainfall through a case study in Jiangjia Ravine. From 23 debris flow events, the I-D (Intensity-Duration) threshold was found, which is very close to the line of 95th percentile regression line of rainfall events, representing that 95% of rainfalls can potentially induce debris flows and reflects the limitation of I-D threshold application in this area. Taking into account the effect of antecedent rainfall, the debris flow-triggering threshold for rainfall quantity and intensity is statistically and empirically derived. The relationships can be used in debris flow warning system as key thresholds. Coupling with the rainfall characteristics in this area, new thresholds are proposed as triggering and warning thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southwest China's Yunnan province has been affected throughout history by climate-induced water stresses, with the 2009 drought as a recent example. To deal with such stresses, mountain farmers have developed many local coping strategies. This paper provides case studies of these coping mechanisms in three mountain communities in Baoshan Municipality, Yunnan province. To minimize water-related environmental and economic vulnerabilities, our results show that upland farmers employ strategies both individually and collectively, which vary according to agroecological zone, economics, and historical period. Climate change is also emerging as an ongoing environmental challenge. We explore China's options for introducing and implementing adaptation policies that link with farmer strategies to respond more effectively to water stresses induced by climate change and other forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous development of gold ore prospecting and exploration in recent years a new type of micro-disseminated gold deposits have been found in the regions of Southwest Guizhou Province and Northwest Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with the orebodies directly occurring in diabase or in the contact zone between diabase and strata. The orebodies are strictly controlled by fault structures. The discovery of this type of gold deposits has brought about new prospects for gold ore prospecting in the Yunnan-Guizhou-Guangxi Golden Triangle region. From the preliminary analysis of the geological characteristics of the Qiaoxiang gold deposit in Wangmo County, in combination with the results of research work in the adjacent areas in recent years, this paper roughly described the geological characteristics and metallogenic conditions of this type of gold ore deposits with an attempt to make more and more geologists pay enough attention to this type of gold ore deposits, so as to promote gold ore prospecting in Guizhou Province to develop toward a variety of types of gold deposits in all round way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chengjiang Formation is the earliest continental clastic deposit after the Jinning Orogeny in central Yunnan Province, and therefore its accurate depositional age is significant for understanding the formation and evolution of the Neoproterozoic rift basins in southern China. However, hampered by accuracy of the dating technique, the existing age data for the Chengjiang Formation are not very reliable. A large number of magmatic zircons were obtained from the tuff interbed in the lower part of the Chengjiang Formation in Jinyang area and the bottom part of the Chengjiang Formation in Dongchuan area, central Yunnan Province, and high-precision SHRIMP U-Pb dating was carried out on these zircons. The results show that the weighted mean Pb/U ages are 797.8±8.2 and 803.1±8.7 Ma respectively. In combination with related geological evidence, it has been demonstrated that the bottom boundary age of the Chengjiang Formation should be 800±5 Ma, whereas the top boundary age could be ca 725 Ma. By synthetically analyzing the latest age data for the relevant strata, it has been confirmed that the Chengjiang Formation should be correlated with the Suxiong Formation and the Kaijianqiao Formation in western Sichuan Province, the Liantuo Formation in the middle and lower Yangtze, the Hongchicun Formation and the Shangshu Formation in northern Zhejiang Province, the Puling Formation in southern Anhui Province, the Luokedong Formation and the Majianqiao Formation in northwestern Jiangxi Province, the Wuqiangxi Formation in northwestern Hunan Province, the Fanzhao Formation and the Qingshuijiang Formation in southeastern Guizhou Province, and the Sanmenjie Formation and the Gongdong Formation in northern Guangxi Province. Sedimentary cycle analysis shows that the sedimentary filling sequence of the Neoproterozoic rift basins in southern China can be divided into four cycles. Among them, Cycle II began at ca. 800 Ma, accompanied by intensive tectonic-thermal events. The zircon U-Pb ages from the bottom of the Chengjiang Formation reported in this paper indicate that the Neoproterozoic Kangdian rift subbasin probably started to develop at ca. 800 Ma and therefore missed Cycle I of the Neoproterozoic sedimentary filling sequence in southern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early warning for sustainable utilization of regional water resources is an important control measure for regional water security management. To establish operable and quantitative forewarning model, in this paper, a new forewarning model for sustainable utilization of water resources based on BP neural network and set pair analysis (named BPSPA-FM for short) was established. In the proposed approach, the accelerating genetic algorithm-based fuzzy analytic hierarchy process was suggested to determine the weights of evaluation indexes, back-propagation neural network updating model was used to predict the values of the evaluation indexes, and the set pair analysis was used to determine the function values of relative membership in variable fuzzy set of the samples. BPSPA-FM was applied to early warning for sustainable utilization of regional water resources of Yuanyang Hani terrace in Yunnan Province of China. The results show that the states of sustainable utilization in this system were near the critical value between nonalarm and slight alarm from 1990 to 2000, the states of the system fell into slight alarm and were rapidly close to intermediate alarm from 2001 to 2004, and the states of the system were predicted to be near the critical value between slight alarm and intermediate alarm from 2005 to 2010. The main alarm indexes of the system were utilization ratio of water in agriculture, control ratio of surface water, per capita water supply, per unit area irrigation water and per capita water consumption. BPSPA-FM can take full advantage of the changing information of the evaluation indexes in adjacent periods and the relationship between the samples and the criterion grades. The results of BPSPA-FM are reasonable with high accuracy. BPSPA-FM is general and can be applied to early warning problems of different natural hazards systems such as drought disaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses pollen analysis to investigate and document the changing climate and vegetation during the Holocene based on a 400 cm core in depth obtained at a wetland site at Haligu (3,277 m a. s. l.) on the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Yunnan, China. By applying the Coexistence Approach to pollen data from this core, a quantitative reconstruction of climate over the last 9,300 years was made based on each pollen zone and individual core sample, which reveals the temperature and precipitation change frequently during that time. The qualitative analyses show that from 9300 to 8700 cal. yr BP, the vegetation was dominated by needle-leaved forest (mainly Pinus and Abies), indicating a slightly cool and moderately humid climate. Between 8700 and 7000 cal. yr BP, evergreen broad-leaved forest, dominated by Quercus, became the predominant vegetation type, replacing needle-leaved forest at this elevation, implying a warmer and more humid climate. During the period 7000 to 4000 cal. yr BP, the vegetation changed to mixed needle-leaved and evergreen broad-leaved forest, indicating a warm and moderately humid climate, but somewhat cooler than the preceding stage. From 4000 to 2400 cal. yr BP, the vegetation was again dominated by evergreen broad-leaved forest, but coniferous trees (mainly Pinus) began to increase, especially relative to a decline in Quercus. This implies that the climate remained warm and humid but slight drier than previously. The evergreen Quercus phase (8700-2400 yr BP) was designated as the Holocene climatic optimum in the Haligu core sediments. It is correlated with a markedly greater abundance and diversity of pteridophytes spores than was recorded before or after this period. From 2400 cal. yr BP to present, the vegetation was dominated by needle-leaved forest, of which Pinus formed the predominant component, accompanied by Abies and Tsuga. This reflects a slightly cooler, humid climate but also correlates with a period of increasing human settlement on the lower slopes of the mountain. At this elevated site, several hundred metres above the highest present day settlements, direct palynological evidence of anthropogenic activity is uncertain but we discuss ways in which the marked decline in Quercus pollen during this period may reflect the impact of ways in which natural resources of the mountain have been utilised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) attribute technology has been applied to many aspects in recent years but there are very few examples in the field of archaeology. Especially how can we extract effective attributes from the two- or three-dimensional radar data so that we can map and describe numerous archaeological targets in a large cultural site? In this paper, we applied GPR attribute technology to investigate the ancient Nanzhao castle-site in Tengchong, Yunnan Province. In order to get better archaeological target (the ancient wall, the ancient kiln site, and the ancient tomb) analysis and description, we collated the GPR data by collected standardization and then put them to the seismic data processing and interpretation workstation. The data was processed, including a variety of GPR attribute extraction, analysis, and optimization and combined with the archaeological drilling data. We choose the RMS Amplitude, Average Peak Amplitude, Instantaneous Phase, and Maximum Peak Time to interpret three archaeological targets. By comparative analysis, we have clarified that we should use different attributes to interpret different archaeological targets and the results of attribute analysis after horizon tracking is much better than the results based on a time slice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dongchuan City is highly threatened by debris-flow disasters originating from Shengou gully, a typical debris-flow gully along Xiaojiang River in Yunnan Province (Kang et al. ). Shengou gully is studied, and a hazard assessment with numerical simulation is developed using ArcGIS 9.2 software. Debris-flow numerical simulation is an important method for predicting debris-flow inundation regions, zoning debris-flow risks, and helping in the design of debris-flow control works. Meanwhile, vulnerability measurement is essential for hazard and risk research. Based on the self-organized map neural network method, we combine the six vulnerability indicators to create an integrated debris-flow vulnerability map that depicts the vulnerability levels of Dongchuan City in Shengou Basin. Based on the risk assessment (including hazard assessment and vulnerability assessment), we adopt the principal-agent theory and use the risk degree of debris flows as an important index to build the insurance model and analyze the insurance premium of debris-flow disasters in Dongchuan City. This paper discusses the model and mechanism of property insurance in debris-flow risk regions and aims to provide technical support for insurance companies to participate in disaster prevention and reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnitude-frequency (MF) relationship of debris flows is the basis for engineering designs and risk quantification. However, because of the lack of debris flow monitoring data, research progress in this area has been relatively slow. The MF relationship of debris flows in Jiangjia Gully, Yunnan Province was evaluated based on a regression analysis of 178 debris flow events that occurred from 1987–2004. The magnitude-cumulative frequency (MCF) relationship of the debris flows in the Jiangjia Gully is consistent with the linear logarithmic transformation function. Moreover, observed data for debris flows in Hunshui Gully of Yunnan Province and Huoshao Gully, Liuwan Gully, and Niwan Gully of Gansu Province were used to verify the function. The results showed that the MCF relationship of high-frequency debris flows is consistent with the power law equation, although the regression coefficients in the equation are considerably different. Further analysis showed a strong correlation between the differences in the constants and the drainage area and daily maximum precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The N-S trending Xiaojiang fault zone and the NW-SE trending Qujiang-Shiping fault zone are adjacent active fault systems and seismogenic zones associated with strong and major earthquakes in Yunnan, China. To understand the interaction of the two fault systems, and its probable influence on earthquake occurrences, this paper conducts a synthetic study based on data of active tectonics, historical earthquakes, relocated small earthquakes, GPS station velocities and focal mechanism resolutions. The study makes several conclusions. (1) The active southward motion of the western side of the Xiaojiang fault zone (i.e. the side of the Sichuan-Yunnan block) has a persistent and intensive effect on the Qujiang-Shiping fault zone. The later fault zone has absorbed and transformed the southward motion of the western side of the former fault zone through dextral strike-slip/shearing as well as transverse shortening/thrusting. (2) Along the Xiaojiang fault zone, the present sinistral strike-slip/shearing rate decreases from 10 and 8 mm/a on the northern, central and central-southern segments to 4 mm/a on the southern segment. The decreased rate has been adjusted in the area along and surrounding the Qujiang-Shiping fault zone through reverse-dextral faulting and distributed shearing and shortening. (3) The tectonic-dynamic relation between the Xiaojiang fault zone and the Qujiang-Shiping fault zone is also manifested by a close correlation of earthquake occurrences on the two fault zones. From 1500 to 1850 a sequence of strong and major earthquakes occurred along the Xiaojiang fault zone and its northern neighbor, the Zemuhe fault zone, which was characterized by gradually accelerating strain release, gradually shortening intervals between M⩾7 events, and major releases occurring in the mid to later stages of the sequence. As a response to this sequence, after an 88-year delay, another sequence of 383 years (from 1588 to 1970) of strong and major earthquakes occurred on the Qujiang-Shiping fault zone, and had the same features in accelerating strain release and its temporal course. (4) Since there has been no M⩾7 event for 177 years on the Xiaojiang fault zone, the potential risk of a strong or major earthquake occurring on this fault zone in the future should be noticed and studied further. [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.)

Dairy fan is a traditional milk product made by adding ‘acid juice’ and heating up. It has been consumed by people of minority ethnic region in Yunnan Province of China for over 1,000 years. In order to improve the quality of dairy fan for further industrial-scale production, we investigated the microbial composition, especially Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB), by conventional method and 16S rRNA sequences analysis in acid whey, which was the starter culture for traditional dairy fan making. Twenty samples of acid whey were collected from Yunnan. Ninety-one phylotypes of LAB were isolated from these samples and identified by conventional method and 16S rRNA sequencing analysis. The results showed that all isolates belonged to three genera and nine different species. Moreover, Lactobacillus helveticus was the predominant population among these samples, mesophilic and thermophilic LAB could be considered as the major microbial composition of acid whey in the Yunnan Province of China. This paper systematically studied the LAB composition of acid whey, which may be valuable for designing starter culture for dairy fan production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The giant Huize Zn-Pb ore field in Yunnan Province, southwestern China, comprises the Qilinchang and Kuangshanchang deposits. The deposits are large in scale (more than 5 Mt of Zn and Pb) and high in grade (average grade of total Zn and Pb is 30%). Reported in this paper are the results of Rb-Sr isotopic dating of sphalerite from this ore field. Two precise ages (223.5±3.9 Ma and 226±6.4 Ma) have been obtained from two isochrons. These two ages are close to the reported ages of native copper mineralizations related to the Emeishan flood basalts in this region, which are 226 Ma to 228 Ma. Previous studies showed that the magnitude of uplift resultant from the Emeishan flood basalts is greater than 1000 m, indicating that the Kuangshanchang and Qilinchang deposits were formed during the same geological event and originated by fluid migration during uplifting resultant from the Emeishan flood basalts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

To compile the software package of the mine digitization information system in terms of the principle and methods of mathematics geology and geographic information system using computer languages such as VB and Matlab, this paper introduces the function composition and operating environment of this information system, and illustrates the function and effectiveness of the software package as exemplified by the Lanping Pb-Zn mine, Yunnan Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on analyses of key issues concerning watershed ecological security assessment including the subject, content, and methodology of assessment, this paper points out that ecological security should be assessed dynamically at different levels (e.g. watershed and ecosystem levels) with human being as the main assessment subject. Both the functional security and the structural security must be considered in watershed ecological security assessment. In order to reflect the overall and timely security status of the watershed, the PSR (pressure-state-response) method should be employed. Longitudinal Range-Gorge Region (LRGR) was researched as an example. An index system of watershed ecological security assessment has been proposed, which includes structural index, functional index, pressure and response index, and the state of ecological security is analyzed for LRGR in Yunnan Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Huize large-sized Pb-Zn deposit in Yunnan Province, China, is characterized by favorable metallogenic background and particular geological settings. This suggested that the ore-forming mechanism is relatively unique. On the basis of geological features such as the contents of mineralization elements, the REE concentrations of gangue calcites, the REE concentrations of calcite veins in the NE-trending tectonic zone and the Pb, Sr, C, H and 0 isotopic compositions of different minerals, this paper presents that the ore-forming materials and ore-forming fluids of the deposit were derived from various types of strata or rocks. This is a very significant conclusion for us to further discuss the mineralization mechanism of the deposit at depth and establish an available genetic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a paper which deals with strategies for agrobiodiversity conservation and promotion based on studies on four plant groups (selected from 50 plant groups) occurring in the Yunnan Province of China. These plants are edible konjac, medicinal Paris, Musella lasiocarpa and wild tea, including their cultivars and wild populations; Conclusions reached after analyzing the target plants.

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]

The long-term presence of tailings ponds could pollute the surrounding soil, which in turn has an impact on crops and human health. In this study, surface soil samples and crops samples were collected from around a tailings pond in Mouding city, Yunnan Province, China. Principal component analysis and positive matrix factorization models were used to analyse the sources of heavy metals and their apportionment. The results shown that As and Cd were the most prevalent heavy metals pollutants in soil. Zn has the highest concentration in crops, and exceeded the detection limit. Tailing pollution sources, parent material sources and traffic and parent material mixed sources were identified and the apportionment of the three sources to the total concentration of the seven heavy metals was 27.43%, 5.72% and 66.86%, respectively. The apportionment of traffic sources to ecological risk was the highest (56.72%). Different pollution sources have different effects on the carcinogenic and hazard quotient of children and adults. The apportionments of tailings pollution sources to the carcinogenic risk for children (1.15 × 10−4) and adults (1.104 × 10−4) were 99.9974% and 99.9993%,respectively.The apportionments of tailings pollution sources to hazard quotients in children (1.923) and adults (1.64) were 82.45% and 85.85%, respectively. In risk assessment or soil remediation, more attention should be paid to pollution sources that have a greater impact on human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]