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Grassland is the largest terrestrial ecosystem in the Yellow River Basin and an important ecological barrier in the basin. Scientific and accurate estimation of the service value of grassland ecosystems in the Yellow River Basin is of great significance for maintaining the ecological security of the Yellow River Basin. This study was based on Constanza, a method based on the correction of natural grassland ecosystem service value in the Yellow River Basin. This method considers grassland biomass, estimates the ecological service value of each type of grassland item by item, and analyzes their spatial distribution and topographic gradient differentiation characteristics. The results showed that the unit price of soil conservation services provided by the grassland ecosystem in the Yellow River Basin has an advantage (6.2 times) which is the lowest unit price of raw materials. The total value of grassland ecosystem services in the Yellow River Basin is 100.82 × 1010 Yuan. Among the various services, the adjustment service has the largest value, accounting for 50.56% of the total value, while the sum of the supply service, support service and cultural service amounted to 49.44%. The high-value areas of grassland ecosystem services are mainly distributed in the upper and lower reaches of the basin, as the low-value areas are located in the Ningxia and Hetao Plains and most parts of the Loess Plateau. The ESV per unit area of grassland in the Yellow River Basin showed a decreasing to increasing trend with the increase in elevation and topographic relief, as the ESV continued to increase with slope increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. China is the leading consumer of plastic film worldwide. Plastic film mulched ridge-furrow is one of the most widely adopted agronomic and field management practices in rain-fed agriculture in dry-land areas of China. The efficiency of plastic film mulching as a viable method to decrease evapotranspiration (ET), increase crop yields, and water use efficiency (WUE), has been demonstrated extensively by earlier studies. Methods. A comprehensive evaluation of how co-application of plastic-film mulch and biochar in different agro-environments under varying climatic conditions influence ET, crop yield, WUE, and soil microbial activity were assessed. We performed a meta-analysis using the PRISMA guideline to assess the effect of plastic-film mulched ridge-furrow and biochar on ET, yield, and WUE of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), and maize (Zea mays L.) in northern China. Results. The use of plastic film increased average yields of wheat (75.7%), potato (20.2%), and maize (12.9%) in Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, and Shanxi provinces, respectively due to the reduction in ET by 12.8% in Gansu, 0.5% in Ningxia, and 4.1% in Shanxi, but increased in Shaanxi by 0.5% compared to no-mulching. These changes may be attributed to the effect of plastic film mulch application which simultaneously increased WUE by 68.5% in Gansu, 23.9% in Ningxia, 16.2% in Shaanxi, and 12.8% in Shanxi, respectively. Compared to flat planting without mulching, in three years, the yield of maize increased with the co-application of plastic film and biochar by 22.86% in the Shanxi and Shaanxi regions. Conclusion. Our analysis revealed co-application of plastic film with biochar is integral for improving soil and water conservation in rain-fed agriculture and as an integrated practice to avert drought while simultaneously mitigating runoff and erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]