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The planting of Cyperus esculentus, a member of the grass family Cyperaceae which includes nut sedge weeds, is being increasingly promoted in northern China's semiarid and arid regions. Yet the effects of planting C. esculentus upon soil quality and soil microbial characteristics of sandy land remain unclear. This study examined the shortterm (1 year) impact of this grass species on soil microbial biomass indices, enzymatic activities, and microbiome characteristics in the Horqin Sandy Land area of China. The results show that planting C. esculentus could increase microbial biomass in the form of carbon (MBC), nitrogen (MBN), and phosphorus (MBP), but it negligibly influenced the enzymatic activities of soil β-1,4-glucosidase (BG), cellobiohydrolase (CBH), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), and β-1,4-N-acetaminoglycosidase (NAG). Over 1 year, we found that planting C. esculentus significantly increased the soil bacterial richness and diversity of sandy land, yet also altered community composition of soil bacteria and eukaryotes in way that could promote their homogenization. In this respect, the relative abundances of Acidobacteria and Proteobacteria significantly decreased and increased, respectively; hence, they may be considered for use as important indicators of soil nutrient-rich conditions. Overall, the results could be explained by greater soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN), mainly derived from cumulative plant litter input to soils, which then increased the sandy soil's C:N ratio. Future research should focus on exploring the long-term effects of planting C. esculentus on soil quality and soil microbial characteristics of sandy lands in China and abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective conservation of threatened biota relies on accurate assessments and scientific guidance. As an unfortunate example, Chinese giant salamanders (Andrias, CGS) remain critically endangered in nature. Misguided conservation efforts, e.g., commercial propagation and releasing of millions of likely non-indigenous or interspecific hybrids, have further compromised conservation initiatives. Limited information on wild populations of CGS poses a significant conservation challenge. Following 18- month long field monitoring, we now report the discovery of a wild population of CGS in a closed nature reserve in Jiangxi Province, China. Genomic assessments reveal its genetic distinctiveness and do not detect genetic admixture with other species. Based on morphological and molecular evidences, we describe this CGS as a new species Andrias jiangxiensis sp. nov. This is the only known species of CGS today with a genetically pure, reproducing, in situ population. This discovery emphasizes the i mportant role that closed nature reserves play in protecting species, and the necessity of integrating long-term field monitoring and genetic assessments. It sets a new pathway for discovering and conserving endangered species, especially for those biotas that are similarly being extirpated by anthropogenic translocations and overexploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crown rot (Colletotrichum siamense) of strawberry is a severe disease in Jingzhou, Hubei Province, China. Pathogen identification is the basis for disease prevention and resistance breeding. Nearly fifty isolates were achieved from 192 crown rot samples in this study. A number of 21 isolates were characterized as the pathogen of crown rot of strawberry by Koch’s postulates, and they were identified as Colletotrichum spp. by conidia morphology observation. The 21 isolates were divided into three groups based on colony morphology, and SCR-7, SCR-11 and SCR-16 belonged to each group were clustered into one group with C. siamense isolates by phylogenetic analysis of actin, β-Tubulin 2 and calmodulin sequences. In addition, the isolates of C. siamense SCR-7 showed the strongest pathogenicity of the three which caused highest values of lesion length and leaf temperature, and lowest leaf water content, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductivity and even transpiration rate values. This study contributes to updating the Colletotrichum species associated with strawberry of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]