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Ecological connectivity in landscapes is crucial for plant diversity conservation. The barrier risk to ecological connectivity represents the risk to ecological connectivity loss or weakening, resulting from the barrier to biological information exchange among habitats. Therefore, clarifying the barrier risk to the ecological connectivity of plant diversity in space can reveal the spatial impacts of reduced ecological connectivity on plant diversity. This study analyzed effects of karst peak, river network, arable land, and impervious surface on plant diversity in karst natural, countryside, urban, and island landscapes in Guizhou Province with fragile environment. Then, we calculated the barrier distance of ecological connectivity to reveal the barrier risk to the ecological connectivity of plant diversity in space. The results showed that karst peak was the source of high plant diversity, and plant diversity could diffuse about 400m around karst peaks. River network and arable land enhanced the connectivity among karst peaks to maintain plant diversity, and the effect on enhancing the connectivity was about 300m and 450 m, respectively, while the weakening effect of impervious surface on connectivity was about 350 m. Based on the distance for plant diversity diffusing around karst peaks, the barrier distance of ecological connectivity was determined by the combination type of river network, arable land and impervious surface in landscapes. From low to high, the barrier risk to the ecological connectivity of plant diversity was about 1,110 m in the combination of river network and arable land, about 790m in the combination of river network, arable land and impervious surface, about 520 min the combination of arable land and impervious surface, about 400m in the combination of river network and impervious surface. Our findings clarify the barrier risk to the ecological connectivity of plant diversity in space, and provide a scientific basis for plant diversity conservation from the perspective of ecological connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new genus and three new species of eriophyoid mites from China are described and illustrated. They are Abifurcacothrix brassaiopsisgen. nov. & sp. nov. infesting Brassaiopsis glomerulata (Bl.) Regel. (Araliaceae), Neocalepitrimerus pittosporussp. nov. and Diptilomiopus illicioidessp. nov. infesting Pittosporum illicioides Mak. (Pittosporaceae). These new species were found to be vagrant on the lower surface of their associated plant leaves, with no apparent damage observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Erythrobasidium is kind of species-scarce and undersampling basidiomycetes. Currently, only six species have been accepted into the genus and the diversity still remains incompletely understood. In this study, five Erythrobasidium strains were isolated in the surface of plant leaves collected from the Baotianman Nature Reserve, Henan Province, central China. Phylogenetic analyses of the small ribosomal subunit (SSU) rRNA gene, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene, and the translation elongation factor 1-a (TEF1-a) gene coupled with morphological studies were employed to characterize and identify these isolates. As a result of these, two new species, namely E. turpiniae sp. nov. and E. nanyangense sp. nov., were delimited and proposed based on morphological and molecular evidence. A detailed description and illustration of both new species, as well as their differences with the close relatives in the genus are provided. An identification key for Erythrobasidium species is also provided. This study provides further insights into our understanding of Erythrobasidium species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to accurately estimate the water consumption of a Minqin desert Haloxylon ammodendron sand fixation forest, we used thermal equilibrium stem flow measurement to monitor the stem flow dynamics of Minqin desert H. ammodendron (5, 10, 15, and 20 years old, respectively, denoted as H5, H10, H15, and H20). In this study, we chose the growth index of assimilated branches (expressed as Ab in the following text) as the scalar quantity for expansion, and then estimated the water consumption of the H. ammodendron sand fixation forest by fitting the correlation between the water consumption of single H. ammodendron plants and the surface area and dry weight of single Ab. The results showed that the growth of assimilated H. ammodendron branches and the plant's monthly water consumption were synchronized, and that the growth of Ab and water consumption were significantly higher during the fast-growth period of H. ammodendron (July) compared to during the leaf-expanding (May) and leaf-falling periods (October). After correlation analysis, it was determined that there was a linear function between the surface area and dry weight of Ab and water consumption in H. ammodendron. The simulated water consumption values (kg) of H. ammodendron sand fixation forests were greatly affected by stand density and branching configuration, and the simulated values of H. ammodendron assimilated branch growth (cm) were slightly smaller than the measured values for forests of different ages, while the simulated values of assimilated branch surface area (cm2) had a much smaller relative error (8.92%) on average. Therefore, it is feasible to use the surface area and dry weight of Ab to calculate the water consumption of H. ammodendron sand fixation forests. This can enable the reliable estimation of the water consumption of H. ammodendron forests and provide a reference for desert vegetation sand fixation afforestation and its ecological water management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elucidation of different vegetation energy partitioning and environmental control factors at the agro-ecosystem levels is critical for better understanding and scientific management of farmland. Pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merril) is a tropical plant widely cultivated in the southern subtropical region of China; however, the energy partitioning of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plants like pineapple and their interactions with the environment remain not well understood. In this study, we investigated the energy partitioning patterns of pineapple fields and latent heat flux (LET) response to environmental factors using the Bowen ratio energy balance system and meteorological observation field data. The results showed that the CAM plant pineapple energy partitioning was significantly different from the common C3 and C4 crops during the study period, which was mainly attributed to the complex interactions between CAM plant transpiration and the environment. Specifically, sensible heat flux was the main component of net radiation (Rn), followed by the LET, accounting for 65.0% and 30.8% of the Rn, respectively. Soil heat flux accounts for a very small fraction (4.2%). The mean values of the Bowen ratio were 2.09 and 1.41 for sunny and cloudy days during the daytime and 0.74 and 0.46 at night, respectively. LET is a key factor in responding to crop growth status and agricultural water management, and the path analysis indicates that its variation is mainly influenced directly by Rn with a direct path coefficient of 0.94 on sunny days, followed by vapor pressure deficit, air temperature and relative humidity, which indirectly affect LET through the Rn pathway, whereas soil moisture and wind speed have a low effect on LET. On cloudy days, the effect of Rn on LET was overwhelmingly dominant, with a direct path coefficient of 0.91. The direct path coefficients of the remaining factors on LET were very small and negative. Overall, this study is an important reference for enhancing the impact of pineapple as well as CAM plants on the surface energy balance and regional climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As an ephemeral and oligotrophic environment, the phyllosphere harbors many highly diverse microorganisms. Importantly, it is known that their colonization of plant leaf surfaces is considerably influenced by a few abiotic factors related to climatic conditions. Yet how the dynamics of phyllosphere bacterial community assembly are shaped by detailed climatological elements, such as various bioclimatic variables, remains poorly understood. Methods: Using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing technology, we analyzed the bacterial communities inhabiting the leaf surfaces of an oilseed tree, yellowhorn (Xanthoceras sorbifolium), grown at four sites (Yinchuan, Otogqianqi, Tongliao, and Zhangwu) whose climatic status differs in northern China. Results and Discussion: We found that the yellowhorn phyllosphere's bacterial community was generally dominated by four phyla: Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Nevertheless, bacterial community composition differed significantly among the four sampled site regions, indicating the possible impact of climatological factors upon the phyllosphere microbiome. Interestingly, we also noted that the α-diversities of phyllosphere microbiota showed strong positive or negative correlation with 13 bioclimatic factors (including 7 precipitation factors and 6 temperature factors). Furthermore, the relative abundances of 55 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), including three ASVs representing two keystone taxa (the genera Curtobacterium and Streptomyces), exhibited significant yet contrary responses to the precipitation and temperature climatic variables. That pattern was consistent with all ASVs' trends of possessing opposite correlations to those two parameter classes. In addition, the total number of links and nodes, which conveys community network complexity, increased with rising values of most temperature variables. Besides that, remarkably positive relevance was found between average clustering coefficient and most precipitation variables. Altogether, these results suggest the yellowhorn phyllosphere bacterial community is capable of responding to variation in rainfall and temperature regimes in distinctive ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar photovoltaic (PV) generation has become the major type of solar energy utilization as the world's energy demand grows. However, the layout of large-scale public PV plants changes the original underlying conditions and has an impact on the local surface energy budget and distribution. Based on the ecohydrological model T&C, taking the fixed utility-scale PV plants as the typical object proposes a PV module, and the T&C-PV model is developed to simulate the impact of PV plants on the regional surface energy budget. Compared with the original T&C model, a substantially improvement of the simulation of energy flux in the PV plant paved underlying surface has been achieved in the T&C-PV model. This model is applied to PV power plants in Xinjiang Province, China, and the results show that the sensible heat flux increased by 12% and the latent heat flux decreased by 25%, with the percentage of transpiration decreasing from 90.1% to 74.5% and the percentage of evaporation increasing from 9.9% to 25.5% after the PV power plants are set up. • Developed a PV module to simulate the energy budget of PV panels. • Established a T&C-PV model based on the ecohydrological model T&C. • Evaluate the change of heat flux near surface under the PV panel. • Quantitively estimate the influence of the PV plant on energy balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Bannoa is a small group of ballistoconidium-forming yeasts in the family Erythrobasidiaceae (Cystobasidiomycetes). Prior to this study, seven species belonging to this genus have been described and published. In this study, phylogenetic analyzes of Bannoa based on the combined sequences of the small ribosomal subunit (SSU) rRNA gene, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA gene (LSU) and the translation elongation factor 1-a gene (TEF1-a) were conducted. Three new species, namely B. ellipsoidea, B. foliicola, and B. pseudofoliicola, were delimited and proposed based on morphological and molecular evidence. B. ellipsoidea was found to be closely related to the type strains of B. guamensis, B. hahajimensis, and B. tropicalis, but with 0.7-0.9% divergence (4-5 substitutions) in the LSU D1/D2 domains and 3.7-4.1% divergence (19-23 substitutions and one-two gaps) in the ITS regions. B. foliicola was found to belong to the same clade as B. pseudofoliicola from which it differed by 0.4% divergence (two substitutions) in the LSU D1/D2 domains and 2.3% divergence (13 substitutions) in the ITS regions. The distinguishing morphological characteristics of the three new species, with respect to closely related taxa, are discussed. The identification of these new taxa significantly increases the number of Bannoa that have been described on the surface of plant leaves. Additionally, a key for the identification of Bannoa species is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The dew condensation frequency is high, and the dew amount is heavy in urban ecosystems. During the condensation process, particulate matter acts as a condensation core, playing an important role in purifying the air. At night, dew mainly condenses on plant leaf surfaces, the plant leaves settle the particles in the dew, and some of the particles are resuspended into the atmosphere in the process of dew evaporation after sunrise. This paper monitored the condensation and evaporation processes of dew on four common plants in Changchun city from June to September 2020. By analyzing the mass and size of particles on different leaves after dew condensation and evaporation, the ability of different plants to retain particles in dew was analyzed. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the TSP capture ability during dew condensation between Buxus sinica (Rehd. et Wils.) Cheng subsp. sinica var. parvifolia M. Cheng, Syringa oblata Lindl., Hemiptelea davidii (Hance) Planch., and Pinus tabuliformis Carrière, with a TSP content of 0.21 ± 0.06 μg/cm2. Coarse particulate matter is the main type of deposit in the dew condensation stage. Particulate deposition varied according to species, leaf shape, and microstructure. The proportion of TSP remaining on leaves after dew evaporation from Pinus tabuliformis Carrière, Hemiptelea davidii (Hance) Planch., Buxus sinica (Rehd. et Wils.) Cheng subsp. sinica var. parvifolia M. Cheng, and Syringa oblata Lindl. tree was 89.7 ± 3.9%, 80.6 ± 3.6%, 75.9 ± 4.5%, and 71.4 ± 3.7%, respectively. The ability of the leaves to trap fine particles was significantly higher than that for coarse particles (P < 0.05) after dew evaporation. The highest amount of particle captured by Syringa oblata Lindl. individual was 15.17 g/y during dew condensation, and the amount of remaining particles after dew evaporation was 10.83 g/y. This paper provides a theoretical basis for the selection of tree species for urban greening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) is totally manmade, strongly influenced by anthropogenic activity, and lies on the upper reaches of Yangtze River. The periodic storage and discharge of water from the Three Gorges Dam could have altered the original air-plant/soil interactions of contaminants in TGR. Herein, paired atmospheric gas–particle, air–plant, and air–soil samples were collected to investigate the air–plant interaction and air–soil exchange of 16 USEPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The air–plant interaction based on McLachlan's framework to our datasets suggests that PAHs were absorbed via gaseous deposition that was restricted by the plant–gas dynamic equilibrium. The equilibrium indicates a dynamic balance between the gaseous phase and plant surface in PAH absorption. The main limiting factor influencing the PAH uptake was the plant species rather than the atmospheric PAH concentration. The air–soil exchange of PAHs exhibited a net volatilization flux of 16.71 ng/m2/d from the soil to the air based on annual average. There was more volatilization and less deposition in summer and more deposition and less volatilization in autumn and winter. The soil serves as a secondary source of atmospheric PAHs. As the first attempt on probing the multi-interface geochemical process of PAHs, this study highlights the influence of manual water level manipulation from the TGD and environmental factors (such as temperature, humidity, and soil properties) on the regional fate of PAHs in the TGR. [Display omitted] • The PAHs were absorbed via gaseous deposition from the atmosphere. • The main limiting factor influencing the PAH uptake was the plant species. • The soil serves as a secondary source of atmospheric PAHs. • The air–soil exchange exhibited net volatilization from the soil to air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classification of wetland plant species (PlatSpe) and surface objects (SurfObj) in remote sensing images faces significant challenges due to the high diversity of PlatSpe and the fragmented nature of SurfObj. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images and satellite images are the primary data sources for the classification of wetland PlatSpe and SurfObj. However, there is still insufficient research on the effect of various data sources and spatial resolutions on the classification results. This study essentially focuses on Huixian Wetland in Guilin, Guangxi, China through utilizing UAV images and satellite images with varying spatial resolutions as data sources. To this end, the MRS_DeepLabV3+ model is constructed based on multi-resolution segmentation and DeepLabV3+, and the wetland PlatSpe and SurfObj are appropriately classified based on this model. The obtained results reveal that: (1) MRS_DeepLabV3+ model with optimal scale parameter (SP) is capable of achieving higher classification accuracy compared to DeepLabV3+. The optimal SPs for both UAV images and satellite images gradually lessen with decreasing the spatial resolution, and satellite images require larger SPs compared to UAV images. (2) In both the UAV and satellite image models, both OA and kappa exhibit a decreasing trend with the reduction of the spatial resolution. (3) The overall classification accuracies of the satellite image models are superior to the UAV image models in the spatial resolution intervals of 2 to 16 m. This investigation can be regarded as a valuable reference for selecting data sources and spatial resolutions in the wetland PlatSpe and SurfObj classification. • MRS_DeepLabV3+ was constructed based on multi-resolution segmentation and DeepLabV3 +. • Analyzed the impact of scale parameters on the MRS_DeepLabV3+ model. • Investigated the effect of spatial resolution on the classification accuracy. • Compared the differences of classification between UAV images and satellite images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cuticular waxes covering the plant surface play pivotal roles in helping plants adapt to changing environments. However, it is still not clear whether the responses of plant cuticular waxes to their growing environments are inheritable. We collected seeds of Medicago ruthenica (a perennial legume) populations from 30 growing sites in northern China and examined the variations of leaf cuticular waxes in a common garden experiment. Four wax genes, MrFAR3-1, MrFAR3-2 , MrCER1 , and MrKCS1 , involved in biosynthesis of predominant wax classes (primary alcohol and alkane) and wax precursors, were isolated to test the contributions of genetic variations of the coding sequences (CDS) and the promoter sequences and epigenetic modifications. The plasticity responses of the cuticular waxes were further validated by two stress-modeling experiments (drought and enhancing ultraviolet B). Great variations in total wax coverage and abundance of wax classes or wax compounds were observed among M. ruthenica populations in a common garden experiment. Stress-modeling experiments further validated that M. ruthenica would alter leaf wax depositions under changed growing conditions. The transcriptional levels of the wax genes were positively or negatively correlated with amounts of cuticular waxes. However, the analysis of promoter methylation showed that the methylation level of the promoter region was not associated with their expressions. Although both promoter sequences and CDS showed a number of polymorphic sites, the promoters were not naturally selected and insignificant difference could be observed in the numbers and types of acting elements of the four wax genes among populations. In contrast, the CDS of the wax genes were naturally selected, with a number of missense mutations resulting in alterations of the amino acid as well as their isoelectric points and polarities, which could impact on enzyme function/activity. We conclude that long-term adaptation under certain environments would induce genetic mutation of wax biosynthesis genes, resulting in inheritable alterations of cuticular wax depositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The land-to-ocean export and subsequent preservation of terrestrial particulate organic carbon (POC) in oceans represents a major carbon sink in the global carbon cycle. Small mountainous rivers (SMRs) are hotspots of this process; however, how the sources and fluxes of POC change during rain events in low-gradient SMRs and how they compare with those in steep SMRs are unknown. Here, we combined the bulk properties and lignin phenols to trace changes in POC sources and fluxes in a low-gradient SMR (stream gradient: 0.6%) in southeastern China. Our results were further compared with other SMRs to understand the geomorphological influences on the POC export from SMRs. The results indicated that POC sources changed from aquatic organisms and deep soils during low-flow periods to surface soils and plant debris during high-flow periods. The lignin concentration showed a significant positive relationship with the runoff, suggesting that hydrology played an important role in exporting terrigenous POC in low-gradient SMRs. We further estimated that approximately 22%, 56% and 79% of annual water, POC and particulate lignin were exported during high-flow periods, respectively. Furthermore, we found that with increasing water discharge, the magnitude of the lignin increase was greater in SMRs with smaller stream gradients. Our results suggest that the export of terrigenous POC from low-gradient SMRs is driven by hydrology and is more sensitive to rain events than that in steep SMRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to determine the potential of α‐cellulose δ18O (δ18Ocell) data from multiple terrestrial plant species on an ecosystem level to record the δ18O data of precipitation (δ18Op), especially in relatively cold and arid environments, we collected samples of terrestrial plant residues from 104 surface soils covering a large environmental gradient (~29 to 51°N in latitude, ~81 to 124°E in longitude, ~200 to 5,100 m in elevation) in inland China. Despite the diverse vegetation types, wide range of climatic conditions and potentially complex biogeochemical processes operating within the vast study region, the δ18Ocell data show a similar spatial pattern to that of δ18Op. The results demonstrate that the measured values of δ18Ocell data have the potential to record variations in δ18Op. Further analysis indicated that the δ18Ocell data from the Tibetan Plateau were primarily controlled by the moisture sources. Interestingly, there are significant negative correlations between δ18Ocell/δ18Op and altitude on the Tibetan Plateau, implying the potential of δ18Ocell for paleoaltimetry in this region. The δ18Ocell data from the northern region of China (including the East Asian monsoon‐margin and arid central Asia) were mainly controlled by temperature, although the influence of relative humidity in the region is not negligible. Our results provide a fundamental reference for related δ18Ocell studies aimed to improve our understanding of environmental, hydrological, and climatic changes in inland China and elsewhere. Key Points: The δ18Ocell of plant residues in surface soils from a vast spatial domain can track δ18Op variationsThe δ18Ocell shows an latitude effect in the northern region of China, but an inverse latitudinal pattern on the Tibetan PlateauTemperature/moisture source is the major control factor of δ18Ocell in the northern region of China/on the Tibetan Plateau, respectively [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining surface evaporation and plant transpiration, evapotranspiration (ET) is critical to surface water and heat balances as it links water, carbon cycles and energy exchanges. Many models have been developed and are presently used to estimate terrestrial ET. However, there are large model uncertainties among the different models, which present a problem. By combining meteorological reanalysis data from the China Meteorological Forcing Dataset (CMFD) with remote sensing data and observational data during 2002-2009, two semi-physical models, the modified satellite- based Priestley-Taylor (MS-PT) model and a semi-empirical Penman equation-based (SE-PM) model, are used to estimate ET and are validated using in situ measurements collected at 22 flux tower sites in China. Then support vector machine (SVM) method is used to integrate these two semi-physical models to improve the accuracy of ET estimates for eight different vegetation types separately, as well as all of these types together. The integrated model likely explains 56-94% of the land surface ET changes indicated by the observations collected at the flux tower sites. The ET predictions obtained by driving the models with the reanalysis data (for which the relative bias and the relative root mean square error (RMSE) for all types of the SVM were 6 and 51 W m-2, respectively, and the maximum decrease of the relative RMSE for different types is nearly 20 W m-2) are less accurate than those obtained by driving the models with the observational data (for which the relative bias and the relative RMSE for all types of the SVM are 4 and 43 W m-2, respectively). Compared to the individual semi-physical models, the results produced by the integrated model display significantly decreased bias (less than 5 W m-2 for all types) and RMSE (for which the maximum decrease is nearly 71 W m-2) in the validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are usually considered gateways for microplastics (MPs) to enter the environment because large amounts of sewage are produced and MPs are incompletely removed during treatment processes. However, the contribution of effluent MPs to aquatic environmental pollution and that of sludge application to MPs in agricultural soil are still unknown. This study examines the presence of MPs in sewage and sludge in Shenzhen WWTPs and estimates the annual mass loading of MPs from WWTPs to surface water and farmland soil in China. According to our results, for Shenzhen, the annual contribution of MPs from WWTPs (which was obtained by multiplying the annual treated sewage volume by the estimated MP density in the treated sewage) to surface water could be 70.6−302 tons. With a normalized extrapolation model of population density, the contribution of national urban WWTPs to MPs in surface water was estimated to be 734 −3.10 × 103 tons/year, of which 220−950 tons/year entered the marine environment. Furthermore, the riverine flux of MPs from WWTPs to the ocean amounts to at least 7.0%–30% based on the maximum value of WWTP contribution to MPs in surface water. For sludge, the potential contribution of MPs to agricultural soil from Shenzhen WWTPs is (1.00−2.80) × 103 tons/year. With the above calculation procedure, it was estimated that the contribution of MPs to farmland from sludge application in China is (1.30−3.90) × 104 tons/year. The source appointment results for MPs in China's agricultural soil suggested that the contributions of the main four sources, namely, atmospheric deposition, agricultural mulch film, sludge application, and organic fertilizers, are 52%, 30%, 11%, and 7.0%, respectively. [Display omitted] • WWTPs' contribution to MPs in surface water is 734–3.1 × 103 tons/year in China. • Sludge for farmland use input (1.3–3.9) × 104 tons/year MPs to agricultural soil in China. • Mass of MPs entering the ocean from China's WWTPs reached 220–950 tons/year. • Atmospheric deposition contribution to farmland soil MPs is approximately 52%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial legacies are gradually becoming an important asset for urban regeneration. Coking plants, as one of the important industrial legacies, emit large amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in production, and the health risks of PAHs in the atmosphere and soil around coking plants have been fully recognized, but not much attention has been paid to the health risks of PAHs adsorbed on the surfaces of buildings. Therefore, we evaluated the health risks of PAHs adsorbed on the surfaces of buildings before and after the remediation and relocation of a legacy coking plant in China. Remediation was done in three steps: (1) mechanical grinding, (2) high-pressure blasting, and (3) surfactant washing. The concentration of total PAHs and the distribution of PAHs before remediation were different for each structure. The average total PAHs concentration before remediation was found to be between 0.16 mg m−2 and 329.77 mg m−2. The risk posed by the PAHs concentrations before and after remediation in each structure was quantified. For workers, surrounding residents, and tourists, the calculated carcinogenic risk ranged from 1.08 × 10−6 to 6.84 × 10−4, 9.00 × 10−6 to 4.89 × 10−3, and 7.44 × 10−6 to 3.22 × 10−3, respectively. After remediation, total PAHs concentrations ranged from non-detect to 1.15 g m−2. Our research has shown that PAHs adsorbed on the surface of coking plant buildings can pose serious health risks to human and require remediation before reuse. Mechanical grinding, high-pressure blasting, and surfactant cleaning can effectively remove PAHs adsorbed on the surface of buildings. The above results would provide different perspectives for the site risk assessment and remediation before the industrial legacies were reused. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The effects of IWLF on soil erodibility were quantified by multi-indicators. • Different trends were detected in eight erodibility indicators with IWLF. • CSEI increased with IWLF, reflected by variation in elevation. • Soil texture, BD, OM and RD had direct impacts on CSEI. The near soil surface characteristics of plant communities probably change considerably with seasonal water-level fluctuations, thus induced corresponding variations in soil erodibility indicators. This study was conducted to investigate the variations in soil erodibility indicators triggered by varying inundation intensity or temporal water-level fluctuations in the Three Gorges Reservoir area. Two non-inundation sites (as the control) and six sites with different water-level fluctuation intensities were selected to measure or calculate eight soil erodibility indicators and then to determine a comprehensive soil erodibility index (CSEI). The erodibility indicators included K factor, slaking rate (SR), mean weighted diameter of aggregates (MWD), mean number of waterdrop impacts (MND), structural stability index (SSI), saturated conductivity (K s), cohesion (Coh), and penetration resistance (PR). The variation in each soil erodibility indicator could be explained by the changes in near soil surface characteristics of plant community. The results indicated that the MWD, MND, SR, Coh , SSI, and K s decreased gradually with the intensity of water level fluctuations (IWLFs), while the reverse was found for PR. K factor firstly increased and then decreased with the IWLFs. The CSEI increased with IWLFs, which was closely related to elevation. Compared with the control, CSEI increased by 123.3%, 132.9%, 93.9%, 84.8%, 48.7%, and 55.2% for water levels of 150, 155, 160, 165, 170 and 175 m, respectively. The changes in near soil surface characteristics of the plant community directly led to differences in soil erodibility indicators. Significant positive correlations were detected between soil erodibility indices, and bulk density and sand content, while significant negative correlations were found between root mass density, silt, clay, and organic matter contents. CSEI increased linearly with inundation time and duration. The results are helpful for understanding the mechanism of seasonal fluctuations in soil erodibility for land frequently inundated by water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]