Search

In the Tien-Shan Mountains, Ili Prefecture, Xinjiang, China, the livestock industry has experienced rapid growth in recent decades. However, this expansion has led to increased overgrazing behavior, resulting in the proliferation of grazing paths and a decline in vegetation cover. These factors are considered the main causes of vegetation degradation in the region. To investigate this issue, we conducted a study utilizing unmanned aerial vehicle imagery in the Zollersay Mountains of Ili to examine the distribution of grazing paths and their effects on mountain vegetation, including grassland and Malus sieversii. The results of our study revealed that grazing paths in the area exhibited various formations, including parallel, oblique intersection, and grid. On the hilltop, the grazing paths were not only shorter but also wider, whereas on the hillside, they were denser, indicating a higher concentration of livestock trampling events. It was found that grazing path density played a pivotal role in grassland degradation, with a negative correlation observed between grazing path density and indicators such as the grassland quality index and grass vegetation coverage. As grazing path density increased, the damage inflicted on Malus sieversii by livestock also intensified. However, as the trees grow older, their height surpasses the feeding range of livestock, resulting in reduced grazing impact. The findings of our study carry significant implications for developing scientifically informed livestock policies and promoting the conservation of wild fruit forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The landscape pattern of Xinjiang's wild apple forest (Malus sieversii) area has undergone substantial change due to human activity disruption and frequent natural catastrophes. This change has a significant influence on the biodiversity and stability of the ecosystem. This study aimed to evaluate the spatial and temporal evolution in habitat quality and landscape pattern changes to analyze the underlying factors affecting habitat quality in the Malus sieversii forest (MF) area in the Mohe watershed of the western Tianshan Mountains. Here, we applied the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model, using four periods of remote sensing images of 1964, 1980, 2000, and 2017 as data sources, and analyzed the trend of landscape pattern changes in the MF area. The results show that (1) from 1964 to 2017, the study area was greatly affected by anthropogenic disturbance and climate change. Each landscape index indicates that the fragmentation of the whole study area has increased, the stability of the ecosystem has weakened, and the habitat quality is somewhat in jeopardy. (2) Analyzed in terms of spatial and temporal characteristics, the habitat quality of the whole study area decreased from 1964 to 2017. Among them, the low habitat value is mainly distributed in the north and northeast, the central part of the study area shows scattered low-habitat-value areas, and in the high-altitude area in the south, the ecosystem is more stable. (3) Since the northern region is dominated by cultivated land patches and residential building land patches, the habitat quality of the stressed zone deteriorates the larger its maximum patch area. The habitat quality of the region under stress worsens the larger its maximum patch size. In the area dominated by MF, the larger the area of MF patches, the higher the ecological service value. The study may be helpful for comprehending how the dynamics of landscape patterns affect biodiversity. It may also offer a scientific foundation for improving regional natural environments and effective decision-making support for local governments in the areas of landscape design and biodiversity preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malus sieversii is a precious wild fruit tree resource, and its sustainable reproduction is of great significance to the conservation of wild fruit tree germplasm resources and the stability of wild fruit forest ecosystems. In recent years, the natural population number and area of distribution of the Malus sieversii have been declining due to pests, water limitations, and human activities. Root sprouts are a primary means of rejuvenation of the Malus sieversii. A reasonable spatial distribution pattern is conducive to the growth of Malus sieversii plants and the ecological restoration of wild fruit forest populations. However, the spatial distribution pattern of root sprouts still needs to be discovered, which constrains our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the damage and management of Malus sieversii. Therefore, this paper examines the study area of the Gilgalang River Malus sieversii forest in Gongliu County, Ili Valley, Xinjiang. The topographic data and high-resolution images were first obtained using ultra-low-altitude photogrammetry and total station measurement techniques, then spatial pattern analysis and standard deviation ellipse analysis were used to investigate the spatial distribution pattern of root sprouts, and, finally, the factors affecting the spatial distribution pattern of root sprouts were investigated by principal component analysis and grey correlation analysis. The results show that: (1) Under-canopy Malus sieversii root sprouts are clustered and randomly distributed along the root system, with the degree of clustering decreasing with increasing distance; (2) Spatial orientation and distance from the maternal plant are the main factor affecting the sprouting of Malus sieversii roots, explaining 73.69% of the total variance; (3) Under sediment accumulation and water erosion, the root sprouts under the canopy are mainly distributed in the downslope direction. The shape is similar to the "clover type". The results of this study can provide a theoretical basis for conserving Malus sieversii germplasm resources and a solid scientific basis for the ecological restoration of plants under anthropogenic disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by the metacestode larva of Echinococcus granulosus. In this study, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) coupled with immunoblot analysis revealed that E. granulosus severin and 14-3-3zeta proteins (named EgSeverin and Eg14-3-3zeta, respectively) might be two potential biomarkers for serological diagnosis of echinococcosis. The recombinant EgSeverin (rEgSeverin, 45 kDa) and Eg14-3-3zeta (rEg14-3-3zeta, 35 kDa) were administered subcutaneously to BALB/c mice to obtain polyclonal antibodies for immunofluorescence analyses (IFAs). And IFAs showed that both proteins were located on the surface of protoscoleces (PSCs). Western blotting showed that both proteins could react with sera from E. granulosus- infected sheep, dog, and mice. Indirect ELISAs (rEgSeverin- and rEg14-3-3zeta-iELISA) were developed, respectively, with sensitivities and specificities ranging from 83.33% to 100% and a coefficient of variation (CV %) of less than 10%. The rEgSeverin-iELISA showed cross-reaction with both E. granulosus and E. multilocularis , while the rEg14-3-3zeta-iELISA showed no cross-reaction with other sera except for the E. granulosus- infected ones. The field sheep sera from Xinjiang and Qinghai were analyzed using rEgSeverin-iELISA, rEg14-3-3zeta-iELISA, and a commercial kit respectively, and no significant differences were found among the three methods (p > 0.05). However, the CE positive rates in sheep sera from Qinghai were significantly higher than those from Xinjiang (p < 0.01). Overall, the results suggest that EgSeverin and Eg14-3-3zeta could be promising diagnostic antigens for E. granulosus infection. • Both EgSeverin and Eg14-3-3zeta were located on the surface of protoscoleces of E. granulosus. • The rEgSeverin-iELISA could be used in the detection of anti- E. granulosus or anti- E. multilocularis sera. • The rEg14-3-3zeta-iELISA could only be employed for the detection of anti- E. granulosus sera. • It is the first time to develop the iELISAs based on two antigens-EgSeverin and Eg14-3-3zeta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poplar looper (Apocheima cinerarius Erschoff) is a destructive insect infesting Euphrates or desert poplars (Populus euphratica) in Xinjiang, China. Since the late 1950s, it has been plaguing desert poplars in the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang and caused widespread damages. This paper presents an approach to the detection of poplar looper infestations on desert poplars and the assessment of the severity of the infestations using time-series MODIS NDVI data via the wavelet transform and discriminant analysis, using the middle and lower reaches of the Yerqiang River as a case study. We first applied the wavelet transform to the NDVI time series data in the period of 2009–2014 for the study area, which decomposed the data into a representation that shows detailed NDVI changes and trends as a function of time. This representation captures both intra- and inter-annual changes in the data, some of which characterise transient events. The decomposed components were then used to filter out details of the changes to create a smoothed NDVI time series that represent the phenology of healthy desert poplars. Next the subset of the original NDVI time series spanning the time period when the pest was active was extracted and added to the smoothed time series to generate a blended time series. The wavelet transform was applied again to decompose the blended time series to enhance and identify the changes in the data that may represent the signals of the pest infestations. Based on the amplitude of the enhanced pest infestation signals, a predictive model was developed via discriminant analysis to detect the pest infestation and assess its severity. The predictive model achieved a severity classification accuracy of 91.7% and 94.37% accuracy in detecting the time of the outbreak. The methodology presented in this paper provides a fast, precise, and practical method for monitoring pest outbreak in dense desert poplar forests, which can be used to support the surveillance and control of poplar looper infestations on desert poplars. It is of great significance to the conservation of the desert ecological environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]