Research in Cold and Arid Regions最新文献

Soil microbial communities are pivotal in permafrost biogeochemical cycles, yet the variations of abundant and rare microbial taxa and their impacts on greenhouse gas emissions in different seasons, remain elusive, especially in the case of soil archaea. Here, we conducted a study on soil abundant and rare archaeal taxa during the growing and non-growing seasons in the active layer of alpine permafrost in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The results suggested that, for the archaeal communities in the sub-layer, abundant taxa exhibited higher diversity, while rare taxa maintained a more stable composition from the growing to non-growing season. Water soluble organic carbon and soil porosity were the most significant environmental variables affecting the compositions of abundant and rare taxa, respectively. Stochastic and deterministic processes dominated the assemblies of rare and abundant taxa, respectively. The archaeal ecological network influenced N₂O flux through different modules. Rare taxa performed an essential role in stabilizing the network and exerting important effects on N₂O flux. Our study provides a pioneering and comprehensive investigation aimed at unravelling the mechanisms by which archaea or other microorganisms influence greenhouse gas emissions in the alpine permafrost.

This article utilizes daily precipitation data from 28 national meteorological stations in northern Shanxi Province spanning from 1972 to 2020, and the US NCEP/NCAR monthly average reanalysis and ERA5 monthly average reanalysis data. The study employs techniques such as empirical orthogonal function (EOF) decomposition, Mann-Kendall mutation and other methods to investigate the spatiotemporal distribution of extreme precipitation index in northern Shanxi and their correlation with atmospheric circulation. The research results show that: the absolute index, relative index, intensity index and sustained dry period index (CDD) in the continuous index appear from southwest to northeast. The spatial distribution characteristics of the central region decrease, while the continuous wet period (CWD) decreases from the central to the east and west. The three indices Rx1day, Rx5day, and CWD mutated in 1978, 1975, and 1983 respectively, and other extreme precipitation indices all appeared in a sudden change from a low-value period to a high-value period occurred around 2010. In the high-value years of the summer extreme precipitation index, there is a significant negative anomaly in the height field in the mid-high latitude regions of Eurasia. Northern Shanxi is controlled by a broad low-pressure trough in the Lake Baikal area. Water vapor transported via the east, west, and south routes converges in the northern Shanxi region and encounters cold air from the north. There is a strong upward motion anomaly at 500 hPa in the troposphere, and the dynamic conditions of upper-level divergence and lower-level convergence lead to more summer extreme precipitation in the northern Shanxi region. Conversely, in the low-value years of the summer extreme precipitation index, northern Shanxi is affected by a strong high-pressure ridge north of Lake Baikal. There is a downward motion anomaly at 500 hPa, and the northern Shanxi region lacks water vapor. The cold and warm air cannot converge, and both the water vapor conditions and dynamic conditions are poor, which is not conducive to the production of extreme precipitation in northern Shanxi.

In the urban atmosphere of Bengaluru, various volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particularly Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene (BTEX), have shown an increasing trend in concentration. The present research was conducted during summer and monsoon seasons, focusing on Kadubeesanahalli, a high-traffic area within the Bengaluru Metropolitan City. Hourly sample data was collected using a BTEX analyzer (Model GC955-600) and subsequently transformed into daily, monthly, and seasonal values. The study revealed distinct patterns in benzene concentrations. Benzene levels were lowest during the early morning hours, specifically from 1:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.. Concentrations then increased from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and again from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., corresponding to the morning and evening peak traffic hours. However, between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., the concentration decreased due to reduced traffic levels. These diurnal variations in benzene concentration are influenced by meteorological parameters. Comparing the two seasons, higher concentrations of Benzene, Ethyl-Benzene, and MP-xylene were observed during the summer season. This increase is attributed to the elevated temperatures during summer, which promote the vaporization of BTEX compounds. Conversely, lower BTEX concentrations were recorded during the monsoon season due to the wet deposition process. The observed positive correlation (r > 0.5) among BTEX parameters strongly suggests a common source, most likely originating from vehicular emissions.

In the hydrological year 2022/2023, the glaciers in the Qilian Mountains experienced unprecedented mass loss. The glacier-wide mass balance was −1,188 mm w.e., in contrast to −350 mm of average mass balance since 1990 over the Bailanghe Glacier No. 12 in the middle of Qilian Mountains. The temperature during 2022–2023 reached the highest value ever recorded, second only to 2022, while at the same time the precipitation amount was less compared to other year since 2000, which together led to the strongest glacier mass loss during 2022–2023. The atmospheric circulation analysis shows that the high temperature in the Qilian Mountains in 2023 was jointly caused by the Arctic air mass and East Asian monsoon.

The Yellow River Delta (YRD), a critical economic zone along China's eastern coast, also functions as a vital ecological reserve in the lower Yellow River. Amidst rapid industrialization and urbanization, the region has witnessed significant land use/cover changes (LUCC), impacting ecosystem services (ES) and ecological security patterns (ESP). Investigating LUCC's effects on ES and ESP in the YRD is crucial for ecological security and sustainable development. This study utilized the PLUS model to simulate 2030 land use scenarios, including natural development (NDS), economic development (EDS), and ecological protection scenarios (EPS). Subsequently, the InVEST model and circuit theory were applied to assess ES and ESP under varying LUCC scenarios from 2010 to 2030. Findings indicate: (1) Notable LUCC from 2010 to 2030, marked by decreasing cropland and increasing construction land and water bodies. (2) From 2010 to 2020, improvements were observed in carbon storage, water yield, soil retention, and habitat quality, whereas 2020–2030 saw increases in water yield and soil retention but declines in habitat quality and carbon storage. Among the scenarios, EPS showed superior performance in all four ES. (3) Between 2010 and 2030, ecological sources, corridors, and pinchpoints expanded, displaying significant spatial heterogeneity. The EPS scenario yielded the most substantial increases in ecological sources, corridors, and pinchpoints, totaling 582.89 km², 645.03 km², and 64.43 km², respectively. This study highlights the importance of EPS, offering insightful scientific guidance for the YRD's sustainable development.

Downward transport of stratospheric air into the troposphere (identified as stratospheric intrusions) could potentially modify the radiation budget and chemical of the Earth's surface atmosphere. As the highest and largest plateau on earth, the Tibetan Plateau including the Himalayas couples to global climate, and has attracted widespread attention due to rapid warming and cryospheric shrinking. Previous studies recognized strong stratospheric intrusions in the Himalayas but are poorly understood due to limited direct evidences and the complexity of the meteorological dynamics of the third pole. Cosmogenic ³⁵S is a radioactive isotope predominately produced in the lower stratosphere and has been demonstrated as a sensitive chemical tracer to detect stratospherically sourced air mass in the planetary boundary layer. Here, we report 6-month (April–September 2018) observation of ³⁵S in atmospheric sulfate aerosols (³⁵SO₄²⁻) collected from a remote site in the Himalayas to reveal the stratospheric intrusion phenomenon as well as its potential impacts in this region. Throughout the sampling campaign, the ³⁵SO₄²⁻ concentrations show an average of 1,070 ± 980 atoms/m³. In springtime, the average is 1,620 ± 730 atoms/m³, significantly higher than the global existing data measured so far. The significant enrichments of ³⁵SO₄²⁻ measured in this study verified the hypothesis that the Himalayas is a global hot spot of stratospheric intrusions, especially during the springtime as a consequence of its unique geology and atmospheric couplings. In combined with the ancillary evidences, e.g., oxygen-17 anomaly in sulfate and modeling results, we found that the stratospheric intrusions have a profound impact on the surface ozone concentrations over the study region, and potentially have the ability to constrain how the mechanisms of sulfate oxidation are affected by a change in plateau atmospheric properties and conditions. This study provides new observational constraints on stratospheric intrusions in the Himalayas, which would further provide additional information for a deeper understanding on the environment and climatic changes over the Tibetan Plateau.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is now experiencing ecological degradation risks as a result of climate change and human activities. The alpine grassland ecology in permafrost zones is fragile and susceptible to deterioration due to its high altitude, low temperature, and limited oxygen, which complicates the repair of damaged land. Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are crucial for land restoration in plateau regions because they can thrive in harsh conditions and have environmentally beneficial traits. Inoculated biological soil crust (IBSC) has shown success in low-altitude desert regions, but may not be easily duplicated to the plateau environment. Therefore, it is essential to do a comprehensive and multifaceted analysis of the basic theoretical comprehension and practical application of BSCs on the Tibetan Plateau. This review article aims to provide a brief summary of the ecological significance and the mechanisms related to the creation, growth, and progression of BSCs. It discusses the techniques used for cultivating BSCs in laboratories and using them in the field, focusing on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau circumstance. We thoroughly discussed the potential and the required paths for further studies. This study may be used as a basis for selecting suitable microbial strains and accompanying supplemental actions for implementing IBSCs in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.