Mongolia Of China Research Articles

QTL mapping of seven agronomic traits in maize based on the introgression lines

Maize ( Zea mays L.) is an important crop with great nutrition, fodder and energy values. The yield of maize is dependent on the integration and coordination of a lot of agronomic traits, such as plant height, ear length, grain weight per spike and others, which are controlled by micro-effects of multiple genes. The objective of this study was to identify genes related to agronomic traits in maize inbred line PHB1M and to investigate the correlation between those genes and yield-related traits. An introgression line was constructed using tetra-287 as a donor to improve the backbone maize inbred lines and create new breeding resources. The progenies were grown and evaluated in both Helin and Hohhot, Inner Mongolia of China. With 70 pairs of SSR and 64 pairs of SRAP primers, the constructed introgression materials were genotyped. As a result, a total of 793 polymorphic loci were obtained locating 10 linkage groups. A linkage map was then constructed with a length of 1917.2 cM. By using MQM mapping method, a total of 100 QTLs were identified in both locations, which distributed on 9 linkage groups except the 10th linkage group. Fifty QTLs were detected in single environment, with LOD values ranged from 3.20 to 9.12, and contribution rates ranged from 2.2% to 35.2%. Among the 100 QTLs, 23 for plant height, 16 for ears height, 22 for number of leaves, 10 for ear length, 16 for shafts diameter, 4 for ear rows, and 9 for 100-grain weights were identified; Eight genes controlling 5 traits were consistently expressed from plant of both locations, including 2 QTLs controlling plant height ( qPH1-5 and qPH2-6 , qPH1-6 and qPH2-7 ), 1 for ear height ( qEP1-2 and qEP2-1 ), 1 for leaf number( qLN1-10 and qLN2-4 ), 2 for ear length ( qEL1-2 and qEL2-1 , qEL1-4 and qEL2-4 ), and 2 for shafts diameter( qSD1-3 and qSD2-2 , qSD1-8 and qSD2-5 ). Three QTLs expressed stably for plant height and ear height, and 14 enriched QTL regions were found on 6 linkage groups. This research provided theoretical support for gene cloning and marker-assisted maize breeding.

Optimizing kNN for Mapping Vegetation Cover of Arid and Semi-Arid Areas Using Landsat Images

Land degradation and desertification in arid and semi-arid areas is of great concern. Accurately mapping percentage vegetation cover (PVC) of the areas is critical but challenging because the areas are often remote, sparsely vegetated, and rarely populated, and it is difficult to collect field observations of PVC. Traditional methods such as regression modeling cannot provide accurate predictions of PVC in the areas. Nonparametric constant k-nearest neighbors (Cons_kNN) has been widely used in estimation of forest parameters and is a good alternative because of its flexibility. However, using a globally constant k value in Cons_kNN limits its ability of increasing prediction accuracy because the spatial variability of PVC in the areas leads to spatially variable k values. In this study, a novel method that spatially optimizes determining the spatially variable k values of Cons_kNN, denoted with Opt_kNN, was proposed to map the PVC in both Duolun and Kangbao County located in Inner Mongolia and Hebei Province of China, respectively, using Landsat 8 images and sample plot data. The Opt_kNN was compared with Cons_kNN, a linear stepwise regression (LSR), a geographically weighted regression (GWR), and random forests (RF) to improve the mapping for the study areas. The results showed that (1) most of the red and near infrared band relevant vegetation indices derived from the Landsat 8 images had significant contributions to improving the mapping accuracy; (2) compared with LSR, GWR, RF and Cons_kNN, Opt_kNN resulted in consistently higher prediction accuracies of PVC and decreased relative root mean square errors by 5%, 11%, 5%, and 3%, respectively, for Duolun, and 12%, 1%, 23%, and 9%, respectively, for Kangbao. The Opt_kNN also led to spatially variable and locally optimal k values, which made it possible to automatically and locally optimize k values; and (3) the RF that has become very popular in recent years did not perform the predictions better than the Opt_kNN for the both areas. Thus, the proposed method is very promising to improve mapping the PVC in the arid and semi-arid areas.

Intensive land-use drives regional-scale homogenization of plant communities

Intensive anthropogenic land-use causes habitat loss and landscape homogenization, which leads to the decrease of biodiversity and ecosystem degradation. Therefore, it is important to study the influence of landscape heterogeneity on biodiversity. In this study, vegetation surveys conducted at 53 sites in the Tabu River basin, located at the agro-pastoral ecotone of Inner Mongolia of China, revealed 146 species. Species diversity was evaluated at three scales: species richness within patches (alpha diversity), between patches (beta diversity) and at the landscape scale (gamma diversity). We analyzed landscape heterogeneity (LHtotal) and its driving factors including environmental variables (LHDFenv-var, such as precipitation and altitude), environmental heterogeneity (LHDFenv-het) and human activities (LHDFhum). We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate the response of species richness to landscape heterogeneity at three scales and determined the relative contribution of driving factors in explaining species diversity at these scales. The results of the study are summarized as follows: 1) Alpha diversity was the dominant component of gamma diversity in the Tabu River basin in Inner Mongolia. 2) There is no significant correlation (P = 0.512) between alpha diversity and LHtotal; with the increase of LHtotal beta and gamma diversities showed hump-shaped relationships. 3) LHDFenv-het was the primary factor in maintaining alpha diversity, with heterogeneity of mean annual precipitation (MAP), temperature (MAT) and altitude (ALT) acting as three largest contributors. LHDFhum primarily contributed to the maintenance of beta diversity. 4) LHDFhum was the primary contributor to gamma diversity, and human activity exceeded threshold values for positive effects. Based on our findings we suggest liming agricultural use along the river to prevent reductions in species diversity.

Geochronology and Geochemistry of Paleozoic to Mesozoic Granitoids in Western Inner Mongolia, China: Implications for the Tectonic Evolution of the Southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt

AbstractSituated between the South Tianshan suture zone to the west and the Solonker suture zone to the east, the Yagan and Zhusileng-Hangwula arcs (YZHAs) in western Inner Mongolia in China occupy...

Aminopeptidase Activity of Haloalkalophilic Bacteria of the Genus Halomonas Isolated from the Soda-Saline Lakes in the Badain Jaran Desert

Three strains of haloalkaliphilic bacteria were isolated from microbial mats of soda-saline lakes of the Badain Jaran Desert, Inner Mongolia (China). Based on the data on ribosomal phylogeny, they were identified as members of the genus Halomonas. These bacteria were moderate alkaliphiles and extreme halophiles. The peptidases secreted by these bacteria were shown to have narrow substrate specificity. They hydrolyzed proteins and para-nitroanilide substrates and showed maximal activity in the hydrolysis of L-leucyl-p-nitroanilides (LpNA). The maximum activity of the peptidases occurred at alkaline pH values (8–10) and elevated salinity (50–100 g/L); the enzymes were thermostable (up to 50°С). The results of inhibitor analysis and substrate specificity examination of extracellular enzymes indicated them to belong to the class of aminopeptidase-like metallopeptidases.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ ЛАТЕНТНОГО ПЕРИОДА МИНДАЛЯ МОНГОЛЬСКОГО И МИНДАЛЯ ЧЕРЕШЧАТОГО

Relevance. Many species of the genus Prunus s.l. (Rosaceae) are known for their edible fruit, but they are also of interest for processing into biofuel. Assessment of the quality of reproductive diasporas (the degree of development of the embryo, endosperm, and performance) of wild plant species is an indicator of the prospects for their cultivation. The study of the peculiarities of the latent period gives valuable data for the development of methods for growing potentially useful plant species. The quality of the emerging fruits and seeds of the wild-growing Prunus mongolica Maxim. and P. pedunculata (Pall.) Maxim. has not yet been evaluated. Object. Species of the genus Prunus (Rosaceae) collected in the province of Inner Mongolia (China), which are used for introduction into the Peter the Great Botanical Garden. Materials and methods. Stone fruit of these species were collected in 2015 and 2016 from wild plants in the province of Inner Mongolia, China (70 km northeast of the city of Baotou). Methods of germination and fluoroscopic analysis of drupes were earlier described in detail by K. G. Tkachenko. To measure the germination, the drupes were divided into two groups: the first was cleared from the woody endocarp in order to evaluate the laboratory germination; the second consisted of whole drupes. Both were sown in October into ceramic pots, and buried for the winter in open ground to check the field germination. The germinated sprouts were documented in the early June. X-ray analysis of fruits and seeds was made on a mobile X-ray diagnostic device developed at St. Petersburg Electrotechnical University (LETI). Results and conclusions. The fruits of the two wild almond species P. mongolica and P. pedunculata harvested in their natural habitats (70 km to the north-east from the city of Baotou, Inner Mongolia Province, China) were full-fledged and plump. The main bulk was attributed to the V and IV classes of development. The laboratory germination of seeds freed from endocarp was 100% for both species. Germination of the seeds of the first species was extended in time (100% sprouted in 60 days), while with the second species, all seeds sprouted within 15-20 days. The field germination of unshelled drupes of these species was 57 and 63%, respectively.

Land-cover change in the Wulagai grassland, Inner Mongolia of China between 1986 and 2014 analysed using multi-temporal Landsat images

The Inner Mongolian steppe is a vast grassland ecosystem that has long been home to nomadic pastoralists. However, this steppe is experiencing grassland degradation as well as more frequent sand storms. The objective of this study was to detect land-cover changes in the Wulagai grassland of Inner Mongolia using multi-temporal Landsat images from 1986 to 2014, and to determine the factors driving these changes and their impacts. Land-cover maps for 1986, 1995, 2000, 2006 and 2014 were produced using the Support Vector Machine method. Subsequently, 300 m × 300 m grid-cell vector map which covered Wulagai grassland was made to detect land-cover changes and correlations between land-cover classes. The results show degradation trend from 1986 to 2014. Grid-cell-based spatial correlation analysis confirmed a strong negative correlation between grassland and barren, indicating that grassland degradation in this region is due to the regional modernization over the past 28 years.

The (provisional) end of debates on narrow dispute settlement clauses in PRC first-generation BITs?—China Heilongjiang et al v Mongolia

To this day, arbitral tribunals constituted under international investment treaties (investment treaty tribunals) only dealt with a handful of investor-state arbitrations relating to Chinese investors abroad. In 2010, China Heilongjiang International Economic & Technical Cooperative Corporation, Beijing Shougang Mining Investment Company Ltd. and Qinhuangdaoshi Qinlong International Industrial Co. Ltd.-three companies incorporated in the People's Republic of China (PRC) (the Claimants)-relied on the 1991 bilateral investment treaty (BIT) concluded between the PRC and Mongolia (the PRC-Mongolia BIT) to bring an expropriation claim against Mongolia for its cancellation of mining licenses held by the Claimants in the Tumurtei iron ore mine in the North of Mongolia. The UNCITRAL tribunal (the Tribunal) in China Heilongjiang et al v Mongolia (China Heilongjiang) rendered an award on 30 June 2017 (the Award) rejecting the Claimants' claim for lack of jurisdiction ratione materiae under the narrow dispute settlement clause in the PRC-Mongolia BIT. The Tribunal decided diametrically opposed to two previous investment treaty tribunals that had to address the same interpretative question with regard to identically worded narrow dispute settlement clauses in two other 'first-generation BITs' of the PRC. The Tribunal also deviated from findings by national courts that were sitting in proceedings to set-aside an award rendered by one of these earlier tribunals. This case report deals with the current state of case-law relating to the application of narrow dispute settlement clauses in PRC first-generation BITs and addresses the question of whether the most recent decision in China Heilongjiang points to an end of interpretative debates that are existing in this respect.

Analysis of dynamic sedimentary environments in alluvial fans of some tributaries of the upper Yellow River of China based on ground penetrating radar (GPR) and sediment cores

There are ten ephemeral tributaries of the Yellow River in the Inner Mongolia of China. As their catchments are covered by loose materials and are dominated by an intense interaction between wind and water erosion, these tributaries have had a high sediment yield and alluvial fans have been formed at the confluences of the tributaries with the Yellow River. However, there is a lack of understanding in the deposition model of the alluvial fans and the roles of fluvial and aeolian processes in sediment accumulation. In this paper, we used Ground Penetrating Radar (100 MHz) and sediment cores to investigate the sediments in channels and alluvial fans of four out of the ten tributaries. Radar reflection profiles of sedimentary strata are dominated by horizontal or sub-horizontal layers with a large scale, showing that the fluvial deposition on the alluvial fans has been dominated by a vertical accretion pattern. The reflection features like reflection free, inclined reflections, discontinuous, undulate, chaotic, sinuous reflections and channel fill exist to a lesser extent. A few GPR profiles send signs of intense erosion, and the one near the apex of an alluvial fan reveals that erosion had been active likely during the early Holocene and the channel position should be relatively fixed. The information extracted from this profile and the widely exposed late Pleistocene strata in the upper parts of the alluvial fans according to the geological map of the study area indicates that sediment accumulation has been slow in the upper alluvial fans since the early Holocene. The sediment cores indicate that sedimentary strata under the alluvial fans are mainly composed by sand and silt deposited in a fluvial environment and rarely reworked by wind actions. Also according to the core data, the sediment deposits in the west fans were coarser than those in the east fans, likely suggesting that the hydrodynamic force of the western tributaries was stronger than that of the east ones. The hydrodynamic environment of the tributaries was usually unstable historically and hyperconcentrated flows might occur with a higher frequency in one of the tributaries in history.

Modernization in Inner Mongolia of China and the Change of Life-style of the Livestock Farmers

Modernization in Inner Mongolia of China and the Change of Life-style of the Livestock Farmers

Interactive effects of wind speed, vegetation coverage and soil moisture in controlling wind erosion in a temperate desert steppe, Inner Mongolia of China

The rapid desertification of grasslands in Inner Mongolia of China poses a significant ecological threaten to northern China. The combined effects of anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., overgrazing) and biophysical processes (e.g., soil erosion) have led to vegetation degradation and the consequent acceleration of regional desertification. Thus, mitigating the accelerated wind erosion, a cause and effect of grassland desertification, is critical for the sustainable management of grasslands. Here, a combination of mobile wind tunnel experiments and wind erosion model was used to explore the effects of different levels of vegetation coverage, soil moisture and wind speed on wind erosion at different positions of a slope inside an enclosed desert steppe in the Xilamuren grassland of Inner Mongolia. The results indicated a significant spatial difference in wind erosion intensities depending on the vegetation coverage, with a strong decreasing trend from the top to the base of the slope. Increasing vegetation coverage resulted in a rapid decrease in wind erosion as explained by a power function correlation. Vegetation coverage was found to be a dominant control on wind erosion by increasing the surface roughness and by lowering the threshold wind velocity for erosion. The critical vegetation coverage required for effectively controlling wind erosion was found to be higher than 60%. Further, the wind erosion rates were negatively correlated with surface soil moisture and the mass flux in aeolian sand transport increased with increasing wind speed. We developed a mathematical model of wind erosion based on the results of an orthogonal array design. The results from the model simulation indicated that the standardized regression coefficients of the main effects of the three factors (vegetation coverage, soil moisture and wind speed) on the mass flux in aeolian sand transport were in the following order: wind speed>vegetation coverage>soil moisture. These three factors had different levels of interactive effects on the mass flux in aeolian sand transport. Our results will improve the understanding of the interactive effects of wind speed, vegetation coverage and soil moisture in controlling wind erosion in desert steppes, and will be helpful for the design of desertification control programs in future.

Putonghua as “admission ticket” to linguistic market in minority regions in China

This article reports on a multiple-case study that investigates the impact of the promotion of Putonghua on individuals’ social interactions and language identities in multilingual minority regions in China. Drawing on the theory of linguistic market, the study focuses on what mediates individuals’ access to the linguistic market. The 24 participants, from multilingual minority regions of Xinjiang, Tibet, and Inner Mongolia in China, had different linguistic repertoires (monolingual vs. bilingual), and lived in different sociolinguistic contexts where Putonghua or minority language dominates. Data were collected through prolonged, semi-structured interviews and workplace observations. The analysis of data revealed the complex interrelations between people’s language competence as linguistic capital, their exchange of and investment in such capital, and the formation and transformation of their identities. The study also uncovers the role of Putonghua as a high-status language in providing or prohibiting access of other linguistic capitals to the linguistic market, depending on the individual’s competence in Putonghua. In other words, competence in Putonghua serves as the “admission ticket” to the linguistic market, without which the linguistic capitals from other languages cannot be allowed in and exchanged. Therefore, it is important for policy makers to seriously reconsider the statuses of minority languages since Putonghua serves a managing role in the linguistic market.

Long-term ecological data for conservation: Range change in the black-billed capercaillie (Tetrao urogalloides) in northeast China (1970s-2070s).

Long‐term ecological data can be an effective tool to help ecologists integrate future projections with historical contexts and provide unique insights into the long‐term dynamics of endangered species. However, hampered by data limitations, including incomplete and spatially biased data, relatively few studies have used multidecadal datasets or have examined changes in biogeography from a historical perspective. The black‐billed capercaillie (Tetrao urogalloides) is a large capercaillie (classified as Least Concern [LC] on the IUCN red list) that has undergone a dramatic decline in population during the late 20th century and is considered endangered. Its conservation status is pessimistic, and the species requires immediate protection. Therefore, we supplemented a historical dataset to identify changes in this bird's range and population in northeast China over the long term. The study area spanned Heilongjiang Province, Jilin Province, and the northeast corner of Inner Mongolia in northeast China. We integrated an ecological niche model (BIOMOD2) with long‐term ecological data on this species to estimate the magnitude of change in distribution over time. Our results revealed a 35.25% reduction in the current distribution of this species compared to their potential distribution in the 1970s. This decline is expected to continue under climate change. For example, the future range loss was estimated to be 38.79 ± 0.22% (8.64–90.19%), and the actual state could be worse, because the baseline range of the model was greater than the real range in the 2000s, showing a 12.39% overestimation. To overcome this poor outlook, a conservation strategy should be established in sensitive areas, including the southwestern Greater Khingan Mountains and northern Lesser Khingan Mountains. Actions that should be considered include field investigations, establishing a monitor network, designing ecological corridors, and cooperating with local inhabitants, governments, and conservation biologists to improve the conservation of the black‐billed capercaillie.

Mercury enrichment in coal fire sponge in Wuda coalfield, Inner Mongolia of China

Coal fire sponge (CFS) is a type of sponge-like contaminated soil found at surface vents of coal fire commonly seen in global coal fire regions. The sponge and the related soil samples were collected in Wuda coalfield, Inner Mongolia of China, and measured by Lumex RA-915+ Mercury Analyzer with PYRO-915 pyrolysis cell. The results show that the mercury (Hg) concentration in CFS reaches 13,967 ng/g (2653–38,470 ng/g, n = 73), about 1400 times of local soil background level (10 ng/g), which has practically become a point source of heavy Hg pollution. The 8000 m2 reclamation zone that CFS resides also shows elevated Hg level of 2536 ng/g (1438–4313 ng/g, n = 20 × 5), which is the result of weathering and dissemination of CFS, and also has become an area source of Hg pollution. Both findings suggest that the formation of CFS on coalfield ground surface has changed the environmental fate of Hg from entering atmosphere to staying locally, causing serious surface atmosphere, soil, and water body contamination in the coalfield. In addition, CFS also shows potential as a sensible indicator of underground coal fire remainder in reclamation/coal fire treatment areas.

CO2, CH4 and N2O flux changes in degraded grassland soil of Inner Mongolia, China

The main purpose of this study was to explore the dynamic changes of greenhouse gas (GHG) from grasslands under different degradation levels during the growing seasons of Inner Mongolia, China. Grassland degradation is associated with the dynamics of GHG fluxes, e.g., CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes. As one of the global ecological environmental problems, grassland degradation has changed the vegetation productivity as well as the accumulation and decomposition rates of soil organic matter and thus will influence the carbon and nitrogen cycles of ecosystems, which will affect the GHG fluxes between grassland ecosystems and the atmosphere. Therefore, it is necessary to explore how the exchanges of CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes between soil and atmosphere are influenced by the grassland degradation. We measured the fluxes of CO2, CH4 and N2O in lightly degraded, moderately degraded and severely degraded grasslands in Inner Mongolia of China during the growing seasons from July to September in 2013 and 2014. The typical semi-arid grassland of Inner Mongolia plays a role as the source of atmospheric CO2 and N2O and the sink for CH4. Compared with CO2 fluxes, N2O and CH4 fluxes were relatively low. The exchange of CO2, N2O and CH4 fluxes between the grassland soil and the atmosphere may exclusively depend on the net exchange rate of CO2 in semi-arid grasslands. The greenhouse gases showed a clear seasonal pattern, with the CO2 fluxes of –33.63 –386.36 mg/(m•h), CH4 uptake fluxes of 0.113–0.023 mg/(m•h) and N2O fluxes of –1.68 –19.90 μg/(m•h). Grassland degradation significantly influenced CH4 uptake but had no significant influence on CO2 and N2O emissions. Soil moisture and temperature were positively correlated with CO2 emissions but had no significant effect on N2O fluxes. Soil moisture may be the primary driving factor for CH4 uptake. The research results can be in help to better understand the impact of grassland degradation on the ecological environment.

New Comparative Experiments of Different Soil Types for Farmland Water Conservation in Arid Regions

Irrigated farmland is the main food source of desert areas, and moisture is the main limiting factor of desert farmland crop productivity. Study on the influence of irrigation on desert farmland soil moisture can guide the agricultural water resource utilization and agricultural production in those regions. At present, the efficiency of irrigation water usage in Northwest China is as low as approximately 40% of the irrigated water. To understand the response of farmland soil moisture in different soil types on irrigation in the Ulan Buh Desert of Inner Mongolia of China, this experimental study takes advantage of different infiltration characteristics and hydraulic conductivities of sand, clay, and loam to determine an optimized soil combination scheme with the purpose of establishing a hydraulic barrier that reduces infiltration. This study includes three comparative experiments with each consisting of a 100 cm thick of filled sand, or clay, or loam soil underneath a 50 cm plough soil, with a total thickness of 150 cm soil profile. A new type of lysimeter is installed below the above-mentioned 150 cm soil profile to continuously measure deep soil recharge (DSR), and the ECH2O-5 soil moisture sensors are installed at different depths over the 150 cm soil profile to simultaneously monitor the soil moisture above the lysimeter. The study analyzes the characteristics of soil moisture dynamics, the irrigation-related recharge on soil moisture, and the DSR characteristics before and after irrigation, during the early sowing period from 2 April to 2 May 2017. Research results show that: (1) Irrigation significantly influences the soil moisture of 0–150 cm depths. The soil moisture increase after the irrigation follows the order from high to low when it is in the order of loam, sand, and clay. (2) Irrigation-induced soil moisture recharge occurs on all three soil combinations at 0–150 cm layers, and the order of soil moisture recharge from high to low is: clay (54.3 mm, 43.39% of the total irrigation), loam (39.83 mm, 31.83% of the total irrigation), and sand (33.47 mm, 26.75% of the total irrigation). (3) After the irrigation event, DSR below 150 cm occurs for all three soil combinations. This study reveals the characteristics of irrigation-induced soil moisture recharge and DSR, and it shows that farmland consisting of an upper 50 cm plough soil and a lower 100 cm filled clay soil can save more water resource at the study site, which is useful in agricultural control measure and water resource management in arid regions.

Russian–Eurasian Transit in the Economic Zone of the Great Silk Road

This article is dedicated to the integration and harmonization of the projects Eurasian Economic Union and Economic Zone of the Great Silk Road. It provides an expert characterization of the program China–Mongolia–Russia Economic Corridor for the Great Silk Road. It also reviews the project’s regional projection onto Russia’s Baikal Natural Area from the perspective of the region’s preparedness for the program’s implementation.

Responses of Riverbed Particles to Geomorphologic Processes in Aeolian-Fluvial Action Area: A Case Study of the Heilaigou Basin in Inner Mongolia of China

Abstract: The Heilaigou basin, located in the Inner Mongolia of China, is predominantly influenced by the aeolian-fluvial actions, with complicated sediment transport conditions on the mainstream riverbed. In order to identify the relationship between sedimentary particles and geomorphic processes, mechanisms for the formation of characteristics of grain size composition were investigated by analyzing grain size parameters and external dynamic geomorphologic features. Firstly, the grain size parameters of the riverbed, stream power, maximum grain size of the wind-blown particles and HI values of the mainstream channel were calculated and analyzed, and they were used to establish multiple regression functions of grain size parameters in order to determine the effects of wind and river actions on particles. The results show that sediments in different reaches are formed in different environments: the upper stream is controlled by fluvial and aeolian processes; the sorting properties of riverbed sediments in...

Distribution of fluorine in the surface dust of Wuda coal base, Inner Mongolia of Northern China

Wuda coalfield in Inner Mongolia is one of China's typical old coal bases and has a coal fire history of over 50 years. Many studies have been carried out on fluorine pollution caused by high-temperature processing industries such as those related to the production of steel, aluminum, glass, brick, and tile. However, few studies have focused on fluorine pollution caused by coal-fired industrial parks or coal fires. For the present study, 224 dust samples were collected from Wuda district in Inner Mongolia and its surrounding zones, covering a total area of ~270 km2. Subsequently, fluorine concentrations in the samples were analyzed using the combustion–hydrolysis/fluoride-ion selective electrode method. Results showed that the average fluorine concentration of dust is 848 μg·g−1 (430–1504 μg·g−1) in Wuda coalfield and 1016 μg·g−1 (237–2830 μg·g−1) in industrial parks, which are more than four times the background value. The average fluorine concentration in the adjoining downwind urban area of Wuda is 488 μg·g−1, which is twice the background value. The results indicate that long-term fluorine release from the coal fire and industrial parks leads to significantly elevated fluorine concentration levels in the dust around the study area. The scenario of urban areas in close proximity to coal seam fires and industrial parks is not particular to Wuda; it is relatively common in northern China and elsewhere. Thus, the influence of coal seam fire and industrial parks on other cities merits further investigation.

Soil bacterial community shifts driven by restoration time and steppe types in the degraded steppe of Inner Mongolia

Degraded grassland can be restored through management practices such as fencing to protect land from overgrazing. However, little is known about the dynamics of underground microbial communities and their associated ecological function during the restoration process. In this study, we investigated changes in the soil bacterial community composition with varying restoration time in the Leymus chinensis steppe. We also studied the differences in the soil bacterial community composition between a Leymus chinensis steppe and a Stipa grandis steppe at the same restoration time in the Inner Mongolia of China. Results showed that restoration of the degraded steppe through fencing significantly changed the bacterial community composition through the restoration time. The relative abundances of Chloroflexi and Cyanobacteria decreased significantly with restoration. However, the relative abundances of copiotrophic Proteobacteria and Bacteriodetes increased. Significant changes for many dominant taxa occurred between 7 and 13 years of restoration time in the Leymus chinensis steppe. Shifts in the composition of bacterial communities with fencing and grazing were driven by multiple factors, including soil moisture, pH, nutrients (organic carbon and nitrogen, etc.). Network analysis of soil bacterial community compositions showed that the three largest modules in co-occurrence networks were separated by fencing, grazing and steppe type. This study revealed the successions of underground microbial communities associated with steppe restoration management over time.