This prospective study was designed to examine the combined influence of insulin resistance（IR）and inflammatory biomarker levels on type 2 diabetes mellitus（T2DM）among 1,903Inner Mongolians.
Microbial metabolic quotient(MMQ) is the rate of soil microbial respiration per unit of microbial biomass, and represents the capacity of soil microbes to utilize soil organic matter.Understanding the regional variati...Microbial metabolic quotient(MMQ) is the rate of soil microbial respiration per unit of microbial biomass, and represents the capacity of soil microbes to utilize soil organic matter.Understanding the regional variation and determinants of MMQ can help predict the responses of soil respiration rate to global climate change.Accordingly, we measured and analyzed MMQ-related data(e.g., soil basic respiration rate at 20℃ and soil microbial biomass) from 17 grassland sites, which located in meadow steppe, typical steppe, and desert steppe along a 1000-km transect across the Inner Mongolian grasslands, China.Results showed that MMQ varied significantly among the different grassland types(P < 0.05;desert > typical > meadow) and decreased from southwest to northeast(r =–0.81) with increasing latitude(r = – 0.50), and with increasing mean annual precipitation(r = –0.69).Precipitation accounted for 56% of the total variation in MMQ, whereas temperature accounted for 26%.MMQ was negatively correlated with precipitation across the Inner Mongolian grasslands.Therefore, climate change, especially in regard to precipitation, may influence soil microbial respiration and soil carbon dynamics through altering MMQ.These results highlighted the importance of spatial patterns in MMQ for accurately evaluating the responses of soil respiration to climate change at regional and global scales.展开更多
Salt lakes,the main source of trona resources in China, are widely distributed on the Inner Mongolian Plateau. Their characteristics are large in number, various in type, and short in salt-forming stage, especially th...Salt lakes,the main source of trona resources in China, are widely distributed on the Inner Mongolian Plateau. Their characteristics are large in number, various in type, and short in salt-forming stage, especially their considerable number is well-known at home and abroad. The paper discusses the physical constituents, hydrochemical features, classification, formation, evolution, and salt-forming regularities of salt lakes through analyzing their distribution, lacustrine deposits and salt-forming conditions.展开更多
Phytoplankton play an irreplaceable role as producers in maintaining lake ecosystems.Nevertheless,scant attention has been given to investigating the dispersion of phytoplankton communities and the factors influencing...Phytoplankton play an irreplaceable role as producers in maintaining lake ecosystems.Nevertheless,scant attention has been given to investigating the dispersion of phytoplankton communities and the factors influencing them across expansive areas.In this study,we present the results of a survey on the distribution of phytoplankton community and the effects of different driving factors in 11 lakes along Inner Mongolia in July–August 2020.Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis and variance decomposition(VPA)were used to elucidate the distribution of phytoplankton communities and the response of drivers.A total of 169 species of phytoplankton from 8 phyla were detected.Both the abundance and diversity of phytoplankton in the Inner Mongolia lakes showed a trend of high in the east and low in the west(with Daihai Lake as the boundary).The Margalef index of phytoplankton significantly negatively correlated with salinity(r=−0.707,P<0.05)and total dissolved solids(r=−0.720,P<0.05),and both density and biomass highly significantly positively correlated with the suspended solids,Chlorophyll a and trophic level index.The VPA explained 38.9%of the changes in the phytoplankton community with the highest rate of explanation of land use.Therefore,preventing anthropogenic impacts,as well as reducing nutrient loads,can effectively ensure the ecological diversity of lake phytoplankton in lake populations with large geographical spans and varying levels of nutrients.展开更多
Rivers with fluvial equilibrium are characterized by bed deformation adjustment. The erosion-deposition area in cross-section reflects this characteristic, which is a base of researching the river scour and deposition...Rivers with fluvial equilibrium are characterized by bed deformation adjustment. The erosion-deposition area in cross-section reflects this characteristic, which is a base of researching the river scour and deposition evolution by time series analysis. With an ero- sion-deposition area indicator method proposed in this paper, the time series of ero- sion-deposition area quantity at Bygl and Shhk stations were obtained with the series duration of 31 years from 1976 to 2006. After analysis of its trend and mutation, three different ten- dencies about the evolution were observed in general from the quasi-equilibrium phase through a rapid shrinkage to the final new quasi-equilibrium. It is also found that the trend of erosion-deposition area series will change once a big flood occurred in some of the tributaries and its ever greater influence is due to the decrease of deluge with the completion of up- stream reservoirs. Almost all the turning points were coincident with the time when hy- per-concentrated sediment flood occurred in some tributaries. With the time series of clear mutations since the late 1990s, the Inner Mongolian Reach has been in a new equilibrium phase. This can be concluded in two aspects. 1. The absence of big floods and sediment transportation from tributaries result in the river shrinkage, and to regain the channel flow-carrying capacity in Inner Mongolian Reach a large flood is needed both of high peak discharge and of lengthy interval to destroy the new equilibrium. 2. The proposed method of erosion-deposition area indicator is of great help to channel scour-deposition evolution analysis because it can demonstrate real time deformation of cross section in quantity.展开更多
Knowledge of the leaf anatomy of grassland plants is crucial for understanding how these plants adapt to the environment. Tibetan alpine grasslands and Inner Mongolian temperate grasslands are two major grassland type...Knowledge of the leaf anatomy of grassland plants is crucial for understanding how these plants adapt to the environment. Tibetan alpine grasslands and Inner Mongolian temperate grasslands are two major grassland types in northern China. Tibetan alpine grasslands occur in high-altitude regions where the low temperatures limit plant growth. Inner Mongolian temperate grasslands are found in arid regions where moisture is the limiting factor. Few comparative studies concerning the leaf anatomy of grassland plants of the Tibetan Plateau and Inner Mongolian Plateau have been conducted. We examined leaf characteristics at 71 sites and among 65 species, across the alpine grasslands of the Tibetan Plateau and the temperate grasslands of the Inner Mongolian Plateau. We compared the leaf structures of plants with different life forms and taxonomies, and their adaptation to arid or cold environments. We explored relationships among leaf features and the effects of climatic factors (i.e., growing season temperature and precipitation) on leaf characteristics. Our results showed that (i) there were significant differences in leaf anatomy between Tibetan alpine and Inner Mongolian temperate grasslands. Except for mesophyll cell density, the values obtained for thickness of leaf tissue, surface area and volume of mesophyll cells were larger on the Tibetan Plateau than on the Inner Mongolian Plateau. (ii) Within the same family or genus, leaf anatomy showed significant differences between two regions, and trends were consistent with those of whole species. (iii) Leaf anatomy of woody and herbaceous plants also showed significant differences between the regions. Except for mesophyll cell density, the values obtained for the thickness of leaf tissue, and the surface area and volume of mesophyll cells were larger in herbaceous than in woody plants. (iv) Leaf anatomical traits changed accordingly. Total leaf thickness, thicknesses of lower and upper epidermal cells, and surface area and volume of mesophyll cells were positively correlated, while mesophyll cell density was negatively associated with those traits. (v) Growing season temperature had stronger effects on leaf anatomy than growing season precipitation. Although the communities in Tibetan and Inner Mongolian grasslands were similar in appearance, leaf anatomy differed; this was probably due to the combined effects of evolutionary adaptation of plants to environment and environmental stress induced by climatic factors.展开更多
The mechanisms driving changes in dominant plant species are the key for understanding how grassland ecosystems respond to climate change.In this study,we examined plant functional traits（morphological characteristic...The mechanisms driving changes in dominant plant species are the key for understanding how grassland ecosystems respond to climate change.In this study,we examined plant functional traits（morphological characteristics：plant height,leaf area,and leaf number;biomasses：aboveground,belowground,and total;and growth indices：root-to-shoot ratio,specific leaf area,and leaf mass ratio） of four zonal Stipa species（S.baicalensis,S.bungeana,S.grandis,and S.breviflora） from Inner Mongolian grassland in response to warming（control,＋1.5,＋2.0,＋4.0,and ＋6.0℃）,changing precipitation（-30%,-15%,control,＋15%,and＋30%）,and their combined effects via climate control chambers.The results showed that warming and changing precipitation had significant interactive effects,different from the accumulation of single-factor effects,on functional traits of Stipa species.The correlation and sensitivity of different plant functional traits to temperature and precipitation differed.Among the four species,the accumulation and variability of functional traits had greater partial correlation with precipitation than temperature,except for leaf number,leaf area,and specific leaf area,in S.breviflora,S.bungeana,and S.grandis.For S.baicalensis,the accumulation and variability of plant height,aboveground biomass,and root-to-shoot ratio only had significant partial correlation with precipitation.However,the variability of morphological characteristics,biomasses,and some growth indices,was more sensitive to temperature than precipitation in S.bungeana,S.grandis,and S.breviflora—except for aboveground biomass and plant height.These results reveal that precipitation is the key factor determining the growth and changes in plant functional traits in Stipa species,and that temperature mainly influences the quantitative fluctuations of the changes in functional traits.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China[Grant No.81773509][Grant No.81102190]
文摘This prospective study was designed to examine the combined influence of insulin resistance（IR）and inflammatory biomarker levels on type 2 diabetes mellitus（T2DM）among 1,903Inner Mongolians.
基金Under the auspices of National Key R&D Program of China(No.2016YFA0600104,2016YFC0500102,2017YFD0200604)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31770655,41671045,31772235)
文摘Microbial metabolic quotient(MMQ) is the rate of soil microbial respiration per unit of microbial biomass, and represents the capacity of soil microbes to utilize soil organic matter.Understanding the regional variation and determinants of MMQ can help predict the responses of soil respiration rate to global climate change.Accordingly, we measured and analyzed MMQ-related data(e.g., soil basic respiration rate at 20℃ and soil microbial biomass) from 17 grassland sites, which located in meadow steppe, typical steppe, and desert steppe along a 1000-km transect across the Inner Mongolian grasslands, China.Results showed that MMQ varied significantly among the different grassland types(P < 0.05;desert > typical > meadow) and decreased from southwest to northeast(r =–0.81) with increasing latitude(r = – 0.50), and with increasing mean annual precipitation(r = –0.69).Precipitation accounted for 56% of the total variation in MMQ, whereas temperature accounted for 26%.MMQ was negatively correlated with precipitation across the Inner Mongolian grasslands.Therefore, climate change, especially in regard to precipitation, may influence soil microbial respiration and soil carbon dynamics through altering MMQ.These results highlighted the importance of spatial patterns in MMQ for accurately evaluating the responses of soil respiration to climate change at regional and global scales.
文摘Salt lakes,the main source of trona resources in China, are widely distributed on the Inner Mongolian Plateau. Their characteristics are large in number, various in type, and short in salt-forming stage, especially their considerable number is well-known at home and abroad. The paper discusses the physical constituents, hydrochemical features, classification, formation, evolution, and salt-forming regularities of salt lakes through analyzing their distribution, lacustrine deposits and salt-forming conditions.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52279067 and 51869014)National Key Research and Development Program of China(2021YFC3201203)Open Project Program of the Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resources Use of the Mongolian Plateau(KF2020006).
文摘Phytoplankton play an irreplaceable role as producers in maintaining lake ecosystems.Nevertheless,scant attention has been given to investigating the dispersion of phytoplankton communities and the factors influencing them across expansive areas.In this study,we present the results of a survey on the distribution of phytoplankton community and the effects of different driving factors in 11 lakes along Inner Mongolia in July–August 2020.Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis and variance decomposition(VPA)were used to elucidate the distribution of phytoplankton communities and the response of drivers.A total of 169 species of phytoplankton from 8 phyla were detected.Both the abundance and diversity of phytoplankton in the Inner Mongolia lakes showed a trend of high in the east and low in the west(with Daihai Lake as the boundary).The Margalef index of phytoplankton significantly negatively correlated with salinity(r=−0.707,P<0.05)and total dissolved solids(r=−0.720,P<0.05),and both density and biomass highly significantly positively correlated with the suspended solids,Chlorophyll a and trophic level index.The VPA explained 38.9%of the changes in the phytoplankton community with the highest rate of explanation of land use.Therefore,preventing anthropogenic impacts,as well as reducing nutrient loads,can effectively ensure the ecological diversity of lake phytoplankton in lake populations with large geographical spans and varying levels of nutrients.
基金National Basic Research Program of China, No.2011CB403305
文摘Rivers with fluvial equilibrium are characterized by bed deformation adjustment. The erosion-deposition area in cross-section reflects this characteristic, which is a base of researching the river scour and deposition evolution by time series analysis. With an ero- sion-deposition area indicator method proposed in this paper, the time series of ero- sion-deposition area quantity at Bygl and Shhk stations were obtained with the series duration of 31 years from 1976 to 2006. After analysis of its trend and mutation, three different ten- dencies about the evolution were observed in general from the quasi-equilibrium phase through a rapid shrinkage to the final new quasi-equilibrium. It is also found that the trend of erosion-deposition area series will change once a big flood occurred in some of the tributaries and its ever greater influence is due to the decrease of deluge with the completion of up- stream reservoirs. Almost all the turning points were coincident with the time when hy- per-concentrated sediment flood occurred in some tributaries. With the time series of clear mutations since the late 1990s, the Inner Mongolian Reach has been in a new equilibrium phase. This can be concluded in two aspects. 1. The absence of big floods and sediment transportation from tributaries result in the river shrinkage, and to regain the channel flow-carrying capacity in Inner Mongolian Reach a large flood is needed both of high peak discharge and of lengthy interval to destroy the new equilibrium. 2. The proposed method of erosion-deposition area indicator is of great help to channel scour-deposition evolution analysis because it can demonstrate real time deformation of cross section in quantity.
基金supported by the Funds for Creative Research Groups of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31021001)the Funds of the Chinese Academy of Sciences for Key Topics in Innovation Engineering (Grant No. KSCX2-YW-Z-0806)
文摘Knowledge of the leaf anatomy of grassland plants is crucial for understanding how these plants adapt to the environment. Tibetan alpine grasslands and Inner Mongolian temperate grasslands are two major grassland types in northern China. Tibetan alpine grasslands occur in high-altitude regions where the low temperatures limit plant growth. Inner Mongolian temperate grasslands are found in arid regions where moisture is the limiting factor. Few comparative studies concerning the leaf anatomy of grassland plants of the Tibetan Plateau and Inner Mongolian Plateau have been conducted. We examined leaf characteristics at 71 sites and among 65 species, across the alpine grasslands of the Tibetan Plateau and the temperate grasslands of the Inner Mongolian Plateau. We compared the leaf structures of plants with different life forms and taxonomies, and their adaptation to arid or cold environments. We explored relationships among leaf features and the effects of climatic factors (i.e., growing season temperature and precipitation) on leaf characteristics. Our results showed that (i) there were significant differences in leaf anatomy between Tibetan alpine and Inner Mongolian temperate grasslands. Except for mesophyll cell density, the values obtained for thickness of leaf tissue, surface area and volume of mesophyll cells were larger on the Tibetan Plateau than on the Inner Mongolian Plateau. (ii) Within the same family or genus, leaf anatomy showed significant differences between two regions, and trends were consistent with those of whole species. (iii) Leaf anatomy of woody and herbaceous plants also showed significant differences between the regions. Except for mesophyll cell density, the values obtained for the thickness of leaf tissue, and the surface area and volume of mesophyll cells were larger in herbaceous than in woody plants. (iv) Leaf anatomical traits changed accordingly. Total leaf thickness, thicknesses of lower and upper epidermal cells, and surface area and volume of mesophyll cells were positively correlated, while mesophyll cell density was negatively associated with those traits. (v) Growing season temperature had stronger effects on leaf anatomy than growing season precipitation. Although the communities in Tibetan and Inner Mongolian grasslands were similar in appearance, leaf anatomy differed; this was probably due to the combined effects of evolutionary adaptation of plants to environment and environmental stress induced by climatic factors.
基金Supported by the China Meteorological Administration Special Public Welfare Research Fund(GYHY201506001-3)Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDA05050408)National(Key)Basic Research and Development(973)Program of China(2010CB951300)
文摘The mechanisms driving changes in dominant plant species are the key for understanding how grassland ecosystems respond to climate change.In this study,we examined plant functional traits（morphological characteristics：plant height,leaf area,and leaf number;biomasses：aboveground,belowground,and total;and growth indices：root-to-shoot ratio,specific leaf area,and leaf mass ratio） of four zonal Stipa species（S.baicalensis,S.bungeana,S.grandis,and S.breviflora） from Inner Mongolian grassland in response to warming（control,＋1.5,＋2.0,＋4.0,and ＋6.0℃）,changing precipitation（-30%,-15%,control,＋15%,and＋30%）,and their combined effects via climate control chambers.The results showed that warming and changing precipitation had significant interactive effects,different from the accumulation of single-factor effects,on functional traits of Stipa species.The correlation and sensitivity of different plant functional traits to temperature and precipitation differed.Among the four species,the accumulation and variability of functional traits had greater partial correlation with precipitation than temperature,except for leaf number,leaf area,and specific leaf area,in S.breviflora,S.bungeana,and S.grandis.For S.baicalensis,the accumulation and variability of plant height,aboveground biomass,and root-to-shoot ratio only had significant partial correlation with precipitation.However,the variability of morphological characteristics,biomasses,and some growth indices,was more sensitive to temperature than precipitation in S.bungeana,S.grandis,and S.breviflora—except for aboveground biomass and plant height.These results reveal that precipitation is the key factor determining the growth and changes in plant functional traits in Stipa species,and that temperature mainly influences the quantitative fluctuations of the changes in functional traits.
