Two-year field experiments were conducted in 2017-2018 to examine the effects of wheat straw returning and fertilization on soil fertility and enzyme activities, as well as the yield and qua-lity of edible sweetpoato. There were five treatments, including conventional fertilization+zero straw (CK), conventional fertilization+50% straw returning (50%S), zero fertilization+100% straw returning (100%S-F), conventional fertilization+100% straw returning (100%S), conventional fertilization+100% straw retuning+150 kg N·hm-2 (100%S+N). The treatments of straw returning and fertilization significantly increased the contents of available phosphorus (P), hydroly-zable nitrogen (N), total N, and organic matter in soils, and increased the activities of soil catalase, alkaline phosphorylase, urease, and invertase. The storage root yield, single root fresh weight and commodity potato rate were significantly increased under the treatments of straw returning and fertilization. The storage root yield was the lowest under the treatment of 50%S. After two years of straw returning, storage root yield and commodity potato rate were the highest under the treatment of 100%S. In general, the contents of starch and protein in sweetpotato were increased after two years of straw returning and fertilization, but the contents of reducing sugar and soluble sugar were decreased under 100%S and 100%S+N treatments. Our results suggested that straw returning in full quantity was better than straw returning in half quantity. The storage root yield and commodity potato rate was the highest under the combination of full quantity straw returning and conventional fertilization, with the taste of sweetpotato being changed. Thus, the amount of nitrogen fertilizer should be appropriately reduced in actual practice.Light shortage in the canopy of summer maize resulted from the decrease of solar radiation and the increase of planting density in Huanghuaihai region could reduce maize yield. In order to explore the effects of phytase Q9 on leaf senescence characteristics of summer maize, three sha-ding treatments with summer maize hybrid 'Denghai 605′ (DH605) were conducted, including shading at flowering to maturity stage (S1), shading at ear stage (S2), and shading at whole growth stage (S3) with natural lighting in the field as control (CK). Chemical control reagent phytase Q9 was used to regulate the shading treatments (the original solution was diluted by 100 times) and the CK exogenously, namely shading at flowering to maturity stage-phytase Q9 (S1Q), shading at ear stage-phytase Q9 (S2Q), and shading at whole growth stage-phytase Q9 (S3Q), and natural lighting-phytase Q9 (CKQ), with spraying water at the same stage as the control. The results showed that leaf area index (LAI), soil-plant analysis development (SPAD) escence.The aims of this study were to reveal the effects of biochar application combined with nitrogen fertilizer on soil physicochemical properties and crop yield in the typical ancient region of Yellow River, and to clarify the dynamics of carbon and nitrogen content and soil physicochemical properties with different treatments of biochar and nitrogen, which could provide scientific basis for reasonable fertilization of soil, quality improvement of cultivated land, and yield increase of winter wheat. A two-year field experiment was conducted with different biochar applications (0, 15, 30 t·hm-2) combined with different nitrogen levels (N 270, 330 kg·hm-2) to investigate their effects on soil physicochemical property in the typical ancient of Yellow River. After 2-yr biochar application, the generalized soil structure index (GSSI) was increased and three-phase structure distance index of soil (STPSD) was decreased, and three-phase ratio was significantly improved. The most ideal state of three-phase ratio was in thr than that with conventional nitrogen application. In summary, combined biochar and nitrogen application could improve soil micro-environment, soil fertility and crop yield. Comprehensively considering soil modification, crop yield improvement and input cost, the optimum amount of fertilization was biochar application (30 t·hm-2) combined with nitrogen fertilizer (330 kg·hm-2).Understanding the dynamics of phosphate-solubilizing and N2-fixing bacteria on soil nutrient and related enzyme activity under different organic fertilizer proportions (OFP) could provide references for screening appropriate inoculant type, OFP, and fertilization period. Here, we set four OFP levels (mass ratio 0%, 4%, 8%, 12%) and inoculated two phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (Bacillus megaterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens) and two N2-fixing bacteria (Azotobacter chroococcum, Azospirillum brasilence) in the subtropical yellow-brown barren soil. After a 60-day soil incubation under controlled conditions (28 ℃, darkness), we examined the impacts of single/mixed applications of beneficial bacteria on soil available nutrients and related enzyme activities at different OFP levels and different sampling times (3rd, 8th, 16th, 30th, 45th, 60th day). The results showed that soil available nutrient contents increased with the elevated OFP levels, and exhibited as 12%>8%>4%>0%. With the extension of culture time, soil ent effect on nitrogen fixation. Soil nutrient contents were positively correlated with enzyme activity, which was affected by both cultural time and carbon-nitrogen ratio. Bacterial inoculations could significantly increase nutrient contents in the short term, but the specific functions of beneficial bacteria on soil were highly dependent on organic carbon input and carbon-nitrogen ratio. Coupled application of inoculants and organic fertilizer at an appropriate OFP level (8%-12%) could increase and extend the soil-remediating effects, while the inoculation should be conducted with an interval of 45-60 days to ensure the survival rate and the consecutive effect on soil.Biological soil crusts (BSCs) greatly change surface soil structure and nutrient enrichment processes in arid and semiarid regions. However, their impacts on solute transport characteristics and nutrient loss are still not clear. In this study, the solute (Cl- and Ca2+) transport experiments were conducted on soils covered by moss-dominated BSCs and uncrusted soil on sandy and loessal soils on the Loess Plateau, respectively. We analyzed the solute transport characteristics of the BSCs covered soil and uncrusted soil in different soil depths (0-5 cm and 5-10 cm). The BSCs mulching generated delay effects on the solute breakthrough process of 0-5 cm soils. The breakthrough time of Cl- in the BSCs covered soil was 3.83 (sandy soil) and 2.09 times (loessal soil) longer than that in the uncrusted soil. The breakthrough time of Ca2+ in the BSCs covered soil was 2.50 and 2.73 times longer than that in the uncrusted soil. Due to the strong influence of BSCs mulching, the pore volume number of the complete solute brech is of great significance for the improvement of soil fertility and vegetation restoration on degraded land in arid and semiarid regions.We analyzed composition and spatial distribution of main species in the surrounding grassland of Baiyinhua mining area in Inner Mongolia. The results showed that there were 55 plant species in the grassland, with dominant species being Stipa grandis, Carex korshinskyi, and Cleistogenes squarrosa, and common species being Leymus chinensis, Agropyron cristatum, and Anemarrhena asphodeloides. The accumulative relative importance value of those six species was 79.6%, with their densities being 26.6, 204.7, 105.4, 107.1, 68.2 and 55.1 individuals·m-2, respectively. The population density of those six species was modeled by the semi-variance function. The population distribution was in accordance with the exponential model, exponential model, exponential model, spherical model, linear model and Gaussian model, respectively. Through analyzing the spatial distribution pattern, structure ratios were 59.2%, 97.2%, 89.1%, 94.5%, 62.6% and 72.1%, respectively. The spatial autocorrelation of C. korshinskyi, C. squarrosa and L. chinensis populations was mainly affected by structural factors, whereas S. grandis, A. cristatum and A. asphodeloides were mainly affected by random factors. According to results from the fractal dimension analysis, population distribution patterns of S. grandis, C. korshinskyi, C. squarrosa and A. cristatum were simple, and the spatial dependence was strong. Both L. chinensis and A. asphodeloides showed contrasting patterns with those four species. From 2D and 3D images, S. grandis and A. asphodeloides showed gradient diffusion, while C. korshinskyi, C. squarrosa, L. chinensis and A. cristatum showed patch distribution. The results showed that the spatial distribution of the main species in this grassland community did not correlate with mining.Investigating ecological stoichiometry of leaves and fine roots of forest swamps in the Greater Hinggan Mountains will improve our understanding of plant nutrient use and material cycling in ecosystems at high latitudes with high sensitivity to climate change. In this study, we collected leaf and fine root samples from 19 dominant and subordinate vascular plant species and measured their C, N and P concentrations in three typical forest swamps (Larix gmelinii-Carex schmidtii, L. gmelinii-Vaccinium uliginosum-moss and L. gmelinii-Ledum palustre-Sphagnum) of the Greater Hinggan Mountains, China. We compared CNP stoichiometry in leaves and fine roots among different forest swamp types, plant growth forms, and mycorrhizal types. Standardized major axis regression was performed to examine the relationships between leaf and fine root stoichiometry. The results showed that interspecific variation accounted for the largest proportion of total variation in CNP stoichiometry of leaves (42.5%-84.6%). NP had the highest, CN had the intermediate, and CP had the lowest interspecific variation in both leaves and fine roots. L. gmelinii-C. schmidtii forest swamps, which had higher soil nutrient and water availability, had lower CN and CP in leaves and fine roots. NP of all three forest swamps were lower than 10, indicating N limitation in this ecosystem. Herbaceous plants had significantly lower leaf CP, fine root CN, and fine root CP than woody species. Both ectomycorrhizal and ericoid mycorrhizal plants had higher leaf and fine root CN and CP than arbuscular mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal species, while the CP of ericoid mycorrhizal plants was significantly higher than that of ectomycorrhizal species. Forest swamp type, plant growth form, and mycorrhizal type all had greater influences on leaf and fine root CN and CP rather than NP. Leaf and fine root CN, CP, and NP were positively correlated, indicating strong coordination between plant above- and below-ground CNP stoichiometry.Quantifying the response of tree transpiration (T) to the variation of soil water supply capability and atmospheric evaporative demand is beneficial for a better prediction of water use and hydrological cycles in forests and deepen the understanding of the relationship between forest and water. Larix principis-rupprechtii in the Xiangshuihe watershed at the south side of Liupan Mountains was used as the research object. We simultaneously monitored sap flow density by thermal diffusion probe and the environmental factors. The response of the T to the soil volumetric water content (VWC) and potential evapotranspiration (PET) was analyzed. The results showed the response curve of T to VWC was quite similar under any different PET levels. With increasing VWC, T increased rapidly and then slowly, and began to be stable when VWC reached a threshold. This process could be well fitted by the saturated exponential function. However, the VWC threshold was different, and its value increased with rising PET. The relationship of daily T to PET was a quadra-tic equation, and PET also had a threshold effect.