ABSTRACT: Herbaceous vegetation is more suitable for rapid and efficient soil restoration an evidence of ecological restoration of quarries in Yanshan Mountains, China
Project description:Herbaceous vegetation is more suitable for rapid and efficient soil restoration: an evidence of ecological restoration of quarries in Yanshan Mountains, China
Project description:Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) is a commonly used herbaceous species for slope ecological restoration in China. However, water scarcity often constrains its growth due to the unique site conditions of steep slopes and climate-induced drought stress. This study aims to compare the ameliorative effects of silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) on drought stress in tall fescue, and to elucidate their underlying mechanisms of action. The results indicated that drought stress impaired photosynthesis, restricted nutrient absorption, and increased oxidative stress, ultimately reducing biomass. However, Si NPs and CNCs enhanced drought tolerance and promoted biomass accumulation by improving photosynthesis, osmotic regulation, and antioxidant defense mechanisms. Specifically, Si NP treatment increased biomass by 48.71% compared to drought-stressed control plants, while CNCs resulted in a 33.41% increase. Transcriptome sequencing further revealed that both nanomaterials enhanced drought tolerance by upregulating genes associated with photosynthesis and antioxidant defense. Additionally, Si NPs improved drought tolerance by stimulating root growth, enhancing nutrient uptake, and improving leaf structure. In contrast, CNCs play a distinct role by regulating the expression of genes related to cell wall synthesis and metabolism. These findings highlight the crucial roles of these two nanomaterials in plant stress protection and offer a sustainable strategy for the maintenance and management of slope vegetation.
2025-05-08 | GSE296395 | GEO
Project description:Insect diversity based on metabarcoding in Yanshan Mountains
Project description:Dairy and millets have long sustained agropastoral societies in Inner Asia. While dairy pastoralism emerged across the eastern Eurasian steppe from 3000 BCE, the timing and process of its introduction into the Inner Asian mountains and integration with millet cultivation remains unclear due to the gaps in archaeological record. Here, we present the first long-term record of the integration of dairy and millet consumption in the Inner Asian mountains, based on chronological, palaeoproteomic, and stable isotope analyses of the Narensu cemetery (3050 BCE–1430 CE) in Xinjiang. This evidence reveals the earliest known convergence of Eastern and Western agropastoral technologies from 2900 BCE. Horse milk was widely consumed by 840 BCE, followed by an intensification of agrarian production during the Han–Xiongnu period. We argue that the synergy of dairy pastoralism and millet shaped a sustainable mixed economy, underpinning resilient subsistence strategies and long-term socio-ecological adaptation in Xinjiang’s diverse environments.
2026-03-26 | PXD072424 | Pride
Project description:Soil microbiome along karst vegetation restoration
Project description:Cannabis sativa L. is an annual herbaceous crop grown for the production of long extraxylary fibers, the bast fibers, rich in cellulose and used both in the textile and biocomposite sectors. Despite being herbaceous, hemp undergoes secondary growth and this is well exemplified by the hypocotyl. The hypocotyl was already shown to be a suitable model to study secondary growth in other herbaceous species, namely Arabidopsis thaliana and it shows an important practical advantage, i.e. elongation and radial thickening are temporally separated. This study focuses on the mechanisms marking the transition from primary to secondary growth in the hemp hypocotyl by analysing the suite of events accompanying vascular tissue and bast fiber development. RNA-Seq transcriptomics, imaging and quantification of phytohormones were carried out on four representative developmental stages (i.e. 6-9-15-20 days after sowing) to provide a first comprehensive profiling of the events associated with primary and secondary growth in hemp. This multidisciplinary approach provides cell wall-related snapshots of the growing hemp hypocotyl and identifies marker genes associated with the young (expansins, β-galactosidases and transcription factors involved in light-related processes) and the older hypocotyl (secondary cell wall biosynthetic genes and transcription factors).