Fertilization and herbivore exclusion are two key forces influencing community structure and species richness in grassland ecosystems. However, the extent to which these factors influence the relative contributions of deterministic and stochastic processes in community assembly remains poorly understood. In this study, we conducted a five-year field experiment that manipulated nutrient availability and herbivore exclusion in an alpine meadow on the eastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. The results showed that fertilization, herbivore exclusion, and their combination significantly decreased species richness and drove Raup–Crick dissimilarity close to − 1 relative to the control. In the final year of the experiment, these treatments drove a distinct directional shift in community composition, diverging significantly from the control. Furthermore, all treatments significantly increased community-weighted mean (CWM) height and specific leaf area (SLA), and these shifts in fast resource-acquisition traits were significantly correlated with the intensification of deterministic processes (i.e., Raup–Crick dissimilarity approaching − 1). Consequently, we conclude that in natural alpine meadows (control), community assembly is primarily driven by stochastic processes. In contrast, the experimental treatments diminished the influence of stochasticity, establishing the dominance of deterministic processes through environmental filtering. This shift in assembly patterns was largely mediated by plant functional traits. Because this filtering strongly selected for dominant species possessing fast resource-acquisition traits and exceptional competitive abilities for light, it ultimately led to community homogenization and a decline in species richness. Notably, the combined treatment did not yield a stronger deterministic effect than either treatment alone, indicating a lack of an additive effect.

Maximizing overall conservation benefits in conservation planning always leads to inadequate conservation of certain features, thereby reducing conservation effectiveness. To address this issue, we treated each conservation feature as an independent unit and conducted a conservation planning across three biodiversity levels-species, ecosystem, and landscape-in Gansu Province, an ecologically diverse region in China. By evaluating different Zonation-based prioritization scenarios (species, ecosystem, and landscape priority and comprehensive), we systematically assessed the conservation effectiveness as well as the synergies and trade-offs among these biodiversity levels. Results showed that different biodiversity levels exhibited synergistic relationships overall, however this relationship displayed spatial heterogeneity. Pronounced synergies occurred in forest and grassland regions (e.g., Qilian Mountains), whereas significant trade-offs were evident in desert and farmland areas (e.g., Hexi Corridor). The species priority scenario achieved the most effective outcomes among all scenarios, including high coverage for key species, more than 20% coverage for desert species that were poorly conserved in other scenarios, and substantial coverage for ecosystems (55.4%) and landscapes (41.6%). Our results demonstrated the effectiveness of using protected species as a proxy for multi-objective conservation planning in ecologically heterogeneous regions and provide scientific support for achieving the Target 3 of Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in Gansu and other areas.

Habitat fragmentation represents a multifaceted global conservation threat, exerting both direct and indirect effects on individual animals and communities. Reptiles, particularly smaller species with limited migratory abilities, are especially vulnerable to these changes. This study examines how small reptiles adapt their life history strategies in fragmented habitats and determines whether their responses are primarily due to phenotypic plasticity or genetic adaptation. We focused on Phrynocephalus przewalskii, analyzing body size, reproductive strategies, genetic structure, and diversity across three habitats with varying degrees of fragmentation. This study investigated the response of P. przewalskii to varying degrees of habitat fragmentation in Wuhai City, Inner Mongolia. The study compared morphological characteristics, reproductive investment, genetic diversity, and fluctuating asymmetry of P. przewalskii individuals from the sampling areas. Results showed that individuals in highly fragmented areas exhibited smaller body size, higher reproductive investment, and lower genetic diversity. Genomic analyses revealed significantly fewer SNPs, INDELs, and SVs in the highly fragmented area compared to others, with the slowest linkage disequilibrium decay rate, indicating strong environmental pressure. Furthermore, individuals in the highly fragmented area had significantly higher fluctuating asymmetry, serve as an important ecological and biological indicator reflecting habitat fragmentation. These findings demonstrated that habitat fragmentation negatively impacts the survival and reproduction of P. przewalskii, reducing its genetic diversity and adaptive potential, and increasing the risk of local extinction. This study provides crucial data for understanding the mechanisms of animal adaptation to fragmented habitats and aids in assessing species extinction risks and developing conservation strategies.

Animal signals are complex, comprising multiple components influenced by ecological factors and viewing perspectives that together impact their overall effectiveness. Our study explores how these factors affect the efficacy of multi-component signals in the Qinghai toad-headed agama, Phrynocephalus vlangalii. Using 3D animations, we simulated natural environments to evaluate how tail coiling and tail lashing-two primary tail displays-vary in effectiveness from both conspecific and predator perspectives under different ecological conditions. Baseline comparisons showed no significant difference in effectiveness between tail coiling and tail lashing without environmental constraints, though side-on tail coiling was consistently more effective than front-on displays. When noise proximity was introduced, tail lashing was more effective when the noise source was nearby, but this advantage diminished with distance. Conversely, tail coiling maintained consistent effectiveness across varying noise proximities, especially from a side-on view. In complex habitats with diverse plant species and varying wind conditions, tail lashing proved more effective, particularly from a front-on perspective, while tail coiling excelled from a side-on view. From a predator's perspective, tail lashing was slightly more effective under low wind conditions at close distances, though its visibility decreased with higher wind speeds. These findings highlight the adaptive significance of multi-component signals and the critical role of signal orientation in enhancing communication. This research offers insights into the evolutionary pressures shaping animal communication strategies.

The genealogical and geographical distribution of a species offers insights into its evolutionary narrative, encompassing its population dispersion, migration, adaptation, and speciation—key aspects for comprehending the genesis and sustenance of biodiversity. Using three mitochondrial genes on 115 samples, this study examined the phylogeographic structure, phylogenetic divergence, and environmental evolution of the viviparous multiocellated racerunner (Eremias multiocellata) in the Tarim Basin of China. Our analyses revealed a significant phylogenetic structure and suggested that the distributed populations began to diverge approximately 6.63 million years ago (Ma), influenced by the uplift of surrounding mountain ranges and glacial cycles, and further differentiated into distinct groups around 3.72 Ma–1.50 Ma, exhibiting genetic distinctions. These results supplement the foundational genetic data to the Tarim Basin and provide insights on how historical geological events affect the species distribution and genetic differentiation and species formation in this region.

Sodium-sulfur (Na-S) batteries hold great promise as next-generation energy storage systems due to their high theoretical capacity and abundant electrode materials. However, their commercialization is significantly hindered by issues such as the polysulfide (Na2Sn) shuttle effect, the poor electrical conductivity of sulfur, and sluggish reaction kinetics. In this study, we propose monolayer NiPS3 as an effective sulfur host material to address these challenges. Our computational results indicate that Ni atoms play a crucial role in facilitating electron transport, while the moderate binding strength between NiPS3 and Na2Sn helps suppress the polysulfide shuttle effect. Additionally, NiPS3 exhibits favorable catalytic activity in both the sulfur reduction reaction (SRR) and Na2S decomposition. Specifically, NiPS3 reduces the energy barriers associated with intermediate conversions in the SRR and lowers the dissociation barrier of Na2S, thereby promoting more efficient redox kinetics and improving sulfur utilization in Na-S batteries. Furthermore, we find that NiPS3 also demonstrates good Nastorage capability, contributing to an increased theoretical capacity. Our study provides insights into improving the electrochemical performance of Na-S batteries and highlights the potential of NiPS3 as a multifunctional anchoring and catalytic material.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries is a promising battery system for next-generation energy storage systems due to their high theoretical specific capacity, energy density, low cost, and environmental friendliness. Co3Mo3N can effectively anchor and catalyze the conversion of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs), thereby accelerating electrochemical reaction kinetics and giving LiPSs outstanding electrochemical properties. This work simulates the effect of LiPSs on the surface of Co3Mo3N(111) through first-principles calculations. This interaction between sulfur and metal occurs, forming covalent bonds. Co3Mo3N(111) surface adsorbs Li2S, which the Co-Mo bridge site has the lowest energy and is the best adsorption site. LiPSs were placed on the surface of Co3Mo3N(111) in two ways: horizontally and vertically. Co3Mo3N can adsorb and catalyze LiPSs in both extreme adsorption states. The horizontal adsorption position has better adsorption catalytic ability for LiPSs. This work provides theoretical support for the good catalytic effect of Co3Mo3N on LiPSs, and is expected to promote the use and development of bimetallic nitrides in lithium-sulfur batteries.

Two prevalent ecological mechanisms, niche dimensionality and light asymmetry, may well explain species loss with fertilization gradients in grassland communities. Although there is still controversy surrounding the two competitive mechanisms that maintain species coexistence, few studies have examined the patterns of change in dissimilarity in species composition (β-diversity) and the relative explanatory contributions of plant functional traits to α- and β-diversity when multiple resources are added. To clarify this knowledge gap, we conducted a 6-year experiment of resource addition in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to assess how species richness and spatial β-diversity are affected by increasing numbers of added resources (NAR) and light limitation. Our results found that both NAR and light limitation led to decreased species richness, suggesting that niche dimensionality and light asymmetry may contribute equally to species loss, rather than either alone. Moreover, NAR is the primary factor responsible for the increase in β-diversity, which exhibits a negative relationship with species richness. Furthermore, the increase in height is the most likely explanation for β-diversity, while the increase in SLA is the most likely explanation for species richness, thereby indicating the changes in species richness and composition can be effectively explained by the response of certain morphological functional traits with the addition of multiple resources. Future research should focus on the complex interactions of different ecological mechanisms that contribute to the maintenance of biodiversity in grassland ecosystems all over the world.

The decline in species diversity within nutrient-enriched grasslands is commonly explained by a single hypothesis that often overlooks the potential interconnected roles of soil nutrients, light, and plant productivity. In a 2-year field experiment involving multiple nutrient additions (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium; NPK) conducted in an alpine meadow on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, we investigated the simultaneous impact of three driving factors (soil nutrients, litter, and light) on species loss. Our findings show that the reduction in species richness can be attributed to belowground soil nutrient enrichment and aboveground light asymmetry. Specifically, the increase in soil nutrients following NPK addition directly contributed to the decline in species richness. Light limitation associated with an increase in the aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) indirectly accelerates competitive exclusion, leading to species loss. The increased ANPP was primarily influenced by the greater proportion of the grass species Elymus nutans in the NPK-fertilized plots, highlighting the significant role of dominant species in restricting light availability. Contrary to expectations, our results did not support the negative impact of litter on species richness. In summary, our findings indicate that interspecies competition for soil nutrients and light availability are the two primary drivers of species loss in alpine meadow communities. This insight has crucial implications for understanding the effects of nutrient enrichment on biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and services in alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

为了研究我国特有物种叶城沙蜥(Phrynocephalus axillaris)的遗传多样性,采用微卫星和核基因分子标记方法,对新疆7个地区所采集的96只叶城沙蜥进行了遗传多样性分析.基于对6个微卫星位点和核基因BDNF的PCR扩增及琼脂糖凝胶电泳检测,利用软件进行分析,结果表明群体单倍型多样性为0.707和平均核酸多样性为0.00314,观察到的杂合度平均值和预期杂合度平均值分别为0.52和0.65,总Fst值为0.175,发现试验研究所采集的叶城沙蜥群体存在明显的遗传差异及种群间存在较大的遗传分化.综合分析说明采集的叶城沙蜥群群体间遗传交流水平低,存在较高程度的遗传分化,但由于样本较少仍需对叶城沙蜥种群遗传特征进一步研究.补充和丰富了新疆部分地区叶城沙蜥的基础遗传数据,为后续合理利用及保护该地区内其他物种的种质资源奠定了基础.

Eupatorium fortunei Turcz, a perennial herb of the Asteraceae family, is one of the horticultural and medicinal plants used for curing various diseases and is widely distributed in China and other Asian countries. It possesses antibacterial, antimetastatic, antiangiogenic, and antioxidant properties along with anticancer potential. However, the intrageneric classification and phylogenetic relationships within Eupatorium have long been controversial due to the lack of high-resolution molecular markers, and the complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequencing has not been reported with new evolutionary insights. In the present study, E. fortunei was used as an experimental material, and its genome was sequenced using high-throughput sequencing technology. We assembled the complete cp genome, and a systematic analysis was conducted for E. fortunei, acquiring the correspondence of its NCBI accession number (OK545755). The results showed that the cp genome of E. fortunei is a typical tetrad structure with a total length of 152,401 bp, and the genome encodes 133 genes. Analysis of the complete cp genomes of 20 Eupatorieae shows that the number of simple sequence repeats (SSRs) ranged from 19 to 36 while the number of long sequence repeats was 50 in all cases. Eleven highly divergent regions were identified and are potentially useful for the DNA barcoding of Eupatorieae. Phylogenetic analysis among 22 species based on protein-coding genes strongly supported that E. fortunei is more closely related to Praxelis clematidea and belongs to the same branch. The genome assembly and analysis of the cp genome of E. fortunei will facilitate the identification, taxonomy, and utilization of E. fortunei as well as provide more accurate evidence for the taxonomic identification and localization of Asteraceae plants.

Phrynocephalus forsythii is a viviparous sand lizard that is endemic to the Tarim Basin with a broad altitudinal range of 872-3,100 m. Such variation in altitude and ecological variables can offer an opportunity to uncover genetic mechanisms of ectothermic adaptation to extreme environments at high- and low-altitude. Furthermore, the evolutionary relationship of karyotype with two different chromosome numbers (2n = 46 or 2n = 48) in the Chinese Phrynocephalus is unclear. In this study, a chromosome-level reference genome of P. forsythii was assembled. The genome assembly size was 1.82 Gb with a contig N50 length of 46.22 Mb, 20,194 protein-coding genes were predicted and 95.50% of these genes were annotated in functional public databases. After cluster contigs into chromosome level using Hi-C paired-end reads, we found that two chromosomes of P. forsythii were originated from one ancestral chromosome of species with 46 chromosomes. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that numerous characteristics associated with high- or low-altitude adaptation, including energy metabolism pathways, hypoxic adaptation, and immune, exhibit rapid changes or show signals of positive selection in the P. forsythii genome. This genome provides an excellent genome resource for the study of the karyotype evolution and ecological genomics of Phrynocephalus.

Przevalski’s partridge (Alectoris magna) is one of the birds in the genus Alectoris endemic to China. The distribution of A. magna was narrow, and it was only found in parts of the Qinghai, Gansu, and Ningxia provinces. A. magna was considered a monotypic species until it was distinguished into two subspecies. However, external morphological characteristics, rather than genetic differences or evolutionary relationships, are now commonly used as evidence of subspecies differentiation. In this study, a chromosome-level reference genome of A. magna has been constructed by combining Illumina, PacBio and Hi-C sequencing data. The 1135.01 Mb A. magna genome was ultimately assembled. The genome showed 96.9% completeness (BUSCO), with a contig N50 length of 23.34 Mb. The contigs were clustered and oriented on 20 chromosomes, covering approximately 99.96% of the genome assembly. Additionally, altogether 19,103 protein-coding genes were predicted, of which 95.10% were functionally annotated. This high-quality genome assembly could serve as a valuable genomic resource for future research on the functional genomics, genetic protection, and interspecific hybridization of A. magna.

The environmental characteristics of hypothermia and hypoxia exert great selective pressure on the energy metabolism of high-altitude animals, especially the ectotherms. Current research on energy-limited adaptation of high-altitude ectotherms has focused on energy expenditures.However, the mechanisms of increasing energy intake in high-altitude ectotherms have been studied rarely. In order to investigate the adaptation mechanism of the small intestine, the key part of energy acquisition for animals, to energy limitation at high altitude in ectotherms, the gut proteins of Phrynocephalus vlangalii from high-and low-altitude populations were compared using label free proteomics. GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis showed that proteins associated with energy intake, such as those involved in oxidation-reduction processes, glutathione metabolism, oxidoreductase activity, cofactor binding, catalytic activity and metabolic pathways, were significantly up-regulated in high-altitude populations; while proteins associated with energy expenditure, such as immune responses and processes, membrane attack complexes, natural killer pathway and other immune-related processes,were significantly down-regulated in expression.

The taxonomic terms “Phlomis” and “Phlomoides” had been used to describe two sections within the genus Phlomis belonging to the Lamiaceae family. Recently, phylogenetic analyses using molecular markers showed that Phlomis and Phlomoides formed two monophyletic clades, and thus they are generally accepted as separate genera. In this study, we assembled the complete chloroplast genome of Phlomis fruticosa, which is the first reported chloroplast genome belonging to Phlomis genus, as well as the complete chloroplast genome of Phlomoides strigosa belonging to Phlomoides genus. The results showed that the length of chloroplast genome was 151,639 bp (Phlomis fruticosa) and 152,432 bp (Phlomoides strigosa), with conserved large single copy regions, small single copy regions, and inverted repeat regions. 121 genes in Phlomis fruticosa and 120 genes in Phlomoides strigosa were annotated. The chloroplast genomes of Phlomis fruticosa, Phlomoides strigosa, and three reported Phlomoides species, as well as those of 51 species from the Lamiaceae family, which covered 12 subfamilies, were subjected to phylogenetic analyses. The Phlomis and Phlomoides species were split into two groups, which were well supported by both maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference tree analyses. Our study provided further evidence to recognize Phlomis and Phlomoides as independent genera.

Eupatorium fortunei has been utilized as herbal medicine to cure various diseases in various regions of the world especially China, Korea, and other Asian countries. The available literature shows Eupatorium fortunei contain anti-metastatic, anti-angiogenic, anti-bacterial, and anti-oxidant, along with compounds to cure human cancer. In present study, Eupatorium fortunei was used as an experimental material, and its genome was sequenced based on high-throughput sequencing technology. We assembled the complete chloroplast genome of Eupatorium fortunei and obtained NCBI accession number ( OK545755 ). We analyzed chloroplast genome structure of Eupatorium fortunei and systematic analysis was conducted, including the size of the entire genome sequence, genome volume, large single-copy (LSC), small single-copy (SSC), inverted repeat region (IR)-LSC/SSC boundaries, etc. The obtained results showed that chloroplast genome of Eupatorium fortunei is a typical tetrad structure with a total length of 152,401 bp and a sum of 133 annotated genes, including eight ribosomal RNA (rRNA)-encoding genes, 37 transfer RNA (tRNA)-encoding genes, 87 protein-encoding genes, and one pseudo-gene. A sum of 29 Single Sequence Repeats (SSR)s were identified for mono-nucleotide, di-nucleotide and tri-nucleotide microsatellites with mono-nucleotides in majority. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that Eupatorium fortunei is more closely related to Litothamnus nitidus and belongs to the same branch. The genome assembly and analysis of the chloroplast genome of Eupatorium fortunei provides more accurate evidence for further taxonomic identification and localization of Asteraceae/Compositae plant.

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Danggui Buxue Decoction (DBT) is classical prescriptions, which contains two Traditional Chinese Medicines of Angelicae sinensis radix and Astragali radix. According to the preliminary work of our laboratory and numerous studies, it has been found that DBT has a therapeutic effect on diabetic ne-phropathy (DN). However, the mechanisms underlying its action remain unclear. Aim of the study: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of DBT on kidney disease in diabetic mice and further explore its protective mechanism. Methods: DN mice model was induced by high-fat fodder and streptozotocin (STZ). Qualitative and quantitative analysis of 6 compounds in DBT was carried out by HPLC, including calycosin-7-glucoside, ferulic acid, ononin, calycosin, formononetin, and levostilide A. Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining was used to determine the degree of kidney pathological damage. The UPLC-Q Exactive MS technique was used to analyze the lipids metabolism profile of kidneys samples and multiple statistical analysis methods were used to screen and identify biomarkers. Transcriptomics analyses were carried out using RNAseq. The possible molecular mechanism was unraveled by network pharmacology. Results: Thirty-one significantly altered lipid metabolites were identified in the model group comparing with the control group. DBT improved aberrant expression of several pathways related to lipidomics, including glycer-ophospholipid metabolism and sphingolipid metabolism. Comprehensive analysis indicated that DBT interven-tion reduced the content of Cers, phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylcholines in mouse kidneys by downregulating the transcription level of Degs2 and Cers, reducing lipid accumulation and promoting Akt phosphorylation by upregulating the expression of Acers and Pdk1. Network pharmacology analysis showed that components in DBT, such as kaempferol, ferulic acid and astragaloside IV, could be responsible for the phar-macological activity of DN by regulating the AGE-RAGE, PI3K/Akt, MAPK and NF-kappa B signaling pathways in diabetic complications. Conclusions: These results showed that DBT may improve DN by affecting insulin resistance, chronic inflam-mation and lipid accumulation.

Li-S batteries are potential candidates for next-generation energy storage devices because of their ultra-high theoretical capacity and low cost. However, shuttle effect and slow reaction kinetics hinder further commercialization of Li-S batteries. In the present work, CeO2-xSx was prepared using S-doped CeO2 as a cathode material to address some existing challenges of Li-S batteries. After density function theory calculations, it was found that S doping not only effectively shortens the band gap but also enhances the adsorption capacity of the composite to Li2S6, which has a positive effect on mitigating the shuttle effect. The battery also has a highly reversible cycling capability. The first charge/discharge capacity of the battery at 0.1C reached 1380 mAh/g, while the capacity retention rate of the battery reached 90% after 500 cycles at 1C. This provides a new idea for anion doping to be used to enhance the performance of lithium-sulfur batteries.

Development of lithium-sulfur batteries faces various challenges, thus it is crucial to design efficient cathode material. We designed a dual carbon source precursor material, which benefits form merging the characteristics of the huge specific surface area of the MOF material and the excellent conductivity of carbon nanotubes to improve the performance of the lithium-sulfur battery. Furthermore, the added nickel rich metal phosphide can effectively improve the material's ability to adsorb polysulfides. When the addition amount of carbon nanotubes is optimized, the polarization voltage of the battery is reduced, which is conducive to the reaction kinetics of the battery. Due to the above-mentioned advantageous features, the specific capacity of the battery reaches 1453.5 mAh/g at a cycle rate of 0.1 C. In addition, after 500 cycles at 1 C, the coulombic efficiency of the battery always remains above 96%, and the retention rate of specific capacity is also above 90%. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The high specific capacity of lithium-sulfur batteries makes them a potential next-generation energy storage device, but the shuttle effect and low electrical conductivity of sulfur hinder their development. In this paper, a one-step hydrothermal method was used to prepare cerium dioxide and metal organic framework composites to improve the electrochemical performance of lithium-sulfur batteries. Polar cerium dioxide has a strong affinity to polysulfides. Experiments further confirmed that CeO2 has a positive effect on the battery performance. UV-Vis tests were performed on the composites. After standing for 1 h, Zn@NPC-CeO2-2 showed the best adsorption of polysulfides. In addition, the specific discharge capacity of the battery was 569.3 mA h/g with 88% capacity retention after 200 cycles at 2 C. The results indicate that the addition of appropriate amounts of rare earth metal oxides can effectively improve the reaction kinetics of the battery and also provide a new idea for improving the performance of lithium-sulfur batteries. (c) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.