Tuber transcriptome analysis reveals a novel WRKY transcription factor StWRKY70 potentially involved in potato pigmentation.

Tuber flesh pigmentation, conferred by the presence of secondary metabolite anthocyanins, is one of many key agronomic traits for potato tubers. Although several genes of potato anthocyanin biosynthesis have been reported, transcription factors (TFs) contributing to tuber flesh pigmentation are still not fully understood. In this study, transcriptomic profiling of diploid potato accessions with or without tuber flesh pigmentation was conducted and genes of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway were found significantly enriched within the 1435 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) and connectivity analysis pinpointed a subset of 173 genes closely related to the key biosynthetic gene StDFR. Of the eight transcription factors in the subset, group III WRKY StWRKY70, was chosen for showing high connectivity to StDFR and ten other anthocyanin biosynthetic genes and homology to known WRKYs of anthocyanin pathway. The transient activation assay showed StWRKY70 predominantly stimulated the expression of StDFR and StANS as well as the accumulation of anthocyanins by enhancing the function of the MYB transcription factor StAN1. Furthermore, the interaction between StWRKY70 and StAN1 was verified by Y2H and BiFC. Our analysis discovered a new transcriptional activator StWRKY70 which potentially involved in tuber flesh pigmentation, thus may lay the foundation for deciphering how the WRKY-MYB-bHLH-WD40 (WRKY-MBW) complex regulate the accumulation of anthocyanins and provide new strategies to breed for more nutritious potato varieties with enhanced tuber flesh anthocyanins.

Associated impact mechanism of heavy rain and floods in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze river basin based on ocean-atmosphere anomaly patterns.

Heavy rainfall and flooding disasters are increasing due to global warming. A clear understanding of the mechanism of heavy rain and floods is the basic premise of disaster risk management. However, most previous studies emphasized more on the single anomalous signal from the average state in the whole season, which may neglect the combined influence of multiple signals in the ocean-atmosphere and differential characteristics of anomalous signals at different periods. Here, our study aimed to reveal the possible influence mechanism of heavy rain and floods in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin (MLRYRB) by systematically analyzing the monthly-scale and daily-scale ocean-atmosphere anomaly patterns in the preceding periods of heavy rainfall and flooding events. The results showed that heavy rainfall and flooding events were highly likely to occur in the region one month after El Niño decayed, with the flooding intensity in June having the negative correlation with the sea ice concentration anomaly in the Arctic with a lag of about 5 months (150 days). Besides, North Atlantic Oscillation, Western Pacific subtropical high, blocking, East Asian subtropical westerly jet, and the water vapor fluxes from the Arabian Sea and western Pacific Ocean could be used as the anomalous signals inducing heavy rain and floods. The daily-scale conceptual model inducing heavy rainfall and flooding events was built based on the patterns of all anomalous signals, which detailed the possible impact mechanism of heavy rain and floods in the region. By making targeted forecasts of anomalous signals and using this information in water resources planning and management based on climate mechanisms, it will have a significant impact on water management in the country.

Design and simulation investigations on charge transport layers-free in lead-free three absorber layer all-perovskite solar cells.

The multiple absorber layer perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with charge transport layers-free (CTLs-free) have drawn widespread research interest due to their simplified architecture and promising photoelectric characteristics. Under the circumstances, the novel design of CTLs-free inversion PSCs with stable and nontoxic three absorber layers (triple Cs3Bi2I9, single MASnI3, double Cs2TiBr6) as optical-harvester has been numerically simulated by utilizing wxAMPS simulation software and achieved high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.8834%. This is owing to the innovative architecture of PSCs favors efficient transport and extraction of more holes and the slender band gap MASnI3 extends the absorption spectrum to the near-infrared periphery compared with the two absorber layers architecture of PSCs. Moreover, the performance of the device with p-type-Cs3Bi2I9/p-type-MASnI3/n-type-Cs2TiBr6 architecture is superior to the one with the p-type-Cs3Bi2I9/n-type-MASnI3/n-type-Cs2TiBr6 architecture due to less carrier recombination and higher carrier life time inside the absorber layers. The simulation results reveal that Cs2TiF6 double perovskite material stands out as the best alternative. Additionally, an excellent PCE of 21.4530% can be obtained with the thicker MASnI3 absorber layer thickness (0.4 µm). Lastly, the highest-performance photovoltaic devices (28.6193%) can be created with the optimized perovskite doping density of around E15 cm3 (Cs3Bi2I9), E18 cm3 (MASnI3), and 1.5E19 cm3 (Cs2TiBr6). This work manifests that the proposed CTLs-free PSCs with multi-absorber layers shall be a relevant reference for forward applications in electro-optical and optoelectronic devices.

A meta-analysis of gray matter volume abnormalities in HIV patients.

HIV infection is known to have significant effects on central nervous system. This study conducted a meta-analysis of whole voxel-based morphometry (VBM) in HIV patients (N = 435) and HIV-uninfected controls (N = 397). This study observed a reduction of limbic lobe, cingulate gyrus, frontal lobe, middle frontal gyrus, sub-lobar, insula, inferior frontal gyrus and superior frontal gyrus volume in HIV patients. These morphological differences may be responsible for cognitive decline in HIV patients, as these brain regions are closely related to motor and memory functions. These results contribute to a better understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying brain injury in HIV patients and could help develop targeted brain targets, provide more personalized treatment and predict neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Abnormal Brain Structure Is Associated with Social and Communication Deficits in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Voxel-Based Morphometry Analysis.

Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) studies have shown abnormalities in the brain structure of ASD patients, but the relationship between structural changes and social communication problems is still unclear. This study aims to explore the structural mechanisms of clinical dysfunction in the brain of ASD children through voxel-based morphometry (VBM). After screening T1 structural images from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) database, 98 children aged 8-12 years old with ASD were matched with 105 children aged 8-12 years old with typical development (TD). Firstly, this study compared the differences in gray matter volume (GMV) between the two groups. Then, this study evaluated the relationship between GMV and the subtotal score of communications and social interaction on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) in ASD children. Research has found that abnormal brain structures in ASD include the midbrain, pontine, bilateral hippocampus, left parahippocampal gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus, left temporal pole, left middle temporal gyrus and left superior occipital gyrus. In addition, in ASD children, the subtotal score of communications and social interaction on the ADOS were only significantly positively correlated with GMV in the left hippocampus, left superior temporal gyrus and left middle temporal gyrus. In summary, the gray matter structure of ASD children is abnormal, and different clinical dysfunction in ASD children is related to structural abnormalities in specific regions.

[Effects of grazing on soil organic carbon stocks in the revegetated grasslands on the Loess Plateau, China]. / 放牧对黄土高原退耕草地土壤有机碳储量的影响.

Grazing is an important driving factor for soil carbon sequestration in grasslands. The objective of this study was to clarify the effects of grazing and its intensity on soil organic carbon stocks (SOCS) in the revegetated grasslands in the Loess Plateau region. With the grasslands excluded from grazing ＞20 years as the control, we investigated the SOCS in the 0-20 cm soil layer in three grazing intensities in the west, middle, and east of wind-water erosion crisscross region and the water erosion region. The intensity of grazing in the study was represented by the number of goat dung in the sampling sites, which included 0-10, 10-20, and more than 20 goat dung·m-2, respectively. Results showed that grazing significantly affected SOCS in the 0-20 cm soil layer in the west of crisscross region, 0-10 cm soil layer in the east of crisscross region, and 0-5 cm soil layer in the water erosion region. There was no significant effect in each soil layer in the middle of crisscross region. Only in the west of crisscross region, the SOCS in the grazing intensity of 0-10 and ＞20 goat dung·m-2 significantly decreased by 34.8%-50.9%, whereas the SOCS in each grazing intensity was not different from that in the enclosure in the other three regions. The SOCS was mainly affected by grazing intensity in the east of crisscross region and by soil physical and chemical properties and (or) litter biomass in the other three regions. In conclusion, grazing intensity of 10-20 goat dung·m-2 did not affect SOCS in the 0-20 cm soil layer in the revegetated grassland on the Loess Plateau, China.

Low Thermal Conductivity and Magneto-suppressed Thermal Transport in a Highly Oriented FeSb2 Single Crystal.

Thermoelectric materials have been widely explored for the potential applications in power generation and refrigeration fields. High thermal conductivity (∼500 W/m K) of single-crystal FeSb2 limits the application in cryogenic cooling. In this work, the FeSb2 single crystal has been synthesized by the self-flux method. The rocking curve results reveal that the single crystal possesses quite high crystallinity. The micromorphology image shows that the single crystal is pyknotic without observable pores or cracks. Surprisingly, the thermal conductivity is reduced by 2 orders of magnitude compared with the previous reports, which can be attributed to the enhanced phonon scattering by the defects and impurities. Furthermore, the magnetic field can further suppress the thermal transport by reducing the phonon mean-free path. The maximum suppression rate of the thermal conductivity reaches 14% at 60 K when the magnetic field varies from 0 to 9 T. In this work, we have prepared the FeSb2 single crystal with low thermal conductivity, and the magneto-suppressed thermal transport strategy can be applied to other thermoelectric materials.

Impacts of ecological restoration on public perceptions of cultural ecosystem services.

Although ecological restoration has increased the stability and diversity of regional ecosystem services, its effects on public perceptions of cultural ecosystem services (CESs) remain unclear. Therefore, this study conducted a questionnaire survey of 455 interviewees in Ansai County on the Loess Plateau and combined the structural equation model (SEM) to explore the characteristics and influencing factors of public perceptions of CESs. Moreover, we also calculated landscape importance to quantify the impact of landscape features on CESs. The results showed that ecological restoration increased the overall public perceptions of CESs. Regarding the different types of CESs, the public most strongly perceived esthetic services but had the lowest perception of cultural heritage after ecological restoration. Regarding demographic characteristics, gender and age were the most important factors affecting public perceptions. Men were more likely to perceive CESs than women, while older interviewees had higher perceptions of the value of physical and mental health services, education and science than young interviewees. In addition, forestlands were perceived as playing more important roles than other landscape types in providing CESs. This study demonstrates that ecological restoration will improve public perceptions of CESs. Managers should incorporate public perceptions of CESs into the formulation of ecological management policies.

Strain Control of Phase Transition and Exchange Bias in Flexible Heusler Alloy Thin Films.

The practical applications for the distinctive functions of metamagnetic Heusler alloys, such as magnetic shape memory effect, various caloric effects, etc., strongly depend on the phase transition temperatures. Here, flexible Heusler alloy Ni-Mn-Sn films have been deposited on mica substrates by pulsed laser deposition with a Ti buffer layer. Clear ferromagnetic (FM) transition followed by the martensitic transformation at around room temperature and exchange bias (EB) with a blocking temperature of 70 K are observed. Under the application of both tensile and compressive strains by bending the mica substrates, all the characteristic temperatures of Ni-Mn-Sn films, including the FM transition temperature, martensitic transformation temperature, and blocking temperature of EB, are significantly increased by about 10 K. Furthermore, EB field and coercivity are both strongly strengthened, which is mainly caused by the simultaneous enhancement of FM and anti-FM Mn-Mn coupling because of their shortened separations by strain and verified by the Monte Carlo simulation results. The strain controlling for structural and magnetic properties provides efficient manipulation for Heusler alloy-based magnetic devices.

Estimating the ecological water levels of shallow lakes: a case study in Tangxun Lake, China.

Water level management is an effective tool for the ecological restoration of shallow lakes. In this study, we developed an ecologically-based approach to estimate the monthly suitable ecological water levels (EWLs). This approach took both the lake topographic features and aquatic plants' growth characteristics into account. The aquatic vegetation coverage was used to characterize the degree of the lake ecological restoration. The relationship between water level and vegetation coverage was established. We chose the Tangxun Lake as a testbed, and the recommended lowest EWL was 16.6 m, as the minimum threshold for water level regulations. The results revealed that the predicted vegetation coverage decreased with the rise of water level during the germination period (February and March). To achieve the vegetation coverage goal of 30% and 50%, the lake's water levels must be lowered to 17.1 m and 16.8 m respectively during germination. The EWLs were recommended to be low in spring and high in summer, which was matched with the natural water level regimes. The proposed approach can provide a reliable reference for water level regulation of shallow lakes especially the lakes with insufficient data.

[Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Soil Microbial Biomass Carbon and Its Influencing Factors on an Eroded Slope in the Hilly Loess Plateau Region].

Soil erosion affects the soil environment and exerts an important impact on the soil organic carbon distribution, deposition, conversion, and carbon dioxide emission. The soil microbial biomass carbon can respond sensitively to these changes. The soil microbial biomass carbon under erosion and sedimentation conditions was studied for the erosional slopes at five organic carbon levels at typical erosion and deposition sites in the hilly loess plateau region. Through the study of the soil microbial biomass carbon in the rainy season, the influencing factors and their degree of influence on the soil microbial biomass carbon of the slope soil under erosion-sedimentation conditions were analyzed. The results showed that ① Soil erosion lead to significant spatial and temporal differentiation in the soil temperature and humidity and the soil organic carbon in the erosion and sedimentary area on the slope, and the degree of differentiation was related to the soil organic carbon level. ② The soil microbial biomass carbon increased significantly at the end of the rainy season, with an increase of 91.08%-286.83%. The soil microbial biomass carbon content in the slope sedimentary area was higher than that of the erosion area. With increasing soil organic carbon level, the difference between the soil microbial biomass carbon content of the erosion and sedimentary area increased, and its spatial differentiation increased. ③ The soil microbial biomass carbon in the erosion and deposition areas responded differently to the soil organic carbon content, temperature, soil moisture, and other factors. Before the rainy season, the soil microbial biomass carbon was most sensitive to soil moisture changes. However, at the end of the rainy season, the soil microbial biomass carbon was most sensitive to soil temperature changes in the deposition zone. The soil microbial biomass carbon was most sensitive to the soil organic carbon in the erosion zone. Soil erosion and seasonal variation were important reasons for the spatial and temporal distribution of the soil microbial biomass carbon on the eroding slopes. The differences in the sensitivity of the soil microbial biomass carbon to the different influencing factors was mainly due to the restrictive conversion of the different factors.

Relative contributions of wind and water erosion to total soil loss and its effect on soil properties in sloping croplands of the Chinese Loess Plateau.

Wind and water erosion are two dominant types of erosion that lead to soil and nutrient losses. Wind and water erosion may occur simultaneously to varying extents in semi-arid regions. The contributions of wind and water erosion to total erosion and their effects on soil quality, however, remains elusive. We used cesium-137 (137Cs) inventories to estimate the total soil erosion and used the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) to quantify water erosion in sloping croplands. Wind erosion was estimated from the subtraction of the two. We also used 137Cs inventories to calculate total soil erosion and validate the relationships of the soil quality and erosion at different slope aspects and positions. The results showed that wind erosion (1460tkm-2a-1) on northwest-facing slope was responsible for approximately 39.7% of the total soil loss, and water erosion (2216tkm-2a-1) accounted for approximately 60.3%. The erosion rates were 58.8% higher on northwest- than on southeast-facing slopes. Northwest-facing slopes had lower soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, clay, and silt contents than southeast-facing slopes, and thus, the 137Cs inventories were lower, and the total soil erosions were higher on the northwest-facing slopes. The variations in soil physicochemical properties were related to total soil erosion. The lowest 137Cs inventories and nutrient contents were recorded at the upper positions on the northwest-facing slopes due to the successive occurrence of more severe wind and water erosion at the same site. The results indicated that wind and water could accelerate the spatial variability of erosion rate and soil properties and cause serious decreases in the nutrient contents in sloping fields. Our research could help researchers develop soil strategies to reduce soil erosion according to the dominant erosion type when it occurs in a hilly agricultural area.

The magnetic and adsorption properties of ZnO1-xSx nanoparticles.

Sulfur is easy to be incorporated into ZnO nanoparticles by the solution-combustion method. Herein, the magnetic and adsorption properties of a series of ZnO1-xSx (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2) nanoparticles were systematically investigated. The X-ray diffraction patterns show that the as-prepared ZnO1-xSx nanoparticles have the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO with a low sulfur content that gradually transforms into the zinc blende structure of ZnS when the x value is greater than 0.1. PL spectra show several bands due to different transitions, which have been explained by the recombination of free excitons or defect-induced transitions. The introduction of sulfur not only modifies the bandgap of ZnO, but also impacts the concentration of Zn vacancies. The as-prepared ZnO shows weak room-temperature ferromagnetism, and the incorporation of sulfur improves the ferromagnetism owing to the increased concentration of Zn vacancies, which may be stabilized by the doped sulfur ions. The adsorption capability of ZnO1-xSx nanoparticles has been significantly improved, and the process can be well described by the pseudo-first-order kinetic model and the Freundlich isotherm model. The mechanism has been confirmed to be due to the active sulfate groups existing in zinc oxysulfide nanoparticles.

Fast growth of well-aligned ZnO nanowire arrays by a microwave heating method and their photocatalytic properties.

The fast growth of aligned ZnO nanowire arrays with optimized structure is attractive for electrical and optical devices. In this paper, we report a controllable and rapid growth of ZnO nanowire arrays by a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. When using different zinc salts as the precursors, the morphology of the samples changes a lot and the length growth rate is several times different. The growth mechanism is also investigated. It is found that the solution near neutral pH value is ideal for fast nanowire growth, in which the length of the nanowires increases linearly with growth time and the growth rate is over ten times faster than that in the traditional hydrothermal method. Therefore, aligned ZnO nanowire arrays can grow up to tens of microns in a few hours, while the density and sizes of these nanowires can be well controlled. The ZnO nanowire arrays used as photocatalysts present good photocatalytic performance to the degradation of methyl orange (MO) due to the large surface area. So this paper provides an effective method to obtain vertically aligned ZnO nanowire arrays for practical applications.

Magnetization and magneto-transport staircaselike behavior in layered perovskite Sr2CoO4 at low temperature.

Polycrystalline layered perovskite Sr2CoO4 sample was synthesized by high temperature and high pressure method. The staircaselike behavior has been observed in the magnetization and resistivity versus field curves of Sr2CoO4 at low temperature. The main features of the steps can be obtained from the measured results: (i) the positions of the external magnetic field at which steps occur are varying in different measurement runs, (ii) the steps only appear at low temperature and disappear with a slight increase of the temperature, (iii) the steps are dependent on the temperature and field sweep rate. Based on the features of the magnetization and magneto-transport staircaselike behavior in Sr2CoO4, the unusual phenomenon can be ascribed to an avalanche of flipping domains in terms of the random field theory.

[Estimation of Topsoil Carbon Sequestration Potential of Cropland Through Different Methods: A Case Study in Zhuanglang County, Gansu Province].

By analyzing the sampled data and the SOC data of the second national soil survey by the mid 80s and the national cultivated land quality evaluation in 2006 in Zhuanglang County, the article studied the cropland topsoil organic carbon sequestration potential estimation using several different methods. The results showed that: (1) There was no significant difference among different estimation methods about cropland carbon sequestration potential in the same region. Taking cropland carbon sequestration potential in Zhuanglang County for example, the theoretical values estimated by maximum value method and classification grading method were 1. 13 Mt and 1.09 Mt, respectively. (2) The real values estimated by classification grading method, saturation method, weighting method were 0.37 Mt, 0.32 Mt, 0.28 Mt, respectively, which were about 1/3 of the theoretical value. (3) The SOC density increments to reach the real level of carbon sequestration potential estimated by classification grading method, saturation method and weighting method were 6.76 t · hm⁻², 5.21 t · hm⁻², 4.56 t · hm⁻² respectively. According to the topsoil carbon sequestration rate of cropland in Zhuanglang county in the recent 30 a, it would need about 24-34 a to achieve the real level. (4) At the county scale, the weighted method was superior to the saturation value method, and the saturation value method was better than the classification grading method in the actual carbon sequestration potential estimation. The classification grading method was better than the maximum value method in the ideal carbon sequestration potential estimation.

[Effects of land use change on soil active organic carbon in deep soils in Hilly Loess Plateau region of Northwest China].

Response of soil active organic carbon to land-use change has become a hot topic in current soil carbon and nutrient cycling study. Soil active organic carbon distribution characteristics in soil profile under four land-use types were investigated in Ziwuling forest zone of the Hilly Loess Plateau region. The four types of land-use changes included natural woodland converted into artificial woodland, natural woodland converted into cropland, natural shrubland converted into cropland and natural shrubland converted into revegetated grassland. Effects of land-use changes on soil active organic carbon in deep soil layers (60-200 cm) were explored by comparison with the shallow soil layers (0-60 cm). The results showed that: (1) The labile organic carbon ( LOC) and microbial carbon (MBC) content were mainly concentrated in the shallow 0-60 cm soil, which accounted for 49%-66% and 71%-84% of soil active organic carbon in the profile (0-200 cm) under different land-use types. Soil active organic carbon content in shallow soil was significantly varied for the land-use changes types, while no obvious difference was observed in soil active organic carbon in deep soil layer. (2) Land-use changes exerted significant influence on soil active organic carbon, the active organic carbon in shallow soil was more sensitive than that in deep soil. The four types of land-use changes, including natural woodland to planted woodland, natural woodland to cropland, natural shrubland to revegetated grassland and natural shrubland to cropland, LOC in shallow soil was reduced by 10%, 60%, 29%, 40% and LOC in the deep layer was decreased by 9%, 21%, 12%, 1%, respectively. MBC in the shallow soil was reduced by 24% 73%, 23%, 56%, and that in the deep layer was decreased by 25%, 18%, 8% and 11%, respectively. (Land-use changes altered the distribution ratio of active organic carbon in soil profile. The ratio between LOC and SOC in shallow soil increased when natural woodland and shrubland were converted into farmland, but no obvious difference was observed in deep soil. The ratio of MBC/SOC in shallow soil decreased when natural shrubland was converted into farmland, also, no significant difference was detected in the ratio of MBC/SOC for other land-use change types. The results suggested that land-use change exerted significant influence on soil active organic carbon content and distribution proportion in soil profile. Soil organic carbon in deep soil was more stable than that in shallow soil.

[Characteristics of Soil Respiration along Eroded Sloping Land with Different SOC Background on the Hilly Loess Plateau].

This study aimed to characterize soil respiration along eroded sloping land at erosion and deposition area under different soil organic carbon(SOC) levels, and linked the relationship between soil respiration and soil temperature, soil moisture, SOC and slope position. Experiments were carried out in the plots of S type slopes include five different soil organic carbon levels in the Loess Hilly Region. The S type slopes were divided into control area at the top of the slope, erosion area at the middle of the slope and deposition area at the toe of the slope. We found that soil temperature had a greater impact on soil respiration in the deposition area, whereas soil moisture had a greater impact on soil respiration in the erosion area compared among control area, erosion area and deposition area. In addition, SOC was the most important factor affecting soil respiration, which can explain soil respiration variation 54. 72%, followed by soil moisture, slope position and soil temperature, which explain soil respiration variation 18. 86% , 16. 13% and 10. 29%, respectively. Soil respiration response to erosion showed obvious on-site and off-site effects along the eroded sloping land. Soil respiration in the erosion area was reduced by 21. 14% compared with control area, and soil respiration in the deposition area was increased by 21. 93% compared with control area. Erosion effect on source and sink of carbon emission was correlated with SOC content of the eroded sloping land. When SOC content was higher than 6. 82 g.kg-1, the slope. erosion tended to be a carbon sequestration process, and when SOC content was lower than 3.03 g.kg-1, the slope erosion tended to be a process of the carbon emission source. The model could reflect the relationship between soil respiration and independent variables of soil organic carbon content, soil temperature and moisture.

[Changes and influencing factors of the soil organic carbon in farmland in the last 30 years on Hilly Loess Plateau: a case study in Zhuanglang County, Gansu Province].

By analysing the sampled data and the results of the second national soil survey by the mid 80 s in Zhuanglang County, the article studied on the changes and influencing factors of the soil organic carbon in farmland of this area in the last 30 years. Farmland samples of top soil (0-20 cm) were collected and analyzed in July 2011. The results showed that (1) The average contents of the soil organic carbon in the county's farmlands were 6.80 g x kg(-1) in 1985 and 8.90 g x kg(-1) in 2011. It increased by 30.9% in the past 30 years, which appeared as a carbon sink effect. The area of increasing contents of soil organic carbon accounted for about 90% of the county's farmland area. (2) Under the available management measures and farmland input, the loessal soil organic carbon stability level was 11.0 g x kg(-1), The SOC accumulation rate showed that the farther the SOC was from the stability level the more quickly it changed, and the closer the SOC was from the stability level the slower it changed. (3) The SOC changes was affected by the altitude, the primary content of organic carbon, and the soil types and so on, in which the greatest contribution factor was the altitude, the influence of the primary content of organic carbon, soil type, production and organic fertilizer on soil organic carbon change was smaller, and the slope aspect had the smallest effect on soil organic carbon change.

[Impact of wind-water alternate erosion on the characteristics of sediment particles].

Wind and water are the two dominant erosion agents that caused soil and water losses in the wind-water alternate erosion region on the Loess Plateau. It is meaningful to study the impact of wind-water alternate erosion on the characteristics of soil particles for understanding the response of soil quality and environment to erosion. Through wind tunnel combined rainfall simulation, this paper studied the characteristics of the erosive sediment particles under the effect of wind-water alternate erosion. The results showed that the particles of 0-1 cm soil were coarsened by wind erosion at the wind speeds of 11 and 14 m x s(-1) compared with no wind erosion. Soil fine particles (< 0.01 mm) decreased by 9.8%-10.8%, and coarse particles (> 0.05 mm) increased by 16.8%-20.8%. The physical property of surface soil was changed by the wind erosion, which, in turn, caused an increase in finer particles content in the sediment. Compared with no wind erosion, fine particles (< 0.01 mm) in sediment under the water-wind alternate erosion increased by 2.7%-18.9% , and coarse particles (> 0.05 mm) decreased by 3.7%-9.3%. However, the changing trend of erosive sediment particles after the wind erosion at wind speeds of 11 and 14 m x s(-1) was different along with the rainfall intensity and duration. The erosive sediment particles at the rainfall intensities of 60, 80, 100 mm x h(-1) changed to greater extents than at the 150 mm x h(-1) rainfall intensity with longer than 15 min runoff flowing.