Surface soil moisture (SSM) is a key limiting factor for vegetation growth in alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Patches with various sizes and types may cause the redistribution of SSM by changing soil hydrological processes, and then trigger or accelerate alpine grassland degradation. Therefore, it is vital to understand the effects of patchiness on SSM at multi-scales to provide a reference for alpine grassland restoration. However, there is a lack of direct observational evidence concerning the role of the size and type of patches on SSM, and little is known about the effects of patches pattern on SSM at plot scale. Here, we first measured SSM of typical patches with different sizes and types at patch scale and investigated their patterns and SSM spatial distribution through unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-mounted multi-type cameras at plot scale. We then analyzed the role of the size and type of patchiness on SSM at both patch and plot scales. Results showed that: (1) in situ measured SSM of typical patches was significantly different (P < 0.01), original vegetation patch (OV) had the highest SSM, followed by isolate vegetation patch (IV), small bare patch (SP), medium bare patch (MP) and large bare patch (LP); (2) the proposed method based on UAV images was able to estimate SSM (0-40 cm) with a satisfactory accuracy (R-2 = 0.89, P < 0.001); (3) all landscape indices of OV, with the exception of patch density, were positively correlated with SSM at plot scale, while most of the landscape indices of LP and IV showed negative correlations (P < 0.05). Our results indicated that patchiness intensified the spatial heterogeneity of SSM and potentially accelerated the alpine meadow degradation. Preventing the development of OV into IV and the expansion of LP is a critical task for alpine meadow management and restoration.

Local site conditions recognized as a determining factor in assessing the extent of seismic hazard and damage distribution during earthquakes. Present study emphasizes seismic hazard of international business corridor of Agartala town capital of Tripura, one of the northeastern state of India categorized as highest seismic zone (zone V) attributing seismic response of local subsoil deposits under site-specific scenario earthquake motions including liquefaction susceptibility prediction. One-dimensional nonlinear ground response analysis with input of geotechnical parameters was carried using DEEPSOIL (2018) program across central zone of Agartala city and liquefaction susceptibility analysis are performed based on standard penetration test (SPT) utilizing well-established empirical relationship. The novelty of results lies in use of site-specific dynamic parameters of subsoil and synthetic ground motions based on scenario earthquake. Besides, numerical model was validated with a recent past liquefaction case study in Tripura which also attributes key highlight of this study. Key seismic hazard parameters in the form of peak ground acceleration (PGA), amplification factor (Af), and predominant frequencies (fn) are presented through geographical information based spatial maps. These maps provide crucial inputs for planners and designers for future urban planning along with seismic strengthening of existing infrastructures. This comprehensive approach offers new perspectives on seismic hazard assessment and future management plan in this region.

Soil salinization, an overwhelming problem exacerbated by climate change and anthropogenic activities, poses a significant threat to global food security by impairing plant growth, development, and crop productivity. Salinity stress induces osmotic, ionic, and oxidative stresses, disrupting physiological and biochemical processes in plants. Anthocyanins, a class of flavonoids, have emerged as key players in mitigating salt stress through their antioxidant properties, ROS scavenging, and regulation of stress-responsive pathways. During salt stress, ROS act as damaging agents and signaling molecules, upregulating anthocyanin-related genes to mitigate oxidative stress and maintain cellular homeostasis. Anthocyanins mitigate salt stress by regulating osmotic balance, ion homeostasis, and antioxidant defenses. Their biosynthesis is regulated by a network of structural and regulatory genes, including MYB, bHLH, and WD40 transcription factors, influenced by epigenetic modifications and hormonal signaling pathways such as ABA, JA, and SA. Advances in genetic engineering, including CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing, have enabled the development of anthocyanin-rich transgenic plants with enhanced salt tolerance. For instance, transgenic plants overexpressing anthocyanin biosynthesis genes like DFR and ANS have demonstrated enhanced salt tolerance in crops such as tomatoes and rice. However, challenges such as variability in anthocyanin accumulation and stability under environmental stressors remain. This review highlights the translational potential of anthocyanins in crop improvement, emphasizing the need for integrated multi-omics approaches and field trials to validate their efficacy. By elucidating the molecular mechanisms of salt stress and anthocyanin-mediated stress alleviation, this work provides a foundation for developing resilient crops to address the growing challenges of soil salinization.

This paper investigates the spatiotemporal dynamics and their changes of the southern limit of latitudinal permafrost (SLLP) and the lower limit of mountain permafrost (LLMP) in Northeast China, emphasizing the roles of climate change and human activities. Permafrost in this region is primarily distributed in the northern parts of the Da and Xiao Xing'anling mountain ranges and in the upper parts of the Changbai Mountains and at the summits of the Huanggangliang Mountains in the southern part of the Da Xing'anling Mountain Range. Permafrost degradation, ongoing since at least the local Holocene Megathermal Period (8.5-6.0 ka BP), has intermittently reversed during cooler climatic intervals but continues to exert significant impacts on regional environments, infrastructure stability, and carbon storage. Notably, the northward retreats of the SLLP since the mid-19th century underscore the sustained nature of this degradation, especially in southern patchy permafrost zones increasingly sensitive to warming and anthropogenic influences. LLMP variability is similarly shaped by a combination of climatic, hydrometeorological, ecological, and topographic factors. The distributions of SLLP and LLMP are further complicated by the presence of relict and sporadic permafrost, as well as the hydrothermal effects of vegetation and snow cover. Addressing the challenges of mapping and modeling boreal permafrost in Northeast China requires comprehensive field investigations, long-term in situ monitoring via station networks, and advanced numerical modeling. Emerging technologies, including satellite and airborne remote sensing (RS), geographic information systems (GIS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), surface geophysical methods, and big data analytics, offer new possibilities for enhancing permafrost monitoring and mapping. Integrating these tools with conventional field studies can significantly improve our understanding of permafrost dynamics. Continued efforts in monitoring, technological innovation, multidisciplinary collaboration, and international cooperation are essential to meet the challenges posed by permafrost degradation in a changing climate.

Highlights What are the main findings? The bast fibers extracted from the second generation of energy crop L. biomass have consistent yield and stable productivity across different seasons; Sida hermaphroditaThe results revealed a favorable moisture content, strength, and toughness, suitable for storage and processing. What are the implications of the main findings? fibers are suitable for use in a wide range of industrial applications, where a combination of lightness, strength, and toughness is required; Sida hermaphroditaAccording to the circular economy principles, a high percentage of side streams after fiber isolation are successfully applied for biofuel production.Highlights What are the main findings? The bast fibers extracted from the second generation of energy crop L. biomass have consistent yield and stable productivity across different seasons; Sida hermaphroditaThe results revealed a favorable moisture content, strength, and toughness, suitable for storage and processing. What are the implications of the main findings? fibers are suitable for use in a wide range of industrial applications, where a combination of lightness, strength, and toughness is required; Sida hermaphroditaAccording to the circular economy principles, a high percentage of side streams after fiber isolation are successfully applied for biofuel production.Abstract Virginia mallow or Sida hermaphrodita (L.) Rusby (SH) is a perennial plant from the Malvaceae family (mallows) that is used for medicinal purposes, reducing soil erosion, cleaning soil, and most recently for energy production. The potential of sustainable lignocellulosic agro-waste is immense as it represents Earth's most abundant organic compound. This paper explores fibers isolated from SH stems, a plant with significant industrial application potential, including technical textiles and biocomposites. The fibers were harvested in January, March, and November of 2020 and in January and March of 2021, and their yield, mechanical properties, moisture content, and density were thoroughly analyzed. The fiber yield showed slight variations depending on the harvest time, with consistent results observed across different years, suggesting stable productivity. The SH fibers demonstrated a favorable moisture content, making them suitable for storage and processing, and their density ranged between 1.52 and 1.58 g/cm3, comparable to that of other natural fibers. According to this research, the best mechanical properties were observed in the winter harvest. Furthermore, the high percentage of solid residue left after fiber extraction shows promise for sustainable utilization, primarily for biofuel production. This study underscores the versatility and sustainability of SH fibers, positioning them as a valuable resource for a wide range of industrial applications.

Several slug species are serious pests of agriculture and are difficult to control. One popular control method is the nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita, which has been used in slug control for > 25 years. However, there are reports of it failing to reduce slug numbers and damage in the field for unknown reasons. This may be due to lack of knowledge about how P. hermaphrodita performs when applied to different soils. We therefore assessed the survival, movement and pathogenicity of P. hermaphrodita infective juveniles (IJs) when added to six different soils (compost with and without peat, clay loam, loam, sandy loam and sandy soil). The soils were either frozen or autoclaved before use to eradicate resident nematodes prior to the experiment. P. hermaphrodita survived best in autoclaved compost without peat and in experiments with frozen soils, compost with and without peat was best. Survival of P. hermaphrodita was similar in other soils. Interestingly, in peat-free compost P. hermaphrodita reproduced prolifically, which may affect the long-term success of the nematode in the field as other life stages, apart from the IJ stage, cannot infect slugs. In infection experiments we found P. hermaphrodita added to compost with peat killed slugs faster than nematodes added to a sandy clay loam or sandy soil. In movement experiments, the nematodes remained within 3 cm of the application point in each soil. In summary, soil type severely affects P. hermaphrodita survival, and the ability to kill slugs; therefore it should be assessed by farmers and gardeners before use.

This paper analyses liquefaction potential in a high seismic region in Bengkulu City, Indonesia. The liquefaction hazard map, derived from the liquefaction potential index using site investigation data and geophysical surveys, is presented. The study begins with collecting site investigation data and measuring geophysical parameters. Peak ground acceleration and potential seismic damage are estimated. Liquefaction potential analysis is based on site investigation data and maximum estimated peak ground acceleration. The integrated map represents the depth-weighted analysis, and the factor of safety, also known as the liquefaction potential index, is discussed. Results indicate the predominance of sandy soils in the study area, prone to liquefaction. Coastal and river channel areas, characterised by loose sandy soils, exhibit high liquefaction potential. The study area is also expected to experience strong motion, potentially reaching intensity level IX on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale, indicating liquefaction susceptibility during strong earthquakes. Overall, the study results offer recommendations for local government spatial planning development.

The spatial combination of stratigraphic structural elements significantly influences the overburden damage caused by mining. However, existing studies have not yet clearly revealed the specific relationship between these elements and overburden damage, nor have they intuitively demonstrated the spatial distribution characteristics of overburden damage. In response, this paper proposes a comprehensive analysis method that can visually and quantitatively characterize the spatial distribution of overburden damage. This method combines stratigraphic model generalization, damage mechanics modeling, numerical simulation, and color mapping characterization. This method was applied to analyze the mining damage characteristics of different structural overburdens in the Yushenfu mining area. The analysis revealed a prevalent stratigraphic combination pattern of sand layers, soil layers, and two sections of mudstone and fine sandstone interbeds. The study shows that mining height and bedrock-soil ratio are important stratigraphic structural factors that affect the fracture/mining height ratio. The ranking of elastic modulus loss and spatial loss in various damaged areas of the overburden is consistent, in the following order: collapse zone > fracture zone > bending subsidence zone. Furthermore, this method reveals the mechanism of increased residual expansion in the overburden caused by coal mining, which, in turn, leads to surface collapse. This method provides a theoretical basis for implementing targeted engineering disposal and safety measures.

Soil salinity is one of the most challenging environmental factors affecting rice productivity, particularly in regions with high saline soils such as Egypt. The ability of rice to maintain high yield and quality under saline stress is often limited, leading to significant reductions in productivity. With the increasing salinization of agricultural lands, finding effective agronomic practices and treatments to mitigate salt-induced damage in rice crops is critical for ensuring food security. This study investigates the potential of exogenous glycine betaine (GB) and proline (Pro) applications to mitigate the adverse effects of salt stress on rice (cv. Sakha 108) over two consecutive growing seasons (2021-2022). Treatments of 30 mM GB and 30 mM Pro significantly enhanced dry weight (162.2 and 169.7 g in 2021 and 2022, respectively), plant height (88.94 and 99.00 cm), tiller number (10.58 and 10.33), and grain yield (4.22 and 4.30 t/ha) compared to control groups. Combined treatments of 30 mM GB and 30 mM Pro exhibited the greatest improvements across both years, with maximum dry weight (193.44 and 186.56 g), plant height (112.00 and 112.33 cm), tiller number (15.33 and 16.28), spikelet number per meter (264.00 and 264.05), thousand-kernel weight (70.00 and 73.2 g), and grain yield (6.17 and 6.64 t/ha). Additionally, the combined treatments resulted in the highest harvest index (53.22% in 2021 and 48.94% in 2022), amylose content (24.24% and 20.09%), and protein content (12.33% and 12.00%). Correlation analysis highlighted strong positive relationships among traits, such as plant height with grain yield (r = 0.94), biomass yield (r = 0.92), and harvest index (r = 0.90). Path analysis further demonstrated that thousand-kernel weight and biomass yield had the most significant direct effects on grain yield, with values of 0.43 and 0.42, respectively. Heatmap clustering and principal component analysis (PCA) confirmed the synergistic effects of combined GB and Pro treatments, with the 30P_30GB treatment consistently clustering with high-yield traits, enhancing nitrogen use efficiency and stress resilience. In conclusion, the combined application of glycine betaine and proline significantly enhances the agronomic and chemical traits of rice under salt stress. This study demonstrates that these osmoprotectants improve vegetative growth, grain yield, and quality, with synergistic effects observed at optimal concentrations. The findings highlight the potential of glycine betaine and proline as effective tools for improving salt tolerance in rice, offering practical solutions to address challenges in saline-affected agricultural regions.

Agricultural drought significantly affects crop growth and food production, making accurate drought thresholds essential for effective monitoring and discrimination. This study aims to monitor the threshold ranges for different drought levels of winter wheat during three growth periods using a multispectral Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Firstly, based on controlled field experiments, six vegetation indices were used to develop UAV optimal inversion models for the Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Soil-Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) during the jointing-heading period, heading-filling period, and filling-maturity period of winter wheat. The results show that during the three growth periods, the DVI-LAI, NDVI-LAI, and RVI-LAI models, along with the DVI-SPAD, RVI-SPAD, and TCARI-SPAD models, achieved the highest inversion accuracy. Based on the UAV-inversed LAI and SPAD indices, threshold ranges for different drought levels were determined for each period. The accuracy of LAI threshold monitoring during three periods was 92.8%, 93.6%, and 90.5%, respectively, with an overall accuracy of 92.4%. For the SPAD index, the threshold monitoring accuracy during three periods was 93.1%, 93.0%, and 92%, respectively, with an overall accuracy of 92.7%. Finally, combined with yield data, this study explores UAV-based drought disaster monitoring for winter wheat. This research enriches and expands the crop drought monitoring system using a multispectral UAV. The proposed drought threshold ranges can enhance the scientific and precise monitoring of crop drought, which is highly significant for agricultural management.