The application of biochar as a soil amendment has gained increasing attention due to its potential to improve soil properties, enhance plant growth, and mitigate environmental stresses. This study aims to evaluate the effects of different biochar treatments-wood biochar (WBc), vegetable biochar (VBc), and a mixture of wood and vegetable biochar (WVBc)-on the growth, physiological, and biochemical responses of Pisum sativum L. seedlings. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of biochar treatments-wood biochar (WBc), vegetable biochar (VBc), and a mixture of wood and vegetable biochar (WVBc)-on Pisum sativum L. seedlings. Seedlings were grown under controlled conditions, and various growth, physiological, and biochemical parameters were assessed, including plant biomass, photosynthetic efficiency, nutrient content, oxidative stress markers, and antioxidant defense responses. The findings revealed significant improvements across several plant growth metrics, including root and shoot lengths, fresh and dry biomass, with WVBc showing the most pronounced effects. Root length increased by 75.45%, shoot length by 32.4%, and shoot fresh weight by 43.4% compared to the control. Photosynthetic parameters also improved, with total chlorophyll content increasing by 50.1%, net photosynthetic rate by 28.3%, RWC by 17.0%, and WUE by 22.5% under WVBc treatment. Enhanced photosynthesis was attributed to higher nitrogen availability and improved soil moisture retention. Biochemical analyses indicated significant increases in total protein and carbohydrate content, with WVBc treatment yielding the highest gains. Additionally, glycine betaine (GB) production increased by 44.7%, while proline content decreased by 46.1%, suggesting improved stress tolerance. The reduction in oxidative stress markers (MDA and H2O2) further supports the role of biochar in mitigating oxidative damage. Moreover, biochar treatments enhanced the activities of key antioxidant enzymes and increased levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants such as reduced glutathione (GSH), ascorbic acid (AsA), and alpha-tocopherol, thereby boosting the plants' antioxidant defenses. The WVBc treatment significantly enhanced nutrient uptake, particularly nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, contributing to improved mineral content and plant health. Overall, this study highlights mixed wood-vegetable biochar (WVBc) as an effective soil amendment that enhances plant resilience, nutrient use efficiency, and crop productivity, offering a promising strategy for sustainable agriculture and stress mitigation.

Real-time flood forecasting updating is essential in improving the forecasting performance and preventing flood damages. The advanced dynamic system response curve (DSRC) method has been validated to be effective by adjusting precipitation based on simulated streamflow errors. However, the time lag between input-output signals is not explicitly considered in the original DSRC, resulting in the problem that the most recent precipitation information is not utilized in updating the forecasting. Moreover, regularization techniques are normally introduced in DSRC to ensure the numerical stability of error estimation, however, the commonly used Ridge estimator can result in excessive adjustment of precipitation. To address these critical issues, we proposed an improved precipitation adjustment framework (DSRC-ARMA) that integrated the DSRC method and the autoregressive-moving average (ARMA) model, such that the most recent precipitation information can be used for a complete precipitation adjustment. Moreover, alternative regularized estimators (i.e., the Lasso and Elastic Net estimators) were introduced and cross-compared to prevent the excessive adjustment issue. The performance of the proposed framework was evaluated in two basins in China. The results showed that the DSRC-ARMA method outperformed the original DSRC method in terms of overall goodness-of-fit (e.g., Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency improved from 0.94 f 0.03 to 0.95 f 0.04 and 0.89 f 0.05 to 0.91 f 0.05, respectively in Dapoling (DPL) and Jianyang (JY) basin) and particularly capturing the peak flows (relative error of peak flow decreased from 13.6 f 7.3 % to 5.2 f 3.7 % and from 10.1 f 7.8 % to 5.9 f 3.5 % in DPL and JY, respectively). For different regularized estimators, the Ridge estimator was most suitable for the rainfall events without intermittent non-rainfall time segments (due to its veracity feature); while the Lasso estimator performed better for intermittent rainfall events, due to its feature of sparsity that can confine non-rainfall period errors to be zeros and thus avoid excessive adjustment. Overall, the proposed precipitation adjustment framework holds the potential to enhance the real-time flood forecasting accuracy, thereby offering a valuable approach for flood mitigation.

Salinity is recognized as a significant abiotic stressor that impairs crop growth and productivity. Elevated- soil and irrigation water salinity poses substantial ecological challenges for agriculture, particularly in semiarid and arid regions. High sodium (Na+) concentrations induce osmotic stress, leading to water deficits within plant cells. However, using nanoparticles can mitigate salt stress and enhance plant growth. This study investigates the effects of selenium nanoparticles on the physiobiochemical characteristics of Citrus limon L. seedlings under salt stress. Selenium nanoparticles act as both reducing and capping agents. Six-month-old lemon seedlings were subjected to varying salinity levels (100 mM and 200 mM NaCl) and treated with foliar applications of selenium nanoparticles at- 25 mg/L and 50 mg/L concentration. Most of the nano- structures were observed in the size range of 20-40 nm and anisotropic and irregular in shape. The results indicated that 200 mM NaCl significantly reduced the morphological and physiobiochemical parameters of the seedlings. However, a 50 mg/L concentration of SeNPs notably improved fresh and dry weights of roots and shoots and increased chlorophyll content. Biochemical attributes such as SOD, POD, CAT, APX, TSS, TFA, Proline, H2O2, and MDA were elevated under 200 mM NaCl, while NPK levels decreased. A concentration of 50 mg/L SeNPs was identified as optimal for enhancing the morphological and physiobiochemical parameters of C . limon seedlings under salt stress.

Since the 5th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (AR5) an extended concept of the energetic analysis of climate change including forcings, feedbacks and adjustment processes has become widely adopted. Adjustments are defined as processes that occur in response to the introduction of a climate forcing agent, but that are independent of global-mean surface temperature changes. Most considered are the adjustments that impact the Earth energy budget and strengthen or weaken the instantaneous radiative forcing due to the forcing agent. Some adjustment mechanisms also impact other aspects of climate not related to the Earth radiation budget. Since AR5 and a following description by Sherwood et al. (2015, ), much research on adjustments has been performed and is reviewed here. We classify the adjustment mechanisms into six main categories, and discuss methods of quantifying these adjustments in terms of their potentials, shortcomings and practicality. We furthermore describe aspects of adjustments that act beyond the energetic framework, and we propose new ideas to observe adjustments or to make use of observations to constrain their representation in models. Altogether, the problem of adjustments is now on a robust scientific footing, and better quantification and observational constraint is possible. This allows for improvements in understanding and quantifying climate change. Climate change is driven by perturbations to the atmospheric composition, to land use, or by changes of incoming solar radiation. It can be understood energetically by quantifying the perturbation to the Earth energy budget-the instantaneous radiative forcing-and the response of the climate system to this perturbation. This response can be split into feedbacks-mechanisms that act in response to global-mean surface temperature changes-and other processes that act independently of the global-mean surface temperature change. These latter processes are called adjustments. There is also a category of climate-relevant adjustments that is not directly related to the energy budget. This review documents the improved classification, understanding, constraint, and quantification of adjustments. A clearer picture of adjustments allows to better understand and quantify climate change. Adjustments impact the Earth energy budget, but also circulation, precipitation and atmospheric structure Adjustments are classified into six different mechanisms and act at time scales ranging from seconds to multiple years Observational constraints can inform on some aspects of adjustments

PurposeGrass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) has significant nutritional value and broad-spectrum resistance properties. However, the neurotoxin beta-N-oxalyl-L-alpha, beta-diaminopropionic acid (beta-ODAP) in its seeds increases exponentially during drought stress, and overconsumption can lead to neurogenic hypoparalysis. Superabsorbent polymer (SAP) has the potential to improve soil physicochemical properties and alleviate plant drought stress, but the effects of different SAP concentrations on soil water availability, physiological traits, and beta-ODAP content of grass pea under drought conditions are unclear. The objective of this study was to elucidate the impact of SAP on the physiological and biochemical characteristics, as well as the beta-ODAP content, of grass pea under drought conditions.MethodsWe conducted potting experiments of natural drought with L. sativus cv. Wugong Yongshou (WGYS), L. sativus cv. Jingbian (JB), L. sativus cv. Aksu (AKS), and cultivated grass pea (ZP) materials with different SAP ratios (0.00%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, 1.00%).ResultsThe research confirmed that the addition of 0.50% SAP had a positive effect on soil physicochemical properties and growth parameters of grass pea, including plant height, leaf area, leaf water potential, seed yield, and straw yield per plant; Following an eight-day cessation of irrigation, the transpiration rate (E), stomatal conductance (GH2O), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), and net photosynthetic rate (A) of the four grass pea leaves exhibited a notable optimization in comparison to the control without SAP; The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and beta-ODAP (leaves, seeds, and straw) of four grass pea plants treated with 0.50% SAP were significantly decreased.ConclusionSAP can improve soil water-holding capacity, leaf photosynthesis to alleviate oxidative damage caused by drought stress in grass pea, reduce beta-ODAP content, and promote low-toxicity and high-yield planting.

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] grain yield is vulnerable to drought stress. Therefore, developing appropriate technologies to mitigate drought is essential. We hypothesize that inhibition of photosynthesis and reproductive success by drought in sorghum can be improved by enhanced osmolyte accumulation and antioxidant defence system by foliar application of nanoselenium. In this study, the ecotoxicity potential and the physiological basis of drought alleviation by nanoselenium were evaluated. Nanoselenium did not cause toxicity to soil, aquatic and terrestrial organisms up to 20 mg L-1.-1 . During drought, foliar application of nanoselenium at 20 mg L-1 reduced the transpiration rate (16 %) compared to water spray. The superoxide radical content (50 %), hydrogen peroxide content (35 %), and membrane damage (26 %) were reduced, indicating antioxidant activity was exerted by nanoselenium. In contrast, the leaf turgor potential (80 %), relative water content (17 %), reducing sugars (57 %), non-reducing sugars (11 %), and proline (35%) contents were increased by nanoselenium than water spray, indicating a higher tissue water content was maintained, which has increased the photosynthetic rate (26 %). Higher reproductive success in nanoselenium-sprayed plants under drought was associated with reproductive tissue morphology and an increased number of pollen grains attached to the stigma. Foliar application of nanoselenium at 20 mg L-1 increased seed-set percentage (21 %) and seed yield (26 %) under drought than control. A similar response was observed by foliar spray with sodium selenate. Overall, foliar application of nanoselenium at 20 mg L-1 improved the drought tolerance of sorghum by reducing the transpiration rate and increasing the antioxidant defense system. (c) 2024 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

The loess hilly region is one of the most fragile areas in China. Many ecological restoration projects in this region are equivalent to simple afforestation and grass planting, with large investment and low benefits. Based on the concept of reference ecosystem, this study uses remote sensing data and vegetation community survey of Wanhuigou catchment, and applies methods such as redundancy analysis and GeoDetector to explore the characteristics of topography, soil, and vegetation of reference ecosystem, so as to provide restoration standards for damaged or degraded ecosystems in a small watershed. Thirteen typical and representative areas are selected to evaluate the degree of ecosystem damage and resilience, and divided into four categories according to the evaluation results and characteristics of ecosystems. Corresponding restoration measures such as protection and conservation, natural restoration, auxiliary regeneration, and ecological reconstruction are adopted for ecosystems under different scenarios with reference ecosystems as the target, and the effectiveness of implementation is assessed. The results show that the combination conditions of elevation and slope have a very important influence on the distribution of ecosystems. In the process of ecological restoration, it is necessary to deeply grasp the characteristics of soil and species diversity within the same community and among different communities, as well as their interrelationships. Adaptive restoration measures for ecosystems in different situations are conducive to the sustainability and effectiveness of ecosystem restoration. Given the complexity and diversity of habitat conditions and plant community types in Wanhuigou catchment, the results have certain universality, which can provide reference for the comprehensive management of other small watersheds in the loess hilly region, so as to achieve sustainable construction and restoration of ecosystems as well as harmonious development between humans and nature.

Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) is an excellent cool-season turfgrass that is widely used in urban gardening, landscaping, and golf turf. Triennial field experiments from 2017 to 2019 were conducted to investigate effects of the foliar application of chitosan (CTS), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), or sodium chloride (NaCl) on mitigating summer bentgrass decline (SBD) and exploring the CTS, GABA, or NaCl regulatory mechanism of tolerance to summer heat stress associated with changes in chlorophyll (Chl) loss and photosynthetic capacity, osmotic adjustment (OA), oxidative damage, and cell membrane stability. The findings demonstrated that persistent ambient high temperatures above 30 degrees C during the summer months of 2017, 2018, and 2019 significantly reduced the turf quality (TQ), Chl content, photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm and PIABS), leaf relative water content, and osmotic potential (OP) but significantly increased electrolyte leakage (EL) and the accumulations of free proline, water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and malondialdehyde (MDA). The foliar application of CTS, GABA, or NaCl could significantly alleviate SBD, as reflected by improved TQ and delayed Chl loss during hot summer months. Heat-induced declines in Fv/Fm, PIABS, the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), the transpiration rate (Tr), and water use efficiency (WUE) could be significantly mitigated by the exogenous application of CTS, GABA, or NaCl. In addition, the foliar application of CTS, GABA, or NaCl also significantly improved the accumulations of free proline and WSC but reduced the EL, OP, and H2O2 content and the MDA content in leaves of creeping bentgrass in favor of water and redox homeostasis in summer. Based on the comprehensive evaluation of the subordinate function value analysis (SFVA), the CTS had the best effect on the mitigation of SBD, followed by GABA and NaCl in 2017, 2018, and 2019. The current study indicates that the foliar application of an appropriate dose of GABA, CTS, or NaCl provides a cost-effective strategy for mitigating SBD.

Uncertainties about the ecophysiological response of plants to elevated temperature limit our ability to predict the impact of climate change on plants, especially in tropical and subtropical forests. One important source of the uncertainties is that the vast majority of warming studies manipulated only aboveground or only belowground temperature when in the real word warming takes place both aboveground and belowground. We used a full factorial design of air warming and soil warming with four temperature treatments: (1) unwarmed, (2) soil warming, (3) air warming, (4) soil plus air warming to explore the effects of warming on ecophysical processes/ characteristics of leaves and fine roots of Chinese-fir saplings. We measured photosynthesis, concentrations of oxidant substances, activity of antioxidant enzymes, and osmoregulatory substances in leaves and fine roots. We found that the soil warming increased photosynthetic rate by 68.9%, but air warming and soil plus air warming treatments did not. The concentrations of oxidant compounds, superoxide anion (O2- ), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were higher in leaves than in fine roots under all treatments, possibly due to their differences in the degree of oxidative damage. Soil warming increased leaf catalase (CAT) activity by 58.5%, soil warming and air warming increased leaf peroxidase (POD) activity by 31% and 42.3%, respectively, and soil plus air warming increased leaf ascorbic acid peroxidase (APX) activity by 31%. These increases in antioxidant enzyme concentrations indicated that warming activated leaf antioxidant systems. The CAT activity was lower in leaves than in fine roots, while the POD activity and concentrations of osmoregulatory substances were higher in leaves than in fine roots across all treatments. Our study clearly illustrated that different warming treatments (aboveground and belowground) had different effects on plant growth and physiological processes. The differences in oxidant compounds and activities of antioxidant enzymes between leaves and fine roots indicated that warming affect different organs differently. This study provides insights into how climate warming may affect important physiological and biochemical processes in subtropical forests.

Foundation settlement is a common problem in civil engineering. In the case of un-even settlement, it can lead to structural deformation and damage, which seriously affects the safety and reliability of the project. Therefore, the influence of adjusting the stiffness of the foundation on un-even settlement was analyzed through finite element analysis to effectively solve un-even settlement. By simulating the settlement of soil under different foundation stiffness and load conditions, the influence of foundation stiffness adjustment on soil deformation and settlement distribution was analyzed, and its impact on structural safety was evaluated. These studies confirmed that thickened layers could effectively solve the un-even settlement. Within the range of 0.2 to 1.0 meters, the difference in thickness was the greatest. The adjustment of differential settlement by layer thickness was phased and decreased with increasing thickness. Adjusting the stiffness of the foundation could effectively solve un-even settlement, reduce differences in soil settlement, and improve the overall stability and safety of the structure. These results have important guiding significance for the design of foundation and the solution of un-even settlement problems in engineering practice and provide certain reference and basis for further research.