RESEARCH NEWS

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  Study Examines How Global Change Factors Alter Multi-Element Composition of Grassland Litter

  Researchers at the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have investigated how multiple global change factors influence the chemical composition of plant litter in temperate grasslands, finding that drought and nitrogen addition are the primary drivers of changes in litter multi-element characteristics, while variation within species plays a dominant role in shaping community-level responses.

  Jun 03, 2026
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  Soil Viruses Linked to Carbon Storage Through Microbial Turnover and Metabolism

  Researchers at the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have identified how soil viruses influence soil organic carbon accumulation and long-term storage in farmland ecosystems, revealing that viral interactions with microorganisms can promote carbon sequestration through both host-cell lysis and metabolic reprogramming.

  Jun 03, 2026
• Study Defines Organic Fertilizer Substitution Limits and Trade-offs in Smallholder Farming Systems

  Researchers from the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have quantified the extent to which organic fertilizers can replace chemical inputs in smallholder farming systems, and how different organic recycling models affect both nutrient efficiency and farm income.

  May 27, 2026
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  Too Much Nitrogen May Leave Trees More Vulnerable to Drought

  Long-term nitrogen addition can make young and mature trees more vulnerable to drought, but through different physiological routes.

  May 08, 2026
• Trees May Have a Third Way to Save Nitrogen

  A 15-year experiment in northern China suggests trees use a hidden nitrogen-saving pathway that becomes increasingly important as forests mature.

  May 08, 2026
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  New Study Explains Spatial Patterns of Soil Nitrogen Emissions Across Forest Hillslopes

  The study fills an important knowledge gap in high-frequency observations of forest hillslope N emissions and provides new insights into the spatial heterogeneity of forest N cycling under changing environmental conditions.

  May 08, 2026
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  Wollastonite-Enabled Fermentation System Boosts Biohydrogen Yield and Captures CO2

  Researchers from the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a fermentation process that simultaneously enhances biohydrogen production and sequesters carbon dioxide within a single system. The study, led by Dr. LI Weiming, was published in Chemical Engineering Journal.

  May 08, 2026
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  Long-term Trial Identifies Source–Sink Synergistic Regulation Pathways Linking Soil Fertility and Maize Yield under Straw Mulching

  May 08, 2026
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  Study Links Agricultural Management Intensity to Soil Priming Effect 　　

  A collaborative study led by researchers from the Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has found that agricultural management intensity plays a key role in regulating the soil priming effect and, in turn.

  Apr 20, 2026
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  Study Questions Reliability of Leaf N:P Ratio as Indicator of Nutrient Limitation in Grasslands

  A research team at the Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has found that the widely used leaf nitrogen-to-phosphorusratio may not reliably indicate nutrient limitation in grassland ecosystems.

  Apr 09, 2026