RESEARCH NEWS

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  Long-Term Field Study Finds Nitrogen Fertilization Weakens Non-Nitrogen Mineral Nutrition in Meadow Steppe Forage

  Dr. Lü Xiaotao’s team conducted the study using a 10-year nitrogen addition experiment at the Hulunbuir meadow steppe. They examined the responses of forage non-nitrogen mineral nutrition with two indices: standardized mineral concentration (MC), a composite index summarizing how the concentrations of eight minerals collectively deviate from livestock minimum requirements under nitrogen addition, and expected mineral stability (MS), a unitless metric representing the community's capacity to maintain a sufficient multi-mineral supply through simulated species losses. Together, these indices quantify the integrative mineral status and its potential stability across nitrogen-addition gradients.

  Dec 25, 2025
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  Winter Freeze-Thaw Cycles and Neighborhood Crowding Constrain Tree Growth in Temperate Forests

  Led by Prof. WANG Xugao, REN Jing (Postdoctoral) and FANG Shuai (Associate professor) conducted an eight-year monitoring program in the 25-ha Changbaishan Forest Dynamic Plot within the Changbai Nature Reserve. They analyzed annual radial growth from 2010-2017 for 593 trees representing 20 common deciduous broadleaved species, and evaluated how winter freeze-thaw cycles, summer water availability, neighborhood crowding, and functional traits jointly shape growth patterns.

  Dec 25, 2025
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  A Cold-Tolerant Soil Bacterium Shown to Inhibit Antibiotic Resistance Genes Under Freeze–Thaw Conditions

  Researchers at the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have reported their findings on how a cold-tolerant soil bacterium can help curb the spread of antibiotic resistance genesin agricultural soils exposed to seasonal freeze – thaw cycles.

  Dec 22, 2025
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  Mowing Increases Belowground Carbon Storage by Reshaping Grassland Plant Communities

  Dr. Lü Xiaotao’s team conducted a long-term manipulaitve experiment at the Erguna Forest–Steppe Ecotone Research Station and quantified root biomass and carbon storage of each plant species in the grassland communities. The researchers found that belowground carbon stocks at the community level were more than twice of those stored aboveground. They also found that annual mowing increased belowground carbon storage by approximately 30 percent, and this pattern held true under both ambient N condition and the condition with nitrogen fertilizer application.

  Dec 09, 2025
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  Framework Proposed for Assessing Nitrogen Conditions in Forest Ecosystems Under Global Environmental Change

  Researchers from the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have proposed a structured framework for evaluating the nitrogen (N) status and nitrogen balance of forest ecosystems in the context of rapid global environmental change.

  Dec 09, 2025
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  Scientists Uncover How Microbial Consortia Break Down Lignin

  A research team from the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has provided new insight into how microbial communities work together to break down lignin.

  Dec 09, 2025
• New Study Quantifies Warming Response of Soil Gaseous Nitrogen Losses in a Temperate Forest

  The study entitled"Climate warming reduces soil gaseous nitrogen losses in a temperate forest"was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

  Nov 27, 2025
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  Soil Food Webs Boost Carbon Retention in Farmlands

  Researchers from the Institute of Applied Ecologyof the Chinese Academy of Scienceshave identified how soil food webs promote the transformation and storage of photosynthetic carbon in farmlands.

  Nov 19, 2025
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  Mechanism underlying the dieback of natural Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica forests on sandy land

  The research team of Drs. ZHU Jiaojun and SONG Lining proposed two interconnected hypotheses. First, continuous human fire suppression has disrupted the natural fire cycle, enabling the buildup of tree pathogens and pests that weaken forest health. Second, warmer winters driven by climate change have reduced snow cover duration and depth, leading to less snowmelt water in early spring and intensifying soil moisture stress during the trees’ key growing season.

  Nov 19, 2025
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  How Enhanced Rock Weathering Influences Carbon Sequestration in Temperate Forests

  Researchers from the Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), have conducted an ecosystem-wide assessment of enhanced rock weathering (ERW) in forest plantations. Led by Dr. KANG Ronghua, this study explored how the application of finely ground silicate minerals influences soil carbon fluxes and tree growth in a larch plantation in northeastern China. The findings were published in Forest Ecology and Management under the title “Carbon sequestration induced by enhanced silicate rock weathering in a temperate larch plantation in Northeastern China.”

  Oct 29, 2025