The black soil area in Northeast China is the most important high-quality commodity grain base of China, where the grain output accounts for 1/4 of the country's total output, and the export volume accounts for 1/3 of the total export volume (e.g., from one province to another) of the country. How to rationally use black soil resources, protect the black soil, develop a green production model, and establish a sustainable farming model for Northeast China are of great significance to the healthy development of China's agriculture.

On April 19th, YIN Hejun, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of CAS, made an inspection tour to the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of the CAS.

The National Key Research and Development Program titled "research and development of atmospheric heavy metal online monitoring system based on gaseous diffusion gathering & separation and ICP-MS techniques" was launched on March 24, 2021. The kick-off meeting of the program was held offline at the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, and online in the form of a video conference.

On March 19, 2020, Shenyang Urban Ecosystem Observation and Research Station held a project assessment meeting at the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shenyang.

On March 29, 2021, the kick-off meeting and expert consultation workshop for the project of the National Key R&D Program, tilted "Integrated Technology and Engineering Demonstration for Pollution Prevention and Treatment and Safe Utilisation of Heavy Metal Contaminated Sites in the Old Industrial Bases in Northeast China," took place in Shenyang.

The atmospheric ozone hole is a global environmental problem facing mankind. Ozone layer depletion causes more ultraviolet radiation-B (UV-B) to reach the Earth's surface, which can directly damage cells and DNA of organisms, and cause adverse consequences for human health and the biosphere.

The Bulletin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences released a column article entitled "Qingyuan Ker Towers: Temperate Secondary Forest Ecosystem Monitoring & Research Platform" (hereinafter referred to as: Ker Towers) on its third issue, 2021. The special column was entitled "Key Science and Technology Infrastructure at Field Research Stations of the Chinese Academy of Sciences."

On the afternoon of March 16, 2021, the 8th members' meeting of Shenyang Botany Society (SBS) was held at the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE), Chinese Academy of Sciences. The eighth council members, supervisors and the legal representative of the society were elected at this meeting.

On March 16th, 2021, a group of 10 people from Shenyang University, including the president Zhao Yanzhi, vice presidents Wang Xiaochu, Zhonghu Yuan, Wang Shumei and Lu Qingxuan visited the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE), Chinese Academy of Science. Zhu Jiaojun, director of IAE, Fang Yunting, deputy director, Hao Xin, deputy secretary of the party committee, Zhuo Junchen, deputy director, and a number of environmental scientists of IAE attended a symposium held for the purpose of discussing cooperation between the two parties.

On March 5, chairman (Wu Guoyou), general manager (Yang Chaoxi) and deputy general manager (Zhang Xin) of Guoke Environmental Protection Co., Ltd. visited the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to develop cooperation between the two parties. Zhuo Junchen, deputy director of IAE, Prof. Guo Shuhai, Prof. Yu Dapao, Prof. Xi Fengming, and Jing Hongshuang of the Science and Technology Division participated in the discussion. The meeting was chaired by Prof. Xi Fengming.