The "Black Soil and Granary" Initiative of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is promoting the construction of the Liaoning Demonstration Area in an orderly manner. This year's demonstrative experiments and the seeding work have started.

To peak carbon dioxide emissions and achieve carbon neutrality is one of the key tasks of China during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, and even before 2060. To accomplish this goal, it is necessary to explore effective ways to reduce carbon emission and increase carbon sink.

On April 22, 2021, the National Key Research and Development Program "Key Technologies and Small Equipment Research and Development for Freezing and Thawing Soil Remediation in Villages and Towns and Communities" held the annual work promotion meeting. The meeting was held offline at the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and in the form of online video meeting. Gao Junmin from Chongqing University, Hong Jiangtao from Chengdu Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment of the CAS and the Ministry of Water Resources, Gong Zongqiang, Li Xiaojun, Shi Rongjiu, Jia Chunyun, Jiang Zhiyang and other core members of the project attended the meeting.

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."