RESEARCH NEWS

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  Sulfur Addition Enhances Microbial Carbon Use Efficiency by Promoting K-Strategy Dominance in a Meadow Steppe

  Jun 24, 2026
• Forest Biodiversity Study Recognized Among China’s Top Ecological Science Advances in 2025

  A study led by Senior Researcher WANG Xugao and his team at the Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has been selected as one of the “Top 10 S&T Advances in Eco-Environmental Protection of China 2025.”

  Jun 23, 2026
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  A Four-Decade Record Reveals Asymmetric Seasonal Shifts in Vegetation Growth Across China's Forest-Grassland Ecotone

  Temperature emerged as the dominant climatic driver, influencing vegetation greenness across more than half of the study area and exerting the strongest control over growth rates across roughly 40% of the region.

  Jun 18, 2026
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  Vitamin C Production Byproduct Found to Improve Maize Yield through Soil and Microbial Processes

  The vitamin C industry may offer an unexpected resource for sustainable agriculture, according to a new study by researchers from the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The team found that a fermentation byproduct generated during vitamin C production can improve soil biological activity and crop performance, increasing maize grain yield by 8.26 to 13.46 percent under field conditions.

  Jun 17, 2026
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  Study Explores How Microbes in Different-sized Soil Aggregates Adjust Carbon and Nitrogen Use Under Nitrogen Enrichment

  Researchers from the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have identified distinct strategies used by soil microorganisms living in aggregates of different sizes to cope with increasing nitrogen inputs, providing new insights into microbial regulation of carbon and nitrogen cycling in grassland ecosystems.

  Jun 17, 2026
• Seven-Year Field Experiment Identifies Threshold Response of Grassland Arthropod Communities to Phosphorus Enrichment

  Non-linear responses of plant phosphorus content and arthropod community composition along the gradient of phosphorus addition rates.

  Jun 04, 2026
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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