Complex effects of moisture conditions and temperature enhanced vegetation growth in the Arid/humid transition zone in Northern China

Synergistic effects of vegetation and microorganisms on enhancing of biodegradation of landfill gas

The uncontrolled release of landfill gas represents a significant hazard to both human health and ecological well-being. However, the synergistic interactions of vegetation and microorganisms can effectively mitigate this threat by removing pollutants. This study provides a comprehensive review of the current status of controlling landfill gas pollution through the process of revegetation in landfill cover. Our survey has identified several common indicator plants such as Setaria faberi, Sarcandra glabra, and Fraxinus chinensis that grow in covered landfill soil. Local herbaceous plants possess stronger tolerance, making them ideal for the establishment of closed landfills. Moreover, numerous studies have demonstrated that cover plants significantly promote methane oxidation, with an average oxidation capacity twice that of bare soil. Furthermore, we have conducted an analysis of the interrelationships among vegetation, landfill gas, landfill cover soil, and microorganisms, thereby providing a detailed understanding of the potential for vegetation restoration in landfill cover. Additionally, we have summarized studies on the rhizosphere effect and have deduced the mechanisms through which plants biodegrade methane and typical non-methane pollutants. Finally, we have suggested future research directions to better control landfill gas using vegetation and microorganisms.

Primary plant nutrients modulate the reactive oxygen species metabolism and mitigate the impact of cold stress in overseeded perennial ryegrass

Overseeded perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) turf on dormant bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon Pers. L) in transitional climatic zones (TCZ) experience a severe reduction in its growth due to cold stress. Primary plant nutrients play an important role in the cold stress tolerance of plants. To better understand the cold stress tolerance of overseeded perennial ryegrass under TCZ, a three-factor and five-level central composite rotatable design (CCRD) with a regression model was used to study the interactive effects of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) fertilization on lipid peroxidation, electrolyte leakage, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and their detoxification by the photosynthetic pigments, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. The study demonstrated substantial effects of N, P, and K fertilization on ROS production and their detoxification through enzymatic and non-enzymatic pathways in overseeded perennial ryegrass under cold stress. Our results demonstrated that the cold stress significantly enhanced malondialdehyde, electrolyte leakage, and hydrogen peroxide contents, while simultaneously decreasing ROS-scavenging enzymes, antioxidants, and photosynthetic pigments in overseeded perennial ryegrass. However, N, P, and K application mitigated cold stress-provoked adversities by enhancing soluble protein, superoxide dismutase, peroxide dismutase, catalase, and proline contents as compared to the control conditions. Moreover, N, P, and, K application enhanced chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoids in overseeded perennial ryegrass under cold stress as compared to the control treatments. Collectively, this 2-years study indicated that N, P, and K fertilization mitigated cold stress by activating enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants defense systems, thereby concluding that efficient nutrient management is the key to enhanced cold stress tolerance of overseeded perennial ryegrass in a transitional climate. These findings revealed that turfgrass management will not only rely on breeding new varieties but also on the development of nutrient management strategies for coping cold stress.

Impact of climate change induced future rainfall variation on dynamics of arid-humid zone transition in the western province of India

The transition of the Earth's climate from one zone to another is one of the major causes behind biodiversity loss, rural-urban migration, and increasing food crises. The rising rate of arid-humid zone transition due to climate change has been substantially visible in the last few decades. However, the precise quantification of the climate change-induced rainfall variation on the climate zone transition still remained a challenge. To solve the issue, the Representative Grid Location-Multivariate Adaptive Regression Spline (RGL-MARS) downscaling algorithm was coupled with the Koppen climate classification scheme to project future changes in various climate zones for the study area. It was observed that the performance of the model was better for the humid clusters compared to the arid clusters. It was noticed that, by the end of the 21^st century, the arid region would increase marginally and the humid region would rise by 24.28-36.09% for the western province of India. In contrast, the area of the semi-arid and semi-humid regions would decline for the study area. It was observed that there would be an extensive conversion of semi-humid to humid zone in the peripheral region of the Arabian sea due to the strengthening of land-sea thermal contrast caused by climate change. Similarly, semi-arid to arid zone conversion would also increase due to the inflow of dry air from the Arabian region. The current research would be helpful for the researchers and policymakers to take appropriate measures to reduce the rate of climate zone transition, thereby developing the socioeconomic status of the rural and urban populations.