Aims: This paper conducts a comprehensive review of literature from the past two decades, focusing on two primary objectives. First, it explores the composition of dominant weed species in urban lawns across China, including the types and characteristics of invasive weeds. Second, it investigates the key factors influencing the distribution and spread of weeds in urban lawns in China. This study aim to provide a theoretical foundation for the scientific management and control of weeds in urban lawns and help protect biodiversity and promote sustainable urban development. Additionally, these findings can support efforts at monitoring weed population dynamics to maintain ecological balance and enhance the health and sustainability of urban green spaces.
Methods: This study conducted a comprehensive review of the literature on urban lawn weeds in 98 cities across China between 2002 and 2024. A statistical analysis of the weed species identified in the literature was carried out after gathering information on dominant weed species, including their Chinese and Latin names, family and genus details, life forms, and flora. These data were used to determine the species, origin, degree, and route of invasion for invasive weeds. Furthermore, β-diversity was assessed using the Jaccard similarity index. The data for this study were sourced from the CNKI database, WANFANG DATA, and VIP database. Statistical analyses were performed using R and SPSS software. The correlation between invasive weed distribution and climatic factors was examined through a nonlinear relationship, and the primary climatic factors influencing the distribution of weed species in urban lawns were identified using redundancy analysis (RDA). Together, these methods enabled a deep exploration of the species composition, spatial distribution, and main influencing factors of urban weeds in China.
Results: (1) A total of 208 dominant weeds, spanning 40 families and 137 genera, were identified in urban lawns. The Compositae was the most prevalent in the literature, constituting 22.12% of the total. The geographical distribution of these flora is complex, with cosmopolitan families holding a significant advantage (23 families). However, at the genus level, the number of temperate distribution genera (57) surpassed that of tropical distribution genera (42), resulting in a tropical to temperate ratio of 2.33 and 0.74 at the family and genus levels, respectively. (2) A total of 37 species of invasive weeds were identified, belonging to 11 families, predominantly Compositae, Gramineae and Fabaceae (59.46%). This included 10 species of malicious invasive species, 11 species of serious invasive species, 4 species of local invasive species, and 12 species of general invasive species. The distribution of invasive weeds in southern China was notably concentrated. (3) The variation in weed composition among different cities aligns with the β-diversity theory, as variation was primarily influenced by geographical distance and climatic conditions.
Conclusion: Plants, particularly Compositae and Gramineae weeds, which are primarily annual and perennial herbs, hold a significant advantage over other species due to their widespread distribution. These plants demonstrate ecological adaptability and competitiveness in the ecological context of urban lawns. A considerable number of invasive weeds are present in these lawns, with some species exhibiting strong dispersal capabilities and posing serious threats to the existing ecological environment. These species are more concentrated in the southern region of the country, indicating that the area faces greater challenges in managing and preventing the spread of invasive weeds. The variation in weed composition between cities aligns with β-diversity theory which suggests species distribution is primarily influenced by geographical distance and climatic conditions. Future research should seek to more accurately assess the risk of invasive weed establishment and further investigate the mechanisms driving diffusion of dominant weeds. Considering the increased influence of global warming on ecosystem dynamics, it is essential to strengthen methods for predicting the distribution of dominant weeds, particularly non-native invasive species, and to conduct research on effective means of biological control. Additionally, a deep study of the life history of frequently occurring weeds is necessary to provide a scientific basis for effective prevention and control strategies.

Aims: Benthic organisms are a crucial part of marine ecosystems, playing an essential role in material cycling and energy flow. Gastropods, particularly through their predation and scavenging activities, help maintain the stability of benthic ecosystems. Understanding the dietary habits of gastropods is key to understanding their ecological role. Neptunea cumingii, a gastropod of significant ecological and economic importance in northern China, has not been sufficiently studied in terms of its diet and ecological role. Therefore, it is important to investigate the dietary composition of N. cumingii in natural conditions and to further understand its regulatory role in northern China’s benthic ecosystems.

Methods: In this study, four wild N. cumingii stomach samples were collected, and the stomach contents were analyzed using DNA barcoding techniques targeting the 18S rDNA V4 and V9 hypervariable regions to identify eukaryotic organisms.

Results: A total of 265,161 high-quality reads were obtained from the 18S rDNA V4 region across four samples, representing 93.16% of the original reads, and 141 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were obtained by clustering. From the 18S rDNA V9 region, 221,998 high-quality reads were obtained, accounting for 86.54% of the original reads, and 490 OTUs were obtained. The 18S rDNA V4 region produced higher-quality sequences, but fewer annotated species compared to the V9 region. In total, 17 phyla were identified across all OTUs, including 10 from the animal kingdom, 5 from the fungal kingdom, 1 from the plant kingdom, and the SAR (Stramenopiles, Alveolates, and Rhizaria). The most abundant taxa in both the V4 and V9 analyses were Gastropoda, Actinopterygii, and Trematoda. At the OTU level, only 5.67% and 8.08% of OTUs were detected across three or more samples, classified into the phyla Mollusca, Vertebrata, Ascomycota, and SAR. Overall, the analysis of the 18S rDNA V4 and V9 hypervariable regions revealed a diverse array of eukaryotic organisms, including animals (annelids, arthropods, mollusks), fungi, plants, and protists, with gastropods, fishes, trematodes, and fungi being the most abundant. A small percentage of OTUs were detected in multiple samples, indicating the variability of the diet.

Background and aims: The southern part of Gaoligongshan mountain has obvious stereoscopic climate, complex and diverse habitats, with high biodiversity. However, relatively less attention has been paid to the entomopathogenic fungi resources. This paper investigates the southern part of the Gaoligongshan mountains and the entomopathogenic fungi resources at different altitude sections in order to learn the species diversity and distribution pattern of entomopathogenic fungi.

Methods: In order to isolate the strains of entomopathogenic fungi and identify their species, we collected soil samples and infected insect specimens every 100 m along the altitude gradient (700–3,100 m) from 2019 to 2021. The experimental region was divided into 5 altitude sections (I–V). Once data was collected, we analyzed the the species diversity and distribution characteristic of entomopathogenic fungi with the support of R software. Pearson correlation and Redundancy analysis were deployed to analyze the effects of ecological factors on the species diversity of entomopathogenic fungi.

Results: The data showed that a total of 2,175 strains of entomopathogenic fungi were obtained from the southern part of Gaoligongshan mountains, belonging to 78 species in 20 genera of 5 families. Within this sample we obtained, 24 species and 1,331 strains of entomopathogenic fungi from soil samples, and 66 species and 844 strains of entomopathogenic fungi from insect samples. The species richness of entomopathogenic fungi (49 species) and strain number (766 strains) were the highest in the middle altitude section Ⅲ (which was composed of middle-mountain, wet, evergreen, broad forests). The Shannon-Weiner index (2.686 and 2.677, respectively) and Simpson index (0.884 and 0.876, respectively) were smilarly highest in the middle altitude section Ⅱ (subtropical rainforest) and section Ⅲ. The dominance index ranked highest in (0.615) the section Ⅴ (high-altitude), and the evenness index (0.790) ranked highest in section Ⅰ (low-altitude dry and hot valley).  The habitat altitude had significant impacts on the species diversity in both soil-derived and insect-derived entomopathogenic fungi. Furthermore, the effect of temperature was greater on soil-derived entomopathogenic fungi, whereas air humidity had more impact on insect-derived fungi. Interestingly, soil pH had little influence on the diversity of entomopathogenic fungi in this region. With these findings in mind, it is clear that there are abundant entomopathogenic fungi resources in the Gaoligongshan mountains in Yunnan Province.

Aims: Archaea play a crucial role in global carbon and nitrogen cycling due to their unique genetic and metabolic characteristics. However, livestock activities, such as grazing, excretion, and trampling significantly affect soil archaeal communities. The mechanisms underlying the effects of grazing on archaeal community structure and diversity in alpine grasslands remain unclear. Therefore, we investigated how different grazing intensities in alpine meadows influence the structure and diversity of soil archaeal community.
Methods: This study was conducted over a two-year period in the alpine meadows of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau to understand the effects of yak grazing under different intensities on archaeal communities. Four grazing intensities were studied: Control (no grazing), light grazing (1 yak per hectare), moderate grazing (2 yaks per hectare), and heavy grazing (3 yaks per hectare). Each grazing intensity had three technical replicates.
Results: Our results indicated that there were no significant differences in α-diversity with soil archaeal communities among various grazing intensities. However, light grazing increased the diversity and richness of soil archaeal communities. With increased grazing intensity, the relative abundances of Crenarchaeota initially decreased and then increased. Interestingly, Euryarchaeota and Parvarchaeota showed the highest relative abundances under light grazing and the lowest in the control group. Additionally, grazing reduced soil bulk density and increased soil moisture content compared to the control. However, heavy grazing decreased total soil phosphorus, but increased total available phosphorus. We also observed significant negative correlations (P < 0.05) between Crenarchaeota with total phosphorus and potassium. Euryarchaeota also showed significant positive correlations (P < 0.05) with total phosphorus and negative correlations with total potassium. While Parvarchaeota showed significant positive correlations (P < 0.05) with total phosphorus.
Conclusion: In this study, we found that light animal livestock grazing increased the richness and diversity of soil archaeal communities. Likewise, different compositions of soil archaeal communities were greatly influenced by soil carbon and nitrogen, which suggests that grazing alters soil nutrient dynamics and thereby affects archaeal community structure. Together, these findings provide a foundation to accurately assess the ecological impacts of grazing on alpine grassland ecosystems.

Aims: Alpine riverine wetland ecosystems are significant sources of methane emissions. Methanogenic archaea, which act as the sole producers of methane in wetland environments, play a critical role in global carbon cycling. However, their community composition and distribution patterns in alpine riverine wetlands remain unclear. Here, our study aims to: (1) investigate the diversity and compositional changes of methanogen communities in a riverine wetland, and (2) elucidate the assembly mechanisms and sources that drive their community distribution.

Methods: Our study site was located in the riparian zones of the Niyaqu basin in the Nam Co basin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Using mcrA gene amplicon sequencing, we analyzed methanogens in soils across two dimensions: Lateral dimension (riparian wetland, transitional zone, and alpine meadow) and longitudinal dimension (at four elevation gradients: 4,980 m, 4,843 m, 4,777 m, and 4,752 m).

Results: Methanogen community α diversity of methanogens was the highest in riparian wetland, followed by the transitional zone, and then to the alpine meadow ecosystem. With community composition, the riparian wetland was significantly different from that of the transitional zone and alpine meadow. Among all sampling sites, hydrogenotrophic methanogens were the most abundant and Methanobacterium was the most predominant. In particular, the average relative abundances of alpine meadows, transitional zone, and riparian wetland was 45.78%, 42.90% and 34.17%, respectively. Neutral community models also indicated that community assembly in the wetland was primarily driven by stochastic processes. However, these processes contributed less to the communities in the alpine meadow and transitional zone. Additionally, FEAST source tracking analysis indicated that in the lateral dimension, alpine meadow and transitional zone contributed 17.62% and 13.04%, respectively, to the methanogen communities in the riparian wetland. In the longitudinal dimension, methanogen communities in low elevation riparian wetlands (S4) were primarily sourced from upstream riparian wetlands (49.71%) and alpine meadows (21.45%).

Methods: A total of 133 samples of Thereuopoda clunifera from seven populations in Nanjing, China were collected for this study. The mitochondrial Cytb gene and six microsatellite loci were used as molecular markers to analyze the genetic diversity and genetic structure of T. clunifera. To investigate the impact of urban landscape patterns on soil fauna genetic diversity and genetic structure, correlation analysis was used to understand the association between genetic diversity and habitat or urbanization levels. We then evaluated potential corridors that could enable gene flow between local T. clunifera populations by calculating the Euclidean distance, least-cost path, and effective resistance between these populations. Finally, we explored the effect of geographical and resistance distance on genetic differentiation among local populations using the Mantel test for each local population based on their genetic distance.

Results: We generated six haplotypes and 14 mutation sites, from the Cytb dataset. The H1 haplotype was shared among all seven populations and had the highest frequency, being present in 94% of all individuals. Nucleotide diversity indices were below 0.005 for all populations, signifying low genetic diversity. The microsatellite markers revealed an average number of alleles ranging from 4.167 to 5.167 and observed heterozygosity from 0.470 to 0.603, indicating high microsatellite diversity across populations. No correlation was found between habitat area, degree of urbanization near the habitat, and population genetic diversity. The fixation index between populations ranged from 0.020 to 0.106, with gene flow ranging from 2.108 to 12.266, suggesting low levels of genetic differentiation and frequent gene exchange between populations. Cluster analysis based on individual classifications was performed on the seven populations. The results indicated that the highest value of Delta K was observed when K = 2, indicating that all individuals could be divided into two genetic groups. Among the seven populations, Tang mountain and Fang Mountain (TS and FS) exhibited similar genetic structures, which were significantly different from the other five populations. The level of genetic differentiation between populations was significantly positively correlated with the predicted physical barriers between them, suggesting that the genetic structure of T. clunifera populations may be influenced by urbanization. Effective connectivity between patches facilitates gene flow among populations, with dispersed urban green spaces acting as corridors that offer opportunities for gene flow.

Conclusion: The overall genetic diversity of mitochondrial genes in the population of large centipedes is relatively low, but the microsatellite diversity across all populations is high. Urbanization and habitat area are not correlated with the level of population genetic diversity in large centipedes. There is moderate genetic differentiation among large centipede populations within the city of Nanjing, indicating a certain level of gene flow between them. Compared to geographical distance, diffusion resistance better reflects the diffusion patterns of large centipedes within the city. Insights from this work establish a foundational framework for the preservation of urban biodiversity and the strategic design of ecological spaces, such as preserving green spaces to encourage gene flow between soil fauna populations.

Background & Aim: Gender plays a critical role in biodiversity governance, with women contributing essential traditional knowledge and practices for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use. However, women often face disadvantages in decision-making and resource access, which result in the neglect of their needs and contributions. This, in turn, impacts the effectiveness and sustainability of biodiversity governance. The international community has increasingly recognized the importance of mainstreaming gender in biodiversity governance. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) emphasizes this by establishing Target 23, which aims to ensure gender equality and empower women and girls to contribute equally to the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The recent adoption of the Gender Plan of Action (2023–2030) at COP15 further highlights the growing global focus on gender issues in biodiversity governance. As one of the most populous and biodiverse countries, China’s integration of gender considerations into its biodiversity governance is crucial for achieving global sustainable development goals.

Review Results: This paper explores the integration of gender considerations within the CBD and its impact on global biodiversity governance. Initially, gender issues were peripheral in the CBD, however, they have progressively gained prominence, leading to significant milestones such as the adoption of gender action plans and the inclusion of gender as a key target in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The analysis reveals varied approaches to incorporating gender considerations in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) across different countries. Women are increasingly recognized not only as vulnerable groups but also as essential stakeholders and agents of change in biodiversity governance. Best practices identified include the use of gender-sensitive indicators and ensuring women’s active participation in biodiversity initiatives. In China, recent progress has been made with the inclusion of gender considerations into its NBSAP for the first time, although gaps remain, particularly at the provincial level and in local biodiversity projects.

Recommendations: To further advance gender mainstreaming in biodiversity governance in China, this paper suggests several key actions. First, there should be a concerted effort to incorporate gender considerations into biodiversity policy-making, including the collection and use of gender-disaggregated data and the engagement of gender experts in policy development processes. Second, it is crucial to bolster research on the intersection of gender and biodiversity, with targeted projects and the inclusion of gender experts in interdisciplinary academic exchanges. Finally, the management of international cooperation projects should integrate gender considerations throughout their project lifecycle, ensuring that both men and women benefit equally from these initiatives. These measures will not only enhance the effectiveness of China’s biodiversity governance but also serve as a model for other countries, reinforcing China’s leadership in global biodiversity efforts.

Background & Aims: In recent years, China’s rapid expansion of photovoltaics (PVs) and wind power capacity has triggered attention and discussions on their ecological issues. Effective mitigation measures and tools are urgently needed but remain underutilized. This study reviews domestic and international mitigation measures based on the ecological impacts of onshore centralized PVs and wind power plants.

Review results: Our findings indicate that early site planning is the most effective and cost-efficient approach to avoiding adverse impacts. From a landscape perspective, key planning methods for mitigating ecological impacts include the environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) and sensitivity mapping for risk screening, the Development by Design (DbD), combination of spatial planning and sensitivity mapping, and compatibility assessments between renewable energy and biological resources for integrated spatial planning. These methods help guide the renewable energy siting process based on ecological impacts and risks.

Aim: What do higher or lower organisms mean, or, is there any hierarchy among different organisms, is a big question, not only of life sciences, but also of practical philosophy. To answer this question, we must return to its starting point, Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. 

Progress: In this article I show that Darwin in his masterpiece used a lot of expressions that imply some meaning of “biological hierarchy” (a ladder of life), referring to seven different aspects or indicators: (1) the degrees of morphological rigidity and functional differentiation, (2) the degree of directional development of traits, (3) morphological complexity, (4) competitive strength, (5) the time of phylogenetic differentiation, (6) evolutionary rate, and (7) taxonomic rank. Further analysis demonstrates that these different indicators, except indicator (7), can generally keep consistent with each other within Darwin’s theory of evolution, that is, they are various manifestations of the phylogenetic tree driven by the biological interaction of competition. In this framework, the logic of a biological ladder can be understood. 

Conclusion: Further investigation, however, shows that this understanding faces two major challenges: (1) probabilistic uncertainty pertaining to any law of life sciences and (2) a revision of Darwin’s mesoscopic-static theory of evolution, which is dominated by biological interactions, taking into account the macroscopic-dynamic evolutionary schema, which is subject to changes in the external environment. In a considerably variable environment, evolution has no goal or direction, whether predetermined or predictable, factual or desirable. Therefore, with respect to macroscopic evolution, what could be called “biological ladder” tends to be an expedient metaphorical expression with little substantial meaning, let alone axiological implications. This conclusion also constitutes the criticism of social Darwinism and naturalistic environmental ethics on the ontological level.