Search Results (17)

The agroecosystems of tea plantations play a significant role in regional ecosystem services, with some recognized as Important Agricultural Heritage Systems. Despite notable progress in conserving these unique agricultural landscapes, systematic approaches to delineating the core conservation zone and establishing robust ecological networks for agricultural heritage systems remain insufficient. This study employed the Enshi Yulu Tea Agricultural Heritage System as a case study, integrating the MaxEnt model, InVEST model, and circuit theory to quantitatively assess landscape connectivity and prioritize conservation efforts. The analysis delineated a core conservation zone of 718.04 km² for tea plantations, identified 77 ecological corridors, and pinpointed 104 critical ecological nodes. The results indicate 43.96 km² of synergistic areas between tea plantations and ecological sources, demonstrating that the agroecosystems of tea plantations provide higher ESs values compared to monoculture plantations and farmlands. In addition, an ecological optimization framework featuring a “four belts and four zones” spatial configuration was proposed, aimed at enhancing connectivity and promoting the sustainable development of tea plantation agricultural heritage. The proposed framework can provide evidence-based references for future policy formulation, and deliver actionable insights for land-use planning, habitat restoration, and infrastructure mitigation. Full article

ES5-4^T, a Gram-positive, motile, aerobic, and rod-shaped strain, was isolated from the rhizosphere of Galinsoga parviflora growing in the selenium-rich ore area of Enshi, Hubei Province, China. This strain can grow at pH levels of 5.0–10.0 and temperatures of 4–42 °C, with optimal growth at pH 7.0 and 28 °C. It was found to resist NaCl up to 5% (w/v), with an optimal growth condition of 0.5–1.0%. The strain exhibited tolerance to selenite (Se⁴⁺) concentrations up to 5000 mg/L. The major fatty acids of the ES5-4^T strain were anteiso-C_15:0 (46.5%) and C_16:0 (21.7%), its predominant respiratory quinone was MK-7, and its polar lipids included diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and an unidentified phospholipid (PL). The presence of the 16S rRNA gene sequence implies that ES5-4^T belongs to a member of the genus Paenibacillus, with the highest sequence similarity of 98.4% to Paenibacillus pabuli NBRC 13638^T. The bac120 tree also confirmed that the strain is within the genus Paenibacillus. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between ES5-4^T and closely related members of the genus Paenibacillus were all below the cutoff levels of 95–96% and 70%, respectively. Based on a polyphasic approach, including phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, and phylogenetic analyses, the ES5-4^T strain is proposed as a novel species of the genus Paenibacillus, for which the name Paenibacillus hubeiensis sp. nov. is proposed. This type strain is designated as ES5-4^T (=GDMCC 1.3540^T = KCTC 43478^T). Full article

Green technological innovation is pivotal in advancing the ‘dual carbon’ target and promoting sustainable and low-carbon development. This research examines 17 prefecture-level cities in Hubei Province, employing the Super-SBM model for assessing emissions of carbon efficiency from 2010 to 2020. The kernel density estimation and the Dagum coefficient of Gini are also used to examine the spatio-temporal differentiation and the evolution of these efficiencies. A data panel regression model is utilized to evaluate how green technological innovation impacts carbon emission efficiency in Hubei Province. The research revealed that (1) Hubei Province’s carbon emission efficiency first fluctuated and then increased rapidly, and (2) the overall regional difference in carbon emission efficiency in Hubei Province shows a trend of first decreasing and then gradually increasing. The Wuhan metropolitan area and the Xiang-yang-Shiyan-Suizhou-Shennongjia urban area are quite different; the differentiation within the Yichang-Jingzhou-Jing-Enshi urban agglomeration shows a narrowing trend. (3) The innovation elements of green technology are positively correlated with the effectiveness of carbon emissions; the relationship between economic expansion and population density among the control variables also shows a positive correlation, while the industrial structure and government environmental regulations are negatively correlated. (4) In Hubei Province, there is a temporal lag between green technological innovation and its impact on carbon emission efficiency. Capital investment and technical achievement currently enhance carbon emission efficiency, while human capital positively affects carbon emission efficiency during a second lag period. This article proposes countermeasures and recommendations for R&D capital spending, innovative talent cultivation, and regional differentiation, providing specific references to advance the coordinated growth of the whole Hubei Province and green sustainable development. Full article

Matcha is a very popular tea food around the world, being widely used in the food, beverage, health food, and cosmetic industries, among others. At present, matcha shade covering methods, matcha superfine powder processing technology, and digital evaluations of matcha flavor quality are receiving research attention. However, research on the differences in flavor and quality characteristics of matcha from the same tea tree variety from different typical regions in China is relatively weak and urgently required. Taking Japan Shizuoka matcha (R) as a reference, the differences in sensory quality characteristics and non-volatile substances of matcha processed with the same tea variety from different regions in China were analyzed. The samples were China Hangzhou matcha (Z1), China Wuyi matcha (Z2), China Enshi matcha (H), and China Tongren matcha (G), which represent the typical matcha of eastern, central, and western China. A total of 1131 differential metabolites were identified in the matcha samples, comprising 118 flavonoids, 14 tannins, 365 organic acids, 42 phenolic acids, 22 alkaloids, 39 saccharides, 208 amino acids and derivatives, 17 lignans and coumarins, seven quinones, 44 nucleotides and derivatives, 14 glycerophospholipids, two glycolipids, 15 alcohols and amines, 140 benzenes and substituted derivatives, 38 terpenoids, 30 heterocyclic compounds, and 15 lipids. Kaempferol-7-O-rhamnoside, 3,7-Di-O-methylquercetin, epigallocatechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, and epigallocatechin were detected in Z1, Z2, H, and G. A total of 1243 metabolites differed among Z1, Z2, and R. A total of 1617 metabolites differed among G, H, and R. The content of non-volatile difference metabolites of Z2 was higher than that of Z1. The content of non-volatile difference metabolites of G was higher than that of H. The 20 key differential non-volatile metabolites of Z1, Z2, G, and H were screened out separately. The types of non-volatile flavor differential metabolites of G and H were more numerous than those of Z1 and Z2. The metabolic pathways, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, biosynthesis of co-factors, flavonoid biosynthesis, biosynthesis of amino acids, biosynthesis of various plant secondary metabolites, and purine metabolism of metabolic pathways were the main KEGG pathways. This study provides new insights into the differences in metabolite profiles among typical Chinese matcha geographic regions with the same tea variety. Full article

Seeking effective measures for the improvement of high-selenium and high-cadmium soils holds significant theoretical and practical importance for sustainable agricultural development. This paper focuses on conducting a site-specific soil survey in the characteristic agricultural product production area of Hefeng County, Enshi Prefecture, Hubei Province. Through field experiments, we compared 14 soil improvement methods across three techniques: chemical passivation remediation, agronomic regulation, and microbial remediation. The study investigated their impacts on rice Cd content, rice Se content, yield, and quality and conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the remediation effects of the different treatments. The experimental results indicate that (1) increasing the content of soil conditioners can enhance rice yields, with Treatment 14 showing the most significant increase, yielding an additional 257.3 kg per mu, representing a 55.62% increase. Treatment 12 also demonstrated a notable yield increase of 95.1 kg per mu, or a 20.55% increase. Lime, sepiolite, and shell powder can effectively reduce rice’s absorption of Cd. Treatment 9 resulted in the lowest Cd content in the rice, at 0.03 mg/kg, with a Cd reduction rate of 92%. The optimal application rates for this Cd reduction were 200 kg/mu of lime, 125 mL/mu of foliar inhibitor, and 50 kg/mu of carbon-silicon fertilizer. Treatment 12 achieved a rice Cd content of 0.11 mg/kg, with a 70% reduction in Cd, bringing the rice Cd content down to below 0.2 mg/kg, which meets the requirements of the National Food Safety Standard: Maximum Levels of Contaminants in Foods. In the comprehensive scoring of all treatments, considering four evaluation indicators—rice Cd content, rice yield, rice quality, and cost—Treatment 12 (300 kg/mu of soil conditioner + 50 kg/mu of carbon-silicon fertilizer) was found to be the optimal treatment through comparative scoring. It demonstrates good potential for ensuring safe rice production and can serve as a reference standard for repairing Cd-contaminated rice paddies in the local area, with promotional value. Full article

Changes in cultivated land use significantly impact food production capacity, which in turn affects food security. Therefore, accurately understanding the spatial and temporal variations in cultivated land use is critical for strategic decision-making regarding national food security. Since the second national soil survey was conducted in around 1980, China has implemented major efforts, such as a nationwide soil testing and fertilization project in around 2005 and the establishment of the National Standards for Cultivated Land Quality Grading in 2016. However, limited research has focused on how cultivated land use has changed during these periods and the mechanisms driving these changes. This study, using Enshi Prefecture in the mountainous region of southwestern Hubei Province as a case study, examines the spatiotemporal changes in cultivated land use during 1980–2018. Land use data from 1980, 2005, and 2018 were combined with statistical yearbook data from Enshi Prefecture, and remote sensing and GIS technology were applied. Indicators such as the dynamic degree of cultivated land use, the relative rate of change in cultivated land use, and a Geoscience Information Atlas model were used to explore these changes. Additionally, principal component analysis was employed to examine the mechanisms influencing these changes. The results show that (1) the area of cultivated land in Enshi Prefecture increased slightly from 1980 to 2005, while from 2005 to 2018, it significantly decreased; compared with the earlier period, the transformation of land use types during 2005–2018 was more intense; (2) the increase in cultivated land area from 1980 to 2005 was mainly due to deforestation, the creation of farmland from lakes, and the reclamation of wasteland, while the decrease in land area was primarily attributed to the conversion of farmland back to forests and grassland. From 2005 to 2018, the main drivers for the increase in cultivated land were deforestation and the reclamation of wasteland, while the return of farmland to forests remained the primary reason for the decrease in land area; (3) from 1980 to 2005, the dynamic degree of cultivated land use in each county and city of Enshi Prefecture was generally low. However, between 2005 and 2018, the dynamic degree increased in most counties and cities except Enshi City and Xianfeng County; (4) there were significant variations in the relative rate of change in cultivated land utilization across counties and cities from 1980 to 2005. However, from 2005 to 2018, the relative rate of change decreased in all counties and cities compared to the previous period; (5) since 1980, nearly 50% of the cultivated land in Enshi Prefecture has undergone land classification conversion, with frequent shifts between different land classes; and (6) economic development, population growth, capital investment, food production, and production efficiency are the dominant socioeconomic factors driving changes in cultivated land use in Enshi Prefecture. The results of this study can provide a scientific basis for the protection and optimization of cultivated land resources in the mountainous regions of southwestern Hubei Province. Full article

According to the strategic plan for rural revitalization and the consolidation of poverty alleviation achievements, this research has developed an evaluation indicator system encompassing three dimensions: environment, social support, and economic resilience, viewed through a sustainable development lens. This system is designed to gauge the capacity to forestall a relapse into poverty in ecologically fragile regions and can also serve as a foundation for the government to establish a comprehensive early-warning and monitoring system. An integrated approach, combining the TOPSIS and entropy methods, was employed to assess the capability to prevent a recurrence of poverty based on data from Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture spanning 2016 to 2022. Subsequently, the obstacle degree model was utilized to pinpoint critical barriers to enhancing its capability to mitigate the risk of reverting to poverty. The findings clearly indicated that, compared to other regions, Enshi City and Lichuan City maintained the most robust comprehensive capabilities to avert poverty recurrence between 2016 and 2022. Furthermore, the evaluation of capabilities across various dimensions revealed that, with the exception of Enshi City, other counties and cities demonstrated lower capacities in the environmental, social support, and economic resilience dimensions. Moreover, in 2020, the capabilities of all counties and cities deteriorated, and the capabilities under the dimensions of social support and economic resilience had not returned to their former levels by 2022, suggesting that the social and economic systems are susceptible to emergency public crises. A spatiotemporal analysis of the factors impeding the enhancement of capabilities in the counties and cities of Enshi Prefecture showed that the inhibiting factors varied by region, with the most prevalent obstacles stemming from economic resilience. In terms of environmental dimensions, the total regional water supply played a pivotal role in Enshi Prefecture. There was a pronounced regional disparity in the development of capabilities to prevent the recurrence of poverty, and the evolution of systems, such as the environment, social support, and economic resilience, was markedly uncoordinated. Finally, strategic recommendations and measures were formulated to bolster the capabilities to avert returning to poverty in ecologically fragile areas across these three dimensions. Full article

Coordinated regional development is an important issue for China in the new era, and the influence of innovation ability on regional economic development is increasing, but the current regional innovation is characterized by an increasingly obvious “dualization” effect. In this paper, by constructing innovation efficiency, science and technology innovation, innovation culture, and innovation policy as the four key subsystems of regional innovation effect, and using system dynamics to establish a regional innovation effect model, Wuhan and Enshi as the representatives of central city and non-central city, selecting the data from 2014 to 2021, and adopting different parameters to simulate the evolution trend of the innovation effect, it is concluded that the growth rate of industrial enterprises and the intensity of R&D expenditures have increased, and the innovation effect has become more and more obvious, which is the most important issue in the new era of China’s development. It is also concluded that the growth rate of industrial enterprises and the intensity of R&D expenditure are the key factors influencing the innovation effect of central and non-central cities, and suggestions are made for optimizing the “dualization” effect of regional innovation. Full article

Cold exposure is an essential factor affecting breeding efforts in cold regions. Muscle, as an important tissue for homeothermic animals, can produce heat through shivering thermogenesis (ST) and non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) under cold exposure. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in regulating gene expression. However, the regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs and their role in the thermogenesis of pigs are unclear. We examined lncRNAs in the skeletal muscle of an indigenous pig breed, the Enshi black pig, when the pigs were exposed to acute or chronic cold. Three pigs were maintained inside a pig house (control group), three pigs were maintained outside the pig house for 55 d (chronic cold group), and three pigs were suddenly exposed to the conditions outside the pig house for 3 days (acute cold group). After the experiment, the longissimus dorsi of each pig were collected, and their lncRNA profiles were sequenced and analyzed. Each sample obtained nearly 12.56 Gb of clean data. A total of 11,605 non-coding RNAs were obtained, including 10,802 novel lncRNAs. The number of differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) was identified under acute cold (427) and cold acclimation (376), with 215 and 192 upregulated lncRNAs, respectively. However, only 113 lncRNAs were commonly upregulated by acute cold and cold acclimation. In addition, 65% of the target genes were trans-regulated by DElncRNAs. The target genes were enriched in signal transduction, immune system, cell growth and death pathways, and amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism. Compared to cold acclimation, acute cold stress-induced more DElncRNAs and response pathways. In conclusion, low temperatures altered the expression levels of lncRNAs and their target genes in muscle tissue. Some potential mechanisms were revealed, including ion migration and the metabolism of amino acids and carbohydrates. Full article

Land use/cover change (LUCC) accompanied by climate change and human activities will have unpredictable impacts on watershed ecosystems. However, the extent to which these land use changes affect the spatial and temporal distribution of ecosystem services (ESs) in different regions remains unclear. The impact of LUCC on ESs in the Qingjiang Watershed (QJW), an ecologically sensitive area, and LUCC’s role in future ESs under different land use scenarios are crucial to promoting ecological conservation and land use management. This paper assessed water yield (WY), soil conservation (SC), carbon storage (CS) and habitat quality (HQ) using the InVEST model, and their responses to LUCC in the QJW from 1990 to 2018 using the geodetector and multiscale geographically weighted regression. We predicted land use patterns using the Logistic–CA–Markov model and their effects on ESs in 2034 under business as usual (BAU), ecological land protection (ELP), arable land protection (ALP) and ecological economic construction (EEC) scenarios. From 1990 to 2018, the area of cropland and woodland decreased by 28.3 and 138.17 km², respectively, while the built-up land increased by 96.65 km². The WY increased by 18.92%, while the SC, CS and HQ decreased by 26.94%, 1.05% and 0.4%, respectively. The increase in the arable land area led to a increase in WY, and the decrease in forest land and the increase in construction land led to a decrease in SC, CS and HQ. In addition to being influenced by land use patterns, WY and SC were influenced mainly by meteorological and topographical factors, respectively. In 2034, there was an obvious spatial growth conflict between cropland and construction land, especially in the area centered on Lichuan, Enshi and Yidu counties. Under four scenarios, WY and SC were ranked ALP > BAU > EEC > ELP, while CS and HQ were ranked ELP > EEC > BAU > ALP. Considering the sustainable eco-socio-economic development of the QJW, the EEC scenario can be chosen as a future development plan. These results can indicate how to rationally improve the supply of watershed ESs through land resource allocation, promoting sustainable regional development in mountainous watershed areas. Full article

Extreme precipitation could result in many disasters, such as floods, drought, and soil erosion, further bringing severe economic loss. Based on the daily precipitation records during 1960–2019 of 26 stations obtained from the National Meteorological Science Data Center of China, 10 extreme precipitation indices (EPIs: annual total precipitation (PRCPTOT), max-1-day precipitation amount (RX1day), max-5-day precipitation amount (RX5day), number of heavy rain days (R10), number of very heavy rain days (R10), simple daily intensity index (SDII), consecutive dry days (CDD), continued wet days (CWD), very wet days (R95p) and extremely wet days (R99p)) were chosen and used to analyze the spatial-temporal variation of extreme precipitation within Hubei province, China, which is an important industrial and agricultural base in China. Finally, the correlation between El Niño-Southern Oscillation and EPIs was analyzed by cross-wavelet analysis. Results showed that the annual EPIs varied obviously during 1960–2019, and CWD decreased significantly (p < 0.05). The chosen EPIs were higher in eastern and southwestern Hubei compared to other regions, and RX1day, RX5day, R95p, and R99p were increased in most regions. The spatial-temporal variations of spring and summer EPIs were more obvious than those on an annual scale. In summer, all EPIs except CDD should increase in the near future. More attention should be paid to Wuhan, Enshi, and Macheng, where the RX1day, RX5day, R95p, and R99p will increase in these regions. Finally, the RX1day and R10 were positively correlated with MEI (p < 0.05), while the RX5day, CDD, CWD, and R99p were negatively correlated with MEI (p < 0.05). The extreme precipitation events within Hubei were affected by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. The results could provide a possible driving factor for precipitation prediction and natural hazard prevention within Hubei province, China. Full article

The transcriptional initiation of genes is closely bound to the functions of cis-regulatory elements, including promoters, typical enhancers (TEs), and recently-identified super-enhancers (SEs). In this study, we identified these cis-regulatory elements in the livers of two Chinese (Meishan and Enshi Black) and two Western (Duroc and Large White) pig breeds using ChIP-seq data, then explored their similarities and differences. In addition, we analyzed the conservation of SEs among different tissues and species (pig, human, and mouse). We observed that SEs were more significantly enriched by transcriptional initiation regions, TF binding sites, and SNPs than other cis-elements. Western breeds included fewer SEs in number, while more growth-related QTLs were associated with these SEs. Additionally, the SEs were highly tissue-specific, and were conserved in the liver among humans, pigs, and mice. We concluded that intense selection could concentrate functional SEs; thus, SEs could be applied as effective detection regions in genomic selection breeding. Full article

Different natural environmental variables affect the spatial distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC), which has strong spatial heterogeneity and non-stationarity. Additionally, the soil organic carbon density (SOCD) has strong spatial varying relationships with the environmental factors, and the residuals should keep independent. This is one hard and challenging study in digital soil mapping. This study was designed to explore the different impacts of natural environmental factors and construct spatial prediction models of SOC in the junction region (with an area of 2130.37 km²) between Enshi City and Yidu City, Hubei Province, China. Multiple spatial interpolation models, such as stepwise linear regression (STR), geographically weighted regression (GWR), regression kriging (RK), and geographically weighted regression kriging (GWRK), were built using different natural environmental variables (e.g., terrain, environmental, and human factors) as auxiliary variables. The goodness of fit (R²), root mean square error, and improving accuracy were used to evaluate the predicted results of the spatial interpolation models. Results from Pearson correlation coefficient analysis and STR showed that SOCD was strongly correlated with elevation, topographic position index (TPI), topographic wetness index (TWI), slope, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). GWRK had the highest simulation accuracy, followed by RK, whereas STR was the weakest. A theoretical scientific basis is, therefore, provided for exploring the relationship between SOCD and the corresponding environmental variables as well as for modeling and estimating the regional soil carbon pool. Full article

Landslide is the second most frequent geological disaster after earthquake, which causes a large number of casualties and economic losses every year. China frequently experiences devastating landslides in mountainous areas. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technology has great potential for detecting potentially unstable landslides across wide areas and can monitor surface displacement of a single landslide. However traditional time series InSAR technology such as persistent scatterer interferometry (PSI) and small-baseline subset (SBAS) cannot identify enough points in mountainous areas because of dense vegetation and steep terrain. In order to improve the accuracy of landslide hazard detection and the reliability of landslide deformation monitoring in areas lacking high coherence stability point targets, this study proposes an adaptive distributed scatterer interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ADS-InSAR) method based on the spatiotemporal coherence of the distributed scatterer (DS), which automatically adjusts its detection threshold to improve the spatial distribution density and reliability of DS detection in the landslide area. After time series network modeling and deformation calculation of the ADS target, the displacement deformation of the landslide area can be accurately extracted. Shuibuya Town in Enshi Prefecture, Hubei Province, China, was used as a case study, along with 18 Sentinal-1A images acquired from March 2016 to April 2017. The ADS-InSAR method was used to obtain regional deformation data. The deformation time series was combined with hydrometeorological and related data to analyze landslide deformation. The results show that the ADS-InSAR method can effectively improve the density of DS distribution, successfully detect existing ancient landslide groups and determine multiple potential landslide areas, enabling early warning for landslide hazards. This study verifies the reliability and accuracy of ADS-InSAR for landslide disaster prevention and mitigation. Full article

Limited research focuses on risk perceptions of hot weather among ethnic minority groups in remote mountain areas of China. Adopting a multi-stage sampling method, this study received completed questionnaires from 643 participates in Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture of China in 2017 and 2018. We used multivariate logistic regression models to explore the factors affecting risk perceptions and coping behaviors with regards to hot weather. Results showed that despite a relatively high level of risk perception, the study population in the mountain areas of China had a very low level of preparedness in responding to the risks from heat, and a lack of professional health knowledge in general. In particular, 61.3% (95% CI: 57.1%−5.6%) of the participants felt increasing temperatures in recent years, 73.2% (95% CI: 69.3%−7.0%) thought extreme high temperatures would be a health threat, and 61.3% (95% CI: 57.1%−5.4%) reported physical discomfort during hot weather. However, only 12% (95% CI: 9.5%−4.5%) had the information or knowledge to stay healthy during the extreme high temperatures, and only 24.2% had (95% CI: 20.8%−7.6%) preparation. The logistic regression models suggested that ethnic group, health status, marital status, gender, and employment could affect their perceptions, which could significantly affect the adoption of coping behaviors. In conclusion, our findings have significant implications for developing policies and health education and promotion programs for ethnic minorities in remote regions to maintain good health during hot weather. Full article