Search Results (123)

Drought, one of the most severe natural disasters globally, has inflicted notable impacts on animal husbandry production, yet the current research on drought impact assessment in pastoral systems is plagued by obvious gaps, such as the lack of comprehensive quantitative evaluations integrating grassland ecosystem and livestock production indicators, unclear quantitative relationships between drought severity gradients and multi-level pastoral impacts, and the absence of validated quantitative assessment frameworks linking drought indices with actual pastoral economic losses. To fill these gaps, this study takes Inner Mongolia grasslands as the research area, analyzes the spatiotemporal characteristics of drought and its impacts on grassland net primary productivity (NPP) over the 50-year period from 1961 to 2012, and quantifies the differential impacts of three representative gradient drought events (1974 moderate, 1986 severe, and 1965 extreme) on grassland NPP, standard hay yield, sheep units and livestock economic losses. The long-term analysis shows that drought frequency in the study area decreases with increasing severity, with the typical steppe having the highest drought frequency and a “nine droughts in ten years” pattern in the central and western regions; drought intensity increases westward, and duration extends with rising severity, and its spatial distribution is highly consistent with the east–west precipitation gradient. Drought is the dominant driver of NPP variation, explaining up to 84% of NPP anomalies, with meadow steppe being the most sensitive to drought and desert steppe showing stronger drought resilience due to adaptive traits such as deeper root systems. The assessment of the three representative drought events reveals that drought impacts exhibit a linear amplification effect with severity, with extreme drought causing an average NPP loss 2.8 times greater, hay yield loss 1.1 times greater, and economic loss 4.4 times greater than those caused by moderate drought, and different grassland types show distinct response characteristics to drought of varying severity. The NPP loss spatial distribution is highly consistent with severe drought areas, and sheep unit loss is directly correlated with drought severity. Most importantly, the study validates a robust quantitative assessment framework ($SPI\to NPP\to hay yield\to sheep units\to economic loss$) with relative errors of less than 9% compared with historical disaster records, which systematically links drought indices with practical pastoral economic losses. This research clarifies the quantitative relationships between drought and multi-dimensional pastoral impacts, and provides actionable scientific insights for drought risk governance in arid and semi-arid pastoral areas such as Inner Mongolia. Full article

Water management policies in desert agricultural regions critically influence both crop choices and ecosystem dynamics, yet their cascading ecological impacts remain poorly understood. In particular, the complex interactions between water quality, agricultural practices, and wildlife responses require further investigation to inform sustainable management in desert landscapes. Here, we evaluate how water policy, particularly seawater desalination initiatives influencing irrigation and cropping practices, shapes ecological systems in a hyperarid region, the southern Arava Valley of Israel. We integrated community-level questionnaires, agricultural records, animal field observations, and spatially explicit scenario tools into a mixed-methods framework to model social–ecological cascades linking water policy to predator dynamics. Bayesian Belief Networks combined with Generalized Linear Models of predator abundance were used to assess how improved water quality affects cropping patterns and, in turn, regional predator populations. Our findings indicate that desalination is unlikely to alter the predominance of date orchards or the high abundance of range-expanding jackals associated with these systems. However, water quality-driven expansion of field crops corresponds to lower modelled fox abundance and shifts in predicted predator interactions, while jackal populations remain largely influenced by date orchard availability. Under business-as-usual scenarios with lower water quality, farmers are likely to reduce field crop areas, corresponding to further changes in regional predator abundance. These findings suggest that water policy decisions may generate cascading social–ecological responses on both agricultural practices and local desert ecosystems, emphasizing the need for strategies that balance agricultural productivity with ecological sustainability in arid landscapes. Full article

To tackle the navigation challenge in dynamic and complex environments, this study designs a fusion planning framework that synergistically integrates enhanced A* algorithm with improved DWA, inspired by the biological dual-layer navigation mechanism of global path planning and local real-time obstacle avoidance. Firstly, the original global path from the conventional A* algorithm is smoothed and length-reduced through a three-stage optimization strategy involving redundant node removal and forward and reverse path relaxation, mimicking the behavioral logic of honeybees and desert ants that eliminate redundant routes to complete foraging and homing with minimal energy consumption. Secondly, an evaluation function integrating dynamic obstacle perception and adaptive weight adjustment is designed for the DWA to enhance the intelligence of local planning, drawing on the adaptive strategy of animals such as antelopes that adjust behavioral priorities according to environmental complexity to balance safety and efficiency. To comprehensively verify the performance of the proposed algorithm, simulation evaluations are performed in various scenarios, including 20 × 20 and 30 × 30 grid maps, with single and dual dynamic obstacles. Results demonstrate that our algorithm outperforms conventional methods in path length, smoothness, and safety. Further physical verification is carried out on a LiDAR-equipped mobile robot (Shenzhen Yuanchuangxing Technology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, China) based on the ROS platform, confirming that the algorithm can stably achieve static path tracking and real-time obstacle avoidance in real indoor environments. Consequently, the developed hybrid algorithm delivers a viable and robust solution for autonomous mobile robots to navigate safely and efficiently in unpredictable and complex environments. Full article

This study focused on the links between soil physicochemical properties and the gut microbiota of goitered gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa) in the hyper-arid Qaidam Basin. By integrating 16S rRNA gene sequencing, soil physicochemical analysis (11 soil indicators), and microbial source tracking (FEAST) on samples of feces (n = 58), soil (n = 35), and water (n = 35) collected from six typical regions. We systematically revealed the mechanisms by which soil properties influence the gut microbiome of wildlife in an arid desert ecosystem based on source tracking and Multiple Regression on distance Matrices (MRM) analysis. The results showed that soil total phosphorus (TP) was significantly positively correlated with the α-diversity of gut microbiota (coefficient = 0.4/0.23/0.332; p < 0.05), while soil organic carbon (SOC) was significantly negatively correlated (coefficient = −0.44/−0.436; p < 0.05), indicating that soil nutrients indirectly predict host microbial diversity by regulating vegetation productivity and forage quality. β-diversity analysis further demonstrated that spatial heterogeneity in soil pH (coefficient = 0.3083; p < 0.05) and TP (coefficient = 0.227; p < 0.05) significantly drove the structural differentiation of gut microbial communities. Source-tracking results based on FEAST revealed significant regional differences in the proportional contribution of environmental microorganisms to the gut microbiota, with individuals in resource-poor habitats (ALK region) exhibiting higher input from soil microbes (8.0672% ± 6.9291%; p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study clarifies the ecological mechanism by which soil physicochemical properties regulate the diversity and composition of herbivore gut microbiota through a “soil–plant–food–gut microbiota” cascading pathway, providing important empirical evidence for understanding animal–microbe–environment interactions and adaptive evolution in extreme environments. Full article

A novel bacterial strain, designated as 4-30^T, was isolated from a soil sample collected from the Kubuqi Desert in Inner Mongolia, northern China. The isolate was a Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, motile, and coccus-shaped bacterium, and its colonies were circular, opaque, convex, smooth, and orange-pigmented on Luria–Bertani agar. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain 4-30^T belonged to the genus Planococcus. Growth occurred at 4–38 °C (optimum, 25–28 °C), pH 6.0–11.0 (optimum, pH 9.0), and in 0–10% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 1%). Strain 4-30^T contained iso-C_14:0, anteiso-C_15:0, C_16:1 ω7c alcohol, and iso-C_16:0 as major cellular fatty acids (>10%) and MK-7 and MK-8 as predominant menaquinones. Its polar lipid profile consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, and two unidentified polar lipids. The genomic DNA G+C content was 45.9%. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between strain 4-30^T and the closely related species were relatively low (ANIm < 85.6%, ANIb < 82.9% and OrthoANIu < 83.3%), and the digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) between strain 4-30^T and type strains of the genus Planococcus were 20.0–26.7%. Based on phylogenetic, genotypic, chemotaxonomic, and phenotypic analyses, strain 4-30^T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Planococcus, for which the name Planococcus circulans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 4-30^T (=CDMCC 1.2409^T = KCTC 43405^T). Full article

The optimal search strategy for foraging animals can vary based on environmental parameters, which can include information about the spatial distribution of prey. We tested the hypothesis that natural populations of foraging desert grassland whiptails (Aspidoscelis uniparens) structure their search strategies according to resource distribution. We experimentally provisioned prey in uniform, aggregated, and random distributions to characterize search effort (moves per minute and percent time moving) and search path (turn angles, movement duration, path straightness, step length, and two-step sequences). The search effort did not vary with treatment but animals adjusted their search path based on the presence and distribution of supplemental prey. With uniformly distributed prey, foragers took longer step lengths and more frequently engaged in two-step sequences that included long step lengths. When prey were randomly distributed, foragers made more moves of long duration and fewer straight moves, often pairing short step lengths with large turns. With an aggregated prey distribution, foragers had more moves of very short duration. Examining detailed search path characteristics can identify responses to environmental changes. Under experimental conditions, the search strategies of A. uniparens indicated behavioral responses to food distribution that could improve search efficiency. Full article

Alpine grassland is extremely sensitive to climate change and external interference, and it does not easily recover once damaged. Grasshopper outbreaks pose a serious threat to grassland ecosystem health and to the sustainable development of animal husbandry. However, most of the current grasshopper hazard studies focus on tropical, temperate, and desert areas, and there is still a lack of understanding of the spatial and temporal variation in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Hence, the alpine grassland in the Qilian National Park (located in the eastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau) was selected as the study area to investigate the primary environmental drivers, construct optimal ecological niche models, and evaluate the impact of climate change on the inhabitable areas of the dominant species Chorthippus dubius (Zubovski, 1898), abbreviated as C. dubius. The results indicate that (1) temperature seasonality, slope, and precipitation were the main influence factors for the distribution of C. dubius; (2) among the 10 ecological niche models, the random forest (RF) model exhibited the highest performance, achieving kappa, TSS, and ROC values of 0.86, 0.90, and 0.98, respectively; and (3) in the future climate scenario (SSP126–SSP585), most of the lower presence probability area (less than 20%) will be transformed into other types, affecting 93.17% of its current area. In addition, the presence probability increased from northwest to southeast gradually. This study clarified the spatial and temporal variation in C. dubius presence probability and its response to climate change, providing a scientific basis for grasshopper control and grassland management in Qilian Mountain National Park. Full article

The alpine grassland ecosystem of the Tibetan Plateau is a vital base for animal husbandry and a key ecological security barrier in China. Phosphorus (P), an essential nutrient, is among the primary factors limiting grassland productivity. However, the spatial distribution of soil P fractions across alpine grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau and their environmental drivers remain unclear, limiting our understanding of P cycling and grassland productivity. This study examined the composition and distribution of soil P in three representative alpine grasslands (meadow, steppe, and desert) using a combination of chemical fractionation and ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The results revealed pronounced spatial heterogeneity, with total soil P content varying by approximately 2.4-fold among the grassland types. Alpine meadows had the highest total P (0.73 g kg⁻¹) and available P (4.02 mg kg⁻¹) concentrations, with the latter being nearly twice that of alpine steppes and deserts. Alpine meadows were characterized by a predominance of labile and moderately labile organic P (e.g., NaOH-Po) and a diverse array of phosphate monoesters and diesters, whereas alpine deserts were dominated by stable, calcium-bound inorganic P (HCl-Pi). Temperature, precipitation, pH, and phosphatase activity were identified as key factors regulating the distribution and transformation of P fractions. The distinct P fractions and availability uncovered in this study are essential for predicting grassland ecosystem responses to environmental change and guiding sustainable pasture management on the Tibetan Plateau. Full article

The gut microbiome regulates multiple physiological processes of the host and plays a significant role in the adaptation of wild animal hosts to extreme environments. The saxaul sparrow (Passer ammodendri) is a typical bird species found in the northwest of China, characterized by its strong adaptability to extreme environments. Studying it can help reveal the microbial adaptation mechanisms of the host to extreme environments. Therefore, we conducted a comparative analysis of the intestinal microbial community characteristics and functions of the saxaul sparrow in high-altitude (Pamir Plateau) and desert (Tazhong Town) habitats in Xinjiang. The results of full-length 16S rRNA sequencing and species annotation indicated that the bacterial species composition (relative abundance > 0.1%) of the intestinal microbiota community of the saxaul sparrow was Candidatus Arthromitus sp. SFB rat Yit, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus faecalis, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, in sequence. In addition, Lysinibacillus sphaericus is a unique strain specific to the Tazhong group, while Stenotrophomonas maltophilia has a much higher abundance in the Tazhong group than in the Pamir Plateau group. It is worth noting that both groups of samples contain potential opportunistic pathogenic bacteria, such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The Shannon index of the Pamir Plateau group was lower than that of the Tazhong Town group (p = 0.0026), indicating that the intestinal microbial diversity of the Pamir Plateau group was lower than that of the Tazhong Town group. However, there was no significant difference in the ACE index between the two groups and it was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The Beta diversity analysis revealed that the distance between the two groups of samples was considerable (p = 0.001), indicating a significant separation. The functional annotation results indicated that the Pamir Plateau group exhibited enhanced capabilities in carbohydrate metabolism, energy metabolism, and DNA damage repair, while the Tazhong Town group demonstrated enhanced lipid metabolism and detoxification abilities. These findings will help reveal the possible impact of the living environment on the composition and function of the intestinal microbiota of the saxaul sparrow, fill the gap in comparative studies of the intestinal microbiota characteristics of the saxaul sparrow in two extreme environments, and provide new theoretical support for subsequent related research. Full article

Navigation is crucial for animal survival, and despite their small brains, insects are impressive at it. For example, desert ants acquire environmental information by learning to walk before foraging, enabling them to return home accurately over long distances. These learning walks involve multimodal sensory experiences and induce neuroplastic changes in the Central Complex (CX) and the Mushroom Body (MB) of ants’ brains, making them a key topic in behavioural science, neuroscience, and computational modelling. To address unresolved questions in how ants integrate sensory cues and adapt navigation strategies, we propose a computational model that achieves multisensory integration during learning walks. Central to this model is a novel Learning Vector mechanism that dynamically combines visual, olfactory, and path integration inputs to guide movement decisions. Specifically, the agent in our model determines the degree to which it deviates from the homing direction by evaluating the familiarity of the environment. In this way, agents could strike a balance between their tendency to explore and the need to return safely to the nest. Our model replicates key features reported in biological studies and accounts for individual and inter-species variability by tuning parameters such as cue preferences and environmental parameters. This flexibility enables the simulation of species-specific learning walks and supports a unified view of sensory integration and behavioural adaptation. Moreover, it yields testable predictions that may inform future investigations into the neural and behavioural mechanisms underlying insects’ learning walks. How the proposed model could be adapted for robotics navigation has also been discussed. Full article

Camels have developed unique adaptive mechanisms, one of which is the active accumulation of lipids. This metabolic feature has a direct influence on the liver ultrastructure. Its analysis reveals how exactly the hepatocytes have evolved to effectively store fat and neutralize toxins, which is crucial for survival in the desert. Considering the latter, the aim of this research is to establish the features of the microstructural organization of the liver of the Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus). This study was conducted using 15 liver tissue fragments from 5 healthy Bacterian camels (3 pieces from each animal) via biopsy. The sections were examined using a JEM-1011 electron microscope at magnifications of 2500–8000. Electron microscopic analysis of hepatocytes revealed a significantly larger hepatocyte diameter (25–30 µm), suggesting an adaptation for metabolites and water storage. Hepatocytes exhibited fewer, medium-sized (0.5–2 µm) lipid droplets, present in only 12–15% of cells. A high density of specialized Kupffer (15–20 cells per 10,000 µm²) and activated Ito cells was observed, indicating enhanced detoxification and immune functions. These specific ultrastructural features provide a model for studying metabolic resistance and inform veterinary diagnostics and husbandry practices for this species. Full article

This study examines how selected place names, animal figures, and natural elements are used rhetorically in the Qurʾān and pre-Islamic Arabic poetry. It explores the rhetorical strategies associated with these elements, their frequency in pre-Islamic poetry, and their transformation within Qurʾānic discourse. Particular attention is given to how the Qurʾān reinterprets such figures, whether it assigns them new semantic layers, and what depth of meaning these usages convey. The study focuses on the Qurʾān and the Mu’allaqāt—the most prominent collection of pre-Islamic odes—and identifies semantic differences rooted in rhetorical style between the two traditions. While the Qurʾān employs a metaphor- and simile-rich narrative style, pre-Islamic poetry tends toward a direct, descriptive mode of expression. The symbolic function of landscape, animal, and cosmic imagery is analyzed in this context. Pre-Islamic poetry typically portrays the world as it is, often grounding meaning in the immediacy of the desert environment. In contrast, the Qurʾān embeds similar elements within a broader metaphysical framework, imbuing them with theological significance. The central aim is to investigate how the Qurʾān engages with and transforms the literary legacy of pre-Islamic poetry, and what rhetorical mechanisms it employs in this process. Thus, the study contributes to understanding the Qurʾān’s rhetorical structure and narrative method considering its linguistic and cultural context. Full article

In May 2022, an expedition was conducted in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia, to investigate the viral diversity of bats, recognized as reservoirs of emerging zoonotic viruses. Bats were captured in six oases using mist nets and were identified morphologically and molecularly. Fecal samples were collected and screened using molecular protocol targeting viral agents of relevance to human and animal health, including coronaviruses, orthoreoviruses, herpesviruses, adenoviruses, flaviviruses, phleboviruses, paramyxoviruses, pestiviruses, and Influenza A viruses. In total, 74 bats were sampled. The most represented bat genus was Plecotus, followed by Hypsugo, Vespertilio, and Myotis. Coronavirus RNA was detected in eleven samples (14.86%), Mammalian orthoreovirus RNA in two samples (2.70%), and herpesvirus DNA in three samples (4.05%). No other targeted viruses were detected. These data expand our understanding of viral circulation in bats from previously unstudied regions. By expanding our understanding of the viral diversity harbored by bats, this study contributes to ongoing efforts to better characterize their role in the ecology and evolution of emerging zoonotic viruses. Continuous surveillance in remote and biodiverse areas is essential to identify potential threats to public and animal health and to improve preparedness for future viral emergence. Full article

Habitat fragmentation represents a significant threat to biodiversity, particularly the survival of wild species. Constructing and optimizing ecological networks are critical for promoting sustainable biodiversity, especially in the conservation of unmanaged wildlife. To address this, this study focused on designing and optimizing an ecological network tailored to the preservation of the Xinjiang desert lacertid lizard (Eremias multiocellata). This study integrated a dual-model approach, applying the InVEST model for habitat quality assessment and the MaxEnt model for suitable habitat prediction. An overlay analysis identified 15 core ecological source areas spanning 126,044 km², primarily located in the desert–grassland transition zones of the central and western study areas. A total of 34 ecological corridors were established utilizing the minimum cumulative resistance model, totaling 3764 km in length. These include 11 long corridors, 17 short corridors, and 6 potential corridors. Additionally, 100 strategic points were identified: 41 pinch points, 38 barrier points, and 21 stepping stones. This study identifies priority areas and obstacles affecting the ecological connectivity of the species’ habitats and highlights the importance of small habitat patches for long-term species dispersal and habitat expansion, providing more comprehensive guidance for sustainable development and species conservation. Furthermore, the methodology provides valuable insights into biodiversity conservation and the optimization of the natural habitat spatial layout in desert ecosystems, along with novel methods for managing and conserving other unmonitored animal species in various ecosystems. Full article

The spatial orientation of mammals and birds has been intensively studied for many years, but the cognitive mechanism of spatial orientation and memory used by squamates remains poorly understood. Our study evaluated the learning and memory abilities of leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius) in an adapted Morris water maze. The animals learned during the training phase consisted of 20 trials. To assess long-term memory, we retested geckos twice after several months. The geckos remembered the learned information in a short re-test after two months, but after four months, they required retraining to find the platform. We hypothesise that the duration of memory corresponds with short-term changes in semi-desert environments within one season, while disruption of memory performance after a six-month gap may simulate the more extensive seasonal change in spatial relationships in their natural environment. Moreover, during the winter period, geckos exhibit low activity, which can be connected with decreased frequency of foraging trips. Therefore, the memory loss after four months may reflect the low level of memory jogging. The motivation during the experiment was the crucial parameter of learning and memory processes. In later phases, geckos were less motivated to perform the task. Finally, they relearned the spatial orientation task, but they moved more slowly as the experiment progressed. Full article