Institute of Applied Ecology

Nitrogen deposition does not alter the temperate forest soil carbon pool: A 14-y experiment on varied nitrogen fertilization

Soil carbon (C) pools in nitrogen-limited temperate forests are critical to the global C cycle, but there are no long-term experiments examining soil C, with various nitrogen (N) forms. Here, a 14-y experiment (100 kg N ha −1 y −1 ), with added N simulating atmospheric deposition...

Differences in Dust Emission and Near‐Surface Transport Patterns Among Three Surface Substrate Types

ABSTRACT Soil wind erosion is a major driver of atmospheric dust emissions and land degradation. Many studies have examined dust release from different substrates, but differences in methods and units still limit quantitative understanding of how surface conditions and wind joint...

Non-monotonic response of net dust deposition kinetics to low wind speeds

Abstract. Dry deposition is a major sink for mineral dust, yet its behavior under weak winds remains poorly constrained and is often parameterized monotonically with wind speed. Here we quantify size-resolved dust deposition kinetics in a large closed-circuit recirculating wind t...

Nighttime Light and Thermal Environment Jointly Affect Urban Vegetation Phenology

Rapid urbanization has significantly impacted plant growth rhythms through increased surface temperatures and enhanced artificial light at night (ALAN). However, the effects of thermal environments and ALAN on urban vegetation phenology (UVP) remain unclear, limiting our knowledg...

A global base temperature dataset for residential building energy demand modelling

Abstract. Accurate building energy demand modeling is critical to decarbonizing regional energy systems. The cooling and heating degree-day models are widely used due to their simplicity and low data requirements; however, the lack of accurate base temperature data limits their p...

Wetland restoration enhances ecological quality in urbanizing regions

Abstract Introduction Rapid urbanization and climate change drive widespread wetland degradation, yet it remains unclear whether wetland restoration improves ecological quality (EQ), a composite indicator reflecting vegetation, thermal, hydrological, environmental, and soil condi...

Height-threshold-dependent estimates of forest gap characteristics, spatial patterns, and dynamics: Evidence from multi-temporal UAV–LiDAR

Forest gaps record disturbance, regeneration, and canopy structural change, yet estimates of gap closure depend strongly on the height threshold used to define when a gap is considered closed. This issue is particularly relevant for three-dimensional LiDAR analyses, where gap str...

Comparative Study on Filiform Corrosion of Automotive Hot Dip Galvanized and Zn‐Al‐Mg Coated Steels Under Acetic Acid Accelerated Test

ABSTRACT Acidic residues trapped in automotive structural crevices, where incomplete paint coverage often occurs due to electrodeposition electric‑field shielding, can initiate filiform corrosion (FFC). This study develops an accelerated test using 0.5 M acetic acid (50°C, 95% RH...

Population shrinkage and cropland fragmentation in Northeastern China: Spatiotemporal associations and implications for land governance

Rural population decline and rapid ageing are reshaping agricultural regions, yet their implications for the reorganisation of agricultural land systems remain insufficiently understood. Focusing on Northeastern China, a major grain-producing region experiencing sustained out-mig...

Microbially Driven Physicochemical Destabilization in Organic Matter Turnover

Abstract The persistence of organic matter has long been attributed to the intrinsic recalcitrance of complex biopolymers and the constraints of enzymatic degradation. However, across both marine and terrestrial ecosystems, structurally complex polymers such as chitin, cellulose,...

Enhancing the WAS physical hydrological model and integrating machine learning and residual decomposition to improve runoff simulation performance in the cold region of the Taoerhe River Basin, Northeast China

Study region: The Taoerhe River Basin, located in Northeast China. Study focus: Physical hydrological models still have limitations in representing runoff processes in seasonally frozen semi-arid basins. This study improved runoff simulation through physical model modification an...