With the clear proposal and in-depth implementation of the national strategic goal of carbon neutrality and carbon peak， China's desertification areas have ushered in the climax of photovoltaic power plant construction. This initiative not only promotes the development of green energy， but also has a series of complex and far-reaching impacts on the natural environment in the desert area. This paper aims to comprehensively sort out the specific impact of photovoltaic power plant construction on desert ecological environment， and summarize the typical problems and challenges existing in the current model through in-depth analysis of the practical cases of "photovoltaic + ecological governance" model adopted by photovoltaic power plants in some deserts at home and abroad. On this basis， this paper puts forward a series of improvement suggestions and strategies， aiming at providing scientific and systematic guidance for the current and future ecological management work of photovoltaic power stations in desert areas， and providing strong scientific and technological support and theoretical basis for promoting ecological restoration and sustainable development of desertification areas.

Vegetation constitutes a critical nexus among the atmosphere， soil， water， and biosphere. Investigating its spatiotemporal dynamics and driving mechanisms is critical for understanding ecosystem evolution. This study leverages 22-year MOD13Q1 NDVI remote sensing data （2000-2022） and integrates natural factors （digital elevation models， soil types， precipitation， temperature， evapotranspiration） and socioeconomic parameters （land use types， population， GDP）. Analytical techniques including pixel binning models， trend analysis， and geographic detectors were applied to systematically evaluate vegetation coverage patterns and their drivers in the Kubuqi Desert. Results demonstrate a sustained upward trend in vegetation coverage， with an annual growth rate of 0.387% （R²≈0.832）. Seasonal variations reveal peak coverage during June-August and minimal levels in November-January. Notably， 73.62% of the study area exhibited vegetation improvement： the desert core transitioned from extremely low to low coverage grades， the southwest shifted from low-medium to medium-high grades， and the southeast achieved widespread high-grade coverage. Single-factor analysis identified land use types （0.493）， precipitation （0.461）， and population density （0.443） as dominant individual drivers. Multi-factor interaction detection highlights precipitation-elevation synergy （interaction q=0.731） as the most significant combined influence on vegetation dynamics.

The potential of carbon sequestration in typical sandy regions of China has long been overlooked，with a lack of systematic analysis over long time series and quantitative assessments of the driving mechanisms of climate change and human activities. In this study，we employed the CASA and Thornthwaite Memorial models to analyze the spatiotemporal variations in net ecosystem productivity （NEP） across typical sandy areas，including the Mu Us Sandy Land，the Hunshandake Sandy Land，the Horqin Sandy Land，the Hulun Buir Sandy Land，and the Songnen Sandy Land，from 1982 to 2024. We also explored the driving mechanisms of meteorological and human factors on the evolution of NEP. The results show that，by 2024，the average annual NEP of the typical sandy regions was 166.67 g·m^-2·a^-1，with significant spatial differentiation. The carbon sequestration capacity in the eastern regions was notably higher than in the western regions. Among these areas，the Songnen Sandy Land exhibited the strongest carbon sequestration capacity，with an annual NEP of 211.08 g·m^-2·a^-1，while the Mu Us Sandy Land had a weaker carbon sequestration capacity，with an annual NEP of only 122.68 g·m^-2·a^-1. From 1982 to 2024，the overall NEP of these regions showed a decline followed by a recovery，reaching a minimum of 130.68 g·m^-2·a^-1 in 2000 and subsequently rising to 166.67 g·m^-2·a^-1 by 2024. In terms of spatial changes，the areas with increased carbon sequestration accounted for 59.96% （10.03×10⁴ km²） of the total study area，with significant increases covering 57.79% （96 682.67 km²），primarily distributed in the Hulun Buir Sandy Land and the Songnen Sandy Land. In contrast，areas with significant decreases accounted for 35.85% （59 977.05 km²），mostly in the Mu Us Sandy Land and the Hunshandake Sandy Land. Human activities were the dominant factor contributing to the improvement of carbon sequestration，with a relative contribution rate of 49.33%. This study provides scientific evidence for carbon neutrality and ecological conservation in sandy regions.

During the large-scale construction of photovoltaic （PV） power stations in desert regions， the areas beneath the panels often experience secondary wind erosion and sand accumulation due to ground surface disturbance and altered wind flow patterns. These issues seriously threaten ecological recovery and the safety of operational maintenance. To evaluate the windbreak and sand-stabilizing effects of different types of mechanical sand barriers in PV fields， this study selected three typical sand barriers， straw checkerboard， degradable polylactic acid （PLA）， and high-density polyethylene （mesh）， within a PV power station located in the Hobq Desert as the experimental site. The wind speed profile near the surface， surface roughness， and friction velocity under varying wind conditions were analyzed to systematically examine the influence of sand barrier type on wind speed modulation and surface stability. The results indicated that： （1） All three types of sand barriers significantly reduced wind speed within the 0-20 cm near-surface layer， with the mesh barrier showing the highest wind reduction efficiency up to 50% at the 10 cm height. （2） The installation of sand barriers markedly increased surface roughness and enhanced wind speed shear resistance， with the straw checkerboard demonstrating particularly notable effects. （3） All sand barriers effectively increased the friction velocity， with an average improvement ranging from 30% to 68% under wind speeds between 7.85 m·s^-1 and 12.03 m·s^-1. （4） Implementing sand barrier measures in the 200 MW PV power station reduced the average annual power generation loss rate to 2.9%. Furthermore， the annual panel cleaning costs were reduced by an average of ¥97 300 with the installation of the three types of sand barriers. Economic evaluation revealed that straw checkerboard barriers offer advantages such as low cost and wide material availability， whereas mesh barriers combine high wind reduction efficiency with durability. PLA barriers exhibited exceptional sand-fixing performance owing to their superior ground conformity. The findings provide a theoretical basis and technical support for controlling secondary wind-sand hazards in PV power stations situated in sandy areas.

The middle reaches of the Yellow River Basin are an important economic core area and growth pole in China. However， the safe boundaries for the sustainable development of key elements of its nature-social system remain unclear. The application of the Safe and Just Operating Space （SJOS） theory is expected to provide a novel assessment perspective for the sustainable development of this region. This study is based on the SJOS theory， taking the four provinces and autonomous region in the middle reaches of the Yellow River Basin （Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region， Shaanxi Province， Shanxi Province， and Henan Province） as the research objects. Using environmental monitoring and socio-economic data available from 1990 to 2023， an indicator system for measuring the natural social systems in the region was constructed to assess the SJOS for sustainable development in the study area. The grey prediction model was used to judge its development trend. The results showed that the SJOS of the four provinces and autonomous region in the middle reaches of the Yellow River Basin showed an overall positive trend in time series， and the current ranking of sustainability in the four provinces and autonomous region from best to worst is： Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region>Shanxi Province>Shaanxi Province>Henan Province. However， currently there are still 29 indicators in the four provinces and autonomous region that have exceeded the threshold. The correlation analysis and prediction results show that there are a total of 6 key factors affecting SJOS in the region. Two natural systems， namely fertilizer usage and freshwater utilization； Four social systems， namely industrial innovation， gender equality， sustainable cities， and decent work and economic growth. In short， the natural-social systems in the middle reaches of the Yellow River Basin are currently facing many challenges， but it still has great potential for sustainable development.

This study explores the impact of the digital economy on the transformation and upgrading of the industrial structure in the Yellow River Basin. Using panel data from 118 prefecture-level cities in China's Yellow River Basin from 2000 to 2022， we empirically examine the effects of the digital economy on the transformation and upgrading of the region’s industrial structure， based on an analysis of the spatial evolution characteristics of the digital economy. Our findings indicate that the digital economy exerts a significant positive impact on the overall transformation and upgrading of the industrial structure in the Yellow River Basin， particularly on industrial upgrading， thus contributing effectively to the region's industrial advancement. However， the digital economy does not show a significant effect on the rationalization of the industrial structure， nor does it significantly influence the structural transformation. The mediation effect analysis suggests that the digital economy promotes the overall upgrading of the industrial structure in the Yellow River Basin through the improvement of the consumption structure and the enhancement of technological innovation. The results of the moderation effect test reveal that environmental regulation negatively moderates the overall transformation and upgrading process of the digital economy and industrial structure. The heterogeneity analysis further demonstrates that the effect of the digital economy on the transformation and upgrading of the industrial structure is more pronounced in regions with advanced digital economic development. Finally， the economic consequence analysis reveals that the digital economy has significantly enhanced the green economic efficiency of the Yellow River Basin， following the transformation and upgrading of its industrial structure. These findings not only enrich the literature on the digital economy and its economic implications but also provide theoretical insights and policy recommendations for regional industrial transformation and high-quality development.

The indicator system of residents' well-being in the Yellow River Basin was constructed based on the human needs theory in this paper， and then the spatio-temporal pattern of residents' well-being in 2000-2023 was analyzed. The spatial relationship between the demand dimension of residents'well-being was explored through coupling coordination degree and relative development degree. Meanwhile， the influencing factors of coupling coordination of demand dimension and residents' well-being were revealed based on geographical detectors. Finally， we summarized the driving mechanism of the spatial and temporal pattern of residents' well-being. The conclusion as follows： （1） During the study period， the growth of basic demand in the Yellow River Basin was slow， and the change of spatial distribution was stable. The development of the remaining dimensions of well-being improved significantly，and the level of demand reached a higher state by the end of the study in most regions. The residents' well-being index in each region continues to rise and the growth rate was different， and the residents' well-being varies greatly among regions. （2） During the study period， the coupling coordination degree of sub-demand in the Yellow River Basin gradually improved. Most regions evolve from low coupling and low coupling to high coupling and high coupling.The whole basin has achieved a high level of well-being development. （3） The temporal and spatial differences of residents' well-being are the result of multiple factors. The main body initiative and government initiative had strong explanatory power to the temporal and spatial differences of residents' well-being，and they were the leading influencing factors. The explanatory power of geographical location and new tourism demand was medium， while the explanatory power of natural background was relatively weak.

Promoting deep coordination between culture-tourism integration and ecological resilience in the Yellow River Basin is of great practical value to stimulate the kinetic energy of cultural and tourism industry， promote the construction of ecological civilization， and accelerate the basin to a new green path of sustainable development. This study takes nine provinces in the Yellow River Basin from 2011 to 2022 as the research object， and integrates the two composite systems of culture-tourism integration and ecological resilience into the same framework. On the basis of measuring the comprehensive level of the two systems， the Haken model is used to reveal the synergistic effect of the two systems and describe their spatio-temporal evolution. The main conclusions are as follows： （1） During the study period， the level of culture-tourism integration and ecological resilience in the Yellow River Basin was significantly improved， but the level of culture-tourism integration showed a "polarization" pattern， with obvious advantages of culture-tourism integration in the downstream region and prominent ecological resilience in the upstream region. （2） The integration of culture and tourism is the order parameter that dominates the collaborative evolution of the Yellow River Basin system. The overall collaborative level of the basin has an evolutionary trend of rapid improvement - stable operation， and the regional level presents a collaborative pattern of downstream > middle reaches > upstream. （3） The number of high-quality and medium synergistic provinces in the Yellow River Basin increased steadily， and the synergistic level showed a dynamic evolutionary pattern of "gradual decline from east to west" to "central catch-up" and then to "contiguous peak". （4） The public service supply of cultural tourism industry and ecosystem is the main obstacle in the early stage， and the negative impact of pollutant emission and ecological environment governance is gradually emerging. The upstream region needs to improve the basic input and performance output of cultural tourism， while the middle and downstream regions need to focus on the lack of ecological resilience supporting factors and ecological environment issues.

The changes in landscape patterns in the Loess Plateau gully region reflect the variations in regional ecological functions and processes. Their spatial differentiation reveals the spatial disparities in landscape processes and their driving forces， aiding in the spatial understanding of the dynamic changes and characteristics of regional landscape patterns. Taking Qingyang City， Gansu Province， as an example， this study systematically analyzed the spatiotemporal dynamics of regional land use changes and landscape patterns， as well as their ecological responses， based on land use data from 2000 to 2020， using ArcGIS and Fragstats software. The aim was to uncover the spatial differentiation characteristics of land use and landscape pattern changes in a typical Loess Plateau gully region. The results indicate： （1） From 2000 to 2020， the land use structure in the study area underwent significant transformations， showing an overall trend of "continuous decrease in cropland， initial increase followed by stabilization in forest and grassland， and expansion of construction land." The primary transitions of reduced cropland were to grassland， forest， and construction land. （2） The landscape pattern indices did not exhibit a clear temporal trend， but the study area displayed distinct spatial differentiation in landscape patterns. Specifically， patches in the northwestern region showed relatively higher ecological dominance， the central area exhibited greater fragmentation in patch size distribution， and the southeastern edge had relatively homogeneous landscape types with more regular patch shapes. （3） Changes in cropland and grassland areas correlated with landscape pattern indices， while gross domestic product（GDP） and total population were the main drivers of changes in landscape indices. This suggests that over time， the integration of ecological and socio-economic spaces in the study area has been deepening.

In order to understand soil bacterial community structure characteristics and potential ecological function changes of different afforestation restoration strategies in Hunshandake Sandy land. The enclosed sample plots of Pinus sylvestris， Populus， Salix gordejevii and Hedysarum leave were studied which have been planted in Hunshandak Sandy Land for 20 years. The mobile dune enclosed plots that have been restored naturally for 20 years were used as the control. Through the combination of 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing， PICRUSt function prediction and soil nutrient content determination， the soil restoration of different vegetation restoration strategies in sandy land was investigated. The results showed that： （1） The relative abundances of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota in the Hedysarum laeve forest were significantly increased by 41.16% and 52.94% respectively， compared with those in the Salix gordejevii forest. The relative abundances of Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi in the Salix gordejevii forest were significantly increased by 64.59% and 55.16% respectively， compared with those in the Hedysarum laeve forest. The relative abundance of Bradyrhizobium， Rhizobium and Mesorhizobium accounted for 3.59%， 0.97% and 0.80% in the Hedysarum laeve forest and 3.50%， 0.82% and 0.83% in the Populus forest， respectively. γ-proteobacteria were the marker bacteria of Pinus sylvestris forest. （2） Through PICRUSt function prediction， the abundance of genes involved in stress resistance was significantly increased. The abundance of membrane transport genes in Populus forest was significantly increased， the abundance of membrane transport and signal transduction genes in Hedysarum laeve forest were significantly increased. The abundance of genes involved in self-growth of Pinus sylvestris forest and Salix gordejevii forest were significantly increased. The abundance of amino acid metabolism and lipid metabolism genes was significantly increased in Pinus sylvestris forest. The abundance of gene in energy metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism of Salix gordejevii forest were significantly increased. These results indicated that the potential ecological function of the sand-fixing forest of Populus forest and Hedysarum laeve forest were more stable than that of Pinus sylvestris forest and Salix gordejevii forest. In conclusion， there were significant differences in soil bacterial communities in different vegetation restoration areas of Hunshandake Sandy Land， which led to different potential functions. Hedysarum laeve forest played an important role in nitrogen fixation and soil nitrogen accumulation in collaboration with soil nitrogen fixing bacteria compared with Pinus sylvestris forest， Populus forest and Salix gordejevii forest.

The Liuyuan-Golmud Expressway is built in the Hexi Corridor and the inland extreme arid area of Qaidam Basin. Along the route， alpine wind-sand is the main environmental feature. Currently， there is limited research on the sand processes and prevention along the Liuyuan-Golmud Expressway. Therefore， through field observations and particle size analysis， this study investigated the wind-sand environment along the highway and found that the prevailing winds are from the northwest （NNW、WNW、W）， with frequency of sand-driving wind， sand transport potential， and maximal possible sand transport higher occurring in the summer months （May to July）. In contrast， these factors are lower in the winter months （November to January of the following year）. The sand transport direction along the highway primarily trends towards SE、SSE、ESE and E. From north to south along the highway， the surface sediment particles transition from fine sand to coarse sand， with the average particle size gradually becoming coarser. The particle distribution is relatively uniform， with fewer coarse particles.

To investigate the impact of the digital economy on energy utilization efficiency and its underlying mechanisms， thereby enhancing energy utilization efficiency in the Yellow River Basin， this study is based on panel data from 78 cities during the period from 2014 to 2023. The non-desired output super-efficiency SBM model and entropy-weighted TOPSIS method are utilized to measure energy utilization efficiency and the digital economy development index， respectively. Furthermore， a bidirectional fixed effects model， mediating effect model， and moderating effect model are employed to analyze the relationship between the digital economy and energy utilization efficiency. The findings indicate that： （1）The energy utilization efficiency in the Yellow River Basin has been continuously improving over the study period； however， and the overall level remains low， with significant spatial disparities characterized by a distribution pattern of "higher in the east and lower in the west". （2） The digital economy exerts a significant positive impact on energy utilization efficiency， particularly pronounced in the downstream regions of the Yellow River. （3） The digital economy enhances energy utilization efficiency by improving industrial structure and technological innovation levels. Additionally， the degree of government intervention significantly moderates the positive relationship between the advancement of industrial structure， technological innovation levels， and energy utilization efficiency.

Artificial sand-fixing vegetation serves as a critical ecological barrier in desert-oasis ecotone， and its stability is closely linked to the effectiveness of regional ecological protection.As a representative type of sand-fixing vegetation， Haloxylon ammodendron plantations undergo distinct developmental phases over time， which markedly influence the soil environment and related ecological functions. To evaluate these effects， Haloxylon ammodendron plantations aged 5， 10， 20， and 30 years at the northern edge of the Zhangye Oasis were selected as study sites， with mobile and fixed sand dunes serving as controls. This study systematically investigated the physicochemical properties， nutrient contents， and ecological stoichiometry of topsoil， assessed the long-term impacts of plantation age on the carbon， nitrogen， and phosphorus stoichiometry and their stocks， and further examined the coupled interactions between biotic and abiotic factors， along with the feedback mechanisms that drive the restoration dynamics of artificial sand-fixing ecosystems. The study found that surface soil C∶N ratios were significantly higher in fixed duns than in mobile dunes， while the N∶P ratios exhibited the opposite trend. The establishment of H. ammodendron plantation gradually decreased surface soil C∶N ratios and increased N∶P ratios， with a distinct pattern observed in the 30-year-old H. ammodendron plantation， where C∶N ratios increased and N∶P ratios decreased. H. ammodendron plantations significantly increased topsoil organic carbon and inorganic nitrogen stocks 10 years after establishment. Meanwhile， total nitrogen and total phosphorus stocks increased with planting age， with the highest total nitrogen stock observed in the 20-year-old H. ammodendron plantation. Shrub cover， herbaceous cover， macro-arthropods， and soil silt and clay content explained 67.89% of the variation in surface soil carbon， nitrogen， and phosphorus stoichiometry. Shrub cover， herbaceous cover， macro-arthropods， soil silt and clay content， soil pH， and soil salt content explained 70.70% of the variation in surface soil carbon， nitrogen， and phosphorus stock. In summary， the establishment of H. ammodendron plantations led to a continuous decline in herbaceous cover and soil pH over time， while shrub cover， soil silt and clay， the macro-arthropods activity density， and soil salt content increased primarily during the pre- and mid-establishment stages. Together， these changes played a key role in driving variations in surface soil carbon， nitrogen， and phosphorus stoichiometry and stock.

The ecological construction of the Alxa Desert is of significance to the ecological security of China's Three-North Region. The area surrounding the Yabulai Mountains serves as a critical section for controlling the wind-sand convergence where two major deserts meet of Badain Jaran Desert and Tengger Desert. The establishment of windbreak and sand-fixation forest and grass belts， as well as the stable maintenance of their ecological functions， are vital for ensuring the smooth operation of regional transportation arteries and the safety of human settlements within oasis environments. Based on an assessment of current sand hazards and sand control systems in the region， this paper classifies the area into three types： engineering-biological sand control zones in strong wind-sand corridors， near-natural restoration zones along the desert edges on both sides of the Yabulai Mountains， and engineering-biological sand control zones at the edges of industrial-mining towns and oases. It also proposes corresponding windbreak and sand-fixation forest-grass belt construction technologies and comprehensive management plans for each zone， aiming to provide decision-making support for regional ecological construction.

The construction of a nature reserve system with national parks as its core is a major breakthrough in the institutional system of ecological civilization， and a key area for promoting the construction of a beautiful China and realizing the modernization of harmonious coexistence between human beings and nature. Qilian Mountain National Park is in the early stage of development， and it is necessary to refer to the international experience and combine with the construction practice， to further inspire the working idea and strengthen the management policy and legal system construction， and constantly improve the construction and development path. Through comparative research， literature checking， policy and law analysis and other methods and means， the research is carried out from the aspects of practice and research progress of national parks， management system and law， existing problems. The suggestions are put forward， such as optimizing the management mode， perfecting the coordinating mechanism， improving the law and regulation system， and strengthening the scientific and technological support and safeguard measures.

Ecological sensitivity is a critical indicator for evaluating the response and self-regulation capacity of ecosystems under external disturbances. It plays an essential role in ecological redline delineation， spatial planning， and the construction of regional ecological security patterns. This study takes Qingyang City， a typical gully region on the Loess Plateau， as the research area. Based on multi-period remote sensing and land use data from 2000 to 2020， four key ecological indicators—elevation， aspect， NDVI， and land use type—were selected to build an ecological sensitivity evaluation system. The Analytic Hierarchy Process （AHP） was employed to determine index weights， and GIS-based overlay analysis was used to map spatial distribution patterns of ecological sensitivity and explore their coupling mechanisms with land use and vegetation cover changes. The results show that： （1） Land use in Qingyang has significantly improved over the past two decades， with continuous expansion of forest and grassland and a notable reduction in unused land.（2） NDVI exhibited a trend of “low values increasing and high values remaining stable，” indicating significant vegetation restoration driven by ecological projects.（3） Ecological sensitivity displayed clear spatial differentiation， with lower sensitivity in the northwest and central areas and higher sensitivity in the southeast. Medium and high sensitivity zones dominated the region， while highly sensitive zones were mainly distributed in key ecological barrier areas such as the Ziwuling forest and the headwaters of the Jing River. This study provides a practical and replicable approach for ecological sensitivity evaluation in loess hill and gully regions， offering scientific support for ecological zoning， land management， and environmental policy development.

The oasis cool island effect plays a significant role in ensuring human health， safety， and livability in oasis areas. This study focuses on four typical oases in arid regions （Aksu， Hotan， Wuwei， and Zhangye）， using Landsat imagery to retrieve land surface temperature， and validating the results with ground climate data. The analysis explores the intensity and spatiotemporal variations of the cool island effect in these oases， while investigating the impact of land cover and landscape patterns on the cool island effect by combining land cover data and landscape pattern indices. The results indicate that： （1） During 2000-2020 the oasis areas in the study region expanded， with a significant increase in the cool island area of Aksu Oasis， while the cool island area of Wuwei Oasis decreased. However， the overall cool island effect （OICE） index of all oases increased， indicating a strengthened cool island effect. （2） In all oases， cultivated land， forest land， and built-up areas expanded， while barren land decreased. The expansion of cultivated land in Aksu Oasis enhanced the cool island effect； the expansion of cultivated land in Hotan Oasis extended the cool island range； the expansion of built-up areas in Wuwei Oasis weakened the cool island effect； and the optimization of land cover structure in Zhangye Oasis enhanced the cool island effect. （3） The driving mechanisms of OCIE varied across oases. In Aksu and Hotan， OCIE was mainly driven by patch area percentage （PLAND）， with higher land cover concentration enhancing the effect. In Wuwei， OCIE was influenced by PLAND， edge density （ED）， and mean shape index （SHAPE_MN）， with ED making significant contributions in peripheral regions. In Zhangye， SHAPE_MN was the primary driver， while PLAND showed a suppressive effect.

In arid desert areas， some natural vegetation mainly depends on groundwater for survival， which is known as groundwater-dependent vegetation. Protecting groundwater-dependent vegetation is an important task in ecological construction in arid areas， and using remote sensing products to rapidly identify groundwater-dependent vegetation has important practical significance for ecological protection in arid areas. We selected six sample areas dependent on different sources of moisture in the Hexi Corridor， analysed the correlation between vegetation NDVI changes and precipitation from 2001 to 2020 in each sample area， and explored the feasibility of applying NDVI products to identify groundwater-dependent vegetation. The result shows that the average NDVI value of the six sample areas from 2001 to 2020 was between 0.11-0.29， and the coefficient of variation was between 0.07-0.59； the maximum value was between 0.20-0.32， and the minimum value was between 0.07-0.26. Pearson's correlation results showed that the correlation coefficients between the average NDVI and growing season precipitation in the six sampling areas ranged from 0.16 to 0.55， the correlation coefficients between the maximum NDVI and growing season precipitation ranged from 0.24 to 0.65， and the correlation coefficients between the minimum NDVI and growing season precipitation ranged from 0.10 to 0.30； the correlation coefficients between the variability of NDVI and the growing season precipitation ranged from 0.21 to 0.70. The correlation coefficients between NDVI variability and growing season precipitation ranged from 0.21 to 0.70. In general， the correlation of desert vegetation NDVI variability with growing season precipitation was greater than that with annual precipitation， and the correlation between groundwater-dependent vegetation NDVI and precipitation was smaller than that of precipitation-dependent vegetation； the correlation of NDVI growing season variability with growing season precipitation was higher than that with the correlation of the mean growing season NDVI with growing season precipitation. Therefore， the growing season NDVI variability can better infer the dependence of vegetation on groundwater through the dependence of vegetation on precipitation.

The Lvliang Mountain area， located in the western part of the Shanxi province within the Yellow River Basin， represents a typical region characterized by fragile ecological conditions. While existing studies have focused on relatively short-term periods， the analysis of the long-term trends and driving forces of vegetation cover in the region remains insufficient. This study utilizes Landsat satellite imagery provided by the GEE platform to calculate and analyze the spatio-temporal variation of NDVI in the Lvliang Mountain area from 1986 to 2023. Additionally， the Geodetector model is employed to identify the key driving factors. The findings reveal the following insights： （1） From 1986 to 2000， the annual mean NDVI of vegetation in the Lvliang Mountain area exhibited a non-significant declining trend， whereas from 2001 to 2023， it showed a significant increasing trend. Overall， during the period from 1986 to 2023， vegetation NDVI demonstrated an improving trend， with areas of significant increase accounting for 94.92% of the study area. The regions with the most rapid NDVI growth were primarily concentrated in the study area of central Xinzhou， Lvliang， Linfen， and southern Taiyuan. In contrast， significant NDVI declines were observed along the central-eastern and southern margins of the study area， mainly due to intensified human activities. （2） The analysis of the driving factors reveals that their explanatory capacity， in descending order， is as follows： drought index > actual evaporation > precipitation > soil moisture > elevation > slope > wind speed > temperature > soil temperature > nighttime light. Among these， the drought index and actual evaporation have the highest q-values， each contributing more than 35% to the explanation of NDVI changes. Precipitation， soil moisture， and elevation each account for more than 20% of the explanatory capacity. （3） From 1986 to 2023， the explanatory capacity of climatic factors for vegetation NDVI change exhibited a significant or non-significant decreasing trend， while the explanatory capacity of anthropogenic factors and slope showed a significant increase. Meanwhile， land use changes in the study area from 1990 to 2023 indicated a significant reduction in cropland area and a substantial increase in forested land， highlighting the critical role of human activities in influencing NDVI variations in the Lvliang Mountain area.

This article takes the Mu Su Sandy Land as the research object， based on 8 periods of remote sensing data， constructs a landscape ecological risk index， integrates landscape pattern index and geographic detector model， and reveals the spatiotemporal evolution law of desert landscape ecological risk， as well as the impact process of the interaction between natural and human factors on ecological risk. The results showed that from 1990 to 2023， there were significant changes in sandy landscape， with an increase of 5.70×10³ km² in grassland area and a decrease of 8.01×10³ km² in unused land area； With the launch of national ecological projects such as the "Three North" project and the return of farmland to forests and grasslands， low-risk areas of sandy land are concentrated in Shenmu City， Wushen Banner and other places， with an increase of 2.04×10⁴ km² in area. High risk areas are concentrated in Etuoke Banner and Etuoke Front Banner where the sandy land is located， with a decrease of 0.05×10³ km² in area； NDVI （with a contribution rate of over 30%） and annual precipitation dominate the risk evolution in natural factors， while the impact of population density in socio-economic factors continues to increase. The interaction between the two significantly enhances the explanatory power of risk； Ecological projects such as the Three-North Shelterbelt Program have reduced the medium and high ecological risk areas by 57.3%， verified the long-term effectiveness of policy intervention on ecological restoration in vulnerable areas， and provided theoretical and data support for sand control and ecological security barrier construction.

As a vital ecological resource in China， the health of the grassland ecosystem in Xinjiang is directly linked to the region's sustainable development and ecological security. This study developed a method for assessing grassland degradation， using climatic production potential （CPP） as a reference baseline and actual grassland productivity （NPP） as a quantitative measure. This approach enabled a quantitative assessment of grassland degradation in Xinjiang from 2001 to 2023 through establishing a natural baseline. The findings indicate that Xinjiang's grassland CPP varies between 60 and 370 g·m^-2·a^-1， displaying a significant spatial differentiation with higher values in the northern regions and lower values in the south， as well as higher values in mountainous zones and lower values at basin edges. Approximately 64% of the grasslands are degraded. Despite a reduction in the severity of grassland degradation over the past two decades， the overall condition remains moderately degraded， with an average degradation level of 33.2%. Local deterioration has been observed in areas such as the Ili River Valley， the Bosten Lake Basin， and the periphery of the Junggar Basin. This assessment method holds clear ecological significance and logical coherence， allowing it to be applied to broad-scale land degradation assessments across various spatial and temporal dimensions. The research outcomes are anticipated to offer methodological innovation for the sustainable management of grassland resources nationwide and for large-scale desertification monitoring. Future enhancements in the estimation accuracy of CPP and detailed field validation are expected to increase its applicability.

The relative height of dunes serves as a pivotal parameter in understanding the formation and evolutionary dynamics of aeolian landforms. Accurate determination of the base point for dune height measurement is crucial for this parameter's quantification. Traditional manual measurement techniques are not feasible for extensive studies due to their limitations in scalability and subjectivity involved in selecting base points. Furthermore， existing digital terrain analysis algorithms have not adequately addressed the criteria for base point selection. This study introduces the concept of contribution efficiency to quantify the significance of local terrain minima in contributing to the relative height of dunes. Utilizing this concept， the most appropriate base point is identified from among numerous local minima adjacent to the dune crest. An analysis comparing two deserts with three distinct types of terrain data demonstrates that： （1） The proposed method for base point selection outperforms previous techniques in terms of both spatial distribution and height value accuracy； （2） The error associated with horizontal data resolution exceeds that of elevation accuracy， with dunes less than 50 meters in height being particularly susceptible to such errors； （3） The maximum dune height as determined by this method aligns closely with field measurements. This research facilitates large-scale， objective， and fully automated dune height measurement， which holds potential for global application. It represents an innovative approach to the morphometric analysis of dunes and offers a valuable reference for base point selection in field surveys.

Gansu Province， located in the arid and semi-arid transition zone of northwestern China， experiences significant spatiotemporal variations in drought that profoundly impact regional ecological security and agricultural sustainability. This study constructed a Temperature Vegetation Drought Index （TVDI） model based on Enhanced Vegetation Index （EVI） and Land Surface Temperature （LST） data from MODIS （2000-2022） to analyze the spatial patterns of drought intensity in Gansu Province over 23 years. The Sen trend analysis and Mann-Kendall （M-K） significance test were employed to examine drought evolution characteristics. The Hurst index combined with Sen trend analysis was used to predict future drought trends， and the Geodetector model was applied to explore the driving mechanisms of drought. The results indicate that： （1） The annual average TVDI value in Gansu Province from 2000 to 2022 was 0.57， indicating a mild drought level， with drought-affected areas accounting for 82.18% of the total area； （2） The annual TVDI decline rate was 0.0005， with significant drought alleviation observed in the eastern foothills of the Qilian Mountains， the Gannan Plateau， and the Longdong region； （3） The Hurst index combined with Sen trend analysis predicts that 61.4% of the study area will transition to a wetter state in the future， showing significant anti-persistence characteristics； （4） The Geodetector model reveals that elevation and temperature are the dominant factors driving drought， and their interaction significantly enhances explanatory power. These findings provide a scientific basis for drought risk early warning and ecological adaptive management in Gansu Province.

The Taklimakan Desert is located in the extreme arid region of our country， which is the largest desert in China and a major dust source region in East Asia. The characteristics of sand transport rate and particle size are the main research contents of aeolian sand activities. However， there have been few actual observations on the transport rate of sand dunes in Taklimakan Desert， so it is difficult to clarify the formation process of sand dunes and the characteristics of dust activities in this desert. In this paper， the transport rates and particle sizes of 6 different dunes （trellis dune and linear dune） in the desert and 2 neighboring regions （scrub dune and gobi） were observed in the field， and their spatiotemporal distributions were investigated. The results are as follows： （1） The sediment transport rates of each station in Taklimakan Desert decreased exponentially with increasing height， from 10.19±6.23 kg·m^-1·month^-1 at a height of 0.25 m to 0.05±0.02 kg·m^-1·month^-1 at a height of 2.5 m， and the decreasing rate slowed down with the increasing height. The fitting coefficients b₁ and the absolute value of c₁ represent the attenuation rate of the sediment transport rates. The maximum and minimum values of b₁ were 82.03 and 0.91 respectively， and the maximum and minimum values of c₁ were -0.61 and -7.83， respectively. （2） The average particle sizes of sand grains in the Taklimakan Desert decreased exponentially with increasing height， from 2.84±0.69 Φ at the surface to 3.94±0.89 Φ at a height of 2.5 m. The average particle size of sand grains in the gobi showed an "elephant trunk" distribution below a height of 0.5 m （the average particle sizes at the surface， 0.25 m and 0.5 m is 2.95 Φ， 2.65 Φ， and 3.07 Φ， respectively）. Above a height of 2 m， the average particle sizes of sand grains decreased significantly in linear dune （3.81 Φ at a height of 2 m and 5.09 Φ at a height of 2.5 m） and gobi （3.92 Φ at a height of 2 m and 5.33 Φ at a height of 2.5 m）， but increased in scrub dune （3.77 Φ at a height of 2 m and 3.16 Φ at a height of 2.5 m）. （3） The particle sizes smaller than 63 µm （from 9.26%±8.29% at the surface to 32.86%±24.88% at a height of 2.5 m） and larger than 125 µm （from 52.76%±20.84% at the surface to 24.5%±11.56% at a height of 2.5 m） varied exponentially with increasing height. The particle sizes of 63-125 µm （37.98%-42.63%） did not change significantly with height. In linear dunes and gobi， the high content of silt and clay at 2.5 m indicated that this is one of the dust-release sources. The increased content of silt and clay implies that the Taklimakan Desert is one of the dust sources compared to other deserts.

Exploring the coupling and coordination laws between agricultural water poverty and food production vulnerability is of great significance for the Fenhe River basin， which faces water shortages and poor grain production capacity. This study constructed evaluation index systems for agricultural water poverty and food production vulnerability in the Fenhe River basin. It calculated the coupling coordination degree between the two from 2007 to 2021 and identified the spatial-temporal patterns and influencing factors of their coupling coordination. The results showed that： （1） During the study period， agricultural water poverty in the Fenhe River basin significantly eased， with the water poverty index rising from 0.349 to 0.384. Spatially， the upstream region experienced the most severe agricultural water poverty （0.334）， followed by the midstream region （0.356）， and the downstream region （0.385）. Additionally， the western region showed more severe water poverty than the eastern region. （2） There was no significant difference in food production vulnerability in the Fenhe River basin during the study period. Spatially， the upstream region exhibited the most severe food production vulnerability （0.348）， followed by the midstream region （0.379）， and the downstream region （0.419）. （3） During the study period， there was no significant change in the coupling coordination degree between agricultural water poverty and food production vulnerability in the Fenhe River basin. Overall， the coupling coordination degree exhibited a spatial distribution characterized by "low in the north and high in the south"， supplemented by "low in the west and high in the east". （4） The dominant factors affecting the coupling coordination degree between agricultural water poverty and vulnerability of food production in the Fenhe River basin are water consumption per unit area of grain sowing， pesticide application intensity in grain production， level of mechanization in grain production， and proportion of grain crop sowing area， etc. Additionally， there is an enhancing effect when these factors interact with each other.

This study investigates the structural evolution of protective forest belts and their long-term benefits in safeguarding cultural relics within wind-sand environments. Focusing on the protective forest belt atop the Mogao Grottoes， the research employs the "space-for-time substitution" method to systematically examine forest belts and their quicksand control areas established in 1993， 1999， and 2011. The study evaluates the temporal evolution of community structure， protective benefits， and vegetation characteristics. The findings revealed several trends in the development of the forest belt over time. （1） As the planting years increased， the forest structure became more complex， with an increase in shrub diversity and a pattern of initial increase followed by a decrease in herbaceous plant diversity. The community diversity， as measured by the Shannon-Wiener index， was highest in the 31-year-old forest， followed by the 25-year-old， 13-year-old， and shifting sand areas. （2） The height， coverage， and abundance of the forest belt first increased and then decreased， with the 25-year-old forest exhibiting the optimal characteristics. The porosity of the forest belt continued to decrease， suggesting an enhancement in its wind-blocking capabilities. （3）The protection benefits exhibited a temporal pattern of initial strength followed by diminished effects. The 25-year-old forest belt demonstrated the most robust performance in enhancing microclimate， providing windbreak， and suppressing sand movement. （4）Principal component analysis revealed that the height and coverage of the forest belt were positively associated with the protection benefits， while porosity was negatively correlated with the height of sand accumulation. These findings underscore the critical role of forest belt structural characteristics in determining its ecological functions. The study identified pivotal moments in the succession of shelter forests and suggested optimising species allocation based on planting years and structural traits. It emphasised timely management to delay degradation and enhance stability and sustainability.

To investigate the spatiotemporal changes in vegetation greenness in the Qinghai Lake Basin and their responses to climate change and human activities， this study analyzed MODIS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index （NDVI） data and meteorological data from 2000 to 2023. Methods such as Sen+Mann-Kendall trend analysis， Hurst index， correlation analysis， and residual analysis were employed to examine the spatiotemporal patterns and future trends of vegetation greenness in the basin. The degree of influence of climate change and human activities on vegetation greenness was also assessed. The results show： （1） From 2000 to 2023， the annual average NDVI in the Qinghai Lake Basin was 0.45， with a significant increasing trend over time at a rate of 0.0022 per year. Areas showing improvement accounted for 86.2% of the study region， exhibiting a significant upward trend and distinct spatial heterogeneity. （2） Vegetation greenness generally remained relatively stable， with a coefficient of variation ranging from 0 to 1.7 and an average of 0.08， indicating a positive development trend. （3） Vegetation greenness in the Qinghai Lake Basin was positively correlated with both precipitation （r=0.196， P<0.05） and temperature （r=0.07， P<0.05）， with precipitation having a stronger influence than temperature. Precipitation was the dominant driver in 85.5% of the area. （4） Changes in vegetation greenness in 63.6% of the Qinghai Lake Basin were jointly influenced by climate change and human activities， with human activities accounting for a relative contribution rate of 85.02%.

Based on the study of a newly constructed photovoltaic power station（PPS） located in the middle of the Sugan Lake Basin on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau as the study area， this paper analyzed the impact of the PPS on the aeolian sand environment by synchronously installing automatic meteorological stations and eight-directional sand traps inside and outside the PPS for comparative aeolian sand observations. The results show that the PPS significantly weakens wind-sand dynamics and exerts a distinct directional effect. The average wind speed， sand-lifting wind frequency， and maximum possible sand transport rate have all significantly decreased， with reduction rates of 48.50%， 57.69%， and 84.01%， respectively. The overall wind direction， sand-drifting wind direction， and synthetic sand transport direction have all tended toward the longitudinal axis of the photovoltaic panels. However， construction disturbance led to increased sand sources within the PPS and altered obstacles for sand transport， resulting in a measured sand transport rate inside the PPS 9.61 times higher than outside. Therefore， soil-water conservation measures should be prioritized during gobi PPS construction， with original ground surfaces restored promptly post-construction. Necessary sand-fixing measures must be implemented to reduce internal sand transport and avoid creating new regional sand sources. Assessments of wind-sand environments for gobi PPS should emphasize field-measured sand transport data， as theoretical evaluations relying solely on meteorological data may substantially deviate from actual conditions.

With the demographic transformation and increased mobility in China， population shrinking has emerged as a new norm. However， under varying boundary conditions， there exist phase differences in shrinking patterns. From a dual-dimensional perspective （county and county seat）， this study investigates 160 counties （districts） in the upper reaches of the Yellow River as the research unit. Using the shrinking degree model， it explores the spatiotemporal characteristics of population shrinking and examines the influencing factors. The findings reveal that： （1）From a single-dimensional perspective， between 2001 and 2020， 89 counties （55.6%） experienced shrinking phenomena， predominantly mild or long-term stable shrinking. During the same period， 141 counties （89.94%） exhibited shrinking， primarily characterized by short-term and intermittent shrinking， which contrasts sharply with the shrinking observed at the county level. The Liupan Mountain contiguous poverty-stricken area and the eastern part of Inner Mongolia are the primary regions where shrinking occurs in both counties and county seats， demonstrating a pronounced spatial lock-in effect. （2）From a two-dimensional perspective， shrinking is predominantly one-dimensional. Specifically， the shrinking of county areas coupled with the growth of county towns dominates， indicating that while populations in county areas decline， the concentration in county towns increases. Two-dimensional shrinking （county shrinking-county town shrinking） is exceedingly rare and exhibits intermittent and short-term characteristics， occurring as an overlay on the foundation of long-term stable county shrinking. （3）From a two-dimensional perspective， there is a significant positive correlation in the spatial dynamics of population changes in counties and county seats. Two-dimensional growth areas clearly align with the core zones of the three major urban agglomerations， whereas two-dimensional shrinking types are concentrated in the pure pastoral regions of eastern Inner Mongolia. （4）Population shrinking results from the combined influence of demographic and socio-economic factors， with GDP and income levels serving as key variables. From a two-dimensional perspective， population shrinking is prevalent but remains relatively mild across the upper reaches of the Yellow River. Two-dimensional shrinking represents an isolated phenomenon occurring in specific localities or time periods and has not yet led to severe consequences.

The coordinated development of green innovation and green finance is a prerequisite for high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin. Based on data from nine provinces in the Yellow River Basin from 2006 to 2021， this study uses entropy weight method， coupling the methods of coordination degree model， Kernel density estimation， Dagum-Gini coefficient to analyze the spatio-temporal evolution and regional differences between green innovation and green finance in the Yellow River Basin. The results show： （1） Temporal evolution： From 2006 to 2021， the overall coupling and coordination level of green innovation and green finance in the Yellow River Basin gradually improved， but the development between regions remained unbalanced. Specifically： The downstream region transitioned from Marginal Coordination to good coordination； the midstream region evolved from near disharmony to primary coordination； and the upstream region shifted from mild disharmony to Marginal Coordination. （2） From a spatial perspective， the coupling and coordination levels of green innovation and green finance in the Yellow River Basin follow the order of downstream> midstream>upstream， with the spatial distribution of coupling and coordination degrees displaying a geographical gradient of higher levels in the east and lower levels in the west. （3） From the perspectives of inter-regional and intra-regional disparities， both types of differences demonstrated a narrowing trend between 2006 and 2021. The upper reaches had the highest Gini coefficient， while the middle and lower reaches had relatively lower coefficients. Inter-regional Gini coefficients displayed a characteristic pattern of upper-lower reaches>upper-middle reaches>middle-lower reaches， reflecting significant spatial polarization characteristics.

To investigate the impact of artificial sand-fixing vegetation restoration on soil characteristics in arid desert regions， this study was conducted in the Zhangye Oasis of the middle reaches of the Heihe River. The research focused on mobile sandy dunes， fixed sandy dunes， and Haloxylon ammodendron plantations of different ages， analyzing changes in soil physicochemical properties， vegetation factors， and their interrelationships. The results revealed that： （1） The transformation of mobile and fixed sandy dunes into artificial H. ammodendron plantations reduced soil bulk density and fine sand content， increased coarse sand content， and significantly enhanced clay and silt content in 30-year-old plantations. （2） The conversion of mobile and fixed sandy dunes into H. ammodendron plantations decreased soil pH， increased soil electrical conductivity， and further elevated conductivity with the age of the plantations. （3） The conversion of mobile sandy dunes and fixed sandy dunes into H. ammodendron plantations significantly increased soil organic carbon （SOC）， total nitrogen （TN）， and total phosphorus （TP） contents， as well as soil electrical conductivity， with these increments generally correlating with the extension of H. ammodendron plantations age. （4） Shrub density， shrub cover， and herbaceous species richness were the main factors driving soil environmental changes during the restoration process of H. ammodendron plantations， accounting for 40.1% of the variation in soil conditions. In conclusion， the increase in shrub cover and density resulting from artificial H. ammodendron plantation establishment improves soil environment over time. However， it also leads to elevated soil electrical conductivity and reduced total nitrogen content， posing potential threats to soil stability and health in H. ammodendron plantations.

Exploring the coupling and coordination between tourism， ecology， and public services is of great significance for ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin. This study constructs an evaluation index system and utilizes coupling coordination models， kernel density estimation， Markov chain models， and the XGboost model to examine the spatial-temporal characteristics and influencing factors of their coordinated evolution. The results show that：（1）Tourism shows a pattern of sustained growth followed by a brief decline over time， while spatially it exhibits a "high-high aggregation， low-low aggregation" feature. Ecology has demonstrated a stable growth trend from 2008 to 2022， with a spatial pattern of "economically developed cities leading the way". Public services have experienced a wave-like upward trend， with significant regional differences.（2）The coupling coordination level of the three systems has undergone a growth-decline process over time. Spatially， the coordination level follows the order of downstream > midstream > upstream， with significant regional differences and a "club convergence" phenomenon.（3）There is a clear non-linear relationship between the coupling coordination level and influencing factors. Human capital and technological innovation are the primary influencing factors. Economic development， industrial structure， human capital， environmental regulation， financial development， and technological innovation all have a positive impact on the coordinated development of the three systems. Government intervention has a negative impact， while foreign direct investment has a relatively small effect on the coordinated development of the three systems.

It is significant for revealing the water conservation functions of different ecosystems to study the spatial variation characteristics of the water conservation function in Picea crassifolia forests in the Qilian Mountains and to determine the hydrological allocation effects of different ecosystems. This research statistically analyzed ecohydrological spatial monitoring data from the Pailugou watershed in the Qilian Mountains， using regression， fitting， and significance testing methods. The results showed that： （1）Precipitation increases with elevation between 2 600-3 300 m， peaking at 3 300 m before decreasing above this altitude， which presented as a polynomial correlation in the entire space. The increase rate at every 100 meters is 6.91% from 2 600-3 200 m， while the decrease rate at every 100 meters is 6.53% from 3 200-3 800 m. （2） For P. crassifolia forest， the average interception ratio was between 34.41% and 48.35%. The interception ratios were 43.74%， 34.41%， 46.48%， and 48.35% when the canopy density were 0.77， 0.61， 0.85， and 0.86， respectively. At the elevation of 2 600-2 950 m， the interception ratio was increased with the increasing of throughfall， presented as a linear increase trend. （3） For shrub， the average interception rate is 55.21%， the average interception amount is 5.19 mm， and the average throughfall amount is 5.15 mm. （4） For moss， the average interception ratio was 68.66%， the precipitation reached 9.48 mm； the interception rate in most areas is around 50%. （5）There was a significant linear positive correlation between precipitation and interception amount （R²=0.991， P<0.01）， while a significant increasing logarithmic relationship with interception rate （R²=0.7844， P<0.05）. The research has found that the order of interception is moss> shrub>Picea crassifolia， highlighting the exceptionally strong water conservation functions of moss.

To explore the types and physicochemical characteristics of culturable chemoautotrophic microorganisms in the biological crusts of the Mu Us Sandy Land and to screen out strains with high carbon fixation capacity and potential application value， this study used an inorganic medium without carbon sources and obtained stable carbon-fixing strains through continuous separation and subculture for 9 generations. Based on morphological characteristics， growth characteristics， physiological and biochemical characteristics， and 16S rDNA sequence analysis， the carbon-fixing strains were systematically identified. The carbon fixation pathways and carbon fixation efficiency of the strains were further analyzed by measuring the activities of key carbon fixation enzymes （ATP-citrate lyase （ACLY） and ribulose-1，5-bisphosphate carboxylase （RubisCO））， organic carbon content， and gel electrophoresis of carbon fixation functional genes in the bacterial culture. The results showed that a total of 18 chemoautotrophic strains were screened from the biological crust samples， belonging to Streptomyces （10 strains）， Saccharothrix （3 strains）， Rhodococcus， Methylobacterium， Arthrobacter， Actinoplanes， and Acinetobacter （1 strain each）. Among them， the carbon fixation function of Saccharothrix and Actinoplanes bacteria was verified for the first time， and it was found that the same strain could achieve carbon fixation through multiple pathways. In terms of carbon fixation capacity， strains 3， 5， and 14 of Streptomyces and strain 2 of Methylobacterium showed high organic carbon accumulation capacity， with organic carbon contents of 57.82， 58.21， 62.89 mg·L^-1， and 65.94 mg·L^-1， respectively， and accompanied by significant hydrolytic activity， indicating that these strains have potential application value as microbial agents for soil improvement and ecological restoration in desert areas. This study not only expanded the cognitive boundary of microbial carbon sink function in arid areas but also provided new functional bacterial resources for the regulation of biogeochemical cycles in desert ecosystems.

To investigate the seasonal dynamics of evapotranspiration fraction （EF） in typical vegetation types and its response mechanisms to soil moisture and meteorological factors in arid and semi-arid regions， this study utilized long-term observational data from 24 FLUXNET sites representing four vegetation types （woody savanna， savanna， open shrubland， and grassland）. Classical statistical methods were employed to quantify EF characteristics and its influencing factors， while threshold regression models combined with the Akaike Information Criterion （AIC） were applied to identify soil moisture thresholds and optimal fitting models. The results demonstrated that the monthly mean EF in arid and semi-arid regions was 0.31， with the highest value observed in woody savanna （0.36） and the lowest in open shrubland （0.21）， indicating energy partitioning dominated by sensible heat flux. EF exhibited pronounced seasonal variability， with open shrubland showing the strongest fluctuations （Cv = 0.37）. Soil moisture emerged as the key regulatory factor for EF （r = 0.66， P < 0.05）， with nonlinear threshold effects： the response patterns of EF to soil moisture diverged significantly before and after critical thresholds （4.73%-15.98%）， and the "stepwise segmented" model was consistently identified as the optimal fitting model.

Understanding the spatiotemporal compatibility among tourism resources， tourism economy， and tourism network attention is essential for promoting high-quality tourism development. This study examines 69 cities （prefectures and leagues） in the Yellow River Basin constructs a comprehensive evaluation index system， integrates multi-source data， and applies a compatibility model， exploratory spatial data analysis， and geo-detector methods to examine the spatiotemporal patterns， and driving mechanisms of compatibility among tourism resources， the tourism economy， and tourism network attention from 2011 to 2023. The results show that from 2011 to 2023， tourism resource endowment and network attention exhibited fluctuating upward trend， while tourism economic development fluctuated downward trend， with notable regional disparities. Areas with high tourism resource endowment evolved from "isolated island" to "clustered zones". While the tourism economy consistently displayed a multi-center and fragmented structure， tourism network attention followed a consistent east-high， west-low pattern， with levels decreasing from midstream to downstream and upstream. Overall compatibility among the three factors increased， forming an inverted "T"-shaped distribution pattern， characterized by higher values in the east and lower values in the west， with a tendency toward clustered development. Spatial agglomeration of compatibility weakened， revealing a "hot in the east， cold in the west" distribution pattern. General public budget expenditure， total import and export， R&D expenditure as a proportion of GDP， annual average PM_2.5 concentration， nighttime light intensity and percentage of vegetation cover are the key drivers of spatiotemporal heterogeneity in compatibility. Two-factors interaction was significant， mostly exhibiting an enhancing effect. This study helps identify the "tourism resource curse" phenomenon， offers theoretical support and policy recommendations for high-quality tourism development in the Yellow River Basin.

The Yellow River Basin is the main battlefield for consolidating poverty alleviation achievements and coordinating regional development. Its high-quality development urgently requires the strategic support of digital new infrastructure. Based on the provincial panel data of the nine provinces （autonomous regions） in the Yellow River Basin from 2013 to 2023， empirical tests show that digital new infrastructure significantly promotes the high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin， with the strongest promoting effect in the upstream provinces （autonomous regions）. Moreover， the role of innovation infrastructure is greater than that of integration infrastructure， and the role of integration infrastructure is greater than that of information infrastructure. This conclusion remains significantly valid after a series of endogeneity and robustness tests. Mechanism tests indicate that technological innovation and industrial structure upgrading are important transmission channels for digital new infrastructure to promote the high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin. Moreover， the promotion of digital new infrastructure for the high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin will produce a positive spatial spillover effect. Heterogeneity tests show that digital new infrastructure has a more obvious promoting effect on the high-quality development of moderately resource-dependent provinces （autonomous regions） and provinces （autonomous regions） with medium human capital stock.

The Rural Revitalization Strategy is a critical component in the comprehensive construction of a socialist modernized country and holds significant importance for promoting coordinated urban-rural development. Taking 30 counties in the Qinba Mountainous region of Shaanxi Province as the research object， this study constructs an evaluation index system for measuring the level of rural revitalization in mountainous county areas. It assesses the development status of rural revitalization in the Qinba Mountainous Region of Shaanxi Province from 2017 to 2021， using the entropy weight-TOPSIS method， trend surface analysis， and hotspot analysis to explore the spatial evolution characteristics of rural revitalization. The results indicate： （1） The trend surface curve of rural revitalization levels in the study area counties generally shows a distribution pattern of “low in the southwest and high in the northeast”， with varying distribution forms along the east-west and north-south directions. （2） The overall level of rural revitalization development in the study area shows an upward trend， but the growth rate is relatively slow， with a fluctuating increase along a southwest-northeast orientation. Imbalances exist in this development. （3） There are significant differences in the development levels across various dimensions. The scores， ranked from highest to lowest， are： prosperous living > ecological sustainability > thriving industries > effective governance > civilized rural customs. Socioeconomic conditions are key factors constraining the level of rural revitalization. （4） Hotspot areas of rural revitalization levels in the study area are concentrated in a belt-like distribution along the southern slopes of the eastern segment of the Qinba Mountains， while cold spot areas are mainly located in the western and eastern parts of the Han River Valley. Secondary cold spot regions generally exhibit a spatial distribution pattern radiating outward from the cold spot centers.This study provides empirical support for targeted policy-making by local governments， assisting in the in-depth implementation of the Rural Revitalization Strategy.

The Ejin Oasis， situated in the lower reaches of the Heihe River along the China-Mongolia border， experiences ecological restoration/degradation that is directly influenced by land use. However， the impact of ecological water diversion projects on land use remains unclear. Based on remote sensing image data， spatial information technology and statistical methods were used to investigate the patterns and processes of land use/cover changes before （1980-2000） and after （2000-2020） the implementation of ecological water diversion projects， as well as their effects on desertification processes. The results indicated that the structure and composition of land use and cover in the Ejin Oasis were stable， with desert， grassland， woodland， water， cropland， and construction lands accounting for 79.77%， 17.55%， 1.48%， 0.76%， 0.18%， and 0.26% of the total area in 2020， respectively. Moreover， frequent and large-scale transfers occurred between grassland and desert， and the process of land desertification was centered on changes in water sources. Before 2000， grassland， woodland， and water were converted into desert， resulting in oasis desertification， which intensified from 1990 to 2000. After 2000， the process was exactly the opposite， with the greening of the desert oasis. Furthermore， the ecological water diversion projects also facilitated socio-economic development， characterized by a thriving agriculture and tourism industry. This was evident in the rapid increase of cropland and construction lands. The cropland was expanded by 55.36% from 2000 to 2010， remaining stable thereafter. Likewise， the construction land surged by 142.11% from 2000 to 2010 and 186.96% from 2010 to 2020. The findings provide scientific references for regional water resource allocation and ecological environmental protection.

This study examines 63 cities in the Yellow River Basin and constructs an ecological tourism development evaluation system encompassing four major dimensions： ecological environment， supply capacity， supporting conditions， and development potential. Using entropy method， standard deviation ellipse， kernel density estimation， and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis （fsQCA）， we analyze the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics， spatial differentiation patterns， and configurational development pathways of ecological tourism in the Yellow River Basin. The results reveal that： （1） Ecological tourism development in the Yellow River Basin exhibits significant characteristics of overall improvement with structural optimization， with spatial distribution patterns showing downstream regions leading， midstream regions following， and upstream regions catching up， alongside polarization effects centered on provincial capitals and regional hub cities. （2） The spatial centroid of ecological tourism development has remained consistently located in Linfen， Shanxi Province， with spatial morphology displaying a northwest-southeast elongated distribution. The kernel density curves show slight rightward shifts with distinct bimodal characteristics， reflecting the coexistence of systematic improvement and spatial polarization in ecological tourism development. （3） Ecological tourism development demonstrates systematic and comprehensive characteristics without any single necessary condition. Ten configurational pathways were systematically identified and categorized into four development types： comprehensive coordination-oriented， resource endowment-oriented， market demand-oriented， and industrial investment-oriented.