Understanding the spatial patterns in species richness is a central issue in macroecology and biogeography. Analyses that have traditionally focused on overall species richness limit the generality and depth of inference. Spatial patterns of species richness and the mechanisms that underpin them in China remain poorly documented. We created a database of the distribution of 580 mammal species a...

Biographical databases contain diverse information about individuals. Person names, birth information, career, friends, family and special achievements are some possible items in the record for an individual. The relationships between individuals, such as kinship and friendship, provide invaluable insights about hidden communities which are not directly recorded in databases. We show that some ...

Nesting-site selection is an important aspect of the breeding process in birds, as it usually determines nesting and successes. Many factors can affect bird nest-site selection, including anthropogenic disturbance. In extreme desert environment, such Taklamakan Desert China, birds’ survival pressure high, especially for rare species Xinjiang Ground-jay (Podoces biddulphi). We studied this from ...

BACKGROUND Water influences various physiological and ecological processes of plants in different ecosystems, especially in desert ecosystems. The purpose of this study is to investigate the response of physiological and morphological acclimation of two shrubs Haloxylon ammodendron and Calligonum mongolicunl to variations in irrigation intervals. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The irrigation ...

Stable isotope studies on stable isotope ratios of hydrogen and oxygen in water within plants provide new information on water sources and water use patterns under natural conditions. In this study, the sources of water uptake for two typical xerophytic shrubs, Caragana korshinskii and Artemisia ordosica, were determined at four different-aged revegetated sites (1956, 1964, 1981, and 1987) in t...

Soybean-urease induced calcite precipitation (SICP) is an effective method for the improvement of sand, which forms a biocemented layer on desert sand surface to resist erosion by wind. Under this study, field tests were carried out determine how SICP approach may enhance resistance wind-induced and durability treatment in southeastern margin Tengger Desert, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China...

Understanding the evolution of lakes in arid areas is very important for water resource management. Previous studies have mainly focused on with runoff recharge, while groundwater recharge hyper-arid still less known. In this study, an 86 cm-long sediment core was extracted from Sayinwusu Lake, one groundwater-recharge southeastern Badain Jaran Desert, Northwest China. 210 Pb and 137 Cs dating,...

China is undergoing a rapid transformation from a rural, peasant based society into an urban one. This radical change has had a profound effect on the Chinese population due to advancement through job opportunities and new modes of consumption, contributing to a huge spatial shift of population from countryside to city. This effect on China’s urban growth has resulted in a rise in the middle cl...

This paper examines the relative “sophistication” of China’s exports to the United States along two dimensions. First, I compare China’s export bundle to those of the relatively skilland capital-abundant members of the OECD as well as to similarly endowed U.S. trading partners. Second, I examine prices within product categories to determine if China’s varieties command a premium relative to its...