76 FR 5137 - Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-28

... Co., Ltd. Cheng Du Wai Yuan Bee Products Co., Ltd. Chengdu Stone Dynasty Art Stone Damco China Limited Qingdao Branch Dongtai Peak Honey Industry Co., Ltd. Eurasia Bee's Products Co., Ltd. Feidong...., Ltd. Inner Mongolia Altin Bee-Keeping Inner Mongolia Youth Trade Development Co., Ltd. Jiangsu Cereals...

Learning natural resource asssessment protocols: Elements for success and lessons from an international workshop in Inner Mongolia, China.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Learning to complete natural resource assessments requires hands-on training. This paper illustrates eight elements of successful international workshops illustrated by data and experiences from a workshop in Inner Mongolia, China: translation, integration of a site potential-based land classificati...

PREGNANCY AND PERINATAL OUTCOMES IN RELATION TO DRINKING WATER ARSENIC EXPOSURE IN BAMEN, INNER MONGOLIA, CHINA

EPA Science Inventory

Pregnancy and Perinatal Outcomes in Relation to Drinking Water Arsenic Exposure in BaMen, Inner Mongolia, China
Danelle T. Lobdell, Zhixiong Ning, Richard K. Kwok, Judy Mumford, Zhi Yi Liu, Pauline Mendola

Introduction: Close to 40 million people worldwide are exposed t...

RESIDENTIAL EXPOSURE TO DRINKING WATER ARSENIC IN INNER MONGOLIA, CHINA

EPA Science Inventory

Residential exposure to drinking water arsenic in Inner Mongolia, China
Zhixiong Ning1, Richard K. Kwok2, Zhiyi Liu1, Shiying Zhang1, Chenglong Ma1, Danelle T. Lobdell2, Michael Riediker3 and Judy L. Mumford2
1) Institute of Endemic Disease for Prevention and Treatment in I...

"Wangbas" in the Grassland: Teaching and Learning in Inner Mongolia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Razzano, Elaine

2006-01-01

This article describes the authors' experience of teaching conversational English to students in Baotou in Inner Mongolia. Teaching in Baotou confirmed that students do not need to be entertained through the use of computers or theatrics. Intrinsic motivation, particularly that which comes from understanding the value of an education in changing…

77 FR 4759 - Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews and Requests for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-31

... Yuan Bee Products Co., Ltd Chengdu Stone Dynasty Art Stone Damco China Limited Qingdao Branch Dongtai Peak Honey Industry Co., Ltd Eurasia Bee's Products Co., Ltd Feidong Foreign Trade Co., Ltd Fresh Honey.... Ltd Hubei Yusun Co., Ltd Inner Mongolia Altin Bee-Keeping Inner Mongolia Youth Trade Development Co...

75 FR 4770 - Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews, Request for Revocation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-29

... Wai Yuan Bee Products Co., Ltd Chengdu Stone Dynasty Art Stone... Dongtai Peak Honey Industry Co., Ltd Eurasia Bee's Products Co., Ltd... Fresh Honey Co., Ltd. (formerly Mgl. Yun Shen) Golden Tadco Int'l... Co. Ltd. Hubei Yusun Co., Ltd Inner Mongolia Altin Bee-Keeping.. Inner Mongolia Youth Trade...

HEALTH EFFECTS OF CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO ARSENIC VIA DRINKING WATER IN INNER MONGOLIA: VI. DEVELOPMENTAL EFFECTS.

EPA Science Inventory

HEALTH EFFECTS OF CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO ARSENIC VIA DRINKING WATER IN INNER MONGOLIA:
VI. DEVELOPMENTAL EFFECTS

Richard K. Kwok, M.S.P.H., Judy L. Mumford, Ph.D., Pauline Mendola, Ph.D. Epidemiology and Biomarkers Branch, NHEERL, US Environmental Protection Agency; Yajua...

ESTIMATING RESIDENTIAL EXPOSURE TO DRINKING WATER ARSENIC IN INNER MONGOLIA, CHINA FOR EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES

EPA Science Inventory

ESTIMATING RESIDENTIAL EXPOSURE TO DRINKING WATER ARSENIC IN INNER MONGOLIA, CHINA FOR EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES

Richard Kwok1, Pauline Mendola1 Zhixiong Ning2, Zhiyi Liu2 and Judy Mumford1

1) Epidemiology and Biomarkers Branch, Human Studies Division, NHEERL, US EPA, R...

Evapotranspiration and soil moisture dynamics in a temperate grassland ecosystem in Inner Mongolia China

Treesearch

L. Hao; Ge Sun; Yongqiang Liu; G. S. Zhou; J. H.   Wan;  L. B. Zhang; J. L. Niu; Y. H. Sang;  J. J He

2015-01-01

Precipitation, evapotranspiration (ET), and soil moisture are the key controls for the productivity and functioning of temperate grassland ecosystems in Inner Mongolia, northern China. Quantifying the soil moisture dynamics and water balances in the grasslands is essential to sustainable grassland management under global climate change. We...

Well water arsenic exposure, arsenic induced skin-lesions and self-reported morbidity in Inner Mongolia

EPA Science Inventory

Arsenic exposure from contaminated well water is a cause of skin and bladder cancer and linked to numerous other adverse health effects. Residents of the Bayingnormen region of Inner Mongolia, China, have been exposed to arsenic-contaminated well water for over 20 years but few s...

NEUROSENSORY EFFECTS OF CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO ARSENIC VIA DRINKING WATER IN INNER MONGOLIA: II. VIBROTACTILE AND VISUAL FUNCTION

EPA Science Inventory

This study was designed to assess the effects of exposure to arsenic in drinking water on visual and vibrotactile function in residents of the BaMen region of Inner Mongolia, China. Arsenic was measured by hydride generation atomic fluorescence. 321 participants were divided in...

Strategies to alleviate poverty and grassland degradation in Inner Mongolia: Intensification vs production efficiency of livestock

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Semi-nomadic pastoralism was replaced by sedentary pastoralism in Inner Mongolia during the 1960's in response to changes in land use policy and increasing human population. Large increases in numbers of livestock and pastoralist households (11- and 9-fold, respectively) during the past 60 yrs have ...

Grassland Aboveground Biomass in Inner Mongolia: Dynamics (2001-2016) and Driving force

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, F.; Zeng, Y.; Chen, J.; Wu, B.

2017-12-01

Plant biomass is the most critical measure of carbon stored in an ecosystem, yet it remains imprecisely modeled for many terrestrial biomes. This lack of modeling capacity for biomass and its change through time and space has impeded scientists from making headway concerning issues in the geographic and social sciences. Satellite remote sensing techniques excel at detecting changes in the Earth's surface; however, accurate estimates of biomass for the heterogeneous biome landscapes based on remote sensing techniques are few and far between, which has led to many repetitive studies. Here, we argued that our ability to assess biomass in a heterogeneous landscape using satellite remote sensing techniques would be effectively enhanced through a stratification of landscapes, i.e homogenizing landscapes. Specifically, above-ground biomass (AGB) for an extended heterogeneous grassland biome over the entirety of Inner Mongolia during the past 16 years (2001-2016) was explored using remote sensing time series data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Massive and extensive in-situ measurement AGB data and pure vegetation index (PVI) models, developed from normal remote sensing vegetation indices such as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the enhanced vegetation index (EVI), were highlighted in the accomplishment of this study. Taking into full consideration the landscape heterogeneity for the grassland biome over Inner Mongolia, we achieved a series of AGB models with high R2 (>0.85) and low RMSE ( 20.85 g/m2). The total average amount of fresh AGB for the entirety of Inner Mongolia grasslands over the past 16 years was estimated as 87 Tg with an inter-annual standard deviation of 9 Tg. Overall, the grassland AGB for Inner Mongolia increased sporadically. We found that the dynamics of AGB in the grassland biome of Inner Mongolia were substantially dominated by variation in precipitation despite the accommodation of a huge population of livestock in this area over the past few decades. Concerning the production of grassland AGB for the future, we emphasized that the impacts of the frequently warming-drying climate associated with climate change across the Mongolia Plateau should be paid more attention.

Effects of temperature and grazing on soil organic carbon storage in grasslands along the Eurasian steppe eastern transect.

PubMed

Zhao, Yanyun; Ding, Yong; Hou, Xiangyang; Li, Frank Yonghong; Han, Wenjun; Yun, Xiangjun

2017-01-01

Soil represents the largest terrestrial organic carbon pool. To address global climate change, it is essential to explore the soil organic carbon storage patterns and their controlling factors. We investigated the soil organic carbon density (SOCD) in 48 grassland sites along the Eurasian steppe eastern transect (ESET) region, which covers the Inner Mongolia grassland subregion and Mongolia grasslands subregion. Specifically, we analyzed the SOCD in the top 30 cm soil layer and its relationships with climatic variables, soil texture, grazing intensity and community biomass productivity. The results showed that the average SOCD of the ESET was 4.74 kg/m2, and the SOCD of the Inner Mongolia grassland subregion (4.11 kg/m2) was significantly lower than that of the Mongolia grassland subregion (5.79 kg/m2). Significant negative relationships were found between the SOCD and the mean annual temperature (MAT), mean annual precipitation (MAP) and grazing intensity in the ESET region. The MAT and grazing intensity were identified as the major factors influencing the SOCD in the ESET region; the MAP and MAT were the major factors influencing the SOCD in the Inner Mongolia grassland subregion; and the MAT and soil pH were the major factors influencing the SOCD in the Mongolia grassland subregion.

Effects of temperature and grazing on soil organic carbon storage in grasslands along the Eurasian steppe eastern transect

PubMed Central

Hou, Xiangyang; Li, Frank Yonghong; Han, Wenjun; Yun, Xiangjun

2017-01-01

Soil represents the largest terrestrial organic carbon pool. To address global climate change, it is essential to explore the soil organic carbon storage patterns and their controlling factors. We investigated the soil organic carbon density (SOCD) in 48 grassland sites along the Eurasian steppe eastern transect (ESET) region, which covers the Inner Mongolia grassland subregion and Mongolia grasslands subregion. Specifically, we analyzed the SOCD in the top 30 cm soil layer and its relationships with climatic variables, soil texture, grazing intensity and community biomass productivity. The results showed that the average SOCD of the ESET was 4.74 kg/m2, and the SOCD of the Inner Mongolia grassland subregion (4.11 kg/m2) was significantly lower than that of the Mongolia grassland subregion (5.79 kg/m2). Significant negative relationships were found between the SOCD and the mean annual temperature (MAT), mean annual precipitation (MAP) and grazing intensity in the ESET region. The MAT and grazing intensity were identified as the major factors influencing the SOCD in the ESET region; the MAP and MAT were the major factors influencing the SOCD in the Inner Mongolia grassland subregion; and the MAT and soil pH were the major factors influencing the SOCD in the Mongolia grassland subregion. PMID:29084243

Assessing the combined effects of climatic factors on spring wheat phenophase and grain yield in Inner Mongolia, China

PubMed Central

Pu, Feiyu; Li, Yunpeng; Xu, Jingwen; Li, Ning; Zhang, Yi; Guo, Jianping; Pan, Zhihua

2017-01-01

Understanding the regional relationships between climate change and crop production will benefit strategic decisions for future agricultural adaptation in China. In this study, the combined effects of climatic factors on spring wheat phenophase and grain yield over the past three decades in Inner Mongolia, China, were explored based on the daily climate variables from 1981–2014 and detailed observed data of spring wheat from 1981–2014. Inner Mongolia was divided into three different climate type regions, the eastern, central and western regions. The data were gathered from 10 representative agricultural meteorological experimental stations in Inner Mongolia and analysed with the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) model. First, the performance of the APSIM model in the spring wheat planting areas of Inner Mongolia was tested. Then, the key climatic factors limiting the phenophases and yield of spring wheat were identified. Finally, the responses of spring wheat phenophases and yield to climate change were further explored regionally. Our results revealed a general yield reduction of spring wheat in response to the pronounced climate warming from 1981 to 2014, with an average of 3564 kg·ha-1. The regional differences in yields were significant. The maximum potential yield of spring wheat was found in the western region. However, the minimum potential yield was found in the middle region. The air temperature and soil surface temperature were the optimum climatic factors that affected the key phenophases of spring wheat in Inner Mongolia. The influence of the average maximum temperature on the key phenophases of spring wheat was greater than the average minimum temperature, followed by the relative humidity and solar radiation. The most insensitive climatic factors were precipitation, wind speed and reference crop evapotranspiration. As for the yield of spring wheat, temperature, solar radiation and air relative humidity were major meteorological factors that affected in the eastern and western Inner Mongolia. Furthermore, the effect of the average minimum temperature on yield was greater than that of the average maximum temperature. The increase of temperature in the western and middle regions would reduce the spring wheat yield, while in the eastern region due to the rising temperature, the spring wheat yield increased. The increase of solar radiation in the eastern and central regions would increase the yield of spring wheat. The increased air relative humidity would make the western spring wheat yield increased and the eastern spring wheat yield decreased. Finally, the models describing combined effects of these dominant climatic factors on the maturity and yield in different regions of Inner Mongolia were used to establish geographical differences. Our findings have important implications for improving climate change impact studies and for local agricultural production to cope with ongoing climate change. PMID:29099842

Assessing the combined effects of climatic factors on spring wheat phenophase and grain yield in Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Zhao, Junfang; Pu, Feiyu; Li, Yunpeng; Xu, Jingwen; Li, Ning; Zhang, Yi; Guo, Jianping; Pan, Zhihua

2017-01-01

Understanding the regional relationships between climate change and crop production will benefit strategic decisions for future agricultural adaptation in China. In this study, the combined effects of climatic factors on spring wheat phenophase and grain yield over the past three decades in Inner Mongolia, China, were explored based on the daily climate variables from 1981-2014 and detailed observed data of spring wheat from 1981-2014. Inner Mongolia was divided into three different climate type regions, the eastern, central and western regions. The data were gathered from 10 representative agricultural meteorological experimental stations in Inner Mongolia and analysed with the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) model. First, the performance of the APSIM model in the spring wheat planting areas of Inner Mongolia was tested. Then, the key climatic factors limiting the phenophases and yield of spring wheat were identified. Finally, the responses of spring wheat phenophases and yield to climate change were further explored regionally. Our results revealed a general yield reduction of spring wheat in response to the pronounced climate warming from 1981 to 2014, with an average of 3564 kg·ha-1. The regional differences in yields were significant. The maximum potential yield of spring wheat was found in the western region. However, the minimum potential yield was found in the middle region. The air temperature and soil surface temperature were the optimum climatic factors that affected the key phenophases of spring wheat in Inner Mongolia. The influence of the average maximum temperature on the key phenophases of spring wheat was greater than the average minimum temperature, followed by the relative humidity and solar radiation. The most insensitive climatic factors were precipitation, wind speed and reference crop evapotranspiration. As for the yield of spring wheat, temperature, solar radiation and air relative humidity were major meteorological factors that affected in the eastern and western Inner Mongolia. Furthermore, the effect of the average minimum temperature on yield was greater than that of the average maximum temperature. The increase of temperature in the western and middle regions would reduce the spring wheat yield, while in the eastern region due to the rising temperature, the spring wheat yield increased. The increase of solar radiation in the eastern and central regions would increase the yield of spring wheat. The increased air relative humidity would make the western spring wheat yield increased and the eastern spring wheat yield decreased. Finally, the models describing combined effects of these dominant climatic factors on the maturity and yield in different regions of Inner Mongolia were used to establish geographical differences. Our findings have important implications for improving climate change impact studies and for local agricultural production to cope with ongoing climate change.

HEALTH EFFECTS OF CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO ARSENIC VIA DRINKING WATER IN INNER MONGOLIA: V. BIOMARKER STUDIES - A PILOT STUDY

EPA Science Inventory

Health Effects of Chronic Exposure to Arsenic via Drinking Water in Inner Mongolia: V. Biomarker Studies - a Pilot Study

Michael T. Schmitt, M.S.P.H., Judy S. Mumford, Ph.D., National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agenc...

76 FR 12940 - Honey from the People's Republic of China: Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-09

... Wai Yuan Bee Products Co., Ltd.; Chengdu Stone Dynasty Art Stone; Damco China Limited Qingdao Branch; Eurasia Bee's Products Co., Ltd.; Feidong Foreign Trade Co., Ltd.; Fresh Honey Co., Ltd. (formerly Mgl....; Hengjide Healthy Products Co. Ltd.; Hubei Yusun Co., Ltd.; Inner Mongolia Altin Bee-Keeping; Inner Mongolia...

Global perspectives on poisonous plants: The 9th International Symposium on Poisonous Plants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The 9th International Symposium on Poisonous Plants (ISOPP9) was held from 15th-21st July, 2013, at the Inner Mongolia Agricultural University in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. The Symposium consisted of three days of oral and poster presentations, followed by a tour of the Xilin...

[Projected changes in vegetation net primary productivity of grassland in Inner Mongolia, China during 2011-2050.

PubMed

Guo, Ling Hui; Hao, Cheng Yuan; Wu, Shao Hong; Gao, Jiang Bo; Zhao, Dong Sheng

2016-03-01

In this paper, the CENTURY-based modeling system (complying CENTURY model from a site-based model into spatial model) after being systematically calibrated was used to investigate future climate change under Representative Concentration Pathways Scenario (RCP, 4.5 and 8.5) driven spatio-temporal changes in vegetation net primary productivity (NPP) of Inner Mongolia grassland during 2011-2050. The simulation showed that Inner Mongolia grassland NPP would greatly decrease with a rate of 0.57 g C·m -2 ·a -1 (RCP4.5) and 0.89 g C·m -2 ·a -1 (RCP8.5). NPP of Inner Mongolia grassland appeared to decrease by approximately 11.6% (2020s), 12.0% (2030s) and 18.0% (2040s) under the RCP4.5 in relation to baseline period, while its reduction could be exacerbated as 23.8% (2020s), 21.2% (2030s) and 30.1% (2040s) in the RCP8.5 at the regional scale. In addition, grassland NPP induced by future climate changes varied between different grassland types and times, strongly correlating with climate scenario. Even for the RCP4.5, however, a great majority (89.7%) of the grassland exhibited a decreasing trend in annual NPP, with 15.6% of the area decreasing by more than 20% compared with the baseline term. Therefore, although future precipitation rising could benefit vegetation growth, it might be still not enough to compensate for the negative effect of warming on the NPP of Inner Mongolia grassland, and the sustainable development of grassland resources might face a greater challenge.

Efficacy of exclosures in conserving local shrub biodiversity in xeric sandy grassland, Inner Mongolia, China

Treesearch

Feng-Rui Li; Zhi-Yu Zhou; Li-Ya Zhao; Ai-Sheng Zhang; Ling-Fen Kang

2007-01-01

This study investigated the abundance and frequency of occurrence of all shrub species present in the standing vegetation at four sites, including a 5-year exclosure (protected grassland) and three adjacent unprotected grazing sites that had been subjected to different levels of degradation (light, moderate and severe), in xeric sandy grassland of Inner Mongolia for...

A new species of Mongolodectes (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) from Alashan Plateau in China.

PubMed

Liu, Chun-Xiang; Xu, Wen-Jing; Zhang, Chun-Tian

2015-12-02

The genus Mongolodectes is endemic to vast Mongolian Plateau and has two recorded species in the Mongolian People's Republic and one species in China's Inner Mongolia. Here we describe one new species Mongolodectes huangi sp. n. from China's Inner Mongolia. Further investigations are needed for precise identification and complete understanding on the fauna of the Mongolian Plateau.

DNA DAMAGE IN BUCCAL EPITHELIAL CELLS FROM INDIVIDUALS CHRONICALLY EXPOSED TO ARSENIC VIA DRINKING WATER IN INNER MONGOLIA, CHINA

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this pilot study was to assess DNA damage in buccal cells from individuals chronically exposed to arsenic via drinking water in Ba Men, Inner Mongolia. Buccal cells were collected from 19 Ba Men residents exposed to arsenic at 527.5 ? 23.7 g/L (mean ? SEM) and ...

HEALTH EFFECTS OF CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO ARSENIC VIA DRINKING WATER IN INNER MONGOLIA: I. BIOMARKERS FOR ASSESSING EXPOSURE AND EFFECTS

EPA Science Inventory

Health Effects of Chronic Exposure to Arsenic via Drinking Water in Inner Mongolia: I. Biomarkers for Assessing Exposure and Effects

Judy L. Mumford, Ph.D., Mike Schmitt, M.S.P.H., Richard K. Kwok, M.S.P.H., Rebecca Calderon, Ph.D., National Health and Environmental Effect...

Biophysical regulations of carbon fluxes of a steppe and a cultivated cropland in semiarid Inner Mongolia

Treesearch

W.L. Zhang; S.P. Chen; J. Chen; L. Wei; X.G. Han; G.H. Lin

2007-01-01

An increasing amount of grasslands in Inner Mongolia of Northern China has been converted to cropland. The conversions in this extensive semiarid region have produced adverse ecological consequences at local and regional scales (e.g., dust storms). An important research need is to understand the fundamental ecosystem processes, such as energy and material fluxes,...

HEALTH EFFECTS OF CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO ARSENIC VIA DRINKING WATER IN INNER MONGOLIA: II. VIBROTACTILE AND VISUAL MEASURES FINAL DOCUMENT TITLE.

EPA Science Inventory

HEALTH EFFECTS OF CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO ARSENIC IN DRINKING WATER IN INNER MONGOLIA: II. VIBROTACTILE AND VISUAL MEASURES.

David Otto, Ph.D., Judy Mumford, Ph.D., Richard Kwok, M.S.P.H., Ken Hudnell, Ph.D.,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Yanhong Li, M.D., Yajuan ...

MODIS normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and vegetation phenology dynamics in the Inner Mongolia grassland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Z.; Kawamura, K.; Ishikawa, N.; Goto, M.; Wulan, T.; Alateng, D.; Yin, T.; Ito, Y.

2015-11-01

The Inner Mongolia grassland, one of the most important grazing regions in China, has long been threatened by land degradation and desertification, mainly due to overgrazing. To understand vegetation responses over the last decade, this study evaluated trends in vegetation cover and phenology dynamics in the Inner Mongolia grassland by applying a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series obtained by the Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) during 2002-2014. The results showed that the cumulative annual NDVI increased to over 77.10 % in the permanent grassland region (2002-2014). The mean value of the total change showed that the start of season (SOS) date and the peak vegetation productivity date of the season (POS) had advanced by 5.79 and 2.43 days, respectively. The end of season (EOS) was delayed by 5.07 days. These changes lengthened the season by 10.86 days. Our results also confirmed that grassland changes are closely related to spring precipitation and increasing temperature at the early growing period because of global warming. Overall, productivity in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region tends to increase, but in some grassland areas with grazing, land degradation is ongoing.

MODIS NDVI and vegetation phenology dynamics in the Inner Mongolia grassland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Z.; Kawamura, K.; Ishikawa, N.; Goto, M.; Wulan, T.; Alateng, D.; Yin, T.; Ito, Y.

2015-08-01

The Inner Mongolia grassland, one of the most important grazing regions in China, has long been threatened by land degradation and desertification, mainly due to overgrazing. To understand vegetation responses over the last decade, this study evaluated trends in vegetation cover and phenology dynamics in the Inner Mongolia grassland by applying a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series obtained by the Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) during 2002-2014. The results showed that the cumulative annual NDVI increased to over 77.10 % in the permanent grassland region (2002-2014). The mean value of the total change showed that the start of season (SOS) date and the peak vegetation productivity date of the season (POS) had advanced by 5.79 and 2.43 days respectively. The end of season (EOS) was delayed by 5.07 days. These changes lengthened the season by 10.86 days. Our results also confirmed that grassland changes are closely related to spring precipitation (February-May) and increasing temperature during the growing period because of the global warming. Overall, productivity in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region tends to increase, but in some grassland areas with grazing, land degradation is ongoing.

Modeling gross primary production in semi-arid Inner Mongolia using MODIS imagery and eddy covariance data

Treesearch

Ranjeet John; Jiquan Chen; Asko Noormets; Xiangming Xiao; Jianye Xu; Nan Lu; Shiping Chen

2013-01-01

We evaluate the modelling of carbon fluxes from eddy covariance (EC) tower observations in different water-limited land-cover/land-use (LCLU) and biome types in semi-arid Inner Mongolia, China. The vegetation photosynthesis model (VPM) and modified VPM (MVPM), driven by the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and land-surface water index (LSWI), which were derived from the...

Poplar plantation has the potential to alter the water balance in semiarid inner Mongolia

Treesearch

Burkhard Wilske; Long Wei; Shiping Chen; Tonggang Zha; Chenfeng Liu; Wenting Xu; Asko Noormets; Jianhui Haung; Yafen Wei; Jun Chen; Zhiqiang Zhang; Jian Ni; Ge Sun; Kirk Guo; Steve McNulty; Ranjeet John; Xiangguo Han; Guanghui Lin; Jiquan Chen

2009-01-01

Poplar plantation is the most dominant broadleaf forest type in northern China. Since the mid-1990s plantation was intensified to combat desertification along China’s northwestern border, i.e., within Inner Mongolia (IM). This evoked much concern regarding the ecological and environmental effects on areas that naturally grow grass or shrub vegetation. To highlight...

Age and stratigraphic context of Pliopithecus and associated fauna from Miocene sedimentary strata at Damiao, Inner Mongolia, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaakinen, Anu; Abdul Aziz, Hayfaa; Passey, Benjamin H.; Zhang, Zhaoqun; Liu, Liping; Salminen, Johanna; Wang, Lihua; Krijgsman, Wout; Fortelius, Mikael

2015-03-01

Since the discovery of mammalian fossils in Central Inner Mongolia in the beginning of the 20th century, this area has produced a rich and diverse record of Miocene faunas. Nevertheless, the stratigraphy has remained poorly constrained owing to scattered faunal horizons and lack of continuous vertical exposures. Consequently, most age estimates of these Miocene sites are based on paleontological evidence alone, with very few sites having been dated independently. Our field investigations in Damiao, in Siziwang Qi, Inner Mongolia have yielded more than 30 new fossiliferous localities from three horizons, including a pliopithecid fauna. This study presents the litho-, bio- and magnetostratigraphy of the Damiao area and provides age estimates for the three fossil-bearing horizons. The sedimentary sequence is interpreted as the remains of a fluvial system comprising channels, subaerially exposed floodplains and floodbasin environments. The two local stratigraphic sections measured and sampled for paleomagnetic analysis coincide with species-rich vertebrate fossil localities. The paleomagnetic results and faunal evidence suggest a correlation of lowermost fossil horizon (DM16) producing relatively rich small mammal assemblage to the early Miocene chron C6Ar or C6An.1r, roughly in 20-21 Ma age range. The pliopithecid locality level (DM01) represents latest middle Miocene and has an age estimate of about 12.1 Ma while the youngest localities (DM02) with cervoids and abundant and diverse small mammal fauna represents the earliest late Miocene with an age estimate of about 11.6 Ma. Our magnetostratigraphic results confirm that the Damiao strata constitute one of the best sequences in Inner Mongolia with early, middle and late Miocene mammalian faunas in stratigraphic superposition. The results also provide constraints on the paleoenvironmental evolution and bioevents of the area. The occurrence of pliopithecid primates in the middle Miocene of Inner Mongolia suggests humid habitats and challenges the scenarios suggesting arid and highly seasonal conditions for Central Asia since Early Miocene. The presence of pliopithecids may also bear witness to locally humid environments and greater habitat heterogeneity than previously known in central Inner Mongolia.

Climate impact and adaptation of husbandry on the Mongolian plateau: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miao, L.; Cui, X.

2015-12-01

There has been an evolution in the treatment of regional aspects of climate and land use change: from a patchwork of case examples towards a more systematic coverage of regional issues at continental and sub-continental scales in the latest Intergovernmental panel on climate change, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. The region of Inner Asia has long been characterised by important cultural, economic, and ecological ties that transcend international borders, including a common steppe environment, a long history of mobile pastoralism, as well as comparable experiences of socialist and postsocialist transformation. In this research, we focused on the study of the Mongolian Plateau located in eastern Inner Asia, since climate change has already had large impacts on grassland and local households. We explored how the vegetation and animal husbandry responses to climate change in comparison between Inner Mongolia and Mongolia. Our central question then was: how are people in different parts of Inner Mongolia and the Republic of Mongolia are experiencing and responding to climate change across a common grassland environment as a result of the differing social, economic, political, and ecological conditions within each particular state? We believe that comparative and interdisciplinary investigation offers the best prospect for the evaluation of the differing trajectories currently being followed by each Inner Asian state, and the anticipation of the likely effects on the societies and environment of the region in the future.

Prevalence and characteristics of atherosclerosis and peripheral arterial disease in a Chinese population of Inner Mongolia.

PubMed

Wang, Y; Li, J; Zhao, D; Wei, Y; Hou, L; Hu, D; Xu, Y

2011-01-01

To investigate the relationship between brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (BaPWV), radial augmentation index (radial AI), ankle-brachial index (ABI), and carotid intima-media thickness (carotid-IMT), and to study the prevalence and characteristics of atherosclerosis and peripheral arterial disease in a Chinese population of Inner Mongolia. Participants were recruited from Inner Mongolia in China through cluster multistage and random sampling. BaPWV, radial AI, ABI, and carotid-IMT values were measured in each subject. A total of 1,236 participants from natural population of Inner Mongolia in China were included in this study. The average ABI value was 1.082 ± 0.093. The average values of common carotid, internal carotid, and carotid artery bifurcation IMT were 0.70 ± 0.21, 0.77 ± 0.24, and 0.78 ± 0.25 mm, respectively. The average value of BaPWV was 1450.5 ± 301.5 cm/s. The average value of radial AI was 78.9 ± 16.8 %. BaPWV, radial AI, and carotid-IMT values were positively correlated with ages significantly. BaPWV values were positively correlated with radial AI significantly. BaPWV values were positively correlated with values of common carotid, internal carotid, and carotid artery bifurcation IMT respectively. Radial AI values were positively correlated with the values of common carotid, internal carotid, and carotid artery bifurcation IMT respectively. A U-shaped relationship was observed that radial AI values were decreased at first and then increased as ABI values increased. The data suggests that BaPWV, radial AI, and carotid-IMT values are positively correlated with each other, and AI values are correlated with ABI values in a U-shaped curve in a Chinese population of Inner Mongolia.

Effects of precipitation on grassland ecosystem restoration under grazing exclusion in Inner Mongolia, China

Treesearch

Lu Hao; Ge Sun; Yongqiang Liu; Zhiqiu Gao; Junjie He; Tingting Shi; Bingjuan Wu

2014-01-01

China launched the ‘‘Returning Grazing Lands to Grasslands’’ project about a decade ago to restore severely degraded grasslands. Grassland grazing exclusion was one of the experimental approaches for achieving the grand goal. Here, we evaluate the long-term regional ecological effects of grassland grazing exclusion in the Xilingol region of Inner Mongolia, China. The...

Strategies to alleviate poverty and grassland degradation in Inner Mongolia: intensification vs production efficiency of livestock systems.

PubMed

Briske, David D; Zhao, Mengli; Han, Guodong; Xiu, Changbai; Kemp, David R; Willms, Walter; Havstad, Kris; Kang, Le; Wang, Zhongwu; Wu, Jianguo; Han, Xingguo; Bai, Yongfei

2015-04-01

Semi-nomadic pastoralism was replaced by sedentary pastoralism in Inner Mongolia during the 1960's in response to changes in land use policy and increasing human population. Large increases in numbers of livestock and pastoralist households (11- and 9-fold, respectively) during the past 60 yrs have variously degraded the majority of grasslands in Inner Mongolia (78 M ha) and jeopardize the livelihoods of 24 M human inhabitants. A prevailing strategy for alleviating poverty and grassland degradation emphasizes intensification of livestock production systems to maintain both pastoral livelihoods and large livestock numbers. We consider this strategy unsustainable because maximization of livestock revenue incurs high supplemental feed costs, marginalizes net household income, and promotes larger flock sizes to create a positive feedback loop driving grassland degradation. We offer an alternative strategy that increases both livestock production efficiency and net pastoral income by marketing high quality animal products to an increasing affluent Chinese economy while simultaneously reducing livestock impacts on grasslands. We further caution that this strategy be designed and assessed within a social-ecological framework capable of coordinating market expansion for livestock products, sustainable livestock carrying capacities, modified pastoral perceptions of success, and incentives for ecosystem services to interrupt the positive feedback loop that exists between subsistence pastoralism and grassland degradation in Inner Mongolia. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Isolation and identification of lactic acid bacteria from koumiss in Eastern Inner Mongolia of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Lijuan; Ji, Shujuan

2017-01-01

Koumiss is a traditional fermented dairy product and known as its unique physiological actions. Isolation and identification of LAB in it will yield valuable knowledge. In total, 55 LAB strains were isolated and identified of 12 koumiss samples collected in limited regions of Eastern Inner Mongolia. 16S rRNA sequence analysis results showed that were Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Enterococcus. durans, Leuconostoc lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. It is benefit to further research on koumiss.

Understanding the causes of changing grassland use and productivity in Inner Mongolia, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y.; Gao, L.; Qiao, G.; Chen, J.

2012-12-01

Some dramatic changes of grassland use and productivity have been taking place in Inner Mongolia in the past half century. While the changes are apparently driven by both socio-economic factors and climate, their contribution and interaction are largely unknown. We hypothesize that population growth is an important driving force behind the loss and degradation of the grassland, the market forces and institutional factors such as de-collectivization are become more important factors as the economy is moving from planned economy to market economy. This paper assesses the effects of socio-economic, demographic, institutional and climate factors on grassland use and productivity using a panel data set. The panel data compose the years from 1970s to 2000s and all prefectures in Inner Mongolia. A generalized least squares estimation method, allowing individual effects for prefecture level are applied to the examination. The effect of climate change is tested as well and the coupled socio-economic system and the natural system are investigated.

[A herbalogical study on traditional Mongolian medicine "zhanba"].

PubMed

Bao, Yintu; Bu, Ri'e; Zhao, Baisui

2003-02-01

By herbalogical study and investigation, "Zhanba" used by Mongolia doctors mainly contains 7 species from 3 genera of 1 family, but "Zhanba" in Inner Mongolia Standard of Medicinal Materials only contains 3 species which are Althaea rosea, Malva sylvestris L. var. mauritiana and M. verticillata.

Spatial downscaling algorithm of TRMM precipitation based on multiple high-resolution satellite data for Inner Mongolia, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duan, Limin; Fan, Keke; Li, Wei; Liu, Tingxi

2017-12-01

Daily precipitation data from 42 stations in Inner Mongolia, China for the 10 years period from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2010 was utilized along with downscaled data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) with a spatial resolution of 0.25° × 0.25° for the same period based on the statistical relationships between the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), meteorological variables, and digital elevation models (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_elevation_model) (DEM) using the leave-one-out (LOO) cross validation method and multivariate step regression. The results indicate that (1) TRMM data can indeed be used to estimate annual precipitation in Inner Mongolia and there is a linear relationship between annual TRMM and observed precipitation; (2) there is a significant relationship between TRMM-based precipitation and predicted precipitation, with a spatial resolution of 0.50° × 0.50°; (3) NDVI and temperature are important factors influencing the downscaling of TRMM precipitation data for DEM and the slope is not the most significant factor affecting the downscaled TRMM data; and (4) the downscaled TRMM data reflects spatial patterns in annual precipitation reasonably well, showing less precipitation falling in west Inner Mongolia and more in the south and southeast. The new approach proposed here provides a useful alternative for evaluating spatial patterns in precipitation and can thus be applied to generate a more accurate precipitation dataset to support both irrigation management and the conservation of this fragile grassland ecosystem.

Assessment and monitoring of desertification using satellite imagery of MODIS in East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Meng-Lung; Chu, Chieh-Ming; Shih, Jyh-Yi; Wang, Qiu-Bing; Chen, Cheng-Wu; Wang, Shin; Tao, Yi-Huang; Lee, Yung-Tan

2006-12-01

The desertification in Northwestern China and Mongolia shows the result of conflicts between economic development and natural conservation. Many researches have proven the desert areas are growing in these regions. The variations of bi-weekly NDVI satellite images are used as one of the parameters to evaluate the vegetation dynamics over large scale studies. In this study, remotely sensed satellite images are conducted to provide multi-temporal vegetated and non-vegetated areas in order to assess the status of desertification in East Asia. Spatial data derived from these satellite images are applied to evaluate vegetation dynamics at regional scale to find out the hot spot areas vulnerable to desertification. The results show that the desert areas are mainly distributed over southern Mongolia, central and western Inner-Mongolia, western China (the Taklimakan desert). The desert areas were expanded from 2000 to 2002, were shrunk in 2003, and were expanded from 2003 to 2005 again. The hot spot areas of desertification are mainly distributed over southeastern Mongolia and eastern Inner-Mongolia. The results will help administrators to refine the planning processes in defining the boundaries of protected areas and will facilitate to take decision of the priority areas for conservation of desertification.

Increased Mortality Associated with Well-Water Arsenic Exposure in Inner Mongolia, China

PubMed Central

Wade, Timothy J.; Xia, Yajuan; Wu, Kegong; Li, Yanhong; Ning, Zhixiong; Le, X Chris; Lu, Xiufen; Feng, Yong; He, Xingzhou; Mumford, Judy L.

2009-01-01

We conducted a retrospective mortality study in an Inner Mongolian village exposed to well water contaminated by arsenic since the 1980s. Deaths occurring between January 1, 1997 and December 1, 2004 were classified according to underlying cause and water samples from household wells were tested for total arsenic. Heart disease mortality was associated with arsenic exposure, and the association strengthened with time exposed to the water source. Cancer mortality and all-cause mortality were associated with well-water arsenic exposure among those exposed 10–20 years. This is the first study to document increased arsenic-associated mortality in the Bayingnormen region of Inner Mongolia. PMID:19440436

A new species of Fuziidae (Insecta, Blattida) from the Inner Mongolia, China

PubMed Central

Wei, Dandan; Liang, Junhui; Ren, Dong

2012-01-01

Abstract A new species attributed to the genus Parvifuzia Guo & Ren, 2011, Parvifuzia peregrina sp. n., is described from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Daohugou Village, Inner Mongolia, China. This new species, with apex of wing almost reaching the end of the abdomen and forewing venation with 30–32 veins at margin, broadens the diversity of Parvifuzia. This new species, with strongly curved cerci, could tightly clasp female and complete copulation more efficiently, same as other members of the family Fuziidae. PMID:22977342

[Status and related factors of self-reported pain among working-age population in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region].

PubMed

Hao, R Q; Wang, X M; Du, M L; Yin, S H; Shu, W; Zheng, H Q; Liang, D Y; Wang, R Q; Liu, D; Li, S Y

2016-12-10

Objective: To describe the status and related factors of self-reported pain among working-age population in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (Inner Mongolia). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Data was from the Inner Mongolia fifth health services survey. SPSS 19.0 software package was used for data analysis and χ 2 test was to compare the prevalence of self-reported pain in population with different characteristics. Unconditional logistic regression model was used to analyze the related factors on self-reported pain. Results: A total of 11 480 working-age population was involved in this survey, with prevalence of self-reported pain among working age population as 12.3%. The prevalence rates of moderate and severe pain were 11.6% and 0.7%, respectively. Results from the unconditional logistic regression analysis showed that, in the economically poor population, the risk of self-reported pain was 1.718 times of the relatively rich people ( OR =1.718, 95 %CI : 1.381-2.831). In the rural areas, the risk of self-reported pain was higher than that in the urban population ( OR =2.506, 95 %CI : 2.030-3.092) and people with chronic illnesses had 2.880 times higher risk than those who did not have the diseases ( OR =2.880, 95 % CI : 2.474-3.352). There was an interaction noticed between gender and age. Women at or above 45 years old were more likely to develop self-report pain ( OR =1.300, 95 % CI : 1.072-1.577). Again, factors as people who were current or former smokers, who were suffering from anxiety or depression, being skinny etc . appeared as independently related to the self-reported pain. Conclusion: In working age population of Inner Mongolia, a high prevalence of self-reported pain was seen. Data showed that people who were poor, age at 45 or older, having history of smoking, with chronic diseases and anxiety/depression were risk factors related to self-reported pain.

[A prevalence study on mild cognitive impairment among the elderly populations of Mongolian and Han nationalities in a pastoral area of Inner Mongolia].

PubMed

Hu, Riletemuer; Zhao, Shi-gang; Wang, De-sheng; Wen, Shi-rong; Niu, Guang-ming; A, Rong; Wang, Zhi-guang; Jiang, Ming-fang; Zhang, Chun-yu

2012-04-01

To understand the epidemiological characteristics and distribution of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in elderly populations from Mongolian and Han nationalities living in the pastoral areas of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. According to the MCI clinical diagnostic criteria from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th revised edition (DSM-IV) by American Psychiatric Association, the individuals under study were at the age of 55 or over, with Mongolian or Han ethnicities and living in the pastoral area of Inner Mongolia. The crude MCI morbidity rates of Mongolian and Han of the study populations in the pastoral area of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China was 19.48% (1782/9146) and the standardization morbidity was 18.98%. The crude MCI morbidity rates of both Mongolian and Han ethnicities were 17.46% (the standardization morbidity was 16.99%) and 20.60% (the standardization morbidity was 19.98%), respectively. There showed a significant positive correlation between the crude morbidities and age, also significantly increasing with the latter. In the Mongolian population, the morbidity increased from 12.17% at the age 55-59 to 27.78% at 85 while in the Han population, the morbidity increased from 15.50% at the age 55-59 to 23.53% at 85. In both the populations of Mongolian and Han, there was a statistically difference found between the morbidities of MCI (χ2=13.229, P=0.000). The morbidity was higher in Hans than in the Mongolians. However, there was no statistically significant difference noticed between the morbidities of MCI in the Mongolian males and females (χ2=2.376, P=0.123). There was statistically significant difference found between the morbidities of MCI in the Han males and females, with females having higher risk than males (χ2=24.470, P=0.000). The morbidity of MCI in the elderly Mongolian and Han populations from the pastoral area of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China was considered to be quite high and correlated to age and gender.

Population Structure of and Conservation Strategies for Wild Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim. in China

PubMed Central

Wuyun, Tana; Amo, Hitomi; Xu, Jingshi; Ma, Teng; Uematsu, Chiyomi; Katayama, Hironori

2015-01-01

Pyrus ussriensis Maxim. is native to the northern part of China, but whose habitats are currently being destroyed by environmental changes and human deforestation. An investigation of population structure and genetic diversity of wild Ussurian pear is a priority in order to acquire fundamental knowledge for conservation. A total of 153 individuals of wild Ussurian pear from the main habitats, Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Inner Mongolia in China, possessed low genetic diversity as a result of habitat fragmentation. The genetic diversity of the populations in Inner Mongolia and north east of Heilongjiang was especially low and there was the possibility of inbreeding. Wild Ussurian pears were divided into 5 groups based on the Bayesian clustering method using 20 nuclear SSRs (nSSRs) and 5 groups by haplotype distributions using 16 chloroplast SSRs (cpSSRs), and the populations in Inner Mongolia and north east of Heilongjiang represented unique genotypes. AMOVA indicated there was a 20.05% variation in nSSRs and a 44.40% variation in cpSSRs among populations. These values are relatively high when compared to those of other tree species. Haplotype E, positioned in the center of the cpSSR analysis network and showed the largest number of connections with other haplotypes, represented the most important haplotype. Inner Mongolia and the north east of Heilongjiang are two areas that need urgent conservation because of their genetic vulnerability and peculiarity. We determined 4 conservation units based on the clustering by nSSRs and cpSSRs, and geographic factor. This information is helpful in deciding the conservation strategies for wild Ussurian pear in China. PMID:26252516

An Assessment of the Impact of Urbanization on Soil Erosion in Inner Mongolia.

PubMed

Wang, Li-Yan; Xiao, Yi; Rao, En-Ming; Jiang, Ling; Xiao, Yang; Ouyang, Zhi-Yun

2018-03-19

Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, has experienced severe soil erosion following a period of rapid economic development and urbanization. To investigate how urbanization has influenced the extent of soil erosion in Inner Mongolia, we used urbanization and soil erosion data from 2000 through 2010 to determine the relationship between urbanization and soil erosion patterns. Two empirical equations-the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and the Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ)-were used to estimate the intensity of soil erosion, and we performed backward linear regression to model how it changed with greater urbanization. There was an apparent increase in the rate of urbanization and a decrease in the area affected by soil erosion in 2010 compared to the corresponding values for 2000. The urban population stood at 11.32 million in 2010, which represented a 16.47% increase over that in 2000. The area affected by soil erosion in 2000 totaled 704,817 km², yet it had decreased to 674,135 km² by 2010. However, a path of modest urban development (rural-urban mitigation) and reasonable industrial structuring (the development of GDP-2) may partially reduce urbanization's ecological pressure and thus indirectly reduce the threat of soil erosion to human security. Therefore, to better control soil erosion in Inner Mongolia during the process of urbanization, the current model of economic development should be modified to improve the eco-efficiency of urbanization, while also promoting new modes of urbanization that are environmentally sustainable, cost-effective, and conserve limited resources.

An Assessment of the Impact of Urbanization on Soil Erosion in Inner Mongolia

PubMed Central

Xiao, Yi; Rao, En-Ming; Jiang, Ling; Xiao, Yang; Ouyang, Zhi-Yun

2018-01-01

Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of the People’s Republic of China, has experienced severe soil erosion following a period of rapid economic development and urbanization. To investigate how urbanization has influenced the extent of soil erosion in Inner Mongolia, we used urbanization and soil erosion data from 2000 through 2010 to determine the relationship between urbanization and soil erosion patterns. Two empirical equations—the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and the Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ)—were used to estimate the intensity of soil erosion, and we performed backward linear regression to model how it changed with greater urbanization. There was an apparent increase in the rate of urbanization and a decrease in the area affected by soil erosion in 2010 compared to the corresponding values for 2000. The urban population stood at 11.32 million in 2010, which represented a 16.47% increase over that in 2000. The area affected by soil erosion in 2000 totaled 704,817 km2, yet it had decreased to 674,135 km2 by 2010. However, a path of modest urban development (rural–urban mitigation) and reasonable industrial structuring (the development of GDP-2) may partially reduce urbanization’s ecological pressure and thus indirectly reduce the threat of soil erosion to human security. Therefore, to better control soil erosion in Inner Mongolia during the process of urbanization, the current model of economic development should be modified to improve the eco-efficiency of urbanization, while also promoting new modes of urbanization that are environmentally sustainable, cost-effective, and conserve limited resources. PMID:29562707

State and change of Dryland East Asia (DEA)

Treesearch

Jiquan Chen; Ranjeet John; Guanghua Qiao; Ochirbat Batkhishig; Wenping Yuan; Yaoqi Zhang; Changliang Shao; Zutao Ouyang; Linghao Li; Ke Guo; Ge Sun

2013-01-01

Dry land East Asia (DEA) refers to a region with 4.81 million square kilometers (km²) and includes Mongolia and four provinces/regions in Northern China (hereafter called "administrative units" ): Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia, and Xinjiang. This introduction chapter provides an overview of the DEA region from three perspectives: 1) geography,...

HEALTH RISKS FROM CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO ARSENIC VIA DRINKING WATER: FINDINGS FROM THE CLINICAL INVESTIGATIONS DATA IN INNER MONGOLIA, CHINA

EPA Science Inventory

Prior studies have reported a large number of arsenicism cases in the Mongolia Autonomous Region of China due to drinking arsenic-contaminated water with concentrations up to 1.8 mg/L. However, the endemic health risks from chronic exposure to arsenic in this population have not...

Distance- and near-visual impairment in rural Chinese adults in Kailu, Inner Mongolia.

PubMed

Cheng, Fang; Shan, Li; Song, Wulian; Fan, Pan; Yuan, Huiping

2016-06-01

To investigate the prevalence and causes of distance-visual impairment and near-vision impairment in a rural Chinese population in Inner Mongolia. A population-based, cross-sectional study design was used to identify visual impairment in the Chinese aged 40 years and older living in Kailu County, Inner Mongolia. Low vision, blindness and near-visual impairment (NVI) were defined according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. The overall prevalence of blindness and visual impairment based on the presenting visual acuity (VA) was 2.2% (95% CI: 1.8-2.6) and 9.8% (95% CI: 8.9-10.6), respectively, and was adjusted to 0.9% (95% CI: 0.6-1.2) and 4.7% (95% CI: 4.1-5.3) using best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), respectively. Taking the presenting VA into consideration, the leading cause of visual impairment and blindness was cataract (40.3%, 40.9%), followed by uncorrected refractive error (26.6%, 28.2%). According to the BCVA, the main cause of visual impairment and blindness was cataract (48.3%, 41.3%) followed by glaucoma (19.0%, 23.9%). Among the examined subjects, 80.3% had NVI, and 51.7% had presbyopia. Major barriers reported by NVI persons without near correction were lack of money to purchase prescription glasses and poor quality of the available ones (43.2%). Visual impairment is a serious public health problem, and the main causes leading to visual impairment are treatable and preventable in the rural Chinese population in Inner Mongolia. Presbyopia, together with the low rate of spectacles and lack of appropriate refractive and presbyopia spectacles, is highly prevalent in rural China. © 2015 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Land tenure reform and grassland degradation in Inner Mongolia, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Min; Dries, Liesbeth; Heijman, Wim; Huang, Jikun; Zhu, Xueqin; Deng, Xiangzheng

2017-04-01

Since the start of the land tenure reform in the pastoral areas of China in the 1980s, grassland use rights have increasingly been assigned to individual households and subsequently more grasslands have been in private use. However, in the same period, most of the grasslands in China have experienced degradation. The question that this paper tries to address is whether the land tenure reform plays a significant role in grassland degradation. It is answered by an empirical analysis of the impact of land tenure reform on the changes in grassland condition, using data from 60 counties in Inner Mongolia between 1985 and 2008. Grassland condition is presented by grassland quantity and quality using spatial information based on remote sensing. The timing of the assignment of grassland use rights and the timing of the actual adoption of private use by households differ among counties. These timing differences and differences in grassland condition among counties allow disentangling the impact of the land tenure reform. A fixed effects model is used to control for climate, agricultural activity and the time-invariant heterogeneity among counties. The model results show that the private use of grasslands following the land tenure reform has had significantly negative effects on grassland quality and quantity in Inner Mongolia. Moreover, the negative effects did not disappear even after several years of experience with private use. In conclusion, our analysis reveals that the land tenure reform, namely privatisation of grassland use rights, is a significant driver of grassland degradation in Inner Mongolia in a long term, which presents "a tragedy of privatisation", as opposed to the well-known "tragedy of the commons".

Sensitive Indicators of Zonal Stipa Species to Changing Temperature and Precipitation in Inner Mongolia Grassland, China

PubMed Central

Lv, Xiaomin; Zhou, Guangsheng; Wang, Yuhui; Song, Xiliang

2016-01-01

Climate change often induces shifts in plant functional traits. However, knowledge related to sensitivity of different functional traits and sensitive indicator representing plant growth under hydrothermal change remains unclear. Inner Mongolia grassland is predicted to be one of the terrestrial ecosystems which are most vulnerable to climate change. In this study, we analyzed the response of four zonal Stipa species (S. baicalensis, S. grandis, S. breviflora, and S. bungeana) from Inner Mongolia grassland to changing temperature (control, increased 1.5, 2, 4, and 6°C), precipitation (decreased 30 and 15%, control, increased 15 and 30%) and their combined effects via climate control chambers. The relative change of functional traits in the unit of temperature and precipitation change was regarded as sensitivity coefficient and sensitive indicators were examined by pathway analysis. We found that sensitivity of the four Stipa species to changing temperature and precipitation could be ranked as follows: S. bungeana > S. grandis > S. breviflora > S. baicalensis. In particular, changes in leaf area, specific leaf area and root/shoot ratio could account for 86% of the changes in plant biomass in the four Stipa species. Also these three measurements were more sensitive to hydrothermal changes than the other functional traits. These three functional indicators reflected the combination of plant production capacity (leaf area), adaptive strategy (root/shoot ratio), instantaneous environmental effects (specific leaf area), and cumulative environmental effects (leaf area and root/shoot ratio). Thus, leaf area, specific leaf area and root/shoot ratio were chosen as sensitive indicators in response to changing temperature and precipitation for Stipa species. These results could provide the basis for predicting the influence of climate change on Inner Mongolia grassland based on the magnitude of changes in sensitive indicators. PMID:26904048

Grassland degradation caused by tourism activities in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le, C.; Ikazaki, K.; Siriguleng; Kadono, A.; Kosaki, T.

2014-02-01

The recent increase in the number of tourists has raised serious concerns about grassland degradation by tourism activities in Inner Mongolia. Thus, we evaluated the effects of tourism activities on the vegetation and soil in Hulunbuir grassland. We identified all the plant species, measured the number and height of plant and plant coverage rate, and calculated species diversity, estimated above-ground biomass in use plot and non-use plot. We also measured soil hardness, and collected soil samples for physical and chemical analysis in both plots. The obtained results were as follows: a) the height of the dominant plants, plant coverage rate, species diversity, and above-ground biomass were significantly lower in use plot than in non-use plot, b) Carex duriuscula C.A.Mey., indicator plant for soil degradation, was dominant in use plot, c) soil hardness was significantly higher in use plot than in non-use plot, and spatial dependence of soil hardness was only found in the use plot, d) CEC, TC, TN and pH in the topsoil were significantly lower in use plot than non-use plot. On the basis of the results, we concluded that the tourism activities can be another major cause of the grassland degradation in Inner Mongolia.

Responses of soil hydrolytic enzymes, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea to nitrogen applications in a temperate grassland in Inner Mongolia.

PubMed

Zhang, Xinyu; Tang, Yuqian; Shi, Yao; He, Nianpeng; Wen, Xuefa; Yu, Qiang; Zheng, Chunyu; Sun, Xiaomin; Qiu, Weiwen

2016-09-06

We used a seven-year urea gradient applied field experiment to investigate the effects of nitrogen (N) applications on soil N hydrolytic enzyme activity and ammonia-oxidizing microbial abundance in a typical steppe ecosystem in Inner Mongolia. The results showed that N additions inhibited the soil N-related hydrolytic enzyme activities, especially in 392 kg N ha(-1 )yr(-1) treatment. As N additions increased, the amoA gene copy ratios of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) to ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) decreased from 1.13 to 0.65. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the AOA gene copies were negatively related with NH4(+)-N content. However, the AOB gene copies were positively correlated with NO3(-)-N content. Moderate N application rates (56-224 kg N ha(-1 )yr(-1)) accompanied by P additions are beneficial to maintaining the abundance of AOB, as opposed to the inhibition of highest N application rate (392 kg N ha(-1 )yr(-1)) on the abundance of AOB. This study suggests that the abundance of AOB and AOA would not decrease unless N applications exceed 224 kg N ha(-1 )yr(-1) in temperate grasslands in Inner Mongolia.

ASSESSING ARSENIC EXPOSURE AND SKIN HYPERKERATOSIS IN INNER MONGOLIA, CHINA

EPA Science Inventory

Arsenic is a known human carcinogen. The inorganic forms, especially arsenite (As+3), are believed to be the most toxic species. Methylation is often considered to be the
detoxification pathway for the metabolism of inorganic arsenic. The ground water in Ba
Men, Inner Mo...

Response of wind erosion dynamics to climate change and human activity in Inner Mongolia, China during 1990 to 2015.

PubMed

Zhang, Haiyan; Fan, Jiangwen; Cao, Wei; Harris, Warwick; Li, Yuzhe; Chi, Wenfeng; Wang, Suizi

2018-10-15

Soil erosion caused by wind is a serious environmental problem that results in land degradation and threatens sustainable development. Accurately evaluating wind erosion dynamics is important for reducing the hazard of wind erosion. Separating the climatic and anthropogenic causes of wind erosion can improve the understanding of its driving mechanisms. Based on meteorological, remote sensing and field observation data, we applied the Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ) to simulate wind erosion in Inner Mongolia, China from 1990 to 2015. We used the variable control method by input of the average climate conditions to calculate human-induced wind erosion. The difference between natural wind erosion and human-induced wind erosion was determined to assess the effect of climate change on wind erosion. The results showed that the wind erosion modulus had a remarkable decline with a slope of 52.23 t/km 2 /a from 1990 to 2015. During 26 years, the average wind erosion for Inner Mongolia amounted to 63.32 billion tons. Wind erosion showed an overall significant decline of 49.23% and the partial severer erosion hazard significantly increased by 7.11%. Of the significant regional decline, 40.72% was caused by climate changes, and 8.51% was attributed to ecological restoration programs. For the significant regional increases of wind erosion, 4.29% was attributed to climate changes and 2.82% to human activities, mainly overgrazing and land use/cover changes. During the study, the driving forces in Inner Mongolia of wind erosion dynamics differed spatially. Timely monitoring based on multi-source data and highlighting the importance of positive human activities by increasing vegetation coverage for deserts, reducing grazing pressure on grasslands, establishing forests as windbreaks and optimizing crop planting rotations of farmlands can all act to reduce and control wind erosion. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Well Water Arsenic Exposure, Arsenic Induced Skin-Lesions and Self-Reported Morbidity in Inner Mongolia

PubMed Central

Xia, Yajuan; Wade, Timothy J.; Wu, Kegong; Li, Yanhong; Ning, Zhixiong; Le, X Chris; He, Xingzhou; Chen, Binfei; Feng, Yong; Mumford, Judy L.

2009-01-01

Residents of the Bayingnormen region of Inner Mongolia have been exposed to arsenic-contaminated well water for over 20 years, but relatively few studies have investigated health effects in this region. We surveyed one village to document exposure to arsenic and assess the prevalence of arsenic-associated skin lesions and self-reported morbidity. Five-percent (632) of the 12,334 residents surveyed had skin lesions characteristics of arsenic exposure. Skin lesions were strongly associated with well water arsenic and there was an elevated prevalence among residents with water arsenic exposures as low as 5 μg/L-10 μg/L. The presence of skin lesions was also associated with self-reported cardiovascular disease. PMID:19440430

ASSESSING HUMAN EXPOSURE AND GENOTOXIC EFFECTS IN HUMAN EXFOLIATED EPITHELIA FROM INDIVDUALS IVING IN AN ENDEMIC REGION IN INNER MONGOLAI

EPA Science Inventory

A pilot study was conducted to characterize arsenic exposure and genotoxic effects in Ba Men located in West Central Inner Mongolia in an attempt to identify biomarkers useful for assessing health risk resulting from chronic arsenic exposure. The study subjects included 19 high ...

Forest carbon research in Inner Mongolia: current knowledge, opportunity and challenge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shuyong, Li; Mei, Huang; Shenggong, Li

2014-03-01

Carbon storage in forests in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region plays a significant role in the terrestrial carbon budget due to its largest forest coverage and forest growing stock among all the provinces in China. Nevertheless, scientific research on forest carbon is comparatively less as compared with the research on the main ecosystem, steppe in this area. We are still short of knowledge of forest carbon sequestration's rate, mechanism and potential in the area. Now we are conducting a research program aiming at making clear the above scientific issues. So knowing well previous research work and key findings is essential and helpful for our underway study. In this paper we reviewed the current knowledge, opportunity and challenges of forest carbon research in Inner Mongolia. The total carbon storage in forest of this region increased significantly from 0.417Pg carbon in 1949 to 0.719Pg carbon in 2008 with an annual increase of 2.842Tg~5.226Tg carbon and a dramatically increment of carbon storage in shrub. Carbon storage varied with dominant tree species, forest age and forest growth situation with an average forest carbon density of 42.68 t-C.hm-2, displaying a downtrend before 1980 and later a slow smooth uptrend. It is suggested that increase in vegetation carbon sequestration potential be achieved through selection of plant species and forest management.

The Influence of Land Use on the Grassland Fire Occurrence in the Northeastern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.

PubMed

Li, Yiping; Zhao, Jianjun; Guo, Xiaoyi; Zhang, Zhengxiang; Tan, Gang; Yang, Jihong

2017-02-23

Grassland, as one of the most important ecosystems on Earth, experiences fires that affect the local ecology, economy and society. Notably, grassland fires occur frequently each year in northeastern China. Fire occurrence is a complex problem with multiple causes, such as natural factors, human activities and land use. This paper investigates the disruptive effects of grassland fire in the northeastern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. In this study, we relied on thermal anomaly detection from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor to identify fire occurrences, and land use data were acquired by Landsat Thematic Mapper/Enhanced Thematic Mapper (TM/ETM). We discussed the relationship between land use and the spatial distribution of grassland fires. The results showed that the impact of land use on grassland fires was significant. Spatially, approximately 80% of grassland fires were clustered within 10 km of cultivated land, and grassland fires generally occurred in areas of intense human activity. The correlation between the spatial distribution of grassland fires and the land use degree in 2000, 2005 and 2010 was high, with R² values of 0.686, 0.716, 0.633, respectively ( p < 0.01). These results highlight the importance of the relationship between land use and grassland fire occurrence in the northeastern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. This study provides significance for local fire management and prevention.

Herders’ willingness to accept versus the public sector’s willingness to pay for grassland restoration in the Xilingol League of Inner Mongolia, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhen, L.; Li, F.; Yan, H. M.; Liu, G. H.; Liu, J. Y.; Zhang, H. Y.; Du, B. Z.; Wu, R. Z.; Sun, C. Z.; Wang, C.

2014-04-01

This paper describes two payment for ecosystem services (PES) programs to restore grassland ecosystems in Inner Mongolia in Northern China. A key challenge is to sustain the livelihood of local residents, who earn most of their income from traditional animal husbandry. We surveyed 240 herders and 36 government representatives in 2 years. We used contingent valuation and logistic regression to analyze the resulting data. Since the PES implementation, income from cultivation and animal grazing decreased, whereas income from compensation and off-farm activities increased. The herders preferred an annual payment of 625 Chinese yuan (CNY ) ha-1 for participating in conservation activities, but the government prefers to provide 528 CNY ha-1, resulting in an annual gap of 97 CNY ha-1. The current too-low payments may lead some herders to expand their grazing into restricted grassland or increase their number of animals, particularly if either payment program ends. The herders were most concerned about their economic loss, whereas the government considered both grassland restoration and income protection to be important. To create an improved and sustainable PES scheme, we recommend solutions that will let the herders sustain their livelihood while conserving the grasslands. Our findings will help to establish more effective PES schemes for the grasslands of Inner Mongolia and similar regions.

The Influence of Land Use on the Grassland Fire Occurrence in the Northeastern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China

PubMed Central

Li, Yiping; Zhao, Jianjun; Guo, Xiaoyi; Zhang, Zhengxiang; Tan, Gang; Yang, Jihong

2017-01-01

Grassland, as one of the most important ecosystems on Earth, experiences fires that affect the local ecology, economy and society. Notably, grassland fires occur frequently each year in northeastern China. Fire occurrence is a complex problem with multiple causes, such as natural factors, human activities and land use. This paper investigates the disruptive effects of grassland fire in the northeastern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. In this study, we relied on thermal anomaly detection from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor to identify fire occurrences, and land use data were acquired by Landsat Thematic Mapper/Enhanced Thematic Mapper (TM/ETM). We discussed the relationship between land use and the spatial distribution of grassland fires. The results showed that the impact of land use on grassland fires was significant. Spatially, approximately 80% of grassland fires were clustered within 10 km of cultivated land, and grassland fires generally occurred in areas of intense human activity. The correlation between the spatial distribution of grassland fires and the land use degree in 2000, 2005 and 2010 was high, with R2 values of 0.686, 0.716, 0.633, respectively (p < 0.01). These results highlight the importance of the relationship between land use and grassland fire occurrence in the northeastern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. This study provides significance for local fire management and prevention. PMID:28241476

Analysis of flow process variation degree and influencing factors in inner Mongolia reach of the Yellow River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, S. Y.; Zhang, P.; Zhao, W. R.

2017-06-01

The provincial hydrological sections of Shizuishan and Toudaoguai are selected as the object of study to analyze flow process variation degree and influencing factor in Inner Mongolia reach of the Yellow River, according to observe and natural monthly runoff from 1956 to 2013. The result shows that there are three phases of the flow process variation degree of the two sections, namely the year 1956 to 1968, 1969 to 1986 and 1987 to 2013, and which increase by phases. The markings appear to decrease by phases and the marking in Toudaoguai section is lower than that in Shizuishan section. The key reasons of the above features are water consumption of industry and agriculture along the river and reservoir operation of Longyangxia and Liujiaxia.

Land Cover Change Detection using Neural Network and Grid Cells Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bagan, H.; Li, Z.; Tangud, T.; Yamagata, Y.

2017-12-01

In recent years, many advanced neural network methods have been applied in land cover classification, each of which has both strengths and limitations. In which, the self-organizing map (SOM) neural network method have been used to solve remote sensing data classification problems and have shown potential for efficient classification of remote sensing data. In SOM, both the distribution and the topology of features of the input layer are identified by using an unsupervised, competitive, neighborhood learning method. The high-dimensional data are then projected onto a low-dimensional map (competitive layer), usually as a two-dimensional map. The neurons (nodes) in the competitive layer are arranged by topological order in the input space. Spatio-temporal analyses of land cover change based on grid cells have demonstrated that gridded data are useful for obtaining spatial and temporal information about areas that are smaller than municipal scale and are uniform in size. Analysis based on grid cells has many advantages: grid cells all have the same size allowing for easy comparison; grids integrate easily with other scientific data; grids are stable over time and thus facilitate the modelling and analysis of very large multivariate spatial data sets. This study chose time-series MODIS and Landsat images as data sources, applied SOM neural network method to identify the land utilization in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. Then the results were integrated into grid cell to get the dynamic change maps. Land cover change using MODIS data in Inner Mongolia showed that urban area increased more than fivefold in recent 15 years, along with the growth of mining area. In terms of geographical distribution, the most obvious place of urban expansion is Ordos in southwest Inner Mongolia. The results using Landsat images from 1986 to 2014 in northeastern part of the Inner Mongolia show degradation in grassland from 1986 to 2014. Grid-cell-based spatial correlation analysis also confirmed a strong negative correlation between grassland and barren land, indicating that grassland degradation in this region is due to the urbanization and coal mining activities over the past three decades.

HUMAN NAILS AS A BIOMARKER OF ARSENIC EXPOSURE FROM WELL WATER IN AN INNER MONGOLIAN POPULATION: COMPARING ATOMIC FLUORESCENSE SPECTROMETRY AND NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS

EPA Science Inventory

Arsenic (As) is found naturally in the geological strata within the Ba Men Region of West Central Inner Mongolia, China. Residents here have been chronically exposed to a wide range of drinking water As levels for more than 20 years. Nails and drinking water samples were collec...

78 FR 56860 - Honey From the People's Republic of China: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-16

... Global Logistics (Shanghai) Co. 10. Baiste Trading Co., Ltd. 11. Cheng Du Wai Yuan Bee Products Co., Ltd... Industry Co., Ltd. 15. Eurasia Bee's Products Co., Ltd. 16. Feidong Foreign Trade Co., Ltd. 17. Fresh Honey... Healthy Products Co. Ltd. 23. Hubei Yusun Co., Ltd. 24. Inner Mongolia Altin Bee-Keeping 25. Inner...

Dataset on energy efficiency assessment and measurement method for child-friendly space in cold residential area.

PubMed

Ren, Kai; Xu, Leiqing

2017-10-01

The data related in this paper are related to "Environmental-behavior studies of sustainable construction of the third place - based on outdoor environment-behavior cross-feed symbiotic analysis and verification of selective activities" (Ren, 2017) [1]. The dataset was from a field sub-time extended investigation to children of Hohhot West Inner Mongolia Electric Power Community Residential Area in Inner Mongolia of China that belongs to cold region of ID area according to Chinese design code for buildings. This filed data provided descriptive statistics about outdoor time, behavior scale specificity, age exclusivity and self-centeredness for children in different ages (babies, preschool children, school age children). This data provided five measurement elements of child-friendly space and their weight ratio. The field data set is made publicly available to enable critical or extended analyzes.

Microbial Community in High Arsenic Shallow Groundwater Aquifers in Hetao Basin of Inner Mongolia, China

PubMed Central

Li, Ping; Wang, Yanhong; Dai, Xinyue; Zhang, Rui; Jiang, Zhou; Jiang, Dawei; Wang, Shang; Jiang, Hongchen; Wang, Yanxin; Dong, Hailiang

2015-01-01

A survey was carried out on the microbial community of 20 groundwater samples (4 low and 16 high arsenic groundwater) and 19 sediments from three boreholes (two high arsenic and one low arsenic boreholes) in a high arsenic groundwater system located in Hetao Basin, Inner Mongolia, using the 454 pyrosequencing approach. A total of 233,704 sequence reads were obtained and classified into 12–267 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Groundwater and sediment samples were divided into low and high arsenic groups based on measured geochemical parameters and microbial communities, by hierarchical clustering and principal coordinates analysis. Richness and diversity of the microbial communities in high arsenic sediments are higher than those in high arsenic groundwater. Microbial community structure was significantly different either between low and high arsenic samples or between groundwater and sediments. Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter and Alishewanella were the top four genera in high arsenic groundwater, while Thiobacillus, Pseudomonas, Hydrogenophaga, Enterobacteriaceae, Sulfuricurvum and Arthrobacter dominated high arsenic sediments. Archaeal sequences in high arsenic groundwater were mostly related to methanogens. Biota-environment matching and co-inertia analyses showed that arsenic, total organic carbon, SO4 2-, SO4 2-/total sulfur ratio, and Fe2+ were important environmental factors shaping the observed microbial communities. The results of this study expand our current understanding of microbial ecology in high arsenic groundwater aquifers and emphasize the potential importance of microbes in arsenic transformation in the Hetao Basin, Inner Mongolia. PMID:25970606

Microbial community in high arsenic shallow groundwater aquifers in Hetao Basin of Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Li, Ping; Wang, Yanhong; Dai, Xinyue; Zhang, Rui; Jiang, Zhou; Jiang, Dawei; Wang, Shang; Jiang, Hongchen; Wang, Yanxin; Dong, Hailiang

2015-01-01

A survey was carried out on the microbial community of 20 groundwater samples (4 low and 16 high arsenic groundwater) and 19 sediments from three boreholes (two high arsenic and one low arsenic boreholes) in a high arsenic groundwater system located in Hetao Basin, Inner Mongolia, using the 454 pyrosequencing approach. A total of 233,704 sequence reads were obtained and classified into 12-267 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Groundwater and sediment samples were divided into low and high arsenic groups based on measured geochemical parameters and microbial communities, by hierarchical clustering and principal coordinates analysis. Richness and diversity of the microbial communities in high arsenic sediments are higher than those in high arsenic groundwater. Microbial community structure was significantly different either between low and high arsenic samples or between groundwater and sediments. Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter and Alishewanella were the top four genera in high arsenic groundwater, while Thiobacillus, Pseudomonas, Hydrogenophaga, Enterobacteriaceae, Sulfuricurvum and Arthrobacter dominated high arsenic sediments. Archaeal sequences in high arsenic groundwater were mostly related to methanogens. Biota-environment matching and co-inertia analyses showed that arsenic, total organic carbon, SO4(2-), SO4(2-)/total sulfur ratio, and Fe(2+) were important environmental factors shaping the observed microbial communities. The results of this study expand our current understanding of microbial ecology in high arsenic groundwater aquifers and emphasize the potential importance of microbes in arsenic transformation in the Hetao Basin, Inner Mongolia.

Shift in soil microbial communities with shrub encroachment in Inner Mongolia grasslands, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, H.; Li, H.; Zhang, J.; Hu, H.; Chen, L.; Zhu, Y.; Fang, J.

2017-12-01

The ongoing expansion of shrub encroachment into grasslands represents a unique form of land cover change. How this process affects soil microbial communities is poorly understood. In this study, we aim to assess the effects of shrub encroachment on soil microbial biomass, abundance and composition by comparing data between shrub patches and neighboring herb patches in shrub-encroached grasslands (SEGs) in Inner Mongolia, China. Fourteen SEG sites from two ecosystem types (typical and desert grasslands) were investigated. The phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) method was used to analyze the composition and biomass of the soil microbial community. Our results showed that the top-soil microbial biomass and abundances of gram-negative bacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and actinomycetes were significantly higher in shrub patches than in herb patches in both typical and desert grasslands (P < 0.05). The fungi to bacteria ratio was significantly higher in shrub patches than in herb patches in desert grassland (P < 0.05). The microbial biomass was positively associated with mean annual precipitation, total nitrogen and available phosphorus, and negatively associated with mean annual temperature. Our results also indicated that the variation in microbial composition was largely explained by edaphic factors, followed by climate factors. In conclusion, shrub encroachment in Inner Mongolia grasslands has significantly influenced the structure and abundance of soil microbial communities, which makes the microbial communities toward a fresh organic carbon-based structure. This study highlights the importance of edaphic and climate factors in microbial community shifts in SEGs.

Baiyun Ebo, China

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-04-11

Acquired by NASA Terra spacecraft, this image shows a mine in Baiyun Ebo, Inner Mongolia, China, the site of almost half the world rare earth production. China is responsible for over 95% of global production of rare earth elements.

The Reasons and Solutions for Problems in Rural School Consolidation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qingyang, Guo

2013-01-01

Based on investigations in six midwestern provinces/autonomous regions, Hubei, Henan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia, this article analyzes the reasons for problems in the process of consolidating rural schools and their solutions.

Control of Lunar and Martian dust--experimental insights from artificial and natural cyanobacterial and algal crusts in the desert of Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Liu, Yongding; Cockell, Charles S; Wang, Gaohong; Hu, Chunxiang; Chen, Lanzhou; De Philippis, Roberto

2008-02-01

Studies on the colonization of environmentally extreme ground surfaces were conducted in a Mars-like desert area of Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China, with microalgae and cyanobacteria. We collected and mass-cultured cyanobacterial strains from these regions and investigated their ability to form desert crusts artificially. These crusts had the capacity to resist sand wind erosion after just 15 days of growth. Similar to the surface of some Chinese deserts, the surface of Mars is characterized by a layer of fine dust, which will challenge future human exploration activities, particularly in confined spaces that will include greenhouses and habitats. We discuss the use of such crusts for the local control of desert sands in enclosed spaces on Mars. These experiments suggest innovative new directions in the applied use of microbe-mineral interactions to advance the human exploration and settlement of space.

Flight aerodynamics in enantiornithines: Information from a new Chinese Early Cretaceous bird.

PubMed

Liu, Di; Chiappe, Luis M; Serrano, Francisco; Habib, Michael; Zhang, Yuguang; Meng, Qinjing

2017-01-01

We describe an exquisitely preserved new avian fossil (BMNHC-PH-919) from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of eastern Inner Mongolia, China. Although morphologically similar to Cathayornithidae and other small-sized enantiornithines from China's Jehol Biota, many morphological features indicate that it represents a new species, here named Junornis houi. The new fossil displays most of its plumage including a pair of elongated, rachis-dominated tail feathers similarly present in a variety of other enantiornithines. BMNHC-PH-919 represents the first record of a Jehol enantiornithine from Inner Mongolia, thus extending the known distribution of these birds into the eastern portion of this region. Furthermore, its well-preserved skeleton and wing outline provide insight into the aerodynamic performance of enantiornithines, suggesting that these birds had evolved bounding flight-a flight mode common to passeriforms and other small living birds-as early as 125 million years ago.

Flight aerodynamics in enantiornithines: Information from a new Chinese Early Cretaceous bird

PubMed Central

Liu, Di; Serrano, Francisco; Habib, Michael; Zhang, Yuguang; Meng, Qinjing

2017-01-01

We describe an exquisitely preserved new avian fossil (BMNHC-PH-919) from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of eastern Inner Mongolia, China. Although morphologically similar to Cathayornithidae and other small-sized enantiornithines from China’s Jehol Biota, many morphological features indicate that it represents a new species, here named Junornis houi. The new fossil displays most of its plumage including a pair of elongated, rachis-dominated tail feathers similarly present in a variety of other enantiornithines. BMNHC-PH-919 represents the first record of a Jehol enantiornithine from Inner Mongolia, thus extending the known distribution of these birds into the eastern portion of this region. Furthermore, its well-preserved skeleton and wing outline provide insight into the aerodynamic performance of enantiornithines, suggesting that these birds had evolved bounding flight—a flight mode common to passeriforms and other small living birds—as early as 125 million years ago. PMID:29020077

The Relative Importance of Spatial and Local Environmental Factors in Determining Beetle Assemblages in the Inner Mongolia Grassland.

PubMed

Yu, Xiao-Dong; Lü, Liang; Wang, Feng-Yan; Luo, Tian-Hong; Zou, Si-Si; Wang, Cheng-Bin; Song, Ting-Ting; Zhou, Hong-Zhang

2016-01-01

The aim of this paper is to increase understanding of the relative importance of the input of geographic and local environmental factors on richness and composition of epigaeic steppe beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae and Tenebrionidae) along a geographic (longitudinal/precipitation) gradient in the Inner Mongolia grassland. Specifically, we evaluate the associations of environmental variables representing climate and environmental heterogeneity with beetle assemblages. Beetles were sampled using pitfall traps at 25 sites scattered across the full geographic extent of the study biome in 2011-2012. We used variance partitioning techniques and multi-model selection based on the Akaike information criterion to assess the relative importance of the spatial and environmental variables on beetle assemblages. Species richness and abundance showed unimodal patterns along the geographic gradient. Together with space, climate variables associated with precipitation, water-energy balance and harshness of climate had strong explanatory power in richness pattern. Abundance pattern showed strongest association with variation in temperature and environmental heterogeneity. Climatic factors associated with temperature and precipitation variables and the interaction between climate with space were able to explain a substantial amount of variation in community structure. In addition, the turnover of species increased significantly as geographic distances increased. We confirmed that spatial and local environmental factors worked together to shape epigaeic beetle communities along the geographic gradient in the Inner Mongolia grassland. Moreover, the climate features, especially precipitation, water-energy balance and temperature, and the interaction between climate with space and environmental heterogeneity appeared to play important roles on controlling richness and abundance, and species compositions of epigaeic beetles.

Grazing limits natural biological controls of woody encroachment in Inner Mongolia Steppe

PubMed Central

Guo, Hongyu; Guan, Linjing; Wang, Yinhua; Xie, Lina; Prather, Chelse M.; Liu, Chunguang

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Woody encroachment in grasslands has become increasingly problematic globally. Grazing by domestic animals can facilitate woody encroachment by reducing competition from herbaceous plants and fire frequency. Herbivorous insects and parasitic plants can each exert forces that result in the natural biological control of encroaching woody plants through reducing seeding of their host woody plants. However, the interplay of grazing and dynamics of herbivorous insects or parasitic plants, and its effects on the potential biological control of woody encroachment in grasslands remains unclear. We investigated the flower and pod damage by herbivorous insects, and the infection rates of a parasitic plant on the shrub Caragana microphylla, which is currently encroaching in Inner Mongolia Steppe, under different grazing management treatments (33-year non-grazed, 7-year non-grazed, currently grazed). Our results showed that Caragana biomass was highest at the currently grazed site, and lowest at the 33-year non-grazed site. Herbaceous plant biomass followed the opposite pattern, suggesting that grazing is indeed facilitating the encroachment of Caragana plants in Inner Mongolia Steppe. Grazing also reduced the abundance of herbivorous insects per Caragana flower, numbers of flowers and pods damaged by insect herbivores, and the infection rates of the parasitic plant on Caragana plants. Our results suggest that grazing may facilitate woody encroachment in grasslands not only through canonical mechanisms (e.g. competitive release via feeding on grasses, reductions in fires, etc.), but also by limiting natural biological controls of woody plants (herbivorous insects and parasitic plants). Thus, management efforts must focus on preventing overgrazing to better protect grassland ecosystems from woody encroachment. PMID:28912357

Factors associated with skipping breakfast among Inner Mongolia medical students in China.

PubMed

Sun, Juan; Yi, He; Liu, Zhiyue; Wu, Yan; Bian, Jiang; Wu, Yanyan; Eshita, Yuki; Li, Gaimei; Zhang, Qing; Yang, Ying

2013-01-17

Few studies on the breakfast consumption habits of medical students in China have been carried out. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of skipping breakfast and factors associated with skipping breakfast among medical students in Inner Mongolia of China, and to assist in the design of interventions to improve breakfast consumption habits of medical college students in this region. From December 2010 to January 2011 a cross-sectional survey was conducted among medical students in the Inner Mongolia Medical College using a self-administered questionnaire. The prevalence of skipping breakfast in relation to lifestyle habits was described and factors associated with breakfast consumption were identified using multiple logistic regression analysis. The overall prevalence of skipping breakfast was 41.7% and 23.5% for males and females, respectively. The Faculty of Medicine Information Management had the highest breakfast skipping prevalence. Logistic regression models found that the main factors associated with breakfast consumption habits among medical students were gender, class years of education, monthly expenses, faculty, appetite, sleeping quality, and the learning process; monthly expenses, sleeping quality, and the learning process showed a dose-dependent relationship. Breakfast consumption was associated with many factors, most importantly monthly expenses, sleeping quality and the learning process. The prevalence of skipping breakfast is significantly higher compared recently reported figures for medical students in western countries and other areas of China. Improvement of breakfast education should be considered for students in which higher monthly expenses, poor sleeping quality, or a laborious learning process have been identified.

C4 expansion in the central Inner Mongolia during the latest Miocene and early Pliocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Chunfu; Wang, Yang; Deng, Tao; Wang, Xiaoming; Biasatti, Dana; Xu, Yingfeng; Li, Qiang

2009-10-01

The emergence of C4 photosynthesis in plants as a significant component of terrestrial ecosystems is thought to be an adaptive response to changes in atmospheric CO 2 concentration and/or climate during Neogene times and has had a profound effect on the global terrestrial biosphere. Although expansion of C4 grasses in the latest Miocene and Pliocene has been widely documented around the world, the spatial and temporal variations in the C4 expansion are still not well understood and its driving mechanisms remain a contentious issue. Here we present the results of carbon and oxygen isotope analyses of fossil and modern mammalian tooth enamel samples from the central Inner Mongolia. Our samples represent a diverse group of herbivorous mammals including deer, elephants, rhinos, horses and giraffes, ranging in age from the late Oligocene to modern. The δ13C values of 91 tooth enamel samples of early late-Miocene age or older, with the exception of two 13 Ma rhino samples (- 7.8 and - 7.6‰) and one 8.5 Ma suspected rhino sample (- 7.6‰), were all less than - 8.0‰ (VPDB), indicating that there were no C4 grasses present in their diets and thus probably few or no C4 grasses in the ecosystems of the central Inner Mongolia prior to ~ 8 Ma. However, 12 out of 26 tooth enamel samples of younger ages (~ 7.5 Ma to ~ 3.9 Ma) have δ13C values higher than - 8.0‰ (up to - 2.4‰), indicating that herbivores in the area had variable diets ranging from pure C3 to mixed C3-C4 vegetation during that time interval. The presence of C4 grasses in herbivores' diets (up to ~ 76% C4) suggests that C4 grasses were a significant component of the local ecosystems in the latest Miocene and early Pliocene, consistent with the hypothesis of a global factor as the driving mechanism of the late Miocene C4 expansion. Today, C3 grasses dominate grasslands in the central Inner Mongolia area. The retreat of C4 grasses from this area after the early Pliocene may have been driven by regional climate change associated with tectonic processes in central Asia as well as global climate change.

Prevalence, awareness, treatment, control and risk factors related to hypertension among urban adults in Inner Mongolia 2014: differences between Mongolian and Han populations.

PubMed

Li, Guoju; Wang, Hailing; Wang, Ke; Wang, Wenrui; Dong, Fen; Qian, Yonggang; Gong, Haiying; Xu, Guodong; Li, Yanlong; Pan, Li; Wang, Bin; Zhu, Guangjin; Shan, Guangliang

2016-04-01

Han and Mongolian populations constitute approximately 96% of the population of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and the two ethnic groups have different genetic backgrounds and lifestyle. We aim to assess the prevalence, awareness, treatment, control, and related risk factors of hypertension among urban adults in Inner Mongolia, with the comparison of the differences between Mongolian and Han populations in this respect. Three thousand two hundred fifty-one individuals aged 20-80 years (2326 Han and 925 Mongolian) were selected using a multistage cluster sampling method from Inner Mongolia in 2014. The adjusted prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension were evaluated by the Logistic regression. In addition, possible interactions were also tested. When interactions were found significant, strata-specific analysis were performed. Multivariate logistic regression was used for estimating independent associations between risk factors and hypertension. The prevalence of hypertension was 27.47% for Han population, 31.46% for Mongolian population. The adjusted prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension were 26.45, 65.43, 78.24 and 48.28% in Han, and 31.30, 68.22, 85.57 and 50.55% in Mongolian, respectively. There was no significant difference in the adjusted awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among Mongolian and Han adult residents (all P >0.05). Lower prevalence of hypertension was associated with younger age and healthy weight in both Mongolian and Han adults. Within Han adults, high education, moderate physical activity and non-alcohol drinkers were additionally associated with lower prevalence of hypertension, whereas within Mongolian adults, lower prevalence was associated with being female. Among residents with medium education level, nondrinkers had 0.60 times lower odds of having hypertension than current drinkers (OR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.44-0.82); among residents with high education level, nondrinkers has 0.65 times lower odds of having hypertension than current drinkers (OR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.43-0.97). Mongolian population had a higher prevalence of hypertension than Han population. There were no significant difference between Mongolian and Han population in awareness, treatment and control of hypertension, which suggested that there was no difference between the two ethnicities in the distribution of health resources.

Drought evolution characteristics and precipitation intensity changes during alternating dry-wet changes in the Huang-Huai-Hai River basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, D. H.; Wu, D.; Huang, R.; Wang, L. N.; Yang, G. Y.

2013-03-01

According to the Chinese climate divisions and the Huang-Huai-Hai River basin digital elevation map, the basin is divided into seven sub-regions by means of cluster analysis of the basin meteorological stations using the self-organizing map (SOM) neural network method. Based on the daily precipitation data of 171 stations for the years 1961-2011, the drought frequency changes with different magnitudes are analyzed and the number of consecutive days without precipitation is used to identify the drought magnitudes. The first precipitation intensity after a drought period is analyzed with the Pearson-III frequency curve, then the relationship between rainfall intensity and different drought magnitudes is observed, as are the drought frequency changes for different years. The results of the study indicated the following: (1) the occurrence frequency of different drought level shows an overall increasing trend; there is no clear interdecadal change shown, but the spatial difference is significant. The occurrence frequencies of severe and extraordinary drought are higher on the North China Plain, Hetao Plains in Ningxia-Inner Mongolia, as well as on the Inner Mongolia and the Loess Plateaus, and in the Fen-Wei Valley basin. (2) As the drought level increases, the probability of extraordinary rainstorm becomes lower, and the frequency of occurrence of spatial changes in different precipitation intensities vary. In the areas surrounding Bo Sea, the Shandong Peninsula and the Huai River downstream, as the drought level increases, the occurrence frequency of different precipitation intensities first shows a decreasing trend, which becomes an increasing trend when extraordinary drought occurs. In the middle and upper reaches of the Huai River basin, on the Hai River basin piedmont plain and Hetao Plains in Ningxia-Inner Mongolia, Inner Mongolia and Loess Plateaus, and in the Fen-Wei Valley basin, the probability of the different precipitation intensities shows an overall decreasing trend. The mountains with high attitude and Tibetan Plateau are located at high altitudes where the variation of different precipitation intensities with the increase in drought level is relatively complex. (3) As the drought frequency increases, areas I, II and V which are located on the coastal and in the river basin are vulnerable to extreme precipitation processes; areas III, IV, VI and VII are located in the inland area where heavier precipitation is not likely to occur.

Asia Lakes

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2013-04-16

... of oil were expanded in 2000. Important industries include coal mining and the production of food and wool. The region is also of ... interest; a large mammoth skeleton excavated from one of the coal mines near Manzhouli is on display at the Inner Mongolia Museum in Huhhot, ...

Maternal drinking water arsenic exposure and perinatal outcomes in Inner Mongolia, China

EPA Science Inventory

Exposure to high levels of arsenic has been reported to increase adverse birth outcomes including spontaneous abortion, preterm birth, and low birthweight. This study evaluated the relationship between maternal arsenic exposure and perinatal endpoints (term birthweight, preterm ...

Genetic polymorphisms of nine X-STR loci in four population groups from Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Hou, Qiao-Fang; Yu, Bin; Li, Sheng-Bin

2007-02-01

Nine short tandem repeat (STR) markers on the X chromosome (DXS101, DXS6789, DXS6799, DXS6804, DXS7132, DXS7133, DXS7423, DXS8378, and HPRTB) were analyzed in four population groups (Mongol, Ewenki, Oroqen, and Daur) from Inner Mongolia, China, in order to learn about the genetic diversity, forensic suitability, and possible genetic affinities of the populations. Frequency estimates, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and other parameters of forensic interest were computed. The results revealed that the nine markers have a moderate degree of variability in the population groups. Most heterozygosity values for the nine loci range from 0.480 to 0.891, and there are evident differences of genetic variability among the populations. A UPGMA tree constructed on the basis of the generated data shows very low genetic distance between Mongol and Han (Xi'an) populations. Our results based on genetic distance analysis are consistent with the results of earlier studies based on linguistics and the immigration history and origin of these populations. The minisatellite loci on the X chromosome studied here are not only useful in showing significant genetic variation between the populations, but also are suitable for human identity testing among Inner Mongolian populations.

PREGNANCY AND PERINATAL HEALTH, BAMEN, INNER MONGOLIA, CHINA

EPA Science Inventory

For developing countries, especially in remote rural areas, measures of maternal and perinatal health may be difficult to obtain because it is not systematically collected and/or electronic data is not available. We assisted the public health officials of Bayingnormen (BaMen), In...

Grazing limits natural biological controls of woody encroachment in Inner Mongolia Steppe.

PubMed

Guo, Hongyu; Guan, Linjing; Wang, Yinhua; Xie, Lina; Prather, Chelse M; Liu, Chunguang; Ma, Chengcang

2017-10-15

Woody encroachment in grasslands has become increasingly problematic globally. Grazing by domestic animals can facilitate woody encroachment by reducing competition from herbaceous plants and fire frequency. Herbivorous insects and parasitic plants can each exert forces that result in the natural biological control of encroaching woody plants through reducing seeding of their host woody plants. However, the interplay of grazing and dynamics of herbivorous insects or parasitic plants, and its effects on the potential biological control of woody encroachment in grasslands remains unclear. We investigated the flower and pod damage by herbivorous insects, and the infection rates of a parasitic plant on the shrub Caragana microphylla , which is currently encroaching in Inner Mongolia Steppe, under different grazing management treatments (33-year non-grazed, 7-year non-grazed, currently grazed). Our results showed that Caragana biomass was highest at the currently grazed site, and lowest at the 33-year non-grazed site. Herbaceous plant biomass followed the opposite pattern, suggesting that grazing is indeed facilitating the encroachment of Caragana plants in Inner Mongolia Steppe. Grazing also reduced the abundance of herbivorous insects per Caragana flower, numbers of flowers and pods damaged by insect herbivores, and the infection rates of the parasitic plant on Caragana plants. Our results suggest that grazing may facilitate woody encroachment in grasslands not only through canonical mechanisms (e.g. competitive release via feeding on grasses, reductions in fires, etc.), but also by limiting natural biological controls of woody plants (herbivorous insects and parasitic plants). Thus, management efforts must focus on preventing overgrazing to better protect grassland ecosystems from woody encroachment. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

The return periods and risk assessment of severe dust storms in Inner Mongolia with consideration of the main contributing factors.

PubMed

Liu, Xueqin; Li, Ning; Xie, Wei; Wu, Jidong; Zhang, Peng; Ji, Zhonghui

2012-09-01

This study presents a methodology for return period analysis and risk assessment of severe dust storm disaster. Meteorological observation data, soil moisture data, and remote sensing data from 30 meteorological stations in Inner Mongolia (western China) from 1985 to 2006 were used for the study. A composite index of severe dust storm disaster (Index I (SDS)) based on the influence mechanisms of the main contributing factors was developed by using the analytic hierarchy process and the weighted comprehensive method, and the hazard risk curves (i.e., the transcendental probability curves of I (SDS)) for the 30 stations were established using the parameter estimation method. We then analyzed the risk of the occurrence of severe dust storm under different scenarios of 5-, 10-, 20-, and 50-year return periods. The results show that the risk decreased from west to east across Inner Mongolia, and there are four severe dust storm occurrence peak value centers, including Guaizihu, Jilantai, Hailisu, and Zhurihe-Erenhot. The severity of dust storms in seven places will be intolerable in the 50-year return period scenario and in three places in the 20-year return period scenario. These results indicate that these locations should concentrate forces on disaster prevention, monitoring, and early warning. The I (SDS) was developed as an easily understandable tool useful for the assessment and comparison of the relative risk of severe dust storm disasters in different areas. The risk assessment was specifically intended to support local and national government agencies in their management of severe dust storm disasters in their efforts to (1) make resource allocation decisions, (2) make high-level planning decisions, and (3) raise public awareness of severe dust storm risk.

Soil organic matter dynamics under different land-use in grasslands in Inner Mongolia (northern China)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, L.; Wu, W.; Xu, X.; Xu, Y.

2014-04-01

We examined bulk soil properties and molecular biomarker distributions in surface soils from Inner Mongolia grasslands in order to understand the responses of soil organic matter to different land-use. The total of sixteen soils were collected from severely degraded grassland by overgrazing (DG), native grassland without apparent anthropogenic disturbance (NG), groundwater-sustaining grassland (GG) and restored grassland from previous potato cropland (RG). Compared to NG, soil organic carbon content was lower by 50% in DG, but higher by six-fold in GG and one-fold in RG. The δ13C values of soil organic carbon were -24.2 ± 0.6‰ in DG, -24.9 ± 0.6‰ in NG, -25.1 ± 0.1‰ in RG and -26.2 ± 0.6‰ in GG, reflecting different degradation degrees of soil organic matter or different water use efficiencies. The soils in DG contained the lowest abundance of aliphatic lipids (n-alkanes, n-alkanols, n-alkanoic acids, ω-hydroxylalkanoic acids and α-hydroxylalkanoic acids) and lignin-phenols, suggesting selective removal of these biochemically recalcitrant biomarkers with grassland degradation by microbial respiration or wind erosion. Compared to NG, the soils in GG and RG increased ω-hydroxylalkanoic acids by 60-70%, a biomarker for suberin from roots, and increased α-hydroxylalkanoic acids by 10-20%, a biomarker for both cutin and suberin. Our results demonstrate that the groundwater supply and cultivation-restoration practices in Inner Mongolia grasslands not only enhance soil organic carbon sequestration, but also change the proportions of shoot vs. root-derived carbon in soils. This finding has important implications for global carbon cycle since root derived aliphatic carbon has a longer residence time than the aboveground tissue-derived carbon in soils.

Effects of Simulated Nitrogen Deposition on Soil Net Nitrogen Mineralization in the Meadow Steppe of Inner Mongolia, China

PubMed Central

Liu, Xing-ren; Ren, Jian-qiang; Li, Sheng-gong; Zhang, Qing-wen

2015-01-01

Effects of simulated nitrogen (N) deposition on soil net nitrogen mineralization (NNM) were examined in situ during two growing seasons, using the resin-core technique in the semiarid meadow steppe in Inner Mongolia, China. The aim of this study is to clarify the effect of N levels (0, 10, and 20 kg N ha−1yr−1) and forms (NH4 + and NO3 -) on soil mineral N and NNM. Our results showed that N levels had no significant differences on soil mineral N and NNM. In the first year, three N treatments ((NH4)2SO4, NH4Cl and KNO3) increased soil NH4 + concentrations but had no significant effects on soil NO3 - concentrations. In the second year, (NH4)2SO4 treatment increased soil NO3 - concentrations, NH4Cl and KNO3 treatments decreased them. Three N treatments significantly decreased soil NH4 + concentrations in the later stages of the second year. As for the soil NNM, three N treatments had no significant effects on the rates of soil NNM (R m) and net nitrification (R n) in the first year, but significantly decreased them in the second year. The contribution of N addition to Rm was higher from (NH4)2SO4 than from NH4Cl and KNO3. However, Soil R m was mainly affected by soil water content (SWC), accumulated temperature (Ta), and soil total N (TN). These results suggest that the short-term atmospheric N deposition may inhibit soil NNM in the meadow steppe of Inner Mongolia. PMID:26218275

An investigation on the population structure of mixed infections of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaoying; Liu, Haican; Wei, Jianhao; Wu, Xiaocui; Yu, Qin; Zhao, Xiuqin; Lyu, Jianxin; Lou, Yongliang; Wan, Kanglin

2015-12-01

Mixed infections of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains have attracted more attention due to their increasing frequencies worldwide, especially in the areas of high tuberculosis (TB) prevalence. In this study, we accessed the rates of mixed infections in a setting with high TB prevalence in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. A total of 384 M. tuberculosis isolates from the local TB hospital were subjected to mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable number tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR) typing method. The single clones of the strains with mixed infections were separated by subculturing them on the Löwenstein-Jensen medium. Of these 384 isolates, twelve strains (3.13%) were identified as mixed infections by MIRU-VNTR. Statistical analysis indicated that demographic characteristics and drug susceptibility profiles showed no statistically significant association with the mixed infections. We further subcultured the mixed infection strains and selected 30 clones from the subculture for each mixed infection. Genotyping data revealed that eight (8/12, 66.7%) strains with mixed infections had converted into single infection through subculture. The higher growth rate was associated with the increasing proportion of variant subpopulation through subculture. In conclusion, by using the MIRU-VNTR method, we demonstrate that the prevalence of mixed infections in Inner Mongolia is low. Additionally, our findings reveal that the subculture changes the population structures of mixed infections, and the subpopulation with higher growth rate show better fitness, which is associated with high proportion among the population structure after subculture. This study highlights that the use of clinical specimens, rather than subcultured isolates, is preferred to estimate the prevalence of mixed infections in the specific regions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Source apportionments of PM2.5 organic carbon during the elevated pollution episodes in the Ordos region, Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Khuzestani, Reza Bashiri; Schauer, James J; Shang, Jing; Cai, Tianqi; Fang, Dongqing; Wei, Yongjie; Zhang, Lulu; Zhang, Yuanxun

2018-05-01

The Ordos region in the southwestern part of Inner Mongolia experiences frequent PM concentrations in excess of the national PM 2.5 air quality standards. In order to determine the key sources of PM 2.5 contributing to these pollution episodes, the main sources of PM 2.5 OC during elevated PM episodes in the Inner Mongolia were analyzed and compared with non-polluted days. This will provide insight to the main sources of particulate matter pollution during the high-pollution episodes and the effective seasonal strategies to control sources of particulate matter during months and with the highest PM concentrations that need to be controlled. The PMF source contributions to OC demonstrated that the industrial/coal combustion (4762.77 ± 1061.54 versus 2726.49 ± 469.75 ng/m 3 ; p < 0.001) and mobile source factors (4651.14 ± 681.82 versus 2605.55 ± 276.50 ng/m 3 ; p value < 0.001) showed greater contributions to the elevated concentrations during the episode. The spatial analysis of secondary organic carbon (SOC) factors, regional biomass burning, and biogenic sources did not show significant difference in the pollution episodes and the non-polluted months. In addition, the bivariate polar plots and CWT maps of the industrial/coal combustion and mobile illustrated a regional long-range transport patterns from the external sources to the study area, however, adjacent areas were mostly controlling the contributions of these factors during the PM elevated episodes. The SOC sources, regional biomass burning, and biogenic sources illustrated a regional long-range transport with similar locations found during the elevated pollution episodes compared to the normal situations.

A Case control study of cardiovascular disease and arsenic exposure in Inner Mongolia, China

EPA Science Inventory

Background: Millions of people are at risk from the adverse effects of waterborne arsenic. Although the cardiovascular effects of high exposures to arsenic have been well documented, few individual level prospective studies have assessed cardiovascular risk at moderate exposures....

Biomarkers for assessing potential carcinogenic effects of chronic arsenic exposure in Inner Mongolia, CHINA

EPA Science Inventory

Arsenic is ubiquitous in the environment. Chronic arsenic exposure via drinking water has been associated. with carcinogenic, cardiovascular, neurological and diabetic effects in humans and has been of great public health concern worldwide. In 2001, U.S. Environmental Protection ...

Cardiovascular disease and arsenic exposure in Inner Mongolia, China: a case control study

EPA Science Inventory

BACKGROUND: Millions of people are at risk from the adverse effects of arsenic exposure through drinking water. Increasingly, non-cancer effects such as cardiovascular disease have been associated with drinking water arsenic exposures. However, most studies have been conducted in...

HEALTH EFFECTS FROM CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO ARSENIC VIA DRINKING WATER IN INNER MONGOLIA

EPA Science Inventory

Arsenite and arsenate are widely present in natural waters. The inorganic forms , especially arsenite, are believed to be the most toxic species. Methylation is often considered to be the primary detoxification pathway for the metaboliism of inorganic arsenic. Recently studi...

Expression of fox-related genes in the skin follicles of Inner Mongolia cashmere goat.

PubMed

Han, Wenjing; Li, Xiaoyan; Wang, Lele; Wang, Honghao; Yang, Kun; Wang, Zhixin; Wang, Ruijun; Su, Rui; Liu, Zhihong; Zhao, Yanhong; Zhang, Yanjun; Li, Jinquan

2018-03-01

This study investigated the expression of genes in cashmere goats at different periods of their fetal development. Bioinformatics analysis was used to evaluate data obtained by transcriptome sequencing of fetus skin samples collected from Inner Mongolia cashmere goats on days 45, 55, and 65 of fetal age. We found that FoxN1 , FoxE1 , and FoxI3 genes of the Fox gene family were probably involved in the growth and development of the follicle and the formation of hair, which is consistent with previous findings. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction detecting system and Western blot analysis were employed to study the relative differentially expressed genes FoxN1 , FoxE1 , and FoxI3 in the body skin of cashmere goat fetuses and adult individuals. This study provided new fundamental information for further investigation of the genes related to follicle development and exploration of their roles in hair follicle initiation, growth, and development.

Quantitative Analysis of Driving Factors of Grassland Degradation: A Case Study in Xilin River Basin, Inner Mongolia

PubMed Central

Xie, Yichun; Sha, Zongyao

2012-01-01

Current literature suggests that grassland degradation occurs in areas with poor soil conditions or noticeable environmental changes and is often a result of overgrazing or human disturbances. However, these views are questioned in our analyses. Based on the analysis of satellite vegetation maps from 1984, 1998, and 2004 for the Xilin River Basin, Inner Mongolia, China, and binary logistic regression (BLR) analysis, we observe the following: (1) grassland degradation is positively correlated with the growth density of climax communities; (2) our findings do not support a common notion that a decrease of biological productivity is a direct indicator of grassland degradation; (3) a causal relationship between grazing intensity and grassland degradation was not found; (4) degradation severity increased steadily towards roads but showed different trends near human settlements. This study found complex relationships between vegetation degradation and various microhabitat conditions, for example, elevation, slope, aspect, and proximity to water. PMID:22619613

Sheep Wool δ13C Reveals No Effect of Grazing on the C3/C4 Ratio of Vegetation in the Inner Mongolia–Mongolia Border Region Grasslands

PubMed Central

Auerswald, Karl; Wittmer, Max H.O.M.; Tungalag, Radnaakhand; Bai, Yongfei; Schnyder, Hans

2012-01-01

We tested whether the abundance of C4 vegetation in grasslands of the Mongolian plateau is influenced by grazing conditions. The analysis exploited the politically originated contrast that exists between Mongolia (low stocking rate, transhumant system) and the district of Inner Mongolia, China (high stocking rate, sedentary system). We estimated the proportion of C4 carbon (PC4) in grazed vegetation from the relative carbon isotope ratio (δ13C) of sheep wool sampled from 298 annual shearings originating from 1996 to 2007. Annual stocking rates varying over time and between the districts of both countries were taken from regional statistics. The PC4 pattern within the 0.7 million km2 sampling area was geostatistically analyzed and related to stocking rates and temperature gradients. For similar climatic conditions, PC4 was the same in both countries. Further, a unique relationship was found between PC4 and July temperature on both sides of the border, which explained 71% of the pattern. Stocking rate and grazing system had no significant influences on present-day C3/C4 abundance ratio. This finding suggests that recent changes in the C3/C4 ratio of these grasslands are mainly a consequence of regional warming, not overgrazing. PMID:23029090

Brightness Rural Electrification Program: Renewable Energy in China

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

2004-04-01

Fact sheet describes China's New Brightness Rural Electrification Program to provide electricity for 23 million people in remote areas of China using renewable energy such as wind energy and solar power (photovoltaics). Targets, results, and progress are described. Regions targeted are Inner Mongolia, Tibet, and Gansu.

Elevated Human telomerase reverse transcriptase gene expression in blood cells associated with chronic and arsenic exposure in Inner Mongolia, China

EPA Science Inventory

BACKGROUND: Arsenic exposure is associated with human cancer. Telomerase containing the catalytic subunit, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), can extend telomeres of chromosomes, delay senescence and promoting cell proliferation leading to tumorigenesis. OBJECTIVE:...

JPRS Report, Science & Technology. China: Energy

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-28

Industry, National Economy Urged [Zhou Xiaping, Qu Shiyuan , et al; KEJI RIBAO, 4 Nov 91] 14 Inner Mongolia: Another Future Energy Base Targeted...KEJIRIBAO [SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DAILY] in Chinese 4 Nov 91 p 3 [Article by Zhou Xiaping [0719 0204 1627], Qu Shiyuan 3255 2514 6678], Han Wenke

Trilingual Education and Mongolian Ethnicity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bilik, Naran; Erdene, Has

2016-01-01

Anxieties about Chinese-Mongolian-English trilingual program in Inner Mongolia reflect three linguistic ideologies, that is, the instrumental and the essentialist among Mongolian elites and the assimilationist among Han elites. Mongolian ethnicity is on trial in front of an upsurge of Chinese nationalism. Both pro and con trilingual education…

DRINKING WATER ARSENIC EXPOSURE AND BLOOD PRESSURE IN HEALTHY WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE IN INNER MONGOLIA, CHINA

EPA Science Inventory

The extremely high exposure levels evaluated in prior investigations relating elevated levels of drinking water arsenic and hypertension prevalence make extrapolation to potential vascular effects at lower exposure levels very difficult. A cross-sectional study was conducted on ...

Hospital and patient influencing factors of treatment schemes given to type 2 diabetes mellitus inpatients in Inner Mongolia, China

PubMed Central

Zhang, Nan; McNeil, Edward; Assanangkornchai, Sawitri; Fan, Yancun

2016-01-01

Background: In clinical practice, the physician’s treatment decision making is influenced by many factors besides the patient’s clinical conditions and is the fundamental cause of healthcare inequity and discrimination in healthcare settings. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disease with high prevalence, long average length of stay and high hospitalization rate. Although the treatment of T2DM is well guideline driven, there is a large body of evidence showing the existence of treatment disparities. More empirical studies from the provider side are needed to determine if non-clinical factors influence physician’s treatment choices. Objective: To determine the hospital and patient influencing factors of treatment schemes given to T2DM inpatients in Inner Mongolia, China. Methods: A cross-sectional, hospital-based survey using a cluster sampling technique was conducted in three tertiary hospitals and three county hospitals in Inner Mongolia, China. Treatment schemes were categorized as lifestyle management, oral therapy or insulin therapy according to the national guideline. Socio-demographic characteristics and variables related to severity of disease at the individual level and hospital level were collected. Weighted multinomial logistic regression models were used to determine influencing factors of treatment schemes. Results: Regardless of patients’ clinical conditions and health insurance types, both hospital and patient level variables were associated with treatment schemes. Males were more likely to be given oral therapy (RRR=1.72, 95% CI=1.06-2.81) and insulin therapy (RRR=1.94, 95% CI=1.29-2.91) compared to females who were given lifestyle management more frequently. Compared to the western region, hospitals in the central regions of Inner Mongolia were less likely to prescribe T2DM patients oral therapy (RRR = 0.18, 95% CI=0.05-0.61) and insulin therapy (RRR = 0.20, 95% CI=0.06-0.67) than lifestyle management. Compared with non-reformed tertiary hospitals, reformed tertiary hospitals and county hospitals were less likely to give T2DM patients oral therapy (RRR = 0.07 and 0.1 respectively) and insulin therapy (RRR = 0.11 and 0.17 respectively). Conclusion: Gender was the only socio-demographic factors associated with treatment scheme for T2DM patients. Hospitals from different regions have different T2DM treatment patterns. Implementation of reform was shown to be associated with controlling medication use for T2DM inpatients. Further studies are needed to investigate the causes of unreasonable treatment disparities so that policies can be generated accordingly. PMID:27429746

[Research on the Content Characteristics and Pollution Evaluation of Heavy Metals in Filtered Water and Suspended Particles from Gansu, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia Sections of the Yellow River in Wet Season Using HR-ICP-MS].

PubMed

Ma, Xiao-ling; Liu, Jing-jun; Deng, Feng-yu; Zuo, Hang; Huang, Fang; Zhang, Li-yang; Liu, Ying

2015-10-01

The content characteristics, pollution evaluation and source identification of 6 heavy Metals (Cd, Pb, Cr, As, Cu and Zn) in filtered water and 9 heavy Metals (Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, V, Co, Zn and Mn) in suspended particles from 10 sampling sites such as Zhaojunfuqiao (S1) and Baotoufuqiao (S2), etc. from Gansu, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia sections of the Yellow River in 2012 Wet Season were studied to understand the condition of the heavy metal pollution in Gansu, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia Sections of the Yellow River by using high resolution inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HR-ICP-MS). Multivariate geochemical approaches and statistical analysis were also exploited for assessing the level of heavy metals in filtered water and suspended particles from studied area. The results showed that in filtering water, only the concentrations of Cr exceeded the standard value of Environmental Quality Standard for Surface Water (GB3838-2002) and were the highest (74.8-94.7 μg x L(-1)) among all elements in 10 sampling sites; Single factor pollution index (I(i)) results suggested that the water quality in all sampling sites were contaminated by both Cr and total nitrogen (TN), with the exception of TN in Baotoufuqiao (S2); Integrated Nemerow pollution index (I) indicated that the I values in all sampling sites were between 1-2 (light pollution), which implied that the water quality in Gansu, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia sections, especially downstream sections (S1-S6) of the Yellow River wasn't an ideal source for drinking and using in aquaculture any more. In suspended particles, concentrations of heavy metals were relatively higher than their soil background values in 10 sampling sites, except Ni in S10 (34.7 μg x L(-1)). Index of geo-accumulation (I(geo)) indicated that the I(geo) values of Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, V, Co, Zn and Mn in all sampling sites were less than 1 (unpolluted or unpolluted-moderately polluted), respectively, while I(geo)Cd were the highest in 10 sampling sites among all heavy metals and with the moderately to strong contamination in Zhaojunfuqiao (S1), Baotoufuqiao (S2), Wuhai (S5) and Dongdagouruhuanghekou (S8). The results of this paper would help to supply reliable experimental data for researching of distribution, migration and effective protection of heavy metals in study area.

Indicators of grazing impact in Inner Mongolian steppe ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blank, B.; Breuer, L.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.; Frede, H.-G.

2009-04-01

The DFG research group 536 MAGIM (Matter fluxes in grasslands of Inner Mongolia as influenced by stocking rate) investigates the influence of grazing intensity on matter and water cycles in grazed steppe ecosystems of Inner Mongolia. This Sino-German co-operation applies an interdisciplinary approach to investigate major ecosystem functions and how they are affected by grazing and overgrazing. Within the research group an indicator system is developed to systemize the feedback of ecosystem parameters to the influence of grazing and to analyse, which parameter or parameter group reacts most sensitively. Parameters were measured at up to five different grazing intensities (from ungrazed to heavy grazed) and are related to four thematic indicator groups (plant productivity, atmosphere, pedosphere, hydrosphere). The parameters were scaled to allow assessing the influence of grazing intensity between different sets of parameters. For this the average value of a parameter at the lowest grazing intensity (ungrazed) was set 100%, so that the values at the other intensities could be scaled scaled adequately. Then the difference between highest and lowest grazing intensity was determined. According to this difference the influence of grazing was characterized as weak (< 20% difference), medium (20-40%), strong (40-60%) and very strong (> 60%). Impact of grazing on the parameters will be marked as weak (w), medium (m), strong (s) and very strong (vs) in the text. The group plant productivity includes the vegetation parameters aboveground biomass and belowground biomass. Belowground biomass (s) was significantly different between grazing treatments with the highest value at the ungrazed site (399.00 g m-2 a-1) and the lowest at the heavy grazed site (208.00 g m-2 a-1). Aboveground biomass (m) ranged between 91.33-131.67 g m-2 a-1 and differed significantly between the ungrazed and the heavy grazed site, again with higher values at the ungrazed site (Gao et al. 2008). The group atmosphere consists of micrometeorological parameters, dust flux and deposition as measure of erosive processes and trace gas fluxes. Available energy and soil temperature were always significantly different between two simultaneously measured grazing intensities. Available energy was higher at the ungrazed site in all years measured (mean difference of about 19 W m-2). Soil temperature was lower at the ungrazed site (Ketzer et al. 2008). Dust deposition is important for the C and N balance in semi-arid grasslands and was investigated during the dust storm period from March to May. The largest matter deposition of C (vs) and N (vs) was measured at the ungrazed site with 328.7 (mg Corg m-2 d-1) and 30.30 (mg Nt m-2 d-1) on average. Heavy grazing resulted in average organic carbon and nitrogen deposition of 106.67 (mg Corg m-2 d-1) and 9.8 (mg N m-2 d-1) in average (Hoffmann et al. 2008). Wind driven soil deposition and erosion were influenced heavily by grazing. The critical vegetation cover is about 20-30%, at which net soil losses occur. No significant differences in N trace gas fluxes were found between plots. Mean values of N2O fluxes (s) varied between 0.39 and 1.60 μg N2O-N m-2 h-1 (Holst et al. 2007). During all measuring periods, significantly lower mean soil CH4 uptake at moderate grazing (28 mg C m-2 h-1) as compared to ungrazed (56 μg C m-2 h-1) was found (Liu et al. 2007). The pedosphere indicator group includes soil chemical, soil physical and microbiological parameters. Organic carbon (s) and total N (s) concentrations decreased significantly with increasing grazing intensity. No effect of grazing on pH (w) or soil C/N ratio (w) was detected. Bulk density (m) significantly increased with increasing grazing intensity, from 0.94 g cm-3 at the ungrazed site to 1.28 g cm-3 at the heavily grazed site (Steffens et al. 2008). Also shear strength (m) increased with increasing grazing intensity (Zhao et al. 2007). Gross rates of N mineralization (vs) and nitrification (vs) determined at in situ soil moisture and soil temperature conditions were in a range of 0.5-4.1 mg N kg-1 soil dry weight day)1. In 2005, gross N turnover rates were significantly higher at the ungrazed plots than at the moderately and overgrazed plots (Holst et al. 2007). In the hydrosphere group soil water content (w) was the highest at the ungrazed site and lowest at the heavy grazed site. Compared with moderately grazed treatments, soil water content was little higher in ungrazed treatments after long dryness but lower under wet conditions. Water drop penetration time (s) was higher in the ungrazed plots showing a slight to strong water repellency than in the grazed plots (Zhao et al. 2007). References Gao, Y., Giese, M., Lin, S., Sattelmacher, B., Zhao, Y. and Brueck, H. Belowground net primary productivity and biomass allocation of a grassland in Inner Mongolia is affected by grazing intensity. 2008. Plant and Soil DOI 10.1007/s11104-008-9579-3. Hoffmann, C., Funk, R., Li, Y. and Sommer, M. Effect of grazing on wind driven carbon and nitrogen ratios in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia. 2008. Catena 75: 182-190. Holst, J., Liu, C., Brueggemann, N., Butterbach-Bahl, K., Zheng, X., Wang, Y., Han, S., Yao, Z., Yue, J. and Han, X. Microbial N Turnover and N-Oxide (N2O/NO/NO2) Fluxes in Semi-arid Grassland of Inner Mongolia as influenced by grazing intensity. 2007. Ecosystems. Ketzer, B., Bernhofer, Ch. and Liu, H. Sensitivity of micrometeorological measurements to detect surface characteristics of grasslands in Inner Mongolia. 2008. Int. J. Biometeorol. Liu, C., Holst, J., Brueggemann, N., Butterbach-Bahl, K., Yao, Z., Yue, J., Han, S., Han, X., Kruemmelbein, J., Horn, R. and Zheng, X. Winter-grazing reduces methane uptake by soils of a typical semi-arid steppe in Inner Mongolia, China. 2007. Journal of Atmospheric Environment doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.03.017. Steffens, M., Koelbl, A., Totsche, K. U. and Koegel-Knabner, I. Grazing effects on soil chemical and physical properties in a semiarid steppe of Inner Mongolia (P.R. China). 2008. Geoderma 143: 63-72. Zhao, Y., Peth, S., Kruemmelbein, J., Horn, R., Wang, Z., Steffens, M., Hoffmann, C. and Peng, X. Spatial variability of soil properties affected by grazing intensity in Inner Mongolia grassland. 2007. Ecological Modelling 205: 241-254.

Pluvials, droughts, the Mongol Empire, and modern Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pederson, Neil; Hessl, Amy E.; Baatarbileg, Nachin; Anchukaitis, Kevin J.; Di Cosmo, Nicola

2014-03-01

Although many studies have associated the demise of complex societies with deteriorating climate, few have investigated the connection between an ameliorating environment, surplus resources, energy, and the rise of empires. The 13th-century Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous land empire in world history. Although drought has been proposed as one factor that spurred these conquests, no high-resolution moisture data are available during the rapid development of the Mongol Empire. Here we present a 1,112-y tree-ring reconstruction of warm-season water balance derived from Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica) trees in central Mongolia. Our reconstruction accounts for 56% of the variability in the regional water balance and is significantly correlated with steppe productivity across central Mongolia. In combination with a gridded temperature reconstruction, our results indicate that the regional climate during the conquests of Chinggis Khan's (Genghis Khan's) 13th-century Mongol Empire was warm and persistently wet. This period, characterized by 15 consecutive years of above-average moisture in central Mongolia and coinciding with the rise of Chinggis Khan, is unprecedented over the last 1,112 y. We propose that these climate conditions promoted high grassland productivity and favored the formation of Mongol political and military power. Tree-ring and meteorological data also suggest that the early 21st-century drought in central Mongolia was the hottest drought in the last 1,112 y, consistent with projections of warming over Inner Asia. Future warming may overwhelm increases in precipitation leading to similar heat droughts, with potentially severe consequences for modern Mongolia.

Pluvials, droughts, the Mongol Empire, and modern Mongolia.

PubMed

Pederson, Neil; Hessl, Amy E; Baatarbileg, Nachin; Anchukaitis, Kevin J; Di Cosmo, Nicola

2014-03-25

Although many studies have associated the demise of complex societies with deteriorating climate, few have investigated the connection between an ameliorating environment, surplus resources, energy, and the rise of empires. The 13th-century Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous land empire in world history. Although drought has been proposed as one factor that spurred these conquests, no high-resolution moisture data are available during the rapid development of the Mongol Empire. Here we present a 1,112-y tree-ring reconstruction of warm-season water balance derived from Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica) trees in central Mongolia. Our reconstruction accounts for 56% of the variability in the regional water balance and is significantly correlated with steppe productivity across central Mongolia. In combination with a gridded temperature reconstruction, our results indicate that the regional climate during the conquests of Chinggis Khan's (Genghis Khan's) 13th-century Mongol Empire was warm and persistently wet. This period, characterized by 15 consecutive years of above-average moisture in central Mongolia and coinciding with the rise of Chinggis Khan, is unprecedented over the last 1,112 y. We propose that these climate conditions promoted high grassland productivity and favored the formation of Mongol political and military power. Tree-ring and meteorological data also suggest that the early 21st-century drought in central Mongolia was the hottest drought in the last 1,112 y, consistent with projections of warming over Inner Asia. Future warming may overwhelm increases in precipitation leading to similar heat droughts, with potentially severe consequences for modern Mongolia.

Pluvials, droughts, the Mongol Empire, and modern Mongolia

PubMed Central

Pederson, Neil; Hessl, Amy E.; Baatarbileg, Nachin; Anchukaitis, Kevin J.; Di Cosmo, Nicola

2014-01-01

Although many studies have associated the demise of complex societies with deteriorating climate, few have investigated the connection between an ameliorating environment, surplus resources, energy, and the rise of empires. The 13th-century Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous land empire in world history. Although drought has been proposed as one factor that spurred these conquests, no high-resolution moisture data are available during the rapid development of the Mongol Empire. Here we present a 1,112-y tree-ring reconstruction of warm-season water balance derived from Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica) trees in central Mongolia. Our reconstruction accounts for 56% of the variability in the regional water balance and is significantly correlated with steppe productivity across central Mongolia. In combination with a gridded temperature reconstruction, our results indicate that the regional climate during the conquests of Chinggis Khan’s (Genghis Khan’s) 13th-century Mongol Empire was warm and persistently wet. This period, characterized by 15 consecutive years of above-average moisture in central Mongolia and coinciding with the rise of Chinggis Khan, is unprecedented over the last 1,112 y. We propose that these climate conditions promoted high grassland productivity and favored the formation of Mongol political and military power. Tree-ring and meteorological data also suggest that the early 21st-century drought in central Mongolia was the hottest drought in the last 1,112 y, consistent with projections of warming over Inner Asia. Future warming may overwhelm increases in precipitation leading to similar heat droughts, with potentially severe consequences for modern Mongolia. PMID:24616521

Simulation of hydrology and nitrate transport in the Hetao irrigation district, Inner Mongolia, China

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Intensive agricultural activities in the Hetao irrigation district have severely degraded local aquatic ecosystems and water quality, and Ulansuhai Lake is now the most rapidly degrading eutrophic lake in China. A better understanding of the hydro-agronomic and pollutant transport processes in the a...

The role of chemistry in poisonous plant research: Current status and future prospects

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Poisonous plants are a major cause of economic loss to livestock producers in many parts of the world. Losses include deaths, abortions, birth defects, reduced production and lost forage value. The USDA-ARS-Poisonous Plant Research Lab in collaboration with the Inner Mongolia Agricultural Univers...

Evolving Identities among Russian-Born Buriat Mongolian Children in a Chinese Bilingual School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sartor, Valerie

2016-01-01

This article addresses identity issues among a specific group of Indigenous youth, young Buriat Mongolian students, born in Russia, who struggled to understand their sense of cultural identity while living and studying in Chinese Inner Mongolia. This qualitative research project employed ethnographic methodology. Sociocultural theory, specifically…

78 FR 43143 - Xanthan Gum From the People's Republic of China: Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-19

..., and salts. Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide produced by aerobic fermentation of Xanthomonas campestris... Biotechnologies Fufeng Biotechnologies Co., Co., Ltd. (aka Ltd.)/Shandong Fufeng Inner Mongolia Fermentation Co., Ltd. Fufeng Biotechnologies Co., Ltd.)/ Shandong Fufeng Fermentation Co., Ltd. Deosen Biochemical Ltd...

Microbial diversity in raw milk and traditional fermented dairy products (Hurood cheese and Jueke) from Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Gao, M L; Hou, H M; Teng, X X; Zhu, Y L; Hao, H S; Zhang, G L

2017-03-08

Hurood cheese (HC) and Jueke (Jk) are 2 traditional fermented dairy products produced from raw milk (RM) in the Inner Mongolia region of China. They have a long history of production and consumption. The microbial compositions of RM, HC, and Jk vary greatly, and are influenced by their geographical origins and unique processing methods. In this study, 2 batches of RM, HC, and Jk samples were collected (April and August 2015) from the Zhenglan Banner, a region located in the southern part of Inner Mongolian belonging to the Xilingol league prefecture. The bacterial and fungal diversities of the samples were determined by 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA gene sequence analysis, respectively. A total of 112 bacterial and 30 fungal sequences were identified, with Firmicutes and Ascomycota being the predominant phyla for bacteria and fungi, respectively. Lactococcus and Lactobacillus were identified as the main bacterial genera, whereas Kluyveromyces was the predominant fungus identified in the 3 dairy products. Different bacterial and fungal compositions were observed in RM, HC, and Jk samples collected at different times. These results suggested that time of production may be an important factor influencing the microbial diversity present in RM, HC, and Jk.

The Cricetidae (Rodentia, Mammalia) from the Ulantatal area (Inner Mongolia, China): New data concerning the evolution of Asian cricetids during the Oligocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomes Rodrigues, Helder; Marivaux, Laurent; Vianey-Liaud, Monique

2012-08-01

The Oligocene fossil deposits of Ulantatal in Inner Mongolia show an amazing faunal richness, comparable to the highly diversified contemporaneous faunas from the Valley of Lakes in Central Mongolia. To date, only a few taxa have been described. The present study consists of the description of 13 species of cricetid rodents from seven localities ranging in age from the late Early Oligocene to the Late Oligocene epoch. Most of them are new and belong to Eucricetodontinae, the dominating cricetid group at Ulantatal. These taxa give new information regarding the evolution of the Cricetidae in Central and Eastern Asia during the Oligocene. Four new species, Eucricetodon jilantaiensis nov. sp., Eucricetodon bagus nov. sp., Bagacricetodon tongi nov. gen., nov. sp. and Plesiodipus wangae nov. sp., show noticeable evolutionary trends. These species display more derived dental characters than their European contemporaries, in which they are much more comparable to Miocene forms. This observation reinforces the assumed early diversification of cricetids in this part of Asia. A striking case of sympatric evolution is indicated by the similarity of size and dental morphology of two sibling species, Eucricetodon asiaticus and Eucricetodon jilantaiensis nov. sp. Other taxa such as Witenia yolua nov. sp., Pseudocricetops matthewi nov. gen., nov. sp. and a primitive Tachyoryctoidinae, are scarcely represented and present unusual morphologies. The Cricetidae from Ulantatal also provide evidence suggesting faunal exchanges between Asia and Europe through the Paratethyan pathway during the second half of the Paleogene.

Language Maintenance and Shift across Generations in Inner Mongolia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puthuval, Sarala

2017-01-01

Language shift happens when a group of people stops using one language in favor of another, such that subsequent generations no longer acquire the original language. Research on the sociolinguistics of language shift has tended to focus on languages in advanced states of endangerment, where most or all children in the community have already…

NEUROTOXIC EFFECTS OF CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO ARSENIC VIA DRINKING WATER IN INNER MONGOLIA: I. SYMPTOMS AND PINPRICK TESTING

EPA Science Inventory

This study was designed to assess the effects of exposure to arsenic in drinking water on neurosensory function. A symptom questionnaire and brief neurological exam consisting of pinprick testing of the arms and legs and knee-jerk test were administered to 321 residents of...

Concentrating Solar Power Projects - Urat Middle Banner 100MW Thermal Oil

Science.gov Websites

Parabolic Trough project | Concentrating Solar Power | NREL Middle Banner 100MW Thermal Oil Thermal Oil Parabolic Trough project Country: China Location: Urat Middle Banner (Inner Mongolia) Owner(s , 2017 Start Production: 2018 Participants Developer(s): Changzhou Royal Tech Solar Thermal Equipment Co

78 FR 33351 - Xanthan Gum From the People's Republic of China: Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-04

... Fufeng Fermentation Co., Ltd.,'' dated March 4, 2013; see also ``Less Than Fair Value Investigation of... Biotechnologies Co., Ltd. (aka Inner Mongolia Fufeng Biotechnologies Co., Ltd.) and Shandong Fufeng Fermentation... Responses of Neimenggu Fufeng Biotechnologies Co., Ltd. and its affiliate Shandong Fufeng Fermentation Co...

AS 2008: Arsenic exposure a nd health effects in Inner Mongolia: studies on cardiac, diabetes and cancer-related effects

EPA Science Inventory

Chronic arsenic exposure via drinking water has been of great public health concern world wide. Arsenic exposure has been associated with human cancers, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The objectives of this study were to investigate health effects of arsenic and to asses...

Elevated ERCC-1 Gene Expression in blood cells associated with exposure to arsenic from drinking water in Inner Mongolia

EPA Science Inventory

Background: Chronic arsenic exposure has been associated with human cancers. The objective of this study was to investigate arsenic effects on a DNA nucleotide excision repair gene, ERCC1, expression in human blood cells. Material and Methods: Water and toe nail samples were coll...

[Characteristics and numerical simulation of surface albedo in temperate desert steppe in Inner Mongolia].

PubMed

Yang, Fu-lin; Zhou, Guang-sheng; Zhang, Feng; Wang, Feng-yu; Bao, Fang; Ping, Xiao-yan

2009-12-01

Based on the meteorological and biological observation data from the temperate desert steppe ecosystem research station in Sunitezuoqi of Inner Mongolia during growth season (from May 1st to October 15th, 2008), the diurnal and seasonal characteristics of surface albedo in the steppe were analyzed, with related model constructed. In the steppe, the diurnal variation of surface albedo was mainly affected by solar altitude, being higher just after sunrise and before sunset and lower in midday. During growth season, the surface albedo was from 0.20 to 0.34, with an average of 0.25, and was higher in May, decreased in June, kept relatively stable from July to September, and increased in October. This seasonal variation was related to the phenology of canopy leaf, and affected by precipitation process. Soil water content (SWC) and leaf area index (LAI) were the key factors affecting the surface albedo. A model for the surface albedo responding to SWC and LAI was developed, which showed a good performance in consistent between simulated and observed surface albedo.

Desertification Assessment and Monitoring Based on Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Z.; del Barrio, G.; Li, X.

2016-08-01

The objective of Dragon 3 Project 10367 is the development of techniques research for desertification assessment and monitoring in China using remote sensing data in combination with climate and environmental-related data. The main achievements acquired during the last two years could be summarized as follows:(1) Photosynthetic vegetation (PV) and non-photosynthetic vegetation (NPV) were estimated in Otindag sandy land by comparison of the pixel-invariant (Spectral Mixture Analysis, SMA) and pixel-variable (Multi-Endmember Spectral Mixture Analysis, MESMA, Automated Monte Carlo Unmixing Analysis, AutoMCU) methods, based on GF-1 data and field measured spectral library.(2) Based on GF-1 data, SMA was applied to solve vegetation cover and transitional sandy land detection in Zhenglan Banner, Inner Mongolia, China.(3) By defined a new indictor, Moisture-responded NPP(MNPP), a new method for identification of degraded lands was put forward, and the land degradation in Xinlin Gol league, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China was assessed preliminarily. (4) The 2dRUE proved to be a good indicator for land degradation, based on which, land degradation status in the general potential extent of desertification in China (PEDC) was assessed.

Neurosensory effects of chronic exposure to arsenic via drinking water in Inner Mongolia: II. Vibrotactile and visual function.

PubMed

Otto, David; He, Linlin; Xia, Yanhong; Li, Yajuan; Wu, Kegong; Ning, Zhixiong; Zhao, Baixiao; Hudnell, H Kenneth; Kwok, Richard; Mumford, Judy; Geller, Andrew; Wade, Timothy

2006-03-01

This study was designed to assess the effects of exposure to arsenic in drinking water on visual and vibrotactile function in residents of the Bamen region of Inner Mongolia, China. Arsenic was measured by hydride generation atomic fluorescence. 321 participants were divided into three exposure groups- low (non-detectable-20), medium (100-300) and high (400-700 microg/l) arsenic in drinking water (AsW). Three visual tests were administered: acuity, contrast sensitivity and color discrimination (Lanthony's Desaturated 15 Hue Test). Vibration thresholds were measured with a vibrothesiometer. Vibration thresholds were significantly elevated in the high exposure group compared to other groups. Further analysis using a spline regression model suggested that the threshold for vibratory effects is between 150-170 microg/l AsW. These findings provide the first evidence that chronic exposure to arsenic in drinking water impairs vibrotactile thresholds. The results also indicate that arsenic affects neurological function well below the 1000 microg/I concentration reported by NRC (1999). No evidence of arsenic-related effects on visual function was found.

Raman microscopy of hand stencils rock art from the Yabrai Mountain, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernanz, Antonio; Chang, Jinlong; Iriarte, Mercedes; Gavira-Vallejo, Jose M.; de Balbín-Behrmann, Rodrigo; Bueno-Ramírez, Primitiva; Maroto-Valiente, Angel

2016-07-01

A series of rock art pictographs in the form of hand stencils discovered in two sites of the Yabrai Mountain, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (China) has been studied by micro-Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electronic microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy for the first time. These studies have made possible to characterise the materials present. The minerals α-quartz, phlogopite, albite and microcline have been identified in the granitic rocks supporting the paintings. Calcite and dolomite micro-particles detected on the rock surface have been attributed to desert dust. Accretions of gypsum, anhydrite and whewellite have also been identified on the rock surface. Haematite is the pigment used in the red pictographs, whereas well-crystallised graphite has been used in the black ones. The use of crystalline graphite instead of amorphous carbon (charcoal, soot or bone black) as a black pigment in rock art is an interesting novelty. Overlapped hands are proposed as a new type of hand stencils to make an unusual pictorial symbol in rock art that has been found in these sites.

[Variation in soil Mn fractions as affected by long-term manure amendment using atomic absorption spectrophotometer in a typical grassland of inner Mongolia].

PubMed

Fu, Ming-ming; Jiang, Yong; Bai, Yong-fei; Zhang, Yu-ge; Xu, Zhu-wen; Li, Bo

2012-08-01

The effect of sheep manure amendment on soil manganese fractions was conducted in a 11 year experiment at inner Mongolia grassland, using sequential extraction procedure in modified Community Bureau of Reference, and determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Five treatments with dry sheep manure addition rate 0, 50, 250, 750, and 1500 g x m(-2) x yr(-1), respectively, were carried out in this experiment. Results showed that the recovery rate for total Mn was 91.4%-105.9%, as the percentage recovered from the summation of the improved BCR results with aqua regia extractable contents, and it was 97.2%-102.9% from certified soil reference materials. Plant available exchangeable Mn could be enhanced by 47.89%, but reducible and total Mn contents decreased significantly under heavy application of manure at depth of 0-5 cm. The effect of manure amendment on Mn fractions was greater in 0-5 cm than in 5-10 cm soil layer. The results are benefit to micronutrient fractions determination and nutrient management in grassland soils.

Self-Consistent Sources Extensions of Modified Differential-Difference KP Equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gegenhasi; Li, Ya-Qian; Zhang, Duo-Duo

2018-04-01

In this paper, we investigate a modified differential-difference KP equation which is shown to have a continuum limit into the mKP equation. It is also shown that the solution of the modified differential-difference KP equation is related to the solution of the differential-difference KP equation through a Miura transformation. We first present the Grammian solution to the modified differential-difference KP equation, and then produce a coupled modified differential-difference KP system by applying the source generation procedure. The explicit N-soliton solution of the resulting coupled modified differential-difference system is expressed in compact forms by using the Grammian determinant and Casorati determinant. We also construct and solve another form of the self-consistent sources extension of the modified differential-difference KP equation, which constitutes a Bäcklund transformation for the differential-difference KP equation with self-consistent sources. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 11601247 and 11605096, the Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region under Grant Nos. 2016MS0115 and 2015MS0116 and the Innovation Fund Programme of Inner Mongolia University No. 20161115

The Bayan Obo iron-rare-earth-niobium deposits, Inner Mongolia, China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drew, Lawrence J.; Qingrun, Meng; Weijun, Sun

1990-01-01

The plate tectonic setting, regional geology and certain aspects of the economic geology of the iron-rare-earth-niobium ore bodies at Bayan Obo, Inner Mongolia, China, were studied by a team of geologists from the Tianjin Geologic Research Academy and the U.S. Geological Survey between 1987 and 1989. These ore bodies were formed by hydrothermal replacement of Middle Proterozoic dolomite in an intra-continental rift setting. A variety of veins and/or dikes that have a carbonatitelike mineralogy cut the footwall clastic rocks and migmatites. A stockwork of veins occurs at several locations in the footwall. The hanging wall is a shale that has been converted to a K-metasomatite and has microcrystalline potassium feldspar as its principal constituent. This shale served as a sealing caprock that contained the chemical solutions that reacted with the dolomite and created the enormous concentration of mineralized rock in an 18-kilometer-long syncline. The rocks that host these ore bodies and the associated mineralized areas occur today as roof pendants in granitoid rocks of Permian age that were emplaced during a continent-to-continent collision during that period.

[Dynamic changes of landscape pattern during desertification in Duolun County of Inner Mongolia].

PubMed

Aruhan; Yang, Chi

2007-11-01

By using landscape analyzing software Fragstats 3.3 and the interpretation results of remote-sensing images of 1960, 1975, 1987, 1995, 2000 and 2005, this paper analyzed the dynamic changes of landscape pattern during the desertification in Duolun County of Inner Mongolia in 1960-2005. The results showed that in 1960-1995, the desertification area appeared a tendency of increasing first and decreasing then, with a total increase of 212.7 km2. The numbers of desertification landscape patches decreased after an initial increase, landscape diversity and evenness increased, and the shapes of light-, moderate-, and heavy desertification patches tended to be simplex. From 1995 to 2005, the numbers of desertification patches increased greatly, landscape diversity and evenness decreased, and the shapes of light-, moderate-, and heavy desertification patches tended to be complex. Since 1960, the shapes of severe desertification patches had been inclined to complication. In the study period, the whole desertification landscape showed a trend of integrity-broken-integrity-broken, and the broken degree of the patch types of desertification landscape was gradually from light down to severe.

Alpha, Beta and Gamma Diversity Differ in Response to Precipitation in the Inner Mongolia Grassland

PubMed Central

Zhang, Qing; Hou, Xiangyang; Li, Frank Yonghong; Niu, Jianming; Zhou, Yanlin; Ding, Yong; Zhao, Liqing; Li, Xin; Ma, Wenjing; Kang, Sarula

2014-01-01

Understanding the distribution pattern and maintenance mechanism of species diversity along environmental gradients is essential for developing biodiversity conservation strategies under environmental change. We have surveyed the species diversity at 192 vegetation sites across different steppe zones in Inner Mongolia, China. We analysed the total species diversity (γ diversity) and its composition (α diversity and β diversity) of different steppe types, and their changes along a precipitation gradient. Our results showed that (i) β diversity contributed more than α diversity to the total (γ) diversity in the Inner Mongolia grassland; the contribution of β diversity increased with precipitation, thus the species-rich (meadow steppe) grassland had greater contribution of β diversity than species-poor (desert steppe) grassland. (ii) All α, β and γ species diversity increased significantly (P<0.05) with precipitation, but their sensitivity to precipitation (diversity change per mm precipitation increase) was different between the steppe types. The sensitivity of α diversity of different steppe community types was negatively (P<0.05) correlated with mean annual precipitation, whereas the sensitivity of β and γ diversity showed no trend along the precipitation gradient (P>0.10). (iii) The α diversity increased logarithmically, while β diversity increased exponentially, with γ diversity. Our results suggest that for local species diversity patterns, the site species pool is more important in lower precipitation areas, while local ecological processes are more important in high precipitation areas. In addition, for β diversity maintenance niche processes and diffusion processes are more important in low and high precipitation areas, respectively. Our results imply that a policy of “multiple small reserves” is better than one of a “single large reserve” for conserving species diversity of a steppe ecosystem, and indicate an urgent need to develop management strategies for climate-sensitive desert steppe ecosystem. PMID:24675900

Seasonal and Spatial Variations of Bulk Nitrogen Deposition and the Impacts on the Carbon Cycle in the Arid/Semiarid Grassland of Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Li, Xianglan; Shi, Huiqiu; Xu, Wenfang; Liu, Wei; Wang, Xiujun; Hou, Longyu; Feng, Fei; Yuan, Wenping; Li, Linghao; Xu, Hua

2015-01-01

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition is an important component that affects the structure and function of different terrestrial ecosystem worldwide. However, much uncertainty still remains concerning the magnitude of N deposition on grassland ecosystem in China. To study the spatial and temporal patterns of bulk N deposition, the levels of N (NH4+-N and NO3--N) concentration in rainfall were measured at 12 sites across a 1200 km grassland transect in Inner Mongolia, China, and the respective N deposition rates were estimated. The inorganic N deposition rates ranged from 4.53 kg N ha-1 to 12.21 kg N ha-1 with a mean value of 8.07 kg N ha-1 during the entire growing season, decreasing steadily from the eastern to the western regions. Inorganic N deposition occurred mainly in July and August across meadow steppe, typical steppe, and desert steppe, which corresponded to the seasonal distribution of mean annual precipitation. A positive relationship was found between inorganic N deposition and mean annual precipitation (R2 = 0.54 ~ 0.72, P < 0.0001) across the grassland transect. Annual estimation of inorganic N deposition was 0.67 Pg yr-1 in Inner Mongolia, China based on the correlation between N deposition rates and precipitation. N deposition was an important factor controlling aboveground biomass and ecosystem respiration, but has no effect on root biomass and soil respiration. We must clarify that we used the bulk deposition samplers during the entire sampling process and estimated the dissolved NH4+-N and NO3--N deposition rates during the entire growing season. Long-term N deposition monitoring networks should be constructed to study the patterns of N deposition and its potential effect on grassland ecosystem, considering various N species, i.e., gaseous N, particle N, and wet N deposition.

Preliminary Evaluation of GAOFEN-3 Polarimetric and Radiometric Accuracy by Corner Reflectors in Inner Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, L.; Ding, X.; Li, P.; Yang, J.; Zhao, L.; Yang, L.; Chang, Y.; Yan, L.

2018-04-01

On August 10, 2016, China launched its first C-band full polarimetric radar satellite, named Gaofen-3 (GF-3), for urban and agriculture monitoring, landslide detection, ocean applications, etc. According to the design specification, GF-3 is expected to work at -35 dB crosstalk and 0.5 dB channel imbalance, with less than 10 degree error. The absolute radiometric bias is expected to be less than 1.5 dB in a single scene and 2.0 dB when operating for a long time. To complete the calibration and evaluation, the Institute of Electronics, Chinese Academy Sciences (IECAS) built a test site at Inner Mongolia, and deployed active reflectors (ARs) and trihedral corner reflectors (CRs) to solve and evaluate the hardware distortion. To the best of the authors' knowledge, the product accuracy of GF-3 has not been comprehensively evaluated in any open publication. The remote sensing community urgently requires a detailed report about the product accuracy and stability, before any subsequent application. From June to August of 2017, IECAS begun its second round ground campaign and deployed 10 CRs to evaluate product distortions. In this paper, we exploit Inner Mongolia CRs to investigate polarimetric and radiometric accuracy of QPSI I Stripmap. Although some CRs found fall into AR side lobe, the rest CRs enable us to preliminarily evaluate the accuracy of some special imaging beams. In the experimental part, the image of July 6, 2017 was checked by 5 trihedral CRs and the integration estimation method demonstrated the crosstalk varying from -42.65 to -32.74 dB, and the channel imbalance varying from -0.21 to 0.47 with phase error from -2.4 to 0.2 degree. Comparing with the theoretical radar cross-section of 1.235 m trihedral CR, i.e. 35 dB, the radiometric error varies about 0.20 ± 0.29 dB in HH channel and 0.40 ± 0.20 dB in VV channel.

Cross-cultural validity of the theory of planned behavior for predicting healthy food choice in secondary school students of Inner Mongolia.

PubMed

Shimazaki, Takashi; Bao, Hugejiletu; Deli, Geer; Uechi, Hiroaki; Lee, Ying-Hua; Miura, Kayo; Takenaka, Koji

2017-11-01

Unhealthy eating behavior is a serious health concern among secondary school students in Inner Mongolia. To predict their healthy food choices and devise methods of correcting unhealthy choices, we sought to confirm the cross-cultural validity of the theory of planned behavior among Inner Mongolian students. A cross-sectional study, conducted between November and December 2014. Overall, 3047 students were enrolled. We devised a questionnaire based on the theory of planned behavior to measure its components (intentions, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control) in relation to healthy food choices; we also assessed their current engagement in healthy food choices. A principal component analysis revealed high contribution rates for the components (69.32%-88.77%). A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the components of the questionnaire had adequate model fit (goodness of fit index=0.997, adjusted goodness of fit index=0.984, comparative fit index=0.998, and root mean square error of approximation=0.049). Notably, data from participants within the suburbs did not support the theory of planned behavior construction. Several paths did not predict the hypothesis variables. However, attitudes toward healthy food choices strongly predicted behavioral intention (path coefficients 0.49-0.77, p<0.01), regardless of demographic characteristics. Our results support that the theory of planned behavior can apply to secondary school students in urban areas. Furthermore, attitudes towards healthy food choices were the best predictor of behavioral intentions to engage in such choices in Inner Mongolian students. Copyright © 2017 Diabetes India. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

THE POTENTIAL EFFECT OF AMBIENT ARSENIC IN DRINKING WATER ON ODOR IDENTIFICATION IN AN AGRICULTURAL SAMPLE IN INNER MONGOLIA

EPA Science Inventory

There is some evidence that chronic exposure to arsenic (As) can have neuropathic and neurosensory effects in humans. It is unknown if As exposure affects the sense of smell. To determine if the ability to identify odors is impaired by chronic As exposure via drinking water, 15...

DAGUR MONGOLIAN GRAMMAR, TEXTS, AND LEXICON. URALIC AND ALTAIC SERIES, VOLUME 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MARTIN, SAMUEL E.

THIS DESCRIPTION OF DAGUR, A MONGOLIAN LANGUAGE, IS BASED ON THE DIALECT OF A SPEAKER BORN IN INNER MONGOLIA IN NORTHWEST MANCHURIA. SECTION I OF THIS MANUAL DESCRIBES OTHER WORKS PUBLISHED IN MONGOLIAN LINGUISTICS WHICH HAVE USED THE SAME INFORMANT, AND PRESENTS THE AUTHOR'S APPROACH, IN TERMS OF A PHRASE-STRUCTURE GRAMMAR. SECTION II PRESENTS…

Analysis of Mongolian Students' Common Translation Errors and Its Solutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Changhua

2013-01-01

In Inner Mongolia, those Mongolian students face lots of difficulties in learning English. Especially the English translation ability of Mongolian students is a weak point. It is worth to think a problem that how to let our students use the English freely on a certain foundation. This article investigates the problems of Mongolian English learners…

Golden Key Program. Common Education for Visually Impaired Children in Western China.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xu, Bailun

This paper describes a new program in the Western provinces of China (Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Tibet, and Inner Mongolia) that is designed to integrate 20,000 children with low-vision into general education classrooms. The Golden Key Research Center of Education for Visually Impaired has been working with the…

76 FR 12325 - Small Diameter Graphite Electrodes From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Results of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-07

... Group). 26 Haimen Shuguang Carbon Industry Co., Ltd. 27 Handan Hanbo Material Co., Ltd. 28 Hebei Long Great Wall Electrode Co., Ltd. (aka Chang Cheng Chang Electrode Co., Ltd. and Laishui Long Great Wall... Inner Mongolia Xinghe County Hongyuan Electrical Carbon Factory. 35 Jiang Long Carbon. 36 Jiangsu Yafei...

Effects of climatic gradients on genetic differentiation of Caragana on the Ordos Plateau, China

Treesearch

Jiuyan Yang; Samuel A. Cushman; Jie Yang; Mingbo Yang; Tiejun Bao

2013-01-01

The genus Caragana (Fabr.) in the Ordos Plateau of Inner Mongolia, China, provides a strong opportunity to investigate patterns of genetic differentiation along steep climatic gradients, and to identify the environmental factors most likely to be responsible for driving the radiation. This study used a factorial, multi-model approach to evaluate alternative hypotheses...

75 FR 20335 - Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods from the People's Republic of China: Final Determination of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-19

... tubing, of iron (other than cast iron) or steel (both carbon and alloy), whether seamless or welded... Seamless Tube Mill of Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel 29.94 and Trading Co., Ltd Union Co., Ltd.\\27\\ Benxi... Century Machinery Co. Ltd.;Tianjin Seamless Steel Pipe Plant; Baoshan Iron & Steel Co. Ltd Shengli...

Prevalence and risk factors of poor sleep quality among Inner Mongolia Medical University students: A cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Wang, Lan; Qin, Peng; Zhao, Yunshan; Duan, Shengyun; Zhang, Qing; Liu, Ying; Hu, Yueling; Sun, Juan

2016-10-30

Medical students face new challenges at the beginning of college life, such as being responsible for oneself, an unfamiliar environment, social obligations, and academic stress, all of which influence or even heavily change their sleep quality and life, leading to sleep-related problems to some degree. This study investigated the relationship between sleep quality and behavior among students at the Inner Mongolia Medical University in China. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect information on sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle habits. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was also used. A total of 6044 and 6085 students completed the questionnaires in 2011 and 2013. According to the index, 27.8% (1694) of students had poor sleep quality with major risk factors being poor academic performance and interpersonal relationships in 2013. Among others, regular exercise less than three times a week, skipping breakfast, and studying in higher grades were associated with poor sleep quality. These results will help university administrators understand the risk factors of poor sleep quality among students, which can be improved through individual efforts, and provide adequate counseling and systematic education to improve their behavior and lifestyle. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The taxonomy of a new parvicursorine alvarezsauroid specimen IVPP V20341 (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous Wulansuhai Formation of Bayan Mandahu, Inner Mongolia, China

PubMed Central

Xu, Xing; Stiegler, Josef B.

2015-01-01

A new parvicursorine alvarezsauroid theropod specimen IVPP V20341 from the Upper Cretaceous Wulansuhai Formation of Bayan Mandahu, Inner Mongolia, China is described. IVPP V20341 appears to be distinguishable amongst alvarezsauroids by possible cervical procoely and relatively larger semi-circular caudal neural canals, but these features are not proposed as autapomorphies because current knowledge of alvarezsauroid necks and tails remains sparse. IVPP V20341 is distinguishable from Linhenykus—the sole parvicursorine at Bayan Mandahu—by the location of the origination points of the anterior caudal transverse processes; in IVPP V20341 this is the anterodorsal corner of the centra, whereas in Linhenykus it is the posterior end of the prezygapophyses. A number of additional tentative differences between IVPP V20341 and Linhenykus are also identified, but cannot be confirmed until further details of anatomical variation along the neck and tail are revealed by future finds. Thus, following the study of IVPP V20341 there are still seven parvicursorine species from the Upper Cretaceous Gobi Basin, but future finds could increase this to eight species. PMID:26082871

[Influence of climate change on mosaic landscape of sand land-wetland in middle-east Inner Mongolia].

PubMed

Li, Xing-hua; Han, Fang; Zhang, Cun-hou; Na, Ri-su; Liu, Peng-tao

2009-01-01

By using wavelet transform and remote sensing techniques, the influence of climate change on the unique mosaic landscape of sand land-wetland in middle-east Inner Mongolia in 1961 -2005 was studied. The results showed that in 1961-2005, the annual air temperature in study area had an increment of 0.32 degrees C x (10 a)(-1), the annual precipitation fluctuated with a cycle of 30 years and of 15 years, and the annual average wind speed decreased by 0.26 m x s(-1) x (10 a)(-1). In the southeast part of study area, which located in the places between Hunshandake sand land and Keerqin Deserts, there was a district, in which, the climatic characteristics did not change evidently. Until 2010, the study area would still have an increasing air temperature, lesser precipitation, and decreasing wind speed. Under the influence of warming and drying, the total area of Hunshandake sand land and the wetland around reduced year after year, and, with the vegetation degradation on sand land, wetland shrunk and lake dried up, moving sand land enlarged ceaselessly, while immovable and semi-moving sand lands reduced obviously.

[Diversity and community structure of soil ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in Hulunbeier Grassland, Inner Mongolia].

PubMed

Wendu, Ri-le; Li, Gang; Yang, Dian-lin; Zhang, Jing-ni; Yi, Jin

2011-04-01

By the methods of polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and sequence analysis, a comparative study was conducted on the diversity and community structure of soil ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in the Filifolium sibiricum steppe, Stipa baicalensis steppe, Leymus chinensis steppe, Stipa grandis steppe, and Stipa kryrowi steppe in Hulunbeier Grassland, Inner Mongolia. A significant difference was observed in the community structure of soil ammonia-oxidizing bacteria among the five steppes, with the similarity lower than 50%. The diversity of soil ammonia-oxidizing bacteria was the highest in F. sibiricum steppe, followed by in S. baicalensis steppe, L. chinensis steppe, S. kryrowi steppe, and S. grandis steppe. In the five steppes, Nitrosospira cluster 3 was the dominant group, and the Nitrosospira cluster 1, 2, and 4 as well as Nitrosomonas were also found. The community structure of soil ammonia oxidizing bacteria in F. sibiricum steppe was most complex, while that in L. chinensis steppe and S. grandis steppe was relatively simple. Correlation analysis indicated that there existed significant positive correlations between the diversity of soil ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and the soil moisture, total nitrogen, total organic carbon, and C/N ratio (P<0.05).

Landscape dynamics and different climate forcings in eastern Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, N. J.; John, R.; Chen, J.

2017-12-01

Central and Eastern Mongolia have witnessed significant decreasing greening from the period 2000-2012. This decline may be partially, directly due to increased grazing pressure from livestock. Our study objective is to understand how landscape change may be altering heat fluxes and precipitation. Using the RAMS 6.0 regional climate model, we simulated the spatiotemporal changes in growing-season precipitation and atmospheric behavior under: (a) observed vegetation, and (b) aggressively reduced vegetation, to prognose likely locations and changes of the regional climate that might have resulted from land cover changes (2001-2010). We simulated a dzud/drought year (using forcing from 2001) and a wet year (using forcing from 2003). Our simulations show increased cloud cover and reduced daily temperature ranges for northeastern Mongolia where forest growth has expanded. Localized differences of 60 W/m2 of sensible heat flux were found when degraded landscape cover replaced older, more dense cover. More importantly, the overall trend towards reduced vegetation cover was responsible for higher screen height temperatures and reduced soil moisture throughout much of the domain, together with a shift of moisture southward of Inner Mongolia. Thus, even with improved chances for convection, soil moisture reductions of 5-10% would lead to overall even drier conditions. In the steppe regions around the Gobi desert, more complex patterns are evident and landscape drivers are less clear.

Reconnaissance survey of the Duolun ring structure in Inner Mongolia: Not an impact structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Xiaoming; Kenkmann, Thomas; Xiao, Zhiyong; Sturm, Sebastian; Metzger, Nicolai; Yang, Yu; Weimer, Daniela; Krietsch, Hannes; Zhu, Meng-Hua

2017-09-01

The Duolun basin, which is located in Inner Mongolia, China, has been proposed to be an impact structure with an apparent rim diameter of about 70, or even 170 km. The designation as an impact structure was based on its nearly circular topography, consisting of an annular moat that surrounds an inner hummocky region, and the widespread occurrences of various igneous rocks, polymict breccias, and deformed crustal rocks. Critical shock metamorphic evidence is not available to support the impact hypothesis. We conducted two independent reconnaissance field surveys to this area and studied the lithology both within and outside of the ring structure. We collected samples from all lithologies that might contain evidence of shock metamorphism as suggested by their locations, especially those sharing similar appearances with impact breccias, suevites, impact melt rocks, and shatter cones. Field investigation, together with thin-section examination, discovered that the suspected impact melt rocks are actually Early Cretaceous and Late Jurassic lava flows and pyroclastic deposits of rhyolitic to trachytic compositions, and the interpreted impact glass is typical volcanic glass. Petrographic analyses of all the samples reveal no indications for shock metamorphic overprint. All these lines of evidence suggest that the Duolun basin was not formed through impact cratering. The structural deformation and spatial distribution pattern of the igneous rocks suggest that the Duolun basin is most likely a Jurassic-Cretaceous complex rhyolite caldera system that has been partly filled with sediments forming an annular basin, followed by resurgent doming of the central area.

Understanding on Soil Inorganic Carbon Transformation in North China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Guitong; Yang, Lifang; Zhang, Chenglei; Zhang, Hongjie

2015-04-01

Soil total carbon balance in long-term fertilization field experiments in North China Plain. Four long-term fertilization experiments (20-30 years) were investigated on SOC in 40 cm, calcium carbonate and active carbonate (AC) in 180 or 100 cm soil profile, δ13C values of SOC and δ13C and δ18O values of carbonate in soil profile, particle distribution of SOC and SIC in main soil layers, and ratios of pedogenic carbonate (PC) in SIC and C3-SOC in SOC. The most important conclusion is that fertilization of more than 20 years can produce detectable impact on pool size, profile distribution, ratio of active component and PC of SIC, which make it clear that SIC pool must be considered in the proper evaluation of the response of soil carbon balance to human activities in arid and semi-arid region. Land use impact on soil total carbon pool in Inner Mongolia. With the data of the second survey of soils in Inner Mongolia and the 58 soil profile data from Wu-lan-cha-bu-meng and Xi-lin-hao-te, combining with the 13C and 18O techniques, SIC density and stock in Inner Mongolia is estimated. The main conclusion is that soils in inner Mongolia have the same level of SOC and SIC, with the density in 100cm pedons of 8.97 kg•m-2 and 8.61 kg•m-2, respectively. Meanwhile, the significantly positive relationship between SOC and SIC in A layer indicates co-sequestration of SOC and SIC exist. Evaluation of the methods for measuring CA enzyme activity in soil. In laboratory, method in literature to measure CA activity in soil sample was repeated, and found it was not valid indeed. The failure could not attribute to the disturbance of common ions like NO3-, SO42-, Ca2+, and Mg2+. The adsorption of CA to soil material was testified as the main reason for that failure. A series of extractants were tested but no one can extract the adsorbed CA and be used in measuring CA activity in soil sample. Carbonate transformation in field with straw returned and biochar added. In 2009, a field experiment concerning soil carbonate transformation under straw return and biochar addition was carried out. It is designed as a long-term field experiment. In the experiment, Ca2+ and Mg2+ in soil solution of different depth and time, in situ soil pH, soil CO2 concentration, and microbial activity will be measured. The main propose of the experiment is to explore the relationship between the transformation of SOC and SIC. Meanwhile, it is one of important field experiment for biochar effects on crop production, soil processes, and environmental impact. These researches were funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NNSFC) under projects of 41171211,40771106, and 40303015.

2000 Years of Drought Variability in Inner Asia from Tree Rings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hessl, A. E.; Pederson, N.; Anchukaitis, K. J.; Leland, C.; Byambasuren, O.; Nachin, B.; Andreu-Hayles, L.

2015-12-01

Understanding connections between climate, ecosystems, and society during historical and modern climatic transitions requires annual resolution records with high fidelity climate signals. In semi-arid regions, high temperatures are projected to increase the frequency, duration, and severity of droughts in coming decades. Between 1996-2014, Mongolia experienced an extended drought that coincided with a transition away from pastoralism as thousands of families lost their herds and migrated to informal urban settlements. Because Mongolia's climate is highly variable, it is difficult to place recent climatic extremes and associated social and ecological change in context without long records of climatic variability. Here we ask: how extreme was the 21st century drought in the last 2000 years? We present two 2000 year long tree-ring reconstructions of warm-season drought, derived from live and dead Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica) trees from two lava flows in central Mongolia. Trees growing on the lava today are stunted and widely spaced, occurring on microsites with little to no soil development. These trees are water-stressed and their radial growth is correlated with both soil water availability (scPDSI) and grassland productivity (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)). To contextualize the severity of recent droughts and to explore potential forcing factors, we compare recent drought persistence to the distribution of events in the past and perform long control runs of GFDL climate model. Our reconstructions, calibrated and validated on instrumental June-August scPDSI (1959-2009) account for >55% of the variability in the regional scPDSI when >70% of the annual rainfall occurs. Our tree-ring data combined with existing reconstructions of temperature, meteorological data, and model results suggest that the early 21st century drought was the hottest and one of the most persistent droughts in the last 2000 years. These dry conditions were occurred with reductions in NPP of grasslands and loss of lake area. Our results are consistent with model projections of warming in Inner Asia but suggest that future warming may overwhelm increases in precipitation leading to similar "heat droughts", with potentially severe ecological and social consequences for Mongolia.

Investigating Heavy Metal Pollution in Mining Brownfield and Its Policy Implications: A Case Study of the Bayan Obo Rare Earth Mine, Inner Mongolia, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Yuxue; Li, Haitao

2016-04-01

The rapid urbanization of China and associated demand for land resources necessitates remediation, redevelopment, and reclamation of contaminated soil. Before these measures are taken, a basic investigation and inventory of heavy metal (HM) pollution levels in contaminated soil is necessary for establishing and implementing the redevelopment plan. In the present study, to identify the policy implications of inventorying and mapping HM pollution of soil in brownfields throughout China, the Bayan Obo giant rare earth element (REE)-Nb-Fe ore deposit of Baotou in Inner Mongolia, China, which is the largest REE mineral deposit in the world, was taken as a case study. Soil samples from 24 sites in Bayan Obo mining area (MA) and 76 sites in mine tailing area (TA) were collected for determining contents of soil HMs (Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn). The results showed that the average concentrations of Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn in both MA and TA were all higher than their corresponding background values for Inner Mongolia but lower than the Class II criteria of the National Soil Quality Standards of China (GB 15618—1995). Enrichment factor (EF) analysis of the soil samples indicated that the soil in the brownfield sites was highly enriched with Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn compared to the corresponding background values. In MA, the EF for Cd was the highest among the studied elements, while in TA, the EF for Cr (3.45) was the highest, closely followed by the EF for Cd (3.34). The potential ecological risk index (RI) indicated a moderate potential ecological risk from the studied HMs in MA and a low potential ecological risk in TA, and the results of RI also suggested that the soil was most heavily polluted by Cd. According to the spatial distribution maps of HM, contamination hot-spots were primarily located near mining-related high-pollution plants. Based on the results, policy recommendations are proposed related to brownfield management in urban planning.

Investigating Heavy Metal Pollution in Mining Brownfield and Its Policy Implications: A Case Study of the Bayan Obo Rare Earth Mine, Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Pan, Yuxue; Li, Haitao

2016-04-01

The rapid urbanization of China and associated demand for land resources necessitates remediation, redevelopment, and reclamation of contaminated soil. Before these measures are taken, a basic investigation and inventory of heavy metal (HM) pollution levels in contaminated soil is necessary for establishing and implementing the redevelopment plan. In the present study, to identify the policy implications of inventorying and mapping HM pollution of soil in brownfields throughout China, the Bayan Obo giant rare earth element (REE)-Nb-Fe ore deposit of Baotou in Inner Mongolia, China, which is the largest REE mineral deposit in the world, was taken as a case study. Soil samples from 24 sites in Bayan Obo mining area (MA) and 76 sites in mine tailing area (TA) were collected for determining contents of soil HMs (Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn). The results showed that the average concentrations of Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn in both MA and TA were all higher than their corresponding background values for Inner Mongolia but lower than the Class II criteria of the National Soil Quality Standards of China (GB 15618-1995). Enrichment factor (EF) analysis of the soil samples indicated that the soil in the brownfield sites was highly enriched with Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn compared to the corresponding background values. In MA, the EF for Cd was the highest among the studied elements, while in TA, the EF for Cr (3.45) was the highest, closely followed by the EF for Cd (3.34). The potential ecological risk index (RI) indicated a moderate potential ecological risk from the studied HMs in MA and a low potential ecological risk in TA, and the results of RI also suggested that the soil was most heavily polluted by Cd. According to the spatial distribution maps of HM, contamination hot-spots were primarily located near mining-related high-pollution plants. Based on the results, policy recommendations are proposed related to brownfield management in urban planning.

Natural incidence of Fusarium species and fumonisins B1 and B2 associated with maize kernels from nine provinces in China in 2012.

PubMed

Fu, Meng; Li, Renjie; Guo, Congcong; Pang, Minhao; Liu, Yingchao; Dong, Jingao

2015-01-01

Fusarium species, which can produce mycotoxins, are the predominant pathogens causing maize ear rot, a disease that results in severe economic losses and serves as a potential health risk for humans and animals. A survey was conducted in 2012 to investigate the contamination of maize by Fusarium species and fumonisins B1 and B2. A total of 250 maize samples were randomly collected from nine provinces (Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Heilongjiang, Liaoning and Ningxia) in China. Fusarium species were isolated and identified using morphological (electron microscope) and molecular methods (polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing). Fumonisins B1 and B2 were analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) with OPA (2-Mercaptoethanol, o-phthaldialdehyde) post-column derivatisation. A total of 2321 Fusarium isolates (20.7%) were obtained from all the samples. These isolates included nine Fusarium species, namely, F. graminearum, F. verticillioides, F. subglutinans, F. proliferatum, F. temperatum, F. oxysporum, F. equiseti, F. meridionale and F. chlamydosporum. The incidence of occurrence of Fusarium species in Guizhou was the highest, while in Inner Mongolia it was the lowest. F. verticillioides was the dominant species of maize ear rot in Liaoning, Sichuan, Hebei and Ningxia. F. graminearum was the dominant species in Yunnan, Guizhou and Shanxi. F. subglutinans was the dominant species in Heilongjiang. F. verticillioides and F. graminearum percentages were the same in Inner Mongolia. The incidence of fumonisins in Liaoning was high (up to 81.0%) and in Heilongjiang low (up to 10.3%). Except Shanxi, more than 50% of maize samples from other provinces were contaminated with fumonisins, with concentrations less than 500 ng g(-1). About 33% of maize samples from Yunnan were contaminated with high levels of fumonisins, and average of fumonisin levels were 5191 ng g(-1). Fusarium species causing maize ear rot in different areas in China were highly diverse and such areas with exposure to high levels of fumonisin contamination have a potential health risk for human and animals.

The research on Nelumbonucifera for eutrophication control in Wuliangsuhailake Inner Mongolia,China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xing; Xu, Xiaoqing; Gou, Mangmang

2018-02-01

In order to study the effect on Nelumbonucifera (common name:lotus) for eutrophication control in Wuliangsuhai lake inner Mongolia, an enclosure of 2000m2was established in the southeast of Wuliangsuhailake. In the paper, the changes on water quality and phytoplankton abundance were monitored before planting lotus, after. Purpose of the study is to investigate the influence of lotus on improving water quality, restoration of water environment, and so on. The results were shown below. Firstly, Plantinglotus was significant for removal of total nitrogen and total phosphorus in water. Total nitrogen removal rate was more than 25%.Total phosphorus removal rate was more than 30%.Secondly, dissolved oxygen concentrations in August increased by 39.31percent.The Simultaneously, compared with the control (in April), the pH value was 8.0 in August(the flowering period) and declined by 10.11 percent. In this salinity, lotus had a strong salt tolerance and growed normally. Lastly, the biomass of phytoplankton was inhibited after planting lotus, especially for the inhibition of green algae growth. Studies on water bodies restoration under planting lotus in Wuliangsuhai lake have not been reported.Therefore, planting lotus will provide a new idea and theoretical reference for improving the eutrophication of Wuliangsuhailake.

Isolation and Identification of Lactic Acid Bacteria from Traditional Dairy Products in Baotou and Bayannur of Midwestern Inner Mongolia and q-PCR Analysis of Predominant Species

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

In this study, traditional culture method and 16S rRNA gene analysis were applied to reveal the composition and diversity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) of fermented cow milk, huruud and urum from Baotou and Bayannur of midwestern Inner Mongolia. Also, the quantitative results of dominant LAB species in three different types of dairy products from Baotou and Bayannur were gained by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) technology. Two hundred and two LAB strains isolated from sixty-six samples were identified and classified into four genera, namely Enterococcus, Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, and twenty-one species and subspecies. From these isolates, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis (32.18%), Lactobacillus plantarum (12.38%) and Leuconosto mesenteroides (11.39%) were considered as the dominated LAB species under the condition of cultivating in MRS and M17 medium. And the q-PCR results revealed that the number of dominant species varied from samples to samples and from region to region. This study clearly shows the composition and diversity of LAB existing in fermented cow milk, huruud and urum, which could be considered as valuable resources for LAB isolation and further probiotic selection. PMID:27621691

Remote Sensing Monitoring of Changes in Soil Salinity: A Case Study in Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Wu, Jingwei; Vincent, Bernard; Yang, Jinzhong; Bouarfa, Sami; Vidal, Alain

2008-11-07

This study used archived remote sensing images to depict the history of changes in soil salinity in the Hetao Irrigation District in Inner Mongolia, China, with the purpose of linking these changes with land and water management practices and to draw lessons for salinity control. Most data came from LANDSAT satellite images taken in 1973, 1977, 1988, 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2006. In these years salt-affected areas were detected using a normal supervised classification method. Corresponding cropped areas were detected from NVDI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) values using an unsupervised method. Field samples and agricultural statistics were used to estimate the accuracy of the classification. Historical data concerning irrigation/drainage and the groundwater table were used to analyze the relation between changes in soil salinity and land and water management practices. Results showed that: (1) the overall accuracy of remote sensing in detecting soil salinity was 90.2%, and in detecting cropped area, 98%; (2) the installation/innovation of the drainage system did help to control salinity; and (3) a low ratio of cropped land helped control salinity in the Hetao Irrigation District. These findings suggest that remote sensing is a useful tool to detect soil salinity and has potential in evaluating and improving land and water management practices.

Chemical and isotopic constrains on the origin of brine and saline groundwater in Hetao plain, Inner Mongolia.

PubMed

Liu, Jun; Chen, Zongyu; Wang, Lijuan; Zhang, Yilong; Li, Zhenghong; Xu, Jiaming; Peng, Yurong

2016-08-01

The origin and evolution of brine and saline groundwater have always been a challenged work for geochemists and hydrogeologists. Chemical and isotopic data of brine and saline waters were used to trace the sources of salinity and therefore to understand the transport mechanisms of groundwater in Xishanzui, Inner Mongolia. Both Cl/Br (molar) versus Na/Br (molar) and Cl (meq/L) versus Na (meq/L) indicated that salinity was from halite dissolution or at least a significant impact by halite dissolution. The logarithmic plot of the concentration trends of Cl (mg/L) versus Br (mg/L) for the evaporation of seawater and the Qinghai Salt Lake showed that the terrestrial halite dissolution was the dominated contribution for the salinity of this brine. The stable isotope ratios of hydrogen and oxygen suggested that the origin of brine was from paleorecharge water which experienced mixing of modern water in shallow aquifer. δ(37)Cl values ranged from -0.02 to 3.43 ‰ (SMOC), and reflecting mixing of different sources. The Cl isotopic compositions suggest that the dissolution of halite by paleometeoric water had a great contribution to the salinity of brine, and the contributions of the residual seawater and the dissolution of halite by the Yellow River water could be excluded.

Earlier vegetation green-up has reduced spring dust storms.

PubMed

Fan, Bihang; Guo, Li; Li, Ning; Chen, Jin; Lin, Henry; Zhang, Xiaoyang; Shen, Miaogen; Rao, Yuhan; Wang, Cong; Ma, Lei

2014-10-24

The observed decline of spring dust storms in Northeast Asia since the 1950s has been attributed to surface wind stilling. However, spring vegetation growth could also restrain dust storms through accumulating aboveground biomass and increasing surface roughness. To investigate the impacts of vegetation spring growth on dust storms, we examine the relationships between recorded spring dust storm outbreaks and satellite-derived vegetation green-up date in Inner Mongolia, Northern China from 1982 to 2008. We find a significant dampening effect of advanced vegetation growth on spring dust storms (r = 0.49, p = 0.01), with a one-day earlier green-up date corresponding to a decrease in annual spring dust storm outbreaks by 3%. Moreover, the higher correlation (r = 0.55, p < 0.01) between green-up date and dust storm outbreak ratio (the ratio of dust storm outbreaks to times of strong wind events) indicates that such effect is independent of changes in surface wind. Spatially, a negative correlation is detected between areas with advanced green-up dates and regional annual spring dust storms (r = -0.49, p = 0.01). This new insight is valuable for understanding dust storms dynamics under the changing climate. Our findings suggest that dust storms in Inner Mongolia will be further mitigated by the projected earlier vegetation green-up in the warming world.

Impacts of climate change on growth period and planting boundaries of winter wheat in China under RCP4.5 scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Z.; Jia, S. F.; Lv, A. F.; Yang, K. J.; Svensson, J.; Gao, Y. C.

2015-10-01

This paper advances understanding of the impacts of climate change on crops in China by moving from ex-post analysis to forecasting, and by demonstrating how the effects of climate change will affect the growth period and the planting boundaries of winter wheat. Using a multiple regression model based on agricultural meteorological observations and the IPCC AR5 GCMs simulations, we find that the sowing date of winter wheat in the base period, 2040s and 2070s, shows a gradually delayed trend from north to south and the growth period of winter wheat in China will be shortened under climate change. The simulation results also show that (i) the north planting boundaries of winter wheat in China will likely move northward and expand westward in the future, while the south planting boundary will rise and spread in south Hainan and Taiwan; and (ii) the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region will have the largest increases in planting areas in 2040s and 2070s. Our simulation implies that Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia are more sensitive to climate change than other regions in China and priority should be given to design adaptation strategies for winter wheat planting for these provinces.

[Perceptions and adaptation strategies of herders in desert steppe of Inner Mongolia to climate change].

PubMed

Han, Ying; Hou, Xiang-yang

2011-04-01

Desert steppe is very vulnerable to climate change. The herders caring for their livestock in such a natural environment have to face the challenges of rapid climate change. In this paper, a household-level questionnaire was conducted in the Suniteyou District of Inner Mongolia, China, aimed to analyze the herders' perceptions and adaptation strategies to climate change, extreme climate events in particular. In this Steppe where precipitation is rare and meteorological disasters are frequent, drought is the main extreme climate event with the broadest affecting area, the highest affecting degree, and the greatest frequency. The sensitivity of the herders to drought is far higher than that to other extreme climate events, and also, the perceptions to drought induce the herders having deep perceptions to the extreme climate events such as strong wing, dust storm, and heavy snow. Relative to the perceptions to long-term climate change, the perceptions to short-term climate change are more deep and precise. The herders can estimate the long-term climate change trend according to their perceptions to the latest 10 years climate change. They attribute the poor livestock health and the reduced forage yield greatly to climate change. Yet, the herders are inexperienced in implementing efficient adaptation strategies. Generally, their adaptation measures are quite simplex and rather passive.

A new tarkadectine primate from the Eocene of Inner Mongolia, China: phylogenetic and biogeographic implications

PubMed Central

Ni, Xijun; Meng, Jin; Beard, K. Christopher; Gebo, Daniel L.; Wang, Yuanqing; Li, Chuankui

2010-01-01

Tarka and Tarkadectes are Middle Eocene mammals known only from the Rocky Mountains region of North America. Previous work has suggested that they are members of the Plagiomenidae, an extinct family often included in the order Dermoptera. Here we describe a new primate, Tarkops mckennai gen. et sp. nov., from the early Middle Eocene Irdinmanha Formation of Inner Mongolia, China. The new taxon is particularly similar to Tarka and Tarkadectes, but it also displays many features observed in omomyids. A phylogenetic analysis based on a data matrix including 59 taxa and 444 dental characters suggests that Tarkops, Tarka and Tarkadectes form a monophyletic group—the Tarkadectinae—that is nested within the omomyid clade. Within Omomyidae, tarkadectines appear to be closely related to Macrotarsius. Dermoptera, including extant and extinct flying lemurs and plagiomenids, is recognized as a clade nesting within the polyphyletic group of plesiadapiforms, therefore supporting the previous suggestion that the relationship between dermopterans and primates is as close as that between plesiadapiforms and primates. The distribution of tarkadectine primates on both sides of the Pacific Ocean basin suggests that palaeoenvironmental conditions appropriate to sustain primates occurred across a vast expanse of Asia and North America during the Middle Eocene. PMID:19386655

Biodegradation of photo-oxidized lignite and characterization of the products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jiantao; Liu, Xiangrong; Yue, Zilin; Zhang, Yaowen

2018-01-01

Biodegradation of photo-oxidized Inner Mongolia lignite by pseudomonas aeruginosa was studied and the degradation percentage reached 56.27%, while the corresponding degradation percentage of the strain degrading raw Inner Mongolia lignite is only 23.16%. The degradation products were characterized. Proximate and ultimate analyses show that the higher oxygen content increased by photo-oxidation pretreatment maybe promoted the degradation process. Ultraviolet spectroscopy (UV) analysis of the liquid product reveals that it contains unsaturated structures and aromatic rings are the main structure units. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis indicates that the main components of the ethyl acetate extracts are low molecular weight organic compounds, such as ketones, acids, hydrocarbons, esters and alcohols. Infrared spectroscopy (IR) analysis of raw lignite, photo-oxidized lignite and residual lignite demonstrates that the absorption peaks of functional groups in residual lignite disappeared or weakened obviously. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis manifests that small holes appear in photo-oxidized lignite surface, which may be promote the degradation process and this is only from the physical morphology aspects, so it can be inferred from the tests and analyses results that the more important reason of the high degradation percentage is mostly that the photo-oxidation pretreatment changes the chemical structures of lignite.

An oxygen isotope record from Lake Xiarinur in Inner Mongolia since the last deglaciation and its implication for tropical monsoon change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Qing; Chu, Guoqiang; Xie, Manman; Zhu, Qingzeng; Su, Youliang; Wang, Xisheng

2018-04-01

We present a high-resolution oxygen isotope record from authigenic carbonate (δ18Ocarb) from Lake Xiarinur (Inner Mongolia) since the last deglaciation. The lake is located at the modern northern limit of the monsoon, and is therefore sensitive to the extension of the East Asian summer monsoon. Based on calibration against the instrumental record, the δ18Ocar variation has been interpreted as changes in atmospheric circulation pattern on decadal time scales. On longer time scales, the δ18Ocarb in lake sediments could be mainly regulated by the relative contribution of nearby (remote) water-vapor sources associated with subtropical (tropical) monsoon through changes in the distance from sources to the site of precipitation. Increased remote water vapors from tropical monsoon would lead to lighter isotope value in our study site. Through time the δ18Ocarb record in Lake Xiarinur indicate a notable weak tropical monsoon during the Younger Dryas, a gradual increasing monsoon from the early Holocene and weakening monsoon after the middle Holocene. Oxygen isotope records from lakes and stalagmite in the Asian monsoon region across different localities show a general similar temporal pattern since the last deglaciation, and highlight a fundamental role of the tropical monsoon.

Abundance and community structure of ammonia-oxidizing Archaea and Bacteria in response to fertilization and mowing in a temperate steppe in Inner Mongolia.

PubMed

Chen, Yong-Liang; Hu, Hang-Wei; Han, Hong-Yan; Du, Yue; Wan, Shi-Qiang; Xu, Zhu-Wen; Chen, Bao-Dong

2014-07-01

Based on a 6-year field trial in a temperate steppe in Inner Mongolia, we investigated the effects of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization and mowing on the abundance and community compositions of ammonia-oxidizing Bacteria (AOB) and Archaea (AOA) upon early (May) and peak (August) plant growth using quantitative PCR (qPCR), terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), cloning and sequencing. The results showed that N fertilization changed AOB community composition and increased AOB abundance in both May and August, but significantly decreased AOA abundance in May. By contrast, P fertilization significantly influenced AOB abundance only in August. Mowing significantly decreased AOA abundance and had little effect on AOA community compositions in May, while significantly influencing AOB abundance in both May and August, Moreover, AOA and AOB community structures showed obvious seasonal variations between May and August. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all AOA sequences fell into the Nitrososphaera cluster, and the AOB community was dominated by Nitrosospira Cluster 3. The results suggest that fertilization and mowing play important roles in affecting the abundance and community compositions of AOA and AOB. © 2014 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

Contrasting responses of grassland water and carbon exchanges to climate change between Tibetan Plateau and Inner Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, D.; Li, Y.; Wang, T.; Peylin, P. P.; MacBean, N.; Ciais, P.; Jia, G.; Ma, M.; Ma, Y.; Shen, M.; Zhang, X.; Piao, S.

2017-12-01

he grassland in Tibetan Plateau (TP) and Inner Mongolia (IM) of China play important roles in climate change mitigation. These two regions have increasingly experienced warming and changing precipitation regimes over the past three decades. However, it remains uncertain to what extent temperature and water availability regulate the water and carbon fluxes across alpine (TP) and temperate (IM) grasslands. Here, we optimize a process-based model of carbon and water fluxes using eddy covariance (EC) data and analyze the simulated results based upon the optimized model exposed to a range of annual temperature and precipitation anomalies. We found that the changes of NEE of TP grassland are relatively small because of compatible increasing rate of ecosystem respiration (Re) and the gross primary productivity (GPP) under warming. The NEE of IM grassland increases with warming due to faster reduction of GPP than Re under warm-induced drought. We also found suppression of plant transpiration as the primary cause for the muted response of evapotranspiration to warming in IM, which is in contrast to enhanced transpiration in TP. We therefore highlight that the underlying processes regulating the responses of water and carbon cycles to warming are fundamentally different between TP and IM grasslands.

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, China: Energy

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-04-05

million tons. In 1985, nine Huaneng power companies were also set up, to trans- form oil-burning machinery to conserve fuel oil and to develop ...resettlement into a single socioeconomic system and bring the dislocated people into that system’s social, economic and cultural develop - ment program ...state’s original program , the overall cost for development of the three large strip mines in eastern Inner Mongolia was to be 195 million yuan

Evapotranspiration and soil water relationships in a range of disturbed and undisturbed ecosystems in the semi-arid Inner Mongolia, China

Treesearch

Nan Lu; Shiping Chen; Burkhard Wilske; Ge Sun; Jiquan Chen

2011-01-01

Aims: Evapotranspiration (ET) is a key component of water balance and is closely linked to ecosystem productivity. In arid regions, large proportion of precipitation (PPT) is returned to the atmosphere through ET, with only a small amount available to plants. Our objective was to examine the variability in ET–soil water relationship based on a set of ecosystems that...

On the Generalized Heisenberg Supermagnetic Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Zhao-Wen; Zhang, Xiao-Jing; Han, Rong; Li, Chuan-Zhong

2018-05-01

In this paper, we construct the generalized Heisenberg supermagnetic models with two different constraints and investigate the integrability of the super integrable systems. By virtue of the gauge transformation, their corresponding gauge equivalent counterparts are derived, i.e., the super and fermionic mixed derivative nonlinear Schrödinger equations, respectively. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 11605096, 11571192, and 11601247 and innovation Foundation of Inner Mongolia University for the College Students (201711208)

MY 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN CONDUCTING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH STUDIES IN CHINA: (1) STUDIES ON LUNG CANCER AND INDOOR AIR POLLUTION IN YUNNAN AND (2) HEALTH EFFECTS OF ARSENIC EXPOSURE VIA DRINKING WATER IN INNER MONGOLIA

EPA Science Inventory

As a research health scientist at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, I have been very fortunate to have opportunities to work as a principal investigator for two major environmental health research projects. The first study was conducted in 1983-1996 under a formal U.S.-China ...

Pluvials, Droughts, the Mongol Empire, and Modern Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hessl, A. E.; Pederson, N.; Baatarbileg, N.; Anchukaitis, K. J.

2013-12-01

Understanding the connections between climate, ecosystems, and society during historical and modern climatic transitions requires annual resolution records with high fidelity climate signals. Many studies link the demise of complex societies with deteriorating climate conditions, but few have investigated the connection between climate, surplus energy, and the rise of empires. Inner Asia in the 13th century underwent a major political transformation requiring enormous energetic inputs that altered human history. The Mongol Empire, centered on the city of Karakorum, became the largest contiguous land empire in world history (Fig. 1 inset). Powered by domesticated grazing animals, the empire grew at the expense of sedentary agriculturalists across Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Although some scholars and conventional wisdom agree that dry conditions spurred the Mongol conquests, little paleoenvironmental data at annual resolution are available to evaluate the role of climate in the development of the Mongol Empire. Here we present a 2600 year tree-ring reconstruction of warm-season, self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index (scPDSI), a measure of water balance, derived from 107 live and dead Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica) trees growing on a Holocene lava flow in central Mongolia. Trees growing on the Khorgo lava flow today are stunted and widely spaced, occurring on microsites with little to no soil development. These trees are extremely water-stressed and their radial growth is well-correlated with both drought (scPDSI) and grassland productivity (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)). Our reconstruction, calibrated and validated on instrumental June-September scPDSI (1959-2009) accounts for 55.8% of the variability in the regional scPDSI when 73% of the annual rainfall occurs. Our scPDSI reconstruction places historic and modern social change in Mongolia in the context of the range of climatic variability during the Common Era. Our record, in combination with a gridded temperature reconstruction, shows that the climate during the conquests of Chinggis Khaan's (Ghengis Khan) 13th century Mongol Empire was warm and persistently wet. Tree-ring and meteorological data combined suggest that the early 21st century drought was the hottest drought in the last 1000 years, consistent with model projections of warming in Inner Asia. Future warming may overwhelm increases in precipitation leading to similar 'heat droughts', with potentially severe consequences for modern Mongolia.

Blueschist metamorphism and its tectonic implication of Late Paleozoic-Early Mesozoic metabasites in the mélange zones, central Inner Mongolia, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jinrui; Wei, Chunjing; Chu, Hang

2015-01-01

Blueschists in central Inner Mongolia are distributed as layers and blocks in mélanges including the southern zone in Ondor Sum area and the northern zone in Manghete and Naomuhunni areas. They have been attributed to the subduction of Early Paleozoic oceanic crust. Blueschists from Ondor Sum and Naomuhunni are characterized by occurrence of sodic amphibole coexisting with epidote, albite, chlorite, calcic amphibole (in Ondor Sum) and muscovite (in Naomuhunni). Blueschists in Manghete contain porphyroblastic albite with inclusions of garnet and epidote in a matrix dominated by calcic-sodic amphibole, epidote, chlorite, albite and muscovite. Phase equilibria modeling for three blueschist samples using pseudosection suggest that the AlM2 contents in sodic amphibole can be used as a good barometer in the limited assemblage involving sodic amphibole + actinolite + epidote + chlorite + albite + quartz under pressures <4-6 kbar, while this barometer is largely influenced by temperature and bulk Fe2O3 contents in the actinolite-absent assemblage sodic amphibole + epidote + chlorite + albite + quartz of higher pressure and the AlM2 contents are not pressure-controlled in the albite-absent assemblage sodic amphibole + epidote + chlorite + quartz under pressures > 7-10 kbar. In the sodic amphibole-bearing assemblages, the NaM4 contents in sodic amphibole mainly decrease as temperature rises, being a potential thermometry. The calculated pseudosections constrain the P-T conditions of blueschists to be 3.2-4.2 kbar/355-415 °C in Ondor Sum, 8.2-9.0 kbar/455 °C-495 °C in Manghete and 6.6-8.1 kbar/420-470 °C in Naomuhunni. These P-T estimates indicate a rather high geothermal gradient of 18-25 °C/km for the blueschist metamorphism, being of intermediate P/T facies series. Available zircon U-Pb age data suggests that the protoliths of blueschists were formed later than Late Paleozoic-Early Mesozoic and metamorphosed soon afterwards. An alternative interpretation for the tectonic implication of blueschists in central Inner Mongolia is that they may be a new type attributed to closure of limited ocean basins and do not represent a tectonic regime occurred in conventional subduction setting.

A new multimedia contaminant fate model for China: how important are environmental parameters in influencing chemical persistence and long-range transport potential?

PubMed

Zhu, Ying; Price, Oliver R; Tao, Shu; Jones, Kevin C; Sweetman, Andy J

2014-08-01

We present a new multimedia chemical fate model (SESAMe) which was developed to assess chemical fate and behaviour across China. We apply the model to quantify the influence of environmental parameters on chemical overall persistence (POV) and long-range transport potential (LRTP) in China, which has extreme diversity in environmental conditions. Sobol sensitivity analysis was used to identify the relative importance of input parameters. Physicochemical properties were identified as more influential than environmental parameters on model output. Interactive effects of environmental parameters on POV and LRTP occur mainly in combination with chemical properties. Hypothetical chemicals and emission data were used to model POV and LRTP for neutral and acidic chemicals with different KOW/DOW, vapour pressure and pKa under different precipitation, wind speed, temperature and soil organic carbon contents (fOC). Generally for POV, precipitation was more influential than the other environmental parameters, whilst temperature and wind speed did not contribute significantly to POV variation; for LRTP, wind speed was more influential than the other environmental parameters, whilst the effects of other environmental parameters relied on specific chemical properties. fOC had a slight effect on POV and LRTP, and higher fOC always increased POV and decreased LRTP. Example case studies were performed on real test chemicals using SESAMe to explore the spatial variability of model output and how environmental properties affect POV and LRTP. Dibenzofuran released to multiple media had higher POV in northwest of Xinjiang, part of Gansu, northeast of Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang and Jilin. Benzo[a]pyrene released to the air had higher LRTP in south Xinjiang and west Inner Mongolia, whilst acenaphthene had higher LRTP in Tibet and west Inner Mongolia. TCS released into water had higher LRTP in Yellow River and Yangtze River catchments. The initial case studies demonstrated that SESAMe performed well on comparing POV and LRTP of chemicals in different regions across China in order to potentially identify the most sensitive regions. This model should not only be used to estimate POV and LRTP for screening and risk assessments of chemicals, but could potentially be used to help design chemical monitoring programmes across China in the future. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mercury emission from coal seam fire at Wuda, Inner Mongolia, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Yanci; Liang, Handong; Zhu, Shuquan

2014-02-01

The underground coal seam fire in the Wuda, Inner Mongolia of china is one of the most serious coal fires in the world with a history over 50 years and endangers the neighboring downwind urban area. To investigate the potential mercury emission and migration from the coal seam fire, in situ real-time measurement of total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentration using Lumex RA-915 + mercury analyzer were implemented on the fire zone and the urban area. The results show an average TGM concentration of 464 ng m-3 in the fumes released from surface vents and cracks on the fire zone, which leads to an elevated TGM concentration of 257 ng m-3 (211-375 ng m-3) in the near-surface air at the fire zone and 89 ng m-3 (23-211 ng m-3) at the peripheral area. The average TGM concentration in the adjoining downwind urban area of Wuda is 33 ng m-3. This result suggests that the coal seam fire may not only contribute to the global mercury inventory but also be a novel source for mercury pollution in the urban areas. The scenario of urban areas being adjacent to coal seam fires is not limited to Wuda but relatively common in northern China and elsewhere. Whether there are other cities under influence of coal seam fires merits further investigation.

The impact of groundwater velocity fields on streamlines in an aquifer system with a discontinuous aquitard (Inner Mongolia, China)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Qiang; Zhao, Yingwang; Xu, Hua

2018-04-01

Many numerical methods that simulate groundwater flow, particularly the continuous Galerkin finite element method, do not produce velocity information directly. Many algorithms have been proposed to improve the accuracy of velocity fields computed from hydraulic potentials. The differences in the streamlines generated from velocity fields obtained using different algorithms are presented in this report. The superconvergence method employed by FEFLOW, a popular commercial code, and some dual-mesh methods proposed in recent years are selected for comparison. The applications to depict hydrogeologic conditions using streamlines are used, and errors in streamlines are shown to lead to notable errors in boundary conditions, the locations of material interfaces, fluxes and conductivities. Furthermore, the effects of the procedures used in these two types of methods, including velocity integration and local conservation, are analyzed. The method of interpolating velocities across edges using fluxes is shown to be able to eliminate errors associated with refraction points that are not located along material interfaces and streamline ends at no-flow boundaries. Local conservation is shown to be a crucial property of velocity fields and can result in more accurate streamline densities. A case study involving both three-dimensional and two-dimensional cross-sectional models of a coal mine in Inner Mongolia, China, are used to support the conclusions presented.

Joint Interpretation of Geological, Magnetic, AMT, and ERT Data for Mineral Exploration in the Northeast of Inner Mongolia, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Gang; Lü, Qing-Tian; Zhang, Gui-Bin; Lin, Ping-Rong; Jia, Zheng-Yuan; Suo, Kui

2018-03-01

The integrated interpretation of data from various technologies has the potential to obtain a more accurate estimate of subterranean earth properties. In this paper, we implement the joint interpretation of geological and geophysical data for mineral exploration in the northeastern region of Inner Mongolia, China. The joint application of several methodologies reduces the exploration risk. We first determined an approximate and large potential area for mineral exploration with geological data and magnetic data interpretation in Gaoerqi. Results from the two types of data analysis show that the ore deposit strikes roughly east in the northern part of the Gaoerqi mining area. Next, we employed the audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) method to study the subterranean electrical resistivity distribution and divide the earth into four layers. Inverted resistivity sections from the AMT data illustrate that the ore deposits are likely developed in the low-resistivity zone of the survey area from the land surface to 300-m depth. Finally, the high-resolution borehole-to-surface electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) method was employed for further investigation of the location and attitude of the potential ore deposits. Inverted resistivity sections from the ERT data show that two prospective areas for mineral exploration were observed in the west of the survey area and that the eastern portion of the survey area warrants further investigation.

Vegetation variation of loess deposits in the southeastern Inner Mongolia, NE China over the past ∼1.08 million years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyu, Anqi; Lu, Huayu; Zeng, Lin; Zhang, Hongyan; Zhang, Enlou; Yi, Shuangwen

2018-04-01

The stable carbon isotopic composition of organic matter of aeolian silt deposits is regarded as an appropriate proxy index of paleovegetation, especially in the Chinese Loess Plateau in central China. In this study, a loess-paleosol sequence in the southeastern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in northeastern (NE) China, which is located outside the Chinese Loess Plateau, is chosen to reconstruct the vegetation history since ∼1.08 Ma. Temperature exhibits a threshold value, which determines the growth of C4 plants in this study area. The organic matter of the samples is derived from two different vegetation types, namely, the mixed C3 and C4 plants and the pure C3 plants. The δ13C of the organic matter shows negative values in loess units and higher values in paleosol units. This finding reflects the influence of temperature and summer monsoon intensity on the vegetation dynamics over glacial-interglacial cycles. On a longer time scale, the δ13C values are higher between ∼1.1 and ∼0.9 Ma and after ∼0.35 Ma, and lower between ∼0.9 and ∼0.35 Ma, which may be attributed to a long-term temperature variation. Our analysis shows that regional temperature is the most important limiting factor that forces vegetation changes at the glacial-interglacial time scale in NE China.

Analysis on Temporal-Spatial Changes of Vegetation Cverrge in Farming-Pastoral Ecotone of Inner Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, X.; Li, J.; Yang, Z.

2018-04-01

Chen Barag Banner is located in the typical farming-pastoral ecotone of Inner Mongolia, and it is also the core area of Hulunbuir steppe. Typical agricultural and pastoral staggered production mode so that the vegetation growth of the region not only determines the local ecological environment, and animal husbandry production, but also have a significant impact on the whole Hulunbuir ecological security and economic development. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the change of vegetation in this area. Based on 17 MODIS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) images, the authors reconstructed the dynamic change characteristics of Fraction vegetation coverage (FVC) in Chen Barag Banner from 2000 to 2016. In this paper, first at all, Pixel Decomposition Models was introduced to inversion FVC, and the time series of vegetation coverage was reconstructed. Then we analyzed the temporal-spatial changes of FVC by employing transition matrix. Finally, through image analyzing and processing, the results showed that the vegetation coverage in the study area was influenced by effectors including climate, topography and human actives. In the past 17 years, the overall effect of vegetation coverage showed a downward trend of fluctuation. The average vegetation coverage decreased from 58.81 % in 2000 to 48.14 % in 2016, and the area of vegetation cover degradation accounts for 40.09 % of the total change area. Therefore, the overall degradation trend was obvious.

A Potential Synergy between Incomplete Arsenic Methylation Capacity and Demographic Characteristics on the Risk of Hypertension: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Study in an Arsenic-Endemic Area of Inner Mongolia, China

PubMed Central

Li, Yongfang; Wang, Da; Li, Xin; Zheng, Quanmei; Sun, Guifan

2015-01-01

Inefficient arsenic methylation capacity has been associated with various health hazards induced by arsenic. In this study, we aimed to explore the interaction effect of lower arsenic methylation capacity with demographic characteristics on hypertension risk. A total of 512 adult participants (126 hypertension subjects and 386 non-hypertension subjects) residing in an arsenic-endemic area in Inner Mongolia, China were included. Urinary levels of inorganic arsenic (iAs), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) were measured for all subjects. The percentage of urinary arsenic metabolites (iAs%, MMA%, and DMA%), primary methylation index (PMI) and secondary methylation index (SMI) were calculated to assess arsenic methylation capacity of individuals. Results showed that participants carrying a lower methylation capacity, which is characterized by lower DMA% and SMI, have a higher risk of hypertension compared to their corresponding references after adjusting for multiple confounders. A potential synergy between poor arsenic methylation capacity (higher MMA%, lower DMA% and SMI) and older age or higher BMI were detected. The joint effects of higher MMA% and lower SMI with cigarette smoking also suggest some evidence of synergism. The findings of present study indicated that inefficient arsenic methylation capacity was associated with hypertension and the effect might be enhanced by certain demographic factors. PMID:25837203

Association between forestry ecological engineering and dust weather in Inner Mongolia: A panel study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jixia, Huang; Qibin, Zhang; Jing, Tan; Depeng, Yue; Quansheng, Ge

2018-04-01

Forestry ecological engineering projects in Western China include the Three-North Shelter Forest Project (TNSFP), the Natural Forest Protection Project (NFPP), the Grain for Green Project (GGP) and the Beijing-Tianjin Sandstorm Source Project (BTSSP). Such projects play an important role in the control of dust weather in Western China. In this research, data on the frequency of sandstorms, sand-blowing and dust-floating weather, the area of four forestry ecological engineering projects, wind, rainfall and vegetation coverage from 2000 to 2010 were collected based on the unit of prefecture-level cities in Inner Mongolia. The panel-data model was used to analyze the quantitative association between forestry ecological engineering and dust weather. The results indicate that wind has a strong promotional effect on dust weather, while forestry ecological engineering and rainfall have a containment effect. In addition, the impacts of the four studied forestry ecological engineering projects on dust weather differ. For every increase of 1000 km2 in the Three-North Shelter Forest Project, the annual number of days of sandstorm weather decreased by 4 days. Similarly, for every increase of 1000 km2 in the Beijing-Tianjin Sandstorm Source Project, the sand-blowing weather decreased by 4.4 days annually. In addition, NFPP and GGP have a more obvious inhibitory effect on the dust-floating weather.

Simultaneous determination of molecular weights and contents of water-soluble polysaccharides and their fractions from Lycium barbarum collected in China.

PubMed

Wu, Ding-Tao; Lam, Shing-Chung; Cheong, Kit-Leong; Wei, Feng; Lin, Peng-Cheng; Long, Ze-Rong; Lv, Xiao-Jie; Zhao, Jing; Ma, Shuang-Cheng; Li, Shao-Ping

2016-09-10

Molecular weights and contents of water-soluble polysaccharides and their fractions in fifty batches of fruits of Lycium barbarum (wolfberry) collected from different regions of China, including Qinghai, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Gansu, were simultaneously determined using high performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) coupled with multi angle laser light scattering (MALLS) and refractive index detector (RID) with the refractive index increment (dn/dc). Results showed that HPSEC chromatograms and molecular weight distributions of polysaccharides in L. barbarum collected from different regions of China were similar. Furthermore, the average contents of each polysaccharide fraction (peaks 1, 2, and 3) in crude polysaccharides of L. barbarum collected from Ningxia were similar with those of Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Gansu, respectively. However, significant difference was found between polysaccharides in L. barbarum collected from Ningxia and Qinghai. Moreover, the average amounts of total polysaccharide fractions (peaks 1, 2, and 3) in the raw material of L. barbarum collected from Ningxia were significantly higher than that of Qinghai. These results may contribute to the rational usage of L. barbarum produced in China, and are beneficial for the improvement of their quality control. Results suggested that HPSEC-MALLS-RID with the dn/dc method could be used as a routine method for the quality evaluation of polysaccharides from natural resources and their products. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Earlier vegetation green-up has reduced spring dust storms

PubMed Central

Fan, Bihang; Guo, Li; Li, Ning; Chen, Jin; Lin, Henry; Zhang, Xiaoyang; Shen, Miaogen; Rao, Yuhan; Wang, Cong; Ma, Lei

2014-01-01

The observed decline of spring dust storms in Northeast Asia since the 1950s has been attributed to surface wind stilling. However, spring vegetation growth could also restrain dust storms through accumulating aboveground biomass and increasing surface roughness. To investigate the impacts of vegetation spring growth on dust storms, we examine the relationships between recorded spring dust storm outbreaks and satellite-derived vegetation green-up date in Inner Mongolia, Northern China from 1982 to 2008. We find a significant dampening effect of advanced vegetation growth on spring dust storms (r = 0.49, p = 0.01), with a one-day earlier green-up date corresponding to a decrease in annual spring dust storm outbreaks by 3%. Moreover, the higher correlation (r = 0.55, p < 0.01) between green-up date and dust storm outbreak ratio (the ratio of dust storm outbreaks to times of strong wind events) indicates that such effect is independent of changes in surface wind. Spatially, a negative correlation is detected between areas with advanced green-up dates and regional annual spring dust storms (r = −0.49, p = 0.01). This new insight is valuable for understanding dust storms dynamics under the changing climate. Our findings suggest that dust storms in Inner Mongolia will be further mitigated by the projected earlier vegetation green-up in the warming world. PMID:25343265

Natronolimnobius baerhuensis gen. nov., sp. nov. and Natronolimnobius innermongolicus sp. nov., novel haloalkaliphilic archaea isolated from soda lakes in Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Itoh, Takashi; Yamaguchi, Takashi; Zhou, Peijin; Takashina, Tomonori

2005-04-01

Three novel isolates of haloalkaliphilic archaea, strains IHC-005T, IHC-010, and N-1311T, from soda lakes in Inner Mongolia, China, were characterized to elucidate their taxonomic positions. The three strains were aerobic, Gram-negative chemoorganotrophs growing optimally at 37-45 degrees C, pH 9.0-9.5, and 15-20% NaCl. Cells of strains IHC-005T/IHC-010 were motile rods, while those of strain N-1311T were non-motile pleomorphic flats or cocci. The three strains contained diphytanyl and phytanyl-sesterterpanyl diether derivatives of phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerophosphate methyl ester. No glycolipids were detected. On phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences, they formed an independent cluster in the Natro group of the family Halobacteriaceae. Comparison of their morphological, physiological, and biochemical properties, DNA G + C content and 16S rRNA gene sequences, and DNA-DNA hybridization study support the view that strains IHC-005T/IHC-010 and strain N-1311T represent separate species. Therefore, we propose Natronolimnobius baerhuensis gen. nov., sp. nov. for strains IHC-005T (=CGMCC 1.3597T =JCM 12253T)/IHC-010 (=CGMCC 1.3598 = JCM 12254) and Natronolimnobius innermongolicus sp. nov. for N-1311T (=CGMCC 1.2124T =JCM 12255T).

Numerical modeling evapotranspiration flux components in shrub-encroached grassland in Inner Mongolia, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Pei; Li, Xiao-Yan; Huang, Jie-Yu; Yang, Wen-Xin; Wang, Qi-Dan; Xu, Kun; Zheng, Xiao-Ran

2016-04-01

Shrub encroachment into arid grasslands occurs around the world. However, few works on shrub encroachment has been conducted in China. Moreover, its hydrological implications remain poorly investigated in arid and semiarid regions. This study combined a two-source energy balanced model and Newton-Raphson iteration scheme to simulate the evapotranspiration (ET) and their components of shrub-encroached(with 15.4% shrub coverage) grassland in Inner Mongolia. Good agreements of ET flux between modelled and measured by Bowen ratio method with relatively insensitive to uncertainties/errors in the assigned models parameters or in measured input variables for its components illustrated that our model was feasible for simulating evapotranspiration flux components in shrub-encroached grassland. The transpiration fraction(T /ET)account for 58±17%during the growing season. With the designed shrub encroachment extreme scenarios (maximum and minimum coverage),the contribution of shrub to local plant transpiration (Tshrub/T) was 20.06±7%during the growing season. Canopy conductance was the main controlling factor of T /ET. In diurnal scale short wave solar radiation was the direct influential factor while in seasonal scale leaf area index (LAI) and soil water content were the direct influential factors. We find that the seasonal variation of Tshrub/T has a good relationship with ratio of LAIshrub/LAI, and rainfall characteristics widened the difference of contribution of shrub and herbs to ecosystem evapotranspiration.

[Differences on geographic distribution of rabies virus lineages in China].

PubMed

Wang, Q; Li, M L; Chen, Y; Wang, B; Tao, X Y; Zhu, W Y

2018-04-10

Objective: To study the lineages of rabies virus and the epidemic characteristics in different provincial populations of China, to provide information for the development of control and prevention measures in each respective provinces. Methods: Full length N and G genes and full-genome of epidemic strains of rabies virus collected in China were downloaded from GenBank and combined with newly sequenced strains by our lab. Each strain was classified under six lineages of China rabies by constructing phylogenetic trees based on the N or G sequences. Numbers of strains and lineages in each province were counted and compared. Results: Six lineages (China Ⅰ-Ⅵ) were prevalent in China, with 4 found in Yunnan and Hunan. In 6 provinces, including Henan and Fujian, 3 lineages were found. In 8 provinces, including Shanghai and Jiangxi, 2 lineages were found Only 1 lineage, were found in Beijing, Tianjin and other 12 provinces. the China Ⅰ, was the dominant one in 25 provinces. In recent years, China Ⅲ had been found in wild animals and spread over livestock in Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang areas. Qinghai and Tibet had been influenced by China Ⅳ, which also been found in wild animals of Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang. Conclusion: There had been obvious differences in lineages and strain numbers of rabies virus identified in different provinces in China.

Arsenic Metabolites and Methylation Capacity Among Individuals Living in a Rural Area with Endemic Arseniasis in Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Wei, Binggan; Yu, Jiangping; Li, Hairong; Yang, Linsheng; Xia, Yajuan; Wu, Kegong; Gao, Jianwei; Guo, Zhiwei; Cui, Na

2016-04-01

More than 0.3 million individuals are subject to chronic exposure to arsenic via their drinking water in Inner Mongolia, China. To determine arsenic methylation capacity profiles for such individuals, concentrations of urinary arsenic metabolites were measured for 548 subjects using high-performance liquid chromatography and a hydride generator combined with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Mean urinary concentrations of dimethylarsonic acid (DMA), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), inorganic arsenic (iAs), and total arsenic (TAs) were 200.50, 46.71, 52.96, and 300.17 μg/L, respectively. The %iAs, %DMA, and %MMA were 15.98, 69.72, and 14.29%. Mean urinary %iAs and %MMA were higher in males, while urinary %DMA was higher in females. There was a strong positive correlation between %iAs and %MMA, with negative correlations between %iAs and %DMA, and %iAs and %MMA. In addition, %iAs and %MMA were positively associated with total arsenic in drinking water (WAs), while %DMA was negatively related with WAs. Regression analysis indicated that the primary methylation index (PMI) and secondary methylation index (SMI) generally decreased with increasing WAs. Females had a higher arsenic methylation capacity compared to males. Younger subjects had lower primary arsenic methylation capacity. However, the secondary arsenic methylation capacity was hardly affected by age. Moreover, both primary and secondary arsenic methylation capacities were negatively related to WAs.

Temporal Variations in Soil Moisture for Three Typical Vegetation Types in Inner Mongolia, Northern China

PubMed Central

Zheng, Hao; Gao, Jixi; Teng, Yanguo; Feng, Chaoyang; Tian, Meirong

2015-01-01

Drought and shortages of soil water are becoming extremely severe due to global climate change. A better understanding of the relationship between vegetation type and soil-moisture conditions is crucial for conserving soil water in forests and for maintaining a favorable hydrological balance in semiarid areas, such as the Saihanwula National Nature Reserve in Inner Mongolia, China. We investigated the temporal dynamics of soil moisture in this reserve to a depth of 40 cm under three types of vegetation during a period of rainwater recharge. Rainwater from most rainfalls recharged the soil water poorly below 40 cm, and the rainfall threshold for increasing the moisture content of surface soil for the three vegetations was in the order: artificial Larix spp. (AL) > Quercus mongolica (QM) > unused grassland (UG). QM had the highest mean soil moisture content (21.13%) during the monitoring period, followed by UG (16.52%) and AL (14.55%); and the lowest coefficient of variation (CV 9.6-12.5%), followed by UG (CV 10.9-18.7%) and AL (CV 13.9-21.0%). QM soil had a higher nutrient content and higher soil porosities, which were likely responsible for the higher ability of this cover to retain soil water. The relatively smaller QM trees were able to maintain soil moisture better in the study area. PMID:25781333

New Jurassic Hangingflies (Insecta: Mecoptera: Bittacidae) from Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Liu, Sulin; Shih, Chungkun; Bashkuev, Alexei; Ren, Dong

2016-01-20

A new bittacid genus, Composibittacus gen. nov., with two new species, C. bipunctatus gen. et sp. nov. and C. reticulatus sp. nov., and a new species of Orthobittacus Willmann 1989, O. maculosus sp. nov., are described from the latest Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China. Composibittacus gen. nov. has unique wing characters, such as five pterostigmal crossveins between R₁ and R₂ and R₁ and R₂₊₃ and an elongated pterostigma area, which distinguishes it from all other known genera in Bittacidae. Orthobittacus maculosus sp. nov. differs from other species of Orthobittacus by a combination of the following wing characters: M with six branches in forewings and hind wings, two crossveins between C and Sc, and two pterostigmal crossveins in the forewing. In addition, O. maculosus sp. nov. has light-colored or white spots on the fore- and hind wings. These new venational characters of Composibittacus gen. nov. and O. maculosus sp. nov. enhance our understanding of the diverse morphological characters of early hangingflies. Furthermore, based on the striking similarity of the wings of O. maculosus sp. nov. and Juracimbrophlebia ginkgofolia Wang, Labandeira, Shih & Ren 2012 (Cimbrophlebiidae), we propose that leaf mimesis and mutualism with ginkgo plants might have been present in the Bittacidae, as has been proposed in the Cimbrophlebiidae.

Climate warming increases biodiversity of small rodents by favoring rare or less abundant species in a grassland ecosystem.

PubMed

Jiang, Guangshun; Liu, Jun; Xu, Lei; Yu, Guirui; He, Honglin; Zhang, Zhibin

2013-06-01

Our Earth is facing the challenge of accelerating climate change, which imposes a great threat to biodiversity. Many published studies suggest that climate warming may cause a dramatic decline in biodiversity, especially in colder and drier regions. In this study, we investigated the effects of temperature, precipitation and a normalized difference vegetation index on biodiversity indices of rodent communities in the current or previous year for both detrended and nondetrended data in semi-arid grassland of Inner Mongolia during 1982-2006. Our results demonstrate that temperature showed predominantly positive effects on the biodiversity of small rodents; precipitation showed both positive and negative effects; a normalized difference vegetation index showed positive effects; and cross-correlation function values between rodent abundance and temperature were negatively correlated with rodent abundance. Our results suggest that recent climate warming increased the biodiversity of small rodents by providing more benefits to population growth of rare or less abundant species than that of more abundant species in Inner Mongolia grassland, which does not support the popular view that global warming would decrease biodiversity in colder and drier regions. We hypothesized that higher temperatures might benefit rare or less abundant species (with smaller populations and more folivorous diets) by reducing the probability of local extinction and/or by increasing herbaceous food resources. © 2012 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd, ISZS and IOZ/CAS.

[Livelihood status assessment of farmers and herdsmen's households based on participatory appraisal: a case in Taipusi Banner of Inner Mongolia].

PubMed

Wei, Wen; Xu, Zhu; Shi, Shang-li; Tian, Qing-song; Wang, Hui-ping; Liu, Jian-li

2011-10-01

Participatory appraisal method was adopted to investigate the recent livelihood status of different type farmers and herdsmen's households in the Taipusi Banner of Inner Mongolia agriculture- animal husbandry ecotone, aimed to understand their livelihood strategies and restricting factors and to search for the ways to improve their living standards. The households dealing with pure agricultural production had smaller family size, with older age-structure and lower educational level, and their simple livelihood strategies brought about larger vulnerability and risk. To introduce and expand non-agricultural activities would be the important way to promote the livelihood diversification and to reduce the livelihood risks of these households. The households dealing with pure animal husbandry took grazing as the main subsistence, and their production activities were greatly restrained by the pasture vulnerability. To develop environment-friendly and high-yielding agriculture and animal husbandry would be the effective way to solve the livelihood problems of these households and to protect the ecological environment. The households dealing with both agricultural production and business or dealing with both animal husbandry and business generally had larger family size, with younger age- structure, higher diversity in labor division, larger proportion of non-farming activities, and better living standards. Especially for the households dealing with both animal husbandry and business, their income was much higher.

Abnormal variation of magnetic properties with Ce content in (PrNdCe)2Fe14B sintered magnets prepared by dual alloy method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue-Feng, Zhang; Jian-Ting, Lan; Zhu-Bai, Li; Yan-Li, Liu; Le-Le, Zhang; Yong-Feng, Li; Qian, Zhao

2016-05-01

Resource-saving (PrNdCe)2Fe14B sintered magnets with nominal composition (PrNd)15-x Ce x Fe77B8 (x = 0-10) were prepared using a dual alloy method by mixing (PrNd)5Ce10Fe77B8 with (PrNd)15Fe77B8 powders. For Ce atomic percent of 1% and 2%, coercivity decreases dramatically. With further increase of Ce atomic percent, the coercivity increases, peaks at 6.38 kOe in (PrNd)11Ce4Fe77B8, and then declines gradually. The abnormal dependence of coercivity is likely related to the inhomogeneity of rare earth chemical composition in the intergranular phase, where PrNd concentration is strongly dependent on the additive amount of (PrNd)5Ce10Fe77B8 powders. In addition, for Ce atomic percent of 8%, 7%, and 6% the coercivity is higher than that of magnets prepared by the conventional method, which shows the advantage of the dual alloy method in preparing high abundant rare earth magnets. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51461033, 51571126, 51541105, and 11547032), the Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia, China (Grant No. 2013MS0110), and the Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology Innovation Fund, China.

Regulations of evapotranspiration and ecosystem productivity from biophysical and human drivers in drylands Northern Eurasia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, J.; Ouyang, Z.; John, R.; Henebry, G. M.; Xie, Y.; de Beurs, K.; Fan, Y.; Shao, C.; Qi, J.; Wu, J.; Liu, Y.

2015-12-01

The concept of coupled human and environmental systems (CHES) has been a dominant framework in the past decade for understanding the cohesive connections between natural and human systems. Here we focus on how socio-ecological services may be regulated by the regional and local water cycles and by ecosystem production in the drylands of Northern Asia (>40 degree N), which includes Inner Mongolia of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Total precipitation and evapotranspiration are used as the primary drivers to explain ecosystem production (e.g., GPP) and indicators of social function and structure (e.g., GDP, population) using the data collected from 1980 through 2010 of these seven areas. We hypothesize that the changes in the regional and local water cycles in these contrasting regions and socioeconomic settings significantly affect CHES functioning. Institutional changes, including shifts in policy, can play a much stronger role than those caused by the physical changes in determining the relationships between water cycle and CHES functioning. The complex connections among the biophysical and socioeconomic variables are analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM) at country and regional scales. The highest water use efficiency (GPP:PET=0.57) was found for Uzbekistan, which also had the highest GDP:GPP (0.66) among the seven areas. In contrast, Mongolia exhibited the lowest values during the study period despite its very high GPP:Population value (45.8). The low population in Mongolia appeared responsible for its rank within the dryland region. Regional institutional changes with global ramifications, such as the collapse of Soviet Union and China joining the World Trade Organization, appears to have affected the CHES of the study areas.

Perinatal Specimens of Saurolophus angustirostris (Dinosauria: Hadrosauridae), from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia.

PubMed

Dewaele, Leonard; Tsogtbaatar, Khishigjav; Barsbold, Rinchen; Garcia, Géraldine; Stein, Koen; Escuillié, François; Godefroit, Pascal

2015-01-01

The Late Cretaceous Nemegt Formation, Gobi Desert, Mongolia has already yielded abundant and complete skeletons of the hadrosaur Saurolophus angustirostris, from half-grown to adult individuals. Herein we describe perinatal specimens of Saurolophus angustirostris, associated with fragmentary eggshell fragments. The skull length of these babies is around 5% that of the largest known S. angustirostris specimens, so these specimens document the earliest development stages of this giant hadrosaur and bridge a large hiatus in our knowledge of the ontogeny of S. angustirostris. The studied specimens are likely part of a nest originally located on a riverbank point bar. The perinatal specimens were buried by sediment carried by the river current presumably during the wet summer season. Perinatal bones already displayed diagnostic characters for Saurolophus angustirostris, including premaxillae with a strongly reflected oral margin and upturned premaxillary body in lateral aspect. The absence of a supracranial crest and unfused halves of the cervical neural arches characterize the earliest stages in the ontogeny of S. angustirostris. The eggshell fragments associated with the perinatal individuals can be referred to the Spheroolithus oogenus and closely resemble those found in older formations (e.g. Barun Goyot Fm in Mongolia) or associated with more basal hadrosauroids (Bactrosaurus-Gilmoreosaurus in the Iren Dabasu Fm, Inner Mongolia, China). This observation suggests that the egg microstructure was similar in basal hadrosauroids and more advanced saurolophines. One of the authors (FE) is employed by the commercial organization Eldonia. Eldonia provided support in the form of a salary for FE, but did not have any additional role or influence in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript and it does not alter the authors' adherence to all the PLoS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Study on the coal mixing ratio optimization for a power plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Y. A.; Cheng, J. W.; Bai, Q.; Li, W. B.

2017-12-01

For coal-fired power plants, the application of blended coal combustion has been a great issue due to the shortage and rising prices of high-rank coal. This paper describes the optimization of blending methods between Xing'an lignite coal, Shaltala lignite coal, Ura lignite coal, and Inner Mongolia bituminous coal. The multi-objective decision-making method based on fuzzy mathematics was used to determine the optimal blending ratio to improve the power plant coal-fired economy.

Collected Works of Mao Tse-Tung (1917-1949). Volumes 5-6

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-11-16

general mobilization of the army, navy, and air force and the people of all of China for a sacred anti-Japanese national revolutionary war , in order to...Japan Red Army of China have continuously appealed to the people of the entire nation to unite and wage war against Japan. They sent the main force of...organize, wage a national revolutionary war , and oust Japanese imperial- ism and the Chinese warlords from the territory of Inner Mongolia, no one will

Distribution of the longhorned beetle Callipogon relictus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in Northeast Asia.

PubMed

Yi, Dae-Am; Kuprin, Alexander V; Bae, Yeon Jae

2018-01-02

The distribution of the longhorned beetle Callipogon (Eoxenus) relictus Semenov, 1899 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in Northeast Asia was summarized for the first time, based on the examination of comprehensive material. Callipogon relictus is the only representative of the genus Callipogon in the Palearctic region. Its distribution ranges from Shanxi province (China) in the south, northward through the Korean Peninsula to Amur Oblast (Russia), and from Inner Mongolia (China) in the west to the coastal area of the Russian Far East.

Divergences of Two Coupled Human and Natural Systems on the Mongolian Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, J.

2014-12-01

Central to the concept of coupled natural and human (CNH) systems is that humans and nature are organized in interacting sub-systems that make a cohesive whole at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Following an overview of the challenges in implementing the CNH concept at the regional level, we used widely available measures of states in the social, economic, and ecological systems, including gross domestic product, population size, net primary productivity, and livestock and their ratios, to examine the CNH dynamics on the Mongolian Plateau during 1981-2010. Our cross-border analysis of the coupled dynamics over the past three decades demonstrated striking contrasts between Inner Mongolia (IM) and Mongolia (MG), with policies playing shifting roles on the above measures. For prioritizing future research on the CNH concept, we propose the hypothesis that while the divergence of IM and MG for 1981-2010 was largely driven by market economic reforms, the importance of socioeconomic forces relative to climate changes will gradually decrease in IM while they remain important in MG.

Permian vegetational Pompeii from Inner Mongolia and its implications for landscape paleoecology and paleobiogeography of Cathaysia

PubMed Central

Wang, Jun; Pfefferkorn, Hermann W.; Zhang, Yi; Feng, Zhuo

2012-01-01

Plant communities of the geologic past can be reconstructed with high fidelity only if they were preserved in place in an instant in time. Here we report such a flora from an early Permian (ca. 298 Ma) ash-fall tuff in Inner Mongolia, a time interval and area where such information is filling a large gap of knowledge. About 1,000 m2 of forest growing on peat could be reconstructed based on the actual location of individual plants. Tree ferns formed a lower canopy and either Cordaites, a coniferophyte, or Sigillaria, a lycopsid, were present as taller trees. Noeggerathiales, an enigmatic and extinct spore-bearing plant group of small trees, is represented by three species that have been found as nearly complete specimens and are presented in reconstructions in their plant community. Landscape heterogenity is apparent, including one site where Noeggerathiales are dominant. This peat-forming flora is also taxonomically distinct from those growing on clastic soils in the same area and during the same time interval. This Permian flora demonstrates both similarities and differences to floras of the same age in Europe and North America and confirms the distinct character of the Cathaysian floral realm. Therefore, this flora will serve as a baseline for the study of other fossil floras in East Asia and the early Permian globally that will be needed for a better understanding of paleoclimate evolution through time. PMID:22355112

Prevalence survey of nosocomial infections in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China [2012-2014

PubMed Central

Liu, Wei-Ping; Hai, Yun-Ting; Zheng, Zhi-Nan; Cao, Qing-Ling

2015-01-01

Background To investigate the prevalence of nosocomial infections, the distribution of nosocomial infection sites, the use of antibiotic and the situation of detected nosocomial infection pathogens in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China from 2012 to 2014, to grasp the current conditions of regional nosocomial infections in timely, for the development of infection prevention and control measures to provide a basis for effective hospital. Methods A survey of the prevalence of nosocomial infections was conducted in target hospitals using the combination of a bedside survey and medical record review. Results In total, 101,907 inpatients were surveyed from 2012 to 2014. There were 1,997 cases of nosocomial infections, accounting for an average prevalence of 1.96%. The infection site was mainly the lower respiratory tract. Higher prevalence of nosocomial infections occurred in the comprehensive intensive care unit (ICU), Neurosurgery Department, and Hematology Department. The average rate of antibiotic use was 33.72%, and the average submission rate for bacterial cultures for patients who received therapeutic treatment with antibiotics was 28.26%. The most common pathogens associated with nosocomial infections were Gram-negative (G−) bacteria, and frequently detected bacterial pathogens included Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Staphylococcus aureus. Conclusions The survey of the prevalence of nosocomial infections helped to identify problems in the control process of nosocomial infections and to develop targeted measures for the prevention and control of these infections accordingly. PMID:26543614

[Landscape pattern change of ethnic townships under the background of urbanization: Case of Aerla Town in Molidawa Daur Autonomous Banner, Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Yang, Jin Yao; Huang, Lu; Yan, Li Jiao; Huo, Si Gao

2016-08-01

With the stable development of new countryside construction and new-type urbanization, the changing of the landscape pattern in countryside attracts more attention, especially in the ethnic townships which are hardly accessible. To explore the development of these areas, it is crucial to understand the spatial and temporal variation of the landscape pattern. In this paper, the landscape pattern change was analyzed at both patch type level and landscape level based on the landscape ecology theory. The land use data (format: vector) got from Aerla Town (a typical Daur ethnic township in Inner Mongolia) for the duration from 2008 to 2013 was studied by ArcGIS platform and Fragstats. For the type level, the grassland, farmland, and forest turned into building land gra-dually. Regarding the landscape level, the landscape diversity index and landscape connectivity index were relatively low, the heterogeneity index and the landscape fragmentation were relatively high. With considering the correlation analysis and grey correlation of the above indexes as well as the social and economic development in Aerla Town, the results indicated that population change and GDP growth were the main driving forces of landscape pattern change. Finally, the driving forces which resulted in the variation of landscape pattern with the incorporation of the economic, cultural, policy, and natural effects were discussed. The research could provide basic information and theoretical foundation for the development of minority areas in Northeast China.

Spatial analysis on human brucellosis incidence in mainland China: 2004–2010

PubMed Central

Zhang, Junhui; Yin, Fei; Zhang, Tao; Yang, Chao; Zhang, Xingyu; Feng, Zijian; Li, Xiaosong

2014-01-01

Objectives China has experienced a sharply increasing rate of human brucellosis in recent years. Effective spatial monitoring of human brucellosis incidence is very important for successful implementation of control and prevention programmes. The purpose of this paper is to apply exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) methods and the empirical Bayes (EB) smoothing technique to monitor county-level incidence rates for human brucellosis in mainland China from 2004 to 2010 by examining spatial patterns. Methods ESDA methods were used to characterise spatial patterns of EB smoothed incidence rates for human brucellosis based on county-level data obtained from the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention (CISDCP) in mainland China from 2004 to 2010. Results EB smoothed incidence rates for human brucellosis were spatially dependent during 2004–2010. The local Moran test identified significantly high-risk clusters of human brucellosis (all p values <0.01), which persisted during the 7-year study period. High-risk counties were centred in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and other Northern provinces (ie, Hebei, Shanxi, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces) around the border with the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region where animal husbandry was highly developed. The number of high-risk counties increased from 25 in 2004 to 54 in 2010. Conclusions ESDA methods and the EB smoothing technique can assist public health officials in identifying high-risk areas. Allocating more resources to high-risk areas is an effective way to reduce human brucellosis incidence. PMID:24713215

Permian vegetational Pompeii from Inner Mongolia and its implications for landscape paleoecology and paleobiogeography of Cathaysia.

PubMed

Wang, Jun; Pfefferkorn, Hermann W; Zhang, Yi; Feng, Zhuo

2012-03-27

Plant communities of the geologic past can be reconstructed with high fidelity only if they were preserved in place in an instant in time. Here we report such a flora from an early Permian (ca. 298 Ma) ash-fall tuff in Inner Mongolia, a time interval and area where such information is filling a large gap of knowledge. About 1,000 m(2) of forest growing on peat could be reconstructed based on the actual location of individual plants. Tree ferns formed a lower canopy and either Cordaites, a coniferophyte, or Sigillaria, a lycopsid, were present as taller trees. Noeggerathiales, an enigmatic and extinct spore-bearing plant group of small trees, is represented by three species that have been found as nearly complete specimens and are presented in reconstructions in their plant community. Landscape heterogenity is apparent, including one site where Noeggerathiales are dominant. This peat-forming flora is also taxonomically distinct from those growing on clastic soils in the same area and during the same time interval. This Permian flora demonstrates both similarities and differences to floras of the same age in Europe and North America and confirms the distinct character of the Cathaysian floral realm. Therefore, this flora will serve as a baseline for the study of other fossil floras in East Asia and the early Permian globally that will be needed for a better understanding of paleoclimate evolution through time.

Influences of groundwater extraction on flow dynamics and arsenic levels in the western Hetao Basin, Inner Mongolia, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhuo; Guo, Huaming; Zhao, Weiguang; Liu, Shuai; Cao, Yongsheng; Jia, Yongfeng

2018-04-01

Data on spatiotemporal variations in groundwater levels are crucial for understanding arsenic (As) behavior and dynamics in groundwater systems. Little is known about the influences of groundwater extraction on the transport and mobilization of As in the Hetao Basin, Inner Mongolia (China), so groundwater levels were recorded in five monitoring wells from 2011 to 2016 and in 57 irrigation wells and two multilevel wells in 2016. Results showed that groundwater level in the groundwater irrigation area had two troughs each year, induced by extensive groundwater extraction, while groundwater levels in the river-diverted (Yellow River) water irrigation area had two peaks each year, resulting from surface-water irrigation. From 2011 to 2016, groundwater levels in the groundwater irrigation area presented a decreasing trend due to the overextraction. Groundwater samples were taken for geochemical analysis each year in July from 2011 to 2016. Increasing trends were observed in groundwater total dissolved solids (TDS) and As. Owing to the reverse groundwater flow direction, the Shahai Lake acts as a new groundwater recharge source. Lake water had flushed the near-surface sediments, which contain abundant soluble components, and increased groundwater salinity. In addition, groundwater extraction induced strong downward hydraulic gradients, which led to leakage recharge from shallow high-TDS groundwater to the deep semiconfined aquifer. The most plausible explanation for similar variations among As, Fe(II) and total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations is the expected dissimilatory reduction of Fe(III) oxyhydroxides.

A new hynobiid-like salamander (Amphibia, Urodela) from Inner Mongolia, China, provides a rare case study of developmental features in an Early Cretaceous fossil urodele

PubMed Central

Jia, Jia

2016-01-01

A new fossil salamander, Nuominerpeton aquilonaris (gen. et sp. nov.), is named and described based on specimens from the Lower Cretaceous Guanghua Formation of Inner Mongolia, China. The new discovery documents a far northern occurrence of Early Cretaceous salamanders in China, extending the geographic distribution for the Mesozoic fossil record of the group from the Jehol area (40th–45th parallel north) to near the 49th parallel north. The new salamander is characterized by having the orbitosphenoid semicircular in shape; coracoid plate of the scapulocoracoid greatly expanded with a convex ventral and posterior border; ossification of two centralia in carpus and tarsus; and first digit being about half the length of the second digit in both manus and pes. The new salamander appears to be closely related to hynobiids, although this inferred relationship awaits confirmation by research in progress by us on a morphological and molecular combined analysis of cryptobranchoid relationships. Comparison of adult with larval and postmetamorphic juvenile specimens provides insights into developmental patterns of cranial and postcranial skeletons in this fossil species, especially resorption of the palatine and anterior portions of the palatopterygoid in the palate and the coronoid in the mandible during metamorphosis, and postmetamorphic ossification of the mesopodium in both manus and pes. Thus, this study provides a rare case study of developmental features in a Mesozoic salamander. PMID:27761316

[Distribution characteristic and current situation of soil rare earth contamination in the Bayan Obo mining area and Baotou tailing reservoir in Inner Mongolia].

PubMed

Guo, Wei; Fu, Rui-ying; Zhao, Ren-xin; Zhao, Wen-jing; Guo, Jiang-yuan; Zhang, Jun

2013-05-01

The pollution status and distribution characteristic of rare earth elements in soil were analyzed around Bayan Obo mining area and Baotou tailing reservoir located in Inner Mongolia grassland ecosystem, aiming at grasping the overall situation of grassland ecosystem pollution caused by rare earth elements and providing basic information as well as theoretical basis. The results indicated that seven rare earth elements in soils from different directions of Baotou tailing reservoir accumulated to a certain extent compared to the soil background value of Inner Mongolia. The pollution degree was Ce > La > Nd > Pr > Sm > Y > Eu. Within 50 m from the edge of tailing reservoir, soil rare earth contamination was the most serious, with the concentrations of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu and Y reaching 11,45.0 mg x kg(-1), 23,636.0 mg x kg(-1), 4568.16 mg x kg(-1) , 6855.51 mg x kg(-1), 582.18 mg x kg(-1), 94.21 mg x kg(-1)), and 136.25 mg x kg(-1), respectively. Owing to the dominant wind direction of northwest, soils from the southeast were contaminated most seriously. For Bayan Obo mining area, the concentrations of seven rare earth elements in soil from the mining area were significantly higher than those of other areas investigated, with the concentrations of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu and Y reaching 3112.56 mg x kg(-1), 7142.12 mg x kg(-1), 1467.12 mg x kg(-1), 2552.80 mg x kg(-1), 210.80 mg x kg(-1), 36.20 mg x kg(-1) and 63.22 mg x kg(-1), respectively. The soils of six areas of Bayan Obo mining area were all contaminated by rare earth elements, and the contamination degree was in the order of mining area > outside the dump > east side of the railway > the dump > outside the urban area > west side of the railway. Besides, the transportation of rare earth ore led to the soil rare earth contamination along the railway, and the distribution characteristic of rare earth elements in soils along the railway was affected by the dominant wind direction of northwest. Baotou tailing reservoir and Bayan Obo mining area had the same contamination characteristic, and the concentrations of rare earth elements were in accordance with those in the tailings. The health and stabilization of local grassland ecosystem are being threatened by excessive soil rare earth elements.

A New Fossil of Necrotauliidae (Insecta: Trichoptera) from the Jiulongshan Formation of China and Its Taxonomic Significance

PubMed Central

Liu, Yujia; Zhang, Weiting; Yao, Yunzhi; Ren, Dong

2014-01-01

Background Acisarcuatus variradius gen. et sp. nov., an extinct new species representing a new genus, is described from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation in Daohugou Village, Inner Mongolia, China. Methodology/Principal Findings In this paper, we revised the diagnosis of Necrotauliidae Handlirsch, 1906. One new genus and species of Necrotauliidae is described. An analysis based on the fossil morphological characters clarified the taxonomic status of the new taxa. Conclusions/Significance New fossil evidence supports the viewpoint that the family Necrotauliidae belongs to the Integripalpia. PMID:25494387

A new, well-preserved genus and species of fossil Glaphyridae (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea) from the Mesozoic Yixian Formation of Inner Mongolia, China

PubMed Central

Yan, Zhuo; Nikolajev, Georgiy V.; Ren, Dong

2012-01-01

Abstract A new genus and species of fossil Glaphyridae, Cretohypna cristata gen. et sp. n., is described and illustrated from the Mesozoic Yixian Formation. This new genus is characterized by the large body; large and strong mandibles; short labrum; elytra without longitudinal carina; and male meso- and possible metatibia apically modified. A list of described fossil glaphyrids of the world is provided. This significant finding broadens the known diversity of Glaphyridae in the Mesozoic China. PMID:23372414

Evidence that acidification-induced declines in plant diversity and productivity are mediated by changes in below-ground communities and soil properties in a semi-arid steppe

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chen, Dima; Lan, Zhichun; Bai, Xue; Grace, James B.; Bai, Yongfei

2013-01-01

Synthesis. Our results suggest that the below-ground microbial and nematode communities are more sensitive to soil acidification than the plant communities are, and further that soil acidification–induced changes in plants are mediated by changes in below-ground communities and soil nutrients. These findings improve our understanding of the links between below- and above-ground communities in the Inner Mongolia grassland, especially in the context of anthropogenic acid enrichment.

Mantophasmatodea now in the Jurassic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Di-Ying; Nel, André; Zompro, Oliver; Waller, Alain

2008-10-01

The Mantophasmatodea is the most recently discovered insect order. The fossil records of all other ‘polyneopteran’ orders extend far in the past, but the current absence of pre-Cenozoic fossils of the Mantophasmatodea contradicts a long evolutionary history, which has to be assumed from the morphological distinctness of the group. In this paper, we report the first Mesozoic evidence of a mantophasmatodean from the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China. Furthermore, the new fossil shares apomorphic characters with Cenozoic and recent Mantophasmatodea, suggesting a longer evolutionary history of this order.

Enhancement of thermoelectric properties of SrTiO3/LaNb–SrTiO3 composite by different doping levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ke-Xian; Wang, Jun; Li, Yan; Zou, Tao; Wang, Xiao-Huan; Li, Jian-Bo; Cao, Zheng; Shi, Wen-Jing; Yaer, Xinba

2018-04-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61751404, 51702168, and 51665042), the Fund from the State Key Laboratory of New Ceramic and Fine Processing (Tsinghua University), China (Grant No. KF201608), the Fund from the Guangxi Key Laboratory of Information Materials, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, China (Grant No. 151004-K), and the Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China (Grant Nos. 2016BS0507 and 2015MS0509).

‘Civilising’ Deaf people in Tibet and Inner Mongolia: governing linguistic, ethnic and bodily difference in China

PubMed Central

Hofer, Theresia; Sagli, Gry

2017-01-01

Abstract The People’s Republic of China is home to over 20 million d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing people, many among them belonging to ethnic minorities. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in two minority regions, the Tibet Autonomous Region and the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, this article comparatively discusses findings on sign language use, education and state welfare policies. The situation in these domains is analysed through the framework of the ‘civilising project’, coined by Harrell, and its impacts on the d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing among ethnic minorities are shown. For instance, through the promotion of Chinese and Chinese Sign Language over and above the use of local sign and written languages as well as through education and the medicalisation of disabilities. PMID:28553018

Perinatal Specimens of Saurolophus angustirostris (Dinosauria: Hadrosauridae), from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia

PubMed Central

Dewaele, Leonard; Tsogtbaatar, Khishigjav; Barsbold, Rinchen; Garcia, Géraldine; Stein, Koen; Escuillié, François; Godefroit, Pascal

2015-01-01

Background The Late Cretaceous Nemegt Formation, Gobi Desert, Mongolia has already yielded abundant and complete skeletons of the hadrosaur Saurolophus angustirostris, from half-grown to adult individuals. Methodology/Principal Findings Herein we describe perinatal specimens of Saurolophus angustirostris, associated with fragmentary eggshell fragments. The skull length of these babies is around 5% that of the largest known S. angustirostris specimens, so these specimens document the earliest development stages of this giant hadrosaur and bridge a large hiatus in our knowledge of the ontogeny of S. angustirostris. Conclusions/Significance The studied specimens are likely part of a nest originally located on a riverbank point bar. The perinatal specimens were buried by sediment carried by the river current presumably during the wet summer season. Perinatal bones already displayed diagnostic characters for Saurolophus angustirostris, including premaxillae with a strongly reflected oral margin and upturned premaxillary body in lateral aspect. The absence of a supracranial crest and unfused halves of the cervical neural arches characterize the earliest stages in the ontogeny of S. angustirostris. The eggshell fragments associated with the perinatal individuals can be referred to the Spheroolithus oogenus and closely resemble those found in older formations (e.g. Barun Goyot Fm in Mongolia) or associated with more basal hadrosauroids (Bactrosaurus-Gilmoreosaurus in the Iren Dabasu Fm, Inner Mongolia, China). This observation suggests that the egg microstructure was similar in basal hadrosauroids and more advanced saurolophines. Competing Interests One of the authors (FE) is employed by the commercial organization Eldonia. Eldonia provided support in the form of a salary for FE, but did not have any additional role or influence in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript and it does not alter the authors’ adherence to all the PLoS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. PMID:26466354

Mesozoic high-Mg andesites from the Daohugou area, Inner Mongolia: Upper-crustal fractional crystallization of parental melt derived from metasomatized lithospheric mantle wedge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Fanxue; Gao, Shan; Song, Zhaojun; Niu, Yaoling; Li, Xuping

2018-03-01

Mineral chemistry, major- and trace-element data, zircon U-Pb ages, and Sr-Nd isotopic data are presented for a suite of volcanic rocks from the Daohugou area, Ningcheng City, Inner Mongolia, on the northern margin of the North China Craton. Samples from the suite are of basaltic andesite to rhyolite in composition, with the rocks containing <60 wt% SiO2 have high MgO, Cr, and Ni contents, and classify as high-Mg andesites (HMAs). Zircons from a rhyolite yielded weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 164 ± 1 Ma, indicating that the Daohugou volcanic suite is coeval with the Tiaojishan Formation of northern Hebei and western Liaoning Province. The HMAs have similar enriched-mantle I (EMI)-type isotopic compositions to each other, with low εNd (t) values, moderate (87Sr/86Sr) i ratios, enrichment in LREEs relative to LILEs, and depletion in HFSEs (e.g., Nb, Ta, Ti), indicating formation through protracted fractional crystallization of a common parental magma. The unusually low CaO contents and CaO/FeO ratios of olivine phenocrysts in the HMAs suggest that the parental melt was subduction-related. The results of Rhyolite-MELTS modelling indicates that HMAs may form through upper-crustal fractional crystallization from arc basalts. Therefore, the Daohugou HMAs were most likely formed through fractional crystallization of a parental melt derived from metasomatized lithospheric mantle at crustal depths. The addition of "water" to the cratonic keel may have played a key role in the destruction of the North China Craton.

Chronic arsenic poisoning in drinking water in Inner Mongolia and its associated health effects.

PubMed

Guo, Juan X; Hu, Lin; Yand, Peng Z; Tanabe, Kimiko; Miyatalre, Munetoshi; Chen, Yao

2007-10-01

Since 1990, a large number of people have been experiencing various health problems from drinking arsenic contaminated water (50-1860 microg/L) in 13 counties of Inner Mongolia, China, most of which are located in the Hetao Plain area. It is calculated that 411,243 people are currently at risk from arsenic poisoning. Clinical and epidemiological investigations were carried out on 13,021 people to ascertain the nature and degree of morbidity that occurred due to chronic arsenic toxicity. In all of the studied patients, 22% had typical hyperkeratosis on the palms or soles and some had raindrop-like hyperpigmentation and depigmentation on the trunk. Other data recorded included subjective and objective symptoms, such as chronic cough (35.0%) and insomnia (37.5%). During physical checkups of 680 villagers in arsenic affected areas, liver function tests showed elevated globulin levels in 6.8% (P value=0.006) of the subjects. Neurotoxicity manifesting as loss of hearing 5.88 (P value=0.005), loss of taste 5.44% (P value=0.001), blurred vision 17.35% (P value=0.000), tingling and numbness of the limbs 33.53% (P value=0.000) and hypertension 8.09% (P value=0.000) were significantly higher in the arsenic affected villages and arsenic pollution also seemed to affect patients' social life and mental health. To solve the problem of arsenic exposure, the quality of drinking water needs to be improved by reducing the arsenic content. We also plan to carry out a survey to detect the incidence and types of cancer among this population.

Changes in the temperature sensitivity of SOM decomposition with grassland succession: implications for soil C sequestration.

PubMed

Nianpeng, He; Ruomeng, Wang; Yang, Gao; Jingzhong, Dai; Xuefa, Wen; Guirui, Yu

2013-12-01

Understanding the temperature sensitivity (Q 10) of soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition is important for predicting soil carbon (C) sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems under warming scenarios. Whether Q 10 varies predictably with ecosystem succession and the ways in which the stoichiometry of input SOM influences Q 10 remain largely unknown. We investigate these issues using a grassland succession series from free-grazing to 31-year grazing-exclusion grasslands in Inner Mongolia, and an incubation experiment performed at six temperatures (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25°C) and with four substrates: control (CK), glucose (GLU), mixed grass leaf (GRA), and Medicago falcata leaf (MED). The results showed that basal soil respiration (20°C) and microbial biomass C (MBC) logarithmically decreased with grassland succession. Q 10 decreased logarithmically from 1.43 in free-grazing grasslands to 1.22 in 31-year grazing-exclusion grasslands. Q 10 increased significantly with the addition of substrates, and the Q 10 levels increased with increase in N:C ratios of substrate. Moreover, accumulated C mineralization was controlled by the N:C ratio of newly input SOM and by incubation temperature. Changes in Q 10 with grassland ecosystem succession are controlled by the stoichiometry of newly input SOM, MBC, and SOM quality, and the combined effects of which could partially explain the mechanisms underlying soil C sequestration in the long-term grazing-exclusion grasslands in Inner Mongolia, China. The findings highlight the effect of substrate stoichiometry on Q 10 which requires further study.

A seasonal forecast scheme for the Inner Mongolia spring drought - Part-I: dynamic characteristics of the atmospheric circulation and forecast signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Tao; Si, Yaobing; Yu, Xiao; Wulan; Yang, Peng; Gao, Jing

2018-02-01

This study analyzed the atmospheric evolutionary characteristics of insufficient rainfall that leads to spring drought in Inner Mongolia, China. The results revealed that a weakened western Pacific subtropical high and an enlarged North Polar vortex with a western position of the East Asian trough generally result in unfavorable moisture transportation for spring precipitation in IM. It was found that an abnormal sea surface temperature in several crucial ocean areas triggers an irregular atmospheric circulation over the Eurasian continent and the Pacific region. Lower sea surface temperature (SST) during the previous autumn over tropical regions of the central-eastern Pacific and Indian oceans induce a strong Walker circulation, corresponding to a weak and southeastward-retreating subtropical high over the western Pacific during the following winter and spring. Another crucial area is the central region of the North Atlantic Ocean. Abnormally low SST of the ocean area during the preceding autumn causes the Scandinavian teleconnection pattern (the index of which is issued on the website of the Climate Prediction Center, USA) changes to a positive phase, which leads to a weak westerly over the Eurasian continent. In this case, the easterly over the North Pole becomes stronger than normal, resulting in an extended North Polar vortex during the following spring. In addition, SST differences during the previous December between the middle-eastern tropical and the northwestern regions of the Pacific Ocean reflect variations of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, causing the East Asian trough to move to a western position during the following spring.

A seasonal forecast scheme for the Inner Mongolia spring drought part-II: a logical reasoning evidence-based method for spring predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Tao; Wulan, Wulan; Yu, Xiao; Yang, Zelong; Gao, Jing; Hua, Weiqi; Yang, Peng; Si, Yaobing

2018-05-01

Spring precipitation is the predominant factor that controls meteorological drought in Inner Mongolia (IM), China. This study used the anomaly percentage of spring precipitation (PAP) as a drought index to measure spring drought. A scheme for forecasting seasonal drought was designed based on evidence of spring drought occurrence and speculative reasoning methods introduced in computer artificial intelligence theory. Forecast signals with sufficient lead-time for predictions of spring drought were extracted from eight crucial areas of oceans and 500-hPa geopotential height. Using standardized values, these signals were synthesized into three examples of spring drought evidence (SDE) depending on their primary effects on three major atmospheric circulation components of spring precipitation in IM: the western Pacific subtropical high, North Polar vortex, and East Asian trough. Thresholds for the SDE were determined following numerical analyses of the influential factors. Furthermore, five logical reasoning rules for distinguishing the occurrence of SDE were designed after examining all possible combined cases. The degree of confidence in the rules was determined based on estimations of their prior probabilities. Then, an optimized logical reasoning scheme was identified for judging the possibility of spring drought. The scheme was successful in hindcast predictions of 11 of the 16 (accuracy: 68.8%) spring droughts that have occurred during 1960-2009. Moreover, the accuracy ratio for the same period was 82.0% for drought (PAP ≤ -20%) or not (PAP > -20%). Predictions for the recent 6-year period (2010-2015) demonstrated successful outcomes.

Projections of Virtual Water Trade Under Agricultural Policy Scenarios in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalin, C.; Hanasaki, N.; Qiu, H.; Mauzerall, D. L.; Rodriguez-Iturbe, I.

2014-12-01

China's economic growth is expected to continue into the next decades, accompanied by a sustained urbanization and industrialization. The associated increase in demand for land, water resources and rich foods will deepen the challenge to sustainably feed the population and balance environmental and agricultural policies. In previous work, Inner Mongolia was identified as a target province for trade or agricultural policies aimed at water-use efficiency improvements, due to its large production relying on particularly significant irrigation water use. In addition, water scarcity issues may arises in the greater Beijing area, which represents the largest urban area of arid Northern China. Increasing residential and industrial water demand in this region may lead to fewer available water for irrigation. For these reasons, it is important to estimate the impacts of specific policies aiming at reducing excessive water use for crop production in Inner Mongolia, as well as exploring ways to mitigate pressure on water resources in dry urban areas. In this study, we use socio-economic projections to assess the future state of China's virtual water trade (VWT) network. We then quantify the effects of agricultural policies on the national VWT system and on the efficiency of food trade in terms of water resources. This study addresses the following questions: (1) How future socio-economic changes will affect China's food trade and associated water transfers? (2) To which extent localized reductions of irrigated area can decrease agricultural water use while maintaining national food security? (3) How would these policies affect China's domestic and international VWT network and induced water resources savings (losses)?

Simulated effects of crop rotations and residue management on wind erosion in Wuchuan, west-central Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Wang, Erda; Harman, Wyatte L; Williams, Jimmy R; Xu, Cheng

2002-01-01

For decades, wind erosion has triggered dust and sand storms, buffeting Beijing and areas of northwestern China to the point of being hazardous to human health while rapidly eroding crop and livestock productivity. The EPIC (Environmental Policy Integrated Climate) field-scale simulation model was used to assess long-term effects of improved crop rotations and crop residue management practices on wind erosion in Wuchuan County in Inner Mongolia. Simulation results indicate that preserving crop stalks until land is prepared by zone tillage for the next year's crop in lieu of using them as a source of heating fuel or livestock fodder significantly reduces wind erosion by 60%. At the same time, grain and potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) yields were maintained or improved. Significant reductions in erosion, 35 to 46%, also resulted from delaying stalk removal until late January through late April. Yearly wind erosion was concentrated in April and May, the windiest months. Additionally, the use of alternative crop rotations resulted in differences in wind erosion, largely due to a difference in residue stature and quality and differences in biomass produced. As a result, altering current crop rotation systems by expanding corn (Zea mays L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and millet [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] and reducing potato and pea (Pisum sativum L.) production significantly reduced simulated wind erosion, thus diminishing the severity of dust and sand storms in northwestern China. Saving and protecting topsoil over time will sustain land productivity and have long-term implications for improving conditions of rural poverty in the region.

Familial Clarification of Saucrosmylidae stat. nov. and New Saucrosmylids from Daohugou, China (Insecta, Neuroptera)

PubMed Central

Fang, Hui; Ren, Dong; Wang, Yongjie

2015-01-01

Backgound Saucrosmylids are characterized by the typically large body size, complicated venation and diverse wing markings, which were only discovered in Middle Jurassic of Daohugou, Ningcheng county, Inner Mongolia, China. Principal Findings Saucrosmylinae Ren, 2003, originally included as a subfamily in the Osmylidae, was transferred and elevated to family rank based on the definitive synapomorphic character. The updated definition of Saucrosmylidae stat. nov. was outlined in detail: presence of nygma and trichosors; diverse markings on membrane; complicated cross-veins; distal fusion of Sc and R1; expanded space between R1 and Rs having 2–7 rows of cells that should be a synapomorphic character of the family; proximal MP fork. And the previous misuses of Saucrosmylidae are also clarified. Furthermore, a new genus with a new species and an indeterminate species of Saucrosmylidae are described as Ulrikezza aspoeckae gen. et sp. nov. and Ulrikezza sp. from the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China. A key to genera of Saucrosmylidae is provided. Conclusions/Significance The intriguing group represents a particular lineage of Neuroptera in the Mesozoic Era. The familial status of Saucrosmylidae was firstly advanced that clarified the former incorrect citation and use of the family name. As an extinct clade, many species of the saucrosmylids were erected just based on a single fore- or hindwing, and it should be realized that providing more stable characters is necessary when describing new lacewing taxa just based on an isolated hindwing. It is vital for the systematics of Saucrosmylidae. PMID:26485027

Response of soil methane uptake to simulated nitrogen deposition and grazing management across three types of steppe in Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Li, Xianglan; He, Hong; Yuan, Wenping; Li, Linghao; Xu, Wenfang; Liu, Wei; Shi, Huiqiu; Hou, Longyu; Chen, Jiquan; Wang, Zhiping

2018-01-15

The response of soil methane (CH 4 ) uptake to increased nitrogen (N) deposition and grazing management was studied in three types of steppe (i.e., meadow steppe, typical steppe, and desert steppe) in Inner Mongolia, China. The experiment was designed with four simulated N deposition rates such as 0, 50, 100, and 200kgNha -1 , respectively, under grazed and fenced management treatments. Results showed that the investigated steppes were significant sinks for CH 4 , with an uptake flux of 1.12-3.36kgha -1 over the grass growing season and that the magnitude of CH 4 uptake significantly (P<0.05) decreased with increasing N deposition rates. The soil CH 4 uptake rates were highest in the desert steppe, moderate in the typical steppe, and lowest in the meadow steppe. Compared with grazed plots, fencing increased the CH 4 uptake by 4.7-40.2% with a mean value of 20.2% across the three different steppe types. The responses of soil CH 4 uptake to N deposition in the continental steppe varied depending on the N deposition rate, steppe type, and grazing management. A significantly positive correlation between CH 4 uptake and soil temperature was found in this study, whereas no significant relationship between soil moisture and CH 4 uptake occurred. Our results may contribute to the improvement of model parameterization for simulating biosphere-atmosphere CH 4 exchange processes and for evaluating the climate change feedback on CH 4 soil uptake. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of different forage species on the nitrogen uptake in Hulunbeir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Li-Jun; Xu, Xing-Liang; Tang, Xue-Juan; Yang, Gui-Xia; Zhang, Zhao; Xin, Xiao-Ping

2017-02-01

Knowledge of determining factors for nitrogen uptake preferences and how they are modified in changing environments are critical to understand ecosystem nitrogen cycling and to predict plant responses to future environmental changes. However, it remains unclear in this aspect for the main managed grassland (Medicago sativa, Bromus inermis, Leymus chinensis) and crop (Brassica campestris) under field condition in Hulunbeir area of Inner Mongolia of China. Two 15N tracer experiments utilizing a unique differential labelled nitrogen source were employed in both managed grassland (M. sativa, B. inermis and L. chinensis) and crop (B. campestris) in Hulunbeir area of Inner Mongolia of China. Tracing both labels in the above-and below ground plant biomass, soil NH4 + -N or NO3 - -N and NH4 + -N or NO3 - -N uptake by plants. There were differences between soil NO3 --N concentration and NH4+-N concentration, and NO3 --N concentration was higher than NH4 +-N concentration. NO3 --N concentration was led by different grass species. The NH4 +-N concentration in August were higher than in July on the whole, the highest value for B. campestris and the lowest for B. inermis. The plant N concentration in B. inermis, L. chinensis and B. campestris showed decreasing trend, its mean value decreased by 20.1, 47.9 and 26.7%, respectively, and M. sativa increased by 13.7%. Among the four species, the individuals exhibited a preference for 15NO3 -, indicated by higher 15N signatures in 15NO3-treatment than in 15NH4 + treatment.

Desertification triggered by hydrological and geomorphological processes and palaeoclimatic changes in the Hunshandake Sandy Lands, Inner Mongolia, northern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, X.; Scuderi, L. A.; Wang, X.; Zhang, D.; Li, H.; Forman, S. L.

2015-12-01

Although Pleistocene and earlier aeolian sediments in the adjacent regions of deserts were used as indicators for the occurrence of the deserts in northern China, our multidisciplinary investigation in the Hunshandake Sandy Lands, Inner Mongolia, a typical landscape in the eastern portion of the Asian mid-latitude desert belt, demonstrates that this sandy desert is just ca. 4000 years old. Before the formation of the current sand dunes, Hunshandke was characterized with large and deep lakes and grasssland vegetation, as many sedimentary sections indicate. Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) chronology shows that the three large former lakes where we have done detailed investigation, experienced high stands from early Holocene to ca. 5 ka. During the early and middle Holocene this desert was a temperate steppe environment, dominated by grasslands and trees near lakes and streams, as various palaeoenvironmental proxies suggest. While North Hemisphere's monsoonal regions experienced catastrophic precipitation decreases at ca. 4.2 ka, many parts of the presently arid and semi-arid zone in northern China were shifted from Green to Desert state. In the eastern portion of the Hunshandake, the desertification was, however, directly associated with groundwater capture by the Xilamulun River, as the palaeo-drainage remains show. The process of groundwater sapping initiated a sudden and irreversible region-wide hydrologic event that lowered the groundwater table and exacerbated the desertification of the Hunshandake, and further resulting in post-Humid period mass migration of northern China's Hongshan culture from that we think the modern Chinese civilization has been rooted.

Airborne observations of cloud condensation nuclei spectra and aerosols over East Inner Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jiefan; Lei, Hengchi; Lü, Yuhuan

2017-08-01

A set of vertical profiles of aerosol number concentrations, size distributions and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) spectra was observed using a passive cloud and aerosol spectrometer (PCASP) and cloud condensation nuclei counter, over the Tongliao area, East Inner Mongolia, China. The results showed that the average aerosol number concentration in this region was much lower than that in heavily polluted areas. Monthly average aerosol number concentrations within the boundary layer reached a maximum in May and a minimum in September, and the variations in CCN number concentrations at different supersaturations showed the same trend. The parameters c and k of the empirical function N = cS k were 539 and 1.477 under clean conditions, and their counterparts under polluted conditions were 1615 and 1.42. Measurements from the airborne probe mounted on a Yun-12 (Y12) aircraft, together with Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory model backward trajectories indicated that the air mass from the south of Tongliao contained a high concentration of aerosol particles (1000-2500 cm-3) in the middle and lower parts of the troposphere. Moreover, detailed intercomparison of data obtained on two days in 2010 indicated that the activation efficiency in terms of the ratio of N CCN to N a (aerosols measured from PCASP) was 0.74 (0.4 supersaturations) when the air mass mainly came from south of Tongliao, and this value increased to 0.83 on the relatively cleaner day. Thus, long-range transport of anthropogenic pollutants from heavily polluted mega cities, such as Beijing and Tianjin, may result in slightly decreasing activation efficiencies.

Dynamic monitoring of desertification in Inner Mongolia and Hebei Province in China using Remote Sensing and GIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, L.; Wang, C.; Lim, J.; Jeong, M. H.; Lee, K. S.

2016-12-01

Among natural disasters desertification brings forth a great influence on people living in East Asia. Desertification has become a significant global environmental problem, faced by China and East Asia. In order to mitigate and countermeasure desertification problem, it is necessary to investigate the extent of desertification. However, desertification areas are distributed widely, changing with time. Remote sensing technology have been used to detect desertification status, covering a wide range region, little limited by manpower and expenses, over 30 years in the past. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to provide basic information with grasping regional desertification trends as well as solving future desertification crisis in Beijing area, along with the changing process of the NDVI index in Bashang Plateau and the central region of Inner Mongolia using MODIS NDVI data from 2000 to 2015. The study results showed the following: 1. The NDVI index has a slow upward trend over the past 16 years between 2000 and 2015. 2. In the study area, the desertification improved region is in the southern and southwestern parts as well as Xinlinhot City and most of the Zhangjiakou Country. The grasslands area increased to 400,336.7 km2 in 2013 compared to 372, 104.0 km2 2001. The croplands area increased from 10,397.1 km2 to15,346.4 km2. Nonetheless, the barren or sparsely vegetated area decreased to 14,087.0 km2 in 2013 compared to 444,611.7 km2 in 2001.

[Ecological vulnerability of coal mining area: a case study of Shengli Coalfield in Xilinguole of Inner Mongolia, China].

PubMed

Quan, Zhan-Jun; Li, Yuan; Li, Jun-Sheng; Han, Yu; Xiao, Neng-Wen; Fu, Meng-Di

2013-06-01

In this paper, an ecological vulnerability evaluation index system for the Shengli Coalfield in Xilinguole of Inner Mongolia was established, which included 16 factors in ecological sensitivity, natural and social pressure, and ecological recovery capacity, respectively. Based on the expert scoring method and analytic hierarchy process (AHP), an ecological vulnerability model was built for the calculation of the regional ecological vulnerability by means of RS and GIS spatial analysis. An analysis of the relationships between land use and ecological vulnerability was also made, and the results were tested by spatial auto-correlation analysis. Overall, the ecological vulnerability of the study area was at medium-high level. The exploitation of four opencast areas in the Coalfield caused a significant increase of ecological vulnerability. Moreover, due to the effects of mine drained water and human activities, the 300 -2000 m around the opencast areas was turning into higher ecologically fragile area. With further exploitation, the whole Coalfield was evolved into moderate and heavy ecological vulnerability area, and the coal resources mining was a key factor in this process. The cluster analysis showed that the spatial distribution of the ecological vulnerability in the study area had reasonable clustering characteristics. To decrease the population density, control the grazing capacity of grassland, and regulate the ratios of construction land and cultivated land could be the optimal ways for resolving the natural and social pressure, and to increase the investment and improve the vegetation recovery coefficient could be the fundamental measures for decreasing the ecological vulnerability of the study area.

Protecting patients with cardiovascular diseases from catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment by health finance reform.

PubMed

Sun, Jing; Liabsuetrakul, Tippawan; Fan, Yancun; McNeil, Edward

2015-12-01

To compare the incidences of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) and impoverishment, the risk protection offered by two health financial reforms and to explore factors associated with CHE and impoverishment among patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in rural Inner Mongolia, China. Cross-sectional study conducted in 2014 in rural Inner Mongolia, China. Patients with CVDs aged over 18 years residing in the sample areas for at least one year were eligible. The definitions of CHE and impoverishment recommended by WHO were adopted. The protection of CHE and impoverishment was compared between the New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) alone and NCMS plus National Essential Medicines Scheme (NEMS) using the percentage change of incidences for CHE and impoverishment. Logistic regression was used to explore factors associated with CHE and impoverishment. The incidences of CHE and impoverishment under NCMS plus NEMS were 11.26% and 3.30%, respectively, which were lower than those under NCMS alone. The rates of protection were higher among households with patients with CVDs covered by NCMS plus NEMS (25.68% and 34.65%, respectively). NCMS plus NEMS could protect the poor households more from CHE but not impoverishment. NCMS plus NEMS protected more than one-fourth of households from CHE and more than one-third from impoverishment. NCMS plus NEMS was more effective at protecting households with patients with CVDs from CHE and impoverishment than NCMS alone. An integration of NCMS with NEMS should be expanded. However, further strategies to minimise catastrophic health expenditure after this health finance reform are still needed. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Study of Biogenetic Organic Compound Emissions and Ozone in a Subtropical Bamboo Forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Jianhui; Guenther, Alex; Turnipseed, Andrew; Duhl, Tiffany; Duhl, Nanhao; van der A, Ronald; Yu, Shuquan; Wang, Bin

2016-08-01

Emissions of Biogenic Volatile Organic compounds (BVOCs), Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR), and meteorological parameters were measured in some ecosystems in China. A Relaxed Eddy Accumulation system and an enclosure technique were used to measure BVOC emissions. Obvious diurnal and seasonal variations of BVOC emissions were found. Empirical models of BVOC emissions were developed, the estimated BVOC emissions were in agreement with observations. BVOC emissions in growing seasons in the Inner Mongolia grassland, Chnagbai Mountain temperate forest, LinAn subtropical bamboo forest were estimated. The emission factors of these ecosystems were calculated.

Four new species of hangingflies (Insecta, Mecoptera, Bittacidae) from the Middle Jurassic of northeastern China.

PubMed

Liu, Sulin; Shih, Chungkun; Ren, Dong

2014-01-01

Two new species of Mongolbittacus Petrulevičius, Huang & Ren, 2007, Mongolbittacusspeciosus sp. n. and Mongolbittacusoligophlebius sp. n., and two new species of Exilibittacus Yang, Ren & Shih, 2012, Exilibittacusfoliaceus sp. n. and Exilibittacusplagioneurus sp. n., in the family Bittacidae, are described and illustrated based on five well-preserved fossil specimens. These specimens were collected from the late Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China. These new findings enhance our understanding of the morphological characters of early hangingflies and highlight the diversity of bittacids in the Mid Mesozoic ecosystems.

Monitoring and inversion on land subsidence over mining area with InSAR technique

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wang, Y.; Zhang, Q.; Zhao, C.; Lu, Z.; Ding, X.

2011-01-01

The Wulanmulun town, located in Inner Mongolia, is one of the main mining areas of Shendong Company such as Shangwan coal mine and Bulianta coal mine, which has been suffering serious mine collapse with the underground mine withdrawal. We use ALOS/PALSAR data to extract land deformation under these regions, in which Small Baseline Subsets (SBAS) method was applied. Then we compared InSAR results with the underground mining activities, and found high correlations between them. Lastly we applied Distributed Dislocation (Okada) model to invert the mine collapse mechanism. ?? 2011 Copyright Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

Hair chemical element contents and influence factors of reproductive-age women in the West Ujimqin Banner, Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Zhou, Shanshan; Yuan, Haodong; Ma, Xiaoling; Liu, Ying

2017-01-01

Women have an increased risk for chemical element deficiencies during reproductive age, particularly due to higher chemical element requirements and poor diets. Twenty-one chemical elements (Al, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Si, Sn, Sr, Ti, V and Zn) in hair samples, which were collected from 71 non-pregnant and 236 pregnant women living in the West Ujimqin Banner, central Inner Mongolia, China, were measured, and the environment, dietary habits and ethnic group influence factors associated with the biomarker were analyzed. The results indicated that the average values of the chemical element contents from hair were greatly different compared to those from other areas, especially the Al, Cd, Pb, Ca and Sr contents. There was no significant difference among the three ethnicities for any element except Mn and Ti in non-pregnant women. Compared to non-pregnant women, in the first trimester group, the levels of nine chemical elements (Ba, Cd, Cu, Pb, Se, Si, Sn and Ti) decreased, while the others increased, and the contents of all of the chemical elements decreased in the second trimester group, while in the third trimester, there was a slight increase. Three chemical elements (Cu, Mn and Zn) displayed a synergistic correlation between each other in the third trimester group, which may protect the placenta from some oxidant damage. The high levels of Cd and Pb in hair likely originate from house renovations and traffic pollution. This study provided basic and useful information on the levels of chemical elements in reproductive-age women, and the results of this study are helpful to control the contents and improve the health of pregnant and non-pregnant women. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Crustal development of the North China Craton constrained by geochemical and isotopic data on Neoarchean and Paleoproterozoic granitoids, Inner Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hui-Chun Chen, Nancy; Zhao, Guochun; Cawood, Peter A.

2017-04-01

The North China Craton is the oldest continental fragment in China. It contains magmatic rocks as old as 3.8 Ga, but is dominated by crustal components that formed in the Neoarchean at ca. 2.7 and 2.5 Ga, and also includes Paleoproterozoic rocks dated at 1.9-1.8 Ga. The craton has been incorporated into Precambrian supercontinents, although it's exact position within, as well as the overall configuration of, these supercontinents is poorly understood. New geochemical and geochronological data on granitoids from the northern margin of the craton at Siziwangqi in central Inner Mongolia further constrain craton evolution with respect to Neoarchean and Paleoproterozoic supercontinent cycles. The granitoids comprise a tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG) association with crystallization ages of 2.52-2.49 Ga and inherited zircon crystals as old 2.7 Ga, and alkali feldspar granites with ages of 2.47 and 1.87 Ga. Geochemically, the rocks are metaluminous to peraluminous and belong to the calc-alkaline (TTG) and subalkaline to alkaline (alkali feldspar granite) series. The TTG granitoids are characterized by light LREE enrichment, a weak positive Eu anomaly, and flat heavy HREE profiles. The alkali granite is also enriched in the LREE but has a strong positive chondrite-normalized Eu anomaly and displays weak HREE enrichment. Our compositional and geochronological data, integrated with regional data, indicate that in the Neoarchean the North China Craton constituted part of an accretionary convergent plate margin that lay on the edge of a an older continental mass (possibly within the Kenor supercraton). The Paleoproterozoic alkali feldspar granite was associated with collisional assembly of the craton into the Nuna (Columbia) supercontinent.

Host-rock controlled epigenetic, hydrothermal metasomatic origin of the Bayan Obo REEFe-Nb ore deposit, Inner Mongolia, P.R.C.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chao, E.C.T.; Back, J.M.; Minkin, J.A.; Yinchen, R.

1992-01-01

Bayan Obo, a complex rare earth element (REE)FeNb ore deposit, located in Inner Mongolia, P.R.C. is the world's largest known REE deposit. The deposit is chiefly in a marble unit (H8), but extends into an overlying unit of black shale, slate and schist unit (H9), both of which are in the upper part of the Middle Proterozoic Bayan Obo Group. Based on sedimentary structures, the presence of detrital quartz and algal fossil remains, and the 16-km long geographic extent, the H8 marble is a sedimentary deposit, and not a carbonatite of magmatic origin, as proposed by some previous investigators. The unit was weakly regionally metamorphosed (most probably the lower part of the green schist facies) into marble and quartzite prior to mineralization. Tectonically, the deposit is located on the northern flank of the Sino-Korean craton. Many hypotheses have been proposed for the origin of the Bayan Obo deposit; the studies reported here support an epigenetic, hydrothermal, metasomatic origin. Such an origin is supported by field and laboratory textural evidence; 232Th/208Pb internal isochron mineral ages of selected monazite and bastnaesite samples; 40Ar/39Ar incremental heating minimum mineral ages of selected alkali amphiboles; chemical compositions of different generations of both REE ore minerals and alkali amphiboles; and evidence of host-rock influence on the various types of Bayan Obo ores. The internal isochron ages of the REE minerals indicate Caledonian ages for various episodes of REE and Fe mineralization. No evidence was found to indicate a genetic relation between the extensive biotite granitic rocks of Hercynian age in the mine region and the Bayan Obo are deposit, as suggested by previous workers. ?? 1992.

Prevalence of and Factors Associated with Myopia in Inner Mongolia Medical Students in China, a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Wang, Lan; Du, Maolin; Yi, He; Duan, Shengyun; Guo, Wenfang; Qin, Peng; Hao, Zhihui; Sun, Juan

2017-04-24

To further explore characteristics of myopia and changes in factors associated with myopia among students at Inner Mongolia Medical University. Two cross-sectional censuses were conducted in 2011 and 2013. Participants were medical students residing on campus in 2011 and 2013. Logistic regression analysis was performed to ascertain associations with basic information, genetic factors, environmental factors. The χ 2 test was used to test for differences in prevalence between 2011 and 2013. Prevalence was calculated at various myopia occurrence times among different parental myopia statuses. A total of 11,138 students enrolled from 2007 to 2012 completed the questionnaire. The prevalence of myopia in 2011 and 2013 was 70.50% and 69.21%, respectively, no statistically significant difference existed between the two censuses (p = 0.12). Both censuses were completed by 1015 students. There were no differences among the various year of study in 2011 or 2013. Myopic prevalence increased with an increased number of myopic parents: the prevalence if both parents were myopic was over 90%, nearly 80% if one parent was myopic, and less than 70% with non-myopic parents (p < 0.001). Myopic occurrence ranked from earliest to latest was in kindergarten and primary school when both parents were myopic, in middle school when one parent was myopic, and in university when no parent was myopic. Students staying up late, using a computer more than 3 h per day, not performing eye exercises, using eye drops, and rubbing the eyes at high risk for myopia. Myopic status was stable during the university period. Genetic factors play a major role in myopia. Protective measures are useful for university students.

How did climate drying reduce ecosystem carbon storage in the forest-steppe ecotone? A case study in Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Zhang, Yuke; Liu, Hongyan

2010-07-01

The projected recession of forests in the forest-steppe ecotone under projected climate drying would restrict the carbon sink function of terrestrial ecosystems. Previous studies have shown that the forest-steppe ecotone in the southeastern Inner Mongolia Plateau originally resulted from climate drying and vegetation shifts during the mid- to late-Holocene, but the interrelated processes of changing soil carbon storage and vegetation and soil shifts remain unclear. A total of 44 forest soil profiles and 40 steppe soil profiles were excavated to determine soil carbon storage in deciduous broadleaf forests (DBF), coniferous forests (CF) and steppe (ST) in this area. Carbon density was estimated to be 106.51 t/hm(2) (DBF), 73.20 t/hm(2) (CF), and 28.14 t/hm(2) (ST) for these ecosystems. Soil organic carbon (SOC) content was negatively correlated with sand content (R = -0.879, P < 0.01, n = 42), and positively correlated with silt (R = 0.881, P < 0.01, n = 42) and clay (R = 0.858, P < 0.01, n = 42) content. Consistent trends between fractions of coarse sand and a proxy index of relative aridity in sediment sequences from two palaeo-lakes further imply that climate drying reduced SOC through coarsening of the soil texture in the forest-steppe ecotone. Changes in carbon storage caused by climate drying can be divided into two stages: (1) carbon storage of the ecosystem was reduced to 68.7%, mostly by soil coarsening when DBF were replaced by CF at approximately 5,900 (14)C years before present (BP); and (2) carbon storage was reduced to 26.4%, mostly by vegetation shifts when CF were replaced by ST at approximately 2,900 (14)C years BP.

[Effects of different vegetation restoration patterns on the diversity of soil nitrogen-fixing microbes in Hulunbeier sandy land, Inner Mongolia of North China].

PubMed

Li, Gang; Wang, Li-Juan; Li, Yu-Jie; Qiao, Jiang; Zhang, Hai-Fang; Song, Xiao-Long; Yang, Dian-Lin

2013-06-01

By using polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) and sequence analysis, this paper studied the nifH gene diversity and community structure of soil nitrogen-fixing microbes in Hulunbeier sandy land of Inner Mongolia under four years management of five vegetation restoration modes, i. e., mixed-planting of Agropyron cristatum, Hedysarum fruticosum, Caragana korshinskii, and Elymus nutans (ACHE) and of Agropyron cristatum and Hedysarum fruticosum (AC), and mono-planting of Caragana korshinskii (UC), Agropyron cristatum (UA), and Hedysarum fruticosum (UH), taking the bare land as the control (CK). There existed significant differences in the community composition of nitrogen-fixing microbes among the five vegetation restoration patterns. The Shannon index of the nifH gene was the highest under ACHE, followed by under AC, UC, UA, and UH, and the lowest in CK. Except that UH and CK had less difference in the Shannon index, the other four vegetation restoration modes had a significantly higher Shannon index than CK (P < 0.05). The phylogenetic analysis showed that the soil nitrogen-fixing microbes under UA, UH, and UC were mainly of cyanobacteria, but the soil nitrogen-fixing microbes under AC and ACHE changed obviously, mainly of proteobacteria, and also of cyanobacteria. The canonical correlation analysis showed that the soil total phosphorus, available phosphorus, total nitrogen, and nitrate nitrogen contents under the five vegetation restoration modes had significant effects on the nitrogen-fixing microbial communities, and there existed significant correlations among the soil total phosphorus, available phosphorus, total nitrogen, and nitrate nitrogen. It was suggested that the variations of the community composition of soil nitrogen-fixing microbes under the five vegetation restoration modes were resulted from the interactive and combined effects of the soil physical and chemical factors.

Arsenic associations in sediments from shallow aquifers of northwestern Hetao Basin, Inner Mongolia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Deng, Y.; Wang, Y.; Ma, T.; Yang, H.; He, J.

2011-01-01

Understanding the mechanism of arsenic mobilization from sediments to groundwater is important for water quality management in areas of endemic arsenic poisoning, such as the Hetao Basin in Inner Mongolia, northern China. Aquifer geochemistry was characterized at three field sites (SH, HF, TYS) in Hangjinhouqi County of northwestern Hetao Basin. The results of bulk geochemistry analysis of sediment samples indicated that total As concentrations have a range of 6. 8-58. 5 mg/kg, with a median of 14. 4 mg/kg. The highest As concentrations were found at 15-25 m depth. In the meanwhile, the range of As concentration in the sediments from background borehole is 3-21. 8 mg/kg, with a median value of 9 mg/kg. The As sediments concentrations with depth from the SH borehole were correlated with the contents of Fe, Sb, B, V, total C and total S. Generally, the abundance of elements varied with grain size, with higher concentrations in finer fractions of the sediments. Distinct lithology profile and different geochemical characteristics of aquifer sediments indicate the sediments are associated with different sources and diverse sedimentary environments. Up to one third of arsenic in the sediments could be extracted by ammonium oxalate, suggesting that Fe oxyhydroxides may be the major sink of As in the aquifer. Sequential extraction results indicate that arsenic occurs as strongly adsorbed on and/or co-precipitated with amorphous Fe oxyhydroxides in sediments accounting for 35 and 20%, respectively, of the total contents of arsenic. The release of As into groundwater may occur by desorption from the mineral surface driven by reductive dissolution of the Fe oxide minerals. Furthermore, small proportions of As associated with iron sulfides occur in the reductive sediments. ?? 2011 Springer-Verlag.

Spatial and decadal variations in satellite-based terrestrial evapotranspiration and drought over Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China during 1982-2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhaolu; Kang, Hui; Yao, Yunjun; Fadhil, Ayad M.; Zhang, Yuhu; Jia, Kun

2017-12-01

Evapotranspiration ( ET) plays an important role in exchange of water budget and carbon cycles over the Inner Mongolia autonomous region of China (IMARC). However, the spatial and decadal variations in terrestrial ET and drought over the IMARC in the past was calculated by only using sparse meteorological point-based data which remain quite uncertain. In this study, by combining satellite and meteorology datasets, a satellite-based semi-empirical Penman ET (SEMI-PM) algorithm is used to estimate regional ET and evaporative wet index (EWI) calculated by the ratio of ET and potential ET ( PET) over the IMARC. Validation result shows that the square of the correlation coefficients (R2) for the four sites varies from 0.45 to 0.84 and the root-mean-square error (RMSE) is 0.78 mm. We found that the ET has decreased on an average of 4.8 mm per decade (p=0.10) over the entire IMARC during 1982-2009 and the EWI has decreased on an average of 1.1% per decade (p=0.08) during the study period. Importantly, the patterns of monthly EWI anomalies have a good spatial and temporal correlation with the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) anomalies from 1982 to 2009, indicating EWI can be used to monitor regional surface drought with high spatial resolution. In high-latitude ecosystems of northeast region of the IMARC, both air temperature (Ta) and incident solar radiation (Rs) are the most important parameters in determining ET. However, in semiarid and arid areas of the central and southwest regions of the IMARC, both relative humidity (RH) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) are the most important factors controlling annual variation of ET.

[X-ray diffraction (XRD) and near infrared spectrum (NIR) analysis of the soil overlying the Bairendaba deposit of the Inner Mongolia Grassland].

PubMed

Luo, Song-ying; Cao, Jian-jin; Wu, Zheng-quan

2014-08-01

The soil samples uniformly overlying the Bairendaba deposit of the Inner Mongolia grassland were collected, and ana- lyzed with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and near infrared spectrum (NIR), for exploring the origins of the soil from the, grassland mining area and the relationship with the underground rock. The results show that the samp]s consist of quartz, graphite, carbonate, hornblende, mica, chlorite, montmorillonite, illite, berlinite, diaspore, azurite, hen tite, etc. These indicate that the soil samples were not only from the weathering products of the surface rock, but also from the underground rock mass and the alteration of the wall rock. The azurite and the hematite contained in the soil, mainly coming from the oxidation zone of the orebodies, can be used as the prospecting marks. The alteration mineral assemblage is mainly chlorite-illite-montmorillonite and it experienced the alteration process of potassic alteration-->silicification-->carbonatization-->silk greisenization-->clayization. Also, the wall rock alteration and the physical weathering processes can be accurately restored by analyzing the combination of the alteration minerals, which can provide important reference information for the deep ore prospecting and the ore deposit genesis study, improving the rate of the prospecting. The XRD and NIR with the characteristics of the economy and quickness can be used for the identification of mineral composition of soil, and in the study of mineral and mineral deposits. Especially, NIR has its unique superiority, that is, its sample request is low, and it can analyze a batch of samples quickly. With the development of INR, it will be more and more widely applied in geological field, and can play an important role in the ore exploration.

[Soil humus differentiation and correlation with other soil biochemical properties in pure forests in semi-arid low-hilly area of Inner Mongolia, China].

PubMed

Zhang, Xiao-Xi; Liu, Zeng-Wen; Bing, Yuan-Hao; Zhu, Bo-Chao; Huang, Liang-Jia

2014-10-01

Whether the content and composition of soil humus in pure forest change due to its simple component of litter and specificity of single-species dominant community is a key problem for forest sustainable management. In this study, soils from 6 kind of pure forests in semi-arid low-hilly area of Inner Mongolia were collected and their humus and other biochemical properties were measured to investigate the differentiation of soil humus and the impact factors. The results showed that the soil of Picea asperata and Betula platyphylla pure forests had the highest contents of humus and better condensation degrees and stabilities, followed by that of Populus simonii, Larix principis-rupprechtii and Ulmus pumila pure forests, while the soil of Pinus tabuliformis pure forest had the lowest content of humus, condensation degree and stability. There were significant positive correlations between soil microorganism biomass, activity of phosphatase and the content and stability of soil humus. In contrast, the soil peroxidate, dehydrogenase activity and soil humus content showed significant negative correlations with each other. Furthermore, the enhancement of dehydrogenase activity might decrease the stability of humus. There were significant positive correlations between available N and the content and stability of soil humus, but total Cu, Zn and Fe had negative correlations with them, and total Cu and Fe might reduce the stability of humus as well. The particularity of pure forest environment and litter properties might be the key inducement to soil humus differentiation, thus reforming the pure forest through mixing with other tree species or planting understory vegetation would be the fundamental way to improve the soil humus composition and stability.

Elemental and Sr-Nd isotopic geochemistry of the Uradzhongqi magmatic complex in western Inner Mongolia, China: A record of early Permian post-collisional magmatism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiao, Xueyuan; Li, Wenbo; Zhong, Richen; Hu, Chuansheng; Zhu, Feng; Li, Zhihua

2017-08-01

The magmatic complex in Uradzhongqi, Inner Mongolia, is located in the western segment of the northern margin of the North China Craton (NCC). The dominant components in the complex include syenogranite, monzogranite, granodiorite, diorite and gabbro. Mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs) are common in syenogranite and granodiorite. Zircon U-Pb dating shows that the ages of these rocks range from 283 to 270 Ma, suggesting an early Permian emplacement. The syenogranite and monzogranite are peraluminous I-type granites, exhibiting conspicuous negative Eu anomaly, enrichment in large-ion lithophile elements (LILE) and light rare earth elements (LREE), depletion in high field strength elements (HFSE). The granodiorites, diorites and MMEs are metaluminous in composition, show high Al2O3, MgO and Fe2O3T contents and weak negative Eu anomaly, as well as LREE and LILE enrichment and HFSE depletion. The gabbros show weak positive Eu anomaly and slight REE differentiation. The Sr-Nd isotope compositions show that the source of mafic magma was depleted mantle (DM) with possible involvement of enriched mantle II (EM II), whereas the felsic magma was derived from the Archean lower crust. Petrographic observation and analytical results of mineralogy, geochronology, geochemistry and Sr-Nd isotopes indicate that the main petrogenesis of these magmatic rocks is the mixing of underplating mafic magma and felsic magma. Tectonically, the complex pluton was formed within a post-collisional regime, and the underplating in this area provides another piece of evidence for the vertical growth of the western segment of the northern margin of the NCC.

Demographic and socioeconomic disparity in knowledge about tuberculosis in Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Ma, Enbo; Ren, Liping; Wang, Wensheng; Takahashi, Hideto; Wagatsuma, Yukiko; Ren, Yulin; Gao, Fei; Gao, Fangfang; Wang, Wenrui; Bi, Lifu

2015-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the awareness status, attitudes, and care-seeking behaviors concerning tuberculosis (TB) and associated factors among the public in Inner Mongolia, China. A five-stage sampling was conducted, in which counties as the primary survey units and towns, villages, and households as sub-survey units were selected progressively. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect TB information. Complex survey analysis methods, including the procedures of survey frequency and survey logistic regression, were applied for analysis of TB knowledge and associated factors. The sample was weighted by survey design, non-respondent, and post-stratification adjustment. Among 10 581 respondents, awareness that TB is an infectious disease was 86.7%. Knowing that a cough lasting ≥3 weeks is suggestive of TB was 26.9%. Knowledge about TB dispensaries in county administrative areas was reported by 68.3% of respondents, and knowledge about the free TB detection/treatment policy was reported by 57.5% of respondents. About 52.5% of participants would stigmatize TB patients. Compared with the majority Han ethnic group, Mongolians and other minorities were 1.52-2.18 times more likely to know about TB curability, TB symptoms, the free detection/treatment policy, and TB dispensaries' locations, but were less likely to know about the TB transmission mode (odds ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.65-0.84). The main sources of TB information were TV (65.6%) and other persons (47.2%). In the past year, 19.7% of TB knowledge was from acquaintances, and 16.1% was from TB institutes. Improvement in knowledge about TB risk (symptoms and transmission), the free treatment policy, and facilities is necessary and should be provided through effective multimedia for different target populations.

Demographic and Socioeconomic Disparity in Knowledge About Tuberculosis in Inner Mongolia, China

PubMed Central

Ma, Enbo; Ren, Liping; Wang, Wensheng; Takahashi, Hideto; Wagatsuma, Yukiko; Ren, Yulin; Gao, Fei; Gao, Fangfang; Wang, Wenrui; Bi, Lifu

2015-01-01

Background The aim of this study is to evaluate the awareness status, attitudes, and care-seeking behaviors concerning tuberculosis (TB) and associated factors among the public in Inner Mongolia, China. Methods A five-stage sampling was conducted, in which counties as the primary survey units and towns, villages, and households as sub-survey units were selected progressively. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect TB information. Complex survey analysis methods, including the procedures of survey frequency and survey logistic regression, were applied for analysis of TB knowledge and associated factors. The sample was weighted by survey design, non-respondent, and post-stratification adjustment. Results Among 10 581 respondents, awareness that TB is an infectious disease was 86.7%. Knowing that a cough lasting ≥3 weeks is suggestive of TB was 26.9%. Knowledge about TB dispensaries in county administrative areas was reported by 68.3% of respondents, and knowledge about the free TB detection/treatment policy was reported by 57.5% of respondents. About 52.5% of participants would stigmatize TB patients. Compared with the majority Han ethnic group, Mongolians and other minorities were 1.52–2.18 times more likely to know about TB curability, TB symptoms, the free detection/treatment policy, and TB dispensaries’ locations, but were less likely to know about the TB transmission mode (odds ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.65–0.84). The main sources of TB information were TV (65.6%) and other persons (47.2%). In the past year, 19.7% of TB knowledge was from acquaintances, and 16.1% was from TB institutes. Conclusions Improvement in knowledge about TB risk (symptoms and transmission), the free treatment policy, and facilities is necessary and should be provided through effective multimedia for different target populations. PMID:25797599

Molecular Ecological Basis of Grasshopper (Oedaleus asiaticus) Phenotypic Plasticity under Environmental Selection

PubMed Central

Qin, Xinghu; Hao, Kun; Ma, Jingchuan; Huang, Xunbing; Tu, Xiongbing; Ali, Md. Panna; Pittendrigh, Barry R.; Cao, Guangchun; Wang, Guangjun; Nong, Xiangqun; Whitman, Douglas W.; Zhang, Zehua

2017-01-01

While ecological adaptation in insects can be reflected by plasticity of phenotype, determining the causes and molecular mechanisms for phenotypic plasticity (PP) remains a crucial and still difficult question in ecology, especially where control of insect pests is involved. Oedaleus asiaticus is one of the most dominant pests in the Inner Mongolia steppe and represents an excellent system to study phenotypic plasticity. To better understand ecological factors affecting grasshopper phenotypic plasticity and its molecular control, we conducted a full transcriptional screening of O. asiaticus grasshoppers reared in four different grassland patches in Inner Mongolia. Grasshoppers showed different degrees of PP associated with unique gene expressions and different habitat plant community compositions. Grasshopper performance variables were susceptible to habitat environment conditions and closely associated with plant architectures. Intriguingly, eco-transcriptome analysis revealed five potential candidate genes playing important roles in grasshopper performance, with gene expression closely relating to PP and plant community factors. By linking the grasshopper performances to gene profiles and ecological factors using canonical regression, we first demonstrated the eco-transcriptomic architecture (ETA) of grasshopper phenotypic traits (ETAGPTs). ETAGPTs revealed plant food type, plant density, coverage, and height were the main ecological factors influencing PP, while insect cuticle protein (ICP), negative elongation factor A (NELFA), and lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (LCT) were the key genes associated with PP. Our study gives a clear picture of gene-environment interaction in the formation and maintenance of PP and enriches our understanding of the transcriptional events underlying molecular control of rapid phenotypic plasticity associated with environmental variability. The findings of this study may also provide new targets for pest control and highlight the significance of ecological management practice on grassland conservation. PMID:29066978

Hepatitis E virus seroprevalence among farmers, veterinarians and control subjects in Jilin province, Shandong province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.

PubMed

Kang, Yuan-Huan; Cong, Wei; Zhang, Xiang-Yan; Wang, Chun-Feng; Shan, Xiao-Feng; Qian, Ai-Dong

2017-05-01

China is commonly considered to be a HEV-endemic region but limited epidemiological data for HEV among farmers and veterinarians are available. Thus, a case-control study was carried out to detect the seroprevalence and assess potential risk factors associated with the acquisition of HEV infection by farmers and veterinarians in China from July 2013 to May 2015. Three hundred veterinarians and 600 farmers recruited from Jilin province, Shandong province, and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and 600 control subjects matched by gender, age, and residence were detected for the presence of anti-HEV IgG and IgM antibodies using enzyme immunoassays. The seroprevalences of HEV infection in farmers, veterinarians, and control subjects were 34.8%, 26.7%, and 20.2%, respectively. Farmers (P < 0.001) and veterinarians (P = 0.027) have significantly higher seroprevalence than control subjects. The highest seroprevalence of HEV infection was detected in swine farmers (49.1%) and the lowest seroprevalence was found in cattle farmers (26.5%). In veterinarians, farm animal veterinarians have a higher seroprevalence than pet veterinarians, but the difference was not significant (P > 0.05). Residence area, contact with swine and exposure with soil were significantly associated with HEV infection in the study farmers; contact with swine and source of drinking water were significantly associated with HEV infection in the study veterinarians. These results implied the high prevalence of HEV and the considerable potential for the dissemination of HEV infection in farmers and veterinarians in China. J. Med. Virol. 89:872-877, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

ICESat/GLAS-derived changes in the water level of Hulun Lake, Inner Mongolia, from 2003 to 2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chunlan; Wang, Jun; Hu, Richa; Yin, Shan; Bao, Yuhai; Li, Yuwei

2017-07-01

Hulun Lake is the largest freshwater lake in northern Inner Mongolia and even minor changes in its level may have major effects on the ecology of the lake and the surrounding area. In this study, we used high-precision elevation data for the interval from 2003-2009 measured by the Geoscience Laser Altimetry System (GLAS) on board the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) to assess annual and seasonal water level variations of Hulun Lake. The altimetry data of 32 satellite tracks were processed using the RANdom SAmple Consensus algorithm (RANSAC) to eliminate elevation outliers, and subsequently the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) was used to delineate the area of the lake. From 2003-2009, the shoreline of Hulun Lake retreated westwards, which was especially notable in the southern part of the lake. There was only a small decrease in water level, from 530.72 m to 529.22 m during 2003-2009, an average rate of 0.08 m/yr. The area of the lake decreased at a rate of 49.52 km2/yr, which was mainly the result of the shallow bathymetry in the southern part of the basin. The decrease in area was initially rapid, then much slower, and finally rapid again. Generally, the lake extent and water level decreased due to higher temperatures, intense evaporation, low precipitation, and decreasing runoff. And their fluctuations were caused by a decrease in intraannual temperature, evaporation, and a slight increase in precipitation. Overall, a combination of factors related to climate change were responsible for the variations of the water level of Hulun Lake during the study interval. The results improve our understanding of the impact of climate change on Hulun Lake and may facilitate the formulation of response strategies.

Efficient Maize and Sunflower Multi-year Mapping with NDVI Time Series of HJ-1A/1B in Hetao Irrigation District of Inner Mongolia, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, B.; Shang, S.

2016-12-01

Food shortage is one of the major challenges that human beings are facing. It is urgent to improve the monitoring of the plantation and distribution of the main crops to solve the following economic and social issues. Recently, with the extensive use of remote sensing satellite data, it has provided favorable conditions for crop identification in large irrigation district with complex planting structure. Difference of different crop phenology is the main basis for crop identification, and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time-series could better delineate crop phenology cycle. Therefore, the key of crop identification is to obtain high quality NDVI time-series. MODIS and Landsat TM satellite images are the most frequently used, however, neither of them could guarantee high temporal and spatial resolutions at once. Accordingly, this paper makes use of NDVI time-series extracted from China Environment Satellites data, which has two-day-repeat temporal and 30m spatial resolutions. The NDVI time-series are fitted with an asymmetric logistic curve, the fitting effect is good and the correlation coefficient is greater than 0.9. The phonological parameters are derived from NDVI fitting curves, and crop identification is carried out by different relation ellipses between NDVI and its phonological parameters of different crops. This paper takes Hetao Irrigation District of Inner Mongolia as an example, to identify multi-year maize and sunflower in the district, and the identification result is good. Compared with the official statistics, the relative errors are both lower than 5%. The results show that the NDVI time-series dataset derived from HJ-1A/1B CCD could delineate the crop phenology cycle accurately and demonstrate its application in crop identification in irrigated district.

Great social benefits.

PubMed

Huang, B

1991-06-01

The Integrated Project (IP), originated by the Japanese Organization for International Cooperation in Family Planning (JOICFP) was started in China in 1984. The 2nd phase covered 210,000 people in 8 townships in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and others in Liaoning, Jiangsu and Shandong Provinces, in 1987-1989. 2 pilot areas, monitored by representatives from IPPF's East and Southeast Asia and Oceania Region in September 1990, showed significant gains in contraceptive prevalence as well as health benefits and community acceptance. The IP consists of integrated family planning, maternal and child health and parasite control for rural areas. In Tumotezuo County, Inner Mongolia, the village of Bashi with 2526 people was mobilized to construct its own health clinic with a delivery room and a maternal and child health unit, where night classes were held for women. Because of antihelminthic treatment, installation of water pipes and toilets, parasites were controlled. Neighboring towns benefited by treatment of common disorders such as anemia and rickets. In the pilot areas there have been no maternal deaths in 3 years, and declines in perinatal mortality from 33.3 to 17.9/1000, and in infant mortality from 35.1 to 21.5/1000. Incidence of roundworm infection fell from 27.8 to 7.6%, Contraceptive prevalence, already high at 91.8%, rose to 93.7% among the Han majority, and from 65.9 to 77.2% in minorities. Family planning was spread by using the "core household" approach. The large household of the village leader, with 13 women of childbearing age, subscribed to several periodicals on family planning and farm and home economics, so people learned how to become well off by raising vegetables and pigs, and how to limit family size with the correct concept of a happy healthy family.

iss012e21250

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-03-21

ISS012-E-21250 (2 March 2006) --- Dust and smog in northeast China are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 12 crewmember on the International Space Station. Much of the land surface is obscured in this oblique image of the North China Plain and parts of Inner Mongolia. In the center of the view a mass of gray smog—mainly industrial pollution and smoke from domestic burning—obscures Beijing and surrounding cities. Numerous plumes with their source points appear within the mass. Beijing suffers some of the worst air pollution in the world from these chronic sources, and the characteristic colors and textures of the smog can be easily seen through windows of the International Space Station. The coastline of Bo Hai Bay, 300 kilometers east of Beijing, is visible at left. The light brown material in Bo Hai Bay is sediment from the Yellow and other rivers. Separated from the smog mass by a band of puffy, white cumulus clouds is a light brown plume of dust. The line of white cloud has developed along the escarpment that separates the heavily populated North China Plain – location of the largest population agglomeration on Earth – and the sparsely populated semi-desert plains of Inner Mongolia. Observers saw a number of dust events in most Northern Hemisphere deserts in the spring of 2006, and the Gobi and the Takla Makan deserts of western China were no exception. Dust plumes originating in these deserts typically extend eastward hundreds of kilometers, regularly depositing dust on Beijing, the Korean peninsula and Japan. Some plumes even extend over the Pacific Ocean. In extreme cases, visible masses of Gobi-derived dust have reached North America.

Urinary Arsenic Metabolites in Children and Adults Exposed to Arsenic in Drinking Water in Inner Mongolia, China

PubMed Central

Sun, Guifan; Xu, Yuanyuan; Li, Xin; Jin, Yaping; Li, Bing; Sun, Xiance

2007-01-01

Background We report the concentrations and distributions of urinary arsenic (As) metabolites in 233 residents exposed to 20, 90, or 160 μg/L inorganic arsenic (iAs) in drinking water from three villages in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China, that formed one control and two exposed groups. Methods We used hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrometry (HGAAS) to determine iAs, monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA). Results The concentrations of each urinary As species in the two exposed groups were significantly higher than in the control group for both children and adults. Both children and adults in exposed groups had higher percent iAs and MMA and lower percent DMA, and low primary and secondary methylation indices (PMI and SMI, respectively) than those in the control group. However, children showed significant increases in percent DMA and the SMI as well as decreases in the percent MMA when the iAs exposure level increased from 90 to 160 μg/L. In addition, children in the two exposed groups showed lower percent MMA but higher percent DMA and higher SMI than adults in the same exposed group. No significant differences in As metabolite concentrations and distributions were found between males and females in each group. A significant correlation was also found in the SMI between 11 pairs of children and their mothers from the 160-μg/L–exposed group. Conclusions Children had higher a capacity for secondary methylation of As than adults when exposed to the same concentrations of iAs in drinking water. Exposure to As may increase the capacity for methylation in children to some extent. PMID:17450238

ICESat/GLAS-derived changes in the water level of Hulun Lake, Inner Mongolia, from 2003 to 2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chunlan; Wang, Jun; Hu, Richa; Yin, Shan; Bao, Yuhai; Li, Yuwei

2018-06-01

Hulun Lake is the largest freshwater lake in northern Inner Mongolia and even minor changes in its level may have major effects on the ecology of the lake and the surrounding area. In this study, we used high-precision elevation data for the interval from 2003-2009 measured by the Geoscience Laser Altimetry System (GLAS) on board the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) to assess annual and seasonal water level variations of Hulun Lake. The altimetry data of 32 satellite tracks were processed using the RANdom SAmple Consensus algorithm (RANSAC) to eliminate elevation outliers, and subsequently the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) was used to delineate the area of the lake. From 2003-2009, the shoreline of Hulun Lake retreated westwards, which was especially notable in the southern part of the lake. There was only a small decrease in water level, from 530.72 m to 529.22 m during 2003-2009, an average rate of 0.08 m/yr. The area of the lake decreased at a rate of 49.52 km2/yr, which was mainly the result of the shallow bathymetry in the southern part of the basin. The decrease in area was initially rapid, then much slower, and finally rapid again. Generally, the lake extent and water level decreased due to higher temperatures, intense evaporation, low precipitation, and decreasing runoff. And their fluctuations were caused by a decrease in intraannual temperature, evaporation, and a slight increase in precipitation. Overall, a combination of factors related to climate change were responsible for the variations of the water level of Hulun Lake during the study interval. The results improve our understanding of the impact of climate change on Hulun Lake and may facilitate the formulation of response strategies.

Arsenic in drinking water and peripheral nerve conduction velocity among residents of a chronically arsenic-affected area in Inner Mongolia.

PubMed

Fujino, Yoshihisa; Guo, Xiaojuan; Shirane, Kiyoyumi; Liu, Jun; Wu, Kegong; Miyatake, Munetoshi; Tanabe, Kimiko; Kusuda, Tetsuya; Yoshimura, Takesumi

2006-09-01

It remains unclear whether chronic ingestion of arsenic in drinking water affects the peripheral nervous system. We examined the effects of arsenic exposure on nerve conduction velocity using electromyography. A cross-sectional study was conducted of a population living in an arsenic-affected village in Hetao Plain, Inner Mongolia, China. A total of 134 (93.7%) of 143 inhabitants took part in the study, and 36 (76.6%) of 47 inhabitants in a low-arsenic exposed village were recruited as a control group. Of the participants, 109 inhabitants in the arsenic-affected village and 32 in the low-arsenic exposed village aged > or =18 years were used for the analyses. An expert physician performed skin examinations, and median nerve conduction velocity was examined by electromyography. Arsenic levels in tube-well water and urine were measured. A mean level of arsenic in tube-well water in the arsenic-affected village was 158.3 microg/L, while that in the low-arsenic exposed village was 5.3 microg/L. No significant differences in the means of the motor nerve conduction velocity (MCV) and sensory nerve conduction velocity (SCV) were observed in relation to arsenic levels in tube wells, urine, and the duration of tube-well use. Further, no differences in mean MCV or SCV were found between the subjects with and without arsenic dermatosis, with mean SCV of 52.8 m/s (SD 6.3) in those without and 54.6 m/s (5.2) in subjects with arsenic dermatosis (p=0.206). These findings suggest that chronic arsenic poisoning from drinking water is unlikely to affect nerve conduction velocity, at least within the range of arsenic in drinking water examined in the present study.

[Effects of grazing on the composition of soil animals and their decomposition function to Stipa grandis litter in Inner Mongolia typical steppe, China.

PubMed

Yang, Zhi Min; Hasitamier; Liu, Xin Min

2016-09-01

Grazing has been considered to be an important factor determining the composition of soil animals and decomposition of leaf litter in grassland ecosystem. Sampling plots were selected in ungrazed grassland, grazed grassland and sandy land. Litter bags were used to compare the changes of physicochemical properties of Stipa grandis litter and the composition of soil fauna in the process of the litter decomposition in Baiyinxile, Inner Mongolia, since 2010 to 2012. A total number of 67056 soil animals were captured, belonging to five phyla and eight classes, including 23 families of mites and 19 families of insects. After 780 days' decomposition, the loss of the organic matter of S. grandis litter was from 92.5% to 40.0% in the ungrazed grassland, and to 41.3% in the grazed grassland, with no significant difference observed. However, there was a significant difference (P<0.05) between the ratio of litter residues of the ungrazed grassland (50.0%) and that of the grazed grassland (23.0%). The abundance of soil animals in the residual litters was significantly decreased in the grazed grassland compared to the ungrazed grassland. When the litter was moved into the sandy land, the decomposition rate of organic matter in the residual litter was not significant changed but the ratio of litter residue declined significantly, and the composition of mite community in the resi-dual litter changed significantly. Our results illustrated that grazing activity could affect the composition and abundance of soil fauna in temperate grassland, but slightly influenced the decomposition of organic matter. Therefore, soil animals had relatively weak direct effects on the decomposition of litter in this semi-arid region.

First application of the revised Ti-in-zircon geothermometer to Paleoproterozoic ultrahigh-temperature granulites of Tuguiwula, Inner Mongolia, North China Craton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, S. J.; Li, J. H.; Santosh, M.

2010-02-01

The revised titanium-in-zircon geothermometer was applied to Paleoproterozoic ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) granulites at Tuguiwula, Inner Mongolia, North China Craton. The Tuguiwula granulites contain diagnostic UHT mineral assemblages such as sapphirine + quartz and high alumina orthopyroxene + sillimanite + quartz, suggesting formation under temperatures of ca. 1,000°C and pressures of up to 10 kbar. Here, we report detailed petrographic studies and ICP-MS data on titanium concentration in zircons associated with the UHT assemblages. The zircons associated with sapphirine-spinel-sillimanite-magnetite assemblages have the highest Ti concentration of up to 57 ppm, yielding a temperature of 941°C, and suggesting that the growth of zircons occurred under ultrahigh-temperature conditions. The maximum temperatures obtained by the revised Ti-in-zircon geothermometer is lower than the equilibrium temperature of sapphirine + quartz, indicating an interval of cooling history of the granulites from UHT condition to ca. 940°C. Many of the zircons have Ti concentrations ranging from 10 to 33 ppm, indicating their growth or recrystallization under lower temperatures of ca. 745-870°C. These zircons are interpreted to have recrystallized during the retrograde stage indicated by microstructures such as cordierite rim or corona between spinel and quartz, and orthopyroxene-cordierite symplectite around garnet. Previous geochronological study on the zircons of the Tuguiwula UHT granulites gave a mean U-Pb SHRIMP age of 1.92 Ga. However, based on the Ti-in-zircon geothermometer results reported in this work, and considering the relatively slow thermal relaxation of these rocks, we infer that the timing of peak UHT metamorphism in the Tuguiwula area could be slightly older than 1.92 Ga.

A new specimen of Manchurochelys manchoukuoensis from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota of Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, China and the phylogeny of Cretaceous basal eucryptodiran turtles

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Manchurochelys manchoukuoensis is an emblematic turtle from the Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Liaoning, China, a geological rock unit that is famous for yielding perfectly preserved skeletons of fossil vertebrates, including that of feathered dinosaurs. Manchurochelys manchoukuoensis was one of the first vertebrates described from this fauna, also known as the Jehol Biota. The holotype was lost during World War II and only one additional specimen has been described since. Manchurochelys manchoukuoensis is a critical taxon for unraveling the phylogenetic relationships of Cretaceous pancryptodires from Asia, a group that is considered to be of key importance for the origin of crown-group hidden-neck turtles (Cryptodira). Results A new specimen of Manchurochelys manchoukuoensis is described here from the Jiufotang Formation of Qilinshan, Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, China. This is the third specimen described and expands the range of this taxon from the Yixian Formation of the Fuxin-Yixian Basin in Liaoning to the Jiufotang Formation of the Chifeng-Yuanbaoshan Basin. A possible temporal extension of the range is less certain. The new finding adds to our understanding of the morphology of this taxon and invites a thorough revision of the phylogeny of Macrobaenidae, Sinemydidae, and closely allied forms. Conclusions Our comprehensive phylogenetic analyses of Cretaceous Asian pancryptodires yielded two main competing hypotheses: in the first these taxa form a paraphyletic grade, whereas in the second they form a monophyletic clade. The inclusion of problematic tree changing taxa, such as Panpleurodires (stem + crown side-neck turtles) has a major influence on the phylogenetic relationships of Sinemydidae and closely allied forms. Manchurochelys manchoukuoensis nests within Sinemydidae together with Sinemys spp. and Dracochelys bicuspis in the majority of our analyses. PMID:24707892

Satellite-Based Analysis of Evapotranspiration and Water Balance in the Grassland Ecosystems of Dryland East Asia

PubMed Central

Xia, Jiangzhou; Liang, Shunlin; Chen, Jiquan; Yuan, Wenping; Liu, Shuguang; Li, Linghao; Cai, Wenwen; Zhang, Li; Fu, Yang; Zhao, Tianbao; Feng, Jinming; Ma, Zhuguo; Ma, Mingguo; Liu, Shaomin; Zhou, Guangsheng; Asanuma, Jun; Chen, Shiping; Du, Mingyuan; Davaa, Gombo; Kato, Tomomichi; Liu, Qiang; Liu, Suhong; Li, Shenggong; Shao, Changliang; Tang, Yanhong; Zhao, Xiang

2014-01-01

The regression tree method is used to upscale evapotranspiration (ET) measurements at eddy-covariance (EC) towers to the grassland ecosystems over the Dryland East Asia (DEA). The regression tree model was driven by satellite and meteorology datasets, and explained 82% and 76% of the variations of ET observations in the calibration and validation datasets, respectively. The annual ET estimates ranged from 222.6 to 269.1 mm yr−1 over the DEA region with an average of 245.8 mm yr−1 from 1982 through 2009. Ecosystem ET showed decreased trends over 61% of the DEA region during this period, especially in most regions of Mongolia and eastern Inner Mongolia due to decreased precipitation. The increased ET occurred primarily in the western and southern DEA region. Over the entire study area, water balance (the difference between precipitation and ecosystem ET) decreased substantially during the summer and growing season. Precipitation reduction was an important cause for the severe water deficits. The drying trend occurring in the grassland ecosystems of the DEA region can exert profound impacts on a variety of terrestrial ecosystem processes and functions. PMID:24845063

Snow and Dust over Inner Mongolia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

A severe snow-and-sand storm hit an 80,000 square-mile (205,000-square-km) stretch of the Chinese province of Mongolia on New Year's Eve, killing 21 people and leaving thousands of people to face possible starvation. The affected area is located about 250 miles (400 km) northwest of Beijing. It is the worst snowstorm to hit the region in more than 50 years. Lasting about 3 days, the storm dumped 24 inches (60 cm) of snow mixed with sand from the Gobi Desert, stranding many residents in deep drifts. The Chinese Red Cross reports that almost 1 million people were affected by the storm and at least 10,000 head of livestock are confirmed dead. As many as 120,000 residents are in need of food and other supplies. The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), flying aboard the OrbView-2 satellite, acquired this image of the storm on January 2, 2001, as it approached China's eastern provinces. You can see storm clouds (white pixels) and windblown dust (brownish pixels) crossing the Yellow Sea and East China Sea toward Japan and the western Pacific. Provided by the SeaWiFS Project, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE

Satellite-based analysis of evapotranspiration and water balance in the grassland ecosystems of Dryland East Asia.

PubMed

Xia, Jiangzhou; Liang, Shunlin; Chen, Jiquan; Yuan, Wenping; Liu, Shuguang; Li, Linghao; Cai, Wenwen; Zhang, Li; Fu, Yang; Zhao, Tianbao; Feng, Jinming; Ma, Zhuguo; Ma, Mingguo; Liu, Shaomin; Zhou, Guangsheng; Asanuma, Jun; Chen, Shiping; Du, Mingyuan; Davaa, Gombo; Kato, Tomomichi; Liu, Qiang; Liu, Suhong; Li, Shenggong; Shao, Changliang; Tang, Yanhong; Zhao, Xiang

2014-01-01

The regression tree method is used to upscale evapotranspiration (ET) measurements at eddy-covariance (EC) towers to the grassland ecosystems over the Dryland East Asia (DEA). The regression tree model was driven by satellite and meteorology datasets, and explained 82% and 76% of the variations of ET observations in the calibration and validation datasets, respectively. The annual ET estimates ranged from 222.6 to 269.1 mm yr(-1) over the DEA region with an average of 245.8 mm yr(-1) from 1982 through 2009. Ecosystem ET showed decreased trends over 61% of the DEA region during this period, especially in most regions of Mongolia and eastern Inner Mongolia due to decreased precipitation. The increased ET occurred primarily in the western and southern DEA region. Over the entire study area, water balance (the difference between precipitation and ecosystem ET) decreased substantially during the summer and growing season. Precipitation reduction was an important cause for the severe water deficits. The drying trend occurring in the grassland ecosystems of the DEA region can exert profound impacts on a variety of terrestrial ecosystem processes and functions.

Changes in plant functional groups, litter quality, and soil carbon and nitrogen mineralization with sheep grazing in an Inner Mongolian Grassland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barger, N.N.; Ojima, D.S.; Belnap, J.; Shiping, W.; Yanfen, W.; Chen, Z.

2004-01-01

This study reports on changes in plant functional group composition, litter quality, and soil C and N mineralization dynamics from a 9-year sheep grazing study in Inner Mongolia. Addressed are these questions: 1) How does increasing grazing intensity affect plant community composition? 2) How does increasing grazing intensity alter soil C and N mineralization dynamics? 3) Do changes in soil C and N mineralization dynamics relate to changes in plant community composition via inputs of the quality or quantity of litter? Grazing plots were set up near the Inner Mongolia Grassland Ecosystem Research Station (IMGERS) with 5 grazing intensities: 1.3, 2.7, 4.0, 5.3, and 6.7 sheep ha -1??yr-1. Plant cover was lower with increasing grazing intensity, which was primarily due to a dramatic decline in grasses, Carex duriuscula, and Artemisia frigida. Changes in litter mass and percentage organic C resulted in lower total C in the litter layer at 4.0 and 5.3 sheep ha-1??yr-1 compared with 2.7 sheep ha -1??yr-1. Total litter N was lower at 5.3 sheep ha-1??yr-1 compared with 2.7 sheep ha -1??yr-1. Litter C:N ratios, an index of litter quality, were significantly lower at 4.0 sheep ha-1??yr -1 relative to 1.3 and 5.3 sheep ha-1??yr -1. Cumulative C mineralized after 16 days decreased with increasing grazing intensity. In contrast, net N mineralization (NH4+ + NO3-) after a 12-day incubation increased with increasing grazing intensity. Changes in C and N mineralization resulted in a narrowing of CO2-C:net Nminratios with increasing grazing intensity. Grazing explained 31% of the variability in the ratio of CO 2-C:net Nmin. The ratio of CO2-C:net N min was positively correlated with litter mass. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between litter mass and A. frigida cover. Results suggest that as grazing intensity increases, microbes become more C limited resulting in decreased microbial growth and demand for N.

Four new species of hangingflies (Insecta, Mecoptera, Bittacidae) from the Middle Jurassic of northeastern China

PubMed Central

Liu, Sulin; Shih, Chungkun; Ren, Dong

2014-01-01

Abstract Two new species of Mongolbittacus Petrulevičius, Huang & Ren, 2007, Mongolbittacus speciosus sp. n. and Mongolbittacus oligophlebius sp. n., and two new species of Exilibittacus Yang, Ren & Shih, 2012, Exilibittacus foliaceus sp. n. and Exilibittacus plagioneurus sp. n., in the family Bittacidae, are described and illustrated based on five well-preserved fossil specimens. These specimens were collected from the late Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China. These new findings enhance our understanding of the morphological characters of early hangingflies and highlight the diversity of bittacids in the Mid Mesozoic ecosystems. PMID:25610337

Bacterial microbiota compositions of naturally fermented milk are shaped by both geographic origin and sample type.

PubMed

Zhong, Z; Hou, Q; Kwok, L; Yu, Z; Zheng, Y; Sun, Z; Menghe, B; Zhang, H

2016-10-01

Naturally fermented dairy products contain a rich microbial biodiversity. This study aimed to provide an overview on the bacterial microbiota biodiversity of 85 samples, previously collected across a wide region of China, Mongolia, and Russia. Data from these 85 samples, including 55 yogurts, 18 naturally fermented yak milks, 6 koumisses, and 6 cheeses, were retrieved and collectively analyzed. The most prevalent phyla shared across samples were Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria, which together accounted for 99% of bacterial sequences. The predominant genera were Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Streptococcus, Acetobacter, Acinetobacter, Leuconostoc, and Macrococcus, which together corresponded to 96.63% of bacterial sequences. Further multivariate statistical analyses revealed significant differences in the microbiota structure across sample geographic origin and type. First, on the principal coordinate score plot, samples representing the 3 main sample collection regions (Russia, Xinjiang, and Tibet) were mostly located respectively in the upper left, lower right, and lower left quadrants, although slight overlapping occurred. In contrast, samples from the minor sampling areas (Inner Mongolia, Mongolia, Gansu, and Sichuan) were predominantly distributed in the lower left quadrant. These results suggest a possible association between sample geographical origin and microbiota composition. Second, bacterial microbiota structure was stratified by sample type. In particular, the microbiota of cheese was largely distinct from the other sample types due to its high abundances of Lactococcus and Streptococcus. The fermented yak milk microbiota was most like that of the yogurts. Koumiss samples had the lowest microbial diversity and richness. In conclusion, both geographic origin and sample type shape the microbial diversity of naturally fermented milk. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A New Oviraptorid Dinosaur (Dinosauria: Oviraptorosauria) from the Late Cretaceous of Southern China and Its Paleobiogeographical Implications

PubMed Central

Lü, Junchang; Pu, Hanyong; Kobayashi, Yoshitsugu; Xu, Li; Chang, Huali; Shang, Yuhua; Liu, Di; Lee, Yuong-Nam; Kundrát, Martin; Shen, Caizhi

2015-01-01

The Ganzhou area of Jiangxi Province, southern China is becoming one of the most productive oviraptorosaurian localities in the world. A new oviraptorid dinosaur was unearthed from the uppermost Upper Cretaceous Nanxiong Formation of Ganzhou area. It is characterized by an anterodorsally sloping occiput and quadrate (a feature shared with Citipati), a circular supratemporal fenestra that is much smaller than the lower temporal fenestra, and a dentary in which the dorsal margin above the external mandibular fenestra is strongly concave ventrally. The position of the anteroventral corner of the external naris in relation to the posterodorsal corner of the antorbital fenestra provides new insight into the craniofacial evolution of oviraptorosaurid dinosaurs. A phylogenetic analysis recovers the new taxon as closely related to the Mongolian Citipati. Six oviraptorid dinosaurs from the Nanxiong Formation (Ganzhou and Nanxiong) are distributed within three clades of the family. Each of the three clades from the Nanxiong Formation has close relatives in Inner Mongolia and Mongolia, and in both places each clade may have had a specific diet or occupied a different ecological niche. Oviraptorid dinosaurs were geographically widespread across Asia in the latest Cretaceous and were an important component of terrestrial ecosystems during this time. PMID:26133245

A New Oviraptorid Dinosaur (Dinosauria: Oviraptorosauria) from the Late Cretaceous of Southern China and Its Paleobiogeographical Implications.

PubMed

Lü, Junchang; Pu, Hanyong; Kobayashi, Yoshitsugu; Xu, Li; Chang, Huali; Shang, Yuhua; Liu, Di; Lee, Yuong-Nam; Kundrát, Martin; Shen, Caizhi

2015-07-02

The Ganzhou area of Jiangxi Province, southern China is becoming one of the most productive oviraptorosaurian localities in the world. A new oviraptorid dinosaur was unearthed from the uppermost Upper Cretaceous Nanxiong Formation of Ganzhou area. It is characterized by an anterodorsally sloping occiput and quadrate (a feature shared with Citipati), a circular supratemporal fenestra that is much smaller than the lower temporal fenestra, and a dentary in which the dorsal margin above the external mandibular fenestra is strongly concave ventrally. The position of the anteroventral corner of the external naris in relation to the posterodorsal corner of the antorbital fenestra provides new insight into the craniofacial evolution of oviraptorosaurid dinosaurs. A phylogenetic analysis recovers the new taxon as closely related to the Mongolian Citipati. Six oviraptorid dinosaurs from the Nanxiong Formation (Ganzhou and Nanxiong) are distributed within three clades of the family. Each of the three clades from the Nanxiong Formation has close relatives in Inner Mongolia and Mongolia, and in both places each clade may have had a specific diet or occupied a different ecological niche. Oviraptorid dinosaurs were geographically widespread across Asia in the latest Cretaceous and were an important component of terrestrial ecosystems during this time.

Transport pathway and source area for Artemisia pollen in Beijing, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Xiaoxin; Li, Yiyin; Sun, Xu; Meng, Ling; Wang, Xiaoke

2017-12-01

Artemisia pollen is an important allergen responsible for allergic rhinitis in Beijing, China. To explore the transport pathways and source areas of Artemisia pollen, we used Burkard 7-day traps to monitor daily pollen concentrations in 2016 in an urban and suburban locality. Backward trajectories of 24- and 96-h and their cluster analysis were performed to identify transport pathways of Artemisia pollen using the HYSPLIT model on 0.5° × 0.5° GADS meteorological data. The potential source contribution function (PSCF) and concentration weighted trajectory (CWT) were calculated to further identify the major potential source areas at local, regional, and long-range scales. Our results showed significant differences in Artemisia pollen concentration between urban and suburban areas, attributed to differences in plant distribution and altitude of the sampling locality. Such differences arisen from both pollen emission and air mass movements, hence pollen dispersal. At local or regional scales, source area of northwestern parts of Beijing City, Hebei Province and northern and northwestern parts of Inner Mongolia influenced the major transport pathways of Artemisia pollen. Transport pathway at a long-range scale and its corresponding source area extended to northwestern parts of Mongolia. The regional-scale transport affected by wind and altitude is more profound for Artemisia pollen at the suburban than at the urban station.

New species and revisions of Pediciidae (Diptera) from the Middle Jurassic of northeastern China and Russia.

PubMed

Gao, Jiaqi; Shih, Chungkun; Kopeć, Katarzyna; Krzemiński, Wiesław; Ren, Dong

2015-05-26

Two new species of Praearchitipula Kalugina, 1985, P. apprima sp. nov. and P. mirabilis sp. nov., are described and illustrated from the late Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Daohugou in eastern Inner Mongolia, China. In addition, we propose to transfer Architipula abnormis Hao & Ren, 2009 (which is from the same locality of Daohugou) from Architipula of Limoniidae to Praearchitipula of Pediciidae: Praearchitipula abnormis (Hao & Ren, 2009) comb. nov. In addition, we propose to transfer Praearchitipula spasskia Kalugina, 1985 to the genus Mesotipula (Limoniidae, Architipulinae). We also suggest treating Praearchitipula lata Kalugina, 1985 as a junior synonym of Praearchitipula notabilis Kalugina, 1985. An emended generic diagnosis of Praearchitipula is provided.

Revision of Anomopterella Rasnitsyn, 1975 (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Anomopterellidae) with two new Middle Jurassic species from northeastern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Longfeng; Shih, Chungkun; Ren, Dong

2014-10-01

New Anomopterella Rasnitsyn, 1975, wasps from the Jiulongshan Formation (Bathonian/Callovian) at Daohugou (Inner Mongolia of China), with well-preserved wings, body, antennae and tarsi, document relationship among species and enhance our understanding of the morphology of the extinct family Anomopterellidae Rasnitsyn, 1975. Based on eight well-preserved specimens, we describe, A. pygmea sp. n. and A. brevis sp. n., describe new materials of A. ovalis Li, Rasnitsyn, Shih & Ren, 2013, and A. ampla Li, Rasnitsyn, Shih & Ren, 2013, emend the genus in Anomopterellidae (A. pygmea sp. n. with toruli and eyes), and provide a determination key to species of the genus, including four specimens outside the formal classification.

New species and revisions of Pediciidae (Diptera) from the Middle Jurassic of northeastern China and Russia.

PubMed

Gao, Jiaqi; Shih, Chungkun; Kopeć, Katarzyna; Krzemiński, Wiesław; Ren, Dong

2015-05-29

Two new species of Praearchitipula Kalugina, 1985, P. apprima sp. nov. and P. mirabilis sp. nov., are described and illustrated from the late Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Daohugou in eastern Inner Mongolia, China. In addition, we propose to transfer Architipula abnormis Hao & Ren, 2009 (which is from the same locality of Daohugou) from Architipula of Limoniidae to Praearchitipula of Pediciidae: Praearchitipula abnormis (Hao & Ren, 2009) comb. nov. In addition, we propose to transfer Praearchitipula spasskia Kalugina, 1985 to the genus Mesotipula (Limoniidae, Architipulinae). We also suggest treating Praearchitipula lata Kalugina, 1985 as a junior synonym of Praearchitipula notabilis Kalugina, 1985. An emended generic diagnosis of Praearchitipula is provided.

Imprint of long-term solar signal in groundwater recharge fluctuation rates from Northwest China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tiwari, R. K.; Rajesh, Rekapalli

2014-05-01

Multiple spectral and statistical analyses of a 700 yearlong temporal record of groundwater recharge from the dry lands, Badain Jaran Desert (Inner Mongolia) of Northwest China reveal a stationary harmonic cycle at ~200 ± 20 year. Interestingly, the underlying periodicity in groundwater recharge fluctuations is similar to those of solar-induced climate cycle "Suess wiggles" and appears to be coherent with phases of the climate fluctuations and solar cycles. Matching periodicity of groundwater recharge rates and solar and climate cycles renders a strong impression that solar-induced climate signals may act as a critical amplifier for driving the underlying hydrographic cycle through the common coupling of long-term Sun-climate groundwater linkages.

A compound reconstructed prediction model for nonstationary climate processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Geli; Yang, Peicai

2005-07-01

Based on the idea of climate hierarchy and the theory of state space reconstruction, a local approximation prediction model with the compound structure is built for predicting some nonstationary climate process. By means of this model and the data sets consisting of north Indian Ocean sea-surface temperature, Asian zonal circulation index and monthly mean precipitation anomaly from 37 observation stations in the Inner Mongolia area of China (IMC), a regional prediction experiment for the winter precipitation of IMC is also carried out. When using the same sign ratio R between the prediction field and the actual field to measure the prediction accuracy, an averaged R of 63% given by 10 predictions samples is reached.

Agricultural land use intensity and its determinants: A case study in Taibus Banner, Inner Mongolia, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Haiguang; Li, Xiubin; Tan, Minghong; Zhang, Jiping; Zhang, Huiyuan

2015-06-01

Based on rural household survey data from Taibus Banner, in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, this study separately categorizes agricultural land use intensity into labor intensity, capital intensity, the intensity of labor-saving inputs, and the intensity of yield-increasing inputs, and then analyzes their determinants at the household level. The findings reveal that within the study area: (1) labor intensity is higher and capital intensity is lower than in the major grain-producing and economically developed areas of eastern and central China; (2) the most widely planted crops are those with the lowest labor intensity (oats) and capital intensity (benne); (3) there are marked differences in agricultural land use intensity among households; a major factor affecting land use decision-making is the reduced need for labor intensity for those households with high opportunity costs, such as those with income earned from non-farming activities which alleviates financial constraints and allows for increased capital intensity. As a result, these households invest more in labor-saving inputs; (4) households with a larger number of workers will allocate adequate time to manage their land and thus they will not necessarily invest more in labor-saving inputs. Those households with more land to manage tend to adopt an extensive cultivation strategy. Total income has a positive impact on capital intensity and a negative impact on labor intensity. Households that derive a higher proportion of their total income through farming are more reliant upon agriculture, which necessitates significant labor and yield-increasing inputs. Finally, the authors contend that policy makers should clearly recognize the impacts of non-farming employment on agricultural land use intensity. In order to ensure long-term food security and sustainable agricultural development in China, income streams from both farming and non-farming employment should be balanced.

Association between HLA-A and -B polymorphisms and susceptibility to Henoch-Schönlein purpura in Han and Mongolian children from Inner Mongolia.

PubMed

Ren, S M; Yang, G L; Liu, C Z; Zhang, C X; Shou, Q H; Yu, S F; Li, W C; Su, X L

2012-02-03

We examined a possible association between HLA-A and -B polymorphisms and susceptibility to Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) in Han and Mongolian children in Inner Mongolia, through a case-control study. Two hundred and sixty-eight unrelated children were enrolled, including 56 Mongolian and 50 Han children with HSP, 66 healthy Mongolian and 96 healthy Han children as a control group. HLA-A and -B alleles were indentified by PCR-sequence-specific oligonucleotide analysis and were further analyzed by PCR-sequencing-based typing (SBT). Frequencies of HLA-A*11, HLA-B*15 in Mongolian patients and HLA-A*26, HLA-B*35, HLA-B*52 in Han patients were higher than those in the corresponding control group (P < 0.05), while frequencies of HLA-B*07 and -B*40 in Mongolian HSP patients were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Further analysis using PCR-SBT showed that all HLA-A*11 were HLA-A*1101, and most HLA-B*15 were HLA-B*1501 in Mongolian HSP patients. All HLA-A*26 were HLA-A*2601 and HLA-B*35 were mostly HLA-B*3503 in Han patients. There were more Han patients with severe manifestations than Mongolian patients (P < 0.05). Frequencies of HLA-A*26, HLA-B*35 and HLA-B*52 in Han patients were higher than in Mongolian patients (P < 0.05). We conclude that HLA-A*11(*1101) and -B*15(*1501) are associated with susceptibility to HSP in Mongolian children and HLA-A*26(*2601), HLA-B*35(*3503) and HLA-B*52 are associated with susceptibility to HSP in Han children. HLA-B*07 and -B*40 may be protective genes in Mongolian children. The different frequencies of HLA-A and -B in Mongolian and Han children may be responsible for the different manifestations in these two ethnic groups.

Abundance and diversity of methanogens: potential role in high arsenic groundwater in Hetao Plain of Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Wang, Y H; Li, P; Dai, X Y; Zhang, R; Jiang, Z; Jiang, D W; Wang, Y X

2015-05-15

To investigate the community diversity and abundance of methanogens and their potential role in high arsenic groundwater, 17 groundwater samples from Hetao Plain of Inner Mongolia were investigated with an integrated method including 16S rRNA gene clone library, quantitative polymerase chain reaction and geochemistry analyses. Total arsenic (AsTot) concentrations were 82.7-1088.7 μg/L and arsenite (AsIII) mostly dominated in these samples with percentages of 0.04-0.79. CH₄ concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 292 μg/L and distinctly elevated only when AsTot were relatively high and SO₄(2-) were distinctly low. Principal component analysis indicated that these samples were divided into three groups according to the variations of AsTot, CH₄ and SO₄(2-). AsTot concentrations were distinctly high in the group with high CH₄ and low SO₄(2-) comparing to the other two groups (one with high CH₄ and high SO₄(2-), the other with low CH₄ and SO₄(2-)). The mcrA gene (methyl coenzyme-M reductase gene) based phylogenetic analysis of methanogens population showed that methanogenic archaea was diverse but mainly composed of Methanomicrobiales, Methanosarcinales, Methanobacteria and unidentified groups, with Methanomicrobiales being distinctly dominant (50.6%). The mcrA gene abundance in high arsenic groundwater ranged from 3.01 × 10(3) to 3.80 × 10(6)copies/L and accounted for 0-30.2% of total archaeal 16S rRNA genes. The abundance of mcrA genes was positively correlated with the concentrations of AsTot (R=0.59), AsIII (R=0.57) and FeII (R=0.79), while it was negatively correlated with oxidation-reduction potential (R=-0.66) and SO₄(2-) concentration (R=-0.64). These results implied that methanogenic archaea might accelerate As release in groundwater aquifers in Hetao Plain. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Molybdenite Re-Os, zircon U-Pb dating and Lu-Hf isotopic analysis of the Xiaerchulu Au deposit, Inner Mongolia Province, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jia-xin; Nie, Feng-Jun; Zhang, Xue-ni; Jiang, Si-hong

2016-09-01

The Xiaerchulu Au deposit, located in the Southern Orogenic Belt (SOB) of Western Inner Mongolia (WIM), is hosted in an Early Permian (271-261 Ma) volcanic-plutonic sequence. Mineralization took place in silicified biotite granites or along the contact zone between the Neoproterozoic Baiyinbaolage Group and the biotite granite. In order to constrain the timing of the Xiaerchulu mineralization and discuss the petrogenesis of the hosting granites, molybdenite Re-Os, and zircon U-Pb and, Lu-Hf, and REE, geochemical, and Sr-Nd isotopic studies were completed in this study. We measured Re-Os isotopes of six molybdenite samples from the main ore body, which yielded a weighted average model age of 261.7 ± 1.5 Ma with a MSWD of 0.55, indicating that the time of mineralization was at ca. 262 Ma. High precision U-Pb dating for the studied granites yields Permian 206Pb/238U ages ranging from 271 to 269 Ma. These age data confirm that both the intrusion and related mineralization were initiated in Early Permian period. These granites are strongly peraluminous with A/CNK = 1.11-1.12, high SiO2-K2O contents, as well as containing biotite and muscovite, indicating a petrogenesis of typical S-type granites, the above consideration is also consistent with the result of discrimination diagrams. The Re contents of molybdenite, εNd(t), and zircon εHf(t), as well as the 176Hf/177Hf values of the granites, fall into the ranges from 1.153 to 2.740 μg/g, - 11.1 to - 9.3, - 8.8 to - 0.9, and 0.282358 to 0.282688, respectively. All of this evidence suggests that the metals were derived from a predominantly crustal source, the granites originated from crust in an extensional setting, and the rejuvenation of the continent may have play an important role during the ore-forming processes of the Early Permian epoch.

Recent trends in Inner Asian forest dynamics to temperature and precipitation indicate high sensitivity to climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poulter, B.; Pederson, N.; Liu, H.; Zhu, Z.; D'Arrigo, R.; Ciais, P.; Davi, N.; Frank, D. C.; Leland, C.; Myneni, R.; Piao, S.; Wang, T.

2012-12-01

Semi-arid ecosystems play an important role in regulating global climate and their response to climate change will depend on interactions between temperature, precipitation, and CO2. However, in cool-arid environments, precipitation is not the only limitation to forest productivity. For example, interactions between changes in precipitation and air temperature may enhance soil moisture stress while simultaneously extending growing season length, with unclear consequences for net carbon uptake. This presentation evaluates recent trends in productivity and seasonality of forests located in Inner Asia (Mongolia and Northern China) using satellite remote sensing, dendrochronology, and dynamic global vegetation model (DGVM) simulations to quantify the sensitivity of forest dynamics to decadal climate variability and trends. Long-term trends from satellite observations of FPAR between 1982-2010 show a greening of 21% of the region in spring (March, April May), but with 10% of the area 'browning' during summertime (June, July, August), the results of which are corroborated by trends in NPP simulated by the LPJ DGVM. Spring greening trends in FPAR are mainly explained by long-term trends in precipitation whereas summer browning trends are correlated with decreasing precipitation. Tree ring data from 25 sites confirm annual growth increments are mainly limited by summer precipitation (June, July, August) in Mongolia, and spring precipitation in northern China (March, April, May), with relatively weak prior-year lag effects. An ensemble of climate projections from the IPCC CMIP3 models indicates that warming temperatures (spring, summer) are expected to be associated with higher summer precipitation, which combined with CO2 causes large increases in NPP and eventual increase in forest cover in the Mongolian steppe. In the absence of a strong direct CO2 fertilization effect on plant growth (e.g., due to nutrient limitation), water stress or decreased carbon gain from higher autotrophic respiration results in decreased productivity and loss of forest cover.

Sensitivity of Temperate Desert Steppe Carbon Exchange to Seasonal Droughts and Precipitation Variations in Inner Mongolia, China

PubMed Central

Yang, Fulin; Zhou, Guangsheng

2013-01-01

Arid grassland ecosystems have significant interannual variation in carbon exchange; however, it is unclear how environmental factors influence carbon exchange in different hydrological years. In this study, the eddy covariance technique was used to investigate the seasonal and interannual variability of CO2 flux over a temperate desert steppe in Inner Mongolia, China from 2008 to 2010. The amounts and times of precipitation varied significantly throughout the study period. The precipitation in 2009 (186.4 mm) was close to the long-term average (183.9±47.6 mm), while the precipitation in 2008 (136.3 mm) and 2010 (141.3 mm) was approximately a quarter below the long-term average. The temperate desert steppe showed carbon neutrality for atmospheric CO2 throughout the study period, with a net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) of −7.2, −22.9, and 26.0 g C m−2 yr−1 in 2008, 2009, and 2010, not significantly different from zero. The ecosystem gained more carbon in 2009 compared to other two relatively dry years, while there was significant difference in carbon uptake between 2008 and 2010, although both years recorded similar annual precipitation. The results suggest that summer precipitation is a key factor determining annual NEE. The apparent quantum yield and saturation value of NEE (NEEsat) and the temperature sensitivity coefficient of ecosystem respiration (Reco) exhibited significant variations. The values of NEEsat were −2.6, −2.9, and −1.4 µmol CO2 m−2 s−1 in 2008, 2009, and 2010, respectively. Drought suppressed both the gross primary production (GPP) and Reco, and the drought sensitivity of GPP was greater than that of Reco. The soil water content sensitivity of GPP was high during the dry year of 2008 with limited soil moisture availability. Our results suggest the carbon balance of this temperate desert steppe was not only sensitive to total annual precipitation, but also to its seasonal distribution. PMID:23393576

Proteomics Analysis of Lactobacillus casei Zhang, a New Probiotic Bacterium Isolated from Traditional Home-made Koumiss in Inner Mongolia of China*

PubMed Central

Wu, Rina; Wang, Weiwei; Yu, Dongliang; Zhang, Wenyi; Li, Yan; Sun, Zhihong; Wu, Junrui; Meng, He; Zhang, Heping

2009-01-01

Lactobacillus casei Zhang, isolated from traditional home-made koumiss in Inner Mongolia of China, was considered as a new probiotic bacterium by probiotic selection tests. We carried out a proteomics study to identify and characterize proteins expressed by L. casei Zhang in the exponential phase and stationary phase. Cytosolic proteins of the strain cultivated in de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe broth were resolved by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis using pH 4–7 linear gradients. The number of protein spots quantified from the gels was 487 ± 21 (exponential phase) and 494 ± 13 (stationary phase) among which a total of 131 spots were identified by MALDI-TOF/MS and/or MALDI-TOF/TOF according to significant growth phase-related differences or high expression intensity proteins. Accompanied by the cluster of orthologous groups (COG), codon adaptation index (CAI), and GRAVY value analysis, the study provided a very first insight into the profile of protein expression as a reference map of L. casei. Forty-seven spots were also found in the study that showed statistically significant differences between exponential phase and stationary phase. Thirty-three of the spots increased at least 2.5-fold in the stationary phase in comparison with the exponential phase, including 19 protein spots (e.g. Hsp20, DnaK, GroEL, LuxS, pyruvate kinase, and GalU) whose intensity up-shifted above 3.0-fold. Transcriptional profiles were conducted to confirm several important differentially expressed proteins by using real time quantitative PCR. The analysis suggests that the differentially expressed proteins were mainly categorized as stress response proteins and key components of central and intermediary metabolism, indicating that these proteins might play a potential important role for the adaptation to the surroundings, especially the accumulation of lactic acid in the course of growth, and the physiological processes in bacteria cell. PMID:19508964

Microbial Community of High Arsenic Groundwater in Agricultural Irrigation Area of Hetao Plain, Inner Mongolia

PubMed Central

Wang, Yanhong; Li, Ping; Jiang, Zhou; Sinkkonen, Aki; Wang, Shi; Tu, Jin; Wei, Dazhun; Dong, Hailiang; Wang, Yanxin

2016-01-01

Microbial communities can play important role in arsenic release in groundwater aquifers. To investigate the microbial communities in high arsenic groundwater aquifers in agricultural irrigation area, 17 groundwater samples with different arsenic concentrations were collected along the agricultural drainage channels of Hangjinhouqi County, Inner Mongolia and examined by illumina MiSeq sequencing approach targeting the V4 region of the 16S rRNA genes. Both principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering results indicated that these samples were divided into two groups (high and low arsenic groups) according to the variation of geochemical characteristics. Arsenic concentrations showed strongly positive correlations with NH4+ and total organic carbon (TOC). Sequencing results revealed that a total of 329–2823 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were observed at the 97% OTU level. Microbial richness and diversity of high arsenic groundwater samples along the drainage channels were lower than those of low arsenic groundwater samples but higher than those of high arsenic groundwaters from strongly reducing areas. The microbial community structure in groundwater along the drainage channels was different from those in strongly reducing arsenic-rich aquifers of Hetao Plain and other high arsenic groundwater aquifers including Bangladesh, West Bengal, and Vietnam. Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas dominated with high percentages in both high and low arsenic groundwaters. Alishewanella, Psychrobacter, Methylotenera, and Crenothrix showed relatively high abundances in high arsenic groundwater, while Rheinheimera and the unidentified OP3 were predominant populations in low arsenic groundwater. Archaeal populations displayed a low occurrence and mainly dominated by methanogens such as Methanocorpusculum and Methanospirillum. Microbial community compositions were different between high and low arsenic groundwater samples based on the results of principal coordinate analysis and co-inertia analysis. Other geochemical variables including TOC, NH4+, oxidation-reduction potential, and Fe might also affect the microbial composition. PMID:27999565

Multi-agent modeling and simulation of farmland use change in the farming-pastoral zone: A case study of Qianjingou Town in Inner Mongolia, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, H.

2015-12-01

Farmland is the most basic material conditions for guaranteeing rural livelihoods and national food security, and exploring management strategies that take both of the sustainable rural livelihoods and sustainable farmland use into account has vital significance of theory and practice. Farmland is a complex and self-adaptive system that couples human and natural systems together, and natural factors and social factors that are related to its changing process need to be considered when modeling farmland changing process. This paper takes Qianjingou Town in Inner Mongolia farming-pastoral zone as study area. From the perspective of the relationship between households' livelihoods and farmland use, this study builds the process mechanism of farmland use change based on questionnaires data, and constructs multi-agent simulation model of farmland use change with the help of Eclipse and Repast toolbox. Through simulating the relationship between natural factors (with geographical location) and households' behaviors, this paper systematically simulates households' renting and abandoning farmland behaviors, and truly describes dynamic interactions between households' livelihoods and factors related to farmland use change. These factors include natural factors (net primary productivity, road accessibility, slope and relief amplitude) and social factors (households' family structures, economic development and government policies). In the end, this study scientifically predicts farmland use change trend in the future 30 years. The simulation results show that, the number of abandoned and sublet farmland plots has a gradually increasing trend, the number of non-farm households and pure-outwork households has a remarkable increasing trend, and the number of part-farm households and pure-farm households shows a decreasing trend. Households' livelihoods sustainability in the study area is confronted with increasing pressure, and households' nonfarm employment has an increasing trend, while regional appropriate-scale agricultural management can be maintained. The research results establish the theory foundation and basic method for developing sustainable farmland use managements that can both meet households' willing and guarantee grain and ecology security.

Age and provenance constraints on seismically-determined crustal layers beneath the Paleozoic southern Central Asian Orogen, Inner Mongolia, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jian, Ping; Kröner, Alfred; Shi, Yuruo; Zhang, Wei; Liu, Yaran; Windley, Brian F.; Jahn, Bor-ming; Zhang, Liqao; Liu, Dunyi

2016-06-01

We present 110 ages and 51 in-situ δ18O values for zircon xenocrysts from a post-99 Ma intraplate basaltic rock suite hosted in a subduction-accretion complex of the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt in order to constrain a seismic profile across the Paleozoic Southern Orogen of Inner Mongolia and the northern margin of the North China Craton. Two zircon populations are recognized, namely a Phanerozoic group of 70 zircons comprising granitoid-derived (ca. 431-99 Ma; n = 31; peak at 256 Ma), meta-granitoid-derived (ca. 449-113 Ma; n = 24; peak at 251 Ma) and gabbro-derived (436-242 Ma; n = 15; peaks at 264 and 244 Ma) grains. Each textural type is characterized by a distinct zircon oxygen isotope composition and is thus endowed with a genetic connotation. The Precambrian population (2605-741 Ma; n = 40) exhibits a prominent age peak at 2520 Ma (granulite-facies metamorphism) and four small peaks at ca. 1900, 1600, and 800 Ma. Our new data, together with literature zircon ages, significantly constrain models of three seismically-determined deep crustal layers beneath the fossil subduction zone-forearc along the active northern margin of the North China Craton, namely: (1) an upper arc crust of early to mid-Paleozoic age, intruded by a major Permian-Triassic composite granitoid-gabbroic pluton (8-20 km depth); (2) a middle crust, predominantly consisting of mid-Meso- to Neoproterozoic felsic and mafic gneisses; and (3) a lower crust composed predominantly of late Archean granulite-facies rocks. We conclude that the Paleozoic orogenic crust is limited to the upper crustal level, and the middle to lower crust has a North China Craton affinity. Furthermore, integrating our data with surface geological, petrological and geochronological constraints, we present a new conceptual model of orogenic uplift, lithospheric delamination and crustal underthrusting for this key ocean-continent convergent margin.

Responses of soil enzyme activity and microbial community compositions to nitrogen addition in bulk and microaggregate soil in the temperate steppe of Inner Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Yao; Sheng, Lianxi; Wang, Zhongqiang; Zhang, Xinyu; He, Nianpeng; Yu, Qiang

2016-10-01

In order to explore the responses of soil enzyme activities and microbial community compositions to long-term nitrogen (N) addition in both bulk soil and microaggregate of chestnut soil, we conducted a 7-year urea addition experiment with N treatments at 6 levels (0, 56, 112, 224, 392 and 560 kg N ha-1 yr-1) in a temperate steppe of Inner Mongolia in China. Soil properties and the activities of four enzymes involved in carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycling were measured in both bulk soil and microaggregate, and phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) were measured in bulk soil. The results indicated that: 1) in bulk soil, N addition significantly decreased β-1,4-glucosidase (BG) and leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) activities at the treatment amounts of 224, 392 and 560 kg N ha-1 yr-1, and obviously suppressed β-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG) activity at the treatment amount of 560 kg N ha-1 yr-1. N addition enhanced total PLFAs (totPLFAs) and bacterial PLFAs (bacPLFAs) at the treatment amounts of 392 and 560 kg N ha-1 yr-1, respectively, but fungal PLFAs showed no response to N addition. The activities of BG, NAG and LAP were positively correlated with soil pH, but negatively correlated with the concentration of NH 4 + -N; 2) in microaggregate (53-250 μm), the activities of BG, NAG and AP showed no response to increased addition of N, but the significantly decreased LAP activity was observed at the treatment amount of 392 kg N ha-1 yr-1. These results suggested that enzyme activities were more sensitive to N addition than PLFA biomarkers in soil, and LAP activity in microaggregate may be a good indicator for evaluating N cycle response to long-term N addition.

Sensitivity of temperate desert steppe carbon exchange to seasonal droughts and precipitation variations in Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Yang, Fulin; Zhou, Guangsheng

2013-01-01

Arid grassland ecosystems have significant interannual variation in carbon exchange; however, it is unclear how environmental factors influence carbon exchange in different hydrological years. In this study, the eddy covariance technique was used to investigate the seasonal and interannual variability of CO₂ flux over a temperate desert steppe in Inner Mongolia, China from 2008 to 2010. The amounts and times of precipitation varied significantly throughout the study period. The precipitation in 2009 (186.4 mm) was close to the long-term average (183.9±47.6 mm), while the precipitation in 2008 (136.3 mm) and 2010 (141.3 mm) was approximately a quarter below the long-term average. The temperate desert steppe showed carbon neutrality for atmospheric CO₂ throughout the study period, with a net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) of -7.2, -22.9, and 26.0 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹ in 2008, 2009, and 2010, not significantly different from zero. The ecosystem gained more carbon in 2009 compared to other two relatively dry years, while there was significant difference in carbon uptake between 2008 and 2010, although both years recorded similar annual precipitation. The results suggest that summer precipitation is a key factor determining annual NEE. The apparent quantum yield and saturation value of NEE (NEE(sat)) and the temperature sensitivity coefficient of ecosystem respiration (R(eco)) exhibited significant variations. The values of NEE(sat) were -2.6, -2.9, and -1.4 µmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ in 2008, 2009, and 2010, respectively. Drought suppressed both the gross primary production (GPP) and R(eco), and the drought sensitivity of GPP was greater than that of R(eco). The soil water content sensitivity of GPP was high during the dry year of 2008 with limited soil moisture availability. Our results suggest the carbon balance of this temperate desert steppe was not only sensitive to total annual precipitation, but also to its seasonal distribution.

Altered Plant Litter and Microbial Composition Lead to Topsoil Organic Carbon Loss Over a Shrub-encroachment Gradient in an Inner Mongolia Grassland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, L.; Li, H.; Shen, H.; Xu, Y.; Wang, Y.; Xing, A.; Fang, J.

2017-12-01

Over the past 150 years, shrub encroachment has occurred in arid and semi-arid ecosystems resulting from climate change and increased human disturbance. Previous studies have revealed that shrub encroachment has substantial effects on habitat heterogeneity, aboveground biomass and bulk carbon content of grasslands, thereby affecting the regional carbon balance. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is mainly derived from aboveground litter, root litter and root exudates and is metabolized by microorganisms. The quality and quantity of plant litter together with soil microbial biomass are important drivers of SOC accumulation. However, the mechanisms regulating soil carbon accumulation by the shrub encroachment remain unclear and molecular evidence is particularly lacking. We use the data of the chemical composition of plant tissues and SOC, and the soil microbial communities to identify the effects of shrub encroachment on SOC accumulation in the top layer along a gradient of natural shrub cover in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia. Our finding indicates that nitrogen-rich legume-shrub encroachment led to soil carbon accumulation in the shrub patch, with more extensive carbon loss observed in the grassy matrix, which resulted in an overall carbon loss. In the pure grassland, a higher abundance of cutin and suberin and a lower concentration of free lipids were detected, suggesting the preservation of recalcitrant polymers derived from herb inputs. In the shrub-encroached grasslands, the labile shrub leaves did not decompose alone but were mixed with herb litter to promote the degradation of SOC via the priming of microbial activities. The SOC remained unchanged in the shrub patches with the increasing shrub cover, which might have been caused by the replacement of prior carbon decompositions with the fresh input of shrub leaves. Similarly, the SOC decreased significantly with increasing shrub cover in the grassy matrix, which likely resulted from insufficient fresh plant inputs compared with the prior carbon decompositions.

Hailar crater - A possible impact structure in Inner Mongolia, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Zhiyong; Chen, Zhaoxu; Pu, Jiang; Xiao, Xiao; Wang, Yichen; Huang, Jun

2018-04-01

Hailar crater, a probable impact structure, is a circular depression about 300 m diameter in Inner Mongolia, northeast China. With broad elevated rims, the present rim-to-floor depth is 8-20 m. Regional geological background and geomorphological comparison suggest that this feature is likely not formed by surface processes such as salt diapir, karst, aeolian, glacial, or volcanic activity. Its unique occurrence in this region and well-preserved morphology are most consistent with it being a Cenozoic impact crater. Two field expeditions in 2016 and 2017 investigated the origin of this structure, recognizing that (1) no additional craters were identified around Hailar crater in the centimeter-scale digital topography models that were constructed using a drone imaging system and stereo photogrammetry; (2) no bedrock exposures are visible within or adjacent to the crater because of thick regolith coverage, and only small pieces of angular unconsolidated rocks are present on the crater wall and the gently-sloped crater rim, suggesting recent energetic formation of the crater; (3) most samples collected from the crater have identical lithology and petrographic characteristics with the background terrain, but some crater samples contain more abundant clasts and silicate hydrothermal veins, indicating that rocks from depths have been exposed by the crater; (4) no shock metamorphic features were found in the samples after thin section examinations; and (5) a systematic sample survey and iron detector scan within and outside of the crater found no iron-rich meteorites larger than 2 cm in size in a depth of 30 cm. Although no conclusive evidence for an impact origin is found yet, Hailar crater was most likely formed by an impact based on its unique occurrence and comparative geomorphologic study. We suggest that drilling in the crater center is required to verify the impact origin, where hypothesized melt-bearing impactites may be encountered.

Effects of two Asian sand dusts transported from the dust source regions of Inner Mongolia and northeast China on murine lung eosinophilia.

PubMed

He, Miao; Ichinose, Takamichi; Song, Yuan; Yoshida, Yasuhiro; Arashidani, Keiichi; Yoshida, Seiichi; Liu, Boying; Nishikawa, Masataka; Takano, Hirohisa; Sun, Guifan

2013-11-01

The quality and quantity of toxic materials adsorbed onto Asian sand dust (ASD) are different based on dust source regions and passage routes. The aggravating effects of two ASDs (ASD1 and ASD2) transported from the source regions of Inner Mongolia and northeast China on lung eosinophilia were compared to clarify the role of toxic materials in ASD. The ASDs contained different amounts of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and β-glucan (ASD1ASD2). CD-1 mice were instilled intratracheally with ASD1, ASD2 and/or ovalbumin (OVA) four times at 2-week intervals. ASD1 and ASD2 enhanced eosinophil recruitment induced by OVA in the submucosa of the airway, with goblet cell proliferation in the bronchial epithelium. ASD1 and ASD2 synergistically increased OVA-induced eosinophil-relevant cytokines interleukin-5 (IL-5), IL-13 (ASD1ASD2) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. ASD2 aggravating effects on lung eosinophilia were greater than ASD1. The role of LPS and β-glucan in ASD2 on the production of pro-inflammatory mediators was assessed using in vitro bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) from wild type, Toll-like receptor 2-deficient (TLR2-/-), TLR4-/-, and MyD88-/- mice (on Balb/c background). ASD2-stimulated TLR2-/- BMDMs enhanced IL-6, IL-12, TNF-α, MCP-1 and MIP-1α secretion compared with ASD2-stimulated TLR4-/- BMDMs. Protein expression from ASD2-stimulated MyD88-/- BMDM were very low or undetectable. The in vitro results indicate that lung eosinophilia caused by ASD is TLR4 dependent. Therefore, the aggravation of OVA-related lung eosinophilia by ASD may be dependent on toxic substances derived from microbes, such as LPS, rather than SiO2. © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tree-ring-width-based PDSI reconstruction for central Inner Mongolia, China over the past 333 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yu; Zhang, Xinjia; Song, Huiming; Cai, Qiufang; Li, Qiang; Zhao, Boyang; Liu, Han; Mei, Ruochen

2017-02-01

A tree-ring-width chronology was developed from Pinus tabulaeformis aged up to 333 years from central Inner Mongolia, China. The chronology was significantly correlated with the local Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI). We therefore reconstructed the first PDSI reconstruction from March to June based on the local tree ring data from 1680 to 2012 AD. The reconstruction explained 40.7 % of the variance (39.7 % after adjusted the degrees of freedom) of the actual PDSI during the calibration period (1951-2012 AD). The reconstructed PDSI series captured the severe drought event of the late 1920s, which occurred extensively in northern China. Running variance analyses indicated that the variability of drought increased sharply after 1960, indicating more drought years, which may imply anthropogenic related global warming effects in the region. In the entire reconstruction, there were five dry periods: 1730-1814 AD, 1849-1869 AD, 1886-1942 AD (including severe drought in late 1920s), 1963-1978 AD and 2004-2007 AD; and five wet periods: 1685-1729 AD, 1815-1848 AD, 1870-1885 AD, 1943-1962 AD and 1979-2003 AD. Conditions turned dry after 2003 AD, and the PDSI from March to June (PDSI36) captured many interannual extreme drought events since then, such as 2005-2008 AD. The reconstruction is comparable to other tree-ring-width-based PDSI series from the neighboring regions, indicating that our reconstruction has good regional representativeness. Significant relationships were found between our PDSI reconstruction and the solar radiation cycle and the sun spot cycle, North Atlantic Oscillation, the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, as well as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. Power spectral analyses detected 147.0-, 128.2-, 46.5-, 6.5-, 6.3-, 2.6-, 2.2- and 2.0-year quasi-cycles in the reconstructed series.

Air quality impact of the coal-fired power plants in the northern passageway of the China West-East Power Transmission Project.

PubMed

Xue, Zhigang; Hao, Jiming; Chai, Fahe; Duan, Ning; Chen, Yizhen; Li, Jindan; Chen, Fu; Liu, Simei; Pu, Wenqing

2005-12-01

This paper analyzes the air quality impacts of coal-fired power plants in the northern passageway of the West-East Power Transmission Project in China. A three-layer Lagrangian model called ATMOS, was used to simulate the spatial distribution of incremental sulfur dioxide (SO2) and coarse particulate matter (PM10) concentrations under different emission control scenarios. In the year 2005, the emissions from planned power plants mainly affected the air quality of Shanxi, Shaanxi, the common boundary of Inner Mongolia and Shanxi, and the area around the boundary between Inner Mongolia and Ningxia. In these areas, the annually averaged incremental SO2 and PM10 concentrations exceed 2 and 2.5 microg/m3, respectively. The maximum increases of the annually averaged SO2 and PM10 concentrations are 8.3 and 7.2 microg/m3, respectively, which occur around Hancheng city, near the boundary of the Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces. After integrated control measures are considered, the maximum increases of annually averaged SO2 and PM10 concentrations fall to 4.9 and 4 microg/m3, respectively. In the year 2010, the areas affected by planned power plants are mainly North Shaanxi, North Ningxia, and Northwest Shanxi. The maximum increases of the annually averaged SO2 and PM10, concentrations are, respectively, 6.3 and 5.6 microg/m3, occurring in Northwest Shanxi, which decline to 4.4 and 4.1 microg/m3 after the control measures are implemented. The results showed that the proposed power plants mainly affect the air quality of the region where the power plants are built, with little impact on East China where the electricity will be used. The influences of planned power plants on air quality will be decreased greatly by implementing integrated control measures.

Community Level Offset of Rain Use- and Transpiration Efficiency for a Heavily Grazed Ecosystem in Inner Mongolia Grassland

PubMed Central

Gao, Ying Z.; Giese, Marcus; Gao, Qiang; Brueck, Holger; Sheng, Lian X.; Yang, Hai J.

2013-01-01

Water use efficiency (WUE) is a key indicator to assess ecosystem adaptation to water stress. Rain use efficiency (RUE) is usually used as a proxy for WUE due to lack of transpiration data. Furthermore, RUE based on aboveground primary productivity (RUEANPP) is used to evaluate whole plant water use because root production data is often missing as well. However, it is controversial as to whether RUE is a reliable parameter to elucidate transpiration efficiency (TE), and whether RUEANPP is a suitable proxy for RUE of the whole plant basis. The experiment was conducted at three differently managed sites in the Inner Mongolia steppe: a site fenced since 1979 (UG79), a winter grazing site (WG) and a heavily grazed site (HG). Site HG had consistent lowest RUEANPP and RUE based on total net primary productivity (RUENPP). RUEANPP is a relatively good proxy at sites UG79 and WG, but less reliable for site HG. Similarly, RUEANPP is good predictor of transpiration efficiency based on aboveground net primary productivity (TEANPP) at sites UG79 and WG but not for site HG. However, if total net primary productivity is considered, RUENPP is good predictor of transpiration efficiency based on total net primary productivity (TENPP) for all sites. Although our measurements indicate decreased plant transpiration and consequentially decreasing RUE under heavy grazing, productivity was relatively compensated for with a higher TE. This offset between RUE and TE was even enhanced under water limited conditions and more evident when belowground net primary productivity (BNNP) was included. These findings suggest that BNPP should be considered when studies fucus on WUE of more intensively used grasslands. The consideration of the whole plant perspective and “real” WUE would partially revise our picture of system performance and therefore might affect the discussion on the C-sequestration and resilience potential of ecosystems. PMID:24058632

Impacts of large scale afforestation on regional climate: a case study in the Kubuqi Desert, Inner Mongolia based on WRF model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, L.; Lin, G.; Feng, D.; Chen, S.; Schultz, N. M.; Fu, C.; Wei, Z.; Yin, C.; Wang, W.; Lee, X.

2017-12-01

To better design climate mitigation strategies, it is important to understand the response of regional climatic indicators and related biophysical forcings to large scale afforestation projects. The response of surface temperature (Ts) caused by afforestation activities in the Kubuqi Desert, Inner Mongolia, China is simulated by the weather research and forecasting (WRF) model and the temperature changes (ΔTs) are decomposed into contributions from changes in surface albedo, surface roughness, Bowen ratio and ground heat flux using the intrinsic biophysical mechanism (IBPM). The 30-m resolution land cover maps of the Kubuqi Desert corresponding to 2000 and 2010 conditions are analyzed and the major land use changes are found to be an increase in the area of grassland (6%) and shrubland (15%), but a decrease in the area of bare land (21%) owed to the aerial seeding afforestation activities organized by Elion Resources Group, Co. and local government agencies. Our WRF simulations show that during winter, the increased cover of vegetation mainly has a warming effect (0.38 K) in the daytime due to the changes in albedo (0.24 K) and Bowen ratio (0.15 K). In the nighttime, the vegetation has a slight warming effect (0.2 K) mainly caused by energy redistribution associated with roughness change (0.2 K) as a result of vegetation turbulence, which brought heat from aloft to the surface. Although both roughness change (-0.35 K) and Bowen ratio change (-0.35 K) have cooling effects during summer days, the warming effect caused by radiative forcing (0.93 K) dominates the ΔTs. During summer nights, the change in surface temperature is not significant. Our findings demonstrate that the large-scale afforestation project in the Kubuqi Desert during a decade alters the regional surface temperature and the analysis of biophysical forcings changes using WRF simulation provides useful information for developing climate change mitigation strategies in semi-arid and arid regions.

Community level offset of rain use- and transpiration efficiency for a heavily grazed ecosystem in inner Mongolia grassland.

PubMed

Gao, Ying Z; Giese, Marcus; Gao, Qiang; Brueck, Holger; Sheng, Lian X; Yang, Hai J

2013-01-01

Water use efficiency (WUE) is a key indicator to assess ecosystem adaptation to water stress. Rain use efficiency (RUE) is usually used as a proxy for WUE due to lack of transpiration data. Furthermore, RUE based on aboveground primary productivity (RUEANPP) is used to evaluate whole plant water use because root production data is often missing as well. However, it is controversial as to whether RUE is a reliable parameter to elucidate transpiration efficiency (TE), and whether RUEANPP is a suitable proxy for RUE of the whole plant basis. The experiment was conducted at three differently managed sites in the Inner Mongolia steppe: a site fenced since 1979 (UG79), a winter grazing site (WG) and a heavily grazed site (HG). Site HG had consistent lowest RUEANPP and RUE based on total net primary productivity (RUENPP). RUEANPP is a relatively good proxy at sites UG79 and WG, but less reliable for site HG. Similarly, RUEANPP is good predictor of transpiration efficiency based on aboveground net primary productivity (TEANPP) at sites UG79 and WG but not for site HG. However, if total net primary productivity is considered, RUENPP is good predictor of transpiration efficiency based on total net primary productivity (TENPP) for all sites. Although our measurements indicate decreased plant transpiration and consequentially decreasing RUE under heavy grazing, productivity was relatively compensated for with a higher TE. This offset between RUE and TE was even enhanced under water limited conditions and more evident when belowground net primary productivity (BNNP) was included. These findings suggest that BNPP should be considered when studies fucus on WUE of more intensively used grasslands. The consideration of the whole plant perspective and "real" WUE would partially revise our picture of system performance and therefore might affect the discussion on the C-sequestration and resilience potential of ecosystems.

Testing Central and Inner Asian admixture among contemporary Hungarians.

PubMed

Bíró, András; Fehér, Tibor; Bárány, Gusztáv; Pamjav, Horolma

2015-03-01

Historically, the Carpathian Basin was the final destination for many nomadic peoples who migrated westward from Inner and Central Asia towards Europe. Proto-Hungarians (Steppe Magyars) were among those who came from the East, the Eurasian Steppe in the early middle ages. In order to detect the paternal genetic contribution from nomadic Steppe tribes, we tested 966 samples from Central Asian (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan), Inner Asian (Mongolians and Buryats in Mongolia) and Hungarian-speaking European (Hungarian, Sekler and Csango) populations. We constructed median-joining networks of certain haplogroups in Hungarian-speaking European, and Altaic-speaking Central and Inner Asian populations. We estimated that the possible paternal genetic contribution from the above described populations among contemporary Hungarian speaking populations ranged between 5% and 7.4%. It is lowest among Hungarians from Hungary (5.1%), while higher among Hungarian-speaking groups in Romania, notably Sekler (7.4%) and Csango (6.3%). However, these results represent only an upper limit. Actual Central/Inner Asian admixture might be somewhat lower as some of the related lineages may have come from a common third source. The main haplogroups responsible for the Central/Inner Asian admixture among Hungarians are J2*-M172 (xM47, M67, M12), J2-L24, R1a-Z93; Q-M242 and E-M78. Earlier studies showed very limited Uralic genetic influence among Hungarians, and based on the present study, Altaic/Turkic genetic contribution is also not significant, although significantly higher than the Uralic one. The conclusion of this study is that present-day Hungarian speakers are genetically very similar to neighbouring populations, isolated Hungarian speaking groups having relatively higher presence of Central and Inner Asian genetic elements. At the same time, the reliable historical and genetic conclusions require an extension of the study to a significantly larger database with deep haplogroup resolution, including ancient DNA data. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spotlight: Mongolia.

PubMed

1998-11-01

As of mid-1998, Mongolia had a population of 2.4 million people residing in a land area of 604,826 sq. miles. There were 24 births and 7 deaths per 1000 population, as well as 49 infant deaths for every 1000 live births, and a population growing in size at 1.6% annually. Mongolia has the highest birth rate in East Asia, and is one of the few developing countries which promotes population growth. A large number of young women will enter their childbearing years in the near future. The average Mongolian woman has 3.1 births during her reproductive lifetime and life expectancy is 57 years overall; no data are available for separate male and female rates. After Western Sahara, Mongolia has the world's lowest population density, at approximately 4 people per sq. mile. More than 25% of Mongolia's population lives in the capital city of Ulan Bator, of whom half live in tents, with minimal supplies of water and electricity. Live animals and animal products account for half of Mongolia's output and almost 90% of its exports. As Mongolia begins to exploit its rich supply of coal and oil reserves, mining and industrial pressures upon water resources and wilderness are beginning to be acknowledged. In addition, the country's grasslands are vulnerable to overgrazing by a growing number of livestock. The United Nations Development Program's Mongolia Biodiversity Project is a multifaceted approach to help Mongolia conserve its ecological wealth. The US is also helping Mongolia manage its resource problems through funding and the deployment of 58 US Peace Corps volunteers to important protected areas.

A Cross-sectional Survey of HIV Transmission and Behavior among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Different Areas of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.

PubMed

Qu, Lin; Wang, Wenrui; Gao, Yongming; Yang, Jingyuan; Dai, Jijiang; Wang, Dawei; Tao, Bo

2016-11-15

Little research has been conducted on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic and the sexual intercourse habits of men who have sex with men (MSM) in crowded places, both locally and abroad. This study conducted a survey of MSM in different locales of Inner Mongolia to provide a reference for developing strategies or measures to prevent and control HIV among this understudied population. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of men aged 18 years and older at different venues popular among MSM in Inner Mongolia. Between April and July 2012, MSM volunteered to participate in this study, receive HIV/syphilis testing, and complete a questionnaire about their behavior. A total of 1611 MSM participated. Participants signed a voluntary informed consent form, completed an anonymous questionnaire and were tested for HIV and syphilis antibodies. Of the 1611 MSM surveyed, 6.83 and 23.65 % had HIV and syphilis, respectively, and the co-infection rate was 3.17 %. Sociodemographic factors such as age, culture, marital status, knowledge of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) transmission, and peer education significantly differed between venues (P < 0.01). MSM who were under 22 years, 23-35 years, and over 36 years primarily contacted their potential partners online, at bars/other (streetwalkers), and at public baths/parks, respectively. MSM partners found in bars, in public baths, in parks and online were primarily high school students and technical secondary school students. MSM who were streetwalkers or cross-dressing male sex workers primarily had junior middle school education levels or below. Married MSM primarily had intercourse in public baths and parks, and MSM who had intercourse in public baths and parks also reported the greatest proportions of intercourse with women (39.1 and 35.0 %, respectively). Furthermore, MSM who had intercourse in parks reported having the most anal sex with same-sex partners and unprotected intercourse in the past 6 months. Unprotected intercourse with women in the past 6 months was also common among MSM who met partners in bathhouses or online. MSM were most likely to have anal sex with other men in public baths. MSM who had intercourse in bars were the least likely to have used a condom with female partners in the past 6 months. The culture of the MSM who had frequent intercourse with streetwalkers and cross-dressing male sex workers did not predict behavior. This study indicated that AIDS-related risky behaviors as well as HIV and syphilis infection were associated with the different locations frequented by MSM. When developing intervention strategies for AIDS, it is better to conduct targeted health education and behavioral interventions at bars/online for MSM aged 23-35 years and at public baths/parks for MSM over 36 years. Additionally, the current survey showed that information on AIDS/sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) must be popularized to reach streetwalkers and cross-dressing male sex workers, whose mobility limits their attainment of higher levels of health education.

Variability and distribution of spatial evapotranspiration in semi arid Inner Mongolian grasslands from 2002 to 2011.

PubMed

Schaffrath, David; Bernhofer, Christian

2013-01-01

Grasslands in Inner Mongolia are important for livestock farming while ecosystem functioning and water consumption are dominated by evapotranspiration (ET). In this paper we studied the spatiotemporal distribution and variability of ET and its components in Inner Mongolian grasslands over a period of 10 years, from 2002 to 2011. ET was modelled pixel-wise for more than 3000 1 km(2) pixels with the physically-based hydrological model BROOK90. The model was parameterised from eddy-covariance measurements and daily input was generated from MODIS leaf area index and surface temperatures. Modelled ET was also compared with the ET provided by the MODIS MOD16 ET data. The study showed ET to be highly variable in both time and space in Inner Mongolian grasslands. The mean coefficient of variation of 8-day ET in the study area varied between 25% and 40% and was up to 75% for individual pixels indicating a high innerannual variability of ET. Generally, ET equals or exceeds P during the vegetation period, but high precipitation in 2003 clearly exceeded ET in this year indicating a recharge of soil moisture and groundwater. Despite the high interannual and innerannual variations of spatial ET, the study also showed the existence of an intrinsic long-term spatial pattern of ET distribution, which can be explained partly by altitude and longitude (R(2) = 0.49). In conclusion, the results of this research suggest the development of dynamic and productive rangeland management systems according to the inherent variability of rainfall, productivity and ET in order to restore and protect Inner Mongolian grasslands.

Natural radioactivity measurements of building materials in Baotou, China.

PubMed

Zhao, Caifeng; Lu, Xinwei; Li, Nan; Yang, Guang

2012-12-01

Natural radioactivity due to (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K in the common building materials collected from Baotou city of Inner Mongolia, China was measured using gamma-ray spectrometry. The radiation hazard of the studied building materials was estimated by the radium equivalent activity (Ra(eq)), internal hazard index (H(in)) and annual effective dose (AED). The concentrations of the natural radionuclides and Ra(eq) in the studied samples were compared with the corresponding results of other countries. The Ra(eq) values of the building materials are below the internationally accepted values (370 Bq kg(-1)). The values of H(in) in all studied building materials are less than unity. The AEDs of all measured building materials are at an acceptable level.

[Brief history of education of Mongolian medicine 1947-1977].

PubMed

Yan, H X; Zhen, Y

2017-03-28

From 1947 to 1977, the education of Mongolian medicine was developed to a certain degree, in different levels and different forms with attribute of modern education. Through opening training school and class, the traditional Mongolian practitioners and its education are standardized and its levels elevated. In addition, by means of medical colleges and health schools, Mongolian medical talents of different types at different levels were cultivated. All of them were at the forefront of the development of Mongolian medicine later. In 1958, the first undergraduate education, a Department of Sino-Mongolian Medicine was set up in Inner Mongolia Medical College, marking the development of beginning of the higher education of Mongolian medicine. Therefore, Mongolian medicine was the forerunner of higher education of Chinese minority medicine.

Carbon pool densities and a first estimate of the total carbon pool in the Mongolian forest-steppe.

PubMed

Dulamsuren, Choimaa; Klinge, Michael; Degener, Jan; Khishigjargal, Mookhor; Chenlemuge, Tselmeg; Bat-Enerel, Banzragch; Yeruult, Yolk; Saindovdon, Davaadorj; Ganbaatar, Kherlenchimeg; Tsogtbaatar, Jamsran; Leuschner, Christoph; Hauck, Markus

2016-02-01

The boreal forest biome represents one of the most important terrestrial carbon stores, which gave reason to intensive research on carbon stock densities. However, such an analysis does not yet exist for the southernmost Eurosiberian boreal forests in Inner Asia. Most of these forests are located in the Mongolian forest-steppe, which is largely dominated by Larix sibirica. We quantified the carbon stock density and total carbon pool of Mongolia's boreal forests and adjacent grasslands and draw conclusions on possible future change. Mean aboveground carbon stock density in the interior of L. sibirica forests was 66 Mg C ha(-1) , which is in the upper range of values reported from boreal forests and probably due to the comparably long growing season. The density of soil organic carbon (SOC, 108 Mg C ha(-1) ) and total belowground carbon density (149 Mg C ha(-1) ) are at the lower end of the range known from boreal forests, which might be the result of higher soil temperatures and a thinner permafrost layer than in the central and northern boreal forest belt. Land use effects are especially relevant at forest edges, where mean carbon stock density was 188 Mg C ha(-1) , compared with 215 Mg C ha(-1) in the forest interior. Carbon stock density in grasslands was 144 Mg C ha(-1) . Analysis of satellite imagery of the highly fragmented forest area in the forest-steppe zone showed that Mongolia's total boreal forest area is currently 73 818 km(2) , and 22% of this area refers to forest edges (defined as the first 30 m from the edge). The total forest carbon pool of Mongolia was estimated at ~ 1.5-1.7 Pg C, a value which is likely to decrease in future with increasing deforestation and fire frequency, and global warming. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Distinguishing the vegetation dynamics induced by anthropogenic factors using vegetation optical depth and AVHRR NDVI: A cross-border study on the Mongolian Plateau.

PubMed

Zhou, Xiang; Yamaguchi, Yasushi; Arjasakusuma, Sanjiwana

2018-03-01

Distinguishing the vegetation dynamics induced by anthropogenic factors and identifying the major drivers can provide crucial information for designing actionable and practical countermeasures to restore degraded grassland ecosystems. Based on the residual trend (RESTREND) method, this study distinguished the vegetation dynamics induced by anthropogenic factors from the effects of climate variability on the Mongolian Plateau during 1993-2012 using vegetation optical depth (VOD) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which measure vegetation water content in aboveground biomass and chlorophyll abundance in canopy cover respectively; afterwards, the major drivers within different agricultural zones and socio-institutional periods were identified by integrating agricultural statistics with statistical analysis techniques. The results showed that grasslands in Mongolia and the grazing zone of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR), China underwent a significant human-induced decrease in aboveground biomass during 1993-2012 and 1993-2000 respectively, which was attributable to the rapid growth of livestock densities stimulated by livestock privatization and market factors; by contrast, grasslands in these two regions did not experience a concurrent human-induced reduction in canopy greenness. Besides, the results indicated that grasslands in the grazing zone of IMAR underwent a significant human-induced increase in aboveground biomass since 2000, which was attributable to the reduced grazing pressure induced by China's ecological restoration programs; concurrently, grasslands in this region also experienced a remarkable increase in canopy greenness, however, this increase was found not directly caused by the decreased stocking densities. Furthermore, the results revealed that the farming and semi-grazing/farming zone of IMAR underwent a significant human-induced increase in both aboveground biomass and canopy greenness since 2000, which was attributable to the intensified grain production stimulated by market factors, open grazing regulation and confined feeding popularization. These findings suggest that China's grassland restoration practice has important implications for Mongolia to reverse the severe and continuous grassland degradation in the future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Supporting the Establishment of Climate-Resilient Rural Livelihoods in Mongolia with EO Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grosso, Nuno; Patinha, Carla; Sainkhuu, Tserendash; Bataa, Mendbayar; Doljinsuren, Nyamdorj

2016-08-01

The work presented here shows the results from the project "Climate-Resilient Rural Livelihoods in Mongolia", included in the EOTAP (Earth Observation for a Transforming Asia Pacific) initiative, a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), developed in cooperation with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Mongolia.The EO services developed within this EOTAP project primarily aimed at enriching the existing environmental database maintained by the National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC) in Mongolia and sustaining the collaborative pasture management practices introduced by the teams within the Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Mongolia. The geographic area covered by the EOTAP services is Bayankhongor province, in western Mongolia region, with two main services: drought monitoring at the provincial level for the year 2014 and Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) and changes mapping for three districts of this province (Buutsagaan, Dzag and Khureemaral) for the years 2013, 2014.

Technical assistance to Mongolia for civil aviation policy development

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-10-01

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has a long history of involvement in civil aviation in Mongolia. The ADB projects have been evaluated as successful, with Mongolia Civil Aviation Authority (MCAA) now well established, Ulaanbaatar airport managing inc...

Understanding the Spatio-Temporal Pattern of Fire Disturbance in the Eastern Mongolia Using Modis Product

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wurihan; Zhang, H.; Zhang, Z.; Guo, X.; Zhao, J.; Duwala; Shan, Y.; Hongying

2018-04-01

Fire disturbance plays an important role in maintaining ecological balance, biodiversity and self-renewal. In this paper, the spatio-temporal pattern of fire disturbances in eastern Mongolia are studied by using the ArcGIS spatial analysis method, using the MCD45A1 data of MODIS fire products with long time series. It provides scientific basis and reference for the regional ecological environment security construction and international ecological security. Research indicates: (1) The fire disturbance in eastern Mongolia has obvious high and low peak interleaving phenomenon in the year, and the seasonal change is obvious. (2) The distribution pattern of fire disturbance in eastern Mongolia is aggregated, which indicates that the fire disturbance is not random and it is caused by certain influence. (3) Fire disturbance is mainly distributed in the eastern province of Mongolia, the border between China and Mongolia and the northern forest area of Sukhbaatar province. (4) The fire disturbance in the eastern part of the study area is strong and the southwest is weaker. The spreading regularity of fire disturbances in eastern Mongolia is closer to the natural level of ecosystem.

Hydrous parental magmas of Early to Middle Permian gabbroic intrusions in western Inner Mongolia, North China: New constraints on deep-Earth fluid cycling in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pang, Chong-Jin; Wang, Xuan-Ce; Xu, Bei; Luo, Zhi-Wen; Liu, Yi-Zhi

2017-08-01

The role of fluids in the formation of the Permian-aged Xigedan and Mandula gabbroic intrusions in western Inner Mongolia was significant to the evolution of the Xing'an Mongolia Orogenic Belt (XMOB), and the active northern margin of the North China Craton (NCC). Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS) U-Pb zircon geochronology establishes that the Xigedan gabbroic intrusion in the northern NCC was emplaced at 266 Ma, and is therefore slightly younger than the ca 280 Ma Mandula gabbroic intrusion in the XMOB. Along with their felsic counterparts, the mafic igneous intrusions record extensive bimodal magmatism along the northern NCC and in the XMOB during the Early to Middle Permian. The Mandula gabbroic rocks have low initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.7040-0.7043) and positive εNd(t) (+6.2 to +7.3) and εHf(t) values (+13.4 to +14.5), resembling to those of contemporaneous Mandula basalts. These features, together with the presence of amphibole and the enrichment of large ion lithophile elements (LILE, e.g., Rb, Ba, U and Sr) and depletion of Nb-Ta suggest that the parental magmas of the Mandula mafic igneous rocks were derived from a depleted mantle source metasomatized by water-rich fluids. In contrast, the Xigedan gabbroic rocks are characterised by high 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.7078-0.7080) and zircon δ18O values (5.84-6.61‰), but low εNd(t) (-9.3 to -10.2) and εHf(t) values (-8.76 to -8.54), indicative of a long-term enriched subcontinental lithosphere mantle source that was metasomatized by recycled, high δ18O crustal materials prior to partial melting. The high water contents (4.6-6.9 wt%) and arc-like geochemical signature (enrichment of fluid-mobile elements and depletion of Nb-Ta) of the parental magmas of the Xigedan gabbroic rocks further establish the existence of a mantle hydration event caused by fluid/melts released from hydrated recycled oceanic crust. Incompatible element modelling shows that 5-10% partial melting of an enriched mantle source by adding respectively 0.5% and 2% sediment melts and fluids, could have produced the parental magmas of the Xigedan gabbroic rocks. A range of geological evidence establishes an intracontinental origin for Late Paleozoic mafic igneous rocks along the northern NCC and in the XMOB, rather than a subduction-related setting. We therefore propose a deep-Earth water cycling process to account for mantle hydration and subsequent Late Paleozoic magmatism, supporting a geodynamic link between deep-Earth water cycling, and intracontinental magmatism and lithospheric extension.

Mongolia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

With winds that constantly whip dust across high plains, a nomadic population that mostly lives in felt tents, and a local cuisine that consists of fermented goat milk and stewed meats, Mongolia is not a place for the pampered. This true-color image of Mongolia was acquired on March 27, 2000, by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA's Terra spacecraft. Most of the 2.3 million Mongolians live on the vast, rolling, semi-arid, grass-covered plateaus that stretch across eastern and northern Mongolia. In the image, these areas are a dark reddish-brown. The faint herringbone pattern running through eastern Mongolia is formed by the Kerulen and Orhon Gol rivers and their tributaries. The lighter reddish-brown areas covering most of southern Mongolia is the Gobi Desert. Vast and largely uncharted, the Gobi has become a favorite of fossil hunters from around the world. Here ideal fossil specimens of Velociraptor and Protoceratops have been unearthed. (See Finding Fossils from Space for more details.) Moving to the southwest corner of the country, one can see the defined ridges that make up the sparsely vegetated Altai Mountain Range, the highest mountains in Mongolia. A number of lakes can be spotted to the northwest and the far north. The drumstick-shaped lake at the northern tip of Mongolia is Hovsgol Nuur, which is considered a national treasure in Mongolia with its picturesque alpine surroundings and pristine water. Further north in Russia, the long lake that is half surrounded by snow is the great Lake Baykal. Reaching 1,620 meters (nearly one mile) in depth, Lake Baykal is the deepest freshwater lake in the world and holds as much fresh water as the shallower lakes Superior, Huron, Ontario, Michigan, and Erie combined. Image courtesy MODIS Science Team

The impact of mining activities on Mongolia's protected areas: a status report with policy recommendations.

PubMed

Farrington, John D

2005-07-01

Mongolia's protected areas cover 20.5 million ha or 13.1% of its national territory. Existing and proposed protected areas, however, are threatened by mining. Mining impacts on Mongolia's protected areas are diverse and include licensed and unlicensed mineral activities in protected areas, buffer zone disturbance, and prevention of the establishment of proposed protected areas. Review of United States, Canadian, and Australian policies revealed 9 basic approaches to resolving conflicts between protected areas and mining. Four approaches suitable for Mongolia are granting land trades and special dispensations in exchange for mineral licenses in protected areas; granting protected status to all lapsed mineral licenses in protected areas; voluntary forfeiting of mineral licenses in protected areas in exchange for positive corporate publicity; and prohibiting all new mineral activities in existing and proposed protected areas. Mining is Mongolia's most important industry, however, and the long-term benefits of preserving Mongolia's natural heritage must be considered and weighed against the economic benefits and costs of mining activities.

Ecosystem maturity and performance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Guo, Q.

2005-01-01

Arising from: Bai, Y., Han, X., Wu, J., Chen, Z. & Li, L. Nature, 431, 181–184 (2004); see also communication from Wang et al.; Bai, Y., Han, X., Wu, J., Chen, Z. & Li, L. reply.The effect of maturity, or successional stage, on ecosystem performance (measured as productivity or stability, for example) is important for both basic ecology and ecosystem management. On the basis of the results of a long-term study of two different plant communities at two sites in the Inner Mongolia grassland1, Bai et al. claim that these communities simultaneously achieve high species richness, productivity and ecosystem stability at the late successional stage1. However, I question their interpretation of the data and suggest that this claim is undermined by evidence from other empirical and theoretical studies.

Research on Early Warning of Chinese Food Safety Based on Social Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Yonghuan; Niu, Wenyuan; Li, Qianqian

Based on social physics, this paper designs the index system of food safety, builds early warning model of food safety, calculates the degree of food safety, and assesses the state of early warning of 2007 in China. The result shows the degree of food safety is near 0.7 in securer state, belonging to slight emergency. It is much lower in eastern areas of developed regions, belonging to insecure state in the mass. That the food safety is ensured in major grain producing areas, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Xinjiang is the prerequisite of realizing the food safety of China. The result also shows four significant indices, grain production capacity, grain circulation order, grain demand and grain supply, which are important indicatio to control food safety.

Sino-American cooperation for rural electrification in China

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wallace, W.L.; Tsuo, Y.S.; Taylor, R.

1997-12-01

This paper discusses primarily two different renewable energy programs which are in progress in China. One is in Gansu province, based on a solar home system project. This project is stressing a sustainable market development, provision of small lighting systems for residential and small schools, and water pumping and telecommunications support. It seeks involvement of 600 households as a minimum over 18 months. The second project is a very aggressive renewable energy project in Inner Mongolia, where there are excellent wind and solar resources, and where there are already 110,000 small wind turbines installed, in addition to more than 9more » hybrid power systems for villages. These programs have major involvement from the Chinese government and industry, with some guidance and support from the USA.« less

Dataset on outdoor behavior-system and spatial-pattern in the third place in cold area-based on the perspective of new energy structure.

PubMed

Ren, Kai; Wang, Yuan; Liu, Tingxi; Wang, Guanli

2017-02-01

The data presented in this paper are related to the research article entitled "Exploration of Outdoor Behavior System and Spatial Pattern in the Third Place in Cold Area- based on the perspective of new energy structure" (Ren, 2016) [1]. The dataset was from a field sub-time extended investigation to residents of Power Home Community in Inner Mongolia of China that belongs to cold region of ID area according to Chinese design code for buildings. This filed data provided descriptive statistics about environment-behavior symbiosis system, environment loading, behavior system, spatial demanding and spatial pattern for all kinds of residents (Older, younger, children). The field data set is made publicly available to enable critical or extended analyzes.

Two new species of Archaeohelorus (Hymenoptera, Proctotrupoidea, Heloridae) from the Middle Jurassic of China

PubMed Central

Shi, Xiaoqing; Zhao, Yunyun; Shih, Chungkun; Ren, Dong

2014-01-01

Abstract Two new fossil species, Archaeohelorus polyneurus sp. n. and A. tensus sp. n., assigned to the genus Archaeohelorus Shih, Feng & Ren, 2011 of Heloridae (Hymenoptera), are reported from the late Middle Jurassic, Jiulongshan Formation of Inner Mongolia, China. Based on the well-preserved forewings and hind wings of these specimens, the diagnosis of the Archaeohelorus is emended: forewing 2cu-a intersecting Cu and Rs+M at the same point or postfurcal, and hind wing may have tubular veins C, Sc+R, R, Rs, M+Cu, M and Cu distinct, or simplified venation. The new findings also elucidate the evolutionary trend of forewing and hind wing venation and body size for the Heloridae from the late Middle Jurassic to now. PMID:24478588

A new basal hadrosauroid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Uzbekistan and the early radiation of duck-billed dinosaurs.

PubMed

Sues, Hans-Dieter; Averianov, Alexander

2009-07-22

Levnesovia transoxiana gen. et sp. nov., from the Late Cretaceous (Middle-Late Turonian) of Uzbekistan, is the oldest well-documented taxon referable to Hadrosauroidea sensu Godefroit et al. It differs from a somewhat younger and closely related Bactrosaurus from Inner Mongolia (China) by a tall sagittal crest on the parietals and the absence of club-shaped dorsal neural spines in adult specimens. Levnesovia, Bactrosaurus and possibly Gilmoreosaurus represent the earliest radiation of Hadrosauroidea, which took place during the Cenomanian-Turonian and possibly in North America. The second, Santonian-age radiation of Hadrosauroidea included Aralosaurus, Hadrosauridae and lineages leading to Tanius (Campanian) and Telmatosaurus (Maastrichtian). Hadrosauridae appears to be monophyletic, but Hadrosaurinae and Lambeosaurinae originated in North America and Asia, respectively.

A new species and key to all known species of the genus Filchnerella Karny, 1908 from China (Orthoptera: Acridoidea, Pamphagidae).

PubMed

Cao, Cheng-Quan; Li, Xin-Jiang; Yin, Zhan

2018-04-23

The new species i.e. Filchnerella wuhaiensis sp. nov is described from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. The new species is similar to Filchnerella helanshanensis Zheng, 1992, but differs from the latter by 21-segmented antennae, prozona of pronotum higher than metazona, length of tegmina 2.0 times maximum width, width of interspace of mesosternum 1.2 times length and lower margin of hind femur not red in male. A key to all species of the genus Filchnerella Karny, 1908 is given in this paper. Two genera Pseudotmethis Bey-Bienko, 1948 and Paratmethis Zheng He, 1996 are valid genus and not a synonym of Filchnerella Karny, 1908. Type specimens are deposited in the College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei, China.

[Quantitative analysis of landscape patterns at the juncture of Shaanxi, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia, based on remote sensing data--taking Yulin sheet TM image as an example].

PubMed

Li, Tuansheng

2004-03-01

Based on the TM image of Yulin sheet and with the help of ERDAS, ARC/INFO and ARC/VIEW software, the landscape of Yulin sheet was classified. Using the spatial pattern analysis software FRAGSTATS of the vector version, a set of landscape indices were calculated at three scale levels of patches, classes and landscape. The results showed that landscape pattern indices could be successfully used in characterizing the spatial pattern of the studied area. However, this study should be further extended to the landscape of the same area in other period to analyze its dynamic change. FRAGSTATS was a good software, but should be improved by adding some indices such as PD2 developed by us.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus among wild birds in Mongolia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The central Asian country of Mongolia supports large populations of migratory water birds that migrate across much of Asia where highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus subtype H5N1 is endemic. This, together with the near absence of domestic poultry, makes Mongolia an ideal location to unde...

USGS compilation of geographic information system (GIS) data of coal mines and coal-bearing areas in Mongolia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trippi, Michael H.; Belkin, Harvey E.

2015-09-10

Geographic information system (GIS) information may facilitate energy studies, which in turn provide input for energy policy decisions. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has compiled GIS data representing coal mines, deposits (including those with and without coal mines), occurrences, areas, basins, and provinces of Mongolia as of 2009. These data are now available for download, and may be used in a GIS for a variety of energy resource and environmental studies of Mongolia. Chemical data for 37 coal samples from a previous USGS study of Mongolia (Tewalt and others, 2010) are included in a downloadable GIS point shapefile and shown on the map of Mongolia. A brief report summarizes the methodology used for creation of the shapefiles and the chemical analyses run on the samples.

Palliative Care Development in Mongolia.

PubMed

Davaasuren, Odontuya; Ferris, Frank D

2018-02-01

Since the year 2000, Mongolia has established the foundation measures for a national palliative care program and has made several significant achievements. Systematic reviews and observational studies on palliative care development in Mongolia have taken place over the past 16 years. Mongolia began palliative care development in 2000 with the creation of the Mongolian Palliative Care Society and the Palliative Care Department. Palliative care is included in the Mongolia's Health Law, Health Insurance Law, Social Welfare Law, National Cancer Control Program, and the National Program for Non-Communicable Diseases, and has approved Palliative Care Standards and Pain Management Guidelines. Palliative care education is included in the undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum in all medical universities. Six hospice units in Ulaanbaatar have 50 beds; each of the nine districts and all 21 provinces have up to four to five palliative beds, and there are 36 palliative care units, for a total 190 beds for three million people. In 2014, a pediatric palliative care inpatient unit was established with five beds. Essential drugs for palliative care have been available in Mongolia since 2015. The pharmaceutical company IVCO produces morphine, codeine, pethidine, and oxycodone in Ulaanbaatar. Mongolia has made real progress in integrating palliative care into the health system. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Structure of Lithospheric and Upper Mantle Discontinuities beneath Central Mongolia from Receiver Functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Z.; Meltzer, A.; Fischer, K. M.; Stachnik, J. C.; Munkhuu, U.; Tsagaan, B.; Russo, R. M.

2017-12-01

The origin and preservation of high-elevation low-relief surfaces in continental interiors remains an open questions. Central Mongolia constitutes a major portion of the Mongolian Plateau and is an excellent place to link deep earth and surface processes. The lithosphere of Mongolia was constructed through accretionary orogenesis associated with the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) from the late Paleozoic to the early Triassic. Alkaline volcanic basalt derived from sublithospheric sources has erupted sporadically in Mongolia since 30 Ma. Constraining the depth variation of lithospheric and upper mantle discontinuities is crucial for understanding the interaction between upper mantle structure and surface topography. We conducted receiver functions (RF) analyses suitable data recorded at112 seismic broadband stations in central Mongolia to image the LAB and mantle transition zone beneath Central Mongolia. A modified H-κ stacking was performed to determine crustal average thickness (H) and Vp/Vs ratio (κ). Central Mongolia is characterized by thick crust (43-57 km) enabling use of both P wave RF and to S wave RF to image the LAB. The PRF traces in the depth domain are stacked based on piercing point locations for the 410 and 660 discontinuities using 0.6 ° × 0.6 ° bins in a grid. From south to north, the average lithospheric thickness is 85km in Gobi Altai gradually thinning northeastward to 78km in the southern Hangay Dome, 72 km in the northern Hangay Dome then increases to 75km in Hovsgol area. While there is overall thinning of the lithosphere from SW to NE, beneath the Hangay, there is a slight increase beneath the highest topography. The thickness of the mantle transition zone (MTZ) beneath central Mongolia is similar to global averages. This evidence argues against the hypothesis that a mantle plume exists beneath Central Mongolia causing low velocity anomalies in the upper mantle. To the east of the Hovsgol area in northern Mongolia, the MTZ thickens 10-15 km mainly due to depression in the 660-km discontinuity, perhaps representing a relict of subducted plate during CAOB.

Overeducated? The Impact of Higher Education Expansion in Post-Transition Mongolia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yano, Satoko

2012-01-01

After the fall of the Soviet Union and its transition in the 1990s towards a democratic form of government, Mongolia was forced to embark upon a complete series of reforms within society, including within its education sector. Mongolia's higher education sector was significantly affected by this change. Private higher education institutions…

Collection and evaluation of forage germplasm indigenous to Mongolia

Treesearch

Douglas A. Johnson; Sodnomdarjaa Jigjidsuren; Dennis P. Sheehy; Mark E. Majerus; Susan R. Winslow; Larry K. Holzworth

2006-01-01

Mongolian rangelands are biologically diverse and productive, and are ecologically similar to rangelands in the western U.S. Plant communities in Mongolia have evolved and adapted to sustained grazing pressure from wild and domesticated animals. Changing economic and social conditions in Mongolia and overgrazing are threatening plant diversity and range condition....

[Effects of the frequency and intensity of nitrogen addition on soil pH, the contents of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in temperate steppe in Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Zhou, Ji Dong; Shi, Rong Jiu; Zhao, Feng; Han, Si Qin; Zhang, Ying

2016-08-01

A four-year simulated nitrogen (N) deposition experiment involving nine N gradients and two N deposition frequencies (N was added either twice yearly or monthly) was conducted in Inner Mongolian grassland, to examine the effects of frequency and intensity of N addition on pH and the contents of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in soil. The results indicated that the soil pH and total phosphorus content, regardless of the N addition frequency, gradually decreased with the increase of N addition intensity. By contrast, the contents of soil available nitrogen and available phosphorus showed an increasing trend, while no significant variation in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content was observed, and the contents of soil total carbon and total nitrogen had no change. Compared with the monthly N addition, the twice-a-year N addition substantially overestimated the effects of N deposition on decreasing the soil pH and increasing the available phosphorus content, but underestimated the effects of N deposition on increasing the soil available nitrogen content, and the significant difference was found in 0-5 cm soil layer.

Responses of soil respiration to soil management changes in an agropastoral ecotone in Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Xue, Haili; Tang, Haiping

2018-01-01

Studying the responses of soil respiration ( R s ) to soil management changes is critical for enhancing our understanding of the global carbon cycle and has practical implications for grassland management. Therefore, the objectives of this study were (1) quantify daily and seasonal patterns of R s , (2) evaluate the influence of abiotic factors on R s , and (3) detect the effects of soil management changes on R s . We hypothesized that (1) most of daily and seasonal variation in R s could be explained by soil temperature ( T s ) and soil water content ( S w ), (2) soil management changes could significantly affect R s , and (3) soil management changes affected R s via the significant change in abiotic and biotic factors. In situ R s values were monitored in an agropastoral ecotone in Inner Mongolia, China, during the growing seasons in 2009 (August to October) and 2010 (May to October). The soil management changes sequences included free grazing grassland (FG), cropland (CL), grazing enclosure grassland (GE), and abandoned cultivated grassland (AC). During the growing season in 2010, cumulative R s for FG, CL, GE, and AC averaged 265.97, 344.74, 236.70, and 226.42 gC m -2  year -1 , respectively. The T s and S w significantly influenced R s and explained 66%-86% of the variability in daily R s . Monthly mean temperature and precipitation explained 78%-96% of the variability in monthly R s . The results clearly showed that R s was increased by 29% with the conversion of FG to CL and decreased by 35% and 11% with the conversion of CL to AC and FG to GE. The factors impacting the change in R s under different soil management changes sequences varied. Our results confirm the tested hypotheses. The increase in Q 1 0 and litter biomass induced by conversion of FG to GE could lead to increased R s if the climate warming. We suggest that after proper natural restoration period, grasslands should be utilized properly to decrease R s .

[Effects of different soil and water loss control measures on the dung beetle assemblages in Huangfuchuan watershed, Inner Mongolia of North China].

PubMed

Liu, Wei; Wang, Run-Run; Liu, Xin-Min

2013-03-01

By using pitfall trap method, and taking the croplands and natural grasslands under different soil and water loss control measures as sampling plots, an investigation was conducted on the dung beetle assemblages in the Huangfuchuan watershed of Inner Mongolia from September 2007 to September 2008, aimed to understand the effects of different soil and water loss control measures on the dung beetle assemblages in the watershed. A total of 6169 dung beetles were captured, belonging to 15 species, 5 genus, and 2 families. The dominant species were Aphodius rectus and Onthophagus gibbulus, accounting for 66. 54% and 13. 26% of the total captured beetles, respectively. A lack of the species suitable for living in woodland habitats was the basic feature of the dung beetle assemblages. As compared with the control, all test soil and water loss control measures did not cause an obvious increase of species richness, biomass, and abundance of the dung beetle assemblages. The biomass and species richness of the assemblages as well as the abundance of the functional groups II and III had a significant negative correlation with the average tree (grass) height. Under the effects of long-term agricultural cultivation and the lack of large herbivores, the species richness and abundance of the functional group I (larger paracoprids and telocoprids) were lower than those of the functional groups II (relatively smaller paracoprids) and II (endocoprids), the main components of the dung beetle assemblages in the watershed. The faeces of the residents and livestock in the study region provided abundant foods for the dung beetle assemblages, inducing the relatively high abundance and spices richness of the assemblages occurred in the croplands nearby the villages. Our results suggested that natural grasslands were the suitable habitats for the dung beetles in Huangfuchuan watershed. At regional scale, to popularize the successful experiences of comprehensive soil and water loss control, preserve natural grasslands, and feed appropriate number of livestock (especially larger herbivores) could be the effective approaches for maintaining the diversity of dung beetles and the ecosystem functions.

[Deuterium isotope characteristics of precipitation infiltrated in the West Ordos Desert of Inner Mongolia, China].

PubMed

Chen, Jie; Xu, Qing; Gao, De Qiang; Ma, Ying Bin; Zhang, Bei Bei; Hao, Yu Guang

2017-07-18

Understanding the soil-profile temporal and spatial distribution of rainwater in arid and semiarid regions provides a scientific basis for the restoration and maintenance of degraded desert ecosystems in the West Ordos Desert of Inner Mongolia, China. In this study, the deuterium isotope (δD) value of rainwater, soil water, and groundwater were examined in the West Ordos Desert. The contribution of precipitation to soil water in each layer of the soil profile was calculated with two-end linear mixed model. In addition, the temporal and spatial distribution of δD of soil water in the soil profile was analyzed under different-intensity precipitation. The results showed that small rainfall events (0-10 mm) affected the soil moisture and the δD value of soil water in surface soil (0-10 cm). About 30.3% to 87.9% of rainwater was kept in surface soil for nine days following the rainfall event. Medium rainfall events (10-20 mm) influenced the soil moisture and the δD value of soil water at soil depth of 0-40 cm. About 28.2% to 80.8% of rainwater was kept in soil layer of 0-40 cm for nine days following the medium rainfall event. Large (20-30 mm) and extremely large (＞30 mm) rainfall events considerably influenced the soil moisture and δD value of soil water in each of the soil layers, except for the 100-150 cm layer. The δD value of soil water was between those δD values of rainwater and groundwater, which suggested that precipitation and groundwater were the sources of soil water in the West Ordos Desert. Under the same intensity rainfall, the δD value of surface soil water (0-10 cm) was directly affected by δD of rainwater. With increasing soil depth, the variation of soil water δD decreased, and the soil water of 100-150 cm kept stable. With increasing intensity of precipitation, the influence of precipitation on soil water δD lasted for a longer duration and occurred at a deeper soil depth.

Mingantu, 18th-Century Mongol Astronomer and Radioheliograph Namesake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasachoff, Jay M.

2013-01-01

The 18th-century Mongol astronomer Mingantu (1692-1765) has been honored with a city named after him and a nearby solar telescope array. During the IAU/Beijing, my wife and I went to the new Chinese solar radioheliograph, the Mingantu Observing Station, in Inner Mongolia, ~400 km northwest of Beijing, a project of the National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences. It currently contains 40 dishes each 4.5 m across, with a correlator from Beijing. Within a year, 60 2-m dishes will be added. We passed by the 12-century ruins of Xanadu (about 20 km north of Zhangbei) about halfway. The radioheliograph is in a plane about 1 km across, forming a three-armed spiral for interferometric solar mapping, something colleagues and I had carried out with the Jansky Very Large Array, taking advantage of the lunar occultation before annularity at the 20 May 2012 solar eclipse. In the central square of Mingantu city, a statue ~10-m high of the Mongol astronomer Mingantu appears. Its base bears a plaque ~1-m high of IAU Minor Planet Circular MPC 45750 announcing the naming in 2002 of asteroid 28242 Mingantu, discovered at a Chinese observatory in 1999. Mingantu carried out orbital calculations, mapping, mathematical work on infinite series, and other scientific research. He is honored by a modern museum behind the statue. The museum's first 40% describes Mingantu and his work, and is followed by some artifacts of the region from thousands of years ago. The final, large room contains a two-meter-square scale model of the radioheliograph, flat-screen televisions running Solar Dynamics Observatory and other contemporary visualizations, orreries and other objects, and large transparencies of NASA and other astronomical imagery. See my post at http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/newsblog/ specfically Astro-Sightseeing_in_Inner_Mongolia-167712965.html. We thank Yihua Yan for arranging the visit and Wang Wei (both NAOC) for accompanying us. My solar research is supported by grant 1047726 from the Solar Research Program/Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Division/NSF. I am also grateful for a NSF travel grant through AAS.

Effects of grazing on leaf traits and ecosystem functioning in Inner Mongolia grasslands: scaling from species to community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, S. X.; Ren, H. Y.; Lan, Z. C.; Li, W. H.; Wang, K. B.; Bai, Y. F.

2010-03-01

Understanding the mechanistic links between environmental drivers, human disturbance, plant functional traits, and ecosystem properties is a fundamental aspect of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning research. Recent studies have focused mostly on leaf-level traits or community-level weighted traits to predict species responses to grazing and the consequent change in ecosystem functioning. However, studies of leaf-level traits or community-level weighted traits seldom identify the mechanisms linking grazing impact on leaf traits to ecosystem functioning. Here, using a multi-organization-level approach, we examined the effects of grazing on leaf traits (i.e., leaf area, leaf dry mass and specific leaf area) and ecosystem functioning across six communities of three vegetation types along a soil moisture gradient in the Xilin River Basin of Inner Mongolia grassland, China. Our results showed that the effects of grazing on leaf traits differed substantially when scaling up from leaf-level to species, functional group (i.e., life forms and water ecotype types), and community levels; and they also varied with vegetation type or site conditions. The effects of grazing on leaf traits diminished progressively along the hierarchy of organizational levels in the meadow, whereas the impacts were predominantly negative and the magnitude of the effects increased considerably at higher organizational levels in the typical steppe. Soil water and nutrient availability, functional trade-offs between leaf size and number of leaves per individual, and differentiation in avoidance and tolerance strategies among coexisting species are likely to be responsible for the observed responses of leaf traits to grazing at different levels of organization and among vegetation types. Our findings also demonstrate that, at both the functional group and community levels, standing aboveground biomass increased with leaf area and specific leaf area. Compared with the large changes in leaf traits and standing aboveground biomass, the soil properties were relatively unaffected by grazing. Our study indicates that a multi-organization-level approach provides more robust and comprehensive predictions of the effects of grazing on leaf traits and ecosystem functioning.

Drinking water arsenic exposure and blood pressure in healthy women of reproductive age in Inner Mongolia, China

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kwok, Richard K.; Mendola, Pauline; Liu Zhiyi

2007-08-01

The extremely high exposure levels evaluated in prior investigations relating elevated levels of drinking water arsenic and hypertension prevalence make extrapolation to potential vascular effects at lower exposure levels very difficult. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 8790 women who had recently been pregnant in an area of Inner Mongolia, China known to have a gradient of drinking water arsenic exposure. This study observed increased systolic blood pressure levels with increasing drinking water arsenic, at lower exposure levels than previously reported in the literature. As compared to the referent category (below limit of detection to 20 {mu}g of As/L), themore » overall population mean systolic blood pressure rose 1.29 mm Hg (95% CI 0.82, 1.75), 1.28 mm Hg (95% CI 0.49, 2.07), and 2.22 mm Hg (95% CI 1.46, 2.97) as drinking water arsenic concentration increased from 21 to 50, 51 to 100, and > 100 {mu}g of As/L, respectively. Controlling for age and body weight (n = 3260), the population mean systolic blood pressure rose 1.88 mm Hg (95% CI 1.03, 2.73), 3.90 mm Hg (95% CI 2.52, 5.29), and 6.83 mm Hg (95% CI 5.39, 8.27) as drinking water arsenic concentration increased, respectively. For diastolic blood pressure effect, while statistically significant, was not as pronounced as systolic blood pressure. Mean diastolic blood pressure rose 0.78 mm Hg (95% CI 0.39, 1.16), 1.57 mm Hg (95% CI 0.91, 2.22) and 1.32 mm Hg (95% CI 0.70, 1.95), respectively, for the overall population and rose 2.11 mm Hg (95% CI 1.38, 2.84), 2.74 mm Hg (95% CI 1.55, 3.93), and 3.08 mm Hg (95% CI 1.84, 4.31), respectively, for the adjusted population (n = 3260) at drinking water arsenic concentrations of 21 to 50, 51 to 100, and > 100 {mu}g of As/L. If our study results are confirmed in other populations, the potential burden of cardiovascular disease attributable to drinking water arsenic is significant.« less

Influences of Land Use/Cover Types on Nitrous Oxide Emissions during Freeze-Thaw Periods from Waterlogged Soils in Inner Mongolia.

PubMed

Lu, Zedong; Du, Rui; Du, Pengrui; Qin, Saisai; Liang, Zongmin; Li, Ziming; Wang, Yaling; Wang, Yanfen

2015-01-01

Nitrous oxide emissions during freeze/thaw periods contribute significantly to annual soil N2O emissions budgets in middle- and high-latitude areas; however, the freeze/thaw-related N2O emissions from waterlogged soils have hardly been studied in the Hulunber Grassland, Inner Mongolia. For this study, the effects of changes in land use/cover types on N2O emissions during freeze-thaw cycles were investigated to more accurately quantify the annual N2O emissions from grasslands. Soil cores from six sites were incubated at varying temperature (ranging from -15 to 10°C) to simulate freeze-thaw cycles. N2O production rates were low in all soil cores during freezing periods, but increased markedly after soil thawed. Mean rates of N2O production differed by vegetation type, and followed the sequence: Leymus chinensis (LC) and Artemisia tanacetifolia (AT) steppes > LC steppes ≥ Stipa baicalensis (SB) steppes. Land use types (mowing and grazing) had differing effects on freeze/thaw-related N2O production. Grazing significantly reduced N2O production by 36.8%, while mowing enhanced production. The production of N2O was related to the rate at which grassland was mowed, in the order: triennially (M3) > once annually (M1) ≥ unmown (UM). Compared with the UM control plot, the M3 and M1 mowing regimes enhanced N2O production by 57.9% and 13.0% respectively. The results of in situ year-round measurements showed that large amounts of N2O were emitted during the freeze-thaw period, and that annual mean fluxes of N2O were 9.21 μg N2O-N m-2 h-1 (ungrazed steppe) and 6.54 μg N2O-N m-2 h-1 (grazed steppe). Our results further the understanding of freeze/thaw events as enhancing N2O production, and confirm that different land use/cover types should be differentiated rather than presumed to be equivalent, regarding nitrous oxide emission. Even so, further research involving multi-year and intensive measurements of N2O emission is still needed.

Aerosol Properties under Air Quality Control Measures of APEC 2014 in Beijing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, X.; Xu, H.; Lv, Y.; Xie, Y.; Li, K.; Li, Z.; Li, D.; Ma, Y.; Mei, X.

2015-12-01

Because the economic and society were developing fast in the middle of last century, Los Angeles and London both were polluted by photochemical smog, which massacred thousands of people. Now, many regions are often covered by heavy haze in those large developing countries, especially in China and India. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) was held in Beijing during 5-11 November 2014. Beijing, Hebei, Tianjin, Shandong, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia reduced air pollution emissions for the APEC 2014 meeting held in Beijing. Only in Hebei province, there were 1028 factories stopped or restricted and 881 construction sites stopped. Half of the cars were prohibited driving even in the Zibo city which is 400 km far from Beijing. For scientific aims, these control measures were indeed a huge and uncommon atmospheric experiment led by the government. During the experiment, what did the "APEC Blue" mean? We analyzed aerosol properties with the data of an AERONET site in Beijing which is located 500m far from the main reception hall of APEC 2014. The Cimel solar photometers can give a series parameters of aerosol and water vapor. In this paper, we used CE318 solar photometer which is the main instrument of NASA AERONET. The CE318 of RADI belongs to the Chinese SONET (Sun-sky radiometer Observation NETwork) too. We analyzed the total, coarse and fine Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), Fine-Mode Fraction (FMF) and Ångström exponent, Size Distribution and Real Refractive Index. In conclusion, the aerosol properties were analysed with the measurements of a sun photometer. During the APEC 2014, AOD decreased obviously with a 0.27 mean value compared with the annual mean 0.7. Around Beijing, the southern is polluted emission area including the cross part of Shandong, Shanxi, Hebei, Henan four provinces, and the northern is clean for less fine mode particles emission in the large Inner Mongolia province. In fact, during the APEC 2014, the weather condition was not good for the pollutant diffusion, and the surrounding areas were all controlled. So the pollutant aerosol was mainly from local emissions. The humidity may have impact on particle's hygroscopic growth which contributed to the air pollution.

Association between multi-level inorganic arsenic exposure from drinking water and skin lesions in China.

PubMed

Guo, Xiaojuan; Fujino, Yoshihisa; Ye, Xiaolei; Liu, Jun; Yoshimura, Takesumi

2006-09-01

Arsenic is one of the most important toxicants in the environment. In Inner Mongolia of China, 300,000 residents are believed to be drinking water containing >50 microg/liter. Skin lesions have been known as the most common consequences resulting from chronic exposure to arsenic. To clarify the prevalence of arsenic-induced skin lesions, it is important to assess the impact of this problem among the target population, and to make future planning. We evaluated the association between multi-levels inorganic arsenic exposure from drinking water and skin lesions in an arsenic-affected area in Inner Mongolia, China. One hundred nine and 32 subjects in high (>50 microg/liter) and low (<50 microg/liter) arsenic-affected villages were recruited and had the detailed physical examination with special emphasis on arsenic-related skin lesions. Arsenic exposure was measured for each participant with respect to iAs concentration of primary well and the duration using the well. Arsenic-induced skin lesions including keratosis, pigmentation, and/or depigmentation were diagnosed in 56 and 3 subjects in the two villages, respectively. Logistic regression was conducted to calculate odd ratios of skin lesions associated with arsenic exposure with adjustments for sex, age group, smoking and duration of exposure. A consistent dose-response relationship between arsenic exposure level and skin lesion risk was observed. Compared to those with iAs concentration <50 microg/liter, the adjusted odds ratios of skin lesions for the subjects with 51-99, 100-149 and >150 microg/liter were 33.3% (OR =15.50, 95% CI: 1.53-248.70), 46.7% (OR =16.10, 95% CI: 3.73-69.63) and 55.7% (OR= 25.70, 95% CI: 6.43-102.87), respectively. Duration of using well was not associated with increased risk of skin lesions in this population; (OR =1.68, 95% CI: 0.40-6.91 for 6-15 years, OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 0.58-9.14 for over 15 years) compared with the duration of less than 5 years.

Oxidation and carbonisation of coals: a case study of coal fire affected coals from the Wuda coalfield, Inner Mongolia, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kus, Jolanta; Meyer, Uwe; Ma, Jianwei; Chen-Brauchler, Dai

2010-05-01

At the coalfield of Wuda (Inner Mongolia, PR China) extensive underground coal fires cause widespread thermal and oxidative effects in coal seams. Within phase B of the Coal Fire Research Project of the Sino-German Initiative, methods for innovative fire-extinguishing technologies were investigated in multifaceted research approaches. Extensive investigations of oxidative and thermally affected coal seams in coal fire zone 18 were conducted in 2008 prior to application of new fire-extinguishing methods. We present results from the outcrop of coal seam No. 4 in the fire zone 18. The coal of seam No. 4 is of Early Permian age and belongs stratigraphically to the Shanxi Formation. The unaffected coal displays a high volatile bituminous A rank with a background value of random vitrinite reflectance ranging from 0.90 to 0.96 % Rr. Coal channel samples were coallected at actively extracted coal faces along multiple profiles with surface temperatures ranging from about 50° to 600°C. Microscopic examinations revealed a variety of products of coal exposure to the fire. Within coal samples, a marked rise in vitrinite reflectance from background values to 5.55% Rr (6.00 % Rmax) is encountered. In addition, a number of coal samples showed suppressed vitrinite reflectances ranging between 0.82 to 0.88% Rr. Further, seemingly heat unaffected coal samples display intensive development of oxidations rims at coal grain edges and cracks as well as shrinkage cracks and formation of iron oxides/hydroxides. Instead, thermally affected coal samples with higher coalification grade are further characterised by development of macropores (devolatilisation pores) in vitrinitic streaks, transformation of liptinite to meta-liptinite and micrinite as well as by natural coke particles of mostly porous nature and fine to coarse grained anisotropic mosaic. Coal petrographic investigations confirmed a hypothesis that both, oxidations as well as low temperature carbonisation govern the thermal regime in the coal fire zone 18. The occurrence of various thermal alteration products indicates temperatures in the range of 500-700°C.

Geothermal Prospecting with Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System Technologies in Xilingol Volcanic Field in the Eastern Inner Mongolia, NE China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, F.; Huang, S.; Xiong, Y.; Zhao, Y.; Cheng, Y.

2013-05-01

Geothermal energy is a renewable and low-carbon energy source independent of climate change. It is most abundant in Cenozoic volcanic areas where high temperature can be obtained within a relatively shallow depth. Like other geological resources, geothermal resource prospecting and exploration require a good understanding of the host media. Remote sensing (RS) has the advantages of high spatial and temporal resolution and broad spatial coverage over the conventional geological and geophysical prospecting, while geographical information system (GIS) has intuitive, flexible, and convenient characteristics. In this study, we apply RS and GIS technics in prospecting the geothermal energy potential in Xilingol, a Cenozoic volcanic field in the eastern Inner Mongolia, NE China. Landsat TM/ETM+ multi-temporal images taken under clear-sky conditions, digital elevation model (DEM) data, and other auxiliary data including geological maps of 1:2,500,000 and 1:200,000 scales are used in this study. The land surface temperature (LST) of the study area is retrieved from the Landsat images with the single-channel algorithm on the platform of ENVI developed by ITT Visual Information Solutions. Information of linear and circular geological structure is then extracted from the LST maps and compared to the existing geological data. Several useful technologies such as principal component analysis (PCA), vegetation suppression technique, multi-temporal comparative analysis, and 3D Surface View based on DEM data are used to further enable a better visual geologic interpretation with the Landsat imagery of Xilingol. The Preliminary results show that major faults in the study area are mainly NE and NNE oriented. Several major volcanism controlling faults and Cenozoic volcanic eruption centers have been recognized from the linear and circular structures in the remote images. Seven areas have been identified as potential targets for further prospecting geothermal energy based on the visual interpretation of the geological structures. The study shows that GIS and RS have great application potential in the geothermal exploration in volcanic areas and will promote the exploration of renewable energy resources of great potential.

Long-Term Analysis and Appropriate Metrics of Climate Change in Mongolia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jamiyansharav, Khishigbayar

2010-01-01

This study addresses three important issues related to long-term climate change study in Mongolia. Mongolia is one of the biggest land-locked countries in Asia and 75--80 percent of the land is rangeland, which is highly vulnerable to climate change. Climate will affect many sectors critical to the country's economic, social, and ecological…

Land use and land tenure in Mongolia: A brief history and current issues

Treesearch

Maria E. Fernandez-Gimenez

2006-01-01

This essay argues that an awareness of the historical relationships among land use, land tenure, and the political economy of Mongolia is essential to understanding current pastoral land use patterns and policies in Mongolia. Although pastoral land use patterns have altered over time in response to the changing political economy, mobility and flexibility remain...

Occupational lung diseases and the mining industry in Mongolia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lkhasuren, O.; Takahashi, K.; Dash-Onolt, L.

Mining production has accounted for around 50% of the gross industrial product in Mongolia since 1998. Dust-induced chronic bronchitis and pneumoconiosis currently account for the largest relative share (67.8%) of occupational diseases in Mongolia, and cases are increasing annually. In 1967-2004, medically diagnosed cases of occupational diseases in Mongolia numbered 7,600. Of these, 5,154 were confirmed cases of dust-induced chronic bronchitis and pneumoconiosis. Lung diseases and other mining-sector health risks pose major challenges for Mongolia. Gold and coal mines, both formal and informal, contribute significantly to economic growth, but the prevalence of occupational lung diseases is high and access tomore » health care is limited. Rapid implementation of an effective national program of silicosis elimination and pneumoconiosis reduction is critical to ensure the health and safety of workers in this important sector of the Mongolian economy.« less

School Drop-outs in Mongolia. Mid-Decade Review of Progress towards Education for All.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khishigbuyan, D.; Bandii, R.

In 1995, the International Consultative Forum on Education for All commissioned case studies in developing countries as part of a mid-decade review of progress in expanding access to basic education. This paper examines the situation in Mongolia and reports on two surveys about dropouts. In the early 1990s, Mongolia shifted from a centrally…

Sharing Global Musics: A Multimedia View of the Music of Mongolia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitener, John L.

2017-01-01

The author, John Whitener, traveled to Mongolia, "the land of blue sky," in the summer of 2013 and again in summer of 2016. Mongolia is a land of awe-inspiring geography, similar in many respects to the wilds of Alaska. Approximately half the country's population has migrated to Ulaan-Baatar and other urban areas because of harsh winters…

Sedimentation History and Provenance Analysis of a Late Mesozoic Rifting Event at Tavan Har, East Gobi, Mongolia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidson, Sarah Cain

2005-01-01

The East Gobi Basin (EGB), which covers over 1.5 million square kilometers in southeastern Mongolia, is one of several basins in eastern China and Mongolia that was formed by extension and intracontinental rifting during the late Mesozoic. For reasons that are poorly understood, the continental lithosphere covering areas that are now known as…

Tomography-based mantle flow beneath Mongolia-Baikal area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Tao

2014-12-01

Recent progress in seismic tomography of Asia allows us to explore and understand more clearly the mantle flow below the Mongolia-Baikal area. We present a tomography-based model of mantle convection that provides a good match to the residual topography. The model provides predictions on the present-day mantle flow and flow-induced asthenospheric deformation which give us new insights on the mantle dynamics in the Mongolia-Baikal area. The predicted mantle flow takes on a very similar pattern at the depths shallower or deeper than 400 km and almost opposite flow directions between the upper (shallower than 400 km) and lower (deeper than 400 km) parts. The flow pattern could be divided into the 'simple' eastern region and the 'complex' western region in the Mongolia. The upwelling originating from about 350 km depth beneath Baikal rift zone is an important possible drive force to the rifting. The seismic anisotropy cannot be simply related with asthenospheric flow and flow-induced deformation in the entire Mongolia-Baikal area, but they could be considered as an important contributor to the seismic anisotropy in the eastern region of Mongolia and around and in Sayan-Baikal orogenic belt.

Eyrie enhancement measures to bolster Saker falcon populations in Mongolia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ellis, D.H.; Tsengag, P.; Whitlock, P.L.

1998-01-01

Because the massive harvest of Saker Falcons (Falco cherrug) in Central Asia has already impacted local populations at least in Kazakhstan, because falcon smuggling has recently become rampant in China, and because a government-authorized harvest has begun in Mongolia, we sought measures to bolster numbers in Mongolia before the population can decline there. In three expeditions (1994, 1995, and 1997), we located over 120 Saker Falcon eyries in Mongolia. Over 20% of these were on man-made structures. Because so many falcons were already nesting on artificial supports, we decided that the creation of artificial eyries on man-made supports would be the most efficient means of expanding saker populations. Two other factors also recommended the creation of artificial eyries. First, most of Mongolia is open steppe with good prey populations but without trees or cliffs that might support falcon eyries. Second, in the open habitat, man-made supports are often available but nests are often absent. In 1997, we created 65 new nest sites and enlarged or modified another 15 previously used falcon eyries. This paper reports the extreme variety in sites used by Saker Falcons in Mongolia, and occupancy rates on artificial eyrie supports.

Dust over Japan

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

March 24, 2010 - Dust over Japan This image of gray/brown dust being blown over Japan was captured on March 21, 2010 by the MODIS on the Terra satellite. On the left is the Korean peninsula. Japan stretches diagonally across the image, up to the top right corner. The dust is likely from the sandstorm that swept across the China the previous day. The sand and dust originated from the south and east of Inner Mongolia. In this image from March 20, the dust is nearly obscuring the Bohai Sea, which is just west of the Korean peninsula. Here is a handy map. For more information related to this image go to: modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2010-0... For more information about Goddard Space Flight Center go here: www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html

The presence of the recurrent veinlet in the Middle Jurassic Nymphidae (Neuroptera): a unique character condition in Myrmeleontoidea

PubMed Central

Makarkin, Vladimir N.; Yang, Qiang; Shi, Chaofan; Ren, Dong

2013-01-01

Abstract A well-developed recurrent veinlet is found in the forewing of two species of Nymphidae from the Middle Jurassic locality of Daohugou (Inner Mongolia, China), Liminympha makarkini Ren & Engel and Daonymphes bisulca gen. et sp. n. This is the first record of this trait in the clade comprised of the superfamilies Myrmeleontoidea and Chrysopoidea. We interpret the recurrent veinlet in these species as a remnant of the condition present more basally in the psychopsoid + ithonoid + chrysopoid + myrmeleontoid clade (i.e., as a plesiomorphy). Other venational character states of Daonymphes bisulca of interest include the configuration of subcosta anterior (ScA), which is very similar to that of extant Nymphidae. We consider the short ScA terminating on ScP to be an autapomorphy of Neuroptera. PMID:24003318

A Mesozoic gliding mammal from northeastern China.

PubMed

Meng, Jin; Hu, Yaoming; Wang, Yuanqing; Wang, Xiaolin; Li, Chuankui

2006-12-14

Gliding flight has independently evolved many times in vertebrates. Direct evidence of gliding is rare in fossil records and is unknown in mammals from the Mesozoic era. Here we report a new Mesozoic mammal from Inner Mongolia, China, that represents a previously unknown group characterized by a highly specialized insectivorous dentition and a sizable patagium (flying membrane) for gliding flight. The patagium is covered with dense hair and supported by an elongated tail and limbs; the latter also bear many features adapted for arboreal life. This discovery extends the earliest record of gliding flight for mammals to at least 70 million years earlier in geological history, and demonstrates that early mammals were diverse in their locomotor strategies and lifestyles; they had experimented with an aerial habit at about the same time as, if not earlier than, when birds endeavoured to exploit the sky.

Why has Mongolia Chosen to Participate in Peace Support Operations? An Analysis of Current Trends and Future Opportunities

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

democratic and humane society with a new constitution and political, social, and economic changes, thus starting a new page in Mongolian history...40 The statistical data are provided by Human Resource Department of the Ministry of Defense of Mongolia. 41...42 Judy Keen, “Bush cheers Mongolia for pushing democracy”, USA Today, available online at: http

Community based wildlife management planning in protected areas: The case of Altai argali in Mongolia

Treesearch

Ryan L. Maroney

2006-01-01

The number of protected areas in Mongolia has increased fourfold since the country’s transition to a market-based economy over a decade ago; however, many of these protected areas have yet to realize their intended role as protectorates of biodiversity. Given the prevalence of (semi-) nomadic pastoralists in rural areas, effective conservation initiatives in Mongolia...

Paleomagnetic Results of Permo-Carboniferous Volcanic-sedimentary Strata in Mid-eastern Inner Mongolia, China: Implications for Tectonic Evolution of the Eastern CAOB

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, D.; Huang, B.; Zhao, J.; Bai, Q.; Zhang, Y.; Zhou, T.

2015-12-01

There has been hotly debating over the closure time of the eastern Paleo-Asian Ocean and the tectonic evolution of the eastern CAOB (Central Asian Orogenic Belt) for decades. To better puzzle out this controversy, we carried out a detailed paleomagnetic study on the Permo-Carboniferous volcanic-sedimentary strata in mid-eastern Inner Mongolia, northeast of China. More than 820 samples were collected from 81 sites and titanium-poor magnetite and hematite are proved as the principal magnetic carriers. (1)In Kingan Block, 9 sites of volcanic rocks from Dashizhai Formation (P1) were calculated to get a mean magnetic direction Dg/Ig = 285.5°/77.4°, kg = 68.2, α95 = 6.8° before and Ds/Is = 206.5°/48.2°, ks = 100.8, α95 = 5.5°, N = 9 after bedding correction, which suggests a paleolatitude of 34.5°±5°N. Both the positive fold test and reversal test suggest a pre-folding magnetization and thus may indicate a primary remanence. (2)Three volcanic sections of Baoligaomiao Formation (C3-P1) from Uliastai Passive Margin were sampled and a mean magnetic direction derived from 16 sites is Dg/Ig = 30.1°/31.8°, kg = 16.3, α95 = 9.8° before and Ds/Is = 65.6°/58.1°, ks = 39.8, α95 = 6.1°, N = 16 after bedding correction. The corresponding paleomagnetic pole Plat. /Plong = 43.1° N/186.7°E, A95=8° suggests a paleolatitude of 38.7°±6.3°N. A primary remanence is confirmed by positive fold test. (3) In the northern margin of NCB (North China Block), a ChRM is successfully isolated from 6 sites of basaltic rocks in Elitu Formation (P2) as Dg/Ig = 351.1°/67.2°, kg = 2.1, α95 = 71.8° before and Ds/Is = 351.1°/29.1°, ks = 32.7, α95 = 71.8°, N = 16 after bedding correction, and thus yielded a paleomagnetic pole as Plat. /Plong = 63.1° N/313.5°E, A95=9.5°, which suggests a paleolatitude of 17.2°±7.2°N. A positive fold test and reversal test indicate that the remanence should be primary. The paleomagetic pole of Kingan Block and Uliastai Passive Margin are located at a common small circle and thus indicates they may share a similar paleolatitude, the huge longitudinal difference should be ascribed to relative rotation afterwards . To the contrary, the paleolatitude of the northern margin of NCB and southern Mongolia is much lower than that of Kingan and Uliastai, which may suggest a remain-opening paleogeography of the Paleo-Asian Ocean by middle Permian.

Building groundwater modeling capacity in Mongolia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Valder, Joshua F.; Carter, Janet M.; Anderson, Mark T.; Davis, Kyle W.; Haynes, Michelle A.; Dorjsuren Dechinlhundev,

2016-06-16

Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia (fig. 1), is dependent on groundwater for its municipal and industrial water supply. The population of Mongolia is about 3 million people, with about one-half the population residing in or near Ulaanbaatar (World Population Review, 2016). Groundwater is drawn from a network of shallow wells in an alluvial aquifer along the Tuul River. Evidence indicates that current water use may not be sustainable from existing water sources, especially when factoring the projected water demand from a rapidly growing urban population (Ministry of Environment and Green Development, 2013). In response, the Government of Mongolia Ministry of Environment, Green Development, and Tourism (MEGDT) and the Freshwater Institute, Mongolia, requested technical assistance on groundwater modeling through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Scientists from the USGS and USACE provided two workshops in 2015 to Mongolian hydrology experts on basic principles of groundwater modeling using the USGS groundwater modeling program MODFLOW-2005 (Harbaugh, 2005). The purpose of the workshops was to bring together representatives from the Government of Mongolia, local universities, technical experts, and other key stakeholders to build in-country capacity in hydrogeology and groundwater modeling.A preliminary steady-state groundwater-flow model was developed as part of the workshops to demonstrate groundwater modeling techniques to simulate groundwater conditions in alluvial deposits along the Tuul River in the vicinity of Ulaanbaatar. ModelMuse (Winston, 2009) was used as the graphical user interface for MODFLOW for training purposes during the workshops. Basic and advanced groundwater modeling concepts included in the workshops were groundwater principles; estimating hydraulic properties; developing model grids, data sets, and MODFLOW input files; and viewing and evaluating MODFLOW output files. A key to success was developing in-country technical capacity and partnerships with the Mongolian University of Science and Technology; Freshwater Institute, Mongolia, a non-profit organization; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the Government of Mongolia; and the USACE.

Focal mechanisms of earthquakes in Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sodnomsambuu, D.; Natalia, R.; Gangaadorj, B.; Munkhuu, U.; Davaasuren, G.; Danzansan, E.; Yan, R.; Valentina, M.; Battsetseg, B.

2011-12-01

Focal mechanism data provide information on the relative magnitudes of the principal stresses, so that a tectonic regime can be assigned. Especially such information is useful for the study of intraplate seismic active regions. A study of earthquake focal mechanisms in the territory of Mongolia as landlocked and intraplate region was conducted. We present map of focal mechanisms of earthquakes with M4.5 which occurred in Mongolia and neighboring regions. Focal mechanisms solutions were constrained by the first motion solutions, as well as by waveform modeling, particularly CMT solutions. Four earthquakes have been recorded in Mongolia in XX century with magnitude more than 8, the 1905 M7.9 Tsetserleg and M8.4 Bolnai earthquakes, the 1931 M8.0 Fu Yun earthquake, the 1957 M8.1 Gobi-Altai earthquake. However the map of focal mechanisms of earthquakes in Mongolia allows seeing all seismic active structures: Gobi Altay, Mongolian Altay, active fringe of Hangay dome, Hentii range etc. Earthquakes in the most of Mongolian territory and neighboring China regions are characterized by strike-slip and reverse movements. Strike-slip movements also are typical for earthquakes in Altay Range in Russia. The north of Mongolia and south part of the Baikal area is a region where have been occurred earthquakes with different focal mechanisms. This region is a zone of the transition between compressive regime associated to India-Eurasian collision and extensive structures localized in north of the country as Huvsgul area and Baykal rift. Earthquakes in the Baikal basin itself are characterized by normal movements. Earthquakes in Trans-Baikal zone and NW of Mongolia are characterized dominantly by strike-slip movements. Analysis of stress-axis orientations, the tectonic stress tensor is presented. The map of focal mechanisms of earthquakes in Mongolia could be useful tool for researchers in their study on Geodynamics of Central Asia, particularly of Mongolian and Baikal regions.

The eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt: formation and evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Bei; Xu, Wenliang

2017-08-01

The Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) extends from the northern Eurasian continent in the west via Mongolia, Inner Mongolia and northeast part of China to the Russia Far East in the east. It is characterized by complex trench-arc-basin subduction system, exotic terrane (microcontinents) accretion, massive generation of juvenile crust during the Neoproterozoic-Phanerozoic (e.g., Jahn et al., 2000, 2004; Sengör et al., 1993). A lot of papers about formation and evolution of the CAOB have been published and new field observations and geochemical data for key areas of the CAOB challenge to previous assessments. Several areas previously defined as juvenile are now shown to have mixed crustal compositions. For example, Kröner et al. (2014, in press) estimated that the distribution of various crustal provinces is truly juvenile crustal material ca. 20%, mixed crust ca. 30%, old crust ca. 50%，respectively, in the CAOB, similar to those in other accretionary orogens through Earth history. A two-stage model for the evolution of the CAOB has been suggested based on recent data from the Eastern Tianshan and Beishan (Gao et al., 2011; Su et al., 2011; Chen et al., 2016; Wang et al., 2017), which suggests the process of the formation and evolution of the CAOB includes closure of the Paleo Asian ocean (PAO), formation of orogenic belt before the late Paleozoic and crustal extension and magmatism resulted from plume upon the young orogenic belt after the late Paleozoic. This new model changes previous concept that the CAOB developed through the Paleozoic and is supported by recent researches on the eastern CAOB.

Dust aerosol properties and radiative forcing observed in spring during 2001-2014 over urban Beijing, China.

PubMed

Yu, Xingna; Lü, Rui; Kumar, K Raghavendra; Ma, Jia; Zhang, Qiuju; Jiang, Yilun; Kang, Na; Yang, Suying; Wang, Jing; Li, Mei

2016-08-01

The ground-based characteristics (optical and radiative properties) of dust aerosols measured during the springtime between 2001 and 2014 were investigated over urban Beijing, China. The seasonal averaged aerosol optical depth (AOD) during spring of 2001-2014 was about 0.78 at 440 nm. During dust days, higher AOD occurred associated with lower Ångström exponent (AE). The mean AE440-870 in the springtime was about 1.0, indicating dominance of fine particles over the region. The back-trajectory analysis revealed that the dust was transported from the deserts of Inner Mongolia and Mongolia arid regions to Beijing. The aerosol volume size distribution showed a bimodal distribution pattern, with its highest peak observed in coarse mode for all episodes (especially for dust days with increased volume concentration). The single scattering albedo (SSA) increased with wavelength on dust days, indicating the presence of more scattering particles. Furthermore, the complex parts (real and imaginary) of refractive index showed distinct characteristics with lower imaginary values (also scattering) on dust days. The shortwave (SW; 0.2-4.0 μm) and longwave (LW; 4-100 μm) aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) values were computed from the Santa Barbara DISORT Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (SBDART) model both at the top of atmosphere (TOA) and the bottom of atmosphere (BOA) during dust and non-dust (dust free) days, and the corresponding heating rates and forcing efficiencies were also estimated. The SW (LW) ARF, therefore, produced significant cooling (warming) effects at both the TOA and the BOA over Beijing.

Shifts in vegetation growth in response to multiple factors on the Mongolian Plateau from 1982 to 2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miao, Lijuan; Liu, Qiang; Fraser, Richard; He, Bin; Cui, Xuefeng

The Mongolian Plateau (MP) steppe is one of the largest steppe environments in the world. To monitor the terrestrial vegetation dynamics on the MP and to ascertain what the driving forces, this study examined the vegetation dynamics in Republic of Mongolia (M) and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IM) of China from the period 1982 to 2011, based on the satellite-derived GIMMS NDVI3g (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) data across three biomes (desert, grassland and forest). The results are as followed: (1) Vegetation coverage in IM was generally greater than that in M. Before 2002, time series of NDVI over the MP increased at an average rate of 0.05% yr-1. Additionally, after 2002, the NDVI increased at a rate of 0.21% yr-1. From 1982 to 2011, the area of IM and M with positive anomalies in the NDVI increased at a separate rate of 1.82% yr-1 and 1.76% yr-1, respectively. (2) At the biome scale, the inter-annual forest NDVI variation in IM and desert NDVI for the entire MP had a significant increasing trend (0.06% yr-1 and 0.04% yr-1, respectively). (3) Climate forcing was a dominant controlling factor affecting the vegetation, and the anthropogenic behavior exhibited no significant value in the whole region. However, overgrazing was the most important reason for the regional degradation, particularly in IM. (4) In the future, the forest biome will go to recovery, whereas both the grassland and desert biomes are predicted to degrade continuously.

Characteristics of aerosol and meteorological parameters during major dust storm events (2005 - 2010) over Beijing, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Sheng; Cao, Chunxiang; Singh, Ramesh

Multi satellite sensors are capable in monitoring dust storm, its path and changes in atmospheric parameters. The present paper discusses aerosol optical properties and meteorological parameters during major dust storm events (2005-2010) over Beijing, China. The back trajectory model shows that the dust is transported from the Inner Mongolia and Mongolia to Beijing. High aerosol optical depth (AOD) and low Ångström exponent (AE) values are observed during dusty days, the average AOD (675 nm) and AE (440-870 nm) during dusty days are 2.33 and 0.06, respectively. The aerosol size distribution (ASD) in coarse mode shows a large increase in the volume during dusty days. The single scattering albedo (SSA) increases with higher wavelength on dusty days, and higher compared to non-dusty days, indicating the presence of high scattering particles due to dust storm events. Characteristics of particles during dusty and non-dusty days are also supported by the real and imaginary parts of refractive index (RI). High air pollution index (API) during dusty days represent poor air quality is a serious health hazard at the time of dust events. The CO volume mixing ratio (COVMR) from Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) shows decrease on the ground on dusty days, while the relative humidity (RH) and H _{2}0 mass mixing ratio (H _{2}OMMR) enhance. In addition, due to the dust storm in 2005, enhanced level of water vapor (WV) using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data is observed in and around Beijing over the dust storms track.

Regional risk assessment approaches to land planning for industrial polluted areas in China: the Hulunbeier region case study.

PubMed

Li, Daiqing; Zhang, Chen; Pizzol, Lisa; Critto, Andrea; Zhang, Haibo; Lv, Shihai; Marcomini, Antonio

2014-04-01

The rapid industrial development and urbanization processes that occurred in China over the past 30years has increased dramatically the consumption of natural resources and raw materials, thus exacerbating the human pressure on environmental ecosystems. In result, large scale environmental pollution of soil, natural waters and urban air were recorded. The development of effective industrial planning to support regional sustainable economy development has become an issue of serious concern for local authorities which need to select safe sites for new industrial settlements (i.e. industrial plants) according to assessment approaches considering cumulative impacts, synergistic pollution effects and risks of accidental releases. In order to support decision makers in the development of efficient and effective regional land-use plans encompassing the identification of suitable areas for new industrial settlements and areas in need of intervention measures, this study provides a spatial regional risk assessment methodology which integrates relative risk assessment (RRA) and socio-economic assessment (SEA) and makes use of spatial analysis (GIS) methodologies and multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) techniques. The proposed methodology was applied to the Chinese region of Hulunbeier which is located in eastern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, adjacent to the Republic of Mongolia. The application results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed methodology in the identification of the most hazardous and risky industrial settlements, the most vulnerable regional receptors and the regional districts which resulted to be the most relevant for intervention measures since they are characterized by high regional risk and excellent socio-economic development conditions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment and comparison of three high-aluminum fly ash utilization scenarios in Inner Mongolia, China using an eco-efficiency indicator.

PubMed

Yang, Shuo; Lin, Ling; Li, Shao Peng; Li, Qiang; Wang, Xiu Teng; Sun, Liang

2017-05-01

Utilization of fly ash is of great importance in China in the context of resource and environmental crises. Different fly ash utilization processes are proposed, and some have been practically applied. However, none of these fly ash utilization pathways has been evaluated comprehensively by integrating both environmental and economic perspectives. In this study, three high-aluminum fly ash utilization methods in Mongolia were assessed and compared based on the concept of eco-efficiency. The environmental assessment was conducted in accordance with life-cycle assessment principles, and a monetization-weighting approach was applied to obtain social willingness-to-pay as a reflection of environmental impact. The environmental assessment results revealed that the reuse of fly ash had significant advantage for saving primary resource, while solid waste, depletion of water, and global warming were the three highest environmental impacts from the life cycle perspective. The economic performance assessment showed positive net profits for fly ash utilization, but high value-added products were not necessarily indicative of better economic performance due to the relatively high operation cost. Comparison of the eco-efficiency indicators (EEIs) implied that the process of scenario 1#, which produced mullite ceramic and active calcium silicate, was the most recommended out of the three scenarios on the present scale. This judgment was consistent with the evaluation of the resource utilization rate. The present study showed that the EEI could be used to compare different fly ash utilization processes in a comprehensive and objective manner, thus providing definitive and insightful suggestions for decision-making and technical improvement.

Effects of grazing on spatiotemporal variations in community structure and ecosystem function on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Su, Rina; Cheng, Junhui; Chen, Dima; Bai, Yongfei; Jin, Hua; Chao, Lumengqiqige; Wang, Zhijun; Li, Junqing

2017-02-28

Grasslands worldwide are suffering from overgrazing, which greatly alters plant community structure and ecosystem functioning. However, the general effects of grazing on community structure and ecosystem function at spatial and temporal scales has rarely been examined synchronously in the same grassland. Here, during 2011-2013, we investigated community structure (cover, height, and species richness) and aboveground biomass (AGB) using 250 paired field sites (grazed vs. fenced) across three vegetation types (meadow, typical, and desert steppes) on the Inner Mongolian Plateau. Grazing, vegetation type, and year all had significant effects on cover, height, species richness, and AGB, although the primary factor influencing variations in these variables was vegetation type. Spatially, grazing significantly reduced the measured variables in meadow and typical steppes, whereas no changes were observed in desert steppe. Temporally, both linear and quadratic relationships were detected between growing season precipitation and cover, height, richness, or AGB, although specific relationships varied among observation years and grazing treatments. In each vegetation type, the observed community properties were significantly correlated with each other, and the shape of the relationship was unaffected by grazing treatment. These findings indicate that vegetation type is the most important factor to be considered in grazing management for this semi-arid grassland.

[Variation of CAG repeats in coding region of ATXN2 gene in different ethnic groups].

PubMed

Chen, Xiao-Chen; Sun, Hao; Mi, Dong-Qing; Huang, Xiao-Qin; Lin, Ke-Qin; Yi, Wen; Yu, Liang; Shi, Lei; Shi, Li; Yang, Zhao-Qing; Chu, Jia-You

2011-04-01

Toinvestigate CAG repeats variation of ATXN2 gene coding region in six ethnic groups that live in comparatively different environments, to evaluate whether these variations are under positive selection, and to find factors driving selection effects, 291 unrelated healthy individuals were collected from six ethnic groups and their STR geneotyping was performed. The frequencies of alleles and genotypes were counted and thereby Slatkin's linearized Fst values were calculated. The UPGMA tree against this gene was constructed. The MDS analysis among these groups was carried out as well. The results from the linearized Fst values indicated that there were significant evolutionary differences of the STR in ATXN2 gene between Hui and Yi groups, but not among the other 4 groups. Further analysis was performed by combining our data with published data obtained from other groups. These results indicated that there were significant differences between Japanese and other groups including Hui, Hani, Yunnan Mongolian, and Inner Mongolian. Both Hui and Mongolian from Inner Mongolia were significantly different from Han. In conclusion, the six ethnic groups had their own distribution characterizations of allelic frequencies of ATXN2 STR, and the potential cause of frequency changes in rare alleles could be the consequence of positive selection.

Combined effects of family history of CVD and heart rate on ischemic stroke incidence among Inner Mongolians in China.

PubMed

Zhou, Yipeng; Tian, Yunfan; Zhong, Chongke; Batu, Buren; Xu, Tian; Li, Hongmei; Zhang, Mingzhi; Wang, Aili; Zhang, Yonghong

2016-05-01

This study aimed to evaluate the combined effects of family history of cardiovascular diseases (FHCVD) and heart rate on ischemic stroke incidence among Inner Mongolians in China. A prospective cohort study was conducted among 2589 participants aged 20 years and older from Inner Mongolia, China. The participants were divided into four groups according to status of FHCVD and heart rate and followed up from June 2002 to July 2012. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the combined effects of FHCVD and heart rate on the incidence of ischemic stroke. A total of 76 ischemic stroke occurred during the follow-up period. The observed ischemic stroke cases tended to be older and male, and had higher prevalence of smoking, drinking, hypertension and FHCVD as well as higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures at baseline compared with those who did not experience ischemic stroke. Age- and gender-adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of ischemic stroke in the participants with both FHCVD and heart rate ≥ 80 were 2.89 (1.51-5.53), compared with those without FHCVD and heart rate < 80. After multiple adjustment, the association between ischemic stroke risk and both FHCVD and heart rate ≥ 80 remained statistically significant (hazard ratio, 2.47; 95% confidence interval: 1.22-5.01). Our main finding that participants with both FHCVD and faster heart rate have the highest risk of ischemic stroke suggests that faster heart rate may increase the risk of ischemic stroke among people with FHCVD.

The role of development of photovoltaics for Mongolia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Enebish, N.; Agchbayar, D.; Baatarkhuu, M.

1994-12-31

This paper describes an assessment of the potential applications of photovoltaic technology in Mongolia. Socio-economic conditions of the pastoral culture are described and it is shown that the photovoltaic system is the most suitable source of electricity and has potential for wide application. One application identified is for powering communications systems for herdspeople and other decentralized communities of Mongolian rural areas. Some strategies for the future development and application of photovoltaic systems in Mongolia are discussed.

Employment Creation of Shale Gas Investment in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xuecheng; Zhang, Baosheng; Wu, Meiling; Li, Xiang; Lin, Yuying

2018-01-01

An ambitious shale gas extraction plan has been proposed. The huge investment of shale gas may put an effect on the whole China’s economy, especially for employment. However, there is few study to date has quantified these effects. The aim of this paper is to quantify these effects especially employment creation and figures out whether shale gas investment in China is a good choice or not. Input-output analysis has been utilized in this study to estimate the employment creation in four different Chinese regions. Our findings show that shale gas investment will result in creating 660000, 370000, 140000 and 58000 equivalent jobs in Sichuan, Chongqing, Inner Mongolia and Guizhou, respectively. Considering the potential risks of environmental issues, we suggest that it may be a better strategy for the government, at least in the current situation, to slow down shale gas development investment.

Mirolydidae, a new family of Jurassic pamphilioid sawfly (Hymenoptera) highlighting mosaic evolution of lower Hymenoptera.

PubMed

Wang, Mei; Rasnitsyn, Alexandr P; Yang, Zhongqi; Shih, Chungkun; Wang, Hongbin; Ren, Dong

2017-03-07

We describe Pamphilioidea: Mirolydidae Wang, Rasnitsyn et Ren, fam. n., containing Mirolyda hirta Wang, Rasnitsyn et Ren, gen. et sp. n., from the late Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China. The new taxon is characterized by unique forewing venation with the presence of forewing SC, 1-RS almost as long as 1-M, M + Cu straight, 2r-rs strongly reclival, and antenna with homonomous flagellum, revealing new and important details in antennal evolutionary transformations. Thus, M. hirta with a combination of primitive and more derived characters highlights its transitional state in the Pamphilioidea and complex mosaic evolution within Pamphilioidea in the late Middle Jurassic. The body of this species is densely covered with thin and long setae, suggesting its possible habit of visiting gymnosperm reproductive organs for pollen feeding and/or pollination during the late Middle Jurassic, much earlier than the appearance of angiosperm flowers.

Oldest Directly Dated Remains of Sheep in China

PubMed Central

Dodson, John; Dodson, Eoin; Banati, Richard; Li, Xiaoqiang; Atahan, Pia; Hu, Songmei; Middleton, Ryan J.; Zhou, Xinying; Nan, Sun

2014-01-01

The origins of domesticated sheep (Ovis sp.) in China remain unknown. Previous workers have speculated that sheep may have been present in China up to 7000 years ago, however many claims are based on associations with archaeological material rather than independent dates on sheep material. Here we present 7 radiocarbon dates on sheep bone from Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Shaanxi provinces. DNA analysis on one of the bones confirms it is Ovis sp. The oldest ages are about 4700 to 4400 BCE and are thus the oldest objectively dated Ovis material in eastern Asia. The graphitisised bone collagen had δ13C values indicating some millet was represented in the diet. This probably indicates sheep were in a domestic setting where millet was grown. The younger samples had δ13C values indicating that even more millet was in the diet, and this was likely related to changes in foddering practices PMID:25417648

Oldest Directly Dated Remains of Sheep in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dodson, John; Dodson, Eoin; Banati, Richard; Li, Xiaoqiang; Atahan, Pia; Hu, Songmei; Middleton, Ryan J.; Zhou, Xinying; Nan, Sun

2014-11-01

The origins of domesticated sheep (Ovis sp.) in China remain unknown. Previous workers have speculated that sheep may have been present in China up to 7000 years ago, however many claims are based on associations with archaeological material rather than independent dates on sheep material. Here we present 7 radiocarbon dates on sheep bone from Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Shaanxi provinces. DNA analysis on one of the bones confirms it is Ovis sp. The oldest ages are about 4700 to 4400 BCE and are thus the oldest objectively dated Ovis material in eastern Asia. The graphitisised bone collagen had δ13C values indicating some millet was represented in the diet. This probably indicates sheep were in a domestic setting where millet was grown. The younger samples had δ13C values indicating that even more millet was in the diet, and this was likely related to changes in foddering practices

Oldest directly dated remains of sheep in China.

PubMed

Dodson, John; Dodson, Eoin; Banati, Richard; Li, Xiaoqiang; Atahan, Pia; Hu, Songmei; Middleton, Ryan J; Zhou, Xinying; Nan, Sun

2014-11-24

The origins of domesticated sheep (Ovis sp.) in China remain unknown. Previous workers have speculated that sheep may have been present in China up to 7000 years ago, however many claims are based on associations with archaeological material rather than independent dates on sheep material. Here we present 7 radiocarbon dates on sheep bone from Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Shaanxi provinces. DNA analysis on one of the bones confirms it is Ovis sp. The oldest ages are about 4700 to 4400 BCE and are thus the oldest objectively dated Ovis material in eastern Asia. The graphitisised bone collagen had δ(13)C values indicating some millet was represented in the diet. This probably indicates sheep were in a domestic setting where millet was grown. The younger samples had δ(13)C values indicating that even more millet was in the diet, and this was likely related to changes in foddering practices.

Arsenic in Drinking Water—A Global Environmental Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaofen Wang, Joanna; Wai, Chien M.

2004-02-01

Arsenic contamination of groundwater is a global environmental problem affecting a large number of populations, especially in developing countries. The "blackfoot disease"that occurred in Taiwan more than half of a century ago was attributed to drinking arsenic-contaminated water from deep wells containing high concentrations of the trivalent arsenite species. Similar arsenic poisoning cases were reported later in Chinese Inner Mongolia, Bangladesh, and India—all related to drinking groundwater contaminated with arsenic. The maximum contaminant level (MCL) of arsenic in drinking water has been changed recently by the U.S. EPA from 50 ppb to 10 ppb; the compliance date is January 2006. This article summarizes documented global arsenic contamination problems, the regulatory controversy regarding MCL of arsenic in drinking water, and available technologies for removing arsenic from contaminated waters. Methods for analyzing total arsenic and arsenic species in water are also described.

[Change on the rate of children's finger metaphysics in the non-Kaschin-Beck disease areas of China].

PubMed

Gao, Mei; Liu, Yunqi; Zhou, Lingwang; Liu, Hui; Deng, Qing; Song, Jiucheng; Yu, Jun

2014-11-01

36 non-Kaschin-Beck disease villages in five provinces including Jilin, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia in the severe endemic areas of Kaschin-Beck disease (KBD) were selected. The aim of this project was to provide the basis showing these KBD villages had already eliminated the KBD. Fully digital versatile X-ray radiography systems(DR) was used to shoot children's right hand X-ray, in accordance with the "Kashin-Beck Disease Diagnosis Standard" (WS/T 207-2010) for diagnosis. Results indicated that children showing metaphyseal changes only appeared in 13 of the 36 villages, where the rate of change on metaphyseal was less than or equal to three percent. When KBD had been eliminated in a village, the rate of change on aged 7 to 12 children's metaphyseal would have been less than three percent.

[Microbial diversity of salt lakes in Badain Jaran desert].

PubMed

Li, Lu; Hao, Chunbo; Wang, Lihua; Pei, Lixin

2015-04-04

We characterized procaryotic biodiversity, community structure and the relationship between the community structure and environmental factors of salt lakes in Badain Jaran desert, Inner Mongolia, China. We constructed 16S rRNA gene clone libraries by molecular biology techniques to analyze the procaryotic phylogenetic relationships, and used R language to compare the community structure of haloalkalophiles in the salt lakes. Water in this region has a high salinity ranging from 165 to 397 g/L. The water is strongly alkaline with pH value above 10. The microbial diversity and community structure of the salt lakes are obviously different. The diversity of bacteria is more abundant than that of archaea. The main categories of bacteria in the samples are Gammaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Alphaproteobacteria, Firmicute and Verrucomicrobia, whereas all archaea only belong to Halobacteriaceae of Euryarchaeota. Salinity is the most important environmental factor influencing the bacterial community structure, whereas the archaea community structure was influenced comprehensively by multiple environmental factors.

Northern Hemisphere Autumn and Winter Climate Responses to Realistic Tibetan Plateau and Mongolia Snow Anomalies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Q.; Yao, Y.; Liu, S.

2017-12-01

The impact of the Eurasian snow cover extent (SCE) on the Northern Hemisphere (NH) circulation is first investigated by applying a lagged maximum covariance analysis (MCA) to monthly satellite-derived SCE and NCEP reanalysis data. Wintertime atmospheric signals significantly correlated with persistently autumn-early winter SCE anomalies are found in the leading two MCA modes. The first MCA mode indicates the effect of Eurasian snow cover anomalies on the Arctic Oscillation/North Atlantic Oscillation (AO/NAO). The second MCA mode links a persistent dipole of autumn and winter SCE anomalies over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and Mongolia with winter Pacific-North America (PNA)-like atmospheric variations. A modeling study further investigates atmospheric responses to above TP and Mongolia snow forcings using multiple ensemble transient integrations of the CAM4 and CLM4.0 models. Model boundary conditions are based on climatological sea ice extent (SIE) and sea surface temperature (SST), and satellite observations of SCE and snow water equivalent (SWE) over the TP and Mongolia from October to March in 1997/98 (heavy TP and light Mongolia snow) and 1984/85 (light TP and heavy Mongolia snow), with model derived SCE and SWE elsewhere. In various forcing experiments, the ensemble-mean difference between simulations with these two extreme snow states identifies local, distant, concurrent, and delayed climatic responses. The main atmospheric responses to a dipole of high TP and low Mongolia SCE persisting from October to March (versus the opposite extreme) are strong TP surface cooling, warming in the surrounding China and Mongolia region, and a winter positive PNA-like response. The localized response is maintained by persistent diabatic cooling or heating, and the remote PNA response results mainly from the increased horizontal eastward propagation of stationary Rossby wave energy due to persistent TP snow forcing and also a winter transient eddy feedback mechanism. With a less persistent dipole anomaly in autumn or winter only, local responses are similar depending on the specific anomalies, but the winter PNA-like response is nearly absent or noticeably reduced.

Mesothelioma in Mongolia: case report

PubMed Central

Damiran, Naransukh; Davaajav, Khishigtogtokh; Erdenebayar, Erdenechimeg; Gomboloi, Burmaa; Frank, Arthur L

2015-01-01

Background: More than 80% of cases of mesothelioma worldwide have a history of asbestos exposure. In Mongolia, workers in coal burning thermal power plants (TPP) have widely utilized asbestos as an insulation material. Methods: We describe the case of a 47-year-old woman diagnosed with a malignant pleural mesothelioma. She worked in a TPP in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia for 28 years. Results: A computer tomography (CT) scan showed a circumferential ring around her left lung, and tissues’ samples had a biphasic variant of mesothelioma with epithelioid and sarcomatoid components. Discussion: This is the first reported case of mesothelioma in Mongolia. We expect additional cases of mesothelioma, as well as other asbestos related diseases, will be identified in the future. In order to properly track asbestos related diseases in the country, we recommend the creation of an asbestos related disease registry. PMID:25582747

Juvenile crustal recycling in an accretionary orogen: Insights from contrasting Early Permian granites from central Inner Mongolia, North China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Lingling; Zhang, Xiaohui; Xue, Fuhong; Liu, Fulin

2016-11-01

Coeval high-K calc-alkaline to alkaline granites constitute important components of post-collisional to post-orogenic igneous suites in most orogenic belts of various ages on Earth and their genesis harbors a key to ascertaining critical geodynamic controls on continental crustal formation and differentiation. This zircon U-Pb dating and geochemical study documents three contrasting Early Permian granites from Erenhot of central Inner Mongolia, eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) and reveals concurrent high-K calc-alkaline to alkaline granite association derived from successive partial melting of distinct protoliths. The ca. 280 Ma Gancihuduge (GCG) pluton shows a calc-alkaline I-type character, with initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.7035 to 0.7039, εNd(t) of + 1.87 to + 4.70, zircon εHf(t) of + 8.0 to + 13.2 and δ18O from 7.4 to 8.7‰. The ca. 276 Ma Cailiwusu (CLS) pluton is magnesian and peraluminous, with initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.7036 to 0.7040, εNd(t) of + 1.9 to + 2.4, zircon εHf(t) of + 6.5 to + 12.1 and δ18O from 9.7 to 10.9‰. These features are consistent with partial melts of mixed sources composed of newly underplated meta-basaltic to -andesitic protoliths and variable supracrustal components, with distinctively higher proportion of the latter in the CLS pluton. By contrast, the ca. 279 Ma Kunduleng (KDL) suite exhibits an A-type magmatic affinity, with typical enrichment in alkalis, Ga, Zr, Nb and Y, εNd(t) of + 2.39 to + 3.55, zircon εHf(t) from + 8.3 to + 12.3 and δ18O values from 6.8 to 7.5‰. These features suggest that they stem from high-temperature fusion of dehydrated K-rich mafic to intermediate protoliths. Besides presenting a snapshot into a stratified crustal architecture in δ18O, these contrasting granites could not only serve as a temporal marker for monitoring post-collisional extension in the aftermath of a retreating subduction zone, but also present spatial magmatic proxy for tracing crustal formation and differentiation within back-arc basin environments in the CAOB.

Distribution of human leukocyte antigen alleles and haplotypes in Oroqen and Ewenki nationality minority in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China.

PubMed

Zhang, H B; Wei, S G; Zheng, H B; Yu, B; Lai, J H

2010-10-01

The frequencies of the human leukocyte antigen alleles HLA-A,-B, DRB1 and the A-B, A-DRB1, B-DRB1, A-B-DRB1 haplotypes were investigated through means of PCR-based reverse line-strip sequence specific oligonucleotide hybridization on 108 Oroqen and 104 Ewenki nationality unrelated healthy individuals from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. A total of thirteen different HLA-A alleles, 21 different HLA-B alleles and 13 different HLA-DRB1 alleles were detected in the Oroqen ethnic group and the most frequent HLA alleles found were A*24(35.65%), B*15(17.92%), and DRB1*09(17.59%), respectively. The common HLA-A-B-DRB1 haplotypes were A*24-B*40-DRB1*09(5.09%), A*24-B*48-DRB1*12(2.78%) and A*24-B*51-DRB1*04(2.78%); and the HLA-A*33-B*58, A*30-B*13, A*01-B*37, A*33-DRB1*03, A*01-DRB1*10, A*30-DRB1*07, B*37-DRB1*10, B*58-DRB1*03, B*38-DRB1*08, B*13-DRB1*07 were significant positive linkage disequilibrium in the Oroqen nationality group. In total, 14 different HLA-A alleles, 27 B alleles and 12 DRB1 alleles were found in Ewenki nationality group, and the most frequent HLA alleles found were A*24(24.49%), B*40(17.35%), and DRB1*04(14.80%), respectively. The common HLA-A-B-DRB1 haplotypes were A*33-B*58-DRB1*03(6.25%), A*01-B*51-DRB1*11(2.88%) and A*24-B*40-DRB1*09(2.88%); the HLA-A*33-B*58, A*29-B*44, A*03-B*52, A*33-DRB1*03, A*29-DRB1*07, A*24-DRB1*09, B*58-DRB1*03, B*08-DRB1*03, B*46-DRB1*09 were significant positive linkage disequilibrium in Ewenki nationality group. The distribution of HLA A,-B, DRB1, alleles haplotypes frequencies and phylogenetic tree indicated that the Oroqen and Ewenki population groups belongs to northern group of China, together as a group cluster. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Parabolic dune development modes according to shape at the southern fringes of the Hobq Desert, Inner Mongolia, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, Chao; Hasi, Eerdun; Zhang, Ping; Tao, Binbin; Liu, Dan; Zhou, Yanguang

2017-10-01

Since the 1970s, parabolic dunes at the southern fringe of the Hobq Desert, Inner Mongolia, China have exhibited many different shapes (V-shaped, U-shaped, and palmate) each with a unique mode of development. In the study area, parabolic dunes are mainly distributed in Regions A, B, and C with an intermittent river running from the south to the north. We used high-resolution remote-sensing images from 1970 to 2014 and RTK-GPS measurements to study the development modes of different dune shapes; the modes are characterized by the relationship between the intermittent river and dunes, formation of the incipient dune patterns, the predominant source supply of dunes, and the primary formation of different shapes (V-shaped, U-shaped, and palmate). Most parabolic dunes in Region A are V-shaped and closer to the bank of the river. The original barchans in this region exhibit "disconnected arms" behavior. With the sand blown out of the riverbed through gullies, the nebkhas on the disconnected arms acquire the external sand source through the "fertile island effect", thereby developing into triangular sand patches and further developing into V-shaped parabolic dunes. Most parabolic dunes in Regions B and C are palmate. The residual dunes cut by the re-channelization of river from transverse dune fields on the west bank are the main sand source of Region B. The parabolic dunes in Region C are the original barchans having then been transformed. The stoss slopes of V-shaped parabolic dunes along the riverbank are gradual and the dunes are flat in shape. The dune crest of V-shaped parabolic dune is the deposition area, which forms the "arc-shaped sand ridge". Their two arms are non-parallel; the lateral airflow of the arms jointly transport sand to the middle part of dunes, resulting in a narrower triangle that gradually becomes V-shaped. Palmate parabolic dunes have a steeper stoss slope and height. The dune crest of the palmate parabolic dune is the erosion area, which forms a long and narrow trough between nebkhas by the "funnelling effect". This process forces sand towards lee slopes, which transform from concave (original barchans) into convex, ultimately resulting in the formation of palmate parabolic dunes.

Abundances and distribution of minerals and elements in high-alumina coal fly ash from the Jungar Power Plant, Inner Mongolia, China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dai, S.; Zhao, L.; Peng, S.; Chou, C.-L.; Wang, X.; Zhang, Y.; Li, D.; Sun, Y.

2010-01-01

The fly ash from the Jungar Power Plant, Inner Mongolia, China, is unique because it is highly enriched in alumina (Al2O3>50%). The fly ash mainly consists of amorphous glass and mullite and trace amounts of corundum, quartz, char, calcite, K-feldspar, clay minerals, and Fe-bearing minerals. The mullite content in fly ash is as high as 37.4% because of high boehmite and kaolinite contents in feed coal. Corundum is a characteristic mineral formed during the combustion of boehmite-rich coal.Samples from the economizer were sieved into six size fractions (<120, 120-160, 160-300, 300-360, 360-500, and >500 mesh) and separated into magnetic, mullite+corundum+quartz (MCQ) and glass phases for mineralogical and chemical analysis. The corundum content increases but amorphous glass decreases with decreasing particle size. Fractions of small particle sizes are relatively high in mullite, probably because mullite was formed from fine clay mineral particles under high-temperature combustion condition. Similarly, fine corundum crystals formed in the boiler from boehmite in feed coal. The magnetic phase consists of hematite, magnetite, magnesioferrite, and MgFeAlO4 crystals. The MCQ phase is composed of 89% mullite, 6.1% corundum, 4.5% quartz, and 0.5% K-feldspar.Overall, the fly ash from the power plant is significantly enriched in Al2O3 with an average of 51.9%, but poor in SiO2, Fe2O3, CaO, MgO, Na2O, P2O5, and As. Arsenic, TiO2, Th, Al2O3, Bi, La, Ga, Ni, and V are high in mullite, and the magnetic matter is enriched in Fe2O3, CaO, MnO, TiO2, Cs, Co, As, Cd, Ba, Ni, Sb, MgO, Zn, and V. The remaining elements are high in the glass fraction. The concentration of K2O, Na2O, P2O5, Nb, Cr, Ta, U, W, Rb, and Ni do not clearly vary with particle size, while SiO2 and Hg decrease and the remaining elements clearly increase with decreasing particle size. ?? 2009 Elsevier B.V.

Isolation, preliminary characterization, and full-genome analyses of tick-borne encephalitis virus from Mongolia.

PubMed

Frey, Stefan; Mossbrugger, Ilona; Altantuul, Damdin; Battsetseg, Jigjav; Davaadorj, Rendoo; Tserennorov, Damdindorj; Buyanjargal, Tsoodol; Otgonbaatar, Dashdavaa; Zöller, Lothar; Speck, Stephanie; Wölfel, Roman; Dobler, Gerhard; Essbauer, Sandra

2012-12-01

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) causes one of the most important inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system, namely severe encephalitis in Europe and Asia. Since the 1980s tick-borne encephalitis is known in Mongolia with increasing numbers of human cases reported during the last years. So far, however, data on TBEV strains are still sparse. We herein report the isolation of a TBEV strain from Ixodes persulcatus ticks collected in Mongolia in 2010. Phylogenetic analysis of the E-gene classified this isolate as Siberian subtype of TBEV. The Mongolian TBEV strain showed differences in virus titers, plaque sizes, and growth properties in two human neuronal cell-lines. In addition, the 10,242 nucleotide long open-reading frame and the corresponding polyprotein sequence were revealed. The isolate grouped in the genetic subclade of the Siberian subtype. The strain Zausaev (AF527415) and Vasilchenko (AF069066) had 97 and 94 % identity on the nucleotide level. In summary, we herein describe first detailed data regarding TBEV from Mongolia. Further investigations of TBEV in Mongolia and adjacent areas are needed to understand the intricate dispersal of this virus.

Distance learning for maternal and child health nurses and midwives in Mongolia: a qualitative evaluation.

PubMed

Willott, C; Sakashita, R; Gendenjamts, E; Yoshino, Y

2018-03-23

Continuing education is vital for the development of the competencies of nurses and midwives. We analysed the effectiveness of a distance education programme for maternal and child health nurses and midwives in Mongolia, assessing its strengths and limitations and ways in which it could be improved. The aim of this research is to provide an analysis of the successes and failures of the programme, in order to improve future versions of this and similar programmes in Mongolia and elsewhere. We carried out a qualitative descriptive study in Mongolia in August 2015. This consisted of three semi-structured interviews and two focus groups in the Second National Hospital, Ulaanbaatar, and three semi-structured interviews and one focus group in Dornogovi Provincial Maternal Hospital, Sainshand, Dornogovi Province. In total, there were 22 participants in our research. Data from the interviews and focus groups were thematically coded and analysed using NVivo version 10. The distance education programme is well received by participants. They suggest that it has improved their clinical practice and education in a number of areas, and are anxious for the programme to continue. A number of alterations would be necessary to improve both the quality of the programme and the ability of participants to foster change on the basis of what they have learnt. This provides challenges for both the programme organizers and the providers of maternal and child health services in Mongolia. The success of the distance education programme suggests that collaborations of this type are a cost-effective method of disseminating best practice in policy and practice to improve the quality of care provided to mothers and children in low-resource settings. A distance education programme is vital to link maternal care providers in Mongolia to new trends in care. Mongolia's relative isolation means that this programme is particularly valuable there. However, the programme could work equally well in other developing country settings. © 2018 International Council of Nurses.

Surgical and Teaching Mission to Mongolia: Experience and Lessons.

PubMed

Haranhalli, Neil; Gelfand, Yaroslav; Abramowicz, Apolonia E; Siyez, Abai; Elahi, Ebby; Yassari, Reza

2017-06-01

For decades, the disparity in medical care across the world along with the fundamental essence of medicine as service has laid the foundation for the global medical mission. Mongolia, a country often overlooked as an area in need of medical aid, harbors a fertile environment for long-term change. In the last 15-20 years, after the fall of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Mongolia has turned to a free-market healthcare model and has been struggling with the transition from the formally state-run system. These changes have slowed the original progress noted among surgical specialties, namely neurosurgery, in Mongolia. A lack of resources, a desire for international interaction, and a need for technical mentorship remain a real struggle for local neurosurgeons. Under the auspices of the Virtue Foundation (www.virtuefoundation.org), we report on our 3-year experiences during our surgical and teaching mission to Mongolia and look towards long-term improvements in Mongolian neurosurgery. A total of 15 operations were performed and more than 50 patients seen in clinic during the 3-year experience. Patients ranged from 1 to 77 years of age. No patients encountered any significant peri- or postoperative complications. In our experience with the surgical and teaching mission to Mongolia, when directed appropriately, medical missions can serve as the perfect medium in fostering that environment, providing local healthcare professionals with the knowledge, skills, and motivation to create self-sustaining improvement in their own country, hence promoting intellectual and technological advancement and raising the standard of care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dust modeling over East Asia during the summer of 2010 using the WRF-Chem model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, B.; Huang, J.; Chen, S.

2017-12-01

An intense summer dust storm over East Asia during June 24-27, 2010, was systematically analyzed using the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) and a variety of in situ measurements and satellite retrievals. The results showed that the WRF-Chem model captured the spatial and temporal distributions of meteorological factors and dust aerosols over East Asia. This summer dust storm was initiated by the approach of a transverse trough in the northwestern Xinjiang. Because of the passage of the cutoff-low, a large amount of cold air was transported southward and further enhanced in the narrow valleys of the Altai and Tianshan Mountains, which resulted in higher wind speeds and huge dust emissions over the Taklimakan Desert (TD). Dust emission fluxes over the TD were as high as 54 μg m-2 s-1 on June 25th. The dust aerosols from the TD then swept across Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Mongolia, and some were also transported eastward to Beijing, Tianjin, the Hebei region, and even South Korea and Japan. The simulations further showed that summer dust over East Asia exerts an important influence on the radiation budget in the Earth-atmosphere system. Dust heat the atmosphere at a maximum heating rate of 0.14 k day-1, effectively changing the vertical stability of the atmosphere and affecting climate change at regional and even global scales. The dust event-averaged direct radiative forcing induced by dust particles over the TD at all-sky was -6.0, -16.8 and 10.8 W m-2 at the top of the atmosphere, the surface, and in the atmosphere, respectively.

Study on Seismicity of Sino-Mongolia Arc Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Guangyin; Wang, Suyun

2016-04-01

Using the earthquake catalogue from China, Mongolia and the global catalogue, the uniform catalogue of North China, Mongolia and adjacent areas, which is within the region 80-130°E, 40-55°N, has been established by Institute of Geophysics, China Earthquake Administration and Research Center of Astronomy and Geophysics, Mongolian Academy of Science for the seismic hazard analysis and seismic zoning map of Mongolia according to the following principles. 1) Earthquakes, which just exist in one catalogue, need to be verified further. If the earthquakes occurred in the country where the catalog comes from, then they will be adopted. If not, it should be checked with other more data. 2) The events that come from the three data sources have be checked and verified as followings. (1) The parameters of earthquakes that occurred in China will be taken from China catalog. (2)The parameters of earthquakes that occurred in Mongolia will be taken from Mongolia catalog. (3) The parameters of earthquakes that occurred in the adjacent areas will be taken from the global catalog by Song et al. According to the uniform catalogue, the seismicity of the North China, Mongolia and adjacent areas is analyzed, and the conclusions as followings are made. 1) The epicenter map can be roughly divided into two parts, bounded by the longitude line 105°E , in accordance with the "North-South Seismic Belt" of China. The seismicity is in a high level with many strong earthquakes in the west and is in a low level with little strong events in the east. 2) Most earthquakes are shallow-focus events, but there are also several middle or deep-focus events in the study area. 3) Earthquakes with magnitude greater than 5 are basically complete since 1450 A.D., and the seismicity of the study areas is in a high level since 1700 A. 4) Two seismic belts, Altay seismic belt and Bolnay-Baikal seismic belt, are determined according to the epicenters and tectonics. 5) The b-values of magnitude - frequency relationship for the whole areas are between 0.6 and 0.7 based on the uniform catalogue, 0.677 for the Altay seismic belt and 0.699 for the Bolnay-Baikal seismic belt. KEY WORDS：Earthquake Catalogue, Seismicity, North China, Mongolia

Patterns and drivers of soil microbial communities in temperate grasslands on the Mongolian plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Y.; Hu, H.; Hao, B.; Liu, Y.; Chen, Y.; Ma, W.

2016-12-01

Soil microorganisms play key roles in regulating many important ecosystem processes. However, our understanding of the patterns and drivers of soil microbial communities at the regional scale remains limited. In this study, on the basis of phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis, we investigated large-scale patterns and drivers of soil microbial communities using data from 78 sites between two depths (0-10 cm and 10-20 cm) within three major grassland types (desert steppe, typical steppe, and meadow steppe) on the Mongolian Plateau. Our findings demonstrated that, at the regional scale, the total soil microbial biomass, fungal biomass, bacterial biomass, and actinomycete biomass in Inner Mongolian temperate grasslands were all positively associated with mean annual precipitation (MAP), soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (TN), C:N ratio, plant aboveground biomass (AGB), and plant species richness (SR), but negatively correlated with mean annual temperature (MAT), soil bulk density (BD), and soil pH in both depths, except actinomycete biomass with MAP and BD in 10-20 cm. A stepwise regression analysis revealed that soil microbial community variations in Inner Mongolian temperate grasslands were mainly explained by C : N ratio in 0-10 cm, but by SR (total soil microbial biomass, fungal biomass, and actinomycete biomass) and MAT (bacterial biomass) in 10-20 cm. Our findings strongly indicate that the dominant drivers of spatial variations in soil microbial communities between 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm in the Inner Mongolia grasslands are significantly different, with edaphic factors (e.g., C: N ratio) in 0-10 cm but climatic (e.g, MAT) and/or biotic (e.g, SR) in 10-20 cm.

Soil organic matter dynamics under different land use in grasslands in Inner Mongolia (northern China)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, L.; Wu, W.; Xu, X.; Xu, Y.

2014-09-01

We examined bulk soil properties and molecular biomarker distributions in surface soils from Inner Mongolian grasslands in order to understand the responses of soil organic matter to different land use. A total of 16 soils were collected from severely degraded grassland by overgrazing (DG), native grassland without apparent anthropogenic disturbance (NG), groundwater-sustaining grassland (GG) and restored grassland from previous potato cropland (RG). Compared to NG, soil organic carbon content was lower by 50% in DG, but higher by six-fold in GG and one-fold in RG. The δ13C values of soil organic carbon were -24.2 ± 0.6‰ in DG, -24.9 ± 0.6‰ in NG, -25.1 ± 0.1‰ in RG and -26.2 ± 0.6‰ in GG, reflecting different degradation degrees of soil organic matter or different water use efficiencies. The soils in DG contained the lowest abundance of aliphatic lipids (n-alkanes, n-alkanols, n-alkanoic acids, ω-hydroxylalkanoic acids and α-hydroxyalkanoic acids) and lignin-phenols, suggesting selective removal of these biochemically recalcitrant biomarkers with grassland degradation by microbial respiration or wind erosion. Compared to NG, the soils in GG and RG increased ω-hydroxylalkanoic acids by 60-70%, a biomarker for suberin from roots, and increased α-hydroxylalkanoic acids by 10-20%, a biomarker for both cutin and suberin. Our results demonstrate that the groundwater supply and cultivation-restoration practices in Inner Mongolian grasslands not only enhance soil organic carbon sequestration, but also change the proportions of shoot- versus root-derived carbon in soils. This finding has important implications for the global carbon cycle since root-derived aliphatic carbon has a longer residence time than the aboveground tissue-derived carbon in soils.

Snowstorm Along the China-Mongolia-Russia Borders

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

Heavy snowfall on March 12, 2004, across north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Mongolia and Russia, caused train and highway traffic to stop for several days along the Russia-China border. This pair of images from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) highlights the snow and surface properties across the region on March 13. The left-hand image is a multi-spectral false-color view made from the near-infrared, red, and green bands of MISR's vertical-viewing (nadir) camera. The right-hand image is a multi-angle false-color view made from the red band data of the 46-degree aftward camera, the nadir camera, and the 46-degree forward camera.

About midway between the frozen expanse of China's Hulun Nur Lake (along the right-hand edge of the images) and Russia's Torey Lakes (above image center) is a dark linear feature that corresponds with the China-Mongolia border. In the upper portion of the images, many small plumes of black smoke rise from coal and wood fires and blow toward the southeast over the frozen lakes and snow-covered grasslands. Along the upper left-hand portion of the images, in Russia's Yablonovyy mountain range and the Onon River Valley, the terrain becomes more hilly and forested. In the nadir image, vegetation appears in shades of red, owing to its high near-infrared reflectivity. In the multi-angle composite, open-canopy forested areas are indicated by green hues. Since this is a multi-angle composite, the green color arises not from the color of the leaves but from the architecture of the surface cover. The green areas appear brighter at the nadir angle than at the oblique angles because more of the snow-covered surface in the gaps between the trees is visible. Color variations in the multi-angle composite also indicate angular reflectance properties for areas covered by snow and ice. The light blue color of the frozen lakes is due to the increased forward scattering of smooth ice, and light orange colors indicate rougher ice or snow, which scatters more light in the backward direction.

The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire Earth between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 22525. The panels cover an area of about 355 kilometers x 380 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 50 to 52 within World Reference System-2 path 126.

MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology.

Regulating the for-profit private healthcare providers towards universal health coverage: A qualitative study of legal and organizational framework in Mongolia.

PubMed

Tsevelvaanchig, Uranchimeg; Narula, Indermohan S; Gouda, Hebe; Hill, Peter S

2018-01-01

Regulating the behavior of private providers in the context of mixed health systems has become increasingly important and challenging in many developing countries moving towards universal health coverage including Mongolia. This study examines the current regulatory architecture for private healthcare in Mongolia exploring its role for improving accessibility, affordability, and quality of private care and identifies gaps in policy design and implementation. Qualitative research methods were used including documentary review, analysis, and in-depth interviews with 45 representatives of key actors involved in and affected by regulations in Mongolia's mixed health system, along with long-term participant observation. There has been extensive legal documentation developed regulating private healthcare, with specific organizations assigned to conduct health regulations and inspections. However, the regulatory architecture for healthcare in Mongolia is not optimally designed to improve affordability and quality of private care. This is not limited only to private care: important regulatory functions targeted to quality of care do not exist at the national level. The imprecise content and details of regulations in laws inviting increased political interference, governance issues, unclear roles, and responsibilities of different government regulatory bodies have contributed to failures in implementation of existing regulations. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[Detection of leptospirosis infection in certain wild and domestic animals in Mongolia].

PubMed

Anan'ina, Iu V; Korenberg, E I; Tserennorov, D; Savel'eva, O V; Batjav, D; Otgonbaatar, D; Enkhbold, N; Tsend, E; Erdenechimeg, B

2011-01-01

Serological examination for leptospirosis of domestic and certain species of wild animals in Mongolia. Collection of material from domestic and wild animals was performed in 2009--2010 in 7 aimags (regions) of Eastern, Central and Southern Mongolia. Serological study of filter paper dried blood samples obtained from 51 specimens of cattle and small cattle, camels, and 545 specimens of rodents of various species was performed in microagglutination reaction (MAR) of leptospirae with 13 reference strains. There is a presence in certain regions of Mongolia of anthropurgic loci of leptospirosis infection including arid zones where ecological conditions do not favor the development of epizootic process. The results of the study indicate the epizootic significance of Tarassovi serogroup leptospirae in cattle and Sejroe serogroup (probably hardjo serovar) in goats, sheep and camels. Results of serological studies of desert and steppe specimens of wild fauna of Mongolia suggest a possibility of circulation of leptospirae in natural foci. Detection in a significant percent of cases in tarbagan and long tailed ground squirrel blood sera of agglutinins to Pomona (mozdok) leptospirae with negative MAR results for Pomona (pomona) strain suggests a presence of a pathogen of a previously unknown serovar. However final conclusion could be made only after the isolation of cultures of the pathogen and their identification.

The Ordinariness of Youth Linguascapes in Mongolia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dovchin, Sender

2017-01-01

Drawing on varied offline and online contexts, this article indicates that youth linguistic diversity in contemporary Mongolia is better understood from the perspective of "the ordinariness of linguascapes." The notion of "linguascapes" is important in capturing the rising complexity of youth mixed language practices…

Analysis of dust storms observed in Mongolia during 1937-1999

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Natsagdorj, L.; Jugder, D.; Chung, Y. S.

Climatology of dust storms in Mongolia is compiled based on observational data of 49 meteorological stations from 1960 to 1999 and compared them with data between 1937 and 1989. Three different maps of the distribution of dust storms, drifting dust and the number of dusty days are presented. The results of the analysis show that the number of days with dust storms is <5 days over the Altai, the Khangai and the Khentei mountainous regions and more than 20-37 days in the Gobi Desert and semi-desert area. The greatest occurrence of drifting dust arises around the Mongol Els area of west Mongolia. The number of dusty days, which is derived from the sum of the number of days with dust storms and drifting dust, is <10 days in the mountainous area and 61-127 days in the Gobi Desert and the Great Lakes hollow of west Mongolia. It is found that 61% of dust storms occur in the spring in Mongolia and a dust storm lasts on average from 3.1 to 6.0 h. About 65.5-91.0% of dust storms occur in daytime and 9.0-34.5% at night. Dust storms occur more frequently in the city region and are accompanied by surface wind speeds usually from 6 to 20 ms -1. Dust storms usually occur when soil and air are dry, and 70% of dust storms occur in dry soil conditions. When dust storms occur, relative humidity averages 20-40% in Mongolia. An important outcome of this study is the trend of dusty days between 1960 and 1999. It shows that the number of dusty days has tripled from the 1960s to 1990s and has decreased since 1990.

Who is bearing the financial burden of non-communicable diseases in Mongolia?

PubMed Central

Dugee, Otgontuya; Palam, Enkhtuya; Dorjsuren, Bayarsaikhan; Mahal, Ajay

2018-01-01

Background Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) pose a formidable health and development challenge for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, translating this challenge into resource allocation is seriously constrained by a lack of country specific evidence on NCD financing and its distributional implications. This study estimated expenditures associated with NCDs in Mongolia and their distributions across socioeconomic groups, focusing especially on private out-of-pocket (OOP) spending on the major NCDs. Methods Secondary data analysis of multiple data sources on NCD related health service use and expenditures including detailed administrative data, World Health Organization STEPwise approach to Surveillance (STEPs) survey for Mongolia, and household surveys. Sample-weighted estimates of OOP expenditures for NCDs were constructed using STEPs data. OOP payments per discharge and per outpatient visit were estimated by condition and type of service provider, and survey data on utilization, after adjusting for utilization in administrative records. Results NCDs in Mongolia accounted for more than one-third of total health expenditures in 2013. A significant fraction of this expenditure was borne by households in the form of OOP spending. CVD-related health spending is the major driver of NCD-spending in Mongolia, accounting for about 24.2% of total health expenditure. OOP health payments, largely driven by outpatient diagnostics and drugs, were incurred disproportionately by the better-off, seeking more specialist services and better quality private care. Conclusion A high share of OOP spending for NCDs in Mongolia, which ostensibly enjoys universal health coverage, provides a cautionary tale for LMICs in a similar situation. Improvement in the quality of services at the primary care level and rural health care facilities, where the poor mainly attend, is desirable together with an effective exemption policy for user fees at higher level hospitals. PMID:29564086

Adaptation measures to drought in Mongolian rangeland: The long-distant movement of people and livestock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kakinuma, K.; Kanae, S.

2015-12-01

Coping with droughts are one of the most important issues in arid and semi-arid regions. Mongolia, where are located in central Asia, are concerned the increase of droughts in the future (IPCC 2014). Mongolia has long history of livestock grazing. Herders have developed the mobile grazing systems to use spatiotemporal variable vegetation. Especially, they often take a rapid and long-distant movement to avoid drought condition ("otor" in Mongolia). The movement is a main adaptation measure to droughts for herders, and it would be applicable to other regions where will be increase the frequency of droughts in the future. However there are few knowledge about processes and actual conditions of the long-distant movement of herders and livestock across Mongolia. Therefore our objective is to discuss the long-distance movement as adaptation measures to droughts. Mongolia has a climatic gradient along the latitude; rainfall variability in southern regions are higher than that in northern regions. Previous theoretical studies predicted that rainfall variability affect the grazing strategies. Based on them, we established two hypotheses about the relationship between climatic variability and the form of long distant movement. (1) The long-distance movement likely occur in southern regions because the frequency of drought are higher in southern regions than in northern regions (2) Cooperation among herders, such as acceptance of livestock that from other prefectures, are likely occur in southern regions while exclusive management are likely occur in northern regions. We interviewed to local herders, decision makers about the long-distant movement, and investigated the number of livestock that across the border of prefectures in recent year across Mongolia. We will discuss long-distant movements as an adaptation measure to drought thorough these results.

Draft Genome Sequence of Leuconostoc mesenteroides 406 Isolated from the Traditional Fermented Mare Milk Airag in Tuv Aimag, Mongolia

PubMed Central

Toh, Hidehiro; Oshima, Kenshiro; Nakano, Akiyo; Hano, Chihiro; Yoshida, Saki; Nguyen, Tien Thi Thuy; Wulijideligen; Tashiro, Kosuke; Arakawa, Kensuke; Miyamoto, Taku

2016-01-01

Leuconostoc mesenteroides 406 was isolated from the traditional fermented mare milk airag in Tuv Aimag, Mongolia. This strain produces an antilisterial bacteriocin. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of this organism. PMID:27013047

Genetic and virulence characterization of classical swine fever viruses isolated in Mongolia from 2007 to 2015.

PubMed

Enkhbold, Bazarragchaa; Shatar, Munkhduuren; Wakamori, Shiho; Tamura, Tomokazu; Hiono, Takahiro; Matsuno, Keita; Okamatsu, Masatoshi; Umemura, Takashi; Damdinjav, Batchuluun; Sakoda, Yoshihiro

2017-06-01

Classical swine fever (CSF), a highly contagious viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs in many developing countries, is now considered endemic in Mongolia, with 14 recent outbreaks in 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015. For the first time, CSF viruses isolated from these 14 outbreaks were analyzed to assess their molecular epidemiology and pathogenicity in pigs. Based on the nucleotide sequences of their 5'-untranslated region, isolates were phylogenetically classified as either sub-genotypes 2.1b or 2.2, and the 2014 and 2015 isolates, which were classified as 2.1b, were closely related to isolates from China and Korea. In addition, at least three different viruses classified as 2.1b circulated in Mongolia. Experimental infection of the representative isolate in 2014 demonstrated moderate pathogenicity in 4-week-old pigs, with relatively mild clinical signs. Understanding the diversity of circulating CSF viruses gleans insight into disease dynamics and evolution, and may inform the design of effective CSF control strategies in Mongolia.

The Tsenkher Structure in the Gobi-Altai, Mongolia: Preliminary Results from the 2007 Expedition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komatsu, G.; Ormö, J.; Bayaraa, T.; Matsui, T.; Gereltsetseg, L.; Tserendug, S.; Goto, K.; Gomez-Ortiz, D.; Demberel, S.

2008-03-01

The 3.6-3.7 km Tsenkher structure located in Mongolia was proposed to be an impact crater. Volcanic hypotheses are not ruled out, but its uplifted rim, extensive breccia deposit, and rootless structure are consistent with an impact origin.

Tobacco smoking in Mongolia: findings of a national knowledge, attitudes and practices study.

PubMed

Demaio, Alessandro R; Nehme, Jessica; Otgontuya, Dugee; Meyrowitsch, Dan Wolf; Enkhtuya, Palam

2014-02-28

In 2009, 48% of males aged 15 or over in Mongolia consumed tobacco, placing Mongolia among the countries with the highest prevalence of male smokers in the world. Importantly, tobacco use is one of the four major risk factors contributing to the global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) - the leading cause of mortality in Mongolia. However, the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the Mongolian population with regards to smoking are largely unmeasured. In this context, a national NCDs knowledge, attitudes and practices survey focusing, among other things, on NCD risk factors was implemented in Mongolia in late 2010 to complement the previous WHO STEPwise approach to Surveillance Survey (STEPS) findings from 2009. This publication explores the smoking-related findings of the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Survey (KAPS). A nationally representative sample size was calculated using methodologies aligned with the WHO STEPS surveys. As a result, 3450 people from across Mongolia were selected using a multi-stage, random cluster sampling method from permanent residents aged between 15 and 64 years. The KAP survey questionnaire was interviewer-administered on a door-to-door basis. In Mongolia at 2010, 46.3% of males and 6.8% of females were smokers. This practice was especially dominant among males and urban dwellers (MOR 2.2), and more so among the middle-aged (45-54) (MOR 2.1) while still displaying a high prevalence among Mongolian youth (15.5%). The probability of smoking was independent of the level of education. Although the level of awareness of the health hazards related to tobacco smoking was generally very high in the population, this was influenced by the level of education as more people with a primary and secondary level of education believed that smoking at least one pack of cigarette per day was required to harm one's health (MOR 5.8 for primary education and 2.5 for secondary). Finally, this knowledge did not necessarily translate into a behavioural outcome as 15.5% of the population did not object to people smoking in their house, and especially so among males (MOR 4.1). The findings of this KAP survey corroborate the 2009 WHO STEPS Survey findings with regards to the prevalence of tobacco smoking in Mongolia. It identifies males, urban dwellers and Mongolian youth as groups that should be targeted by public health measures on tobacco consumption, while keeping in mind that higher levels of awareness of the harms caused by tobacco smoking do not necessarily translate into behavioural changes.

Environmental survey in the Tuul and Orkhon River basins of north-central Mongolia, 2010: metals and other elements in streambed sediment and floodplain soi

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brumbaugh, William G.; Tillitt, Donald E.; May, Thomas W.; Choijil, J.; Komov, T.V.

2013-01-01

Streambed sediment and subsurface floodplain soil were sampled for elemental analyses from 15 locations in river basins of north-central Mongolia during August 2010. Our primary objective was to conduct a reconnaissance-level assessment of potential inputs of toxicologically important metals and metalloids to Lake Baikal, Russia, that might originate from mining and urban activities within tributaries of the Selenga River in Mongolia. Samples were collected in triplicate from all sites, then dried, and sieved to <2 mm for analysis by portable X-ray florescence spectroscopy and by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after digestion with concentrated nitric and hydrochloric acids. Arsenic, copper, and mercury were greatly elevated in sediment and floodplain soil collected from tributary streams located near two major mining operations. Lead and zinc were moderately elevated in streambed sediment and in floodplain soil obtained from a small tributary in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, but those concentrations were considerably less than probable effects benchmarks. Historical and possibly present mining activities have led to considerable metal contamination in certain tributaries of the Orkhon River in north-central Mongolia; however, metals originating from those sources did not appear to be accumulating in sediments at our downstream-most sampling sites located near the border between Mongolia and Russia.

Assessment of the Effects of Severe Winter Disasters (Dzud) on Public Health in Mongolia on the Basis of Loss of Livestock.

PubMed

Otani, Shinji; Onishi, Kazunari; Kurozawa, Youichi; Kurosaki, Yasunori; Bat-Oyun, Tserenpurev; Shinoda, Masato; Mu, Haosheng

2016-08-01

Mongolia experienced one of its most severe natural winter disasters (dzud) in 2009-2010. It is difficult to accurately assess the risk of the effects of dzud on human lives and public health. This study aimed to evaluate the Mongolian public health risks of dzud by assessing livestock loss. We analyzed data from all 21 provinces and Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia and compared the changes in infant mortality (2009-2010) and the decline in the numbers of livestock (percentage change from the previous year), which included horses, cattle, camels, sheep, and goats (2009-2010) and/or meteorological data. We also evaluated the association among the trends in the infant mortality rate, the number of livestock, and foodstuff consumption throughout Mongolia (2001-2012). The change in the infant mortality rate was positively correlated with the rate of decreasing numbers of each type of livestock in 2010. Average temperature and total precipitation were not related to the change in the infant mortality rate. In the trend from 2001 to 2012, there was a significant positive correlation between the infant mortality rate and the number of livestock and the consumption of milk products. Loss of livestock and shortage of milk products leading to malnutrition might have affected public health as typified by infant mortality in Mongolia. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:549-552).

Characteristics and stability of mercury vapor adsorption over two kinds of modified semicoke.

PubMed

Huawei, Zhang; Xiuli, Liu; Li, Wang; Peng, Liang

2014-01-01

In an attempt to produce effective and lower price gaseous Hg(0) adsorbents, two methods of HCl and KMnO4/heat treatment were used respectively for the surface modification of liginite semicoke from inner Mongolia. The different effects of modification process on the surface physical and chemical properties were analyzed. The characteristics and stability of mercury vapor adsorption over two kinds of modified semicoke were investigated. The results indicated that modification process caused lower micropore quantity and volume capacity of semicoke; the C-Cl functional groups, C=O bond and delocalized electron π on the surface of Cl-SC, the amorphous higher valency Mn (x+) , and O=C-OH functional groups on the surface of Mn-H-SC were the active sites for oxidation and adsorption of gaseous Hg(0). Modification process led to higher mercury removal efficiency of semicoke at 140°C and reduced the stability of adsorbed mercury of semicoke in simulated water circumstance simultaneously.

Characteristics and Stability of Mercury Vapor Adsorption over Two Kinds of Modified Semicoke

PubMed Central

Huawei, Zhang; Xiuli, Liu; Li, Wang; Peng, Liang

2014-01-01

In an attempt to produce effective and lower price gaseous Hg0 adsorbents, two methods of HCl and KMnO4/heat treatment were used respectively for the surface modification of liginite semicoke from inner Mongolia. The different effects of modification process on the surface physical and chemical properties were analyzed. The characteristics and stability of mercury vapor adsorption over two kinds of modified semicoke were investigated. The results indicated that modification process caused lower micropore quantity and volume capacity of semicoke; the C-Cl functional groups, C=O bond and delocalized electron π on the surface of Cl-SC, the amorphous higher valency Mnx+, and O=C–OH functional groups on the surface of Mn-H-SC were the active sites for oxidation and adsorption of gaseous Hg0. Modification process led to higher mercury removal efficiency of semicoke at 140°C and reduced the stability of adsorbed mercury of semicoke in simulated water circumstance simultaneously. PMID:25309948

Acoustic, genetic and morphological variations within the katydid Gampsocleis sedakovii (Orthoptera, Tettigonioidea)

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xue; Wen, Ming; Li, Junjian; Zhu, Hui; Wang, Yinliang; Ren, Bingzhong

2015-01-01

Abstract In an attempt to explain the variation within this species and clarify the subspecies classification, an analysis of the genetic, calling songs, and morphological variations within the species Gampsocleis sedakovii is presented from Inner Mongolia, China. Recordings were compared of the male calling songs and analysis performed of selected acoustic variables. This analysis is combined with sequencing of mtDNA - COI and examination of morphological traits to perform cluster analyses. The trees constructed from different datasets were structurally similar, bisecting the six geographical populations studied. Based on two large branches in the analysis, the species Gampsocleis sedakovii was partitioned into two subspecies, Gampsocleis sedakovii sedakovii (Fischer von Waldheim, 1846) and Gampsocleis sedakovii obscura (Walker, 1869). Comparing all the traits, the individual of Elunchun (ELC) was the intermediate type in this species according to the acoustic, genetic, and morphological characteristics. This study provides evidence for insect acoustic signal divergence and the process of subspeciation. PMID:26692795

Transitional fossil earwigs--a missing link in Dermaptera evolution.

PubMed

Zhao, Jingxia; Zhao, Yunyun; Shih, Chungkun; Ren, Dong; Wang, Yongjie

2010-11-10

The Dermaptera belongs to a group of winged insects of uncertain relationship within Polyneoptera, which has expanded anal region and adds numerous anal veins in the hind wing. Evolutional history and origin of Dermaptera have been in contention. In this paper, we report two new fossil earwigs in a new family of Bellodermatidae fam. nov. The fossils were collected from the Jiulongshan Formation (Middle Jurassic) in Inner Mongolia, northeast China. This new family, characterized by an unexpected combination of primitive and derived characters, is bridging the missing link between suborders of Archidermaptera and Eodermaptera. Phylogenetic analyses support the new family to be a new clade at the base of previously defined Eodermaptera and to be a stem group of (Eodermaptera+Neodermaptera). Evolutional history and origin of Dermaptera have been in contention, with dramatically different viewpoints by contemporary authors. It is suggested that the oldest Dermaptera might possibly be traced back to the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic and they had divided into Archidermaptera and (Eodermaptera+Neodermaptera) in the Middle Jurassic.

CO2 Emissions Embodied in Interprovincial Electricity Transmissions in China.

PubMed

Qu, Shen; Liang, Sai; Xu, Ming

2017-09-19

Existing studies on the evaluation of CO 2 emissions due to electricity consumption in China are inaccurate and incomplete. This study uses a network approach to calculate CO 2 emissions of purchased electricity in Chinese provinces. The CO 2 emission factors of purchased electricity range from 265 g/kWh in Sichuan to 947 g/kWh in Inner Mongolia. We find that emission factors of purchased electricity in many provinces are quite different from the emission factors of electricity generation. This indicates the importance of the network approach in accurately reflecting embodied emissions. We also observe substantial variations of emissions factors of purchased electricity within subnational grids: the provincial emission factors deviate from the corresponding subnational-grid averages from -58% to 44%. This implies that using subnational-grid averages as required by Chinese government agencies can be quite inaccurate for reporting indirect CO 2 emissions of enterprises' purchased electricity. The network approach can improve the accuracy of the quantification of embodied emissions in purchased electricity and emission flows embodied in electricity transmission.

[Effects of climate and grazing on the vegetation cover change in Xilinguole League of Inner Mongolia, North China].

PubMed

Wang, Hai-Mei; Li, Zheng-Hai; Wang, Zhen

2013-01-01

Based on the monthly temperature and precipitation data of 15 meteorological stations and the statistical data of livestock density in Xilinguole League in 1981-2007, and by using ArcGIS, this paper analyzed the spatial distribution of the climate aridity and livestock density in the League, and in combining with the ten-day data of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in 1981-2007, the driving factors of the vegetation cover change in the League were discussed. In the study period, there was a satisfactory linear regression relationship between the climate aridity and the vegetation coverage. The NDVI and the livestock density had a favorable binomial regression relationship. With the increase of NDVI, the livestock density increased first and decreased then. The vegetation coverage had a complex linear relationship with livestock density and climate aridity. The NDVI had a positive correlation with climate aridity, but a negative correlation with livestock density. Compared with livestock density, climate aridity had far greater effects on the NDVI.

Provenance of aeolian sands in the Hetao Plain, northwestern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xingchen; Cai, Maotang; Ye, Peisheng; Ye, Mengni; Li, Chenglu; Wu, Hang; Lu, Jing; Wang, Tao; Zhao, Zhirong; Luzhou, Yangfan; Liu, Chao

2018-06-01

Patches of aeolian sand are distributed throughout the Hetao Plain, which pose threats to farming and agriculture. Identification of the provenance of the aeolian sands may help with efforts to alleviate ecological stress in Inner Mongolia and in the paleoenvironmental interpretation of sandy sequences. This study uses geochemical data to determine the provenance of aeolian sands from the Hetao Plain. Provenance discrimination diagrams revealed that the aeolian sands were mainly derived from mixed source felsic granites and granodiorites, which have undergone weak sedimentary recycling. The chemical index of alteration and A-CN-K data indicated that the aeolian sediments were transported over a short distance. Comparison of trace element and rare earth element (REE) ratios of the aeolian sands with rock samples from potential source areas has revealed that aeolian sand deposits in the Hetao Plain were mainly derived from Sertengshan and Yellow River sediments. The Langshan and Ordos Plateau may represent additional sand sources for the Hetao Plain.

Ecological stoichiometry of C, N and P on different time enclosed in desertification steppe soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, W. Z.; Jiao, Y.; Jia, Y. Q.

2017-08-01

It is the research object for the ecological stoichiometry of C, N and P on the different time of desertification grasslands enclosed and grazing grassland in Taibusi country of the Inner Mongolia, China. Through the measurement and analysis on ecological stoichiometric ratio of C, N and P in soil, the time of desertification grassland enclosed is determined. There are 13 soil of desertification grassland with different en-closure time, and 1 soil of grazing grassland. They are analyzed for the soil organic carbon, total nitro-gen, total phosphorus content and their density. The C/N of soil were increased with the extension of the time of desertification grassland enclosed. To 22 years enclosed, the C/N of grassland desertification soil enclosed is greater than the soil of grazing grassland that is 17. After the desertification grassland is en-closed, the C/N of soil is 13, and it is accumulated to maximum for C and N, and The grazing period is the best.

Draft Genome Sequence of Leuconostoc mesenteroides 406 Isolated from the Traditional Fermented Mare Milk Airag in Tuv Aimag, Mongolia.

PubMed

Morita, Hidetoshi; Toh, Hidehiro; Oshima, Kenshiro; Nakano, Akiyo; Hano, Chihiro; Yoshida, Saki; Nguyen, Tien Thi Thuy; Wulijideligen; Tashiro, Kosuke; Arakawa, Kensuke; Miyamoto, Taku

2016-03-24

Leuconostoc mesenteroides406 was isolated from the traditional fermented mare milk airag in Tuv Aimag, Mongolia. This strain produces an antilisterial bacteriocin. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of this organism. Copyright © 2016 Morita et al.

Draft Genome Sequence of Leuconostoc mesenteroides 213M0, Isolated from Traditional Fermented Mare Milk Airag in Bulgan Aimag, Mongolia

PubMed Central

Toh, Hidehiro; Oshima, Kenshiro; Nakano, Akiyo; Hano, Chihiro; Yoshida, Saki; Bolormaa, Tsognemekh; Burenjargal, Sedkhuu; Nguyen, Co Thi Kim; Tashiro, Kosuke; Arakawa, Kensuke; Miyamoto, Taku

2016-01-01

Leuconostoc mesenteroides 213M0 was isolated from traditional fermented mare milk airag in Bulgan Aimag, Mongolia. This strain produces a listericidal bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of this organism. PMID:27034488

New Chironomidae (Diptera) with elongate proboscises from the Late Jurassic of Mongolia

PubMed Central

Lukashevich, Elena D.; Przhiboro, Andrey A.

2011-01-01

Abstract Four new species of Chironomidae with well-developed elongate proboscises are described from a Late Jurassic site Shar Teg in SW Mongolia. These are named Cretaenne rasnicyni sp. n., Podonomius blepharis sp. n., Podonomius macromastix sp. n., ?Podonomius robustus sp. n. PMID:22259285

Online Medical Diagnosis and Training in Rural Mongolia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amarsaikhan, Dashtseren; Lkhagvasuren, Tserenkhuu; Oyun, Sanjaa; Batchuluun, Batpurev

2007-01-01

This article has two major objectives. Firstly, the need for distance education (DE) in Mongolia's health sector is examined. A project is reported with the general objective of initiating research, development, and experimentation in distance-based medical diagnosis and consultancy, and in DE for rural medical doctors using Internet-based…

Echinococcus species from red foxes, corsac foxes, and wolves in Mongolia.

PubMed

Ito, Akira; Chuluunbaatar, Gantigmaa; Yanagida, Tetsuya; Davaasuren, Anu; Sumiya, Battulga; Asakawa, Mitsuhiko; Ki, Toshiaki; Nakaya, Kazuhiro; Davaajav, Abmed; Dorjsuren, Temuulen; Nakao, Minoru; Sako, Yasuhito

2013-11-01

The small intestines of 420 wild canids (111 corsac foxes, 191 red foxes and 118 wolves) from Mongolia, were examined for adult worms of the genus Echinococcus. The Mongolian genotype of Echinococcus multilocularis was found in fifteen red foxes and four wolves, whereas two genotypes (G6/7 and G10) of Echinococcus canadensis were found in two and three wolves, respectively. No adult Echinococcus worms were found in the corsac foxes examined. The genotypes of E. multilocularis and E. canadensis are discussed in terms of host specificity and distribution in Mongolia. The importance of wolves in the completion of the life cycle of Echinococcus spp. is also discussed.

Effects of two Asian sand dusts transported from the dust source regions of Inner Mongolia and northeast China on murine lung eosinophilia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

He, Miao, E-mail: hemiao.cmu@gmail.com; Department of Health Sciences, Oita University of Nursing and Health Sciences, 870-1201 Oita; Ichinose, Takamichi, E-mail: ichinose@oita-nhs.ac.jp

The quality and quantity of toxic materials adsorbed onto Asian sand dust (ASD) are different based on dust source regions and passage routes. The aggravating effects of two ASDs (ASD1 and ASD2) transported from the source regions of Inner Mongolia and northeast China on lung eosinophilia were compared to clarify the role of toxic materials in ASD. The ASDs contained different amounts of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and β-glucan (ASD1 < ASD2) and SiO{sub 2} (ASD1 > ASD2). CD-1 mice were instilled intratracheally with ASD1, ASD2 and/or ovalbumin (OVA) four times at 2-week intervals. ASD1 and ASD2 enhanced eosinophil recruitment induced bymore » OVA in the submucosa of the airway, with goblet cell proliferation in the bronchial epithelium. ASD1 and ASD2 synergistically increased OVA-induced eosinophil-relevant cytokines interleukin-5 (IL-5), IL-13 (ASD1 < ASD2) and chemokine eotaxin (ASD1 > ASD2) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. ASD2 aggravating effects on lung eosinophilia were greater than ASD1. The role of LPS and β-glucan in ASD2 on the production of pro-inflammatory mediators was assessed using in vitro bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) from wild type, Toll-like receptor 2-deficient (TLR2 −/−), TLR4 −/−, and MyD88 −/− mice (on Balb/c background). ASD2-stimulated TLR2 −/− BMDMs enhanced IL-6, IL-12, TNF-α, MCP-1 and MIP-1α secretion compared with ASD2-stimulated TLR4 −/− BMDMs. Protein expression from ASD2-stimulated MyD88 −/− BMDM were very low or undetectable. The in vitro results indicate that lung eosinophilia caused by ASD is TLR4 dependent. Therefore, the aggravation of OVA-related lung eosinophilia by ASD may be dependent on toxic substances derived from microbes, such as LPS, rather than SiO{sub 2}. - Highlights: • Asian sand dust (ASD) from the deserts of China causes serious respiratory problems. • The aggravating effects of two ASDs on lung eosinophilia were compared. • The ASDs contained different LPS and β-glucan (ASD1 < ASD2) and SiO{sub 2} (ASD1 > ASD2). • The ASD2 aggravating effects on lung eosinophilia were greater than ASD1. • The aggravation of lung eosinophilia may be dependent on LPS in ASD, rather than SiO{sub 2}.« less

Geochronology, geochemistry, and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopes of the Zhunsujihua granitoid intrusions associated with the molybdenum deposit, northern Inner Mongolia, China: implications for petrogenesis and tectonic setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiaojun; Lentz, David R.; Yao, Chunliang; Liu, Rui; Yang, Zhen; Mei, Yanxiong; Fan, Xianwang; Huang, Fei; Qin, Ying; Zhang, Kun; Zhang, Zhenfei

2018-03-01

The Zhunsujihua porphyry molybdenum deposit, located in northern Inner Mongolia of China that belongs to Central-Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), is the only Mo deposit formed in the late Carboniferous in this area so far. Its mineralization is mainly restricted to the Zhunsujihua granitoid intrusions, which are composed of the main granodiorite (GD) and crosscutting, virtually coeval minor syn-ore leucogranite (LG) and diorite porphyry (DP) dykes. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating yields crystallization ages of 300.0 ± 2.0, 299.3 ± 2.0, and 299.0 ± 2.6 Ma for the GD, LG, and DP, respectively. The major and trace element lithogeochemical data show that the GD and LG are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous, high-K calc-alkaline series with I-type granite characteristics, strongly oxidized, with low concentrations of Ba, Nb, Sr, P, and Ti and elevated K and Rb contents, indicating typical arc magmatic features. The LG is a product derived by extensive fractional crystallization of a parental magma similar to the GD as evident from the lower Eu/Eu*, Nb/Ta, Zr/Hf, and T Zr. The moderately altered DP exhibits high concentrations of K, Rb, Cs, LREE, Y, and low Sr/Y, with a positive ɛ Nd (300 Ma), which indicates a mantle or juvenile source associated with an arc setting. The Sr-Nd-Hf isotope data show low I Sr (0.70406-0.70461) and moderate ɛ Nd (300 Ma) (-0.9 to 1.5) for the GD and LG, and relatively high ɛ Hf (300 Ma) values (-3.6 to +11.2) for the GD, suggesting the magma mainly originated from the juvenile lower crust that was derived from depleted mantle, with a minor component of ancient continental crust. Lead isotope data have characteristics of a lower crust source with minor contamination by upper crustal material. Combined with previous research, the Zhunsujihua granitoid intrusions developed in an intracontinental volcanic arc (Uliastai) associated with northward subduction of the Paleo-Asian Ocean plate during late Carboniferous to early Permian; this suggests that the subduction of Paleo Asian Ocean may have continued to late Carboniferous, and the Hengenshan basin is probably closed during the early Permian. Fractional crystallization is the main evolutionary process of the felsic magma, which has played an important role in the Mo mineralization. The coeval DP may have provided additional heat for the extended evolution of the crystallizing felsic magma chamber.

Study on Climate and Grassland Fire in HulunBuir, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China

PubMed Central

Liu, Meifang; Zhao, Jianjun; Guo, Xiaoyi; Zhang, Zhengxiang; Tan, Gang; Yang, Jihong

2017-01-01

Grassland fire is one of the most important disturbance factors of the natural ecosystem. Climate factors influence the occurrence and development of grassland fire. An analysis of the climate conditions of fire occurrence can form the basis for a study of the temporal and spatial variability of grassland fire. The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of monthly time scale climate factors on the occurrence of grassland fire in HulunBuir, located in the northeast of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China. Based on the logistic regression method, we used the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) active fire data products named thermal anomalies/fire daily L3 Global 1km (MOD14A1 (Terra) and MYD14A1 (Aqua)) and associated climate data for HulunBuir from 2000 to 2010, and established the model of grassland fire climate index. The results showed that monthly maximum temperature, monthly sunshine hours and monthly average wind speed were all positively correlated with the fire climate index; monthly precipitation, monthly average temperature, monthly average relative humidity, monthly minimum relative humidity and the number of days with monthly precipitation greater than or equal to 5 mm were all negatively correlated with the fire climate index. We used the active fire data from 2011 to 2014 to validate the fire climate index during this time period, and the validation result was good (Pearson’s correlation coefficient was 0.578), which showed that the fire climate index model was suitable for analyzing the occurrence of grassland fire in HulunBuir. Analyses were conducted on the temporal and spatial distribution of the fire climate index from January to December in the years 2011–2014; it could be seen that from March to May and from September to October, the fire climate index was higher, and that the fire climate index of the other months is relatively low. The zones with higher fire climate index are mainly distributed in Xin Barag Youqi, Xin Barag Zuoqi, Zalantun Shi, Oroqen Zizhiqi, and Molidawa Zizhiqi; the zones with medium fire climate index are mainly distributed in Chen Barag Qi, Ewenkizu Zizhiqi, Manzhouli Shi, and Arun Qi; and the zones with lower fire climate index are mainly distributed in Genhe Shi, Ergun city, Yakeshi Shi, and Hailar Shi. The results of this study will contribute to the quantitative assessment and management of early warning and forecasting for mid-to long-term grassland fire risk in HulunBuir. PMID:28304336

The Secret Driving Force Behind Mongolia’s Successful Democracy

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

and media representatives from Myanmar dur- ing a recent visit to Mongolia, I was asked many questions regarding issues that we take for granted. As...the head of the Mongolian- Myanmar parliamentary group, I extended my best wishes to the Myanmar people’s effort to reform their country into a

Draft Genome Sequence of Leuconostoc mesenteroides 213M0, Isolated from Traditional Fermented Mare Milk Airag in Bulgan Aimag, Mongolia.

PubMed

Morita, Hidetoshi; Toh, Hidehiro; Oshima, Kenshiro; Nakano, Akiyo; Hano, Chihiro; Yoshida, Saki; Bolormaa, Tsognemekh; Burenjargal, Sedkhuu; Nguyen, Co Thi Kim; Tashiro, Kosuke; Arakawa, Kensuke; Miyamoto, Taku

2016-03-31

Leuconostoc mesenteroides213M0 was isolated from traditional fermented mare milk airag in Bulgan Aimag, Mongolia. This strain produces a listericidal bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of this organism. Copyright © 2016 Morita et al.

Transglossic Language Practices of Young Adults in Bangladesh and Mongolia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sultana, Shaila; Dovchin, Sender; Pennycook, Alastair

2015-01-01

The paper explores the use of varied semiotic resources in the linguistic, social and cultural practices of young adults in the context of Bangladesh and Mongolia. Based on a translinguistic analysis (including pre-textual history, contextual relations, sub-textual meaning, intertextual echoes and post-textual interpretation) of these practices,…

"Like Unbroken Cream": Education and Livelihoods among the Kazakh of Western Mongolia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Portisch, Anna

2012-01-01

This article concerns educational and livelihood trajectories of the Kazakh minority in western Mongolia. It outlines the trajectories of individuals over four generations of a Kazakh family and contextualizes these within social, political, and economic context. It describes the importance of family networks and considers the concept of social…

Uneven Distribution of Resources in the Youth Linguascapes of Mongolia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dovchin, Sender

2017-01-01

Drawing on offline and online casual interactions in the context of youth in Mongolia, on the Asian periphery, this article looks at youth mixed language practices from the perspective of "linguascapes" in order to capture the current flows of transnational linguistic resources in relation to other social landscapes. The study seeks to…

[ECOLOGICAL AND GEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF THE SPREAD OF MITES OF THE FAMILY TROMBICULIDAE IN MONGOLIA].

PubMed

Karimova, T Yu; Kudryashova, N I; Lushchekina, A A; Neronov, V M

2016-01-01

The paper gives data on the fauna of chigger mites (Thrombiculinae), the ectoparasites of small mammals in Mongolia. The ecological and geographic analysis could reveal the major abiotic and biotic determinants of the spread of the chigger mites and make a map of their potential area.

ATLAS of Microorganisms from Ancient Phosphorites of Khubsugul (Mongolia)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhengallo, Elena A.; Rozanov, Alexei Yu.; Ushatinskaya, Galina T.; Hoover, Richard B.; Gerasimenko, Ludmila M.; Ragozina, Alla L.

2000-01-01

A photographic atlas of scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of Cambrian (Tommotian) microfossils from the phosphorites of Khubsugul Mongolia is presented. SEM images of modern cyanobacteria and bacteria are provided for comparison. The importance of bacterial fossils and morphological biomarkers to astrobiology and the understanding of the origin of phosphorites is considered.

An equity tool for health impact assessments: Reflections from Mongolia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Snyder, Jeremy, E-mail: jeremycsnyder@sfu.ca; Wagler, Meghan, E-mail: meghanwagler@gmail.com; Lkhagvasuren, Oyun, E-mail: l_oyun2002@yahoo.com

2012-04-15

A health impact assessment (HIA) is a tool for assessing the potential effects of a project or policy on a population's health. In this paper, we discuss a tool for successfully integrating equity concerns into HIAs. This discussion is the product of collaboration by Mongolian and Canadian experts, and it incorporates comments and suggestions of participants of a workshop on equity focused HIAs that took place in Mongolia in October, 2010. Our motivation for discussing this tool is based on the observation that existing HIAs tend either to fail to define equity or use problematic accounts of this concept. Inmore » this paper we give an overview of socio-demographic and health indicators in Mongolia and briefly discuss its mining industry. We then review three accounts of equity and argue for the importance of developing a consensus understanding of this concept when integrating considerations of equity into an HIA. Finally, we present findings from the workshop in Mongolia and outline a tool, derived from lessons from this workshop, for critically considering and integrating the concept of equity into an HIA.« less

Animal and human rabies in Mongolia.

PubMed

Odontsetseg, N; Uuganbayar, D; Tserendorj, Sh; Adiyasuren, Z

2009-12-01

The prevalence of animal rabies differs in each area of Mongolia. Wolves (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758), foxes ( Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus, 1758), corsac foxes (Vulpes corsac Linnaeus, 1768) and manuls (Felis manul Pallas, 1778) are considered to be the infective wild animals in natural foci. Amongst livestock, cattle have had the most rabies cases, followed by camels, sheep, goats and horses. The peak prevalence of animal rabies occurred in the 1970s. Dundgovi Province had the highest incidence during that period. The number of rabies cases in animals decreased during the 1980s. This may have been due to a decrease in the number of wild reservoir animals and the improvement of appropriate veterinary measures. In recent years, animal rabies has prevailed in the Khangai and western provinces. The infection source of most human rabies cases is the dog. In order to minimise the incidence of human rabies, canine vaccination programmes need to be improved. This paper describes the epizootiology and epidemiology of animal and human rabies in Mongolia. It describes rabies control programmes, including diagnosis, conducted in Mongolia in an effort to control the disease.

Acute hepatitis A, B and C but not D is still prevalent in Mongolia: a time trend analysis.

PubMed

Baatarkhuu, Oidov; Lee, Hye Won; George, Jacob; Munkh-Orshikh, Dashchirev; Enkhtuvshin, Baasankhuu; Ariunaa, Sosorbaram; Eslam, Mohammed; Ahn, Sang Hoon; Han, Kwang-Hyub; Kim, Do Young

2017-06-01

Mongolia has one of the highest hepatitis A, C, B and D infection incidences worldwide. We sought to investigate changes in the proportion of acute viral hepatitis types in Mongolia over the last decade. The cohort comprised 546 consecutive patients clinically diagnosed with acute viral hepatitis from January 2012 to December 2014 in Ulaanbaatar Hospital, Mongolia. A time trend analysis investigating the change in proportion of acute hepatitis A virus, hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection among the cohort with respect to a previous published study was undertaken. Acute hepatitis A, B and C was diagnosed in 50.9%, 26.2% and 6.0% of the cohort. Notably, 16.8% of the cohort had a dual infection. The etiologies of acute viral hepatitis were varied by age groups. The most common cause of acute viral hepatitis among 2-19 year olds was hepatitis A, HBV and superinfection with HDV among 20-40 year olds, and HCV among 40-49 year olds. Patients with more than one hepatitis virus infection were significantly older, more likely to be male and had a higher prevalence of all risk factors for disease acquisition. These patients also had more severe liver disease at presentation compared to those with mono-infection. Acute viral hepatitis is still prevalent in Mongolia. Thus, the need for proper infection control is increasing in this country.

Acute hepatitis A, B and C but not D is still prevalent in Mongolia: a time trend analysis

PubMed Central

Baatarkhuu, Oidov; Lee, Hye Won; George, Jacob; Munkh-Orshikh, Dashchirev; Enkhtuvshin, Baasankhuu; Ariunaa, Sosorbaram; Eslam, Mohammed; Ahn, Sang Hoon; Han, Kwang-Hyub

2017-01-01

Background/Aims Mongolia has one of the highest hepatitis A, C, B and D infection incidences worldwide. We sought to investigate changes in the proportion of acute viral hepatitis types in Mongolia over the last decade. Methods The cohort comprised 546 consecutive patients clinically diagnosed with acute viral hepatitis from January 2012 to December 2014 in Ulaanbaatar Hospital, Mongolia. A time trend analysis investigating the change in proportion of acute hepatitis A virus, hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection among the cohort with respect to a previous published study was undertaken. Results Acute hepatitis A, B and C was diagnosed in 50.9%, 26.2% and 6.0% of the cohort. Notably, 16.8% of the cohort had a dual infection. The etiologies of acute viral hepatitis were varied by age groups. The most common cause of acute viral hepatitis among 2-19 year olds was hepatitis A, HBV and superinfection with HDV among 20-40 year olds, and HCV among 40-49 year olds. Patients with more than one hepatitis virus infection were significantly older, more likely to be male and had a higher prevalence of all risk factors for disease acquisition. These patients also had more severe liver disease at presentation compared to those with mono-infection. Conclusions Acute viral hepatitis is still prevalent in Mongolia. Thus, the need for proper infection control is increasing in this country. PMID:28535669

The second molecular epidemiological study of HIV infection in Mongolia between 2010 and 2016.

PubMed

Jagdagsuren, Davaalkham; Hayashida, Tsunefusa; Takano, Misao; Gombo, Erdenetuya; Zayasaikhan, Setsen; Kanayama, Naomi; Tsuchiya, Kiyoto; Oka, Shinichi

2017-01-01

Our previous 2005-2009 molecular epidemiological study in Mongolia identified a hot spot of HIV-1 transmission in men who have sex with men (MSM). To control the infection, we collaborated with NGOs to promote safer sex and HIV testing since mid-2010. In this study, we carried out the second molecular epidemiological survey between 2010 and 2016 to determine the status of HIV-1 infection in Mongolia. The study included 143 new cases of HIV-1 infection. Viral RNA was extracted from stocked plasma samples and sequenced for the pol and the env regions using the Sanger method. Near-full length sequencing using MiSeq was performed in 3 patients who were suspected to be infected with recombinant HIV-1. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using the neighbor-joining method and Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo method. MSM was the main transmission route in the previous and current studies. However, heterosexual route showed a significant increase in recent years. Phylogenetic analysis documented three taxa; Mongolian B, Korean B, and CRF51_01B, though the former two were also observed in the previous study. CRF51_01B, which originated from Singapore and Malaysia, was confirmed by near-full length sequencing. Although these strains were mainly detected in MSM, they were also found in increasing numbers of heterosexual males and females. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis estimated transmission of CRF51_01B into Mongolia around early 2000s. An extended Bayesian skyline plot showed a rapid increase in the effective population size of Mongolian B cluster around 2004 and that of CRF51_01B cluster around 2011. HIV-1 infection might expand to the general population in Mongolia. Our study documented a new cluster of HIV-1 transmission, enhancing our understanding of the epidemiological status of HIV-1 in Mongolia.

Remote Sensing Based Vulnerability Assessment of Desertification in Mongolia and Myanmar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, C. H.; Lee, E. J.; Song, C.; Lee, W. K.; Jeon, S. W.

2015-12-01

Desertification is one of the global threatening problems in respect of society, economy, and environment, and the assessment of desertification is essential for land planning and management. However desertification is a process that encompasses various factors in various aspects, having difficulties to assess qualitatively. The main purpose of the research is to qualitatively assess sensitivity of land to desertification, and detect the most vulnerable land to desertification in Mongolia and Myanmar using the Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use (MEDALUS) approach. MEDALUS approach aims to provide a manual on key indicators of desertification and mapping environmentally sensitive areas to desertification in the Mediterranean countries. However in this research, MEDALUS approach is implemented and reviewed on the countries located in the Middle Asia; Mongolia and Myanmar. MEDALUS approach identifies regions with the highest risk of desertification with 4 quality index; climate, soil, vegetation, management. Within the four quality index are several regional scale indicators for Mongolia and Myanmar, which gives effect with increasing or decreasing risk of desertification. MODIS satellite images, Digital Elevation Model (DEM), and climatic and geographical data were used to calculate the indicators. The weighting of each indicator ranged from 1 to 2; the higher weight the more vulnerable to desertification. The weighted indicators were allocated to 4 quality index, and the four quality index was summed to calculate Environmentally Sensitive Area Index (ESAI) representing the vulnerability of land degradation to desertification. As a result, the Middle East region of Mongolia showed the highest sensitivity, thus the most vulnerable to desertification. Based on the result of this study, it is useful to identify the current state of affairs and the necessity of land planning in Mongolia and Myanmar, one tool that can be utilized for combating desertification. The result of the study is expected to be used as base material in combating desertification and land degradation, and for establishing policies.

The Role of Hormones in the Differences in the Incidence of Breast Cancer between Mongolia and the United Kingdom

PubMed Central

Troisi, Rebecca; Ganmaa, Daavasambuu; dos Santos Silva, Isabel; Davaalkham, Dambadarjaa; Rosenberg, Philip S.; Rich-Edwards, Janet; Frasier, Lindsay; Houghton, Lauren; Janes, Craig; Stanczyk, Frank; Hoover, Robert N.

2014-01-01

Background There are striking differences in breast cancer incidence between Asian and western women. Rates vary substantially within Asia also, with Mongolia's even lower than China's. These profound differences have been speculated to be due in part to diet, mediated by circulating hormone concentrations. Methods Sex steroid hormone concentrations were measured in women living in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and the United Kingdom (U.K.). Diet was obtained by interview and national survey data. Mean hormone differences were compared by country, and systematic variation by number of days since last menstrual period was modeled and adjusted for age and parity; difference in overall area under the curves was assessed. Findings The diet in Mongolia was higher in meat and dairy than in the U.K. Mean testosterone concentrations were 18.5% lower (p<0.0001) while estradiol concentrations were 19.1% higher (p = 0.02) in Mongolian than British women, adjusted for age and parity. Progesterone was almost 50% higher in Mongolian women (p = 0.04), particularly during the follicular phase and early luteal surge. Hormone concentrations generally were similar in Mongolian women born in Ulaanbaatar compared with those born in rural areas, although there was a decreasing progesterone trend by degree of westernization (rural Mongolia; urban Mongolia; U.K.). Mean hormone differences were similar when restricted to parous women, and with further adjustment for body mass index, height, and smoking status. Interpretation These data augment accumulating evidence that circulating estrogens are unlikely to explain reduced breast cancer rates in Asia compared with the west, and suggest casting a wider net with respect to biomarkers. Lower testosterone and higher progesterone in Mongolian women raise the possibility that these hormones may be important to consider. In addition, the almost exclusive dietary reliance of Mongolians on meat and dairy argues against beneficial effects of a low-fat diet on circulating hormones explaining international breast cancer differences. PMID:25536229

Applying a dryland degradation framework for rangelands: the case of Mongolia.

PubMed

Jamsranjav, C; Reid, R S; Fernández-Giménez, M E; Tsevlee, A; Yadamsuren, B; Heiner, M

2018-04-01

Livestock-caused rangeland degradation remains a major policy concern globally and the subject of widespread scientific study. This concern persists in part because it is difficult to isolate the effects of livestock from climate and other factors that influence ecosystem conditions. Further, degradation studies seldom use multiple plant and soil indicators linked to a clear definition of and ecologically grounded framework for degradation assessment that distinguishes different levels of degradation. Here, we integrate two globally applicable rangeland degradation frameworks and apply them to a broad-scale empirical data set for the country of Mongolia. We compare our assessment results with two other recent national rangeland degradation assessments in Mongolia to gauge consistency of findings across assessments and evaluate the utility of our framework. We measured livestock-use impacts across Mongolia's major ecological zones: mountain and forest steppe, eastern steppe, steppe, and desert steppe. At 143 sites in 36 counties, we measured livestock-use and degradation indicators at increasing distances from livestock corrals in winter-grazed pastures. At each site, we measured multiple indicators linked to our degradation framework, including plant cover, standing biomass, palatability, species richness, forage quality, vegetation gaps, and soil surface characteristics. Livestock use had no effect on soils, plant species richness, or standing crop biomass in any ecological zone, but subtly affected plant cover and palatable plant abundance. Livestock effects were strongest in the steppe zone, moderate in the desert steppe, and limited in the mountain/forest and eastern steppes. Our results aligned closely with those of two other recent country-wide assessments, suggesting that our framework may have widespread application. All three assessments found that very severe and irreversible degradation is rare in Mongolia (1-18% of land area), with most rangelands slightly (33-53%) or moderately (25-40%) degraded. We conclude that very severe livestock-induced rangeland degradation is overstated in Mongolia. However, targeted rangeland restoration coupled with monitoring, adaptive management and stronger rangeland governance are needed to prevent further degradation where heavy grazing could cause irreversible change. Given the broad applicability of our degradation framework for Mongolia, we suggest it be tested for application in other temperate grasslands throughout Central Asia and North America. © 2018 The Authors Ecological Applications published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Ecological Society of America.

Water relations and photosynthetic performance in Larix sibirica growing in the forest-steppe ecotone of northern Mongolia.

PubMed

Dulamsuren, Choimaa; Hauck, Markus; Bader, Martin; Osokhjargal, Dalaikhuu; Oyungerel, Shagjjav; Nyambayar, Suran; Runge, Michael; Leuschner, Christoph

2009-01-01

Shoot water relations were studied in Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) trees growing at the borderline between taiga and steppe in northern Mongolia. Larix sibirica is the main tree species in these forests covering 80% of Mongolia's forested area. Minimum shoot water potentials (Psi(m)) close to the point of zero turgor (Psi(0)) repeatedly recorded throughout the growing season suggest that the water relations in L. sibirica were often critical. The Psi(m) varied in close relation to the atmospheric vapor pressure deficit, whereas Psi(0) was correlated with monthly precipitation. Young larch trees growing at the forest line to the steppe were more susceptible to drought than mature trees at the same sites. Furthermore, isolated trees growing on the steppe exhibited lower Psi(m) and recovered to a lower degree from drought overnight than the trees at the forest line. Indications of drought stress in L. sibirica were obtained in two study areas in Mongolia's forest-steppe ecotone: one in the mountain taiga of the western Khentey in northernmost Mongolia, the other in the forest-steppe at the southern distribution limit of L. sibirica on Mt. Bogd Uul, southern Khentey. Larix sibirica growing in riverine taiga with contact to the groundwater table was better water-supplied than the larch trees growing at the forest line to the steppe. Larch trees from the interior of light taiga forests on north-facing slopes, however, exhibited more critical water relations than the trees at the forest line. Frequent drought stress in mature trees and even more in young larch trees at the forest-steppe borderline suggests that L. sibirica does not have the potential to encroach on the steppe under the present climate, except in a sequence of exceptionally moist and cool years. A regression of the present borderline between forest and steppe is likely to occur, as average temperatures are increasing everywhere and precipitation is decreasing regionally in Mongolia's taiga forest region. Higher stomatal conductance concomitant to lower Psi(m) in trees of northern-slope forests compared to trees from the forest line to the steppe may be the result of a recent increase in drought intensity that affects better drought-adapted trees at the forest edge less than the trees in the forest interior. We conclude that drought is a key factor explaining the forest-steppe borderline in northern Mongolia. The proportion of forests within the present vegetation pattern of forests on north-facing slopes and the grasslands on south-facing slopes in Mongolia's forest-steppe ecotone is not likely to increase under the present climate, but may decrease with increasing aridity due to global warming.

Mongolia Report No. 361.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-04-29

Publications Research Service, 1000 North Glebe Road, Arlington, Virginia 22201. JPRS 83366 29 April 1983 Mongolia Report No. 361 FBIS FOREIGN...Installation Data WORLDWIDE Telecommunications Policy, Research and Development Nuclear Development and Proliferation Environmental Quality Epidemiology...understanding and the reinforcement of the peace. In particular, our country took active part in the work of a conference that was recently held in Mexico

Non-Traveling "Best Practices" for a Traveling Population: The Case of Nomadic Education in Mongolia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steiner-Khamsi, Gita; Stolpe, Ines

2005-01-01

This article deals with a particular "best practice" in Mongolia (boarding schools) that neither traveled elsewhere nor was rescued from the socialist past and adopted in the post-socialist present. The boarding schools accommodating children from nomadic herder families have experienced a long decade (1991-2003) of neglect. The boarding…

Enabling Access to Higher Education in Postsocialist Mongolia: Empirical Results for Implementation and Implications of Government Policies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okhidoi, Otgonjargal

2016-01-01

This quantitative study examines the effectiveness of government financial assistance policies in access to higher education in post-socialist Mongolia as of 2012, using probabilistic, cross-sectional Household Social and Economic Survey data. Using a six-subscale composite socioeconomic status (SES) variable, the study examines the effect of SES…

Study on the University Students' Self-Expressive Tendency in Mongolia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jagdag, Davaa; Dembereldorj, Zoljargal

2017-01-01

The study aimed to explore Mongolian students' tendency of self-expression and a conduct of self-study at one university of Mongolia. It employed quantitative research method to explore the relationship between self-expression and self-study and examined them in terms of age, gender, years of study and field of study. The chi-squared test found…

Child-Centered Approach: How Is It Perceived by Preschool Educators in Mongolia?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myagmar, Ariuntuya

2010-01-01

This study is an attempt to grasp Mongolian preschool educators' perceptions on child-centered approach (CCA). CCA was externally introduced to Mongolia about 10 years ago as a diametrically different education from that of the socialist period. The study also aims to examine the differences that may exist among teachers in different types of…

Pastoral community organization, livelihoods and biodiversity conservation in Mongolia's Southern Gobi Region

Treesearch

Sabine M. Schmidt

2006-01-01

In this paper I describe processes and impacts of collective action by mobile pastoralist communities, and of external support strategies to strengthen local institutions and cooperation in Mongolia’s southern Gobi. The need for pastoral mobility triggered the processes leading to community organization, and the emergence, or re-emergence, of local informal...

A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate regarding supporting democracy and economic development in Mongolia and expanding relations between the United States and Mongolia.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA

2009-06-18

Senate - 06/18/2009 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Study on Parental Involvement Preparation at a Preservice Institution in Mongolia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sukhbaatar, Batdulam

2014-01-01

In 2008, in order to meet global standards for basic education, Mongolia adopted a new educational system replacing an 11-year system, under which children started primary school at age seven, with a 12-year system in which schooling commences at age six. Since education should be an active collaboration between school and family, having younger…

Mongol Language Competencies for Peace Corps Volunteers in Mongolia. Second Revised Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amraa, J.; And Others

The textbook for Mongolian is designed for the language training of Peace Corps volunteers serving in Mongolia, and intended for use with an instructor. Each lesson is based on a specific language use competency, and lessons are organized according to ten themes. Lessons contain a dialogue, vocabulary, grammar notes, supplementary vocabulary in…

Baseline Analysis on ICT in General Education of Mongolia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uyanga, Sambuu

2014-01-01

These days ICT has penetrated into almost all sectors of the economy and society of Mongolia. More and more effort and attention is being paid to integrating ICT into the education sector. The current education reforms have a big component related to ICT, which includes the development of a Master plan for ICT in the Education sector, addressing…

Education in Mongolia: The Difficulties and Achievements of the Period of Transition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suprunova, L. L.

2007-01-01

Since the early 1990s, the system of education in Mongolia has gone through radical changes that stem from the country's transition to the market economy and the democratic state structure. Favorable prerequisites were already in place to renovate education on democratic principles, because during the period of its socialist development Mongolia…

Effects of forest fire and logging on forest degradation in Mongolia

Treesearch

Yeong Dae Park; Don Koo Lee; Jamsran Tsogtbaatar; John A. Stanturf

2010-01-01

Forests in Mongolia have been severely degraded by forest fire and exploitive logging. This study investigate changes in vegetation and soil properties after forest fire or clearfelling. Microclimate conditions such as temperature and relative humidity (RH) changed drastically after forest fire or logging; temperature increased 1.6-1.7 ºC on average, whereas...

Piloting a Savings-Led Microfinance Intervention with Women Engaging in Sex Work in Mongolia: Further Innovation for HIV Risk Reduction

PubMed Central

Tsai, Laura Cordisco; Witte, Susan S.; Aira, Toivgoo; Altantsetseg, Batsukh; Riedel, Marion

2014-01-01

This paper describes a pilot study testing the feasibility of an innovative savings-led microfinance intervention in increasing the economic empowerment and reducing the sexual risk behavior of women engaging in sex work in Mongolia. Women’s economic vulnerability may increase their risk for HIV by compromising their ability to negotiate safer sex with partners and heightening the likelihood they will exchange sex for survival. Microfinance has been considered a potentially powerful structural HIV prevention strategy with women conducting sex work, as diversification of income sources may increase women’s capacity to negotiate safer transactional sex. With 50% of all reported female HIV cases in Mongolia detected among women engaging in sex work, direct prevention intervention with women conducting sex work represents an opportunity to prevent a potentially rapid increase in HIV infection in urban Mongolia. The piloted intervention consisted of a matched savings program in which matched savings could be used for business development or vocational education, combined with financial literacy and business development training for women engaging in sex work. Results of the pilot demonstrate participants’ increased confidence in their ability to manage finances, greater hope for pursuing vocational goals, moderate knowledge gains regarding financial literacy, and an initial transition from sex work to alternative income generation for five out of nine participants. The pilot findings highlight the potential for such an intervention and the need for a clinical trial testing the efficacy of savings-led microfinance programs in reducing HIV risk for women engaging in sex work in Mongolia. PMID:24900163

Maternal and Child Health in Mongolia at 3 Years After Childbirth: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study.

PubMed

Takehara, Kenji; Dagvadorj, Amarjargal; Hikita, Naoko; Sumya, Narantuya; Ganhuyag, Solongo; Bavuusuren, Bayasgalantai; Ota, Erika; Haruna, Megumi; Yoshida, Mikako; Kita, Sachiko; Noma, Hisashi; Mori, Rintaro

2016-05-01

In recent years Mongolia has made great advances towards Millennium Development Goals to reduce maternal and child mortality, however few studies have investigated maternal and child health status several years after childbirth. Our study aims to describe priority health issues in maternal and child health in Mongolia 3 years after childbirth, and key areas requiring further health policy development. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study in Bulgan province, Mongolia. Participants were women who gave birth in 2010 and lived in Bulgan in 2013, and their children who were almost 3 years of age. Data was collected using structured interviews, self-administered questionnaires, transcribed records from the Maternal and Child Health Handbook, anthropometric measurements, and a developmental assessment tool. Data was obtained from 1,019 women and 1,013 children (recovery rate: 94.1 %). Among women, 171 (17.2 %) were obese and had an average body mass index (BMI) of 25.7, 40 (4.4 %) experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) and 356 (36.2 %) reported urinary incontinence in the past month. Among children, 110 (10.8 %) were assessed as at risk of developmental delay, 131 (13.1 %) were overweight or obese, burns accounted for the highest number of serious accidents at 173 (17.0 %) while lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) were the most frequent cause of pediatric hospitalization. for Practice Further development in health policy is required in Mongolia to target the significant health challenges of obesity, IPV, and urinary incontinence in women, and obesity, development delay, burns, and LRTIs in children.

Drug pricing and reimbursement decision making systems in Mongolia.

PubMed

Dorj, Gereltuya; Sunderland, Bruce; Sanjjav, Tsetsegmaa; Dorj, Gantuya; Gendenragchaa, Byambatsogt

2017-01-01

It is essential to allocate available resources equitably in order to ensure accessibility and affordability of essential medicines, especially in less fortunate nations with limited health funding. Currently, transparent and evidence based research is required to evaluate decision making regarding drug registration, drug pricing and reimbursement processes in Mongolia. To assess the drug reimbursement system and discuss challenges faced by policy-makers and stakeholders. The study has examined Mongolian administrative documents and directives for stakeholders and analysed published statistics. Experts and decision-makers were interviewed about the drug pricing and reimbursement processes in Mongolia. Decisions regarding Mongolian drug registration were based on commonly used criteria of quality, safety, efficacy plus some economic considerations. A total of 11.32 billion Mongolian National Tugrugs (MNT) [5.6 million United States Dollars (USD)] or 12.1% of total health expenditure was spent on patient reimbursement of essential drugs. The highest reimbursed drugs with respect to cost in 2014 were the cardiovascular drug group. Health insurance is compulsory for all citizens; in addition all insured patients have access to reimbursed drugs. However, the decision making process, in particular the level of reimbursement was limited by various barriers, including lack of evidence based data regarding efficacy and comparative cost-effectiveness analysis of drugs and decisions regarding reimbursement. Drug registration, pricing and reimbursement process in Mongolia show an increasing trend of drug registration and reimbursement rates, along with lack of transparency. Limited available data indicate that more evidence-based research studies are required in Mongolia to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of drug pricing and reimbursement policies.

Paleolakes in the Gobi region of southern Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehmkuhl, Frank; Grunert, Jörg; Hülle, Daniela; Batkhishig, Ochirbat; Stauch, Georg

2018-01-01

Numerous lakes and remnants of paleolakes exist in western and southern Mongolia. For six basins in the area, detailed geomorphological maps were compiled, based on extensive field studies and remote sensing datasets. Several phases of high and low lake levels were reconstructed and dated by radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence. During the marine isotope stage (MIS) 6 lakes in southern and western Mongolia mostly disappeared. In contrast, large paleolakes existed during the last interglacial (MIS 5e) and lasted probably until the beginning of the last glacial. These huge lakes were caused by a strong East Asian summer monsoon, which reached southern and even western Mongolia. During the MIS 3 the monsoon was considerably weaker and most of the lakes were relatively small or even disappeared. Higher lake levels of this period were only recorded at the Orog Nuur. However, at this time the lake was fed by glacial melt water from the Khangai Mountains. The MIS 2 was again a very dry period. The previously supposed phase of synchronous high lake levels and glaciations in southern and western Mongolia is not supported by the data presented here. During the Holocene, lakes in the western and southern part of the study area evolved differently. Early Holocene high lake levels were reconstructed for the western lakes, while most of the southern lakes had highest lake levels in the mid-Holocene. These differences can be attributed to different moisture bearing atmospheric systems. In the late Holocene lake levels were generally low and in the last 50 years most lakes completely disappeared due to a strong human usage of the water resources.

Piloting a Savings-Led Microfinance Intervention with Women Engaging in Sex Work in Mongolia: Further Innovation for HIV Risk Reduction.

PubMed

Tsai, Laura Cordisco; Witte, Susan S; Aira, Toivgoo; Altantsetseg, Batsukh; Riedel, Marion

2011-12-30

This paper describes a pilot study testing the feasibility of an innovative savings-led microfinance intervention in increasing the economic empowerment and reducing the sexual risk behavior of women engaging in sex work in Mongolia. Women's economic vulnerability may increase their risk for HIV by compromising their ability to negotiate safer sex with partners and heightening the likelihood they will exchange sex for survival. Microfinance has been considered a potentially powerful structural HIV prevention strategy with women conducting sex work, as diversification of income sources may increase women's capacity to negotiate safer transactional sex. With 50% of all reported female HIV cases in Mongolia detected among women engaging in sex work, direct prevention intervention with women conducting sex work represents an opportunity to prevent a potentially rapid increase in HIV infection in urban Mongolia. The piloted intervention consisted of a matched savings program in which matched savings could be used for business development or vocational education, combined with financial literacy and business development training for women engaging in sex work. Results of the pilot demonstrate participants' increased confidence in their ability to manage finances, greater hope for pursuing vocational goals, moderate knowledge gains regarding financial literacy, and an initial transition from sex work to alternative income generation for five out of nine participants. The pilot findings highlight the potential for such an intervention and the need for a clinical trial testing the efficacy of savings-led microfinance programs in reducing HIV risk for women engaging in sex work in Mongolia.

Developing a Science-based River Basin Management Plan for the Kharaa River Basin, Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karthe, Daniel

2013-04-01

The Kharaa River Basin (KRB), which is located north of Mongolia's capital Ulaanbaatar and south of Lake Baikal, was chosen as a model region for the development and implementation of an integrated water resources management consisting of a monitoring concept, technical measures and a capacity development program (Karthe et al. 2012a). The basin of the Kharaa River covers an area of 14534 km² that is partly mountaineous and largely covered by taiga and steppe. At its outlet, the 362 km Kharaa River has a mean long-term annual discharge of 12.1 m³/s (MoMo Consortium 2009). A highly continental climate results in limited water resources, and rising water consumption coupled with the effects of climate and land use change may in the future exacerbate this water scarcity (Malsy et al. 2012; Karthe et al. 2013). Whereas the environment in the upper part of the catchment is in a relatively pristine state, the mid- and downstream sections of the river are characterized by nearby industry, mining activities and intensive agriculture (Menzel et al. 2011), resulting in declining water quality and ultimately a degradation of aquatic ecosystems (Hofmann et al. 2010; Hartwig et al. 2012). Moreover, it is a problem for the supply of major cities like Darkhan which largely rely on alluvial aquifers containing shallow-depth groundwater (Mun et al. 2008). Currently, there are alarming signs of water quality deterioration. With regard to water provision, a major problem is the poor state of distribution infrastructures which were often built in the 1960s and 70s (Scharaw & Westerhoff 2011). Rather little is currently known about the water quality supplied to end users; the latter is even more dubious in the city's informal ger districts (Karthe et al. 2012b). One important goal of the research and development project "Integrated Water Resources Management in Central Asia: Model Region Mongolia" lies in the implementation of a holistic concept for water resources monitoring and management. In the past, shared and unclear responsibilities, a spatial mismatch between administrative and river basin boundaries, the lack of relevant information, financial resources and implementation capacity resulted in an uncoordinated and partially uncontrolled exploitation of water resources (Livingstone et al. 2009; Horlemann et al. 2012). The recent decision of the Mongolian government to develop river basin management plans and to provide for their implementation through river basin councils and administrations, and the comparatively good data availability resulting from the R&D project, resulted in the decision to jointly develop a science-based river basin management plan for the KRB as a model region for other river basins of the country. References: Hartwig, M.; Theuring, P.; Rode, M. & Borchardt, D. (2012): Suspended sediments in the Kharaa River catchment (Mongolia) and its impact on hyporheic zone functions. Environmental Earth Sciences 65(5):1535-1546. Hofmann, J.; Venohr, M.; Behrendt, H. & Opitz, D. (2010): Integrated Water Resources Management in Central Asia: Nutrient and heavy metal emissions and their relevance for the Kharaa River Basin, Mongolia. Water Science and Technology 62(2):353-363. Horlemann, L. & Dombrowsky, I. (2012): Institutionalising IWRM in developing and transition countries: the case of Mongolia. Environmental Earth Sciences 65(5):1547-1559. Karthe, D.; Borchardt, D. & Hufert, F. (2012a): Implementing IWRM: Experiences from a Central Asian Model Region. In: Pandya, A.B. (Ed.) (2012): India Water Week 2012. Water, Energy and Food Security: Call for Solutions, Part A3, pp. 1-15. Delhi: Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India. Karthe, D.; Sigel, K.; Scharaw, B. et al. (2012b): Towards an integrated concept for monitoring and improvements in water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in urban Mongolia. Water & Risk 20:1-5. Karthe, D.; Malsy, M.; Kopp, B. & Minderlein, S. (2013): Assessing Water Availibility and its Drivers in the Context of an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM): A Case Study from the Kharaa River Basin, Mongolia. GeoÖko (submitted). Livingstone, A.J.; Erdenechimeg, C. & Oyunsuvd, A. (2009): Needs assessment on institutional capacity for water governance in Mongolia. Ulaan Baatar: Government of Mongolia & UNDP Mongolia. Malsy, M.; aus der Beek, T.; Eisner, S. & Flörke, M. (2012): Climate Change impacts on Central Asian water resources. Advances in Geosciences 32:77-83. Menzel, L.; Hofmann, J. & Ibisch, R. (2011): Untersuchung von Wasser- und Stoffflüssen als Grundlage für ein Integriertes Wasserressourcen - Management im Kharaa-Einzugsgebiet (Mongolei). Hydrologie und Wasserbewirtschaftung 55(2):88-103. MoMo Consortium (2009): Integrated Water Resources Management for Central Asia: Model Region Mongolia (MoMo). Case Study in the Kharaa River Basin. Final Project Report. Mun, Y.; Ko, I.H.; Janchivdorj, L. et al. (2008): Integrated Water Management Model on the Selenge River Basin: Status Survey and Investigation (Phase I). Seoul: KEI Publications. Scharaw, B. & T. Westerhoff (2011): A Leak Detection in Drinking Water Distribution Network of Darkhan in Framework of the Project Integrated Water Resources Management in Central Asia, Model Region Mongolia. Proceedings of the IWA 1st Central Asian Regional Young and Senior Water Professionals Conference, Almaty/Kazakhstan, pp. 275-282.

Conserving biodiversity on Mongolian Rangelands: Implications for protected area development and pastoral uses

Treesearch

Richard P. Reading; Donald J. Bedunah; Sukhiin Amgalanbaatar

2006-01-01

Mongolia is a sparsely populated country with over 80 percent of its land used by pastoralists for extensive livestock grazing. Mongolia’s wildlife and pastoralists have faced dramatic challenges with the recent rapid socioeconomic changes. Livestock numbers increased dramatically in the 1990s following the transition from communism to democracy and capitalism. Yet,...

Understanding School Health Environment through Interviews with Key Stakeholders in Lao PDR, Mongolia, Nepal and Sri Lanka

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Sohyun; Lee, Eun Young; Gittelsohn, Joel; Nkala, Denis; Choi, Bo Youl

2015-01-01

Studies on health promoting schools (HPS) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are scarce. To contribute to the development of HPS in these countries, we conducted formative research to understand the school environment in Lao PDR, Mongolia, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Forty-three teachers, 10 government workers and 5 parents participated in…

The Global/Local Nexus in Comparative Policy Studies: Analysing the Triple Bonus System in Mongolia over Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steiner-Khamsi, Gita

2012-01-01

The article analyses a phenomenon that has accompanied teacher salary reform in Mongolia: the import of two global education policies that were nearly identical to the already existing local bonus system ("olympiads"). To make sense of an import that appears superfluous, the author analyses the reception and translation of the triple…

Reconstructing fire history in central Mongolia from tree-rings

Treesearch

Amy E. Hessl; Uyanga Ariya; Peter Brown; Oyunsannaa Byambasuren; Tim Green; Gordon Jacoby; Elaine Kennedy Sutherland; Baatarbileg Nachin; R. Stockton Maxwell; Neil Pederson; Louis De Grandpre; Thomas Saladyga; Jacques C. Tardif

2012-01-01

Rising temperatures are expected to increase wildfire activity in many regions of the world. Over the last 60 years in Mongolia, mean annual temperatures have increased ~2°C and the recorded frequency and spatial extent of forest and steppe fires have increased. Few long records of fire history exist to place these recent changes in a historical perspective. The...

Explaining differences in education-related inequalities in health between urban and rural areas in Mongolia.

PubMed

Dorjdagva, Javkhlanbayar; Batbaatar, Enkhjargal; Dorjsuren, Bayarsaikhan; Kauhanen, Jussi

2015-12-22

After the socioeconomic transition in 1990, Mongolia has been experiencing demographic and epidemiologic transitions; however, there is lack of evidence on socioeconomic-related inequality in health across the country. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the education-related inequalities in adult population health in urban and rural areas of Mongolia in 2007/2008. This paper used a nationwide cross-sectional data, the Household Socio-Economic Survey 2007/2008, collected by the National Statistical Office. We employed the Erreygers' concentration index to assess the degree of education-related inequality in adult health in urban and rural areas. Our results suggest that a lower education level was associated with poor self-reported health. The concentration indices of physical limitation and chronic disease were significantly less than zero in both areas. On the other hand, ill-health was concentrated among the less educated groups. The decomposition results show education, economic activity status and income were the main contributors to education-related inequalities in physical limitation and chronic disease removing age-sex related contributions. Improving accessibility and quality of education, especially for the lower socioeconomic groups may reduce socioeconomic-related inequality in health in both rural and urban areas of Mongolia.

Exposure to airborne asbestos in thermal power plants in Mongolia

PubMed Central

Damiran, Naransukh; Silbergeld, Ellen K; Frank, Arthur L; Lkhasuren, Oyuntogos; Ochir, Chimedsuren; Breysse, Patrick N

2015-01-01

Background: Coal-fired thermal power plants (TPPs) in Mongolia use various types of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in thermal insulation of piping systems, furnaces, and other products. Objective: To investigate the occupational exposure of insulation workers to airborne asbestos in Mongolian power plants. Methods: Forty-seven air samples were collected from four power plants in Mongolia during the progress of insulation work. The samples were analyzed by phase contrast microscopy (PCM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results: The average phase contrast microscopy equivalent (PCME) asbestos fiber concentration was 0.93 f/cm3. Sixteen of the 41 personal and one of the area samples exceeded the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (US OSHA) short-term exposure limit of 1.0 f/cm3. If it is assumed that the short-term samples collected are representative of full-shift exposure, then the exposures are approximately 10 times higher than the US OSHA 8-hour permissible exposure limit of 0.1 f/cm3. Conclusion: Power plant insulation workers are exposed to airborne asbestos at concentrations that exceed the US OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit. Action to mitigate the risks should be taken in Mongolia. PMID:25730489

Recent Situation of Taeniasis in Mongolia (2002-2012)

PubMed Central

Dorjsuren, Temuulen; Yanagida, Tetsuya; Sako, Yasuhito; Nakaya, Kazuhiro; Davaajav, Abmed; Agvaandaram, Gurbadam; Enkhbat, Tsatsral; Gonchigoo, Battsetseg; Dulmaa, Nyamkhuu; Chuluunbaatar, Gantigmaa; Ito, Akira

2014-01-01

Epidemiological situation of taeniasis in Mongolia was assessed based on mitochondrial DNA identification of the parasite species. Multiplex PCR was used on a total of 194 proglottid specimens of Taenia species and copro-PCR and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays were utilized for detection of copro-DNA of 37 fecal samples from taeniasis patients submitted to the Mongolian National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD) from 2002 to 2012. In addition, 4 out of 44 calcified cysts in beef kept in formalin since 2003 were evaluated for histopathological confirmation of cattle cysticercosis. All proglottid specimens and stool samples were confirmed to be Taenia saginata by multiplex PCR and by copro-PCR and LAMP, respectively. Cysts collected from cattle were morphologically confirmed to be metacestodes of Taenia species. T. saginata taeniasis was identified from almost all ages from a 2-year-old boy up to a 88-year-old woman and most prominently in 15-29 age group (37%, 74/198) followed by 30-44 age group (34.8%, 69/198 ) from 15 of Mongolia's 21 provinces, while cattle cysticerci were found from 12 provinces. The highest proportion of taeniasis patients was in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. PMID:24850968

Recent situation of taeniasis in Mongolia (2002-2012).

PubMed

Davaasuren, Anu; Dorjsuren, Temuulen; Yanagida, Tetsuya; Sako, Yasuhito; Nakaya, Kazuhiro; Davaajav, Abmed; Agvaandaram, Gurbadam; Enkhbat, Tsatsral; Gonchigoo, Battsetseg; Dulmaa, Nyamkhuu; Chuluunbaatar, Gantigmaa; Ito, Akira

2014-04-01

Epidemiological situation of taeniasis in Mongolia was assessed based on mitochondrial DNA identification of the parasite species. Multiplex PCR was used on a total of 194 proglottid specimens of Taenia species and copro-PCR and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays were utilized for detection of copro-DNA of 37 fecal samples from taeniasis patients submitted to the Mongolian National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD) from 2002 to 2012. In addition, 4 out of 44 calcified cysts in beef kept in formalin since 2003 were evaluated for histopathological confirmation of cattle cysticercosis. All proglottid specimens and stool samples were confirmed to be Taenia saginata by multiplex PCR and by copro-PCR and LAMP, respectively. Cysts collected from cattle were morphologically confirmed to be metacestodes of Taenia species. T. saginata taeniasis was identified from almost all ages from a 2-year-old boy up to a 88-year-old woman and most prominently in 15-29 age group (37%, 74/198) followed by 30-44 age group (34.8%, 69/198 ) from 15 of Mongolia's 21 provinces, while cattle cysticerci were found from 12 provinces. The highest proportion of taeniasis patients was in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia.

Exposure to airborne asbestos in thermal power plants in Mongolia.

PubMed

Damiran, Naransukh; Silbergeld, Ellen K; Frank, Arthur L; Lkhasuren, Oyuntogos; Ochir, Chimedsuren; Breysse, Patrick N

2015-01-01

Coal-fired thermal power plants (TPPs) in Mongolia use various types of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in thermal insulation of piping systems, furnaces, and other products. To investigate the occupational exposure of insulation workers to airborne asbestos in Mongolian power plants. Forty-seven air samples were collected from four power plants in Mongolia during the progress of insulation work. The samples were analyzed by phase contrast microscopy (PCM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The average phase contrast microscopy equivalent (PCME) asbestos fiber concentration was 0·93 f/cm(3). Sixteen of the 41 personal and one of the area samples exceeded the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (US OSHA) short-term exposure limit of 1·0 f/cm(3). If it is assumed that the short-term samples collected are representative of full-shift exposure, then the exposures are approximately 10 times higher than the US OSHA 8-hour permissible exposure limit of 0·1 f/cm(3). Power plant insulation workers are exposed to airborne asbestos at concentrations that exceed the US OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit. Action to mitigate the risks should be taken in Mongolia.

Mongolia's potential in international cooperation in the Asian energy space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batmunkh, Sereeter; Stennikov, Valery; Bat-Erdene, Bayar; Erdenebaatar, Altay

2018-01-01

The paper is concerned with the issues of interstate electric power interconnections to be created in the countries of Northeast Asia. The conditions are formulated, the problems are stated, and solutions for Mongolia's entry into the Asian energy space are proposed. The electricity consumption rates are growing, however, the Northeast Asia countries differ considerably in available energy resources to cope with this growth. Therefore, the need to build international electric power interconnections that take into account climatic features, seasonal peak load differences and other factors in order to rationally match power demand and supply is getting increasingly more obvious. Mongolia can take an active part in this process, as the country is rich in energy resources and interested in their development to meet their domestic needs and exchange with neighboring countries. The establishment of interstate power interconnections in the Northeast Asia countries represents a topical task whose solution will make it possible to meet the demand of this region for electricity on mutually beneficial terms. Mongolia has a good spatial position, energy resources and is interested in ensuring domestic energy balance. Therefore, the country can be an active participant in such an integration process.

Late Mesozoic-Cenozoic intraplate magmatism in Central Asia and its relation with mantle diapirism: Evidence from the South Khangai volcanic region, Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yarmolyuk, Vladimir V.; Kudryashova, Ekaterina A.; Kozlovsky, Alexander M.; Lebedev, Vladimir A.; Savatenkov, Valery M.

2015-11-01

The South Khangai volcanic region (SKVR) comprises fields of Late Mesozoic-Cenozoic volcanic rocks scattered over southern and central Mongolia. Evolution of the region from the Late Jurassic to the Late Cenozoic includes 13 successive igneous episodes that are more or less evenly distributed in time. Major patterns in the distribution of different-aged volcanic complexes were controlled by a systematic temporal migration of volcanic centers over the region. The total length of their trajectory exceeds 1600 km. Principle characteristics of local magmatism are determined. The composition of igneous rocks varies from basanites to rhyolites (predominantly, high-K rocks), with geochemistry close to that of OIB. The rock composition, however, underwent transformations in the Mesozoic-Cenozoic. Rejuvenation of mafic rocks is accompanied by decrease in the contents of HREE and increase of Nb and Ta. According to isotope data, the SKVR magmatic melts were derived from three isotope sources that differed in the Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopic compositions and successively alternated in time. In the Early Cretaceous, the predominant source composition was controlled by interaction of the EMII- and PREMA-type mantle materials. The PREMA-type mantle material dominated quantitatively in the Late Cretaceous and initial Early Cenozoic. From the latest Early Cenozoic to Late Cenozoic, the magma source also contained the EMI-type material along with the PREMA-type. The structural fabric, rock composition, major evolutionary pattern, and inner structure of SKVR generally comply with the criteria used to distinguish the mantle plume-related regions. Analogous features can be seen in other regions of recent volcanism in Central Asia (South Baikal, Udokan, Vitim, and Tok Stanovik). The structural autonomy of these regions suggests that distribution of the Late Mesozoic-Cenozoic volcanism in Central Asia was controlled by a group of relatively small hot finger-type mantle plumes associated with the common hot mantle field of Central Asia.

Dust modeling over East Asia during the summer of 2010 using the WRF-Chem model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Siyu; Yuan, Tiangang; Zhang, Xiaorui; Zhang, Guolong; Feng, Taichen; Zhao, Dan; Zang, Zhou; Liao, Shujie; Ma, Xiaojun; Jiang, Nanxuan; Zhang, Jie; Yang, Fan; Lu, Hui

2018-07-01

An intense summer dust storm over East Asia during June 24-27, 2010, was systematically analyzed based on the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) and a variety of in situ measurements and satellite retrievals. The results showed that the WRF-Chem model captures the spatial and temporal distributions of meteorological factors and dust aerosol in summer over East Asia well. This summer dust storm is initiated by the approach of a transverse trough in the northwestern Xinjiang. Because of the passage of the cutoff-low, a large amount of cold air is transported southward and further enhanced by the narrow valleys of the Altai and Tianshan Mountains, which results in higher wind speeds and huge dust emissions over the Taklimakan Desert (TD). Dust emission fluxes over the TD areas are high as 54 μg m-2 s-1 on June 25. The dust aerosol from the TD then sweeps across Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Mongolia, and some are also transported eastward to Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, and even South Korea and Japan. The simulations further show that summer dust over East Asia exerts an important influence on the radiation budget in the Earth-atmosphere system. Dust heats the atmosphere at a maximum heating rate of 0.14 K day-1, effectively changing the vertical stability of the atmosphere and affecting climate change at regional and even global scales. The average direct radiative forcing induced by dust particles over the TD at all-sky is -6.0, -16.8 and 10.8 W m-2 at the top of the atmosphere, the surface, and in the atmosphere, respectively. The discussion about radiative forcing induced by summer dust provides confidence for future investigation of summer dust impact on cloud properties and precipitation efficiency in the eastern China.

Hydraulic properties and fine root mass of Larix sibirica along forest edge-interior gradients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chenlemuge, Tselmeg; Dulamsuren, Choimaa; Hertel, Dietrich; Schuldt, Bernhard; Leuschner, Christoph; Hauck, Markus

2015-02-01

At its southernmost distribution limit in Inner Asia, the boreal forest disintegrates into forest fragments on moist sites (e.g. north-facing slopes), which are embedded in grasslands. This landscape mosaic is characterized by a much higher forest edge-to-interior ratio than in closed boreal forests. Earlier work in the forest-steppe ecotone of Mongolia has shown that Larix sibirica trees at forest edges grow faster than in the forest interior, as the more xeric environment at the edge promotes self-thinning and edges are preferentially targeted by selective logging and livestock grazing. Lowered stand density reduces competition for water in these semi-arid forests, where productivity is usually limited by summer drought. We studied how branch and coarse root hydraulic architecture and xylem conductivity, fine root biomass and necromass, and fine root morphology of L. sibirica respond to sites differing in water availability. Studying forest edge-interior gradients in two regions of western Mongolia, we found a significant reduction of branch theoretical (Kp) and empirical conductivity (Ks) in the putatively more drought-affected forest interior in the Mongolian Altai (mean precipitation: 120 mm yr-1), while no branch xylem modification occurred in the moister Khangai Mountains (215 mm yr-1). Kp and Ks were several times larger in roots than in branches, but root hydraulics were not influenced by stand density or mean annual precipitation. Very low fine root biomass: necromass ratios at all sites, and in the forest interior in particular, suggest that L. sibirica seeks to maintain a relatively high root conductivity by producing large conduits, which results in high root mortality due to embolism during drought. Our results suggest that L. sibirica is adapted to the semi-arid climate at its southernmost distribution limit by considerable plasticity of the branch hydraulic system and a small but apparently dynamic fine root system.

Mongolia Report, Number 369.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-10-20

provided with everything they need . They receive free meals and clothing, and they live in comfortable dormitories. Starting with the 1980-1981...Asia Report West Europe Report Mongolia Report West Europe Report: Science and Technology Latin America Report USSR Political and Sociological Affairs...Union Western Europe South Asia Latin America Asia and Pacific Middle East and Africa To order, see inside front cover JPRS 84570 20 October 1983

Ecological indicators of forest degradation after forest fire and clear-cutting in the Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) stand of Mongolia

Treesearch

Y.D. Park; D.K. Lee; J.A. Stanturf; S.Y. Woo; D. Zoyo

2009-01-01

This study was conducted to investigate ecological indicators of forest degradation after forest fire and clear-cutting in the Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) stand of Mongolia. The species abundance and biodiversity indices were higher in burned and clear-cut stands than those of reference stand, but boreal understory species, such as Vaccinium vitis-idaea,...

Social Sciences in Asia III: Burma, Mongolia, New Zealand, The Philippines, Singapore. Reports and Papers in the Social Sciences, No. 35.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France).

Part of a series which provides overviews of social science research and teaching in UNESCO member nations, the document focuses on Burma, Mongolia, New Zealand, Philippines, and Singapore. One chapter is devoted to each of the five nations. For each country, the following information is presented: history of social science activity, institutional…

The institutionalization of River Basin Management as politics of scale - Insights from Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houdret, Annabelle; Dombrowsky, Ines; Horlemann, Lena

2014-11-01

River Basin Management (RBM) as an approach to sustainable water use has become the dominant model of water governance. Its introduction, however, entails a fundamental realignment and rescaling of water-sector institutions along hydrological boundaries. Creating such a new governance scale is inherently political, and is being described as politics of scale. This paper analyzes how the politics of scale play out in the institutionalization of RBM in Mongolia. It furthermore scrutinizes the role of the broader political decentralization process in the introduction of RBM, an issue that has so far received little attention. Finally, it assesses whether the river basin is an adequate water management scale in Mongolia. This article finds that institutionalizing RBM in Mongolia is indeed a highly political negotiation process that does not only concern the choice of the governance scale, but also its detailed institutional design. It furthermore reveals that Mongolia's incomplete political decentralization process has for a long time negatively impacted the decentralization of water-related tasks and the implementation of RBM. However, the 2011 Budget Law and the 2012 Water Law provide for a fiscal strengthening of local governments and clearer sharing of responsibilities among the various different institutions involved in water management. Nevertheless, only if the 2012 Water Law is complemented by adequate by-laws - and if the newly created river basin institutions are adequately equipped - can RBM be effectively put into practice. This article confirms the usefulness of a politics-of-scale approach to understand scalar practices and changes in water management. However, the article also argues for a broadening of the analytical perspective to take the interdependencies between changes in water governance and other political processes, such as decentralization, into account.

The Honey Bee Pathosphere of Mongolia: European Viruses in Central Asia.

PubMed

Tsevegmid, Khaliunaa; Neumann, Peter; Yañez, Orlando

2016-01-01

Parasites and pathogens are apparent key factors for the detrimental health of managed European honey bee subspecies, Apis mellifera. Apicultural trade is arguably the main factor for the almost global distribution of most honey bee diseases, thereby increasing chances for multiple infestations/infections of regions, apiaries, colonies and even individual bees. This imposes difficulties to evaluate the effects of pathogens in isolation, thereby creating demand to survey remote areas. Here, we conducted the first comprehensive survey for 14 honey bee pathogens in Mongolia (N = 3 regions, N = 9 locations, N = 151 colonies), where honey bee colonies depend on humans to overwinter. In Mongolia, honey bees, Apis spp., are not native and colonies of European A. mellifera subspecies have been introduced ~60 years ago. Despite the high detection power and large sample size across Mongolian regions with beekeeping, the mite Acarapis woodi, the bacteria Melissococcus plutonius and Paenibacillus larvae, the microsporidian Nosema apis, Acute bee paralysis virus, Kashmir bee virus, Israeli acute paralysis virus and Lake Sinai virus strain 2 were not detected, suggesting that they are either very rare or absent. The mite Varroa destructor, Nosema ceranae and four viruses (Sacbrood virus, Black queen cell virus, Deformed wing virus (DWV) and Chronic bee paralysis virus) were found with different prevalence. Despite the positive correlation between the prevalence of V. destructor mites and DWV, some areas had only mites, but not DWV, which is most likely due to the exceptional isolation of apiaries (up to 600 km). Phylogenetic analyses of the detected viruses reveal their clustering and European origin, thereby supporting the role of trade for pathogen spread and the isolation of Mongolia from South-Asian countries. In conclusion, this survey reveals the distinctive honey bee pathosphere of Mongolia, which offers opportunities for exciting future research.

Quantifying surgical and anesthetic availability at primary health facilities in Mongolia.

PubMed

Spiegel, David A; Choo, Shelly; Cherian, Meena; Orgoi, Sergelen; Kehrer, Beat; Price, Raymond R; Govind, Salik

2011-02-01

Significant barriers limit the safe and timely provision of surgical and anaesthetic care in low- and middle-income countries. Nearly one-half of Mongolia's population resides in rural areas where the austere geography makes travel for adequate surgical care very difficult. Our goal was to characterize the availability of surgical and anaesthetic services, in terms of infrastructure capability, physical resources (supplies and equipment), and human resources for health at primary level health facilities in Mongolia. A situational analysis of the capacity to deliver emergency and essential surgical care (EESC) was performed in a nonrandom sample of 44 primary health facilities throughout Mongolia. Significant shortfalls were noted in the capacity to deliver surgical and anesthetic services. Deficiencies in infrastructure and supplies were common, and there were no trained surgeons or anaesthesiologists at any of the health facilities sampled. Most procedures were performed by general doctors and paraprofessionals, and occasionally visiting surgeons from higher levels of the health system. While basic interventions such as suturing or abscess drainage were commonly performed, the availability of many essential interventions was absent at a significant number of facilities. This situational analysis of the availability of essential surgical and anesthetic services identified significant deficiencies in infrastructure, supplies, and equipment, as well as a lack of human resources at the primary referral level facilities in Mongolia. Given the significant travel distances to secondary level facilities for the majority of the rural population, there is an urgent need to strengthen the delivery of essential surgical and anaesthetic services at the primary referral level (soum and intersoum). This will require a multidisciplinary, multi-sectoral effort aimed to improve infrastructure, procure and maintain essential equipment and supplies, and train appropriate health professionals.

GIPA in Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dashpuntsag, Nasanbat

2008-04-01

I'm writing from ``Positive Life Center'' NGO from Mongolia. I'm working as project manager for ``Positive Life Center'' NGO and Volunteer for UNDP. 2002-2004 i was worked in project at National AIDS foundation. This project goal was to distribute accurate information of HIV/AIDS for youngs and students. Then I was participated related to HIV/AIDS many workshop, training and local conference. in 2007, I was successfully participated training and meeting organized from Korea HIV/AIDS Network OF Solidarity organization in Republic of Korea. Since 2006, the PLWHA highly increasing in Mongolia. But we are having some problem that's we are non-experience to contact with PLWHA including care, treatment, finance support and another serves. So we must will contact with NGOs in abroad and will be able to participate workshop, training ng experience. Positive Life is a Mongolian non-governmental organisation at the forefront of the fight against HIV/AIDS and serve for PLwha in Mongolia. We aspire to a Mongolia for PLWHA , particularly those who are vulnerable, have equal access to effective, non- discriminatory HIV prevention and care and support services to improve the quality of their life. To bring this about, we collaborate with international supporters, the Mongolian government and a host of grass-roots organisations in towns and villages all over the country to develop and foster the most effective response to this devastating epidemic. This response includes prevention work, the provision of care and support, advocacy, awareness-raising and a wide variety of other initiatives and activities. Through a steadily increasing volume of work, ever higher levels of donor funding, and our growing maturity, we are now proud to be recognised locally and nationally as the voice of the Mongolian PLWHA sector in HIV/AIDS work.

HIV and sexually transmitted infection-related risks among female sex workers in Mongolia: second-generation surveillance survey, 2011-2012.

PubMed

Munkhbaatar, Sergelen; Aumakhan, Bulbul; Jantsansengee, Baigalmaa; Azyei, Iliza; Sanjaajamts, Zolzaya; Badrakh, Jugderjav; Sovd, Tugsdelger; Stromdahl, Susanne; Baral, Stefan; Amindavaa, Oyunbileg

2014-09-01

Surveillance studies among female sex workers (FSWs) in Mongolia have found no HIV but high rates of syphilis, ranging from 10.7% in 2002 to 20.8% in 2007. To determine the current prevalence of HIV and syphilis among FSWs, and to identify syphilis risk factors. 761 FSWs were recruited by time-location sampling between 2 January and 29 March 2012 in Ulaanbaatar city, Darkhan-Uul, Orkhon, Khuvsgul and Dornod provinces in Mongolia. Participants were administered an anonymous structured survey. Blood samples were tested for HIV and syphilis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with syphilis. The mean age of participants was 31 (median 30, interquartile range 24-38). HIV knowledge was modest: 41.3% correctly answered all questions. Consistent condom use with clients was reported by 49.1% of participants and exposure to HIV prevention programmes by 50.1%. Although no cases of HIV were found, syphilis prevalence was -27.8% (95% CI 24.3% to 31.7%). In multivariate analyses, variables associated with syphilis were younger age (age >30 years, OR=0.96, 95% CI 0.92 to 0.99) and occurrence of genital ulcer (OR=2.24, 95% CI 1.17 to 4.28). A syphilis epidemic continues to grow among FSWs in Mongolia. These women are at high risk of HIV transmission if introduced into their sexual networks. With the increase in migration of mining workers in Mongolia, introduction of HIV may be imminent. Efforts to intensify treatment and prevention programmes among FSWs are needed. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

The Honey Bee Pathosphere of Mongolia: European Viruses in Central Asia

PubMed Central

Tsevegmid, Khaliunaa; Neumann, Peter; Yañez, Orlando

2016-01-01

Parasites and pathogens are apparent key factors for the detrimental health of managed European honey bee subspecies, Apis mellifera. Apicultural trade is arguably the main factor for the almost global distribution of most honey bee diseases, thereby increasing chances for multiple infestations/infections of regions, apiaries, colonies and even individual bees. This imposes difficulties to evaluate the effects of pathogens in isolation, thereby creating demand to survey remote areas. Here, we conducted the first comprehensive survey for 14 honey bee pathogens in Mongolia (N = 3 regions, N = 9 locations, N = 151 colonies), where honey bee colonies depend on humans to overwinter. In Mongolia, honey bees, Apis spp., are not native and colonies of European A. mellifera subspecies have been introduced ~60 years ago. Despite the high detection power and large sample size across Mongolian regions with beekeeping, the mite Acarapis woodi, the bacteria Melissococcus plutonius and Paenibacillus larvae, the microsporidian Nosema apis, Acute bee paralysis virus, Kashmir bee virus, Israeli acute paralysis virus and Lake Sinai virus strain 2 were not detected, suggesting that they are either very rare or absent. The mite Varroa destructor, Nosema ceranae and four viruses (Sacbrood virus, Black queen cell virus, Deformed wing virus (DWV) and Chronic bee paralysis virus) were found with different prevalence. Despite the positive correlation between the prevalence of V. destructor mites and DWV, some areas had only mites, but not DWV, which is most likely due to the exceptional isolation of apiaries (up to 600 km). Phylogenetic analyses of the detected viruses reveal their clustering and European origin, thereby supporting the role of trade for pathogen spread and the isolation of Mongolia from South-Asian countries. In conclusion, this survey reveals the distinctive honey bee pathosphere of Mongolia, which offers opportunities for exciting future research. PMID:26959221

"There is no other option; we have to feed our families…who else would do it?": The financial lives of women engaging in sex work in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

PubMed

Tsai, Laura Cordisco; Witte, Susan S; Aira, Toivgoo; Riedel, Marion; Hwang, Hyesung Grace; Ssewamala, Fred

2013-05-24

This article provides an overview of the financial lives of women (n = 204) engaging in sex work in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. This paper presents findings from a computer-based, interviewer-administered baseline assessment administered with women recruited for participation in a randomized controlled trial testing the feasibility of a combined HIV risk reduction and savings-led microfinance intervention for women engaging in sex work in Mongolia. Findings demonstrate that most women are the primary financial providers for their households, using an array of earning strategies to provide for themselves and other dependents, with sex work often constituting the primary household income source. Financial instability in the lives of people engaging in sex work may increase their risk for HIV and STIs due to a compromised ability to negotiate safer sex with partners in times of economic crisis or need. High levels of financial responsibility for household welfare, when combined with low reported savings, the presence of debt, higher premiums offered for sex without a condom, and high levels of harmful alcohol use, may heighten women's risk for HIV and other STIs. Further research that documents the financial lives of people working in sex work is needed in order to understand the complex relationship between financial stability and engagement in sex work, and to inform the development and testing of structural HIV prevention interventions which target the economic determinants of risk. These findings highlight the importance of economic support programming for women engaged in sex work in Mongolia at a time of rapid economic change in Mongolia.

“There is no other option; we have to feed our families…who else would do it?”: The Financial Lives of Women Engaging in Sex Work in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

PubMed Central

Tsai, Laura Cordisco; Witte, Susan S.; Aira, Toivgoo; Riedel, Marion; Hwang, Hyesung Grace; Ssewamala, Fred

2013-01-01

Introduction: This article provides an overview of the financial lives of women (n = 204) engaging in sex work in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Methods: This paper presents findings from a computer-based, interviewer-administered baseline assessment administered with women recruited for participation in a randomized controlled trial testing the feasibility of a combined HIV risk reduction and savings-led microfinance intervention for women engaging in sex work in Mongolia. Findings: Findings demonstrate that most women are the primary financial providers for their households, using an array of earning strategies to provide for themselves and other dependents, with sex work often constituting the primary household income source. Financial instability in the lives of people engaging in sex work may increase their risk for HIV and STIs due to a compromised ability to negotiate safer sex with partners in times of economic crisis or need. High levels of financial responsibility for household welfare, when combined with low reported savings, the presence of debt, higher premiums offered for sex without a condom, and high levels of harmful alcohol use, may heighten women's risk for HIV and other STIs. Conclusion: Further research that documents the financial lives of people working in sex work is needed in order to understand the complex relationship between financial stability and engagement in sex work, and to inform the development and testing of structural HIV prevention interventions which target the economic determinants of risk. These findings highlight the importance of economic support programming for women engaged in sex work in Mongolia at a time of rapid economic change in Mongolia. PMID:23985105

First Report of Hepatitis E Virus Infection in Sika Deer in China

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiao-Xuan; Qin, Si-Yuan; Zhang, Yuan; Meng, Qing-Feng; Jiang, Jing; Yang, Gui-Lian; Zhao, Quan; Zhu, Xing-Quan

2015-01-01

Hepatitis E virus (HEV), a single stranded RNA, nonenveloped virus, belongs to the genus Hepevirus, in the family of Hepeviridae. In this study, 46 (5.43%) out of the 847 serum samples from sika deer (Cervus nippon) were detected as seropositive with hepatitis E virus (HEV) by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). These samples were collected from Inner Mongolia and Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces in China, between October 2012 and October 2013. Seroprevalence of HEV infection in male and female deer was 4.82% and 6.52%, respectively. HEV seroprevalence in sika deer from different geographical locations varied from 3.13% to 6.73%. There was no significant difference in HEV seroprevalence between sika deer collected in autumn (5.65%) and winter (4.85%). This is the first report of HEV seroprevalence in sika deer in China, which will provide foundation information for estimating the effectiveness of future measures to control HEV infection in sika deer in China and assessing the potential risk of humans infected with HEV after consumption of undercooked or raw meat from infected sika deer. PMID:25949999

First report of hepatitis E virus infection in sika deer in China.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiao-Xuan; Qin, Si-Yuan; Zhang, Yuan; Meng, Qing-Feng; Jiang, Jing; Yang, Gui-Lian; Zhao, Quan; Zhu, Xing-Quan

2015-01-01

Hepatitis E virus (HEV), a single stranded RNA, nonenveloped virus, belongs to the genus Hepevirus, in the family of Hepeviridae. In this study, 46 (5.43%) out of the 847 serum samples from sika deer (Cervus nippon) were detected as seropositive with hepatitis E virus (HEV) by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). These samples were collected from Inner Mongolia and Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces in China, between October 2012 and October 2013. Seroprevalence of HEV infection in male and female deer was 4.82% and 6.52%, respectively. HEV seroprevalence in sika deer from different geographical locations varied from 3.13% to 6.73%. There was no significant difference in HEV seroprevalence between sika deer collected in autumn (5.65%) and winter (4.85%). This is the first report of HEV seroprevalence in sika deer in China, which will provide foundation information for estimating the effectiveness of future measures to control HEV infection in sika deer in China and assessing the potential risk of humans infected with HEV after consumption of undercooked or raw meat from infected sika deer.

Economic Impacts Analysis of Shale Gas Investment in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Shangfeng; Zhang, Baosheng; Wang, Xuecheng

2018-01-01

Chinese government has announced an ambitious shale gas extraction plan, which requires significant investment. This has the potential to draw investment from other areas and may affect the whole China’s economy. There is few study to date has quantified these shale gas investment’s effects on Chinese economy. The aim of this paper is to quantify the economic effect and figures out whether shale gas investment in China is a good choice or not. Input-output analysis has been utilized in this study to estimate the economic impacts in four different Chinese regions. Our findings show that shale gas investment will result in approximately 868, 427, 115 and 42 Billion RMB economic impacts in Sichuan, Chongqing, Inner Mongolia and Guizhou, respectively. The total economic impact is only around 1453 Billion RMB, which is not significant compared to the economic impact of coalbed methane investment. Considering the potential risks of environmental issues, we suggest that it may be a better strategy for the government, at least in the current situation, to slow down shale gas development investment.

Hydrogeological and biogeochemical constrains of arsenic mobilization in shallow aquifers from the Hetao basin, Inner Mongolia.

PubMed

Guo, Huaming; Zhang, Bo; Li, Yuan; Berner, Zsolt; Tang, Xiaohui; Norra, Stefan; Stüben, Doris

2011-04-01

Little is known about the importance of drainage/irrigation channels and biogeochemical processes in arsenic distribution of shallow groundwaters from the Hetao basin. This investigation shows that although As concentrations are primarily dependent on reducing conditions, evaporation increases As concentration in the centre of palaeo-lake sedimentation. Near drainage channels, groundwater As concentrations are the lowest in suboxic-weakly reducing conditions. Results demonstrate that both drainage and irrigation channels produce oxygen-rich water that recharges shallow groundwaters and therefore immobilize As. Groundwater As concentration increases with a progressive decrease in redox potential along the flow path in an alluvial fan. A negative correlation between SO₄²⁻ concentrations and δ³⁴S values indicates that bacterial reduction of SO₄²⁻ occurs in reducing aquifers. Due to high concentrations of Fe (> 0.5 mg L⁻¹), reductive dissolution of Fe oxides is believed to cause As release from aquifer sediments. Target aquifers for safe drinking water resources are available in alluvial fans and near irrigation channels. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with vegetation and soil parameters under rest grazing management in a desert steppe ecosystem.

PubMed

Bai, Gegenbaoleer; Bao, Yuying; Du, Guoxin; Qi, Yunlong

2013-05-01

The impact of rest grazing on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and the interactions of AMF with vegetation and soil parameters under rest grazing condition were investigated between spring and late summer in a desert steppe ecosystem with different grazing managements (rest grazing with different lengths of resting period, banned or continuous grazing) in Inner Mongolia, China. AMF diversity and colonization, vegetation biomass, soil properties and soil phosphatase activity were examined. In rest grazing areas of 60 days, AMF spore number and diversity index at a 0-10 cm soil depth as well as vesicular and hyphal colonization rates were higher compared with other grazing treatments. In addition, soil organic matter and total N contents were highest and soil alkaline phosphatase was most active under 60-day rest grazing. In August and September, these areas also had the highest amount of aboveground vegetation. The results indicated that resting grazing for an appropriate period of time in spring has a positive effect on AMF sporulation, colonization and diversity, and that under rest grazing conditions, AMF parameters are positively correlated with some soil characteristics.

A golden orb-weaver spider (Araneae: Nephilidae: Nephila) from the Middle Jurassic of China.

PubMed

Selden, Paul A; Shih, ChungKun; Ren, Dong

2011-10-23

Nephila are large, conspicuous weavers of orb webs composed of golden silk, in tropical and subtropical regions. Nephilids have a sparse fossil record, the oldest described hitherto being Cretaraneus vilaltae from the Cretaceous of Spain. Five species from Neogene Dominican amber and one from the Eocene of Florissant, CO, USA, have been referred to the extant genus Nephila. Here, we report the largest known fossil spider, Nephila jurassica sp. nov., from Middle Jurassic (approx. 165 Ma) strata of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China. The new species extends the fossil record of the family by approximately 35 Ma and of the genus Nephila by approximately 130 Ma, making it the longest ranging spider genus known. Nephilidae originated somewhere on Pangaea, possibly the North China block, followed by dispersal almost worldwide before the break-up of the supercontinent later in the Mesozoic. The find suggests that the palaeoclimate was warm and humid at this time. This giant fossil orb-weaver provides evidence of predation on medium to large insects, well known from the Daohugou beds, and would have played an important role in the evolution of these insects.

"Repeating Events" as Estimator of Location Precision: The China National Seismograph Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Changsheng; Wu, Zhongliang; Li, Yutong; Ma, Tengfei

2014-03-01

"Repeating earthquakes" identified by waveform cross-correlation, with inter-event separation of no more than 1 km, can be used for assessment of location precision. Assuming that the network-measured apparent inter-epicenter distance X of the "repeating doublets" indicates the location precision, we estimated the regionalized location quality of the China National Seismograph Network by comparing the "repeating events" in and around China by S chaff and R ichards (Science 303: 1176-1178, 2004; J Geophys Res 116: B03309, 2011) and the monthly catalogue of the China Earthquake Networks Center. The comparison shows that the average X value of the China National Seismograph Network is approximately 10 km. The mis-location is larger for the Tibetan Plateau, west and north of Xinjiang, and east of Inner Mongolia, as indicated by larger X values. Mis-location is correlated with the completeness magnitude of the earthquake catalogue. Using the data from the Beijing Capital Circle Region, the dependence of the mis-location on the distribution of seismic stations can be further confirmed.

Polarimetric Calibration and Assessment of GF-3 Images in Steppe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Y.; Yang, J.; Li, P.; Shi, L.; Zhao, L.

2018-04-01

The GaoFen-3 (GF-3) satellite is the first fully polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) satellite in China. It has three fully polarimetric imaging modes and is available for many applications. The system has been taken on several calibration experiments after the launch in Inner Mongolia by the Institute of Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IECAS), and the polarimetric calibration (PolCAL) strategy of GF-3 are also improved. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the image quality before any further applications. In this paper, we evaluated the polarimetric residual errors of GF-3 images that acquired in July 2017 in a steppe site. The results shows that the crosstalk of these images varies from -36 dB to -46 dB, and the channel imbalance varies from -0.43 dB to 0.55 dB with angle varying from -1.6 to 3.6 degree. We also made a PolCAL experiment to restrain the polarimetric distortion afterwards, and the polarimetric quality of the image got better after the PolCAL processing.

The Challenges of Bottom-up Approach of Natural-Social Integration in China Highland Pasture Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ai, Likun

2017-04-01

The pasture land covers two fifth of total Chinese land area, which is mainly distributed in western highland of Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu and Sichuan Provinces. China pasture land is not only in charge of providing food resource to regional people, but also plays important role in highland ecosystem services and biodiversity. Along with global warming and enhanced grazing activity, 90% of China pasture land is facing the threat of land degradation. From middle 1990's, Chinese government has released a series of pasture land conservation policies to prevent further environmental degradation. In the same time, lots of pasture ecosystem and environment change researches are supported by national and regional funding agencies. In this study, by monitoring and investigating this top-down approach of pasture land research and policy making processes, we would like to find out the gaps and problems of current research and policy making on China pasture land conservation, especially focusing on the possibility of establishing the bottom-up approach of natural-social sciences integration to support the pasture land conservation and sustainable pasture land management in highland China.

Differences of urinary arsenic metabolites and methylation capacity between individuals with and without skin lesions in Inner Mongolia, Northern China.

PubMed

Zhang, Qiang; Li, Yongfang; Liu, Juan; Wang, Da; Zheng, Quanmei; Sun, Guifan

2014-07-18

Incomplete arsenic (As) methylation has been considered a risk factor of As-related diseases. This study aimed to examine the difference of urinary As metabolites and the methylation capacity between subjects with and without skin lesions. Urinary inorganic arsenic (iAs), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) were analyzed. The percentage of each As species (iAs%, MMA%, and DMA%), the primary methylation index (PMI) and secondary methylation index (SMI) were calculated. The results showed that subjects with skin lesions have higher levels of urinary iAs (99.08 vs. 70.63 μg/g Cr, p = 0.006) and MMA (69.34 vs. 42.85 μg/g Cr, p = 0.016) than subjects without skin lesions after adjustment for several confounders. Significant differences of urianry MMA% (15.49 vs. 12.11, p = 0.036) and SMI (0.74 vs. 0.81, p = 0.025) were found between the two groups. The findings of the present study suggest that subjects with skin lesions may have a lower As methylation capacity than subjects without skin lesions.

Dust emission inventory in Northern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xuan, Jie; Liu, Guoliang; Du, Ke

This paper deals with mineral dust emission inventory from surfaces of Northern China. The inventory was calculated with a US EPA formula by inputting the pre-processed Chinese data of pedology and climatology. Mainly, the emission factor (emission rate) of the dust particles whose diameters are less than 0.03 mm increases from east to west of the area by five orders of magnitude and there are two strong emission regions, one is in Takelamagan desert, Xinjiang Province, and the other in Central Gobi-desert, western part of inner-Mongolia plateau. The maximum rate is at center of the Takelamagan desert, i.e., 1.5 ton ha yr -1. Also, the total annual emission amount of the area is equal to some 25 million tons, and spring is the worst dust-emitting season in the area, which takes more than half of the annual emission amount. The results are in good agreement with the previous calculations using a different US EPA formula (Xuan, J., 1999. Dust emission factors for environment of Northern China. Atmospheric Environment 33, 1767-1776).

Forest canopy growth dynamic modeling based on remote sensing prodcuts and meteorological data in Daxing'anling of Northeast China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Qiaoli; Song, Jinling; Wang, Jindi; Xiao, Zhiqiang

2014-11-01

Leaf Area Index (LAI) is an important biophysical variable for vegetation. Compared with vegetation indexes like NDVI and EVI, LAI is more capable of monitoring forest canopy growth quantitatively. GLASS LAI is a spatially complete and temporally continuous product derived from AVHRR and MODIS reflectance data. In this paper, we present the approach to build dynamic LAI growth models for young and mature Larix gmelinii forest in north Daxing'anling in Inner Mongolia of China using the Dynamic Harmonic Regression (DHR) model and Double Logistic (D-L) model respectively, based on the time series extracted from multi-temporal GLASS LAI data. Meanwhile we used the dynamic threshold method to attract the key phenological phases of Larix gmelinii forest from the simulated time series. Then, through the relationship analysis between phenological phases and the meteorological factors, we found that the annual peak LAI and the annual maximum temperature have a good correlation coefficient. The results indicate this forest canopy growth dynamic model to be very effective in predicting forest canopy LAI growth and extracting forest canopy LAI growth dynamic.

Spatial-temporal variation of marginal land suitable for energy plants from 1990 to 2010 in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Dong; Hao, Mengmeng; Fu, Jingying; Zhuang, Dafang; Huang, Yaohuan

2014-07-01

Energy plants are the main source of bioenergy which will play an increasingly important role in future energy supplies. With limited cultivated land resources in China, the development of energy plants may primarily rely on the marginal land. In this study, based on the land use data from 1990 to 2010(every 5 years is a period) and other auxiliary data, the distribution of marginal land suitable for energy plants was determined using multi-factors integrated assessment method. The variation of land use type and spatial distribution of marginal land suitable for energy plants of different decades were analyzed. The results indicate that the total amount of marginal land suitable for energy plants decreased from 136.501 million ha to 114.225 million ha from 1990 to 2010. The reduced land use types are primarily shrub land, sparse forest land, moderate dense grassland and sparse grassland, and large variation areas are located in Guangxi, Tibet, Heilongjiang, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. The results of this study will provide more effective data reference and decision making support for the long-term planning of bioenergy resources.

Health impact assessment in Mongolia: current situation, directions, and challenges.

PubMed

Spickett, Jeff; Batmunkh, Tsetsegsaikhan; Jones, Sarah

2015-03-01

Many developing countries have limited capacity to adequately assess and manage health impacts associated with environmental change. In Mongolia, methodologies to introduce health impact assessment (HIA) as part of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process have been investigated, and a mechanism to incorporate HIA into the current EIA process is proposed. Some challenges to the implementation of HIA are discussed. The country is now in a position to incorporate HIA as part of the approvals process for development projects. Given the recent growth in population, industrial development, and urbanization together with the interest from international mining companies in the resources of the country, it is important for Mongolia to have such tools in place in order to take advantage of economic growth while improving health and well-being outcomes for the population. © 2012 APJPH.

[HELMINTHS OF THE COMMON ROACH (RUTILUS RUTILUS LINNAEUS, 1758) AND THE EUROPEAN PERCH (PERCA FLUVIALITIS LINNAEUS, 1758) IN THE LAKE TERKHIIN TSAGAAN (MONGOLIA)].

PubMed

Lebedeva, D I; Mendsaikhan, B; Chantuu, Kh; Jargalmaa, G

2015-01-01

The article provides data about helminthes of the common roach and the European perch in the Lake Terkhiin Tsagaan (Mongolia). Six parasite species were found. Data on the occurrence of the trematode species and larvae of Streptocara crassicauda are obtained for the first time. Species composition of Diplostomum spp. metacercariae parasitizing in fish eyes is updated.

Catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment in Mongolia.

PubMed

Dorjdagva, Javkhlanbayar; Batbaatar, Enkhjargal; Svensson, Mikael; Dorjsuren, Bayarsaikhan; Kauhanen, Jussi

2016-07-11

The social health insurance coverage is relatively high in Mongolia; however, escalation of out-of-pocket payments for health care, which reached 41 % of the total health expenditure in 2011, is a policy concern. The aim of this study is to analyse the incidence of catastrophic health expenditures and to measure the rate of impoverishment from health care payments under the social health insurance scheme in Mongolia. We used the data from the Household Socio-Economic Survey 2012, conducted by the National Statistical Office of Mongolia. Catastrophic health expenditures are defined an excess of out-of-pocket payments for health care at the various thresholds for household total expenditure (capacity to pay). For an estimate of the impoverishment effect, the national and The Wold Bank poverty lines are used. About 5.5 % of total households suffered from catastrophic health expenditures, when the threshold is 10 % of the total household expenditure. At the threshold of 40 % of capacity to pay, 1.1 % of the total household incurred catastrophic health expenditures. About 20,000 people were forced into poverty due to paying for health care. Despite the high coverage of social health insurance, a significant proportion of the population incurred catastrophic health expenditures and was forced into poverty due to out-of-pocket payments for health care.

Pathways of coupled arsenic and iron cycling in high arsenic groundwater of the Hetao basin, Inner Mongolia, China: an iron isotope approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Guo, Huaming; Liu, Chen; Lu, Hai; Wanty, Richard B.; Wang, Jun; Zhou, Yinzhu

2013-01-01

High As groundwater is widely distributed all over the world, which has posed a significant health impact on millions of people. Iron isotopes have recently been used to characterize Fe cycling in aqueous environments, but there is no information on Fe isotope characteristics in the groundwater. Since groundwater As behavior is closely associated with Fe cycling in the aquifers, Fe isotope signatures may help to characterize geochemical processes controlling As concentrations of shallow groundwaters. This study provides the first observation of Fe isotope fractionation in high As groundwater and evaluation of Fe cycling and As behaviors in shallow aquifers in terms of Fe isotope signatures. Thirty groundwater samples were taken for chemical and isotopic analysis in the Hetao basin, Inner Mongolia. Thirty-two sediments were sampled as well from shallow aquifers for Fe isotope analysis. Results showed that groundwater was normally enriched in isotopically light Fe with δ56Fe values between −3.40‰ and 0.58‰ and median of −1.14‰, while heavier δ56Fe values were observed in the sediments (between −1.10‰ and 0.75‰, median +0.36‰). In reducing conditions, groundwaters generally had higher δ56Fe values, in comparison with oxic conditions. High As groundwaters, generally occurring in reducing conditions, had high δ56Fe values, while low As groundwaters normally had low δ56Fe values. Although sediment δ56Fe values were generally independent of lithological conditions, a large variation in sediment δ56Fe values was observed in the oxidation–reduction transition zone. Three pathways were identified for Fe cycling in shallow groundwater, including dissimilatory reduction of Fe(III) oxides, re-adsorption of Fe(II), and precipitation of pyrite and siderite. Dissimilatory reduction of Fe(III) oxides resulted in light δ56Fe values (around −1.0‰) and high As concentration (>50 μg/L) in groundwater in anoxic conditions. Re-adsorption of isotopically heavy Fe(II) produced by microbially mediated reduction of Fe(III) oxides led to further enrichment of isotopically light Fe in groundwater (up to −3.4‰ of δ56Fe) in anoxic–suboxic conditions. Arsenic re-adsorption was expected to occur along with Fe(II) re-adsorption, decreasing groundwater As concentrations. In strongly reducing conditions, precipitation of isotopically light Fe-pyrite and/or siderite increased groundwater δ56Fe values, reaching +0.58‰ δ56Fe, with a subsequent decrease in As concentrations via co-precipitation. The mixed effect of those pathways would regulate As and Fe cycling in most groundwaters.

Mo-mineralized porphyries are relatively hydrous and differentiated: insights from the Permian-Triassic granitic complex in the Baituyingzi Mo-Cu district, eastern Inner Mongolia, NE China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Yan; Liu, Jianming; Zeng, Qingdong; Wang, Jingbin; Wang, Yuwang; Hu, Ruizhong; Zhou, Lingli; Wu, Guanbin

2017-08-01

Mo-Cu mineralization in the Baituyingzi district of eastern Inner Mongolia occurs within a granitic complex. This paper presents and discusses zircon U-Pb ages and whole-rock geochemical and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic data from the granitic complex as potential indicators for porphyry Mo fertility. The U-Pb ages indicate that five units of the granitic complex were emplaced between 265.2 ± 0.7 and 246.5 ± 1.0 Ma. Constrained by crosscutting dikes, Mo-Cu mineralization was probably related to the Baituyingzi monzogranite porphyry dated at 248.2 ± 0.64 Ma. The intrusions belong to high-K calc-alkaline to shoshonitic series that are characterized by highly fractionated rare earth element (REE) patterns and strong enrichments of large ion lithophile elements, relative to high-field strength elements. Apart from the ˜246-Ma dike that shows negative ɛNd ( t) values (-14.9 to -13.1), the intrusions have ɛNd( t) values ranging from -3.9 to 1.0, relatively young depleted mantle model ages (811 to 1183 Ma), 206Pb/204Pb of 18.137-18.335, and 207Pb/204Pb of 15.591-15.625, which are consistent with a juvenile lower crustal origin. Among the intrusions, the ˜248-Ma porphyry and the ˜246-Ma dike show adakite-like characteristics (e.g., Sr/Y = 44.9-185) and listric-shaped REE patterns that indicate amphibole fractionation and a hydrous magma source. However, the porphyry exhibits a higher differentiation index (81.4-91.5) and a steeper REE profile (e.g., LaN/YbN = 25.6-87.0) than those of the ˜246-Ma dike, which suggests that it is highly differentiated. We propose that the complex was generated by the partial melting of juvenile mafic lower crust (containing minor old crustal relicts) that was triggered by collision between the North China Craton and Siberian Craton. As indicated by the Th/Nb, Th/Yb, Ba/Th, and Ba/La ratios of the intrusions, the crust may have been derived from the melting of the fertile mantle wedge that was metasomatized by various amounts of slab-derived fluids or melts due to earlier subduction and was heterogeneous in terms of water, Cu, Mo, and S contents and possible oxidation state. The fertility of the porphyry was likely associated with the addition of earlier subduction-related slab melts to the magma source (leading to a hydrous and possible high oxidation state) and the long-time (˜20 Ma) collision tectonic setting in which it formed (resulting in a highly differentiated state).