Research Progress

• 
  L-Cysteine: Physiological and Nutritional Function in Host Health

  a research team led by Prof. YIN Yulong, from Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ISA) has reviewed the metabolic pathways of L-cysteine catabolism to GSH, H2S, and taurine, and corresponding nutritional implications in host health. L-cysteine is a nutritionally semi-essential amino acid.

  Mar 01, 2016
• Effects of Nitrogen Deposition on Carbon Cycle in Chinese Terrestrial Ecosystems Through a Meta-analysis

  Researchers in the South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SCBG), Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ISA), Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGSNRR), University of Copenhagen, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IB) and Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research used a meta-analysis technique to compile 88 studies to synthesize the N deposition impacts on C dynamics in Chinese terrestrial ecosystems.

  Feb 28, 2016
• Migratory Waterbirds Significantly Influenced by Coastal Habitat Changes in Yangtze River Estuary

  Researchers in the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ISA) employ remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS) and statistical techniques to analyze the relationship between waterbird population dynamics and the changes in their habitats within the past decades in the Chongming Dongtan wetlands in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The team found that natural and artificial wetlands were both important to migratory waterbirds during the peak of migration and wintering, and waterbird populations were significantly correlated with their habitat changes both in natural and artificial wetlands.

  Feb 28, 2016
• Whether the Biomasses of Soil Nematode Genera Can be Used as Weighting Factors for the Calculation of Nematode Community Indices

  No methodology has been developed to re-assess the cp scale and weighting system of nematodes. A team of researchers in the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ISA) employed three data sets to calculate the indices using guild-based weighting and genus-based weighting.

  Feb 28, 2016
• Whether There are General Patterns in Biomass Partitioning in Relation to Environmental Variation When Stand Biomass is Considered

  Using forest biomass data from 1022 sites across China, including 110 sites at which performed field measurements from 2011 to 2012, and 912 sites from the national forest inventory data set (2004-2008), researchers from the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ISA) investigated the biogeographic patterns of biomass allocation in leaves, stems, and roots based on a large-scale biomass survey across forest communities in China.

  Feb 28, 2016
• Developmental Changes in Small Intestine of Piglets During the Suckling and Post-weaning Periods

  Researchers in the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ISA) used sixty-four neonatal piglets from 8 litters (8 piglets per litter). Some piglets were be nursed by sows till to 21 days old, whereas other piglets were weaned at 14 days old and housed the same farrowing cage without sow and fed with creep feed. Eight piglets were slaughtered from each litter at 1, 7, 14, 21 day of age and on 1, 3, 5, 7-day after weaning. They employed hematoxylin-eosin staining, scanning electron microscopy, real-time quantitative, and assay kit to observe the intestinal morphology, the expression of tight junction proteins and Kv, and activity of brush enzyme. The team found that the most serious damage of intestinal morphology and barrier induced by early-weaning at 14 day of age occurs on day 3 or 5; there is an adaptive restoration on day 7 post-weaning, but does not return to the pre-weaning levels that showed impairment of intercellular junctions and Kv channels.

  Feb 25, 2016
• Soil Water Stable Isotope Varies Differently From Soil Water Content in Space

  study the spatial variability of soil water content and its stable isotope composition together could help to better understand the ecohydrological processes in this region. The team found the spatial variability of soil water content and its dD value were rather different.

  Feb 24, 2016
• How Soil Properties Control Decomposition of Soil Organic Carbon at Large Spatial Scales?

  Decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM) plays an essential role in terrestrial carbon (C) cycling. So far, there is un-sufficient knowledge about how soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition rates vary at a large spatial scale and which factors control SOM decomposition.The researchers found that hypotheses of soil property-C decomposition relationships have not been explicitly tested at large spatial scales.

  Feb 23, 2016
• Simulated Tillage Affects Microbial Autotrophic CO2 Fixation in Paddy and Upland Soils

  Physical disturbance introduced during soil management practices (such as tillage) may disintegrate the soil structure, causing pronounced changes in the soil microbial community involved in biogeochemical processes, such as carbon sequestration. The researchers found that soil disturbance altered the abundance of cbbL-carrying autotrophic bacteria, and this shift in autotrophic bacterial abundance was accompanied by significant changes in CO2 fixation, resulting in significant enhancement of soil organic carbon concentration.

  Feb 22, 2016
• Emissions of NO and N2O in Wetland Microcosms for Swine Wastewater Treatment

  China is one of the world's largest producers of pork, and swine wastewater treatment is becoming an urgent issue in the country. In recent years, constructed wetlands (CWs), an effective and inexpensive technology, have been widely used to treat swine wastewater.Using a closed static chamber method, researchers from the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ISA) estimated NO and N2O emissions in wetland microcosms vegetated with Myriophyllum elatinoides (WM), Alternanthera philoxeroides (WA), Eichhornia crassipes (WE) or without vegetation (NW) during the process of treating swine wastewater.

  Feb 02, 2016