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Zhang L, Zhao X, Yan X, Huang X, She D, Liu X, Yan X, Xia Y. Improving denitrification estimation by joint inclusion of suspended particles and chlorophyll a in aquaculture ponds. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 365:121681. [PMID: 38963966 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
The denitrification process in aquaculture systems plays a crucial role in nitrogen (N) cycle and N budget estimation. Reliable models are needed to rapidly quantify denitrification rates and assess nitrogen losses. This study conducted a comparative analysis of denitrification rates in fish, crabs, and natural ponds in the Taihu region from March to November 2021, covering a complete aquaculture cycle. The results revealed that aquaculture ponds exhibited higher denitrification rates compared to natural ponds. Key variables influencing denitrification rates were Nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N), Suspended particles (SPS), and chlorophyll a (Chla). There was a significant positive correlation between SPS concentration and denitrification rates. However, we observed that the denitrification rate initially rose with increasing Chla concentration, followed by a subsequent decline. To develop parsimonious models for denitrification rates in aquaculture ponds, we constructed five different statistical models to predict denitrification rates, among which the improved quadratic polynomial regression model (SQPR) that incorporated the three key parameters accounted for 80.7% of the variability in denitrification rates. Additionally, a remote sensing model (RSM) utilizing SPS and Chla explained 43.8% of the variability. The RSM model is particularly valuable for rapid estimation in large regions where remote sensing data are the only available source. This study enhances the understanding of denitrification processes in aquaculture systems, introduces a new model for estimating denitrification in aquaculture ponds, and offers valuable insights for environmental management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhang
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, 211100, China; State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Xuemei Zhao
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, 211100, China; State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Xing Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Xuan Huang
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, 211100, China
| | - Dongli She
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, 211100, China
| | - Xuemei Liu
- East China Jiaotong University, Nanchang, 330013, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Nanjing, 210008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 211135, China
| | - Yongqiu Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Nanjing, 210008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 211135, China.
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Li J, Liu H, Pei H, Liu W, Yang G, Xie Y, Cao S, Wang J, Ma L, Zhang H. Coupled processes involving ammonium inputs, microbial nitrification, and calcite dissolution control riverine nitrate pollution in the piedmont zone (Qingshui River, China). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 931:172970. [PMID: 38705293 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Rivers in agricultural countries widely suffer from diffuse nitrate (NO3-) pollution. Although pollution sources and fates of riverine NO3- have been reported worldwide, the driving mechanisms of riverine NO3- pollution associated with mineral dissolution in piedmont zones remain unclear. This study combined hydrogeochemical compositions, stable isotopes (δ18O-NO3-, δ15N-NO3-, δ18O-H2O, and δ2H-H2O), and molecular bioinformation to determine the pollution sources, biogeochemical evolution, and natural attenuation of riverine NO3- in a typical piedmont zone (Qingshui River). High NO3- concentration (37.5 ± 9.44 mg/L) was mainly observed in the agricultural reaches of the river, with ~15.38 % of the samples exceeding the acceptable limit for drinking purpose (44 mg/L as NO3-) set by the World Health Organization. Ammonium inputs, microbial nitrification, and HNO3-induced calcite dissolution were the dominant driving factors that control riverine NO3- contamination in the piedmont zone. Approximately 99.4 % of riverine NO3- contents were derived from NH4+-containing pollutants, consisted of manure & domestic sewage (74.0 % ± 13.0 %), NH4+-synthetic fertilizer (16.1 % ± 8.99 %), and soil organic nitrogen (9.35 % ± 4.49 %). These NH4+-containing pollutants were converted to HNO3 (37.2 ± 9.38 mg/L) by nitrifying bacteria, and then the produced HNO3 preferentially participated in the carbonate (mainly calcite) dissolution, which accounted for 40.0 % ± 12.1 % of the total riverine Ca2+ + Mg2+, also resulting in the rapid release of NO3- into the river water. Thus, microbial nitrification could be a new and non-negligible contributor of riverine NO3- pollution, whereas the involvement of HNO3 in calcite dissolution acted as an accelerator of riverine NO3- pollution. However, denitrification had lesser contribution to natural attenuation for high NO3- pollution. The obtained results indicated that the mitigation of riverine NO3- pollution should focus on the management of ammonium discharges, and the HNO3-induced carbonate dissolution needs to be considered in comprehensively understanding riverine NO3- pollution in piedmont zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Li
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Water Quality Engineering and Comprehensive Utilization of Water Resources, Hebei University of Architecture, Zhangjiakou 075000, China
| | - Haoyang Liu
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Water Quality Engineering and Comprehensive Utilization of Water Resources, Hebei University of Architecture, Zhangjiakou 075000, China
| | - Hongwei Pei
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Water Quality Engineering and Comprehensive Utilization of Water Resources, Hebei University of Architecture, Zhangjiakou 075000, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Water Quality Engineering and Comprehensive Utilization of Water Resources, Hebei University of Architecture, Zhangjiakou 075000, China
| | - Guoli Yang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Water Quality Engineering and Comprehensive Utilization of Water Resources, Hebei University of Architecture, Zhangjiakou 075000, China
| | - Yincai Xie
- Key Laboratory of Karst Dynamics, MNR&GZAR, Institute of Karst Geology, CAGS, Guilin 541004, China
| | - Shengwei Cao
- Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, CAGS, Shijiazhuang 050061, China
| | - Jiawei Wang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Water Quality Engineering and Comprehensive Utilization of Water Resources, Hebei University of Architecture, Zhangjiakou 075000, China
| | - Lishan Ma
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Water Quality Engineering and Comprehensive Utilization of Water Resources, Hebei University of Architecture, Zhangjiakou 075000, China
| | - Hengxing Zhang
- Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, CAGS, Shijiazhuang 050061, China.
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Zhang J, Huang J, Pei P, Feng S, Ji Y, Zhang S, Gao J. Shifts of the pond area ratio for lowland polders: Implication for nutrient control. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:174133. [PMID: 38901574 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Shifts for natural ecosystems were increasingly concerned due to its profound impacts on ecosystem services. Ponds within lowland artificial watersheds (polders) play a critical role in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycling. From the perspective of N & P control in management practices, it is needed to determine an optimal pond area ratio for polders. For this purpose, our study proposed a process-based modelling framework to investigate the response of polder N & P loss to pond area, and thus to determine the threshold value of pond area ratio to achieve maximum N & P reduction for polders. The proposed framework included two process-based models (NDP and PDP) specially developed to describe N & P dynamics in lowland polders. To evaluate the proposed performance of the framework, it was applied to 171 polders in Zhong River Watershed in Lake Taihu Basin, eastern China. Our investigation results revealed that the correlation between polder N & P reduction rate and pond area ratio had an abrupt shift of 13.6 %, 14.7 % for N & P, respectively. Therefore, polders with a pond area ratio of 13.6-14.7 % had the largest N & P reduction (5.27 and 0.19 kg/ha). Polder size affected P reduction rate, with smaller polders (<200 ha) showing a higher P reduction rate, while it did not affect N reduction rate. Compared with annual precipitation, rainy-season precipitation more significantly (P<0.01) determined polder N & P reduction. This study demonstrated the use of our process-based framework in characterizing the shifts for the pond area ratio for polders, and thus provided technical support for N & P control of lowland areas in water management practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Lake and Watershed Science for Water Security, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jiacong Huang
- Key Laboratory of Lake and Watershed Science for Water Security, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; Poyang Lake Wetland Research Station, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jiujiang 332899, China.
| | - Pengna Pei
- College of Harbour Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Shuailong Feng
- Key Laboratory of Lake and Watershed Science for Water Security, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; College of Biological Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China
| | - Yulai Ji
- Key Laboratory of Lake and Watershed Science for Water Security, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shuai Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Lake and Watershed Science for Water Security, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Junfeng Gao
- Key Laboratory of Lake and Watershed Science for Water Security, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China.
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Kang L, Zhu M, Zhu G, Xu H, Zou W, Xiao M, Guo C, Zhang Y, Qin B. Decreasing denitrification rates poses a challenge to further decline of nitrogen concentration in Lake Taihu, China. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 256:121565. [PMID: 38581985 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) concentrations in many lakes have decreased substantially in recent years due to external load reduction to mitigate harmful algal blooms. However, little attention has been paid to the linkage between the lakes' nitrogen removal efficiency and improved water quality in lakes, especially the variation of denitrification rate (DNR) under decreasing N concentrations. To understand the efficiency of N removal under improving water quality and its influence on the N control targets in Lake Taihu, a denitrification model based on in situ experimental results was developed and long-term (from 2007 to 2022) water quality and meteorological observations were used to estimate DNR and relate it to the amount of N removal (ANR) from the lake. The concentration of total nitrogen (TN) in Lake Taihu decreased from 3.28 mg L-1 to 1.41 mg L-1 from 2007 to 2022 but the reduction showed spatial heterogeneity. The annual mean DNR decreased from 45.6 μmol m-2 h-1 to 4.2 μmol m-2 h-1, and ANR decreased from 11.85×103 t yr-1 to 1.17×103 t yr-1 during the study years. N budget analysis suggested that the amount of N removed by denitrification accounted for 23.3 % of the external load in 2007, but decreased to only 4.0 % in 2022. Thus, the contribution of N removal by internal N cycling decreased significantly as water quality improved. Notably, the proportion of ANR in winter to total ANR increased from 14 % in 2007 to 23 % in 2022 due to warming. This could potentially lead to N deficiencies in spring and summer, thus limiting the availability of N to phytoplankton. A TN concentration of less than 1.0 mg L-1 in the lake and 1.5 mg L-1 in the inflowing lake zones in spring contribute to local N-limitation in Lake Taihu for cyanobacteria control. Our study revealed a general pattern that N removal efficiency decreases with improved water quality, which is instructive for eutrophic lakes in nitrogen management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijuan Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Mengyuan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China
| | - Guangwei Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China.
| | - Hai Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China
| | - Wei Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China
| | - Man Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China
| | - Chaoxuan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China
| | - Yunlin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China
| | - Boqiang Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China
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Zheng T, Wang P, Hu B, Bao T, Qin X. Mass variations and transfer process of shrimp farming pollutants in aquaculture drainage systems: Effects of DOM features and physicochemical properties. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 469:133978. [PMID: 38461667 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
The expansion of aquaculture produces increasing pollutant loads, necessitating the use of drainage systems to discharge wastewater into surface water. To assess the mass variations and transfer process of aquaculture wastewater, an entire aquaculture drainage investigation lasting for 48 h was conducted, focusing on the nutrients, heavy metals, dissolved organic matter (DOM), and physicochemical properties of drainage in a commercial shrimp farm. The findings revealed that early drainage produced more heavy metals, total nitrogen (TN), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), and feed-like proteins from aquaculture floating feed and additives, whereas late drainage produced more PO43--P and total dissolved phosphorus (TP). A few pollutants, including DON, Cu, and feed-like proteins, were effectively removed, whereas the contents of TN, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, and Zn increased in the multi-level aquaculture drainage system. Limited dilution indicated that in-stream transfer was the main process shaping pollutant concentrations within the drainage system. In the lower ditches, NO3--N, heavy metals, and feed-like proteins exhibited evident in-stream attenuation, while TN and NH4+-N underwent significant in-stream enrichment processes, especially in ditch C, with the transfer coefficient values (vf) of -1.74E-5 and -2.04E-5. This indicates that traditional aquaculture drainage systems serve as nitrogen sinks, rather than efficient nutrient purge facilitators. Notably, DOM was identified as a more influential factor in shaping the in-stream transfer process in aquaculture drainage systems, with an interpretation rate 40.79% higher than that of the physiochemical properties. Consequently, it is necessary to eliminate the obstacles posed by DOM to pollutant absorption and net zero emissions in aquaculture drainage systems in the future. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS: Nutrients, heavy metals, and dissolved organic matter are hazardous pollutants originating from high-density aquaculture. As the sole conduit to natural waters, aquaculture drainage systems have pivotal functions in receiving and purifying wastewater, in which the in-stream transfer process is affected by ambient conditions. This field study investigated the spatial variations, stage distinctions, effects of physicochemical properties, and dissolved organic matter (DOM) features. This finding suggests that the aquaculture drainage system as a nitrogen sink and DOM source. While the DOM is the key factor in shaping the in-stream transfer process, and obstacles for pollutant elimination. This study helps in understanding the fate of aquaculture pollutants and reveals the drawbacks of traditional aquaculture drainage systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianming Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Peifang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China.
| | - Bin Hu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Tianli Bao
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Xingmin Qin
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
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Shi Z, She D, Pan Y, Abulaiti A, Huang Y, Liu R, Wang F, Xia Y, Shan J. Ditch level-dependent N removal capacity of denitrification and anammox in the drainage system of the Ningxia Yellow River irrigation district. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 916:170314. [PMID: 38272083 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Drainage networks, consisting of different levels of ditches, play a positive role in removing reactive nitrogen (N) via self-purification before drainage water returns to natural water bodies. However, relatively little is known about the N removal capacity of irrigation agricultural systems with different drainage ditch levels. In this study, we employed soil core incubation and soil slurry 15N paired tracer techniques to investigate the N removal rate (i.e., N2 flux), denitrification, anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) rates in the Ningxia Yellow River irrigation district at various ditch levels, including field ditches (FD), paddy field ditches (PFD), lateral ditches (LD1 and LD2), branch ditches (BD1, BD2, BD3), and trunk ditches (TD). The results indicated that the N removal rate ranged from 44.7 to 165.22 nmol N g-1 h-1 in the ditches, in the following decreasing order: trunk ditches > branch ditches > paddy field ditches > lateral ditches > field ditches. This result suggested that the N removal rate in drainage ditches is determined by the ditch level. In addition, denitrification and anammox were the primary pathways for N removal in the ditches, contributing 68.40-76.64 % and 21.55-30.29 %, respectively, to the total N removal. In contrast, DNRA contributed only 0.82-2.15 % to the total nitrate reduction. The N removal rates were negatively correlated with soil EC and pH and were also constrained by the abundances of denitrification functional genes. Overall, our findings suggest that the ditch level should be considered when evaluating the N removal capacity of agricultural ditch systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenqi Shi
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center for Agricultural Soil-Water Efficient Utilization, Carbon Sequestration and Emission Reduction, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Dongli She
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; College of Soil and Water Conservation, Hohai University, Changzhou 213200, China.
| | - Yongchun Pan
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center for Agricultural Soil-Water Efficient Utilization, Carbon Sequestration and Emission Reduction, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Alimu Abulaiti
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center for Agricultural Soil-Water Efficient Utilization, Carbon Sequestration and Emission Reduction, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Yihua Huang
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center for Agricultural Soil-Water Efficient Utilization, Carbon Sequestration and Emission Reduction, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Ruliang Liu
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Ningxia Academy of Agro-forestry Science, Yinchuan 750002, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Ningxia Academy of Agro-forestry Science, Yinchuan 750002, China
| | - Yongqiu Xia
- Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Jun Shan
- Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China.
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