The degradation of alpine grassland on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau severely threatens regional ecological security， creating an urgent need for restoration techniques that balance rapid vegetation recovery with long-term functional enhancement. This study employed a field-controlled experiment to systematically investigate the effects of biocrust addition， non-woven fabric covering， and their combined treatment on the ecological restoration of degraded alpine grassland. Sixteen plots were established in Gangcha County， Qinghai Province， using a randomized block design. Vegetation characteristics， soil physicochemical properties， and erosion resistance were measured. The results showed that： （1） The non-woven fabric treatment rapidly restored vegetation， and significantly increased aboveground dry matter and vegetation coverage by 375.5% and 107.6%， respectively， compared to the control. （2） The biocrust treatment facilitated long-term ecological function recovery， and enhanced plant diversity and moss crust coverage by 40.4% and 863.6%， respectively. It also significantly increased soil organic matter and total nitrogen content in the crust layer by 20.8% and 13.1%. （3） The comprehensive treatment exhibited the strongest synergistic effect， reducing the soil erosion modulus by 83.1% compared to the control group. In conclusion， non-woven fabric covering is suitable for rapid vegetation recovery， biocrust addition promotes long-term soil improvement and biodiversity， and their combination offers synergistic advantages in enhancing nutrient availability and controlling soil erosion. This study provides an optimized multi-objective technical approach for restoring degraded alpine grassland.

This study aimed to investigate the interspecific nutrient competition characteristics and their effects on the productive performance of an oat （Avena sativa L.） and forage pea （Pisum sativum L.） system under different intercropping ratios in Corral lands of the Qinghai alpine region. A field experiment was conducted in Haiyan County， Qinghai Province， from 2023 to 2024， with treatments including Avena sativa∶Pisum sativum intercropping ratios of 2∶1 （O2P）， 1∶1 （OP）， and 1∶2 （OP2）， as well as monocropping oat （MO） and monocropping pea （MP） as controls. Measurements included dry matter yield， plant height， leaf area， stem-to-leaf ratio， contents and accumulations of nitrogen （N）， phosphorus （P）， and potassium （K）. The land equivalent ratio （LER） and competition rate （CR） were calculated. The results showed that： （1） The LER values under all intercropping ratios were greater than 1， with the OP treatment exhibiting the highest value， indicating that intercropping provided an advantage in land resource utilization； （2） The yield CR of oat was consistently greater than 1， demonstrating that intraspecific competition predominated， whereas the CR of pea was less than 1， indicating stronger interspecific competition； （3） Oat exhibited stronger competitive ability for N and P than pea across all intercropping ratios， while competition for K varied with the ratio-pea outperformed oat only under the OP2 ratio； （4） The OP treatment achieved the highest dry matter yield， despite oat individual leaf area being the lowest in this treatment， suggesting that the high system productivity relied primarily on interspecific functional complementarity and population synergy rather than individual morphological advantages. In conclusion， oat/pea intercropping enhances system productivity through resource complementarity and competition coordination， with the 1∶1 intercropping ratio being a suitable model for forage production in alpine Corral lands.

To investigate the effects of staged nitrogen （N） application combined with the nitrification inhibitor 3，4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate （DMPP） on nitrogen uptake， utilization， and yield of forage oat （Avena sativa L.）， a field experiment was conducted with seven N fertilizer treatments： no N application （CK）， conventional N application （105 kg·hm^-2， N₁₀₅； 210 kg·hm^-2， N₂₁₀； 300 kg·hm^-2， N₃₀₀）， reduced-staged optimized N application （168 kg·hm^-2， O₁₆₈）， and reduced-staged optimized N application combined with DMPP （O₁₆₈+D， O₁₄₄+D） The results showed that compared with conventional N application， the O₁₆₈+D treatment achieved the highest yield of 7412.13 kg·hm^-2， which was significantly higher than that of under conventional N application （P<0.05）. Compared to the N₂₁₀ treatment， the oat plant nitrogen uptake， nitrogen agronomic efficiency， and nitrogen use efficiency increased by 4.90%， 48.51%， and 6.44% in O₁₆₈+D treatment， respectively. Therefore， under the condition of Horqin aeolian sandy soil， the optimized treatment-combining reduced-staged application of N with DMPP can increase the yield and improve the N use efficiency of forage oat. These findings provide a theoretical basis for enhancing the yield of forage oat and optimizing N fertilizer application in the Horqin Sandy Land.

The expansion of Stellera chamaejasme is an important indicator of steppe degradation， which markedly alters the structure and function of steppe community. In this study， the natural typical steppe in West Ujimqin Banner， Xilingol League was selected as the research object， and the differences in community characteristics among S. chamaejasme-dominated degraded steppe （SS）， non-S. chamaejasme-dominated degraded steppe （NS） and undegraded steppe （CK） were compared. The results showed that： （1） Steppe degradation reduced community height and coverage， while the community height of SS was higher than that of NS， and the aboveground biomass of SS was significantly higher than that of CK and NS. （2） The species richness and diversity indices of NS were lower than those of SS， and a community dominated by Cleistogenes squarrosa was formed in NS. （3） There were no significant differences in the cumulative dominance of dominant families and functional groups between the two types of degraded grasslands. However， in terms of the percentage composition of functional groups， perennial graminoids （Pg） dominated in NS， while perennial forbs （Pf） accounted for the highest proportion in SS. In summary， the expansion of Stellera chamaejasme induced changes in community composition and species reduction， but it maintained community diversity and a relatively high level of aboveground biomass， indicating that the corresponding communities might be in an “alternative steady state”. Therefore， the restoration strategies for Stellera chamaejasme-dominated degraded grasslands should be distinguished from other types of degraded grasslands.

Bacterial extracellular polysaccharides （EPS） show great potential in enhancing plant stress resistance， but their mechanism of action on drought resistance in alfalfa （Medicago sativa） remains unclear. In this study， Alfalfa ‘Juneng 551’ was used as the experimental material， and seed coating technology was employed to investigate the drought resistance effect of Cp2-EPS from Erwinia persicina. Treatments included an uncoated control （CK）， a coating matrix control （T1）， and four Cp2-EPS concentration treatments （0.5， 1.0， 1.5， 2.0 g·L^-1， denoted as T2-T5）. Drought stress was applied after 21 days of seedling growth by maintaining soil relative water content at 40% for 14 days， and related physiological and growth indicators were measured. The results showed that Cp2-EPS coating significantly alleviated the growth inhibition caused by drought in alfalfa， with the 1.0 g·L^-1 （T3） treatment demonstrating the best effect. Compared with CK， the T3 treatment increased root length， shoot length， fresh weight， and dry weight by 17.87%， 17.87%， 74.53%， and 46.34%， respectively. Leaf photochemical quantum yield Y（II）， maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII， and total chlorophyll content were also significantly improved. In summary， Cp2-EPS seed coating can mitigate drought-induced oxidative damage by enhancing photosynthetic performance， and 1.0 g·L^-1 was identified as the optimal concentration. This study provides theoretical and technical references for developing eco-friendly drought-resistant coating agents and sustainable alfalfa production.

Methane （CH₄） is recognized as the second-largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The enteric fermentation from ruminant livestock accounts for approximately 40% of the total anthropogenic CH₄ emissions. This poses a major obstacle to national efforts in combating global warming and achieving the “dual carbon goals”. In this study， we systematically synthesized the existing knowledge on enteric methane emissions from ruminant livestock and their measurement methods. The results indicated that there were significant variations in CH₄ emission factors across regions， livestock species and feeding stages. There was a larger span of emissions in warmer and humid regions than in colder and drier regions. Larger-bodied animals generally produced higher emissions. For example， female breeding buffaloes emited up to 110.6 kg·head^-1·a^-1， whereas emissions from sheep and goats were considerably lower （approximately 12~13 kg·head^-1·a^-1）. Overall， the emission factors ranged widely from 6.5 to 110.6 kg·head^-1·a^-1 depending on production stages and feeding systems. Key measurement techniques for enteric methane included the sulfur hexafluoride （SF₆） tracer technique， respiration chamber/headbox systems， the GreenFeed system， in vitro fermentation， laser-based methods， and predictive modeling. Promising mitigation strategies encompassed dietary composition adjustments， feed additives， rumen microbiota manipulation， vaccine-based methods， genetic improvement， and optimized management practices， as well as emerging approaches such as targeted inhibition of key methanogenic enzymes， modulation of hydrogen metabolic shunting， and remodeling the rumen microbiome through gene editing. Future studies should prioritize establishing accurate methodologies for accounting enteric CH₄ emissions throughout the entire production cycle. In addition， more studies are needed to refine region-specific emission factors. For greenhouse gas mitigation， efforts should focus on improving dietary formulations， integrating farm management， and implementing genetic selection programs to promote the sustainable development of ruminant livestock production.

To investigate whether seasonal freeze-thaw promotes the emission of nitrous oxide （N₂O） and accelerates the gaseous loss of nitrogen in the talus plateau vegetation ecosystem， this study focused on the grassland （Thylacospermum caespitosum） pad vegetation at an altitude of 4000-4400 m on the Gangshigacha snow peak in the eastern part of the Qilian Mountains. The soil （0-30 cm） temperature， humidity， nutrient dynamic characteristics， and N₂O flux were monitored continuously for two years. The results showed that the soil experienced approximately 70 daily freeze-thaw cycles throughout the year， divided into four periods： unstable thawing period （25 times）， stable thawing period， unstable freezing period （45 times）， and stable freezing period. For every 100-meter increase in altitude， the average start and end time of soil freeze-thaw was delayed or advanced by 3.88 days. The N₂O emission was the most significant during the unstable thawing period （accounting for only 5.5%-6.8% of the entire year）， with a cumulative emission （225.97 g·hm^-2） accounting for 35.88% of the annual total， a maximum emission rate of 24.52 μg·m^-2·h^-1， an average flux of 13.63 μg·m^-2·h^-1， which was 1.39 times the annual average， and the cumulative emission during the non-growing seasons （excluding the stable thawing period） accounted for as high as 74.09%. The emission was dominated by soil water and heat， pH， and substrate scarcity， leading to low production. Under climate warming， the freeze-thaw driven nitrogen gas loss of N₂O in the ice margin zone intensified， and further research on the water and heat conditions and nitrogen transformation mechanism is needed.

To determine the optimal drying duration for forage oat （Avena sativa L.） hay preparation and mitigate fungal contamination risks， this study monitored microbial counts and the succession of fungal communities on oats and the attached topsoil during the drying process （days 1-5）. The results showed that with prolonged drying time， the counts of molds， yeasts， coliforms， and aerobic bacteria in both oats and topsoil generally exhibited a logarithmic growth trend. Specifically， aerobic bacteria counts remained at their lowest levels on days 1-2， while mold counts peaked on day 3. Notably， from days 2 to 5， the counts of molds and aerobic bacteria significantly exceeded the limits specified in the Hygienic Standard for Feeds （GB 13078-2017）. Regarding community structure， Ascomycota （72.24%） and Basidiomycota （21.10%） were identified as the dominant phyla. The dominant genera on the oat surface exhibited a distinct succession pattern： the relative abundances of Bulleromyces （19.22%） and Sarocladium （16.12%） decreased with prolonged drying， whereas those of Microdochium （15.14%） and Cryptococcus （11.07%） significantly increased. Correlation network analysis indicated that the fungal community network underwent a topological shift from a simple， sparse structure in topsoil to a complex， dense structure on oat plants. Furthermore， correlation analysis revealed a succession path of potential pathogens： the community dominated by potential toxin-producing or endophytic pathogenic taxa （represented by Sarocladium and Acremonium） in the topsoil gradually evolved into a community dominated by soil-borne root rot pathogens （represented by Plectosphaerella and Idriella） on the plants. In conclusion， to inhibit pathogen colonization and ensure the hygienic quality of hay， it is recommended to control the drying duration within 1-2 days in production practice.

Grazing is one of the main ways to utilize grassland. A reasonable grazing method can achieve sustainable utilization of grassland. However， most studies focus on grazing of a single livestock species or fixed-proportion mixed grazing， lacking exploration of the impact of different proportion mixed grazing on grassland ecosystem. This study investigated the effects of different herbivore assemblage grazing on soil nutrients and enzyme activities based on the alpine grasslands of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The experiment was established including a control （CK）， yak-only grazing （YG）， Tibetan sheep-only grazing （SG）， and mixed grazing of yaks and Tibetan sheep （MG1∶2， MG1∶4， MG1∶6）. Plant and soil samples were collected from the experimental plots from the 6th to the 8th year of grazing to analyze changes in grassland plant biomass， soil total nutrients （total carbon， total nitrogen， total phosphorus）， and the activities of enzymes related to carbon and nitrogen cycles （nitrate reductase， nitrite reductase， urease， hydroxylamine reductase， amylase， and neutral protease）. The results showed that both grazing patterns and experimental year had significant interactive effects on the activities of carbon- and nitrogen cycle-related soil enzymes. Soil nutrients and enzyme activities exhibited significant interannual dynamic characteristics. Mixed grazing had distinct effects on soil nutrients and enzyme activity compared to single-species grazing. As the grazing duration increases， the mixed grazing system with a yak-to-Tibetan sheep ratio of 1∶2 or 1∶4 gradually restores the soil nutrients and enzyme activity of alpine grasslands to levels closer to those of natural grasslands. The results suggest that grazing with different livestock combinations is more conducive to maintaining the stability of grassland ecosystem functions.

MYB-related gene family plays important roles in plant growth， development， and stress response. This study analyzed the number， evolutionary relationships， gene structure， and physicochemical properties of MYB-related family genes in Atraphaxis bracteata by bioinformatics methods based on the full-length transcriptome data of A. bracteate. The qRT-PCR was used to analyze the temporal and spatial expression patterns of these genes in various tissues of A. bracteata under drought stress， and to analyze their response to drought stress. The results showed that a total of 55 MYB-related family members of A. bracteata were identified and divided into 5 subgroups. The encoded proteins were mostly hydrophilic and mainly located in the nucleus. Motif 2 was the characteristic motif， while Motif 4 had the highest conservation. The secondary and tertiary structures of their proteins were mainly irregularly coiled. Expression analysis showed that after 24 h of drought stress， gene expression levels were higher than those at 6 h and 0 h， and most of these genes were highly expressed in the leaves. These genes responded more strongly in roots and stems under severe drought， while they had higher expression levels in leaves under mild drought. In summary， the MYB-related gene family of A. bracteata exhibited distinct tissue-specific expression patterns under drought stress， laying a theoretical foundation for subsequent functional research and stress resistant breeding.