The effect of mineral fertilizer practices on increasing crop yield has been well studied, but few studies have examined the influence of various long‐term subtractive fertilization designs on the decomposition of crop residues or the influence on soil organic carbon (SOC) levels. To assess the combined effects of the long‐term (27‐yr) subtractive fertilizer inputs on SOC mineralization rates, we studied the change in added ¹³ C‐labeled corn ( Zea mays L.) stem and leaf residue decomposition and the magnitude of priming effect (PE) on SOC in a 56‐d lab incubation. The long‐term history of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) combinations showed that coupling N and P fertilization had a strong effect on SOC content which increased by 6% relative to the unfertilized treatment. Soil organic C mineralization rates with no residue added were highest in soils that received N, P, and K. Cumulative CO ₂ production in soils amended with residue was significantly affected by residue type and was 9–19% higher for leaves than stems across treatments with varied fertilization histories. After a 56‐d incubation 14–16% of leaf C and 18–19% of stem C was mineralized. The cumulative PE was significantly higher in the unfertilized soil with leaf addition but was not affected by residue type in other treatments. Our data showed that crop residue decomposition and SOC is affected by historical N, P, and K fertilization, with long‐term complete NPK application resulting in greater SOC content and slower SOC mineralization rates with corn leaf addition.

Leaf functional traits are the essential components of adaption plant strategies and have different responses to various environments, but our knowledge of how plants adapt to highly complex urban environments through coordinated changes in leaf functional traits is limited. In this study, we studied the response of landscape plants to the environments of sports field (SF), park (PAR), residential green space (RES), and greenway (GW), and analyzed the effects of the different green space environments on trade-off strategies of plants based on leaf functional traits. The results showed that leaf functional traits of plants and adaptation strategies varied among different urban environments in Lanzhou, China. Leaf length (LL), width (LW), area (LA), and special leaf area (SLA) were PAR > SF > RES > GW. Leaf nitrogen (LNC) and phosphorus content (LPC) were SF > PAR > RES > GW. Leaf carbon content (LCC), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), the ratio of leaf carbon and nitrogen (C/N), and the ratio of leaf carbon and phosphorus (C/P) was GW > RES > PAR > SF. The landscape plants in SF and PAR were more adaptive to the urban environment than those in RES and GW. Among different green space environments, landscape plants in SF and PAR tended to have an acquisitive strategy with high LL, LW, LA, SLA, LNC, and LPC. In contrast, plants in RES and GW tended to have a conservative strategy with a high level of concentration of LCC, LDMC, C/N, and C/P.

Wildfires, as an environmental filter, are pivotal ecological disturbances that reshape plant communities and soil dynamics, playing a crucial role in regulating biogeographic patterns and ecosystem services. In this study, we aim to explore the effects of wildfires on forest ecosystems, specifically focusing on the plant-soil feedback mechanisms within the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). Utilizing Partial Least Squares Path Modeling (PLS-PM), we investigated the interrelationships among soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, species diversity, and community stability at varying post-fire recovery stages (5, 15, and 23 years). Results indicated that in the early recovery stages, rapid changes in soil properties such as decreased pH (p < 0.001) and increased nutrient availability facilitate the emergence of early successional species with high resource utilization traits. As the ecosystem evolved toward a climax community, the soil and vegetation exhibit increased stability. Furthermore, soil enzyme activities displayed dynamic patterns that corresponded with changes in soil nutrient content, directly influencing the regeneration and diversity of plant communities. Importantly, our study documented a transition in the influence of soil properties on community stability from direct positive effects in initial recovery phases to negative impacts in later stages, while indirect benefits accrue through increased species diversity and enzyme activity. Vegetation composition and structure changed dynamically with recovery time during community succession. Plant nutrient absorption and accumulation affected nutrient dynamics in the soil, influencing plant regeneration, distribution, and diversity. Our results underscore the complex interactions between soil and vegetation that drive the recovery dynamics post-wildfire, highlighting the resilience of forest ecosystems to fire disturbances. This study contributes to the understanding of post-fire recovery processes and offers valuable insights for the management and restoration of fire-affected forest ecosystems.

Floristic regions, conventionally established using species distribution patterns, have often overlooked the phylogenetic relationships among taxa. However, how phylogenetic relationships influence the historical interconnections within and among biogeographic regions remains inadequately understood. In this research, we compiled distribution data for seed plants in Gansu, a region of significant biogeographic diversity located in northwestern China.We proposed a novel framework for floristic regions within Gansu, integrating distribution data and phylogenetic relationships of genera-level native seed plants, aiming to explore the relationship between phylogenetic relatedness, taxonomic composition, and regional phylogenetic delineation. We found that (1) phylogenetic relatedness was strongly correlated with the taxonomic composition among floras in Gansu. (2) The southeastern Gansu region showed the lowest level of spatial turnover in both phylogenetic relationships and the taxonomic composition of floristic assemblages across the Gansu region. (3) Null model analyses indicated nonrandom phylogenetic structure across the region, where most areas showed higher phylogenetic turnover than expected given the underlying taxonomic composition between sites. (4) Our results demonstrated a consistent pattern across various regionalization schemes and highlighted the preference for employing the phylogenetic dissimilarity approach in biogeographical regionalization investigations. (5) Employing the phylogenetic dissimilarity approach, we identified nine distinct floristic regions in Gansu that are categorized into two broader geographical units, namely the northwest and southeast. (6) Based on the phylogenetic graphic regions of China across this area.