Soil aggregates are the material basis of soil structure and important carriers of nutrients. Long-term application of organic and inorganic fertilizers can affect the composition of soil aggregates to varying degrees, which in turn affects the distribution and storage of soil nutrients. We report the results of a 15-year long-term field-based test of aeolian sandy soil and used the wet sieve method to analyze the stability of water-stable aggregates, as well as the distribution characteristics of nutrients in different particle size aggregates. Our results show that long-term application of organic fertilizer (M3) and combined organic–inorganic treatments (NPK1-M1, NPK1-M2, and NPK1-M3) help to increase the amount of organic carbon, inorganic carbon, and cation exchange in the macro-aggregates, and the improvement rates are 92–103%, 8–28%, and 74–85%, respectively. The organic content of the fertilizers also promotes the formation of macro-aggregates, and the stability of aggregates increase from 0.24 to 0.45. In contrast, the application of inorganic fertilizers (NPK1, NPK2, and NPK3) has no marked effect on the formation and stability of macro-aggregates; the application of inorganic fertilizers can merely maintain the organic carbon content of the soil. Correlation analysis shows that the application of organic fertilizers and chemical (inorganic) fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium can markedly increase the content and reserves of available phosphorus and potassium across all aggregate sizes, and there is a significant positive correlation between these parameters and the amount of applied fertilizer (p < 0.05). Aggregates of various sizes in aeolian sandy soils in arid areas have the potential for greater nutrient storage. Therefore, organic fertilizers can be used in the agricultural production process to improve soil structure and fertility.

Clay minerals are the main cementing substances for sandy soils to form aggregates. The clay mineral attapulgite clay is abundant in Northwest China, and its special colloidal properties and crystal structure make it excellent in improving soil physicochemical properties. Using attapulgite as soil conditioner, the effects of different application rates of attapulgite on the formation and stability of sandy soil aggregates were studied through field experiments for two consecutive years. The results showed that the application of 6000 kg·hm⁻² attapulgite soil in sandy soil farmland for two consecutive years reduced the soil bulk density by 0–20 cm, from 1.55 g·cm⁻³ to 1.47 g·cm⁻³, a decrease of 3.6%; the soil pH was increased by 3.7% from 8.59 to 8.84. The soil organic carbon, inorganic carbon and total nitrogen in the whole soil increased by 4.52%, 5.23% and 6.22%, respectively. The mass fraction of macro-aggregates of 2–0.25 mm and micro-aggregates of 0.25–0.053 mm as well as the contents of organic carbon, inorganic carbon and total nitrogen increased by 3.5%, 5.2%, 8.7%, 5.6% and 6.7%, respectively, thus improving the stability of aggregates. However, low application rates (1500 kg·hm⁻² and 3000 kg·hm⁻²) of attapulgite had no significant effect on soil physical and chemical properties. Attapulgite, as a kind of highly adsorptive clay mineral, can be directly applied to sandy soil to increase soil cementitious substances, promote the formation of soil aggregates and increase the carbon and nitrogen fixation capacity of sandy soil. The improvement effect on the formation and stability of aggregates will gradually accumulate with the years of application. Therefore, in the future, the effects of adding attapulgite on the growth of various crops under various types of soil and climatic conditions should be carried out to obtain more systematic conclusions.

Global agri‐food systems face unprecedented challenges from climate change, necessitating enhanced climate resilience. This study examines the impact of digital agriculture on the climate resilience of agri‐food systems in China. Using panel data from 31 provinces from 2012 to 2021, we construct comprehensive indices for digital agriculture and climate resilience and employ two‐way fixed effects, panel threshold, and spatial Durbin models for empirical analysis. Results indicate that digital agriculture significantly improves climate resilience, with a coefficient of 0.203. A threshold effect is identified: once the digital agriculture index exceeds 0.219, its marginal effect increases substantially. Heterogeneity analysis reveals stronger effects in major grain‐producing regions. Spatial econometric results confirm positive spillover effects, where digital agriculture in neighboring regions also enhances local resilience. These findings underscore the transformative potential of digital technologies in building systemic climate resilience and call for integrated, region‐specific policies to harness digital dividends for sustainable agri‐food systems.

An international assessment of wetlands is important for quantifying the current state of development of international wetland structure and function. At present, the management department and public lack a comprehensive understanding of the ecological status of internationally important wetlands in China. Here, using annual ecological monitoring data and hierarchical analysis, an evaluation index system was constructed with water environment, biological environment, biodiversity, and disturbance pressure as influencing factors, and an evaluation of the ecological status of 63 wetlands of international importance (WOII) in China was carried out, it is helpful to formulate technical plans for the ecological management of wetlands of international importance (WOII). The results showed that the average ecological status score of these wetlands was 0.714 ± 0.075, and there were differences in this score between different regions. The ecological status of wetlands in northeastern and northern coastal areas were mostly evaluated as ‘excellent’ and ‘good’, while some wetlands in other areas of China were evaluated as ‘poor’. The type and protection level of wetlands have an important impact on their ecological status. The ecological status of wetlands according to type were ranked swamp wetlands > coastal wetlands > river wetlands > lake wetlands, while those with national level protection were ranked higher than those with provincial level protection. The ecological status of WOII in China is generally good, but is adversely affected by human activities, alien species invasion, and other factors. Hence, there needs to be a focus on improving the protection and management mechanisms for WOII, promoting improvements in the ecological status of these wetlands, and transforming ecological product value.

To investigate the contents of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in tea plantation soils and their ecological stoichiometric characteristics, as well as their response to environmental factors in high-latitude regions of China, soil samples from 0 to 20 cm depth were collected from tea plantations at different altitudes and cultivation years in the main tea-producing areas of Shaanxi Province. These samples were used to determine the soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) contents and to calculate their stoichiometric ratios. The findings revealed the following: the average soil SOC and TN content in tea gardens were 13.15 and 1.30 g·kg⁻¹, respectively, exceeding the national soil average. These values met the Class I tea garden fertility standards. However, the average soil TP content, at 0.45 g·kg⁻¹, fell below the national soil average, meeting the Class II tea garden fertility standards. In tea gardens, the average ratios of carbon to nitrogen (C:N), carbon to phosphorus (C:P), and nitrogen to phosphorus (N:P) in the soil were 10.42, 30.98, and 3.32, respectively. These ratios were all lower than the national soil average, indicating relatively high phosphorus availability but nitrogen deficiency in tea garden soils. As altitude increased, there was a decline in soil SOC content, C N, and C P ratios, followed by a subsequent increase. No significant changes were seen in TN, TP, and N P ratio in the soil, but there was an increase in SOC content, TN content, and C P ratio during cultivation. The N-to-P ratio initially increased before decreasing, while the C-to-N ratio decreased before increasing. Soil TP content did not change significantly. The study recommends careful nitrogen fertilizer application in tea garden management to balance nitrogen and phosphorus.