Breeding new high-yield and high-quality forage soybean cultivars is an effective approach to addressing the shortage of feed protein and sustainable agricultural development. Plant height is a key indicator of forage soybean genotypes and is closely related to forage yield. However, the determinants affecting soybean plant height remain highly uncertain. In order to analyze the factors contributing to plant height differences among soybean cultivars, two tall-stemmed soybean cultivars (“Neinong S001” and “Neinong S002”) and two short-stemmed soybean cultivars (“Neinong 0004” and “Neinong 0005”) were used in this study as test materials for examining aboveground phenotypic characteristics, root traits, and photosynthetic characteristics. The test materials were planted in 2018 at Chakintai Ranch (122°15′ E, 43°38′ N) using the potting method, and the indicators were measured in June. The results showed that the leaf area, root volume, and root surface area of high-stemmed soybean cultivars were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than those of short-stemmed soybean cultivars. Additionally, the dry weight of a single plant and transpiration rate were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in high-stemmed soybean cultivars compared to short-stemmed soybean cultivars. It was found that soybean plant height was significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with leaf area, leaf shape index, intercellular CO₂ concentration, transpiration rate, SPAD, root weight, root length, root surface area, and root volume. Further path analyses revealed that intercellular CO₂ concentration and root surface area had a direct impact on plant height, with direct effect coefficients of 0.22 and −0.91, respectively. These results provide new insights into the sustainability development and genetic enhancement of plant height characteristics in forage soybean.

Ecological sustainability quantifies the capacity of an ecological system to sustain its health while fulfilling human survival needs and supporting future development. An accurate projection of ecological dynamics for sustainability is crucial for decision-makers to comprehend potential risks. However, the intricate interplay between climate change and human activity has hindered comprehensive assessments of future ecological sustainability, leaving it inadequately investigated thus far. This study aimed to assess future ecological sustainability shaped by the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) using remote sensing data from a typical arid farming–pastoral zone located at the northern foot of Yinshan Mountain (NFYM), Inner Mongolia, China. Five machine learning models were employed to evaluate the relationship between ecological sustainability and its driving factors. The results indicate that (1) overall ecological sustainability initially decreased and then increased during 2003–2022; (2) the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Earth System Model version 4 (GFDL-ESM4) mode and random forest model demonstrated the best performance in climate and ecological sustainability simulations; and (3) the annual change rates of ecological sustainability from 2023 to 2099 are projected to be +0.45%, −0.05%, and −0.46% per year under the SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5 scenarios, respectively, suggesting that stringent environmental policies can effectively enhance ecological sustainability. The proposed framework can assist decision-makers in understanding ecological changes under different SSPs and calls for strategies to enhance ecosystem resilience in the NFYM and similar regions.

Seasonal grazing is a recognized and sustainable approach to livestock management, but there is still a lack of comprehensive research on its impact on soil structure. This study utilizes advanced scanning electron microscopy technology to quantitatively evaluate the long-term effects of seasonal grazing on grassland soil structure, focusing on soil pore distribution characteristics and particle size. The investigation offers a detailed visual representation of the arrangement of soil particles at a micro-level. In both grazed and ungrazed plots (NG), soil particles ranging from 0.005 to 0.05 mm and 0.075 to 0.25 mm in size were predominant, constituting 20% and 60%, respectively. In plots subjected to seasonal grazing (grazing in June and August, G68, and grazing in July and September, G79), micro-particles (0.002–0.005 mm) and particles sized 0.05–0.075 mm were significantly lower compared to NG. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images demonstrate structural differences, with NG displaying a higher proportion of small to medium-sized particles, more small pores, and fewer large pores. Analysis of pore size and morphology reveals the prevalence of large pores in both grazed and ungrazed plots. Continuous grazing plots exhibit significantly higher proportions of large pores compared to NG, while seasonal grazing plots show no significant differences. Correlation analyses indicate associations between soil physicochemical properties, particle size, and pore structure. Total soil nitrogen (TN), total soil carbon (TC), and soil moisture positively correlate with 0.005–0.05 mm particle proportions, while EC is negatively correlated with 0.05–0.075 mm particles. This study enhances our understanding of the effects of grazing practices on soil structure and provides scientific evidence for sustainable land management.