Microbial remediation has become a prominent focus in soil pollution control due to its environmental friendliness, cost-effectiveness, and high efficiency. The effectiveness of microbial remediation is rooted in the interactions between microbial metabolic activities and the soil environment. Various microorganisms employ distinct mechanisms for pollutant treatment, including surface adsorption, intracellular accumulation, and biomineralization. Using the Web of Science Core Collection database, tools such as CiteSpace 6.1.R6, VOSviewer 1.6.20, and HistCite Pro were employed to conduct a quantitative analysis of several key aspects: the volume and thematic distribution of research papers on microbial remediation of soils, the cooperative networks between countries and institutions, the leading journals, major research hotspots, and emerging trends. The analysis reveals that utilizing microbial regulatory mechanisms and functions to remediate inorganic pollutants, such as heavy metals, and organic pollutants, such as PAHs, is becoming a significant frontier in future research. This study provides a valuable reference for scholars aiming to understand the current status of microbial research in soil remediation, both domestically and internationally. It also offers guidance for developing efficient, sustainable, and safe remediation strategies while identifying directions for future innovative research. The specific results are as follows: (1) China, the USA, India, and other countries have a high frequency of citations in this field, and the research is more in-depth. (2) More and more attention has been paid to the use of microbial remediation of contaminated soil in the world, mainly in Environmental Sciences. (3) Major publications include Chemosphere, Journal of Hazardous Materials, and Science of The Total Environment. In the key literature, the use of microorganisms to restore the soil environment and the combination of microorganisms and plants to repair soil contaminated by heavy metals occupy a high proportion. (4) The key areas of focus include the application of microorganisms in soil inorganic pollution remediation, the application of microorganisms in remediation of soil organic pollution (crude oil and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)), and the contribution of microorganisms to soil pollutant degradation and toxicity assessment systems. The research and development of combined microbial remediation technology is the current research hotspot in the field of soil remediation, focusing on the symbiosis between mycorrhizal fungi and plant roots, the enhancement in the ability of microorganisms to absorb and degrade pollutants and their tolerance, and the interaction mechanism between indigenous microorganisms and plants.

The large-scale accumulation of iron tailings poses serious environmental challenges and represents a significant loss of potential resources. Due to the stable silicate mineral structure of iron tailings, essential nutrient elements remain encapsulated, resulting in low bioavailability and limited uptake by plants. This characteristic greatly restricts their direct use in agricultural applications. To overcome this limitation, this study employed three organic acids, namely citric acid, oxalic acid, and acetic acid, to activate iron tailings. The activation efficiency was systematically evaluated, and the effects of activated iron tailings on plant growth were assessed through pot experiments. The results showed that all three organic acids significantly enhanced the release of available silicon and iron from iron tailings, with oxalic acid exhibiting the highest activation capacity, increasing available Si and Fe to 882.99 mg/kg and 395.41 mg/kg, respectively. Pot experiments further revealed that the organic acid–iron tailing composites markedly improved soil nutrient availability, with available potassium, phosphorus, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, iron, and silicon increasing by 50.03%, 95.99%, 82.59%, 163.21%, and 200.01%, respectively. Consequently, plant growth was substantially enhanced, including increases in plant height (29.49%), shoot fresh weight (41.62%), and shoot dry weight (39.89%). This study provides a novel and sustainable strategy for the valorization of iron tailings as an agricultural resource and soil amendment, demonstrating considerable potential for both environmental remediation and agronomic improvement.

Urbanization and industrialization have led to obvious changes in the ecological environment and landscape pattern in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region. Therefore, it is crucial to clarify the spatial–temporal changes in vegetation cover and its landscape pattern and conduct its analysis with the driving factors for ecological preservation in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region. This study combined AVHRR GIMMS NDVI and MODIS NDVI data based on the ESTARFM model to obtain a high spatial–temporal resolution for vegetation cover; it then analyzed the vegetation cover changes at the type and landscape scales using a landscape index and explored the driving factors of the landscape pattern through principal component analysis. The results show that (1) the vegetation is mainly of medium and higher coverage and is distributed in the northeast, the western part of the Taihang Mountains and the central plains in the study area. From 1985 to 2022, there was no statistically significant difference in the overall change in its coverage. (2) From 1985 to 2022, at the landscape level, the vegetation cover landscape exhibited the following characteristics: increased fragmentation, an increase in the complexity of the landscape shape, a decrease in connectivity, a discrete landscape and a decrease in species diversity. At the type level, the medium vegetation demonstrated the most significant degree of fragmentation. The high-vegetation-cover areas exhibited a more concentrated distribution. Additionally, the low, lower and higher vegetation types displayed an increase in complexity, shape, discreteness and heterogeneity within the landscape. (3) Meanwhile, the principal component analysis showed that the changes in the landscape pattern of vegetation cover were mainly the result of the combined effects of climatic and anthropogenic factors in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region. The human factor played the dominant role; this was followed by larger contributions from climatic factors. In addition to offering pertinent scientific insights for the maximization of the ecological environment and the fostering of regional ecological and sustainable development in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, the aforementioned analysis and research could serve as the foundation for the sustainable management and planning of vegetation cover.

Atmospheric aerosol pollution has seriously affected the ecological environment and human health in recent years. There are great differences in aerosol optical properties and types due to the influence of environmental conditions, meteorology, industrial and agricultural activities, and other factors of each ecological functional zones. Using MODIS aerosol products (including MCD19A2 and MOD04_3K), this study discussed the temporal and spatial distribution of aerosol optical depth (AOD), Ångström wavelength index (AE) and aerosol types in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region (BTH region) based on the ecological functional zones from 2015 to 2020. The results showed as follows: (1) The AOD in BTH region showed an obviously spatial pattern of low in the north and high in the south, while the spatial pattern of AE was opposite to that of AOD. In addition, the dominant aerosol type of the north part was clean aerosol, the dominant aerosol type of the middle part was biomass burning or urban-industrial aerosol, while that of the other part was mixed aerosols. (2) The seasonal changes of AOD and AE indexes in each ecological functional area had obvious seasonal changes, and the AOD and AE values were highest in summer. At the same time, the proportion of biomass combustion or urban industrial aerosol was the highest in summer. (3) The ecological functional areas with fewer human activities were dominated by clean aerosols, with lower AOD and higher AE value. The ecological functional areas dominated by cities were dominated by mixed aerosols, with higher AOD. The ecological functional areas dominated by agriculture and heavy industry were dominated by biomass combustion or urban industrial aerosols, with the largest AOD. (4) Compared with 2015, the average AOD of each ecological functional area decreased significantly to 2020, and biomass combustion or urban industrial aerosols changed to mixed aerosols.

Straw incorporation is an important agronomic practice for sustainable cropland management, improving soil structure and enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. In this study, a systematic review was conducted using the Web of Science (WoS) database, and a random-effects meta-analysis was performed on 63 field experiments in mainland China, including 846 treatment–control comparisons, to evaluate the effects of straw application rate and duration on soil aggregates, aggregate-associated carbon, and SOC. Across all studies, pooled effect sizes indicated that straw incorporation significantly increased Mean Weight Diameter (MWD) (22%), macroaggregate content (17%), and SOC (25%), while enhancing aggregate-associated carbon in macroaggregates (35%), microaggregates (30%), and silt–clay fractions (22%). It also reduced silt–clay fraction content by 17%, indicating improved aggregate redistribution. Interaction analysis suggested that short-term incorporation (<5 years) at 5–8 t ha⁻¹ and long-term incorporation (≥5 years) at 10–15 t ha⁻¹ were more favorable for macroaggregate formation and carbon sequestration. Precipitation negatively affected microaggregate carbon, highlighting environmental regulation of carbon stability. Overall, straw incorporation strengthens soil structural stability, promotes SOC accumulation, and provides evidence-based guidance for sustainable residue management and climate-smart agriculture in mainland China.

GIS technology was introduced in the information management system of urban forest, and Tangshan City urban forestry management information system is established. The system has the capabilities for data acquisition, storage, analysis and updating of different kinds of spatial information. There were five modules included in the system: basic operation module, resource information management module, urban forest landscape planning and decision making module, ecological benefit analysis module , thematic map making module. This system from the perspective of urban forest management information construction, and realize the information management of the intelligent, scientific and scientific decision-making and ecological benefits of the rationalization of the analysis.