This study was conducted in the Xinjiang region, China, along the Sino-Kazakh border, an area recognized as high-risk for locust outbreaks and characterized by ongoing shifts in dominant pest species. This study systematically examined the structural characteristics of locust communities across different grassland types and identified the underlying environmental driving mechanisms. Field surveys were conducted to assess the diversity characteristics, density variations, and niche width of the locust communities across the different grassland types. The locust community in the mountain meadows had a significantly lower Shannon diversity index compared with the other grassland types (p < 0.05). Although the Simpson dominance index and Pielou evenness index were also the lowest in the mountain meadows, these differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PermANOVA) revealed highly significant differences in locust density among the grassland types (p = 0.001). Ecological niche analysis revealed stronger interspecific competition in the lowland meadow, and weaker competition in the temperate steppe-enriched deserts and temperate desert grasslands. Structural equation modeling and random forest analysis identified soil organic, plant total potassium, and soil pH as the key factors driving locust community structure across grassland types. This study clarifies the diversity patterns of locust communities in the Xinjiang region along the Sino-Kazakh border and provides empirical data to better understand locust community structure and distribution. It also offers a scientific basis for developing sustainable locust management strategies.

Grazing exclusion is an effective and economical tool for restoring degraded grasslands. Yet, less attention is paid to the changes of rare and abundant bacterial taxa and their connections with soil organic carbon changes after grazing exclusion (GE). Using high-throughput sequencing and multiple statistical methods, we assessed shifts in rare and abundant bacterial taxa and contributions to soil organic carbon in five typical sagebrush (Xinyuan, Bole, Qitai, Hutubi, Manasi) desert experimental plots in Xinjiang, northwest China. The results demonstrated that rare bacterial α-diversity decreased significantly in Xinyuan, Bole, and Qitai plots, while Hutubi and Manasi plots significantly increased during GE (p < 0.05). GE increased the edges/nodes ratio from 29.60% to 44.90% and changed network complexity by shifting the nodes and topological properties, cohesion, and robustness in the bacterial network. The changes in rare bacterial diversity are tightly correlated with changes in soil organic carbon. The results not only underline the pivotal role of rare bacterial taxa in response to GE and soil organic carbon changes but also provide novel insights into the mechanisms of soil organic carbon changes after GE.

Monthly dynamics of ground-dwelling beetles remain poorly resolved in agro-pastoral ecotones. From June to September 2025, beetles were sampled monthly with pitfall traps in 81 permanent 1 m × 1 m quadrats across nine plots representing temperate steppe, temperate desert steppe, and lowland meadow in the Tacheng Basin, Xinjiang, China. Specimens were identified to family, and analyses used family-level data. Assemblage composition varied significantly among months, whereas neither the overall habitat effect nor the habitat × month interaction was significant. Habitat × month interactions were significant for total beetle activity-density and for Tenebrionidae, Scarabaeidae, and Carabidae activity-density. Tenebrionidae dominated catches in July and August, whereas Scarabaeidae contributed the largest proportions in June and September. Significant within-month habitat contrasts in diversity metrics were detected only for Margalef richness in June. Neither distance class nor the distance class × month interaction was significantly associated with activity-density, diversity metrics, or assemblage composition. After conditioning on plot identity and month, measured vegetation and soil variables did not significantly explain residual assemblage variation. These findings highlight pronounced monthly turnover and the value of repeated sampling across months during the June–September period.

Dociostaurus maroccanus is a major migratory pest first recorded in Xinjiang, China, in 2025 in the Ili River Valley and Tacheng City. This event represents a new situation of concern in the field of biological security along China’s northwestern border that warrants attention. This study investigated the genetic diversity and population structure of four populations from the China–Kazakhstan border region using combined mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) and cytochrome B (Cytb) gene markers. A total of 41 haplotypes were identified from 74 individuals, with the shared haplotypes H3 and H6 being the most frequent. Haplotype network analysis revealed no clear geographic population structuring. Haplotype diversity was high (Hd = 0.957), whereas nucleotide diversity was low (π = 0.00212), indicating low overall genetic diversity. Frequent gene flow (Nm = 12.31–43.08) and minimal genetic differentiation (Fst = −0.0255 to 0.0199) were detected among populations. AMOVA indicated that genetic variation mainly occurred within populations (100.12%), with no significant differentiation among populations (−0.59%). Neutrality tests (Tajima’s D = −2.45136, p < 0.05; Fu’s Fs = −44.037, p < 0.001), the unimodal mismatch distribution, and goodness-of-fit test results for KZ1 population (SSD = 0.0028, p = 0.91; raggedness = 0.0225, p = 0.86), KZ2 population (SSD = 0.00846, p = 0.25; raggedness = 0.0650, p = 0.13) and YN population further support the expansion phenomenon. Mantel test (r = −0.5948, p = 0.9583) preliminarily indicated that population distribution was not correlated with geographic distance. Therefore, in the region covered by this study, the overall characteristics show recent population expansion features. The preliminary results of this study provide basic materials for understanding the genetic background of this species in China’s border regions and can serve as a reference for subsequent population dynamic monitoring and control work.