Monitoring the spatio-temporal variation of the land-use/land cover change (LULC) and ecosystem service value (ESV) changes will help achieve regional sustainable development and management. Derong County is a part of the Hengduan Mountains area, the most crucial ecological functional area in China, and LULC has changed tremendously in the past 30 years. However, the effects of LULC changes on ecosystem services is not well understood. Based on 1992, 1995, 2005, 2013, and 2018 remote sensing images, we used visual interpretation to obtain LULC data and used global value coefficients and modified local value coefficients to assess the spatial-temporal changes of ESV and LULC from 1992 to 2018. The results showed that: (1) From 1992 to 2018, shrubland and grassland decreased, while built-up land, snow, forestland, water body, and cropland area increased. (2) The ESV with an overall decrease of 0.25 × 10⁸ yuan, ecological projects have played a positive role in improving ESV. In contrast, the main decrease factor of ESV was the increase in agricultural economic development and urban expansion from 1992 to 2018. (3) The ESV spatial distribution indicated the value density of ESV was on the decline, and with the greatest deterioration in Dianyagong. The highest density of ESV area is distributed in Waka, and the lowest density of ESV area is distributed in Bari. This research points out the important role of Derong County in the regional life support system and provides a scientific reference for the sustainable management of dry-hot valley regions’ land resources and ecosystem services.

Plagiopholis unipostocularis Zhao, Jiang & Huang, 1978 is a small snake endemic to Yunnan, southern China. Its validity is still controversial and unresolved. Based on extensive sampling in Yunnan, we conducted morphological comparison and molecular phylogenetics on the unidentified specimens of Plagiopholis from Yunnan. Based on a combination of morphological comparison and molecular phylogeny, the newly collected specimens could be identified as P. blakewayi. While some specimens exhibit one or more diagnostics of P. unipostocularis, and some characteristics are intermediate between that of Plagiopholis unipostocularis and P. blakewayi. Thus morphological continuities between two species uncovered P. unipostocularis is a synonymy of P. blakewayi, and the diagnostics of this species was revised accordingly.

Identifying the distribution dynamics of invasive alien species can help in the early detection of and rapid response to these invasive species in newly invaded sites. Ageratina adenophora, a worldwide invasive plant, has spread rapidly since its invasion in China in the 1940s, causing serious damage to the local socioeconomic and ecological environment. To better control the spread of this invasive plant, we used the MaxEnt model and ArcGIS based on field survey data and online databases to simulate and predict the spatial and temporal distribution patterns and risk areas for the spread of this species in China, and thus examined the key factors responsible for this weed’s spread. The results showed that the risk areas for the invasion of A. adenophora in the current period were 18.394° N–33.653° N and 91.099° E–121.756° E, mainly in the tropical and subtropical regions of China, and densely distributed along rivers and well-developed roads. The high-risk areas are mainly located in the basins of the Lancang, Jinsha, Yalong, and Anning Rivers. With global climate change, the trend of continued invasion of A. adenophora is more evident, with further expansion of the dispersal zone towards the northeast and coastal areas in all climatic scenarios, and a slight contraction in the Yunnan–Guizhou plateau. Temperature, precipitation, altitude, and human activity are key factors in shaping the distribution pattern of A. adenophora. This weed prefers to grow in warm and precipitation-rich environments such as plains, hills, and mountains; in addition, increasing human activities provide more opportunities for its invasion, and well-developed water systems and roads can facilitate its spread. Measures should be taken to prevent its spread into these risk areas.