Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) is a nutritionally rich and economically significant fruit, highly valuable for its flavor, bioactive compounds, and therapeutic properties. However, it is highly perishable and has a short postharvest lifespan. This review aims to provide knowledge for preserving quality and improving postharvest storage by integrative strategies aimed at extending the shelf life of jujube. The literature was collected from recent peer-reviewed studies on postharvest physiology and handling technologies of jujube fruit. Key physiological factors, influencing postharvest deterioration such as water loss, softening, browning, and decay, are discussed, along with the underlying biochemical and enzymatic mechanisms driving quality decline. Conventional strategies such as cold storage, MAP, and CA effectively slow respiration, delay reddening, and extend storage up to 2–4 months, while emerging approaches such as ozone and cold plasma treatments reduce microbial decay and maintain antioxidant activity. Edible coatings like chitosan, aloe vera, and composites cut weight loss by 20–40%, and chemical regulators such as 1-MCP and calcium dips further delay ripening, preserve firmness, and enhance postharvest quality. Emphasis is placed on integrating innovative technologies with physiological insights to optimize storage conditions, control microbial contamination, and maintain nutritional integrity. The significance of this review lies in integrating physiological insights with innovative preservation methods, offering practical guidance for researchers, growers, and industry stakeholders to achieve sustainable, safe, and market-oriented solutions for jujube storage.

This study focused on T. strauchii in Sayram Lake, Xinjiang. In August 2023, a total of 768 samples were collected to investigate its morphological, age, and growth characteristics. T. strauchii has an elongated body with a slightly raised area behind the head. Its head is flat, the body is slender, the back contour is arc-shaped, the trunk is thick and round, and the tail is short. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the cumulative contribution rate of the first three principal components was 53.80%, which reflects the morphological characteristics of the species. Moreover, gender characteristics are not prominently manifested in external morphology. Discriminant analysis showed an accuracy rate of 51.80%, indicating that the accuracy of gender discrimination relying solely on external morphology is limited. The species’ age distribution ranges between 1 and 7 years old, with the dominant age around 3 years old, and age structure showing a unimodal distribution. The relationship between body length and body weight is W = 7.432 × 10⁻⁶L^3.037(R² = 0.995, n = 768). The exponent 3.037 indicates a growth pattern with priority given to body mass growth because it is greater than 3. The von Bertalanffy growth equation was selected to describe the growth of T. strauchii. The body length growth equation is L_t =139.346 [1 − e^{−0.267(t+1.639)}], and the body mass growth equation is W_t = 27.79 [1 − e^{−0.267(t+1.639)}]^3.073. The inflection point age (t_i) is 2.563, the growth coefficient (k) is 0.267, and the growth characteristic index(φ) is 3.715. The growth rate decreases with age, and the growth inflection point ages of males and females differ. The research findings provide basic data for population assessment, resource protection, and rational fishing in fishery resource management. This highlights the ecological adaptability of T. strauchii and emphasizes the importance of comprehensively considering multiple factors in fishery management.

An experimental ecological method was used to study the effects of water temperature, photoperiod, and light intensity on the survival, feeding, and growth of juvenile Schizothorax irregularis and Diptychus maculates. The Box–Benhnken experiment was designed to predict the optimal environmental conditions for juvenile growth. With the maximum specific growth rate at 15 °C and a photoperiod of LD16:8, the results demonstrated that the juvenile S. irregularis had a survival rate of over 85% in water temperatures ranging from 5 to 25 °C. A daily light duration of 15.86 h and a light intensity of 1166.28 lx, with the water temperature maintained at 10.45 °C, allowed the juvenile S. irregularis fish to attain the optimal circumstances for growth and survival. At water temperatures below 25 °C, the juvenile D. maculates exhibited maximum specific growth rates at 10 °C and LD16:8 light period. Additionally, as the light intensity reached 1000 lx, the juvenile fish grew better. Furthermore, the juvenile D. maculates fish achieved theoretically optimal survival and growth circumstances when the water temperature was maintained at 10.87 °C with a light period of 15.0.5 h per day and a light intensity of 1474.68x. The results showed that both fish species may be raised in captivity in highland regions, but precise control over water temperature is required.

Alpine ecosystems are distinguished by nutrient-poor soils and low temperatures, short growing seasons, and harsh environmental conditions that have strong influence on plant growth and survival. Soil nutrient dynamics, especially the cycling of carbon (C) and the nutrients (N), play a central role in controlling the productivity, diversity and resilience of alpine vegetation. Microbial communities are important mediators of nutrient transformations that influence nutrient availability under the conditions of limited decomposition and mineralization. This chapter discusses the role of soil microbes, nutrient constraints and biogeochemical processes in determining plant distribution in the alpine communities. It highlights how changes in C and N cycling with climate change affect vegetation resilience and ecosystem functioning. This chapter provides evidence-based insights into soil–plant interactions and the role of microbes in enhancing biodiversity and informing conservation strategies to improve nutrient stability in alpine landscapes.

Drought, salt, high temperatures, pH imbalances in the soil, heavy metal toxicity, and floods are examples of abiotic stresses that pose serious challenges to agricultural sustainability and crop output worldwide. Plant physiological, biochemical, and molecular processes are negatively impacted by these environmental stresses, which are made worse by the rapid rate of climate change. This results in stunted development, decreased photosynthetic efficiency, disturbed nutrient balance, and eventually significant yield losses. The fundamental processes via which abiotic stressors affect plant systems are thoroughly examined in this chapter, with special attention paid to oxidative stress, hormone signaling, osmotic and ionic imbalances, and stress-induced metabolic reprogramming. It also clarifies crop-specific susceptibilities and geographical differences in stress exposure, emphasizing the disproportionate impacts on rainfed agricultural systems and staple food crops in areas like the Middle East, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. The chapter offers an integrative framework of mitigation strategies in addition to evaluating the environmental and economic effects of prolonged abiotic stress, such as soil degradation and biodiversity decline. These consist of microbial inoculants, sophisticated biotechnology treatments, traditional agronomic techniques, and sustainable land management strategies. In the context of creating resilient agroecosystems, the function of precision technology, climate-smart agriculture, and international policy frameworks is also covered. The chapter emphasizes the critical need for flexible, science-based approaches to protect global food security in the face of growing environmental stressors via multidisciplinary insights and case studies tailored to certain regions.

Fish are vital for material cycling and energy flow in aquatic ecosystems. The genus Triplophysa, with over 100 known species, is significant in the Central Asian highlands’ freshwater ecosystems. T. strauchii and T. tenuis, as representatives, occupy distinct ecological niches and face challenges from climate change and human activities. There is a lack of research on Triplophysa fishes’ digestive systems, especially comparative studies, so this research aims to fill this gap. In September 2024, 40 samples of T. strauchii were collected from Sayram Lake and 40 samples of T. tenuis were collected from the Muzat River in Xinjiang. After acclimation, morphological observations (measuring fish and digestive tract parameters) and histological analyses (paraffin sectioning, HE staining, and microscopy) were carried out. The data were sorted in Excel and analyzed with an independent samples t-test in SPSS 27.0. Morphologically, T. strauchii has an obtuse snout, terminal mouth, specific upper lip papillae, and an S-shaped intestine about (1.45 ± 0.11) times its body length, while T. tenuis has an arc-shaped subterminal mouth, fringed papillae, and a spiral-shaped intestine around (0.82 ± 0.09) times its body length. Both possess a digestive tract, glands, and a hepatopancreas attached to the mesentery. Histologically, a large number of club cells were found in the oropharyngeal cavities of both species; their secretions have an adhesive effect on food, aiding food selection. Their digestive systems vary in structure and cell composition: the oropharyngeal cavity has three layers; the esophagus has four layers with more goblet cells in T. strauchii; the stomach has three regions without goblet cells and a thicker muscular layer in T. strauchii; the intestinal wall has four layers with different villi and goblet cell distributions; the hepatopancreas has lobules; and T. strauchii has a typical portal area. In conclusion, this study systematically compared the gastrointestinal systems of T. strauchii and T. tenuis for the first time, revealing significant structural differences related to their niches and feeding patterns as adaptations to specific environments. It fills the research gap, provides a basis for exploring fish ecological adaptation and environmental impacts on digestion, offers new ideas for Triplophysa protection strategies, and guides fish evolutionary biology research and Triplophysa resource protection and utilization.