Cold stress is one of the major environmental factors that affects plant growth, development, and species distributions. In order to study the molecular mechanism of cold-stress responses in Anabasis aphylla seedlings, we used the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) technique to identify differential protein expression under cold stress. In total, 211 differentially expressed proteins were identified, including 109 up-accumulated proteins and 102 down-accumulated proteins, these cold-stress response proteins were mainly identified as proteins involved in carbohydrate and energy metabolism, protein metabolism and translation, stress response, transcription-related, amino acid metabolism, signal transduction, and membrane and transport. GO and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses indicated that most of the proteins related to cold-stress response were involved in carbohydrate and energy metabolism, indicating A. aphylla seedlings adapted to cold conditions mainly through changes in energy metabolism pathways. Additionally, the correspondence between mRNA transcript levels and protein abundance levels for nine accumulated proteins were also tested by qRT-PCR, only one protein did not show consistent trends in mRNA and protein levels. These data clarify our current understandings of stress responses in seedlings of species such as A. aphylla and identify the molecular mechanisms of the cold-stress responses.

Drought is a major limiting factor in the cultivation of Sophora alopecuroides in China’s arid and semi-arid regions. This study aimed to identify drought-resistant S. alopecuroides ecotypes and explore key drought tolerance indicators during germination by simulating drought conditions with a 10% PEG-6000 solution, using pure water as a control. Determination of seven germination indicators for S. alopecuroides, including germination rate (GR), germination energy (GE), germination index (GI), vigor index (VI), promptness index (PI), fresh weight (FW), and dry weight (DW), was conducted. Principal component analysis (PCA), membership function, cluster analysis, and linear regression were employed to comprehensively evaluate the drought resistance of thirty-five S. alopecuroides ecotypes. The results showed that drought stress caused reductions in six of the seven indicators across all ecotypes, except for DW, compared to the control. Correlation analysis revealed varying relationships among the indicators, with most showing significant or highly significant correlations. PCA reduced the seven indicators to two independent comprehensive factors, with a cumulative contribution rate of 83.99%. Based on the D-value and cluster analysis, the thirty-five ecotypes were ranked for drought resistance and classified into four categories. The top five drought-tolerant genotypes during the germination stage were identified as Yutian, Alar, Jinghe, Baoding, and Guyuan. Moreover, the stepwise regression model was established and demonstrated that GR, GE, PI, FW, and DW are key indicators for screening and identifying drought-resistant S. alopecuroides ecotypes. This study offers a comprehensive and reliable method for evaluating drought resistance in S. alopecuroides ecotypes and provides a reference for selecting ecotypes for artificial cultivation in Northwestern China.

Introduction: Sophora alopecuroides L., a perennial leguminous herb native to northwest China, holds medicinal, ecological, and forage value. However, intensified human activities have caused a sharp decline in its wild populations and genetic diversity.Methods: To assess its genetic structure and diversity, we analyzed 65 wild populations using SNP markers and seed phenotypic traits.Results: The coefficient of variation for eight seed traits ranged from 2.87% to 7.94%, with diversity indices (H) from 1.639 to 1.767, indicating rich phenotypic variation. Clustering based on phenotypic traits and SNP data both divided populations into two main groups. Genetic diversity was relatively low (He = 0.22; Ho = 0.17; Pi = 0.19), and AMOVA showed that variation was mainly among individuals (132.83%), with low population differentiation (F_ST = 0.00-0.04). Redundancy analysis revealed that phenotypic traits were largely influenced by mean temperature of the driest quarter and annual wind speed, while genetic diversity was shaped by precipitation and thermal variables.Conclusions: Our results provide a foundation for understanding the genetic variation of S. alopecuroides, offering valuable insights for its conservation and breeding programs.

Revealing the relationship between intensive land use (ILU) and land ecological security (LES) is crucial for achieving high-quality land resource development and ensuring the sustainability of land ecosystems, especially in arid regions with fragile human–land relationships. In this study, we evaluated ILU and LES in the urban agglomeration on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains (UANSTM) and analyzed the evolution of ILU and LES using Pearson correlation analysis, four-quadrant model, and coupling coordination degree model. The results indicated that from 2012 to 2022, ILU and its three subsystems generally showed an upward trend in the UANSTM, with an average annual growth rate of 2.96%, 2.50%, 3.32%, and 0.289%, respectively, and with ILU levels significantly higher in the eastern and central counties compared to other areas. LES and its three subsystems also exhibited a general increase, with average annual growth rates of 1.63%, 0.86%, 3.10%, and 1.51%, respectively, although high-level areas displayed distinct spatial variations. The Pearson correlation analysis showed that the land input level had a significant negative effect on the pressure, but the positive effects of state and response enhanced the LES. The number of double-high cities increased significantly from 1 to 6, and the number of double-low cities decreased from 6 to 0. Compared with other cities and counties, the LES-lagging counties and cities faced the challenge of coordinating urban development and ecological conservation. While coupling coordination levels across all counties improved to varying degrees, none reached the optimal coordination stage. The findings and methodologies of this study provide helpful insights into human–land relationships in arid regions, supporting the goals of high-quality urban development and sustainability.

To quantify the spatial and lagged associations between ecological water conveyance and fractional vegetation cover (FVC) in Populus euphratica Oliv. forests, we integrated Landsat imagery (1995–2025), conveyance records, groundwater observations, and multi-period random forest classifications in the lower Tarim River. Newly formed or expanded surface water was mapped within dynamic annual response windows and characterized by annual surface inundation expansion area, multi-year inundation frequency, and distance from forest pixels to recurrently inundated water surfaces. These metrics were related to FVC using Theil–Sen trends and Lag 0–Lag 3 correlations. After 2010, reservoir releases, annual surface inundation expansion area, and groundwater conditions generally improved. Mean FVC increased by 0.182 percentage points per year, with improvement and degradation interspersed spatially. Relatively low- to moderate-frequency inundation was associated with pronounced positive FVC trends, and FVC improvement was concentrated within 0–0.5 km of recurrently inundated water surfaces. Associations of FVC with reservoir releases, groundwater depth, and annual surface inundation expansion area were strongest after 2–3 years. Together, these surface inundation metrics complement reservoir-release and groundwater records and support spatially differentiated monitoring of FVC changes in P. euphratica forests.