Ecosystem service value (ESV) is a critical indicator of regional ecological well-being. Assessing and forecasting ESV are essential for achieving the coordinated development of environmental and economic systems. This study employs the SD-PLUS model, integrating Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) and Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) to assess the spatiotemporal dynamics of land use and land cover change (LUCC), as well as ESV in Zhengzhou from 2030 to 2040. It analyses the impact of various driving factors on ESV and examines the spatial correlations among ecosystem services across different regions. The results indicate that the total ESV is expected to decrease by 73.53 × 10⁷ yuan, primarily due to significant reductions in cropland and water areas. By 2040, ESV is projected to increase by 14.51 × 10⁷ yuan under the SSP126 scenario, decrease by 73.18 × 10⁷ yuan under the SSP585 scenario, and show a moderate decline under the SSP245 scenario. Climate factors, transportation location, and topographical features have a significantly positive impact on ESV, while environmental and socioeconomic factors exert a negative influence. The analysis of interrelationships among ecosystem services shows that synergies dominate, especially between supporting and cultural services, with only localised trade-offs observed. These findings contribute valuable insights for the development of scientifically sound, well-reasoned, and efficient strategies for ecological conservation and sustainable development.

Root pruning affects the ability of roots of Quercus variabilis Blume to absorb water and nutrients. Suillus grevillea can form a mutualistic symbiosis with Quercus variabilis Blume. A pot experiment in three compartments with two inoculation treatments (inoculation with Suillus grevillea and noninoculation control) and four different root pruning treatments (0, 1/4, 1/3, and 1/2 of the main root length pruned) was conducted. The shoot dry weight, root dry weight, shoot and root N, P and K contents, root morphological and physiological parameters of Quercus variabilis Blume seedlings, and soil properties were measured. The results showed that root pruning affected root endogenous hormone levels, root morphology, shoot and root nutrient absorption, and biomass accumulation. Compared with those without inoculation, the shoot dry weight, root dry weights, shoot and root N, and P and K contents of inoculated plants were greater, regardless of the degree of root pruning. The root length, root projection area, root surface area, root average diameter, root density, root volume, and root tip number increased in response to Suillus grevillea. The root auxin (IAA), cytokinin (CTK), gibberellin (GA), zeatin riboside (ZR), and salicylic acid (SA) contents were greater in inoculated Quercus variabilis Blume seedlings than in noninoculated plants. Inoculation with Suillus grevillea improved the soil microenvironment around the seedlings. Suillus grevillea can compensate for the adverse effects of root pruning on nutrient absorption, root morphological and physiological growth and the soil properties of Quercus variabilis Blume seedlings.

Soil fungi play vital roles in the forest soil ecosystems through the nutrient cycle and organic substance decomposition, so the distribution of fungi at different altitudes has attracted increasing attention. However, their abundance, diversity, and community structure at different altitudes in temperate deciduous forests have rarely been studied. In this study, the fungal communities around two dominant trees (Quercus aliena var. acutiserrata and Carpinus turczaninowii Hance) in temperate deciduous forests at different altitudes (low altitude, medium altitude, high altitude) in the Taihang Mountains were identified via Illumina high-throughput sequencing according to the UNITE database. The soil chemical properties (soil pH value, soil available potassium, alkaline hydrolyzed nitrogen, soil available phosphorus contents, soil total nitrogen, and carbon contents) were also measured. The results revealed that the dominant genera around the tree species were Russula, Tylopilus, Sebacina, Saitozyma, Mortierella, Amanita, and Descolea. The highest relative abundance of fungi occurred at the lowest altitude. The species richness index and diversity index of fungi around Carpinus turczaninowii at low altitudes were the highest. The soil pH, available potassium content, and alkaline hydrolyzed nitrogen content played a crucial role in the composition and diversity of the fungal communities at different altitudes. Therefore, soil physicochemical properties were the important factors in forming fungi composition and diversity at different altitudes in the temperate forest.