Seamus Heaney in his lifespan of 74 years is lauded not only for his great accomplishment in the field of poetry, butalso for his translation, editing and literary criticism. Yet, when it comes to socio-political affa...Seamus Heaney in his lifespan of 74 years is lauded not only for his great accomplishment in the field of poetry, butalso for his translation, editing and literary criticism. Yet, when it comes to socio-political affairs, the poet is not aunanimous favorite. Far from being an influential political activist sometimes anticipated by his friends andcountrymen in Ireland, Heaney resorted to his search for identities and for answers to his nation＇s predicament inthe world of words. As a poetic collection published during the political unrest in the seventies, Wintering Outdiscloses Heaney＇s composition of the dialectic between the aesthetic and the historical. In this essay, the authorwill look into Heaney＇s four poems in the collection, in which the poet＇s linguistic as well as geographical survey ofhis hometown is indispensible for readers who intend to discern his attitude in the critical period of his artisticformation。展开更多
As one of the important wintering areas along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway,wetlands in the Yangtze River floodplain face threats from land-use changes,yet its effects on wintering waterbirds at the landscape lev...As one of the important wintering areas along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway,wetlands in the Yangtze River floodplain face threats from land-use changes,yet its effects on wintering waterbirds at the landscape level remain understudied,impeding conservation practice.Here,using survey data collected across 14 inland lakes in Jiangsu Province in 2022,we calculated wintering waterbirds diversity(taxonomic,functional,phylogenetic)and assembly patterns(MPD/MNTD of functional and phylogenetic).Then,we interpreted satellite imagery of lake areas and buffer zones(5 km),and partitioned them into three land-use and landscape index categories(anthropogenic,ecological,and lake landscape).Finally,we employed multiple linear regression and hierarchical partitioning to explain the influence of landscape scales on wintering waterbird communities.Our results showed that the diversity and assembly of regional wintering waterbird communities tended to be consistent across taxonomic,functional,and phylogenetic dimensions.The standardized diversity indices indicated that functional assembly of communities tends to be clustered at both local and regional scale.In contrast,the phylogenetic structure showed a predominantly overdispersed pattern in most lakes at the local scale,while neutral processes dominated at the regional scale.Modeling showed that selected variables explained waterbird diversity and assembly well.Lake fragmentation increased species evenness but reduced other diversity indices,while landscape evenness was negatively associated with functional and phylogenetic assembly.Among anthropogenic factors,aquaculture ponds and impervious surfaces reduced all diversity dimensions,whereas cropland connectivity enhanced phylogenetic diversity.These factors had consistent effects on community assembly.For ecological variables,grassland area enhanced functional and phylogenetic diversity but led to more clustered functional assembly.Overall,maintaining the integrity and connectivity of lakes and their surrounding landscapes is essential for sustaining waterbird diversity and guiding wetland restoration.展开更多
The shallow lake wetlands in the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain are important wintering and stopover habitats for migratory waterbirds on the East Asia-Australia Flyway.With increasing fishery practices in ...The shallow lake wetlands in the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain are important wintering and stopover habitats for migratory waterbirds on the East Asia-Australia Flyway.With increasing fishery practices in recent years,however,the wetlands have deteriorated significantly and now threaten wintering waterbirds.To gain insight into the influence of deteriorating wetlands on waterbirds,we conducted a survey of wintering waterbird species,population size,and distribution across 11 belt transects in Caizi Lake and Shengjin Lake,two shallow lakes along the Yangtze River in Anhui Province from November 2007-April 2008 and from November 2008-April 2009,respectively.The impacts of different fishery patterns on the distribution of waterbirds were also analyzed.A total of 43 waterbirds species belong to 7 orders of 12 families were counted during the surveys,of which 38 were found in Caizi Lake with a density of 8.2 ind./hm2,and 42 in Shengjin Lake with a density of 3.5 ind./hm2.Geese（Anser cygnoides）,bean geese（Anser fabalis）,tundra swan（Cygnus columbianus）,and dunlin（Calidris alpina） were the dominant species in the two shallow lakes.Species number and individual assemble reached maximum at the end of December and in early January of the following year,without coincidence of the largest flock for different ecological groups.Based on waterbird diversity across the 11 belt transects and the fishery patterns,habitats could be divided into three groups.Gruiformes,Anseriformes and Charadriiformes had relatively higher densities in the natural fishery zones and lower densities in the cage fishery zones;whereas,the density of Ardeidae showed little change across all lake zones.It is important to develop sustainable fishery patterns in shallow lakes along the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain to better protect resources of wintering waterbirds.展开更多
The loss and degradation of wetlands have adversely affected waterbirds, which depend on wetland habitats. Interspecific competition has an important effect on habitat utilization of wintering waterbirds. Resource uti...The loss and degradation of wetlands have adversely affected waterbirds, which depend on wetland habitats. Interspecific competition has an important effect on habitat utilization of wintering waterbirds. Resource utilization, including partitioning, in degraded wetlands has become a hot issue in ecological studies of wintering waterbirds. In order to have an insight into the habitat utilization and resource partitioning between a Hooded Crane(Grus monacha) population and the guild of three goose species, i.e., Anser fabalis, A. albifrons and A. erythropus wintering in lake wetlands, we carried out a study at Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve from November 2011 to April 2012. We surveyed the Hooded Cranes and goose guild foraging in various habitats during the wintering periods with a combined method of fixed route searching and fixed site observations. Resource partitioning was studied by means of calculating habitat utilization rates and the width and overlap of spatial niches. The results showed that the habitat utilization rate and the width of spatial niches of the Hooded Crane population and goose guild shifted with the season. The habitat utilization rates of the cranes in grasslands were high at all three wintering stages. The habitat utilization rates were 0.454, 0.435 and 0.959 respectively for the Hooded Cranes and 0.627, 0.491 and 0.616 for the goose guild. This suggests that the overlap in grasslands was higher between cranes and goose guild. Most habitats were accessible at the middle stage, so the width of the spatial niche of the cranes(1.099) and goose guild(1.133) both reached their peak at this stage. The greatest niche overlap was 0.914 for these two groups at the late stage, followed by 0.906 at the middle stage and the smallest was 0.854 at the early stage. Ecological response to the changes in habitats of wintering waterbirds was clearly shown in the dynamic variations of the niche of both the Hooded Cranes and the three goose species. Coexistence among waterbirds was achieved by regulation of niche width to reduce niche overlap and relieve interspecific resource partitioning.展开更多
The Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) is a new winter resident in Beijing due to temperature changes.To understand the wintering ecology of this species better, a field survey covering the number of birds of this population...The Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) is a new winter resident in Beijing due to temperature changes.To understand the wintering ecology of this species better, a field survey covering the number of birds of this population, habitat selection, feeding activity and grouping behavior was conducted at the Shidu Nature Reserve from January 2004 to March 2009. The results show that the Black Stork selected the Juma River at this nature reserve as their new winter habitat. The number of birds in this population decreased from 28 in the 2004/2005 winter to 17 in the 2007/2008 winter with a subsequent recovery to 23 the following year. The wintering flock was formed in mid-November and dispersed in mid-March, but the date changed with seasonal temperature fluctuations. The storks exhibited feeding habitat fidelity and the main food type was fish (＞ 92.4%). There was no significant variation in food composition between adults and sub-adults (Mann-Whitney U test, U = 1.00, p = 0.44). Feeding activity occurred in the morning and at noon during early winter, but concentrated in the afternoon during mid winter, divided into dawn and dusk in late winter. Daily fish intake was 538 g for adults and 449 g for sub-adults if the period of foraging reached six hours in the wild, which was similar to the level under artificial feeding. Agonistic behavior among feeding birds was observed among group members in late winter. The main negative factor for wintering Black Stork was a reduced feeding habitat resulting from increased water depth due to damming of the river to benefit tourism and to wetland exploitation.展开更多
To maintain soil quality under long-term saline water irrigation,the influence of manure on soil physical properties was examined.Long-term saline irrigation has been conducted from 2015 to 2024 at the Nanpi Eco-Agric...To maintain soil quality under long-term saline water irrigation,the influence of manure on soil physical properties was examined.Long-term saline irrigation has been conducted from 2015 to 2024 at the Nanpi Eco-Agricultural Experimental Station of Chinese Academy Sciences in the Low Plain of the North China Plain,comprising four irrigation treatments:irrigation once at the jointing stage for winter wheat with irrigation water containing salt at fresh water,3,4 and 5 g·L^(–1),and maize irrigation at sowing using fresh water.Manure application was conducted under all irrigation treatments,with treatments without manure application used as controls.The results showed that under long-term irrigation with saline water,the application of manure increased the soil organic matter content,exchangeable potassium,available phosphorus,and total nitrogen content in the 0–20 cm soil layer by 46.8%,117.0%,75.7%,and 45.5%,respectively,compared to treatments without manure application.The application of manure reduced soil bulk density.It also increased the proportion of water-stable aggregates and the abundance of bacteria,fungi,and actinomycetes in the tillage soil layer compared to the controls.Because of the salt contained in the manure,the application of manure had dual effects on soil salt content.During the winter wheat season,manure application increased soil salt content.The salt content was significantly reduced during the summer maize season,owing to the strong salt-leaching effects under manure application,resulting in a smaller difference in salt content between the manure and non-manure treatments.During the summer rainfall season,improvements in soil structure under manure application increased the soil desalination rate for the 1 m top soil layer.The desalination rate for 0–40 cm and 40–100 cm was averagely by 39.1%and 18.9%higher,respectively,under manure application as compared with that under the nomanure treatments.The yield of winter wheat under manure application was 0.12%lower than that of the control,owing to the higher salt content during the winter wheat season.In contrast,the yield of summer maize improved by 3.9%under manure application,owing to the increased soil nutrient content and effective salt leaching.The results of this study indicated that manure application helped maintain the soil physical structure,which is important for the long-term use of saline water.In practice,using manure with a low salt content is suggested to reduce the adverse effects of saline water irrigation on soil properties and achieve sustainable saline water use.展开更多
Chinese State Councilor Urges Athletes to Strive for Glory at Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin called on China's winter Olympic athletes to be better prepared for the Milan-Cortina ...Chinese State Councilor Urges Athletes to Strive for Glory at Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin called on China's winter Olympic athletes to be better prepared for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Games and strive for glory for their nation.Shen made the remarks on December 24,2025,while meeting with athletes and coaches in their training base in Beijing.展开更多
HARVESTING WINTER’S BOUNTY.Horses gallop as part of a performance at a wetland park in Zhaosu County,Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,on January 3,showcasing the area’s new winter vision.The county is now leveraging...HARVESTING WINTER’S BOUNTY.Horses gallop as part of a performance at a wetland park in Zhaosu County,Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,on January 3,showcasing the area’s new winter vision.The county is now leveraging its unique ice and snow resources to develop diverse tourist services and attract visitors.展开更多
PHOTO NEWS Unforgettable Winter Break Tourists take selfies in front of snow sculptures in the Fenghuang Mountain Scenic Area,Yakeshi City in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,on December 7,2025.
The Cloud Top Heavenly Palace,a majestic palace complex built with snow in the Changbai Mountains scenic area in Jilin Province,was officially illuminated and opened to the public on December 26,2025.This impressive i...The Cloud Top Heavenly Palace,a majestic palace complex built with snow in the Changbai Mountains scenic area in Jilin Province,was officially illuminated and opened to the public on December 26,2025.This impressive installation,with a main building measuring 20 meters high and 60 meters wide,faithfully recreates a classic scene from the best-selling Grave Robbers'Chronicles web novel series by Xu Lei,better known by his pseudonym Nanpai Sanshu.展开更多
With the brisk winter season just around the corner,my now 5-year-old's birthday was approaching,and I had a big celebration planned full of presents,cake and a fun day out.However,this year,she had a request of h...With the brisk winter season just around the corner,my now 5-year-old's birthday was approaching,and I had a big celebration planned full of presents,cake and a fun day out.However,this year,she had a request of her own.One frosty evening,she glided up to me and said,"Dad,this year for my birthday,I want to learn how to be a figure skater."展开更多
文摘Seamus Heaney in his lifespan of 74 years is lauded not only for his great accomplishment in the field of poetry, butalso for his translation, editing and literary criticism. Yet, when it comes to socio-political affairs, the poet is not aunanimous favorite. Far from being an influential political activist sometimes anticipated by his friends andcountrymen in Ireland, Heaney resorted to his search for identities and for answers to his nation＇s predicament inthe world of words. As a poetic collection published during the political unrest in the seventies, Wintering Outdiscloses Heaney＇s composition of the dialectic between the aesthetic and the historical. In this essay, the authorwill look into Heaney＇s four poems in the collection, in which the poet＇s linguistic as well as geographical survey ofhis hometown is indispensible for readers who intend to discern his attitude in the critical period of his artisticformation。
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.42271116)。
文摘As one of the important wintering areas along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway,wetlands in the Yangtze River floodplain face threats from land-use changes,yet its effects on wintering waterbirds at the landscape level remain understudied,impeding conservation practice.Here,using survey data collected across 14 inland lakes in Jiangsu Province in 2022,we calculated wintering waterbirds diversity(taxonomic,functional,phylogenetic)and assembly patterns(MPD/MNTD of functional and phylogenetic).Then,we interpreted satellite imagery of lake areas and buffer zones(5 km),and partitioned them into three land-use and landscape index categories(anthropogenic,ecological,and lake landscape).Finally,we employed multiple linear regression and hierarchical partitioning to explain the influence of landscape scales on wintering waterbird communities.Our results showed that the diversity and assembly of regional wintering waterbird communities tended to be consistent across taxonomic,functional,and phylogenetic dimensions.The standardized diversity indices indicated that functional assembly of communities tends to be clustered at both local and regional scale.In contrast,the phylogenetic structure showed a predominantly overdispersed pattern in most lakes at the local scale,while neutral processes dominated at the regional scale.Modeling showed that selected variables explained waterbird diversity and assembly well.Lake fragmentation increased species evenness but reduced other diversity indices,while landscape evenness was negatively associated with functional and phylogenetic assembly.Among anthropogenic factors,aquaculture ponds and impervious surfaces reduced all diversity dimensions,whereas cropland connectivity enhanced phylogenetic diversity.These factors had consistent effects on community assembly.For ecological variables,grassland area enhanced functional and phylogenetic diversity but led to more clustered functional assembly.Overall,maintaining the integrity and connectivity of lakes and their surrounding landscapes is essential for sustaining waterbird diversity and guiding wetland restoration.
基金Supported partly by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(30870317)EU-China Biodiversity Programme(00056783)Anhui Academic and Technical Leader Fund
文摘The shallow lake wetlands in the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain are important wintering and stopover habitats for migratory waterbirds on the East Asia-Australia Flyway.With increasing fishery practices in recent years,however,the wetlands have deteriorated significantly and now threaten wintering waterbirds.To gain insight into the influence of deteriorating wetlands on waterbirds,we conducted a survey of wintering waterbird species,population size,and distribution across 11 belt transects in Caizi Lake and Shengjin Lake,two shallow lakes along the Yangtze River in Anhui Province from November 2007-April 2008 and from November 2008-April 2009,respectively.The impacts of different fishery patterns on the distribution of waterbirds were also analyzed.A total of 43 waterbirds species belong to 7 orders of 12 families were counted during the surveys,of which 38 were found in Caizi Lake with a density of 8.2 ind./hm2,and 42 in Shengjin Lake with a density of 3.5 ind./hm2.Geese（Anser cygnoides）,bean geese（Anser fabalis）,tundra swan（Cygnus columbianus）,and dunlin（Calidris alpina） were the dominant species in the two shallow lakes.Species number and individual assemble reached maximum at the end of December and in early January of the following year,without coincidence of the largest flock for different ecological groups.Based on waterbird diversity across the 11 belt transects and the fishery patterns,habitats could be divided into three groups.Gruiformes,Anseriformes and Charadriiformes had relatively higher densities in the natural fishery zones and lower densities in the cage fishery zones;whereas,the density of Ardeidae showed little change across all lake zones.It is important to develop sustainable fishery patterns in shallow lakes along the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain to better protect resources of wintering waterbirds.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.31172117)the Graduate Student Innovation Research Projects of Anhui University(Grant No.yqh100118)the Anhui Academic and Technical Leader Fund
文摘The loss and degradation of wetlands have adversely affected waterbirds, which depend on wetland habitats. Interspecific competition has an important effect on habitat utilization of wintering waterbirds. Resource utilization, including partitioning, in degraded wetlands has become a hot issue in ecological studies of wintering waterbirds. In order to have an insight into the habitat utilization and resource partitioning between a Hooded Crane(Grus monacha) population and the guild of three goose species, i.e., Anser fabalis, A. albifrons and A. erythropus wintering in lake wetlands, we carried out a study at Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve from November 2011 to April 2012. We surveyed the Hooded Cranes and goose guild foraging in various habitats during the wintering periods with a combined method of fixed route searching and fixed site observations. Resource partitioning was studied by means of calculating habitat utilization rates and the width and overlap of spatial niches. The results showed that the habitat utilization rate and the width of spatial niches of the Hooded Crane population and goose guild shifted with the season. The habitat utilization rates of the cranes in grasslands were high at all three wintering stages. The habitat utilization rates were 0.454, 0.435 and 0.959 respectively for the Hooded Cranes and 0.627, 0.491 and 0.616 for the goose guild. This suggests that the overlap in grasslands was higher between cranes and goose guild. Most habitats were accessible at the middle stage, so the width of the spatial niche of the cranes(1.099) and goose guild(1.133) both reached their peak at this stage. The greatest niche overlap was 0.914 for these two groups at the late stage, followed by 0.906 at the middle stage and the smallest was 0.854 at the early stage. Ecological response to the changes in habitats of wintering waterbirds was clearly shown in the dynamic variations of the niche of both the Hooded Cranes and the three goose species. Coexistence among waterbirds was achieved by regulation of niche width to reduce niche overlap and relieve interspecific resource partitioning.
基金funded by the Beijing Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center
文摘The Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) is a new winter resident in Beijing due to temperature changes.To understand the wintering ecology of this species better, a field survey covering the number of birds of this population, habitat selection, feeding activity and grouping behavior was conducted at the Shidu Nature Reserve from January 2004 to March 2009. The results show that the Black Stork selected the Juma River at this nature reserve as their new winter habitat. The number of birds in this population decreased from 28 in the 2004/2005 winter to 17 in the 2007/2008 winter with a subsequent recovery to 23 the following year. The wintering flock was formed in mid-November and dispersed in mid-March, but the date changed with seasonal temperature fluctuations. The storks exhibited feeding habitat fidelity and the main food type was fish (＞ 92.4%). There was no significant variation in food composition between adults and sub-adults (Mann-Whitney U test, U = 1.00, p = 0.44). Feeding activity occurred in the morning and at noon during early winter, but concentrated in the afternoon during mid winter, divided into dawn and dusk in late winter. Daily fish intake was 538 g for adults and 449 g for sub-adults if the period of foraging reached six hours in the wild, which was similar to the level under artificial feeding. Agonistic behavior among feeding birds was observed among group members in late winter. The main negative factor for wintering Black Stork was a reduced feeding habitat resulting from increased water depth due to damming of the river to benefit tourism and to wetland exploitation.
基金supported by National Key R&D Program of China (2022YFD1900104)。
文摘To maintain soil quality under long-term saline water irrigation,the influence of manure on soil physical properties was examined.Long-term saline irrigation has been conducted from 2015 to 2024 at the Nanpi Eco-Agricultural Experimental Station of Chinese Academy Sciences in the Low Plain of the North China Plain,comprising four irrigation treatments:irrigation once at the jointing stage for winter wheat with irrigation water containing salt at fresh water,3,4 and 5 g·L^(–1),and maize irrigation at sowing using fresh water.Manure application was conducted under all irrigation treatments,with treatments without manure application used as controls.The results showed that under long-term irrigation with saline water,the application of manure increased the soil organic matter content,exchangeable potassium,available phosphorus,and total nitrogen content in the 0–20 cm soil layer by 46.8%,117.0%,75.7%,and 45.5%,respectively,compared to treatments without manure application.The application of manure reduced soil bulk density.It also increased the proportion of water-stable aggregates and the abundance of bacteria,fungi,and actinomycetes in the tillage soil layer compared to the controls.Because of the salt contained in the manure,the application of manure had dual effects on soil salt content.During the winter wheat season,manure application increased soil salt content.The salt content was significantly reduced during the summer maize season,owing to the strong salt-leaching effects under manure application,resulting in a smaller difference in salt content between the manure and non-manure treatments.During the summer rainfall season,improvements in soil structure under manure application increased the soil desalination rate for the 1 m top soil layer.The desalination rate for 0–40 cm and 40–100 cm was averagely by 39.1%and 18.9%higher,respectively,under manure application as compared with that under the nomanure treatments.The yield of winter wheat under manure application was 0.12%lower than that of the control,owing to the higher salt content during the winter wheat season.In contrast,the yield of summer maize improved by 3.9%under manure application,owing to the increased soil nutrient content and effective salt leaching.The results of this study indicated that manure application helped maintain the soil physical structure,which is important for the long-term use of saline water.In practice,using manure with a low salt content is suggested to reduce the adverse effects of saline water irrigation on soil properties and achieve sustainable saline water use.
文摘Chinese State Councilor Urges Athletes to Strive for Glory at Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin called on China's winter Olympic athletes to be better prepared for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Games and strive for glory for their nation.Shen made the remarks on December 24,2025,while meeting with athletes and coaches in their training base in Beijing.
文摘HARVESTING WINTER’S BOUNTY.Horses gallop as part of a performance at a wetland park in Zhaosu County,Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,on January 3,showcasing the area’s new winter vision.The county is now leveraging its unique ice and snow resources to develop diverse tourist services and attract visitors.
文摘PHOTO NEWS Unforgettable Winter Break Tourists take selfies in front of snow sculptures in the Fenghuang Mountain Scenic Area,Yakeshi City in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,on December 7,2025.
文摘The Cloud Top Heavenly Palace,a majestic palace complex built with snow in the Changbai Mountains scenic area in Jilin Province,was officially illuminated and opened to the public on December 26,2025.This impressive installation,with a main building measuring 20 meters high and 60 meters wide,faithfully recreates a classic scene from the best-selling Grave Robbers'Chronicles web novel series by Xu Lei,better known by his pseudonym Nanpai Sanshu.
文摘With the brisk winter season just around the corner,my now 5-year-old's birthday was approaching,and I had a big celebration planned full of presents,cake and a fun day out.However,this year,she had a request of her own.One frosty evening,she glided up to me and said,"Dad,this year for my birthday,I want to learn how to be a figure skater."
