Mingjun Teng

• PH.D.
• Professor (Associate) at Huazhong Agricultural University

Context Trees play a vital role in reducing street-level particulate matter (PM) pollution in metropolitan areas. However, the optimal tree growth type for maximizing the retention of various sizes of PM remains uncertain. Objectives This study assessed the PM reduction capabilities of evergreen and deciduous broadleaf street trees, focusing on ho...

Background and aims Leaf litter constitutes a major fraction in litter production in Masson pine forests. However, productivity declines due to infertile soil. In these plantations, fertilization is a key management practice to sustain productivity. Our study aimed to: (1) evaluate the effect of mineral fertilizer on the decomposition dynamic of le...

The stakeholders’ perceptions of forest ecosystem services (FESs) vary among different stakeholder groups. This study, using China’s Shennongjia National Park Pilot (SNP) and Canada’s Banff National Park (BNP) as case studies, identifies and evaluates the preference characteristics of key stakeholders (including farmers, individual operators, gover...

Time-varying characteristics of particulate matter (PM) pollution play a crucial role in shaping atmospheric dynamics, which impact the health and welfare of urban commuters. Previously published studies on the diurnal patterns of PMs are not consistent, especially in the context of field experiments in central China, and most field studies have on...

Leaf litter decomposition is a crucial ecological process driven by bacteria and fungi, which release extracellular enzymes. However, the effects of mineral fertilizer application on microbial aspects in forest ecosystems are unclear. We hypothesized that mineral fertilizers significantly affect bacteria and fungi in terms of function, diversity, s...

Context. Trees reduce street-level particulate matter (PM) pollution in metropolitan areas, thereby enhancing air quality and promoting healthier, more sustainable cities. However, the optimal tree growth type for maximizing the retention of various sizes of PM remains uncertain. Objectives. We aimed to investigate the PM retention abilities of eve...

The escalation of thermal risks is attributed to accelerating pace of urbanization. However, assessment and response to green infrastructure with respect to heat risk under different climate and function have been inadequate. This study intends to address these gaps by focusing on local climate zones (LCZs). Firstly, spatial characteristics of heat...

The establishment of protected areas such as national parks (NPs) is a key policy in response to numerous challenges such as biodiversity loss, overexploitation of natural resources, climate change, and environmental education. Globally, the number and area of NPs have steadily increased over the years, although the management models of NPs vary ac...

Changes in land use and forest planting have led to substantial changes in soil fertility and leaf litter input. The effects of mixed planting on the leaf litter decomposition rate in contrasting soil nutrient conditions are poorly understood. To elucidate the effects of litter composition and soil fertility on litter decomposition, we conducted a...

Urban heat islands are representative problems in urban environments. The impact of spectral indexes on land-surface temperature (LST) under different urban forms, climates, and functions is not fully understood. Local climate zones (LCZs) are used to characterize heterogeneous cities. In this study, we quantified the contribution of three cities t...

Utilizing lake breeze circulations (LBCs) to improve city breathability is one of the most promising nature-based solutions for inland cities under calm and stable weather conditions. Previous studies highlighted the LBC benefits from great-sized lakes to mitigate urban heat island effects at the regional scale. How cold air flows out from relative...

Both anthropogenic and climatic factors are important determinants of landscape fire. Because the two groups of factors are intertwined and often act simultaneously, dissecting their effects on landscape fire is challenging. We used the COVID-19 lockdown event in Hubei, in which all immediate influences of anthropogenic factors were effectively rem...

The establishment of natural protected areas (NPAs) is an effective means to deal with the degradation of ecosystems caused by climate change and human activities. The area and number of NPAs in the world have shown an obvious growth trend, and their development has ushered in a new bottleneck. More importantly, the management quality of NPAs shoul...

Urban heat island (UHI) and air pollution are common environmental problems in urban areas. However, there is no comprehensive analysis of influencing factors and their interactions on land surface temperature (LST) and aerosol optical depth (AOD). To propose strategies to comprehensively mitigate LST and AOD by optimizing the landscape pattern, we...

China has made tremendous efforts in forest restoration (FR), and has established ambitions to govern its fragile ecosystem and improve green welfare until 2035. However, debate still exists over whether FR can simultaneously improve ecosystem services and enhance livelihoods. In this paper, we test the impacts of forest restoration on key ecosyste...

The effects of temperature and precipitation on tree growth of given species may vary across its distribution range. To determine how temperature and precipitation influence tree radial growth, we conducted a dendrochronology-based meta-analysis using a network of 113 tree-ring width chronologies of Pinus massoniana trees from the geographical rang...

Forest ecosystems are in serious trouble globally, largely due to the over-exploitation. To alleviate environmental problems caused by deforestation, China has undertaken a series of key forestry ecological development programs, including the Natural Forest Protection Program (NFPP), the Conversion of Cropland into Forests Program (CCFP), the Deser...

Vegetation is essential for the provision of ecosystem services. To ensure that ecosystem services are provided, urban planning must consider vegetation cover in both urban core areas and in peripheral areas. This study explored changes in vegetation cover in both urban core and peripheral areas (buffers of 5, 10 and 15 km from the urban core areas...

Forest naturalness is an important indicator of forest ecosystem resilience. It demonstrates the response status of forests to disturbances in comparison to native communities. Understanding the response of forest naturalness to human-induced disturbances is critical for revealing the maintenance mechanisms of forest ecosystem resilience, particula...

Understory vegetation changes caused by forestry management can alter the litter species composition and microclimate in situ, which while profoundly influence litter lignin degradation process but seldom investigated. To reveal the effects of these changes, understory vegetation in plots was treated as: no understory vegetation removal, only shrub...

Climate and land use/cover changes are among the primary driving forces for soil loss, but their impacts are complex because of their interactions. Decoupling their effects could help to understand the magnitude and direction of soil loss change in response to human activities. Meanwhile, the overall and relative roles of land use/cover changes on...

Increasing the number of street trees can be a promising method to reduce impacts of climate change currently impacting urban public health. However, the quantitative relationships between tree canopy cover and thermal comfort remains unclear, particularly in areas with high temperature and high humidity. This study aims to provide a better underst...

Changes in vegetation traits influence the particulate pollution mitigating effects of trees in street canyons; however, it remains unclear whether tree canopy density (i.e. the proportion of the street floor covered by the vertical projection of the tree canopy) promotes or reduces this effect. A 12-day field experiment was conducted in four repre...

Key message The mixture of decomposing litter from three predominant tree species in a Masson pine ( Pinus massoniana Lamb.) forest showed advantages in elemental cycling, and the species component identities were found to be an important driver for the release of several metallic elements. ContextAlthough mixed forests have long been considered es...

Understanding the spatial variation of forest productivity and its driving factors on a large regional scale can help reveal the response mechanism of tree growth to climate change, and is an important prerequisite for efficient forest management and studying regional and global carbon cycles. Pinus massoniana Lamb. is a major planted tree species...

Clearing of understory plants is a common management method in plantation forests, but its long-term impact on soil properties and understory plant diversity is still poorly understood. In order to uncover the potential relationship between understory diversity and soil properties, we categorized understory plants into herbs and shrubs, and took so...

Microclimatic condition is a fundamental indicator for evaluating outdoor space livability and vitality. Research has shown that poorly designed building layouts can lead to discomfort; however, the mechanisms influencing outdoor microclimate based on residential building layout are unclear for high temperature and high humidity regions. This study...

Climate change in dam areas is one of the environmental problems associated with dams. However, the main factors and mechanisms that impact climate change in dam areas remain unclear. In this study, linear regression, the observed minus reanalyzed (OMR) method, and multi-source data are used to assess climate change in the Three Gorges Reservoir Ar...

Tree density affects species diversity in forest plantations. Understory species diversity, tree regeneration, and soil physicochemical characteristics were assessed under three planting densities of Pinus massoniana in Taizishan Mountains, Hubei, China. There was a higher degree of shrub and herb species diversity in lower density stands. Total sp...

High planting density of Masson pine (Pinus massoniana) is perceived to have a major impact on timber production as well as understory biodiversity through changed leaf area index (LAI) and reduced understory photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). However, the quantitative relationship between planting density and LAI and understory PAR for Mas...

Vegetation recovery is a promising strategy to mitigate soil loss risk across different landscapes and human disturbance levels. Uncertainties still exist in the impacts of forest restoration on soil erosion with respect to complicated terrain condition and land-use/cover pattern, especially in mountainous reservoir areas undergoing intensive human...

Masson pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb) has been planted extensively in different parts of China for timber production and habitat restoration. The effects of stand age and management of these plantations on biomass, carbon storage, and soil physicochemical properties are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated biomass, carbon storage, and so...

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential mixing effects on degradation of lignin and cellulose in mixed leaf litter from Pinus massoniana Lamb., Cupressus funebris Endl., and/or Quercus variabilis Bl., and elucidate the interactions with abiotic factors. The litter bag method was used in the field experiment, and the three predominant...

Development and protection are both vital human demands in ecologically vulnerable areas. An estimation of the land use/cover changes and their ecological responses could help to understand the regional ecosystem dynamics under various human demands and provide the scientific basis for managing and regulating ecosystems. In this paper, we analysed...

Pinus massoniana is widely planted in the subtropical region of South China which is one of the main afforestation tree species in China. It has brought enormous ecological and economic benefits for a long time and has an important position in China＇s forestry. Therefore it is of great significance to study the biomass and productivity of P. masson...

Urban biodiversity has increasingly been recognized by the scientific community and environmental policymakers as a part of conservation efforts worldwide. However, most studies on urban biodiversity focus on cities in developed countries. An information gap exists for urban biodiversity of cities in developing countries. Here we focused on variabi...

Reserve selections are often opportunistic rather than strategic and coordinated, and consequently, many reserves are ineffective to achieve their intended goals of conservation. Here, we assessed the conservation effectiveness of a reserve for the golden snub‐nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) with a niche‐based approach. We assessed habitat...

Biodiversity is an important ecosystem characteristic, and is vital for maintaining ecosystem health and stability. However, biodiversity was often ignored in previous Chinese restoration planning and design due to its complex roles and the unclear mechanisms in providing human well-being. In order to evaluate the response of biodiversity to ecolog...

To determine whether mixed plantations can improve nutrient cycling and to elucidate the mechanisms of such effects, a field litterbag experiment with seven treatments involving Pinus massoniana (P.), Cupressus funebris (C.) and Quercus variabilis (Q.) litter in equal mass proportions (pure litter; pairwise combinations; and the combination of all...

Land use and land cover change have received considerable attention from global researchers in recent decades. The conflicts between different development strategies for land uses have become a problem that urgently needs to be solved, especially in those regions with a fragile ecological environment. The development of scenario simulations is esse...

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important component of the global carbon pool. It is a critical indicator of soil quality. We studied SOC content (SOCC) and SOC density (SOCD) of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) area in China. Soil samples from 306 sites across the study area were assessed for SOCC, SOCD and bulk density. Total SOC stocks in the TG...

Few studies have reported on the distribution, food choices, general behaviour, and interactions of the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) with humans. Weexplored the conservation status of the species and its conflicts with humans in the Kaghan Valley, northwest Pakistan. From September 2013 to December 2015, residents from 24 villages in three...

The response of plant species composition, diversity and soil nutrient availability to different canopysizes and age gaps in a Pinus Massoniana plantation were surveyed in Taizishan, Hubei province, central China. The soil chemical properties of 27 gaps and 3 non-gaps were measured and compared. The study objectives were: (a) confirm whether and wh...

Quantifying the response of landscape metrics to an altering observation scale is crucial to understanding environmental changes and managing ecosystem services. Whereas the scaling behaviors of landscape metrics in spatial heterogeneity analysis have been well identified by previous research, there remains a need to examine these effects in areas...

Forest network development in urban areas faces the challenge from forest fragmentation, human-induced disturbances, and scarce land resources. Here, we proposed a geotechnology-based modeling to optimize conservation of forest network by a case study of Wuhan, China. The potential forest network and their priorities were assessed using an improved...

Supplementary 1: The code of the batch process for least-cost path model based on Python and ArcGIS. Supplementary material 1

Supplementary 2: The code of the batch process for converting the generated least-cost paths from raster to point in format. Supplementary material 2

Land use changes not only affect the land structure and types, but also affect the degree of health of the land ecological system. In order to explore the ecological risks caused by the land use change, and provide scientific support for the formulation of the relevant policies and the measures, this paper described a case study on the Lijiang Rive...

Plants not only improve air quality by adsorbing particulate matter (PM) on leaf surfaces but can also be affected by their accumulation. In this study, a field investigation was performed in Wuhan, China, into the relationship between seven leaf traits and the accumulation of three different sizes of PM (PM11, PM2.5 and PM0.2) on leaves. The reten...

The Three Gorges Reservoir area (TGR area) , one of the most sensitive ecological zones in China, has dramatically changes in ecosystem configurations and services driven by the Three Gorges Engineering Project and its related human activities. Thus, understanding the dynamics of ecosystem configurations, ecological processes and ecosystem services...

The drastic change in land use/land cover (LULC) associated with urbanization is a powerful driving force in local climate and environment changes. The urban heat island (UHI) effect, a phenomenon that air and surface temperatures are higher in urban areas than in rural areas, is closely related to changes in LULC. In this study, remote sensing tec...

A field measurement of diurnal cooling effect of green spaces with different vertical configuration was carried out at a local scale in an urban-industrial area. Observations were conducted on the green areas of four sites, namely a factory area, an administrative area, a residential area and a park. With the almost equal areas and total coverage r...

Soil erosion by water is one of the most critical environmental hazards in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) in China, where authorities have created the largest water conservancy project in the world. Quantifying the amount and the spatial distribution of erosion over large areas is essential for the effective implementation of conservation e...

The species composition and the ecological adaptation of vascular plants in Wuhan lake wetlands were analyzed based on field investigations of the species and communities of typical lake wetlands in central urban and suburb. The results showed that, plant resources in urban lake wetlands in Wuhan were very abundant and included 361 vascular plant s...

Coherent ecological network ( EN ) construction has been considered as an important landscape planning strategy for biodiversity conservation, eco-environmental safety management, and resources protection of recreation, history and culture. Its planning and management attract extensive attentions from ordinary people to managers. To identify the ke...

Landscape connectivity was defined by metrics to reflect landscape functional characteristic for it represents ' the degree to which the landscape facilitates or impedes movement among resource patches '. The theory and method of landscape connectivity is an important basis for landscape evaluation, management and ecological designing. It will also...

By using the multi-temporal Landsat TM (or MSS) images in 1978-2007 as the basic data, this paper analyzed the landscape changes of Wuhan wetlands under the background of urbanization in recent 30 years. In the study period, the wetland area in Wuhan was decreasing, with a mean annual decreasing rate of 0. 89% and a mean annual decrement of 1655. 7...

Landscape connectivity, as a dominant factor affecting species dispersal, reflects the degree to which the landscape facilitates or impedes organisms' movement among resources patches. It is also an important indicator in sustainable land use and biological conservation. Least-cost model originates from graph theory, and integrates the detailed geo...