Oxygen concentration on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Altitude, vegetation and temperature collectively contribute to the variation in oxygen concentration on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Chinese researchers have found.
"At any given altitude, the oxygen concentration is higher in the summer than it is in the winter," said Shi Peijun, a geography professor at Beijing Normal University and president of Qinghai Normal University. "This is because temperatures are higher in the summer, and oxygen produced by photosynthesis in the ecosystem also increases oxygen concentration."
The study has found that oxygen concentration shows strong spatial and seasonal differences on the plateau, generally decreasing from southeast to northwest, higher in warm seasons than in cold seasons, and higher at noon than in the early morning, even within a single day. WINTER OLYMPICS
More than 200 sci-tech developments have been used to support the Beijing Winter Olympics, with over 10,000 researchers from more than 500 teams working behind.
For example, the ice surface of the National Speed Skating Oval and the Capital Indoor Stadium are both made with a carbon dioxide transcritical direct cooling ice machine system, which uses energy more efficiently than conventional refrigerants. Moreover, the competition zones in Yanqing and Zhangjiakou are serviced by hydrogen-fueled buses, providing transport for teams and support staff. All venues for Beijing Winter Olympics are supplied with 100 percent green power.
ENDANGERED WILD DUCK A group of critically endangered wild ducks has been spotted in a lake in east China's Shandong Province, marking the species' single largest population ever recorded in the country.
More than 1,500 ducks of the Baer's pochard, a type of diving duck, were spotted in the Dongping Lake and Dawen River near the Taishan Mountain, a popular UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Baer's pochard mainly inhabits China, Mongolia and Bangladesh. It is listed as a critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.