This study explores the spatial correlation of global productive service trade in three stages (2005-2010, 2011-2016, 2017-2022) using the exports of productive services from 42 countries worldwide from 2005 to 2022 as a sample, and then uses social networks and QAP methods to analyze the evolutionary pattern and determining factors of the global productive service trade network. The results showed several key features of this system. (1) During the sample study period, the number of relationships in the global productive service trade network gradually increased and the stability continued to be enhanced. The network has obvious “small world” characteristics, and the speed of node interaction is accelerating. Some developed countries have a clear central position in the network, but developing countries led by China are increasingly playing a bridging role in the global productive service trade network. (2) The members of the global productive service trade network can be divided into four different sectors: “bidirectional spillover”, “intermediary”, “main benefit”, and “net benefit”, and the spillover effects of the export growth of productive service industries in different sectors have obvious ladder characteristics. However, with the increasing frequency of global trade in productive services, its network modularity continues to decline, and the division of member factions is becoming increasingly unclear. (3) The spatial relationships of the global productive service trade network exhibit characteristics of “neighborhood interaction” and “club groups”. During the three sample periods of 2005-2010, 2011-2016, and 2017-2022, geographic adjacency, economic development level, similarity in economic development mode, and the signing of regional trade agreements could collectively explain 52.6%, 60.2%, and 75.8%, respectively, of the spatial correlation in global productive service trade.
Exploring the changes in food consumption and dietary nutrient intake of Chinese urban and rural residents is of great significance. This study constructed a Chinese food nutrient model using data from “China Statistical Yearbook”, “China Rural Statistical Yearbook”, “China Yearbook of Household Survey”, and “China Yearbook of Rural Household Survey”. The structure and changes in food consumption and nutrient intake among urban and rural residents in China from 2000 to 2020 were analyzed using dietary balance indices and comparisons with dietary recommendations. The results show that higher consumption of cereals and lower consumption of dairy products remained the main problems in food consumption by both urban and rural residents from 2000 to 2020. The dietary nutrient structure of urban and rural residents developed a dual calorie structure dominated by grain and supplemented by vegetable oil, a dual protein structure dominated by grain and supplemented by pork, and a triple fat structure dominated by vegetable oil and supplemented by both pork and grain. Rural plant-based and animal-based dietary nutrition lagged behind that of urban areas, with a difference of roughly 20 years. The results of this study clarified the food consumption and dietary nutritional structures and changes of urban and rural residents. We found the deficiencies in the current dietary structure and made recommendations for improving the nutritional health of urban and rural residents.
As an emerging integrated economic system, the ice and snow economy holds significant importance for promoting high-quality regional economic development. This study first employs data visualization techniques to illustrate the current status of China's ice and snow economy. On this basis, it uses the LSTM neural network model to conduct a predictive analysis of its future development trends. Furthermore, by analyzing the industrial convergence mechanism and operational mechanisms of the ice and snow industry, the study explores the underlying logic driving the development of China's ice and snow economy. Finally, it identifies the challenges in its development and proposes relevant policy recommendations to promote the high-quality development of the ice and snow economy in the Chinese context. The findings show that since China was awarded the right to host the 2022 Winter Olympics in 2015, its ice and snow economy has entered a period of rapid growth. The total market scale expanded from 270 billion yuan in 2015 to 980 billion yuan in 2024, with a compound annual growth rate of 15.4%. However, the ice and snow economy still faces challenges such as homogeneous consumption structures, incomplete industrial chains, unbalanced regional development, and constraints on sustainable development. It is therefore urgent to formulate targeted solutions based on China's actual conditions, gradually establishing a well-structured ice and snow industry system characterized by clear government-market collaboration, supply-demand alignment, dynamic cost-benefit equilibrium and balanced development and protection-ultimately propelling the high-quality development of China's ice and snow economy.
Fostering a dynamic sports culture relies heavily on sporting events and community engagement. In the pursuit of a robust sports culture, organizing sports events and encouraging public involvement are of utmost significance. A deep comprehension of understanding how sports events shape consumer interest holds both theoretical and practical value. This study focuses on the audience of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, considering both from online and offline. Through meticulously constructing a comprehensive framework that encompasses spectator experience, demonstration effect, and media influence, and collecting 679 valid surveys nationwide, it adopts the partial least squares method-structural equation model (PLS-SEM) for in-depth analysis. The study finds that the ‘traffic’ generated by sports events directly influences consumers’ purchase intentions in three ways: spectator experience, demonstration effect, and media influence. Among these, the demonstration effect has the most significant impact, and perceived value plays a partial mediating role. Based on the findings, several practical recommendations are proposed to further unlock the cultural and economic value of large-scale sporting events. This study not only provides empirical support for understanding the mechanisms through which mega-events stimulate consumer behavior but also offers strategic insights into enhancing the social influence and commercial value of sports in the digital era.
In 2020, China clearly put forward the “double carbon” goal of striving to achieve its carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. Energy companies are the main source of carbon emissions and key players in reducing emissions, so they shoulder a pivotal responsibility in achieving this strategic goal. At the same time, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) concepts are highly compatible with the “dual-carbon” goal. Therefore, it is of great practical significance to explore the impact of ESG on energy companies to realize the “dual-carbon” goal. In this study, we analyzed the impact of ESG on the total factor productivity of energy companies and its mediating effect from the perspectives of investor preference and financing constraints. The results of this study show that good ESG performance of energy companies can enhance their total factor productivity through the positive effects of investor preference and financing constraints, and the extent of the effects was found to vary among companies with different equity natures, regional situations, and different backgrounds of the directors, supervisors, and senior executives. In view of these effects, energy companies should enhance their total factor productivity by strengthening investor preference and alleviating financing constraints; and they should also learn from each other’s ESG development models to promote the overall ESG level of the energy industry.
In 2022, Chinese policymakers emphasized the importance of leveraging the country’s domestic energy resource endowments and implementing a phased and well-planned carbon peaking strategy by following the principle of “establishing the new before phasing out the old”. To explore the carbon reduction potential and path optimization in resource-based regions undergoing energy structure adjustments, this study employed the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP) to simulate and analyze both a baseline scenario and a comprehensive policy intervention scenario from 2021 to 2050. This study focused on the typical resource-based region of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and developed a customized “LEAP-Inner Mongolia” model. The findings reveal that: (1) Under the comprehensive scenario, energy demand is notably reduced by 2050, with total carbon emissions cut by 70.96% compared to the baseline scenario; (2) The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) analysis suggests a persistent rise in emissions under the baseline scenario, while a carbon peak is achieved as early as 2029 under the integrated scenario; and (3) There are limitations of isolated policy instruments so a synergistic approach that integrates power generation structure optimization with improvements in energy efficiency is necessary. Accordingly, we propose a multi-pronged policy portfolio that includes the synchronized development of clean energy and efficient end-use systems, industrial low-carbon transformation, accelerated adoption of new energy vehicles, and improved inter-regional coordination. These recommendations can offer systemic insights for guiding low-carbon transitions in resource-based areas.
Within the framework of China's pursuit of green and low-carbon development, Inner Mongolia is characterized by significant carbon emissions, a substantial share of energy-intensive industries, and disparate development levels across its cities, so it faces substantial challenges in attaining the objectives of carbon peak and neutrality. Utilizing the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) model, this study investigated the drivers and regional differences in carbon emissions. Drawing upon Tapio’s decoupling framework, the decoupling status between economic growth and carbon emissions among cities was analyzed in phases. We introduced the Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) machine learning algorithm to construct a classification model that correlates carbon emission drivers with decoupling states, elucidated by the Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) interpretable model, and performed a spatial analysis of regional differences to assess the significance of industrial energy intensity for achieving strong decoupling in each prefecture-level city. The outcomes revealed two main results. (1) Spatially, regional differences in the influence of driving factors can be classified into four categories: energy intensity-dominant, double-effect negative driven, coexistence of positive and negative effects, and economic growth-driven. (2) Temporally, regional differences in the impact of industrial energy intensity on strong decoupling can be categorized into three types: overall positive, marked fluctuation, and stage stability. Consequently, tailoring emission reduction policies based on regional differences will be instrumental for expediting the achievement of the “dual carbon” targets.
Food security has always been the cornerstone of national stability and a critical pillar of sustainable development. Exploring the laws of food supply, utilization, and structural evolution is of great significance for ensuring people's well-being and promoting socio-economic stability. However, as an agriculturally dominated and less-developed economy, the food supply has long been both a core concern and a developmental challenge for Nepal. This study employed the emergy analysis method to systematically examine the changing characteristics and structures of food supply and consumption in Nepal from 1990 to 2023, based on statistical data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Nepal's Central Bureau of Statistics, and Nepal Customs. Two main conclusions were drawn. (1) Between 1990 and 2023, the total emergy of Nepal's food supply increased by over threefold (from 2.46×10²² sej to 8.27×10²² sej), and per capita emergy doubled. However, driven by shifts in dietary preferences, rising demands for dietary balance, and insufficient domestic agricultural production, the food independence ratio (FIR) exhibited a sustained decline and bottomed out in 2021. Concurrently, self-sufficiency rates plummeted for key commodities: cereals (-9%), fruits (-46%), and vegetable oils (-46%) compared to baseline levels. This highlights inadequate supply chain stability and a high reliance on global markets. (2) In terms of consumption structure, both the total and per capita emergy of food consumption fluctuated upward with convergent trends. The proportion of animal-based consumption decreased from 43.00% to 34.97%, while plant-based consumption increased by over 8%. However, there were no fundamental changes in the internal supply structures of either category, with vegetable oils and dairy products remaining dominant, respectively. The results of this study indicate that Nepal's food system faces contradictions between yield growth and the demand for dietary diversification. Strengthening the resilience of local supply chains, formulating comprehensive policies, and enhancing international cooperation are essential for addressing these food security challenges.
Plants are the primary source of traditional remedies around the world. The Baglung District of Nepal has a huge potential for medicinal herbs used ethnobotanically to treat different diseases. We had studied and evaluated the status and uses of medicinal plants with the aim of documenting the ethnomedicinal flora of Jaimini and Bareng municipalities of Baglung District. Key Informant Interviews (KII) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were used in five wards to gather data between November 2021 and October 2022 utilizing open-ended, semi-structured questionnaires. Traditional healers were consulted regarding the stated traditional uses, and the results were cross-validated against previously released research. The SPSS software and MS Excel 2013 were used to aggregate and evaluate the data. Pie charts, graphs, and tables are used to display the data. Altogether, 219 medicinal plants are used by the people of both municipalities. The shrubs and herbs occupy a major percentage in Bareng and Jaimini, respectively, whereas Family Fabaceae and Asteracea represented the maximum no. of species in these municipalities. The mostly used part for the treatment was leaf (25% in Bareng and 19% in Jaimini). Medicinal plants were majorily used to cure illnesses related to digestive system mostly in the form of paste. Low-value plant diversity was rich in both municipalities. Locals were also concerned about its conservational practices. The current study's findings will serve as the foundation for future research into medicinal plants in the study region. In conclusion, plant species must be conserved, and future generations must be educated to learn information that would otherwise extinct.
This study employs the coupled coordination gravity model to explore the spatial relationship between high-quality development and ecological environmental protection in the Yellow River Basin, using ecosystem service value (ESV) as a key perspective. The research begins by introducing the ecological and developmental context of the Yellow River Basin alongside relevant theoretical foundations. Subsequently, data from nine provinces in the Yellow River Basin from 2011 to 2022 are analyzed. ESV are calculated using established methodologies, and an index system for high-quality development is constructed and evaluated. The coupled coordination gravity model is then applied to analyze the data. The results indicate that the value of ecosystem services in the basin has fluctuated upward over the study period. Spatial development in high-quality development indices is evident across provinces, with Shaanxi and Ningxia achieving the highest levels of coupling and coordination, while Inner Mongolia exhibits relatively lower levels. Based on these findings, policy recommendations include continuing ecological restoration projects, enhancing policy support for central and western regions, fostering synergies between ecological and economic development, and promoting deeper regional cooperation.
Based on a comprehensive review of the research progress in ecological protection and restoration both domestically and internationally, this paper summarizes the objectives and key focuses of the planning indicators and policy monitoring for ecological protection and restoration on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The core objective is to establish an indicator system based on ecosystem quality and ecosystem services, monitor and assess the ecological, economic, and social benefits of implementing ecological protection and restoration policies, and then evaluate the harmonious development of “ecology-production-livelihood” nexus within the social-ecological system. Through a systematic literature review and frequency analysis, this study screens comprehensive benefit assessment indicators for ecological restoration and constructs a monitoring and evaluation system that includes four target layers: ecosystem pattern, ecosystem quality, ecosystem services, and social economic benefits. Subsequently, the paper elaborates on the implementation plan encompassing data acquisition, indicator calculation, and weight determination. In the concluding section, it delves into strategies for conducting adaptive monitoring of the social-ecological system in the context of ecological restoration and presents recommendations for the establishment and enhancement of a long-term monitoring mechanism for ecological protection and restoration monitoring mechanism.
Unreasonable land use practices have led to the imbalance of ecosystem functions and a continuous decline in the supply capacity of ecological products. Ecological restoration zoning serves as an effective spatial solution. Traditional approaches to delineating ecological restoration zones often rely on a single perspective, such as ecological security or risk assessment, while neglecting the interrelationships between ecological security elements and risk-inducing activities, as well as the adaptive capacity of ecosystems themselves. This study focused on the Guangzhou Metropolitan Area, and integrated multidimensional ecosystem services (water, soil, air, biodiversity, carbon) with circuit theory to construct an ecological security pattern featuring optimal corridor widths. Meanwhile, ecological resilience and the intensity of human disturbances were quantified and overlaid to jointly determine the priority order of ecological restoration zones. The results revealed three key aspects of this system. (1) A total of 55 ecological source patches were identified under this framework, covering a total area of 9062.0 km2. This study detected 130 ecological corridors with a total length of 653.6 km, and they were classified into 18 high-resistance, 70 medium-resistance, and 42 low-resistance corridors, primarily distributed in the central region. In addition, eight ecological pinch points were identified as critical nodes for restoration. (2) Ecological resilience in the Guangzhou Metropolitan Area shows a spatial pattern of “high in the east and west, low in the south”, although it generally remains at a moderately low level. In contrast, the impact of human disturbances displays a pattern of “high in the central and southern regions, low in the northeast and west”, with a moderately high intensity overall. (3) The Guangzhou Metropolitan Area was zoned into five categories: priority restoration areas, key restoration areas, general restoration areas, secondary restoration areas, and routine restoration areas. The total area of the priority restoration zones is 1051.80 km2, and these zones are mainly distributed across districts and counties such as Duanzhou, Gaoyao, Gaoming, Dinghu, Fogang, Conghua, and Zengcheng. By establishing a technical framework of “ecological security pattern-ecological risk assessment-ecological restoration zoning”, this study rationally prioritized restoration efforts, thereby providing actionable insights for advancing ecological civilization and guiding ecological conservation management in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Accurately assessing the value of ecosystem services and establishing an ecological security pattern to identify the future trends and characteristics of changes in the ecological security pattern and maintain regional ecological security is of great significance for promoting regional sustainability. Based on the calculation of the ecosystem service value in Hubei Province, the study identified the ecological source areas in combination with the types of landscape patterns. It selected the resistance factors that fit the characteristics of the study area in combination with previous studies to establish the ecological resistance surface. The MCR model was used to extract the potential ecological corridors in the study area and identify the ecological nodes. Construct the ecological security pattern of Hubei Province from 1992 to 2022 and analyze its spatio-temporal dynamic change characteristics. The research results show that: (1) The value of ecosystem services in Hubei Province has generally shown a fluctuating upward trend from 1992 to 2022. Among the types of ecosystem services, the value of regulatory services accounts for the largest proportion. Among different land use types, the value of ecosystem services provided by forest land types is the highest. (2) A total of 10 ecological sources were extracted in the study. It is mainly distributed in Shennongjia Forestry District, Shiyan City and Enshi City, with a small portion found in the northeastern and southeastern parts of Hubei Province. (3) The 35 potential ecological corridors identified are mainly closed circular structures, presenting a distribution feature of "more in the east and less in the west". (4) Build an ecological security pattern with Jingmen City as the center, connecting Shiyan City, Shennongjia Forestry District, Xianyang City, Huanggang City and Suizhou City. The research put forward optimization suggestions in response to the specific problems existing in the ecological security pattern and the actual ecological conditions of Hubei Province. The research results can provide ideas and methods for the optimization of the ecological security pattern and the high-quality development of the ecosystem in Hubei Province, and at the same time offer reference value for the protection and optimization of ecosystems at other provincial levels.
Escalating anthropogenic pressures are profoundly transforming natural landscapes, resulting in significant declines in vegetation cover and rising habitat fragmentation. These disruptions, driven by increasing human activities such as mining, agriculture, industrialization, and urbanization, confine numerous species to fragmented and degraded environments. This study quantitatively assesses spatio-temporal changes in forest cover and fragmentation in the Sundargarh and Keonjhar districts of Odisha, India, from 2000 to 2024, employing landscape metrics based on Landsat TM and OLI satellite imagery. Our findings reveal a notable decline in forest coverage, which decreased from 30.69% in 2000 to 24.55% in 2024, while non-forest areas expanded from 69.31% to 75.45%. Fragmentation analysis indicates a significant deterioration in forest health, characterized by increasing edge effects and shrinking core habitats—both of which serve as indicators of substantial disturbances within forest ecosystems. Notably, while the number of forest patches increased by 18.6% (rising from 2736 to 3239), the total forest area continues to diminish. The Largest Patch Index (LPI) experienced a substantial reduction of 41.2%, declining from 7.37 to 4.33. Nearly 107654 ha of the core area were lost over 24 years, and the Core Area Percentage of Landscape (CPLAND) decreased from 25.1% to 19.1%. This trend suggests that larger, contiguous forest landscapes are fragmenting into smaller, isolated patches, which impedes wildlife movement and ecological processes. The analysis particularly highlights the Joda and Koida blocks, which are heavily impacted by mining activities and exhibit the most significant alterations in land use and land cover. Additionally, a trend analysis map generated using the Mann-Kendall test visually corroborates these findings, illustrating that the lowest values are concentrated in the most fragmented areas. It underscores the urgent need for stricter regulations governing anthropogenic activities. The implementation of effective forest conservation strategies aimed at preserving the ecological integrity of the region's forests is recommended to enhance the resilience and sustainability of these vital ecosystems.
Human society is facing many severe natural disasters due to rapid global warming. Recently, extreme weather and frequent droughts have significantly and negatively impacted urban rivers, and those impacts are difficult to effectively mitigate in the short run. Relying solely on the efforts of governments and environmental organizations is insufficient; therefore, the previously neglected bottom-up environmental behavioural approach is receiving increasing attention from scholars and policymakers. This study adds the three commonly used extension factors of environmental concern, environmental responsibility, and policy influence, and two new factors of disaster perception and influence, thereby extending the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to further explain the paths of influence on the environmental intentions and behaviours of residents. The newly constructed extended theoretical model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling on 709 participants from Wuhan. The results show that environmental awareness and policies significantly influence people's subjective norms, attitude toward behaviours, and perceived behavioural control, which indirectly affect their environmental protection intentions and behaviours. In addition, disaster perceptions and impact significantly influence people's environmental intentions and behaviours. These findings have several implications for the development and implementation of Yangtze River protection policies and programs by the Wuhan government and can serve as a foundation for similar environmental protection studies in the future.
Preserving the soil quality of the siltated back area in the lower reaches of the Yellow River Basin is the key to the sustainable ecological development of the Yellow River Basin. Soil quality has gradually become an important part of the ecological landscape construction, so the evaluation of soil quality in the lower reaches of the Yellow River is helpful for the rational utilization of soil resources, and can effectively guide the actual development and construction of the silt back area. After collecting the siltated soil under three different utilization modes in the Gaoqing County section of the lower reaches of the Yellow River Basin, 16 soil physical and chemical properties were used as evaluation indexes. The principal component analysis method was used to combine the correlations between the indexes, and the suitable soil indexes were selected to establish a minimum data set for comprehensively evaluating the soil quality of the silt back soil. The results show three key aspects of this system. (1) The minimum dataset for the quality evaluation of siltated soil in the siltation area of the lower reaches of the Yellow River comprised six indexes: capillary water holding capacity, available phosphorus, water content, water-stable macroaggregate content, available potassium and alkaline hydrolyzable nitrogen. The soil quality index SQI-MDS was 0.421, the overall soil quality level was low, and the soil nutrient content was generally “nitrogen deficiency and potassium deficiency”. (2) The linear fitting R2=0.82737 between the full dataset and the minimum dataset indicated a positive correlation, so the minimum dataset can accurately evaluate the quality of the soil in the silt back area. (3) The soil quality index values of bare land, forest land and cultivated land were 0.321, 0.581 and 0.360, respectively, with the highest soil quality in forest land and the lowest soil quality in bare land. The findings of this paper can provide a theoretical basis and reference for the rational utilization and sustainable development of sedimentary soil in the lower reaches of the Yellow River.
Oxalic acid plays a crucial role in many soil processes, yet its spatial and temporal patterns in soil remain poorly understood. Most research on oxalic acid exuded from roots in the short-term rhizosphere involves exudate extraction or soil sampling followed by instrumental analysis, leaving significant uncertainties regarding how these exudates influence microbial activity in natural, intact soil systems. A novel approach—catalytic fluorescence imaging—was explored to detect in situ oxalic acid content in soil, combined with soil zymography to reveal the interplay between oxalic acid and acid phosphatase activity (ACPa). We observed a misalignment between zones of high oxalic acid content and hotspots of ACPa (i.e., areas of most intensive enzyme activity) in the rhizosphere. In different physiological zones around the root tip, the distribution of oxalic acid and its relationship with ACPa showed significant variation. In the root elongation zone, oxalic acid positively correlates with ACPa, suggesting that increased oxalic acid exudation stimulates microbial growth. Conversely, in the root cap and meristematic zone, oxalic acid decomposes up to 50 times faster than in bulk soil, accompanied by much higher ACPa. The protocols outlined in this study can be adapted for in situ studies of other organic acids (OAs) in soil. Our findings suggest that integrating non-destructive imaging techniques with multi-imaging approaches can significantly enhance our understanding of the interactions between biochemical processes in the rhizosphere.
Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) is a promising new proxy for global carbon cycle monitoring. Although many studies consider SIF to be linearly correlated with gross primary production (GPP), the relationship between SIF and GPP is jointly influenced by instantaneous radiation, canopy structure, and plant physiological factors, and their complex interactions lead to intricate SIF-GPP dynamics. Current research on SIF and GPP in subtropical evergreen mixed forests remains limited, primarily due to the lack of observational data from forest flux sites. Based on observations from the Dabie Mountain subtropical evergreen forest flux station from 2023 to 2024, we investigated the relative contributions of the radiative, structural, and physiological components of SIF to the SIF-GPP relationship at different temporal scales. The results revealed that: (1) At both seasonal and diurnal scales, SIF effectively tracks the changes in GPP; (2) The radiative component of SIF dominates the SIF-GPP linear relationship, with canopy structural variations driving its seasonal-scale dynamics while physiological response mechanisms reduce the correlation at hourly scales; and (3) During the growing season, as the time scale increased from half-hourly to daily, the SIF-GPP correlation strengthened (R2 rising from 0.36 to 0.44), while the radiative component contribution decreased slightly and the physiological component contribution weakened. Understanding the influences of these different factors on the SIF-GPP relationship can contribute to the development of more accurate models for GPP estimation using SIF.
Global climate extremes are increasingly acting as a key constraint on wheat development and yield. Dwarf breeding is an important strategy for coping with climate change that has been applied to breeding new wheat varieties with strong adaptability to adversity and high productivity. This study investigated the spatial variability of plant height and its correlations with climatic factors in wheat varieties selected from different regions of China, with a view to providing a scientific basis for breeding wheat with adversity adaptation. Using high-density planting and low-nutrient stress test methods, this study measured the plant heights of 229 wheat varieties from 31 cities in 13 provinces across China, and analyzed the correlations between the average annual air temperature, average annual precipitation, average monthly wind speed, average monthly sunshine hours and average annual air ventilation coefficient and the plant heights of wheat in combination with the meteorological data from the sources of the varieties. The average plant height of wheat in China was 54.88 cm, with Kunming having the highest average plant height of 69.67 cm, and Zhoukou in Henan having the lowest average plant height of 44.44 cm. A clustering analysis of plant heights allowed us to classify the wheat varieties into five different clusters, with the most representative regional clusters including the high-culm cluster represented by Kunming (Yunnan) and Nanyang (Henan), the medium-culm cluster represented by Xingtai (Hebei), and the short-culm cluster represented by Zhumadian (Henan). The climatic indicators could explain 56.25% of the wheat plant height difference characteristics of these three major groups in two ways. (1) The greater the wind speed or the better the air circulation in a region, the lower the plant height of the selected wheat varieties; and sunshine conditions in the region of selected wheat varieties were associated with a relatively high plant height. (2) The extreme deviation and coefficient of variation in the plant heights of wheat varieties selected from high temperature and high humidity areas were larger, while the coefficient of variation for plant heights of wheat varieties selected from better sunshine areas was smaller. This study clarifies the appropriate plant height types in different climatic regions, which provides a theoretical basis for the development of regionalized dwarfing breeding strategies and the selection and breeding of new wheat varieties with high lodging resistance and high yield that are adapted to specific climatic conditions. These issues are of great significance for ensuring high and stable wheat yields and food security in the context of climate change.
Four-horned antelope is a cryptic species endemic to Nepal and India. But having low density and with little national and global emphasis, very less importance is given in the study of the species and so, the species has very little scientific information virtually. This study signifies outset study of habitat suitability of four-horned antelope in Banke National Park. Vegetation analysis, habitat modelling by MaxEnt and threats assessment by Friedman test were done. The result from vegetation analysis showed that Shorea robusta, Bauhinia vahlii, and Imperata cylindrica were the most dominant tree, shrub, and grass species in the park with the highest IVI of 96.70, 84.06 and 94.16, respectively. Habitat suitability analysis showed that of the total area of 893 km2 of the park, only 119.44 km2 was highly suitable, 160.57 km2 was moderately suitable, whereas the remaining 612.99 km2 was less suitable habitat for FHA. Threats assessment indicated a lack of water resources to be the major threat to the species, with χ2=69.312 and P<0.001. The wildlife in the park had very little access to water, so the park management should focus on the construction and management of conservation ponds in drier areas.
Agricultural new quality productive forces are the key foundation for realizing high-quality agricultural development. This study constructs the evaluation indicator system of agricultural new quality productive forces (ANQPFs) from three dimensions: agricultural laborers, agricultural labor objects, and agricultural labor resources. The equal weight method, entropy method, and CRITIC method are comprehensively applied to measure ANQPFs in China from 2011 to 2021. The Dagum's Gini coefficient, variance decomposition, kernel density estimation, Markov chain, and obstacle degree model are used to analyze regional differences, structural differences, dynamic evolution, and obstacle factors of ANQPFs. The findings show that: (1) There is an upward trend in ANQPFs in the national and the three major regions during the study period, while there are significant differences in ANQPFs by regions, which are characterized by a decreasing distribution from the east to the central, and then to the west. (2) The overall differences in ANQPFs have tended to widen, with inter-regional differences being the main source. (3) Agricultural labor object differences and agricultural labor resource differences are the main structural sources of ANQPFs development differences in China, with agricultural labor resource differences replacing agricultural labor object differences as the top source of ANQPFs differences after 2016. (4) The ANQPFs of the national and three regions show the distribution dynamics of “overall increase, absolute differences widen”, and there is the phenomenon of “club convergence” in ANQPFs. (5) The number of Taobao villages, rural entrepreneurial activities, the number of agricultural science and technology patents per capita, and expenditure on agricultural science and technology activities are the main factors obstructing the development of ANQPFs.
Minority characteristic villages are an important carrier of Chinese cultural heritage and key locations for the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy. This study takes 683 villages with national minority characteristics in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River Basin as the research object. It uses spatial analysis and geographic exploration technology to explore the spatial distribution characteristics of minority characteristic villages in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River Basin, the formation mechanism, and potential for rural revitalization. The results show that: (1) The spatial distribution of ethnic minority villages in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River Basin is not balanced, with an overall distribution pattern of “dense in the south and sparse in the north”. (2) The spatial distribution of ethnic villages is of the aggregation type, and the overall spatial distribution is characterized by “one nucleus with multiple points” and “cold in the north and hot in the east”. (3) The main factors affecting the spatial distribution of ethnic villages are the economy, population, ecology, transportation, and natural environment. (4) The spatial differentiation of ethnic villages in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River Basin is the result of a combination of factors. In the context of future rural revitalization, we should anchor the revitalization and protection of ethnic villages, focus on the construction of inter-regional cooperation mechanisms, refine the spatial layout and optimal integration, and sincerely devote ourselves to the excavation and inheritance of the unique culture of ethnic groups to comprehensively, profoundly, and systematically promote the efficient practice of the rural revitalization strategy.
This study explores the impact of bionic design features on the emotional resonance and ecological identity of residents in the optimization of rural human settlement environments, by employing quantitative analysis based on a fuzzy semantic computing model. An examination of three bionic design features—morphological differences, material integration, and functional interaction—showed that these features significantly influence the emotional resonance and ecological identity of residents. While fulfilling aesthetic and functional needs, morphological differences and material integration foster emotional connections between residents and their environment, thereby enhancing ecological identity. Functional interactivity plays a key role in promoting social interactions and improving the overall living experience. The effects of these design features on emotional resonance and ecological identity were quantified using fuzzy semantic computing, with the results further verifying their effectiveness. Fuzzy semantic computing offers a novel perspective and methodology for the quantitative evaluation of complex design features. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the design and optimization of rural human settlements in the future, and offers valuable insights for both academic research and practical applications in related fields.
The A-level tourist attractions are an important carrier for the development of the tourism industry. As the most fundamental tourism supply, studying their spatial distribution pattern and driving forces is of great significance for promoting the process of regional tourism industrialization. This study used the tourism resource abundance index, nearest neighbor distance index, and geographic detector model to study the spatial characteristics and driving forces of A-level tourist attractions in China. The results showed that the A-level tourist attractions in China exhibit significant spatial clustering, but there are significant regional differences. They are mainly distributed on the southeastern side of the Hu Huanyong Line. Overall, the average of tourism resource abundance index is 71.74. The proportion of cities above that average is relatively low, and they form local high-value clustering areas mainly in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration, Yangtze River Delta, and Chengdu-Chongqing regions. The spatial distribution patterns of various types of scenic spots also exhibit agglomeration characteristics, but their agglomeration scales and spatial patterns exhibit obvious regional differences. The spatial distribution pattern of A-level tourist attractions in China is a result of the combined effect of regional socio-economic factors and scenic environmental factors. Among them, the explanatory power of regional socio-economic factors is stronger than that of scenic environmental factors. Among the scenic environmental factors, resource endowment has the strongest explanatory power, and there are significant differences in the dominant factors influencing the distributions of different types of A-level tourist attractions.
Effectively enhancing the efficiency of the regional tourism economy is a key issue in advancing high-quality tourism development in Northeast China and implementing the Northeast China Revitalization Strategy. Based on a tourism efficiency indicator system, this study employed an SBM super-efficiency model to calculate the tourism efficiency in Northeast China from 2003 to 2022 and analyzed the characteristics of its spatiotemporal evolution. A Tobit model was subsequently used to investigate the influencing factors, which can inform targeted measures to promote the high-quality development of the tourism industry. The results reveal that the tourism efficiency is relatively low overall, and it has been shaped by many factors other than policies. (1) Tourism efficiency in Northeast China remains relatively low overall. Over time, it exhibited a spiralling upward trend that moved through three developmental stages: the stable stage, the stage of rapid growth, and the stage of fluctuations. Spatially, there are two high-efficiency clusters, the Changchun-Harbin urban agglomeration and the Southeast Liaoning urban agglomeration. However, the agglomeration effect waned accordingly as tourism efficiency gradually shifted from a polarized pattern toward a more balanced distribution. (2) While policy plays a role, tourism efficiency in Northeast China is also significantly shaped by factors such as resources, location, industry, science and technology, and education. Its correlation with the level of economic development has been comparatively minor, and there are marked differences in the factors influencing tourism efficiency across the region. According to the research conclusions, a joint development system for the regional tourism economy should be constructed at the macro level. At the micro level, efforts should focus on enhancing market competitiveness through “push-pull” strategies, while each province should pursue differentiated development models tailored to its unique characteristics.
Mountain tourism destinations provide individuals with the opportunity to articulate their feelings, enhance their inner selves, and foster personal growth. Exploring the factors and action paths of the health benefit perception of mountain tourists is crucial for advancing the sustainable development of mountain tourism destinations. This study conducted a questionnaire survey among tourists in the Yulong Snow Mountain Scenic Spot, and obtained 410 valid responses. Based on the person-environment fit theory and self-regulation theory, this study used structural equation modeling and the Bootstrapping technique to explore the impact mechanism of tourist-environment fit (T-E fit), flow experience, and place attachment on mountain tourists’ health benefit perception. There are three main conclusions of this study. (1) The impact of T-E fit on mountain tourists’ health benefit perception is completely mediated by flow experience and place attachment. (2) Place attachment exerts an independent mediating effect between T-E fit and mountain tourists’ health benefit perception. (3) T-E fit positively affects mountain tourists’ health benefit perception through the chain mediating effects of flow experience and place attachment. This research enhances the empirical findings about T-E fit, expands the research perspective of mountain tourists’ health benefit perception, and provides practical guidance for the management and development of mountain health tourism destinations. This study also broadens the multi-dimensional research perspective on mountain tourists’ health benefit perception, reveals the chain mediating role of flow experience and place attachment, and offers practical guidance for promoting the formulation of differentiated health tourism products in mountain tourist attractions, as well as case references for establishing health tourism sites in mountainous regions.
Sightseeing spots and accommodation facilities constitute the primary activity spaces for visitors in traditional rural areas, so assessing the spatial coupling of sightseeing, accommodation, and recreation in such destinations can provide a critical foundation for optimizing the allocation of recreational amenities. Taking Wuyuan County in Jiangxi, China as an example and based on the models of coupling coordination degree and Geographical Detector, the spatial coupling and its driving factors of these three tourism elements in traditional rural tourism destinations were studied at the spatial granularity of grid cells. The findings reveal that while sightseeing spots, accommodation facilities, and recreational amenities all tend to be clustered in human settlements, their high to extreme levels of coupling coordination are only observed in the central town and a few large traditional villages. The coupling coordination of sightseeing-accommodation-recreation is primarily driven by tourism popularity, urbanization level, road network density, and economic industrialization. These drivers influence their coupling coordination degree mainly through separate and interactive effects on the development levels of the tourism elements. In terms of their separate effects, tourism popularity exhibits stronger explanatory power for the development of sightseeing and accommodation compared to other drivers, while urbanization level and economic industrialization demonstrate significantly greater explanatory power for recreation development. Regarding interactive effects, most interactions between the major drivers exhibit a two-factor enhancement pattern. The current coupling status of sightseeing-accommodation-entertainment in traditional rural tourism destinations not only applies pressure for the conservation of large traditional villages but also hinders other traditional villages and natural attractions from meeting the recreational needs of tourists. Consequently, governments must implement differentiated management strategies for recreational amenities that are tailored to different types of scenic areas.
As rural B&Bs gain popularity amid growing demand for personalized tourism experiences, understanding the multifaceted drivers of customer decision-making is becoming critical. Existing research often examines individual factors, leaving a gap in comprehending complex causal pathways. This study used online travelogue data, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and necessary condition analysis (NCA) to examine the factors and combination pathways influencing customer behavioral intentions in rural B&Bs. The results indicate that customer behavioral intentions in rural B&Bs are influenced by multiple factors including the natural environment, material space, cultural space, quality of service, experience of home, entertainment education, culinary delights, surrounding environment, and value-added services. In addition, four main types of customer behavioral intentions in rural B&Bs were identified: Environmental immersion, Educative entertainment, Service experience, and Comprehensive perception. This study contributes to our understanding of customer behavioral intentions in rural tourism settings both practically, by offering actionable strategies for B&B operators, and theoretically, by enhancing the existing framework for studying them.
The unique architectural form and decorative craftsmanship of Liao Pagodas serve as tangible evidence of the diverse unity of Chinese civilization. Research on the existing Liao Pagodas has revealed a clear linear spatiotemporal differentiation. In the temporal dimension, the density and characteristics of their construction align with the rise and fall of the Liao Dynasty's national strength. In the spatial dimension, Liao Pagodas are centered around the five capitals of Liao and show a marked gradient of decline along major transportation routes and the Song-Liao border. This distribution is both constrained by natural geographical conditions and reflective of the Liao dynasty's political wisdom of “governing according to local customs” by implementing a dual-track system of governance that used national systems for the Khitan and Han systems for the Han people. However, in current cultural tourism development practices, Liao Pagodas are often developed in a “scenic spot” manner using a singular, isolated model, leading to their disconnection and fragmentation from the overall layout of Liao cities, regional religious networks, and even historical contexts. This weakens the comprehensive interpretation and depth of experience of their heritage value. To address these issues, this paper proposes a “linear corridor” cultural tourism development approach for Liao Pagoda cultural heritage based on a study of their spatiotemporal differentiation. This approach breaks the isolation of individual heritage sites and constructs a cross-regional cultural heritage corridor. It focuses on exploring operational implementation paths such as “series cultural creations”, “linked research studies”, and “technological narratives”. This perspective not only effectively avoids the risk of cultural context fragmentation caused by individual development but also provides a practical direction for the revitalization and utilization of Liao Pagoda heritage, which supports the coordinated development of the regional culture and economy.
