The high-quality development of culture and tourism is an important path for promoting the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, urban-rural integration and development, and realizing common prosperity. This special issue focuses on the major issue of “rural revitalization and high-quality development of culture and tourism”, and contains 22 academic papers with in-depth discussions on five themes: “Rural revitalization and rural tourism high-quality development”, “rural tourism destination and homestay development”, “tourism environmental behavior and farmers’ participation in tourism”, “tourism resilience and tourism risk”, “cultural tourism and tourism high-quality development”. This collection of articles has three characteristics: Rich research areas and diverse research objects; diverse research methods that are inventive, logical, and scientific; and diverse theoretical viewpoints that span several disciplines. Considering the shortcomings of the current research, it puts forward future research directions such as strengthening localized theoretical research, expanding research areas and perspectives, and further deepening and enriching the research contents. In addition to supporting China’s efforts to promote high-quality culture and tourism, as well as comprehensive rural revitalization, this special issue can offer theoretical directions and actual experience in these areas.

Digital cultural tourism is an important part of the digital economy and digital China. The development of rural digital cultural tourism is an important engine for implementing the strategy of rural revitalization and leading the high-quality development of China’s rural tourism in the new era, which helps to promote the coupling and coordinated development of the high-quality development of rural tourism and common prosperity. This study examines the opportunities and challenges in using digital cultural tourism to promote rural revitalization, discusses the mechanism and model for enabling the common prosperity of the rural digital cultural tourism industry to achieve digital cultural tourism in the promotion of rural revitalization, and finally proposes a development path. The findings indicate that: (1) Digital cultural tourism has emerged as a significant force behind the growth of the rural tourism sector, and is a key route for achieving the objective of rural revitalization. (2) Digital cultural tourism and rural revitalization have mutually beneficial relationships; digital cultural tourism enables rural revitalization, and rural revitalization unlocks digital cultural tourism’s development potential, resulting in a positive interaction mechanism. (3) Four models of digital cultural tourism promoting rural revitalization are proposed, considering the rural classification scheme and related research. They are the digital cultural tourism for urban-rural integration and revitalization model, the digital cultural tourism for characteristic village revitalization model, the digital cultural tourism for agriculture, culture and tourism integration and revitalization model, and the digital cultural tourism for arts revitalization model. (4) To thoroughly promote the development of the rural digital cultural tourist sector, it should adhere to the product as the core, digital technology as the foundation, talent revitalization as the leader, and policy as the guarantee. The findings of this study enrich the research findings in digital cultural tourism and rural revitalization, which can serve as theoretical references and a practical foundation for the development of digital cultural tourism to empower rural revitalization.

The article uses a case study approach to investigate the mechanisms of ecological product value realization, and influencing factors. Specifically, we use a case analysis framework based on the “economy-society- natural ecology” perspective to analyze and compare the three batches of “Typical Cases of Ecological Product Value Realization” released by the Ministry of Natural Resources. We find: First, different modes of ecological product value realization exist. Different resource endowments, and institutional and environmental factors affect the selection of the value realization modes. Second, certain obstacles also exist for realizing ecological product value, which are mainly reflected in the fact that the articulation of the individual, society, and government is not yet sufficiently close. Third, to promote the development of regional eco-products’ mode and value conversion, the implementing party needs to guide the synergy between individual concepts, social participation, and governmental top-level design; rationally arrange the allocation of resource elements; mitigate elemental constraints; and propose effective technical means and optimization strategies according to the actual situation.

The tourism industry, as a happiness-oriented industry, has great significance for enhancing the happiness of tourists. In the era of Happiness 2.0, tourists have shifted their focus from shallow needs for pleasure to deep needs for self-realization. Therefore, studying the relationship between tourism and happiness is indispensable. Based on the constructive-developmental theory, the mechanism of the impact of tourist involvement on the tourists’ authentic happiness was analyzed using the PERMA scale. The results show that: (1) Tourist involvement has a significant positive impact on tourist satisfaction and authentic happiness; (2) Tourist satisfaction has a significant positive impact on the tourists’ authentic happiness; (3) Tourist satisfaction plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between tourist involvement and authentic happiness. The research conclusions clarify the impact mechanism between tourist involvement, tourist satisfaction, and authentic happiness, which enriches our understanding of the impact of tourist activities on individual post-travel happiness. Furthermore, this study provides theoretical reference and practical suggestions for the self-development of tourists, as well as for guiding relevant enterprises and government departments to better enhance the tourists’ authentic happiness.

This study constructed the RMPP (Resource-Market-Product-Policy) theory from the perspective of rural revitalization, combined with the concept of intangible cultural heritage (ICH)+tourism to assist rural revitalization. Firstly, the study summarized the current situation of integrated development of ICH resources and tourism in 10 suburban districts of Beijing from four dimensions: Resources, market, product, and policy. Secondly, the study used the Delphi method and Analytic Hierarchy Process to construct an RMPP evaluation index system, determine the weights of the indicators, and score them. Through evaluation and analysis, the development differences of the 10 suburban districts in the four dimensions of RMPP were identified, and the difficulties in integrating development of ICH and tourism were sorted out, such as weak awareness of ICH inheritance, insufficient integration of ICH tourism resources, low level of the development of ICH tourism products, and unclear rights and responsibilities for ICH protection. Finally, the study explored the path of promoting rural revitalization through the integration of ICH and tourism from the four dimensions of RMPP, including scientific integration of ICH resources, innovative market models, product gradient development, and policy targeted implementation.

Rural tourism plays a crucial role in promoting rural revitalization and offers excellent opportunities for high-quality development. This study presents a coupling coordination model with Hunan Province as a case study. The model utilizes IAHP (Improved Analytic Hierarchy Process) and trophy-weighted TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Solution) to evaluate the dynamic evolution process of the coupling coordination between rural tourism and rural revitalization from 2010 to 2019. Additionally, it explores the dominant factors and driving mechanisms that impact the coupling of this system. The results demonstrate that the rural tourism and rural revitalization indices in Hunan Province increased significantly from 2010 to 2019, whereas the relative priority of tourism gradually declined. The degree of coupling between rural tourism and rural revitalization increased from 0.3 to 0.96 and progressed through three stages: low-level coupling, adjustment, and high-level coupling. The degree of coupling coordination has increased from 0.22 to 0.89. This increase can be divided into four stages: moderately imbalanced with a dual-low index, a transitional stage with a lower index, initial coordination with a moderate index, and relatively good coordination prioritizing revitalization. The relationship between rural tourism and rural revitalization is affected by factors, such as local general public budget revenue, rural tourism satisfaction, road network density, agricultural production conditions, the processing rate of agricultural products, and the Engel coefficient of rural residents. Effective approaches to improve coupling coordination include strengthening financial support, optimizing service facilities, and promoting industrial integration.

Poplar has gained popularity among farmers of Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, and the foothills of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh due to their fast growth rate and suitability for industrial uses such as pulp and timber production. Integrating poplar trees into agroforestry systems optimizes land resources and economic gains, as successful techniques have been developed to coordinate crop timing and arrangements effectively. Integrating poplar trees with agricultural crops provides additional income streams for farmers and contributes to soil conservation, biodiversity enhancement, and other environmental benefits. Farmers in these regions typically employ effective spacing of 5 m×4 m for block plantation and 1 m×3 m for row plantation. In the present study, a systematic literature review encompassing 137 English-language journal articles was conducted to assess the economic benefits of Poplar using discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis, considering short-rotation poplar (SRC) and very short-rotation poplar (vSRC) plantations alongside annual crops. The findings revealed that increasing canopy density led to a decline in crop yields by 37%, 70%, and 99% at canopy densities of 30%, 60%, and 90%, respectively, from early spring to harvest. Cost-benefit analysis in Saharanpur district, India, indicated average annual net returns of USD 346.36 for Poplar-based agrisilviculture, while monoculture yielded USD 140.73 per annum. Furthermore, economic analysis in Yamunanagar and Haridwar districts showed benefit-cost ratios ranging from 2.35 to 3.7. Additionally, Poplar block and boundary plantations were found to sequester significantly more carbon in long-lived biomass, serving as substitutes for fossil fuels (5.45 and 1.84 t ha^-1 yr^-1) in poplar-based systems with block and boundary plantations. The study suggested expanding spacing between tree rows may mitigate resource competition between plantations and crops. The study inferred that Poplar-based agroforestry may play a crucial role in climate mitigation programs by effectively sequestering atmospheric carbon and offering fuel, fodder, timber, and wood products, thereby alleviating pressure on existing natural forests.

The Mongolian Plateau, a vital ecological barrier in northern China, is of great importance for studying vegetation dynamics in Mongolia against the background of climate warming. Such studies can enhance our understanding of regional vegetation responses to global warming and contribute to the establishment of a stronger ecological barrier in northern China. Here, we analyzed the spatial and temporal characteristics of the NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) in Mongolia using 8 km resolution GIMMS NDVI3g data from 1990 to 2022, along with temperature, precipitation, and elevation data. Trend analysis and correlation methods were used to examine the relationships between the NDVI and temperature, as well as precipitation. The results showed four important aspects of these relationships. (1) The NDVI in Mongolia increased significantly from 1990 to 2022 at a rate of 0.0015 yr^-1 (P<0.05). (2) Mongolia’s NDVI increased from 1990 to 2022 in 60.73% of the country. Of this total, the area with a significant increase accounted for 31.67% and was concentrated on the eastern and western edges. The area experiencing a significant decrease accounted for 15.67% and was mainly located on the southwestern edges. (3) The NDVI analysis revealed significant increasing trends in all regions except for those at elevations of 1500-2000 m. The greatest rate of increase was observed between 500 and 1000 m, and the increasing trend weakened as elevation continued to increase before gradually becoming significant again. Additionally, the NDVI increased significantly across different slopes, and the rate of increase decreased as the slope increased. (4) From 1990 to 2022, Mongolia’s NDVI was mostly negatively correlated with temperature. This occurred over 66.75% of the total land area, with 17.21% of the region exhibiting a significant negative correlation, mainly in the southwest. Conversely, the NDVI demonstrated a positive correlation with precipitation, encompassing 86.71% of the total land area. Approximately 40.44% of the region had a significant positive correlation, primarily in the southwest. In conclusion, throughout the experimental period, the vegetation state in Mongolia improved. However, due to the warming and drying climate, more attention should be paid to vegetation degradation in the south-central region.

Sports tourism plays a significant role in the revitalization of rural areas in China. This study analyzed survey responses from 406 rural residents and conducted surveys with 15 village leaders in the Dabie mountain region. The results showed that 85.71% of the rural residents believe that their family’s average income increased by about 19865.93 yuan because of the presence of sports tourism in the area. They also showed that the sports tourists engaged in 17 kinds of consumption activities within the local villages. Additionally, it seems that 86.39% of rural residents see potential benefits from sports tourism, and 85.71% of the residents’ household incomes were increased due to sports tourism. In that regard, the average household annual income increased by 4677.58 yuan, and the average annual income of the residents in the whole area increased by 449000 yuan. Despite the positive impact of sports tourism in generating income for rural residents and contributing to rural revitalization, the tourism industry faces challenges. These include a lack of sufficient market appeal, leading to a new “Matthew effect,” disparities in income distribution that conflict with the goals of rural revitalization, and a deviation from the intended developmental direction. Considering these findings, it is recommended to establish a sports tourism structure that aligns with local characteristics, incorporate sports tourism projects into the Chinese government's public service initiatives, safeguard rural incomes amidst sports tourism development, and strengthen the connection between sports tourism and rural revitalization.

Agricultural eco-efficiency is a vital indicator for assessing the sustainability of agriculture. Conducting evaluations of agricultural eco-efficiency can provide critical information for policymaking, resource allocation, and the advancement of agricultural sustainable development. While there exists a substantial body of research on the evaluation of agricultural eco-efficiency, its influencing factors, and improvement paths, there remains a paucity of systematic reviews, evaluations, and prospective analyses in this area. This study employed the literature search method to analyze relevant scholarly articles. Chinese literature was sourced from the CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure) database, while international literature was obtained from the Web of Science database. The literature search was conducted from 1998 to 2023. The study reviewed the progress of research on agricultural eco-efficiency and outlined the challenges and prospects that lie ahead. The findings of this study indicate that the primary challenges in the field of agricultural eco-efficiency research include refining the evaluation system, integrating macro and micro influencing factors, and ensuring the suitability of models employed. In the future, the research could expand in areas such as deepening the application of artificial intelligence technology in evaluation methods, clarifying the driving factors of agricultural eco-efficiency, and promoting the green transformation of agriculture. This study provides a comprehensive systematic review and could provide critical information for related research expansion.

Cultural heritage tourism is gaining more and more attention for the characteristics of cultural heritage. However, developing cultural heritage tourism needs local people’s support. This paper introduces the Stimulus-Organism-Response theory and proposes a research model about the relationships between subjective norms, personal norms, local people’s perceptions (i.e., economic, sociocultural, environmental perceptions), and their support intentions toward cultural heritage tourism. The results show that the subjective norms significantly affect local people’s perceptions and the individual’s support intention toward cultural heritage tourism. In addition, local people’s perceptions and personal norms positively influence their support intentions toward cultural heritage tourism. The results help us understand the influence factors of local people’s support intentions toward cultural heritage tourism and the influence mechanism. Thus this paper has provided some valuable theoretical and practical implications.

Although the relationship between the size of urban industrial land use and pollutant emissions has been widely discussed from different perspectives (e.g., the scale and crowding effects), the results of various studies have revealed positive, negative, and combined impact relationships. However, how the expansion of urban industrial land use affects SO₂ emissions remains unknown. We need to clarify this relationship in order to facilitate the realization of China’s pollution reduction and emission reduction goals. This study used the panel data from 294 cities spanning from 2011 to 2019 to construct a spatial econometric model. The objective was to explore the correlation between the scale of urban industrial land and sulfur dioxide emissions in China. The results show that a large scale of urban industrial land use corresponds to lower sulfur dioxide emissions per unit of industrial added value. By gaining a deeper understanding of the relationship between the scale of urban industrial land use and sulfur dioxide emissions, policymakers can further reduce pollutant emissions by rationalizing the planning of urban industrial land use and industrial layout. In addition to promoting industrial agglomeration and economies of scale in cities with extensive industrial land use, this strategy can support the development of efficient and environmentally friendly industries in areas with limited industrial land use. Optimizing the technology and encouraging the development of green industries can help reduce environmental pollution and promote sustainable urban development.

Landscape genes and destination image are important concepts in the traditional village tourist destination research. Clarifying their relationship is of great significance for understanding tourists’ behavioral characteristics at traditional village sites and promoting the sustainable development of traditional village tourism. This study analyzes the relationship between landscape genes and tourists’ image construction in Zhangguying Village. It uses a structural equation model to identify and extract traditional village landscape genes used in tourists’ image construction, based on the “cognitive-affective-overall” framework. The results show that: (1) Traditional village landscape genes play important but varying roles in tourists’ image construction. The “丰”-shaped zigzag structure architectural gene plays the most important role in tourists’ cognitive image construction followed by the filial piety and family style cultural gene and the “回”-shaped courtyard layout gene. The “dragon”-shaped mountain layout environmental gene has the least important role. (2) The mediation effect analysis reveals that tourists’ cognitive images mediate the relationship between landscape genes and overall image construction, while cognitive and affective images mediate the relationship between landscape genes and overall images. (3) The multicluster analysis reveals that the results significantly differ according to tourists’ gender, age, number of trips, and place of permanent residence. The findings enrich the traditional village landscape image research and promote the sustainable development of traditional village tourism through the practices of cultural landscape protection and inheritance.

Promoting the high-quality development of the tourism economy has become an important challenge. Based on panel data on 31 provinces in China during 2009-2019, this study uses spatial econometric and threshold regression models to analyze the spatial spillover effects and threshold characteristics of tourism industry agglomeration on the high-quality development of the tourism economy. The results show that the overall level of high-quality development of China’s tourism economy shows an upward trend, with differences between different regions. The agglomeration of tourism industry has a significant positive impact on the high-quality development of the tourism economy and shows strong spatial spillover effects. Further, the level of agglomeration has a double-threshold effect on the high-quality development of the tourism economy. Based on these results, we propose countermeasures to promote the coordinated and linked development of the tourism industry in different regions, providing important insights for further enhancing the high-quality development of the tourism economy in China.

As an important hub on the East Asian-Australian Flyway (EAAF), Hongze Lake is an important migratory stopover and wintering site for hundreds of thousands of birds. However, research on bird community diversity in this area is still lacking. We conducted a bird survey from July 2020 to June 2021 using the line transect method on the terrestrial habitat, as well as the fixed-point method in the lake wetland at the Sihong Hongze Lake Wetland National Nature Reserve located in northwestern Hongze Lake, and analyzed the temporal-spatial variation in the bird community. The results showed that a total of 170432 detections of 215 bird species belonging to 18 orders and 55 families were recorded. In terms of species composition, the proportion of terrestrial birds was relatively high, followed by waterfowl richness, with high numbers of Anatidae species and shorebirds. For bird species abundance, waterfowl had the highest abundance of common coot (Fulica atra), belonging to the Rallidae family, followed by Anatidae and Ardeidae species. The abundance of shorebirds was extremely low, and that of non-waterfowl was also low. In terms of temporal patterns, the number of bird species and richness index were higher in spring and autumn but lower in winter and summer. The bird abundance was the highest in winter, and the remaining three seasons were similar in terms of bird abundance. The diversity index and evenness index were higher in spring, summer and autumn, and lowest in winter. For the spatial pattern, the open water in the western part of the reserve included the most densely distributed areas for birds, and the number of bird species and their abundance were both the highest in that part. There were significant differences in the bird community structures among the four habitats. The species number and richness index of birds in the reed habitat were the highest, and the bird abundance was also high, but the diversity index and evenness index were low. Although the bird abundance in the lake habitat was much higher than in the other habitats, the diversity index, evenness index and richness index were the lowest. The numbers of bird species and individuals in tourist attraction land and farmland were low, but the diversity index, evenness index and richness index were high. Our results reveal the spatial and temporal patterns of bird species diversity and abundance in Sihong Hongze Lake Wetland National Nature Reserve, and reflect the effects of different habitat types on bird diversity.

Natural grasslands are increasingly subjected to the dual stresses of grazing pressures and climate change. However, the contribution of human activities, especially grassland ecology conservation projects, to grassland improvement remains ambiguous. Utilizing MODIS satellite data in conjunction with the VPM model, the gross primary productivity (GPP) changes in the Xilingol grassland from 2000 to 2020 were assessed. Based on GPP data derived from remote sensing, this study quantitatively assessed the spatiotemporal dynamics of the impacts of climate change and human activities on the productivity of grassland in the Xilingol League. From 2000 to 2020, the grasslands exhibited a greening trend characterized by a significant annual GPP increment of 2.66 gC m^-2 yr^-1 (P<0.05). Climate change and human activities jointly contributed to this greening trend, with relative contribution rates of 55% and 45%, respectively. However, the relative contributions of climate change and human activities to the trend of GPP varied greatly in different regions. Climate change emerged as the principal driver in the central and eastern regions of Xilingol League with robust grass growth, accounting for more than 65% of the GPP enhancement. Conversely, human activities were the dominant factors in less verdant western regions and the agro-pastoral ecotone, representing more than 60% of the GPP change. Grassland productivity was sensitive to grassland ecological restoration measures, with significant changes in the trends of grassland productivity attributed to human activities in pivotal policy implementation years such as 2005 and 2011. Specifically, measures such as the control of wind/sand sources and returning grazing land to grassland from 2000 to 2005 gradually alleviated the pressure of human activities on grassland productivity, as they significantly improved vegetation growth in high-quality grasslands. Under the forage-livestock balance policy from 2005 to 2011, inadequate compensation for grassland ecological protection led to a significant reduction in GPP, as some herders increased their livestock holdings despite grazing restrictions, and this particularly affected the high-quality grasslands. The implementation of the Grassland Ecological Protection Subsidy and Reward Program from 2011 to 2020 generally promoted the recovery of productivity in eastern and western Xilingol League grasslands, but significant ecological pressure persisted. This study provides theoretical support for optimizing grassland ecosystem management and forming a virtuous cycle of grassland conservation in pastoral areas.

While rural tourism contributes to both economic and social benefits, its impact on the environment is a crucial issue requiring attention. This study aimed to explore the factors influencing tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior in rural tourism contexts. To this end, environmentally responsible behavior is categorized into self-restraint and protective-promotion dimensions, taking the Longji Terrace Scenic Area in Guangxi as a case study. From the perspective of tourists, a structural equation model is constructed with tourists’ perception of rural tourism quality as an antecedent variable and place attachment as a mediating variable. The results can be summarized as follows: (1) Both tourists’ perception of rural tourism quality and place attachment positively influence tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior, with a more significant impact on their self-restraint behavior. (2) Tourists’ perception of rural tourism quality has a significant positive influence on place attachment. (3) Place attachment and place identity play a mediating role in the relationship between tourists’ perception of rural tourism quality and tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior. In enhancing tourism quality, rural destinations should focus on visitors’ perceptual experiences, reinforce their place attachment, and stimulate environmental responsibility to alleviate ecological burdens.

Deeply integrated vulnerability and its evaluation framework provide a new perspective for the study of socio-ecological systems in metropolitan suburbs. A new vulnerability evaluation system of ‘exposure-sensitivity- adaptability’ based on the socio-ecological system and vulnerability theory was constructed. Meanwhile, drawing on the concept of ‘spatial trap’, the concept of ‘spatial vulnerability trap’ was tried to put forward. The spatial-temporal interaction characteristics were analyzed, the existence of spatial vulnerability trap was tested and the interaction mechanism of vulnerability dynamic evolution was revealed using spatial-temporal exploration analysis method and geographic detector for socio-ecological system vulnerability of 184 administrative villages in Qingpu District from the year 1998 to 2018. The results showed that: (1) During the study period, the socio-ecological systems vulnerability of Qingpu District increased from 0.518 to 0.621, and the vulnerability level increased from low grade to medium grade. The spatial-temporal pattern showed the dynamic characteristics of first increase and then decrease and high in the East and low in the west. (2) The relative length of the socio-ecological systems vulnerability temporal path movement in Qingpu District from 1998 to 2018 showed a trend of gradual decline from the central region to the surrounding area. The mobility curvature of the vulnerability time path was relatively small, showing the spatial pattern of low in the north and high in south, and the cohesion index of the spatial transition of vulnerability is 0.496. The spatial agglomeration structure had relatively high transfer activity and low path locking. (3) No ‘spatial vulnerability absolute trap’ was detected during the study period, yet the ‘spatial vulnerability relative trap’ highlighted in the 11 administrative villages mainly distributed around the administrative boundary in the north and south of the area. (4) Social capital factor, human capital factor, social factor, economic factor, ecological factor and financial capital factor are the main factors influencing the vulnerability change, but the influence of each factor showed fluctuation and type difference. The main interaction types of socio-ecological system vulnerability differentiation in urban suburbs are the cumulative type of internal and external coupling, the type of endogenous capacity constraint and the external environmental stress type. The results of the study are of great theoretical and practical significance to guide the suburban areas to prevent the vulnerability risk, promote regional coordination to reduce vulnerability and sustainable development.

With the promotion of the rural revitalization strategy, cultural and creative industries of tourism have gradually become an important driving force for rural revitalization. Since the economic level of minority areas is low and the concept of industrial development lags behind, developing the cultural and creative industries of tourism has a positive role in cultural revitalization and economic structure transformation. In recent years, Ebian Yi Autonomous County (Ebian County) has relied on rich intangible cultural heritage resources and achieved fruitful results in the development of cultural and creative products of rural tourism, adding vitality to its rural tourism and rural revitalization. Starting from the economy and the development of cultural and creative industries empowered by intangible cultural heritage (ICH), this study analyzed the impact of related cultural and creative products of Ebian County on its economic development in the five-year period from 2018 to 2022 by means of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Three main conclusions could be drawn. (1) The impact of intangible cultural heritage cultural and creative industries of Ebian County on the economy has been positive and expanding gradually with time. (2) The number of inheritors and workshops, and the business income of workshops are the three major factors affecting the development of cultural and creative industries. (3) Ebian already has a good foundation of cultural and creative industries of intangible cultural heritage, so the investment of funds and training of talents have played a major role in promoting the development of cultural and creative industries of intangible cultural heritage.

Rural tourism plays a crucial role in promoting the process of urban-rural integration and regionally coordinated development. Drawing on theories of tourism system drive and system science, this study constructed a rural tourism system dynamics model with four subsystems: demand, supply, media, and support. Subsequently, we predicted the optimal mechanism for rural tourism development using scenario simulation methods. The findings were four-fold. (1) The rural tourism development dynamics system constructed in this study overcame the limitations of previous subsystem divisions. (2) Under the development scenarios of Natural development mechanism (NDM), Demand driven mechanism (DDM), Supply driven mechanism (SDMe), Media driven mechanism (MDM), Support driven mechanism (SDMu), and Synergistic driven mechanism (SDMy), the rural tourism development index values in 2035 were 0.678, 0.702, 0.755, 0.715, 0.776, and 0.836, respectively. Among these scenarios, SDMy emerged as the ideal mechanism for rural tourism development in Yangshuo County. (3) Based on the characteristics of the rural tourism development index, rural tourism in Yangshuo County has undergone three stages: fluctuating growth, rapid development, and recession. (4) Yangshuo County’s rural tourism supply index grows slowly and is always below 0.8, which is a key link for future structural optimization. This study proposes a direction for rural tourism development in Yangshuo and a later impetus, which can accelerate the process of urban-rural integration in Yangshuo and similar areas.

Tourism scenic spots serve as direct attractions for tourists and crucial drivers for the transformation and upgrading of the tourism industry, so they play an irreplaceable role in the development of the tourism sector. The quantity and grades of A-grade scenic spots are the mainstay of competition in various tourism markets, and their spatial layout is very important for the development of regional tourism. Using 11970 A-grade scenic spots in China as the research sample, and methods such as the Nearest Neighbor Index Method, Kernel Density Estimation Method, and Grid Dimension Method, the spatial distribution, typological structure, and influencing factors of A-grade tourist attractions were analyzed to identify the main natural, economic, and social factors influencing the spatiotemporal pattern of A-grade scenic spots. The results indicated that China’s A-grade scenic spots exhibit clustering characteristics in their spatial distribution. The kernel density center shows a spatial pattern of “multiple cores, with secondary cores surrounding, and a gradual decrease”. The spatial structure is fractal and complex, with significant regional differences and a notable scale-free range. The types of tourist destinations and products exhibit distinct regional features, with a higher concentration of scenic spots in the regions in South China and East China, which are characterized by favorable natural and economic conditions and convenient transportation. A-grade scenic spots are densely distributed around the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the eastern regions such as Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu provinces. Analyzing the spatial distribution characteristics of A-grade scenic spots in China contributes to our understanding of the complexity of scenic spot layout and spatial connections, which provides a basis for optimizing the layout of tourism development within regions, the rational allocation of resources, enhancing the quality and efficiency of the tourism industry, and promoting sustained and healthy regional economic development. It is conducive to the strategic work of tourism development and rural revitalization in China, and serves as a reference for decision-making.

The Tibetan Plateau is vital for animal husbandry in China, and relies heavily on its natural grasslands. However, grassland degradation, increasing livestock numbers, and uneven grazing practices are exacerbating the grass-livestock imbalance. Cultivated grasslands are a key strategy to address this issue. In this review, we evaluate the current status, challenges, and suggestions for developing and managing Tibetan Plateau cultivated grasslands. While discernible advancements have been made in the cultivated grasslands in this region, persistent challenges exist. These challenges stem from issues like low awareness and enthusiasm among farmers and herders, uneven cultivated grassland distribution, and limited scientific and technological contributions. Based on these challenges, we propose strengthening the promotion of artificial forage, implementing a rationalized grassland layout, and improving the scientific and technological contributions to forage species selection, sowing, management, and storage. In summary, cultivated grasslands in the Tibetan Plateau offer promising prospects but still face significant challenges. Overcoming these obstacles will require innovative approaches to unlock the full potential of cultivated grasslands in this unique ecological niche.

Farmers’ self-organized participation in collective actions is critical to optimize governance efficiency and ensure positive outcomes of rural tourism. To identify the underlying mechanisms, the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) intellectual decision extension model is selected. A mixed method approach is adopted with a questionnaire survey of 239 households and 20 semi-structured interviews in the suburban of Changsha City, Hunan Province of China. Household livelihood capital, characteristics of household head, tourism market environment, institutional rules as entry and exit rules, cognitive reform and level of land consolidation are found with significant effects. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed and future research directions are put forward.

Metropolitan areas are an inevitable outcome of urbanization development. The countryside is the key problem restricting the quality of urbanization development in such areas. Rural tourism-driven revitalization is of considerable importance for the integrated development of urban and rural areas in metropolitan areas. Based on comprehensive development level and coupling coordination degree models, we used the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method to calculate the coupling and coordinated development level of rural tourism and revitalization in the metropolitan area of Xi’an in 2021. Furthermore, we explored the dynamic mechanism of coordinated development in combination with typical cases. The results indicate the following: (1) In 2021, the overall level of rural tourism development was good, and the spatial difference exhibited a decreasing phenomenon from the core circle to the outer circle. (2) The coupling and coordination degree of rural tourism and revitalization is generally in a balanced state, which indicates that the core circle is superior to the peripheral circle in space. (3) The combined effect of “supply-demand-guarantee” is an important driving mechanism for the coordinated development of rural tourism and revitalization in the metropolitan area, in which “supply” is the basic factor for the coordinated development, “demand” is the core factor for the improvement of its coupling coordination level, and “guarantee” is the supporting factor for its sustainable development. This study enriches the theory of rural revitalization in metropolitan areas to a certain extent and provides new insights for improving the quality of urban and rural integrated development in metropolitan areas.

The Mongolian Plateau (MP), situated in the transitional zone between the Siberian taiga and the arid grasslands of Central Asia, plays a significant role as an Ecological Barrier (EB) with crucial implications for ecological and resource security in Northeast Asia. EB is a vast concept and a complex issue related to many aspects such as water, land, air, vegetation, animals, and people, et al. It is very difficult to understand the whole of EB without a comprehensive perspective, that traditional diverse studies cannot cover. Big data and artificial intelligence (AI) have enabled a shift in the research paradigm. Faced with these requirements, this study identified issues in the construction of EB on MP from a big data perspective. This includes the issues, progress, and future recommendations for EB construction-related studies using big data and AI. Current issues cover the status of theoretical studies, technical bottlenecks, and insufficient synergistic analyses related to EB construction. Research progress introduces advances in scientific research driven by big data in three key areas of MP: natural resources, the ecological environment, and sustainable development. For the future development of EB construction on MP, it is recommended to utilize big data and intelligent computing technologies, integrate extensive regional data resources, develop precise algorithms and automated tools, and construct a big data collaborative innovation platform. This study aims to call for more attention to big data and AI applications in EB studies, thereby supporting the achievement of sustainable development goals in the MP and enhancing the research paradigm transforming in the fields of resources and the environment.

Promoting rural tourism development is an important way to achieve rural revitalisation and common prosperity. Tourists are facilitators and participants of rural tourism, whose participation in value co-creation is of great significance. However, previous research on tourists' value co-creation behaviors mostly explored the linear relationship between variables, with the complex mechanisms being insufficiently examined. Based on complexity theory, this study created a theoretical framework, where destination support (information support, emotional support), personal psychological driving forces (self-efficacy, outcome expectation) and destination emotion (place identity, destination trust) are treated as condition variables and the value co-creation behaviors of rural tourists as outcome variable, and empirical tests were carried out using a survey questionnaire with fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) analysis being employed. It finds that none of the six conditional variables can constitute a sufficiently necessary condition for tourists’ value co-creation behavior; Six conditional variables together generate 64 path combinations, resulting in five paths that drive tourist participation in value co-creation behavior through three modes. These modes include perceived outcome value-driven, people-place emotional connection and people-place-environment integration driven. Among them, emotional support plays a significant role in influencing tourist value co-creation behavior. The study expands the research on value co-creation behavior, revealing the complex mechanisms of tourists value co-creation behaviors and provides a theoretical basis for promoting tourists’ engagement in value co-creation behavior that enhance the tourist experience and promote rural tourism high-quality development.

Based on the panel data of Guangxi from 2005 to 2017, the spatiotemporal characteristics and determinants of urban carbon emissions in Guangxi were analyzed using the extended STIRPAT model and the Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression (GTWR) model. The main findings of our research can be summarized as follows. While the total carbon emissions of cities in Guangxi consistently increased from 2005 to 2014, the growth trend slowed after 2014, leading to a stabilization in the total emissions. In addition, there are significant differences in the total carbon emissions among the cities. The central and northeastern regions have higher emissions, while the southwestern region has lower emissions. Finally, there are variations in the degrees and directions of the impacts that factors have on carbon emissions among the different time periods and cities. Urban land use is a key factor driving carbon emissions, and it has a negative impact on most cities in Guangxi. Meanwhile, factors such as industrial structure, population urbanization, population concentration, and economic growth have significant positive effects on carbon emissions in Guangxi. The influence of urban roads on carbon emissions is generally positive, while the degree of openness to the outside world and environmental regulations has relatively weaker impacts on emissions. In summary, in order to promote the low-carbon transition of Guangxi and achieve high-quality development, the cities in Guangxi should implement differentiated urban carbon reduction strategies that are focused on optimizing urban land use and industrial structure.

Natural and anthropogenic disturbances accelerate land degradation (LD) in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas, leading to reduced land quality and productivity, loss of biodiversity, degradation of ecosystem services, and a decline in the quality of life of local people. To address this issue, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has set a target for LD neutrality (LDN). However, quantifying and comparing the status of LD at global or regional scales remains challenging due to the lack of coherent quantitative methods and tools. In this study, we focused on Mongolia, a region with significant LD problems, to examine patterns of LD and changes from 2015 to 2020, accounting for regional differences. Trends.Earth was used, as recommended by the UNCCD. The main findings are as follows: (1) Overall, the degraded land area in Mongolia accounted for 12.11% of the total land area, predominantly located in the southwest desert and desert steppe, gradually spreading to the northeast steppe. (2) The areas showing improvement in the land productivity index and degradation were 17.62% and 11.79%, respectively, with the most severely degraded areas concentrated in the southern desert and desert steppe regions. (3) The areas of improvement and degradation in the land cover index were 1.80% and 0.16%, respectively, with degraded areas scattered across regions of steppe, high mountains, and mountain taiga. (4) The areas of improvement and degradation in the land organic carbon index were 1.54% and 0.22%, respectively, with degradation primarily observed in adjacent areas of mountain taiga, steppe, and desert steppe. (5) The improved area (2.999×10⁵ km²) of LDN are more than the degraded area (1.895×10⁵ km²), indicating a positive trend toward LDN in Mongolia.

Cropland abandonment is common and widely distributed in hilly and mountainous areas. Clarifying the current situation and development of cropland abandonment can provide reference for the rational and classified management of cropland abandonment in hilly and mountainous areas. Taking Jiangxi Province as the study area, and using the Google Earth Engine and Landsat data, the scale and years of abandoned cropland from 2002 to 2020 were calculated by using the random forest classifier and rules for identifying cropland abandonment. The spatio-temporal pattern of cropland abandonment at the county level was analyzed. The results indicated that the overall accuracy of land use classification was over 90%. The cropland abandonment rate ranged from 3% to 5.5% from 2002 to 2020, while the cropland abandonment rate was highest in 2013 and showed a downward trend after 2017. Among the years, the area of first-time abandoned cropland was the largest in 2005. The distribution of the cropland abandonment rate was low in the middle and north, but high in the surrounding area and the south. A notable positive spatial correlation was observed in the cropland abandonment rate, with a gradual intensification of spatial clustering. The LISA cluster map revealed a significant north-south disparity, exhibiting an incremental trend over time in the characteristics of the “High-High” cluster in the Southeastern Mountainous Area and the “Low-Low” cluster in the Poyang Lake Hilly Plain in Jiangxi. The results of this study can provide data for extracting spatial information and analyzing the driving factors of cropland abandonment in hilly and mountainous areas, and they can also provide a basis for the development of policies for the utilization and classification management of abandoned cropland.

The present world pattern has undergone major changes, the trend of world multi-polarization is constantly emerging, and peace and development remain the main themes of today’s society. The formal signing and implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is important for meeting the needs of peace and development of many countries and regions. China is in a new era of reform and opening-up, and the RCEP content is in line with China’s concept of pursuing a path of rejuvenation. Based on the locations of important borders, Yunnan Province has become one of the key places for China’s opening-up and development regarding Southeast Asia and South Asia, and the high-quality development of its tourism service trade is of great significance. This study first used the grounded theory analysis method to organize, analyze and process the records of international conferences and government press conferences held in Yunnan Province, as well as important related issues since the signing of RCEP. Then, the social network analysis method was used to analyze the social recognition degree of RCEP in promoting the high-quality development of the tourism service trade in Yunnan Province from the perspectives of different levels and group consensus. The results show that cooperation is the key macro driving force for RCEP in promoting the high-quality development of the tourism service trade in Yunnan Province. Regarding the opportunities and environment of the transportation dividend, policy dividend and investment dividend, port construction, border township construction and exhibition-related construction are important cooperation contents, so they are conducive to the recovery of the tourism industry in a broader development space. Competition can improve the driving force of RCEP in promoting the high-quality development of the tourism service trade in Yunnan Province at the micro level, and has more practical significance. For example, RCEP can better rely on its own geographical advantages and international market competitiveness, optimize the use of resources inside and outside ports, and use high-tech products to form a more green, ecological, organic and sustainable development. In different levels of social identity, RCEP’s power of cooperation is more strongly recognized, while the power of competition is less recognized. However, from the perspective of grouping the various groups, RCEP’s powers of cooperation and competition are jointly recognized by the other groups, indicating that cooperation and competition are necessary for the realization of RCEP’s power. The results of this study provide a certain reference for understanding the dynamics of RCEP in more detail from more angles and for the local implementation of RCEP rules and measures.