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.

In the mass tourism era, the rising demand for personalized and high-quality experiences necessitates a distinct urban tourism image. This study examined tourists’ perceptions of Harbin during non-ice and snow seasons using network text analysis within the “cognitive-emotional-overall” framework and a ROST content mining tool. Our analysis of travelogues revealed that Harbin is seen as an exotic, culturally rich destination, yet tourists have limited awareness of its natural resources. While overall emotional responses from tourists were positive, facilities and services received some criticism. The views of tourists were primarily focused on popular urban sites, highlighting the need for diversification. This study contributes to the theoretical discussion on the formation of the city’s tourism image and suggests strategies that will allow Harbin to transition from a season-specific tourism model to a year-round tourism model, thereby enhancing its four-season destination brand in terms of infrastructure, industry innovation and market management.

Bracket fungi (Polypores) are a morphologically distinct category of Agaricomycetes (Basidiomycota) that are important agents for decomposition and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. The species composition and ecology of these fungi in particular forest ecosystems are overlooked in Nepal. Thus, the current study is aimed at assessing the diversity and distribution of bracket fungi in oak-dominated forests in the middle mountains of central Nepal. Regular field visits over a six-year period (2017-2022) were done at nine study sites of oak-dominated forests in Karnabhumi Community Forest (KCF) and Gumalchoki Community Forest (GCF) from Makawanpur and Kathmandu districts respectively. A total of 26 species of bracket fungi belonging to 17 genera and 8 families were reported. The majority of the bracket fungi are known to be saprobic, while Coltricia cinnamomea is the only mushroom found to be mycorrhizal based on its ecology. Most of the bracket fungi were found to be inedible, while Ganoderma lucidum, Laetiporus sulphureus, and Pycnoporus cinnabarinus were found to be medicinal. The diversity indices, such as the Shannon Weiner index and the Simpson diversity index, were found to be 0.26 and 0.53 in GCF, respectively, and 0.17 and 0.35 in GCF. This suggest that Oak dominated forests harbor considerable diversity of bracket fungi such that conservation of these forests is necessary.

Land use structure is an important factor affecting carbon emissions. Taking the Urban Agglomeration in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River (MRYRUA) as an example, this study uses transfer matrix, the carbon emission coefficient method, spatial analyses and geo-detectors to analyze the carbon emission effects of land use changes, as well as their spatial evolutionary characteristics and driving factors, based on the data of 31 cities during 2010-2020. This analysis led to three outcomes. (1) The carbon sinks are insufficient to counterbalance the carbon sources, and net carbon emissions continued to grow from 144.88 million t in 2010 to 160.37 million t in 2020 due to the expansion of construction land. (2) The high-value areas of net carbon emissions shifted from dispersed to concentrated, while low-value areas shifted from concentrated to dispersed and decreased in number. The spatial agglomeration pattern is dominated by High-High agglomeration (H-H) and Low-Low agglomeration (L-L) areas. (3) The spatial differentiation of carbon emissions from land use (LUCEs) is primarily influenced by population density, carbon emission intensity, and technological innovation. Moreover, the interactive effects of land use, energy-efficient technologies, population status, industrial structure, and economic development significantly amplify their individual impacts.

Phoenix species, recognized for their profound ecological, economic, and cultural significance, have garnered substantial attention in research across Asia. However, limited studies exist on research trends, status, distribution, ethnobotany, and pharmacological activities of Phoenix species in the region. The objective of this study is to compile pertinent information on these aspects for Phoenix species in Asia. We employed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach to systematically examine the literature pertaining to Phoenix species in the Asian region. This comprehensive review analyzes research trends on Phoenix species in Asia from year 2000 to 2023. A total of 42 studies were identified, showcasing a growing interest, with a notable peak in publications in 2019. The temporal distribution suggests fluctuating attention over the years. Geographically, the concentration of studies is limited to 12 out of 48 Asian countries, emphasizing the need for more extensive exploration given the widespread availability of Phoenix species. The research primarily focuses on pharmacology, followed by ethnobotany, morphology, taxonomy, material science, environmental engineering, and ecology. Notably, studies disproportionately concentrate on Phoenix dactylifera, leaving other species underexplored. The analysis of research focus, species distribution, and geographical representation underscores the importance of diversifying research themes and exploring the ecological, economic, and cultural significance of lesser-studied Phoenix species across Asia. The findings highlight both the growing interest and existing gaps in our knowledge, urging for a more comprehensive exploration of the entire genus to unravel its full potential and significance across Asian landscapes.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Tourism-related plastic waste poses a significant threat to ecosystems worldwide, underscoring the need for effective tools for measuring its generation and informing decision-making and management. This paper introduces the concept of the tourist plastic footprint through a conceptual framework analysis and proposes a measurement methodology that uses a time-geography approach. Empirical data were collected from Fragrant Hills Park in Beijing and analyzed using statistical methods. The findings reveal that the plastic footprint of tourists at Fragrant Hills Park averages 10.04±0.32 items per capita per day. The waste consists of 27 distinct components, with the key contributors including plastic garbage bags (17.12%), plastic food packaging (12.48%), and tableware packaging (9.96%). Plastic garbage bags are predominantly discarded in hotel settings, while tableware packaging is primarily disposed of in restaurants outside the scenic area. Plastic food packaging is discarded in various locations, including the scenic area, transportation hubs, and hotels. This study enhances the tourism ecological footprint literature by providing deeper insights into the plastic consumption of tourists and offering a structured framework for quantifying plastic waste. For practical application, it offers valuable guidance for decision-makers in tourist destinations who aim to improve their plastic pollution control measures.

Local community participation in forest management is pivotal since they are familiar with the forest environment. In the successful management of community forestry (CF), both males and females along with the representation of poor and disadvantaged groups are of vital importance. This research compares the users’ perception in community forest management (CFM) activities, and socio-economic variables influencing participation in studied community forestry user groups (CFUGs). Primary data were collected through reconnaissance surveys, interviewing key informants, focus group discussions, and household surveys. Secondary data were collected from the division forest office, CFUGs’ operational plan (OP) and Constitution, internet, and authenticated websites. The chi-square (χ²) test was applied to test separately association variables like gender, caste, age class, education level, and wealth ranking with participation. Using ordered logit regression, the variables affecting participation in OP and constitution-making, Silvicultural activities, Forest products collection, and CF fund mobilization were quantified. Gender and Education were found to be the most promising factor influencing participation in Jagriti CFUG and Jhankrikhola CFUG respectively. In general, higher caste, older age, and rich people dominate the major decision-making activities. However, lower caste and poor people have been involved comparatively more in Forest product collection.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Wetlands are important for maintaining global ecosystem functions, mitigating global climate change, and regulating regional climate change. Ecological problems caused by global climate change have had serious impacts on plant distribution patterns in the wetlands of riparian zones, as well as on microbial community habitats in the soil. This study was based on a field sampling survey of the distribution characteristics of plant communities in the Ulson River, combined with remote sensing to obtain the spatial distribution pattern of vegetation in the riparian wetland. High-throughput sequencing technology combined with the characteristics of soil physicochemical factors were then used to explore the distribution characteristics of the community structures of soil bacteria and fungi under different vegetation types in the Ulson River Basin, in order to reveal the pattern of changes of soil microbial microorganisms under the different vegetation types in the wetlands of the riparian area and the factors driving those changes. The results showed an obvious banding phenomenon of wetland vegetation in the Ulson River Basin. Proteobacteria ranked first in relative abundance in all the sample plots and were the dominant bacteria in the study area. Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the dominant fungi in the study area. In swamp areas, degenerate swamp soils, soil moisture content, and soil bulk density affected the microbial richness directly or indirectly by controlling soil nutrients. Plant aboveground biomass was the most significant factor influencing microbial diversity in a typical wet meadow sample. In salinized meadows and swamped meadows, electrical conductivity affected microbial richness and soil bulk density was the main factor influencing microbial diversity. The findings of this study can provide a theoretical basis for the ecological restoration of degraded riparian wetlands and further clarification of soil ecosystem functions in riparian wetlands.

Existing studies of tourists’ behaviors of tourism destination focus on place attachment. Although tourists’ attachment is related to tourists’ emotional experiences at the attractions of a tourism destination (ATDs), the role that tourists’ attachment styles play in establishing their emotional experiences and behavioral intentions toward different ATD types have not been verified. This study used the Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village as a typical tourism destination to examine these effects. Based on research on attachment styles, emotional experiences, and behavioral intentions, a conceptual model of the relationships among tourists’ attachment styles, emotional experiences of, and behavioral intentions toward ATDs was constructed. The impact of tourists’ attachment styles between their emotional experiences of and behavioral intentions toward ATDs was then studied empirically. The impact pathways of tourist attachment styles on different ATD types were tested. The results indicate that tourists’ emotional experiences of ATDs had no significant or direct impacts on their behavioral intentions in terms of relationship closeness and diversive exploration. Both their emotional experiences of and their behavioral intentions toward ATDs were affected by the mediating effects of attachment anxiety and avoidance, which were full and partial, respectively. Further, the paths of the mediating effects of tourists’ attachment styles on the emotional experiences of and behavioral intentions toward different types of ATDs varied significantly. Tourists’ emotion-behavior paths when experiencing a TD were clarified, providing a theoretical basis to satisfy their real needs for experiencing ATDs.

Dietary modification has been suggested as a viable path to mitigate climate change. This study explored the evolution of dietary structures in China’s megacities and quantified food-related carbon emissions using the carbon footprint method. Then, we developed a multi-objective optimization model to identify low-carbon dietary options that align with cultural preferences, economic feasibility, and nutritional requirements. We found that from 1992 to 2021, the total food consumption of residents in Beijing and Shanghai experienced a period of fluctuating decline and slow rise, respectively, with their dietary structures both shifting toward animal-based diets. Additionally, the significant increase in meat consumption led to increasing food carbon emissions in Beijing and Shanghai, with per capita emissions rising by 37.2% and 25.2%, respectively. According to the multi-objective optimization model, shifting towards reduced consumption of animal products, particularly meat, would align with culturally acceptable, economically feasible, and low carbon emission goals in Beijing and Shanghai, potentially leading to reductions of 92.14 t and 212.65 t in total food carbon emissions compared with the actual in 2021, respectively. This study enhances understanding of the changing dietary patterns in urban areas and their associated carbon emissions, and emphasizes the significance of optimizing diets as a key priority for advancing global sustainable development.

Among cultural ecosystem services, aesthetic value is one of the most strongly related to humans. The scientific assessment of the aesthetic value of cultural ecosystem services plays a vital role in achieving the refined management of national park ecosystems. In the current study, Qianjiangyuan National Park in China was taken as an example, three typical types of aesthetic ecosystem services (AESs) were extracted, and an AES evaluation index system was constructed by combining the cultural attributes and landscape aesthetic value of national parks. Tourists’ value perception of AESs was analyzed based on 542 valid survey questionnaires, and the influences of various demographic characteristics were explored using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Based on this, the importance and overall level of various AESs in national parks were systematically evaluated using the entropy method and the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. The results reveal the following. (1) Tourists believe that national parks have natural, cultural, and social aesthetic service value. The value perception of physical and mental health services is the highest (2.44), while that of spiritual worship services is the lowest (1.86). (2) Different demographic characteristics have significant impacts on the value perception of aesthetic services. The greater the number of visits to the national park, the higher the tourists’ value perception of primitive wilderness, spiritual worship, folk culture, and human settlement services. Moreover, tourists visiting the national park for research purposes have the highest value perception of natural ASEs. (3) There are cognitive differences in the importance of various AESs: cultural aesthetic services (0.8473) > natural aesthetic services (0.7032) > social aesthetic services (0.5780). Moreover, tourists consider spiritual worship services to be the most important (0.3695). (4) The value perception evaluation of the AESs of the national park is generally high, with a comprehensive evaluation score of 4.11, among which the value of physical and mental health services is the highest (4.44) and that of folk culture aesthetic services is the lowest (3.79). The results of this study are helpful for further improving the management level of national park ecosystems.

Soil salinization is a type of soil degradation phenomenon caused by the gradual accumulation of salt in soil due to natural processes or improper irrigation practices. Understanding the spatial variations of salinization is the basis for salinized land management and resource utilization. Taking Yinbei Plain irrigation area of Ningxia as the research area, 154 sampling points were set up and soil samples were collected at depths from 0-100 cm in six layers to determine the pH value and total salt content of the soil. Then geostatistics and GIS were used to study the spatial variations of soil pH and total salt content in the irrigation area. The results show three important aspects of this system. (1) The soil in the study area is alkaline soil with pH values ranging from 8.18 to 10.22, and the pH increases with increasing soil depth. The pH values of soil at 0-10 cm are significantly higher than at depths of 10-20 cm and 20-80 cm (P<0.05). The variation coefficients of the soil pH value in each layer are less than 10%, which is characterized as weak variability. The total salt content of soil decreases with increasing soil depth, ranging from 0.24 to 14.95 g kg^-1. The total salt content of soil in the surface layer at 0-10 cm was significantly higher than in the lower soil layers (P<0.05). The coefficient of variation of total salt content showed moderate variability except at depths of 10-20 cm and 80-100 cm. Other layers have variabilities of more than 100%, indicating strong variability. (2) The semi-variance function fitting of pH and total salt showed that the soil pH value in each soil layer depth block base ratio ranged from 28.1% to 61.2%, which indicates a medium spatial correlation, and the spatial variability was mainly influenced by the joint action of human activities and natural factors. The total salt block base ratio of each soil layer ranged from 5.5% to 13.3%, which indicates strong spatial autocorrelation. The variation among soil samples is mainly caused by natural structural factors such as parent material, topography, soil and groundwater level. (3) Kriging interpolation was used to obtain the spatial distribution of soil pH values and total salt contents in the study area, and the results showed that the overall pH distribution was high on the eastern and western sides and low in the middle. The total salt distribution was patchy and uneven, and the saline soil was mainly distributed in the surface layer. As the depth increased, the total salt content declined, and the proportions of saline soil and severely salinized soil decreased. In the whole study area, mild salinized soil was the main category, the total salt content increased from south to north, and the profile characteristics of total salt content were mainly surface clustering. This study investigated the distribution and spatial heterogeneity of soil salinization in the Yinbei Irrigation Area, and provides theoretical guidance for the formulation of soil salinization control measures in this area.

Against the background of rapid climate warming, frequent and severe flooding disasters significantly impact socio-economic development and human life. In 2023, due to the northward movement of Typhoon Doksuri, extreme precipitation occurred in northern China, which resulted in a massive flood event in the Haihe River basin. Seven flood detention basins (FDBs) in North China were successfully implemented to effectively alleviate the downstream flood pressure. Leveraging all available Chinese satellite data, we monitored the flooding process daily, focusing on reviewing the flooding in the Dongdian FDB. The results indicate that since the activation of Dongdian FDB on August 1, the flood reached the urban area of Tianjin in just nine days and inundated the entire detention basin. Flooding persisted in the detention basin for about a week before gradually receding. The total maximum inundated area in the whole region was 307.5 km², including 240.5 km² of arable land, 7.0 km² of greenhouse land, and 9.7 km² of built-up land, with an average inundation duration of 19 days. The total cumulative inundated arable land area was 240.5 km², with an average inundation time of 21 days. This study shows that multi-source Chinese satellite data can provide comprehensive information and adequate references for post-disaster assessments.

Awe, as a positive emotional experience, is recognized for its role in facilitating tourists’ pro-environmental behavior (TPEB). However, despite its significance, awe has received minimal attention in tourism-related research. This research introduces an expanded model of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) that integrates awe into the rational-oriented TPB framework to examine its impact on TPEB. We collected data at the Mount Huangshan scenic spot in China and employed structural equation modeling for data analysis. Findings suggest that the extended TPB model, which incorporates the emotion of awe, outperforms the original TPB model in predicting TPEB. Awe experienced in nature-based destinations is mainly influenced by the perception of the natural environment (PNE) and significantly predicts TPEB. Study findings offer an integrated framework combining emotional and rational perspectives to understand the factors driving TPEB in nature-based tourism. Furthermore, the study aims to establish connections between the psychological experience of awe and the philosophical perspective of the sublime. Importantly, our findings provide compelling evidence supporting the role of nature-based tourism as an effective model to facilitate tourists’ environmental attitudes, emotions, and behaviors. Finally, the implications for practice are discussed.

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.

Realizing comprehensive green transformation is the necessary path for high-quality and sustainable development in Qinghai Province. We constructed an indicator system for evaluating the green development in Qinghai from five dimensions: resource utilization, environmental protection, ecological protection, growth quality, and green life based on the national green development indicator system; and comprehensively used the entropy method, comprehensive index method, coupled coordination model, and obstacle degree model to evaluate the green development level of Qinghai from 1998 to 2022. The results showed four important points. (1) The green development comprehensive index of Qinghai increased gradually in the past 25 years, but there is still much room for improvement. (2) The focus of green development changed in the three evaluation stages. The focus in 1998-2004 and 2005-2011 was on improving the ecological environment, and in 2012-2022 the focus was on economic and industrial development and the improvement of residents’ living standards. (3) Since 2001, the coupling degree of the five dimensions of green development has maintained a high-level coupling stage, and the coordinated development degree entered a good coordination stage in 2021. (4) The key obstacles hindering the improvement of green development level shifted from growth quality to resource utilization and ecological protection. Therefore, improving the resource utilization level is the primary task for Qinghai to achieve high-quality green development. The study provides methodological support for green development evaluation, and suggestions for directing the formulation of green development policies in Qinghai Province.

The Turpan region serves as a vital transportation hub along the Silk Road, facilitating economic and cultural exchanges between the East and West. Its distinct natural environment, rich historical culture, diverse customs, and delectable fruits have contributed to the development of abundant tourism resources. Statistics show that Turpan boasts 272 tourism resource units and 36 A-level scenic spots, offering significant potential and opportunities for the growth of its tourism industry. This study conducts a SWOT analysis of regional tourism in Turpan and provides an objective evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses. The appeal of visiting Turpan lies in its rich historical and cultural heritage, as well as its location in the Huozhou Turpan, known for the country’s highest temperatures and lowest altitude. Additionally, the myths and legends of Journey to the West add to its allure. The region is renowned for its diverse grape varieties and is referred to as the “vineyard of the world,” offering a distinctive tourism experience. However, there are also evident drawbacks to tourism in Turpan. The peak tourist season is limited to July-October, which restricts the development of year-round tourism. Additionally, the distance between scenic attractions is relatively long, and the supporting tourism infrastructure is limited, failing to meet the varied needs of tourists. Additionally, the competitiveness of the tourism industry has not been effectively enhanced by the low brand awareness and loyalty among consumers. In order to ensure sustainable tourism development in the Turpan area, various strategies and approaches must be employed to ensure the unique and diverse growth of regional tourism. This includes creating suitable marketing plans, building a fully functional three-dimensional service management scheme, and enhancing policy support and financial investments. The tourism industry in Turpan is poised to benefit from new opportunities, leading to sustained development and enhancement of its economic, cultural, and social values.

High-quality development is essential for China’s modernization. The in-depth implementation of the new development philosophy has become crucial for promoting China’s development in the context of “domestic and international” double-cycle development. This study constructs an evaluation index based on the new development philosophy, measures the level of China’s high-quality development majorly from 2005 to 2020, dynamically examines the spatial and temporal pattern of China’s high-quality development on a multi-level spatial scale, and explores its influence mechanism with the help of the obstacle degree model. The results show that: (1) China’s high-quality development level has increased as a whole, with the high-quality development index rising from 0.056 in 2005 to 0.092 in 2020, with an average annual growth rate of 3.36% and an overall development pattern of “high level in the east and fast growth rate in the west”. (2) Spatial correlation, China’s high-quality development shows a significant positive correlation, with cities with higher levels of high-quality development concentrated in the eastern coastal region, the Pearl River Delta region, and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and those with lower levels of high-quality development clustered in the western region. (3) In terms of dynamic evolution, China’s high-quality development level shows a small rightward shift, the polarization of high-quality development level is weakening, and the rightward trailing situation has been alleviated. (4) Obstacles to identifying the factors affecting China’s high-quality development include the amount of imports, exports, and the number of foreign direct investment contract projects. From the criterion level, openness and innovation are the biggest obstacles to high-quality development, and the obstacle degree of each criterion level shows significant spatial differentiation characteristics in the research period. The results can provide a scientific basis for China’s path to upgrading and building a modern socialist country.

Abuse of chemical fertilizer and pesticide will not only impair the quality of agricultural products, but also damage the agricultural ecological environment. From the perspective of cooperatives’ socialized services, this paper studies agricultural households’ chemical fertilizer and pesticide use behavior, attempting to provide references for the government’s formulation of relevant policies and cooperatives’ adjustment of their operation strategies. The survey data of 518 agricultural households in Zigui County and Badong County, Hubei Province, China are used to examine the influence of cooperatives and their socialized services on agricultural households’ chemical fertilizer and pesticide use intensity via propensity score matching. Research reveals that: (1) Joining cooperatives has a significantly negative influence on agricultural households’ chemical fertilizer and pesticide use intensity, and the average treatment effect is -341.505 yuan mu^-1. (2) Agricultural materials supply services and technical support services can significantly bring down agricultural households’ chemical fertilizer and pesticide use intensity, and the average treatment effect is -225.966 yuan mu^-1 and -163.580 yuan mu^-1, respectively. While the influence of agricultural products sale services on chemical fertilizer and pesticide use intensity is not significant. (3) Grouped investigation is carried out by age, education years and planting scale, and the influence of socialized services on agricultural householders’ chemical fertilizer and pesticide use intensity is obviously varied among different groups. The influence of agricultural materials supply services on agricultural households who are elder, with smaller education years and small planting scale is significant; the influence of technical support services on agricultural households who are younger, with higher education years and small planting scale is significant; the influence of agricultural products sale services on agricultural households who are elder is significant. It is necessary to improve the percentage of agricultural households joining cooperatives, increase the supply level of cooperatives’ socialized services, and make socialized services of cooperatives more targeted. All this can contribute to further reduction of agricultural households’ chemical fertilizer and pesticide use intensity.

The permafrost region is one of the most sensitive areas to climate change. With global warming, the Mongolian Plateau permafrost is rapidly degrading, and its vegetation ecosystem is seriously threatened. To address this challenge, it is essential to understand the impact of climate change on vegetation at different permafrost degradation stages on the Mongolian Plateau. Based on the general permafrost distribution, in this study，we divided different permafrost regions and explored the response of vegetation to climate change at different stages of permafrost degradation by the idea of “space instead of time” from 2014 to 2023. The results of the study showed that: (1) Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values showed a decreasing trend, and the proportion of the decreasing region was in the order of sporadic permafrost region > isolated and sparse permafrost region > continuous and discontinuous permafrost regions. (2) The main controlling factors of vegetation growth in permafrost regions are different, air temperature is the main controlling factor of vegetation growth in isolated and sparse permafrost region (r=-0.736) and sporadic permafrost regions (r=-0.522), and precipitation is the main controlling factor of vegetation growth in continuous and discontinuous permafrost region (r=-0.498). (3) The response of NDVI to climate change varies at different stages of permafrost degradation. In the early stages of permafrost degradation, increased land surface temperature (LST) and air temperature favored vegetation growth and increased vegetation cover, whereas increased precipitation impeded vegetation growth; as the permafrost degraded, increased LST and air temperature impeded vegetation growth, whereas increased precipitation promoted vegetation growth.

The construction of an agricultural powerhouse in China is confronted with the practical dilemma of relying mainly on small-scale farming and weak agricultural competitiveness, so an exploration of feasible paths for building an agricultural powerhouse is urgently needed. This study constructed indicator systems that reflect the level of agricultural development from three dimensions: resource endowment, output status, and urban-rural relations. On this basis, the gap between China and the world’s representative agricultural powers was analyzed, and the evolutionary characteristics of agricultural policies in the European Union, Japan, and the United States were explored, leading to relevant policy implications. This analysis found that the superficial problems of China's agricultural development lie in the relative scarcity of good resource conditions and insufficient modernization, while the underlying crux lies in the lack of obvious industrial competitive advantages, which is especially reflected in the lack of coordinated development between industry, agriculture, and urban-rural areas. The European Union, Japan, and the United States all focus on improving the international competitiveness of agriculture based on their comparative advantages, attach importance to the comprehensive development of rural areas, and have effectively constructed coordinated industry-agriculture and urban-rural relations, all of which have promoted the comprehensive development of agriculture. China’s construction of an agricultural powerhouse should be based on its national conditions and the general laws governing the building a world-class agricultural powerhouse. The strategy should include focusing on building a diversified food supply system to ensure food security; focusing on the modernization of agricultural science and technology, which will promote the process of agricultural modernization; promoting the development of the entire agricultural industry chain, which will enhance the competitiveness and risk resistance of the agricultural industry; accelerating public policy reform and continuing to promote urban-rural integration.