Low efficiency of earth kilns used in the carbonising process of wood to make charcoal has been reported as one of the sources of increasing charcoal wastes in the global south. However, the potential link and approaches of converting charcoal wastes-to-valuable energy and for the environmental health is not well known in Africa. Promoting local community capacity engagement in the production and reutilisation of recycled charcoal wastes at the households’ level is one of important measures to maintain environmental services for sustainability since households make decisions on the type of energy used. This paper, presents an approach of converting charcoal wastes to fuel energy for rural households and environmental health in Kilosa District, Tanzania. To achieve the objective of this research, the primary data were collected through interviews held with 298 randomly selected households, Focus Group Discussions and observations. IBM SPSS statistics version 20 Cross tab tools were used in the data analysis. Results revealed that the conversion of charcoal wastes-to-fuel energy approach used in this research demonstrates the ability of recyclable briquettes made from the locally available charcoal pollutants collected at different stages from earth kilns, to selling centers, improves tree harvest behaviour, adds another fuel energy source through reutilisation, and ultimate reduces pollution at the local level. Thus, the study provides a basis for policymakers to adopt charcoal wastes recycling strategies to address matters related to energy and ultimately enhances environmental health for sustainable development in Tanzania and beyond.

Urban trees are valuable resources for urban areas as they have the capacity to reduce ambient temperatures, mitigate urban heat island effects and reduce runoff of rainwater playing an important role in mitigating the impacts of climate change by reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). It also helps to reduce aerial suspended particulate matter, add visual appeal to the urban landscape sequestrating a significant amount of carbon from ambient atmospheric CO2. Carbon storage by urban trees in the ring road area of the Kathmandu Valley was quantified to assess the magnitude and role of urban forests in relation to mitigate the impact of global climate change. A total of 40 sample plots were placed randomly for the detailed carbon assessment. Aboveground and belowground carbon pools were considered in the detailed assessment. Furthermore, quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) were maintained through regular monitoring and capacity building of the field crews while collecting the bio-physical data. The assessment recorded a total of 33 different species of plants in the avenue’s plantation sites in ring road. The mean seedling, sapling, and tree density was found to be 2149585 and 185 per hectare. The mean carbon stock per hectare in the avenue plantation of the ring road area was 24.03 tC ha1 and the existing total carbon stock was 7785.72 tC in 2021. Likewise, the total baseline carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) in the avenue plantation was found to be 28573.60 tCO2e. The carbon dioxide emission from the transport sector in the ring road area in a full movement scenario was 312888.00 tCO2e per annum, while the net emissions was 42547 tCO2e. There was a deficit of carbon dioxide in terms of stock by avenue plantations of 14000.8 tCO2e.This study indicates that the existing urban forest plantation is unable to sequestrate or offset the carbon dioxide that is emitted through the transportation sector. Consequently, open spaces like riverbanks and any other public lands, in which urban forests could be developed has to be planned for the green infrastructure and plantation of the multipurpose trees. The distinct values of forests in and around urban areas have to be recognized in the specific policies and plans for the sustainable management of urban and peri-urban forests to meet the adverse impact of global climate change. In addition, this study provides insights for decision-makers to better understand the role of urban forests and make sustainable management plans for urban forests in the cities like in Kathmandu Valley.

Delimiting ecological space scientifically and making reasonable predictions of the spatial-temporal trend of changes in the dominant ecosystem service functions (ESFs) are the basis of constructing an ecological protection pattern of territorial space, which has important theoretical significance and application value. At present, most research on the identification, functional partitioning and pattern reconstruction of ecological space refers to the current ESFs and their structural information, which ignores the spatial-temporal dynamic nature of the comprehensive and dominant ESFs, and does not seriously consider the change simulation in the dominant ESFs of the future ecological space. This affects the rationality of constructing an ecological space protection pattern to some extent. In this study, we propose an ecological space delimitation method based on the dynamic change characteristics of the ESFs, realize the identification of the ecological space range in Qionglai city and solve the problem of ignoring the spatial-temporal changes of ESFs in current research. On this basis, we also apply the Markov-CA model to integrate the spatial-temporal change characteristics of the dominant ESFs, successfully realize the simulation of the spatial-temporal changes in the dominant ESFs in Qionglai city’s ecological space in 2025, find a suitable method for simulating ecological spatial-temporal changes and also provide a basis for constructing a reasonable ecological space protection pattern. This study finds that the comprehensive quantity of ESF and its annual rate of change in Qionglai city show obvious dynamics, which confirms the necessity of considering the dynamic characteristics of ESFs when identifying ecological space. The areas of ecological space in Qionglai city represent 98307 ha by using the ecological space identification method proposed in this study, which is consistent with the ecological spatial distribution in the local ecological civilization construction plan. This confirms the reliability of the ecological space identification method based on the dynamic characteristics of the ESFs. The results also show that the dominant ESFs in Qionglai city represented strong non-stationary characteristics during 2003-2019, which showed that we should fully consider the influence of the dynamics in the dominant ESFs on the future ESF pattern during the process of constructing the ecological spatial protection pattern. The Markov-CA model realized the simulation of spatial-temporal changes in the dominant ESFs with a high precision Kappa coefficient of above 0.95, which illustrated the feasibility of using this model to simulate the future dominant ESF spatial pattern. The simulation results showed that the dominant ESFs in Qionglai will still undergo mutual conversions during 2019-2025 due to the effect of the their non-stationary nature. The ecological space will still maintain the three dominant ESFs of primary product production, climate regulation and hydrological regulation in 2025, but their areas will change to 32793 ha, 52490 ha and 13024 ha, respectively. This study can serve as a scientific reference for the delimitation of the ecological conservation redline, ecological function regionalization and the construction of an ecological spatial protection pattern.

Abstract: By studying the structural characteristics and carbon storage of the mangrove island ecosystem in the 
Beibu Gulf, this study provides a scientific basis for mangrove ecological compensation in the coastal areas of 
Guangxi, South China Sea. On the basis of the unmanned aerial vehicle remote sensing images and a sample plot 
survey, the object-oriented multi-scale segmentation algorithm is used to extract the mangrove community type information, and one-way analysis of variance is conducted to analyse the structural characteristics of the mangrove 
community. The carbon storage and carbon density of different mangrove ecosystems were obtained based on the 
allometric growth equation of mangrove plants. The analysis yielded four main results. (1) The island group covers 
about 27.10 ha, 41.32% (11.20 ha) of which represents mangrove areas. The mangrove forest is widely distributed 
in the tidal flats around the islands. (2) The main mangrove types were Aegiceras corniculatum, Kandelia obovata + 
Aegiceras corniculatum, Avicennia marina + Aegiceras corniculatum and Avicennia marina communities. (3) 
Amongst the mangrove plants, Avicennia marina had the highest biomass (18.52 kg plant–1), followed by Kandelia 
obovata (7.84 kg plant–1) and Aegiceras corniculatum (3.85 kg plant–1). (4) The mangrove carbon density difference 
was significant. Kandelia obovata had the highest carbon density (148.03 t ha–1), followed by Avicennia marina
(104.79 t ha–1) and Aegiceras corniculatum (99.24 t ha–1). The carbon storage of the mangrove island ecosystem 
was 1194.70 t, which was higher than in other areas with the same latitude. The carbon sequestration capacity of 
the mangrove was relatively strong.

Ecosystem assets, as an important part of the natural resource assets to support human socio-economic development, are the basis for the provision of ecosystem products and services to humans, and consequently for the generation of ecological benefits and gross ecosystem product, including natural ecosystems such as forests and grasslands, artificial ecosystems based on natural ecological processes such as farmland and urban green space, as well as wildlife resources. Ecosystem asset quality is the synthesis of structural and functional characteristics of ecosystems, reflecting the capacity to provide ecosystem services sustainably. Assessing the ecosystem asset quality is one of the most complex parts in ecosystem asset accounting. As a new perspective of ecosystem accounting, ecosystem asset quality emphasizes both natural and socio-economic attributes of ecosystems, which is highly significant in promoting ecosystem valorization, ecosystem asset management and the realization of the value of ecosystem products. In this review, we systematically summarize the concepts, assessment methods and indicators of ecosystem asset quality, and also provide an overview of global relevant cases. Issues, such as the improvement of the indicator system and the comprehensive assessment, and suggestions for the assessment of ecosystem asset quality are proposed to establish a framework for future research, and to promote global ecosystem assessment and accounting with its application in ecological and environmental protection policymaking.

Land system science is dedicated to addressing complex socio-economic and ecological challenges and developing sustainable land use solutions. Food inherently serves as a critical link between human societal systems and natural systems. Ensuring food security is not only a key component of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals but also a crucial task for China's agricultural production transformation and people's livelihoods improvement. This study systematically analyzes the research topics and key advancements in land system science related to food security goals. The findings reveal that, due to the land's position at the intersection of multiple interests associated with sustainable social development, the non-linear transformations and complex feedback mechanisms within land systems endow land system science with four prominent characteristics: interdisciplinarity, systematicity, sustainability, and complexity. In the realm of food security, land system science has achieved notable successes, encompassing five core research areas: land use strategies, land use transitions, land use telecoupling mechanisms, land use demand modelling, and the optimization of land management systems. These studies present the transformative trend towards emphasizing the significance of cross-spatiotemporal spillover effects, adopting systematic and holistic perspectives, and underscoring the sustainable development goals. Future research should be grounded in the logical foundation of food "flow spaces" and the food value chain, employing systems thinking to develop sustainable land use solutions and strengthen land system science in the areas of integrated research on multi-element coupling and interdisciplinary theoretical innovations, so as to contribute to the realization of food security goals.

The energy conservation and emission reduction fiscal policy is a major institutional innovation in China's green finance sector and is crucial for achieving the "dual carbon" goals. This paper takes the pilot comprehensive demonstration cities for this policy as the exogenous policy impact, and analyzes its effects on energy and industrial structure transformation using a difference-in-differences model and a dual machine learning model. The results indicate that establishing comprehensive demonstration cities significantly enhances the optimization of energy structure and the upgrading of industrial structure in the region. These conclusions remain robust after a series of tests, including parallel trend and heterogeneous treatment effects. Mechanism analysis shows that the policy pilot can improve energy and industrial structures by promoting energy- and environment-oriented technologies and capacity utilization. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the implementation effect of the pilot policy is more prominent in core large cities, non-industrial base cities, highly market-oriented cities, and cities with low financial pressure. Further research demonstrates that constructing demonstration cities offers obvious advantages in promoting the realization of six tasks initially set by the policy, including industrial decarbonization, clean transportation, green building, service intensification, reduction of major pollutants, and large-scale utilization of renewable energy. The findings of the study provide valuable insights for designing and implementing more comprehensive green fiscal policies in China in the future.

As urbanization dynamics transform and dominant social challenges change, population migration in China has exhibited distinct new trends. Understanding the regional opportunity factors that shape migration is crucial for uncovering the driving forces behind these changes. This study builds on the theoretical framework of regional opportunity structures, developing an evaluation system that uses the entropy weight method, the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory method, and self-organizing map neural network techniques to assess and categorize the regional opportunity levels of China's prefecture-level cities. Using data from CMDS 2017, the research explores how regional opportunity levels affect both the mobility-stickiness of population migration. The main findings are as follows: (1) By introducing the geographical concept of "regional opportunities" into population migration research, this study creates a "mobility-stickiness" analytical framework. This framework investigates how spatial differences in regional opportunities shape migration behavior, focusing on four key dimensions: economic development opportunities, life service opportunities, institutional and cultural opportunities, and natural environment opportunities. (2) The overall regional opportunity levels in China are generally aligned with the levels of regional economic development and can be categorized into seven distinct clusters. (3) Major urban agglomerations and provincial capital cities are the primary destinations for population migration. Economic opportunities remain a key driver of migration from a mobility perspective, while differences in migration destinations and motivations shape the diverse impacts of various opportunity dimensions from a retention perspective. Individual characteristics also play a significant role in moderating how regional opportunities impact migration decisions. (4) Based on the influence of the dominant and limiting factors of regional opportunities on population migration, the study identifies four types of regional opportunity models: hard-factor dominant zones, hard-factor constrained zones, soft-factor dominant zones, and soft-factor constrained zones. Targeted strategies are suggested to address the unique challenges and strengths of each type. The framework for analyzing regional opportunities proposed in this study offers broad applicability beyond China, providing valuable insights for designing population management and regional development policies in other contexts.

Neo-endogenous development is an important way to realise the modernization of agriculture and rural areas, and the reform of the land property rights system plays an important role in activating the internal and external development momentum of agriculture and rural areas. Based on the multi-period double-difference method, the study analyses and examines the impact of "Three Rights Separation" of agricultural land on the neo-endogenous development of agriculture and rural areas and its mechanism of action using balanced panel data of 206 prefecture-level cities in China from 2008 to 2022. The study finds that: (1) "Three Rights Separation" of agricultural land significantly improves the level of neo-endogenous development in agriculture and rural areas. (2) Promoting land scale and attracting capital investment are two important channels through which we can exert the policy effect of "Three Rights Separation" of agricultural land. (3) "Three Rights Separation" of agricultural land has significantly raised the level of neo-endogenous development in agriculture and rural areas. (4) "Three Rights Separation" of agricultural land will enhance the level of neo-endogenous development of agriculture and rural areas to a greater extent in areas with a lower degree of deepening of agricultural capital and better scientific and educational environments, and the policy effect will not be significantly different due to the loss of rural labour and the differences in natural resource endowment. This paper provides more theoretical support and empirical evidence for the use of land property rights reform to accelerate agricultural and rural development and thus achieve agricultural and rural modernization.

Network analysis is increasingly widely applied, but its intrinsic research gradually encounters bottlenecks due to challenges in data acquisition, complexity, and diversity. This study reviewed network thinking and network analysis methods, proposes potential boundaries of network research, systematically examines and deconstructs the developmental trajectory and various levels of geographical network research, analyzes its research trends and breakthroughs, and identifies key issues and future research directions. The study highlighted that network analysis is both a scientific way of thinking emphasizing abstract, systematic, and relational perspectives and a scientific method for analyzing complex system structures; but network research has certain boundaries. Since its introduction to geography in the 1960s, network analysis has evolved into three levels—theory, object, and method—playing a differentiated role in geographical knowledge production and forming a research trend primarily focused on non-social connections between non-social nodes. Breakthroughs have been achieved in four areas: cognition and thinking, scientific theory and mechanism analysis, methods and data, and real-world perspectives and significance. Geographic network research faces four key challenges: 1) insufficient application, 2) development of network thinking, 3) theoretical models, inadequate mechanism analysis, difficulties in data collection and incomplete representation, and 4) singular perspectives in network measurement coupled with outdated methodology and techniques. Future directions include exploring five areas of research: 1) constructing and integrating comprehensive geographical network theories, 2) developing new methods tailored for geographical network analysis, 3) enhancing data acquisition pathways for geographical network research, 4) improving measurement perspectives in geographical network studies, and 5) advancing the application and practical methodologies of research outcomes.

Urban informality is a common phenomenon in rapidly developing cities, and the "Three Olds" redevelopment is an important aspect of achieving high-quality urban development in the later stages of urbanization in China. Addressing the current lack of academic attention to the redevelopment of informal land use in the context of the "Three Olds" initiative, this paper, based on the theories of urban informality and scalar politics, selects a typical case of "Three Olds" redevelopment in Dongguan city. Using qualitative research methods such as document analysis and in-depth interviews, this study explores the processes and mechanisms involved. The research finds that Dongguan's "Three Olds" redevelopment policy has undergone a scalar political process consisting of three stages: policy application, policy piloting (including normalization), and policy revision. This process is accompanied by a shift in the roles of the main actors from "dominant" to "subordinate" and vice versa, as well as the interactive evolution of the land parcels from "informal-formal-informal" states. During the implementation of the "Three Olds" redevelopment, two pathways emerge: one where the interests of all actors align, leading to smooth redevelopment, and the other where, in cases of conflicting interests, local governments revise policies and redistribute benefits. These pathways cycle to achieve a new equilibrium. The study contributes to further enriching the theoretical understanding of urban informality and provides practical insights for the "Three Olds" redevelopment and urban renewal and governance.

This study clarifies the basic connotation of the value of natural resources under ecological security, constructs a theoretical analytical framework of "policy-technology-market-society", and systematically explores new models and pathways for enhancing the value of natural resources under ecological security, in order to provide theoretical support and practical guidance for promoting the high-quality management of natural resources in the New Era. The new models for enhancing the value of natural resources under ecological security mainly include the digital empowerment model, the combined supply model, the circular regeneration model and the resource ecology-oriented development model, so as to realize the digital management throughout the entire life cycle, optimized allocation, circular utilization, and efficient use of natural resources. The pathways for enhancing the value of natural resources under ecological security include the institutional innovation pathway, the technology-empowerment pathway, the market activation pathway, and the social co-governance pathway. These pathways are aimed at promoting development with a combination of rigidity and flexibility, enhancing efficiency through full-chain efforts, enlivening the market with diverse measures, and aggregating strength through collaborative cooperation, thereby propelling the construction of ecological civilization to a new level.

Main function zoning (MFZ) is the fundamental system of China's territorial development and protection. Through differentiated functional orientation, the core objectives of MFZ are to guide the orderly flow of resources across regions and optimize the spatial pattern of national development. This study evaluates the impacts, their heterogeneities among four types of zones, and underlying mechanisms of MFZ planning on China's population redistribution using county-level data from the three latest national population censuses and causal inference tests through difference-in-differences models. The results show that: The MFZ effects generally align with policy orientation. Post-implementation, optimized development zones, prioritized development zones, main agricultural zones and key ecological zones experienced declining population growth rates, accelerated population agglomeration, accelerated population decline, and growth-to-decline transition, respectively. Using main agricultural zones as reference, the planning reinforced the population concentration advantages of prioritized development zones. The policy effect exhibits dual heterogeneity across regions and hierarchical levels. Population changes in agricultural and ecological zones mostly complied with planning guidance, whereas only 40% of county-level units within prioritized development zones achieved the policy goal of accelerated agglomeration. National-level prioritized development zones demonstrated approximately twice the impact of provincial-level counterparts. Population migration from restricted development zones to urbanized areas predominantly occurred through cross-regional migration rather than intra-prefecture movements, making the policy goal of "concentrated equilibrium" within prefecture-level cities difficult to achieve. The planning promoted shifts in influencing factors of population redistribution within each type of MFZ. The diminished role of secondary industries and enhanced influence of tertiary sectors in optimized zones, along with weakened economic drivers in ecological zones, aligned with planning objectives. However, industrialization in prioritized development zones failed to significantly boost population agglomeration, while agricultural zones remained profoundly influenced by industrialization and economic development, both deviating from intended planning orientations. The findings suggest that the new-round planning could moderately concentrate urbanized area layouts, clarify development sequences for prioritized development zones, and implement more targeted differentiated governance requirements for restricted development zones.

Ecological resilience refers to an urban agglomeration's ability to resist, adapt, and recover from external disturbances. Enhancing ecological resilience is crucial for promoting high-quality development in the modern era. However, few studies have evaluated the ecological resilience of urban agglomerations from the perspective of human-land interactions or explored its evolutionary mechanism. This study assesses the interannual variation of ecological resilience in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River urban agglomeration, focusing on resistance, adaptation, and recovery. The Least Squares Structural Equation Model is employed to analyze the impact degree and pathways through which human-land interactions affect ecological resilience. The results indicate that from 2000 to 2020, resistance, adaptability, and recoverability exhibited fluctuating trends over time and an unbalanced spatial distribution. Ecological resilience initially decreased but later improved, with significant spatial heterogeneity, forming a "higher in the southeast and lower in the northwest" pattern. Natural environment improvement (coefficient: 0.42) and regional policies (coefficient: 0.18) had significant positive direct effects on ecological resilience, while urbanization exerted a significant negative effect (coefficient: -0.26). Although green innovation had no significant direct effect, it exhibited significant indirect influence, with the most significant pathway being green innovation→regional policy→natural environment→ecological resilience (coefficient: 0.18). This study enhances our understanding of how the natural environment, green innovation, and regional policies shape ecological resilience, providing a scientific reference for urban agglomeration development that fosters harmony between humans and nature.

At present, global and regional security issues are complicated and volatile, and as a frontier field of strategic games between major powers, geopolitical competition in the Asia-Pacific region has shown a multidimensional trend, and the construction of a new security pattern has become a strategic cornerstone of China's modernization and development. As the core carrying area of the "five major securities" (national defense, food, ecological, energy, and industrial securities), the Northeast region's strategic barrier function and geopolitical pivot role are irreplaceable for the country's overall security. However, there are three limitations in the existing research on the spatial practice of security governance: first, the cross-scale transmission mechanism of security elements has not yet been deconstructed, resulting in the disconnection of the governance chain of "national strategy-regional function-local practice"; second, the analysis of the coupling effect of multiple security elements is insufficient, and there is a lack of spatial interaction models based on geographic embeddedness; third, the lack of spatial and temporal refinements in risk simulation makes it difficult to support the dynamic optimization of the resilience system. In view of these, this study attempted to break through the obstacles and address deficiencies of existing studies from a geospatial perspective based on the disciplinary characteristics of geography and the geographic embeddedness of the "five major securities". On the basis of summarizing and analyzing the existing studies, this study constructed an exploratory analysis framework mainly based on core structure identification-regional dominant security function division-multiscenario and security risk simulation, and suggested that the Northeast region should comprehensively evaluate the security function system and leading role of each regional unit based on the core structure of "one side, one corridor, one network, one zone, three belts, three bases, and four channels", and simulate the security geographic spatial pattern of the Northeast region under different development scenarios and security risks from a dynamic perspective, in order to discover the dynamic changes in security service value. Finally, this study proposed optimized governance strategies focusing on the three aspects of giving full play to the regional advantages, coordinating regional development, and integrating policy objectives, so as to provide useful references for the concrete implementation of the "five major securities" in the Northeast region.

Agricultural ecosystem accounting is an important support for understanding the sustainability of agricultural production, the health of the ecological environment, and the quality and safety of agricultural products. Currently, there are three international standards for agricultural ecosystem accounting: the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (SEEA-AFF), the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting-Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA2021), and The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for Agriculture & Food (TEEB-AgriFood). Based on these three international standards, some countries have carried out agricultural ecosystem accounting. This article first reviews the development process of the three international standards, and compares them from six aspects: theoretical basis, accounting perspective, accounting object, accounting scope, classification standard, and account expression. Secondly, the international practices of agricultural ecosystem accounting are summarized from the overall situation and practical experience. Finally, combined with the current situation of agricultural ecosystem accounting in China, policy recommendations for agricultural ecosystem accounting in China are proposed.

The institution of territorial spatial governance for 'integrated mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, grassland and deserts' is a direction for exploring ecological civilisation and is crucial for China to modernise its governance systems and capacity. This paper analyses the core concepts and theoretical logic of territorial spatial governance and analyses its governance problems and realisation bases. It explores the appropriate ways forward for the specific institutional construction. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The current governance problems are that the ecological feedback of the governance object needs to be taken seriously, the coordination and linkage of the governance subject is still a problem, along with the fact the synergy and empowerment of the governance system is not yet in place. (2) It is necessary to respond to the demand for modernisation of the national governance system and capacity in the context of China's natural ecology, taking into account fairness and efficiency, and integrating security and development, yet to define the basis of the realisation of the governance subject and the governance system. (3) We should carry out the construction of territorial spatial governance institutions for 'integrated mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes and grasses' in three aspects, namely, the governance object, governance subject and governance system.

The greater food approach sets forth elevated requisites and novel benchmarks for the advancement of conceptualization, expansion of connotations, transformation of objectives, and evolution of strategies in the governance of non-grain conversion of cultivated land. A reevaluation of "Non-grain Conversion" of cultivated land governance through the greater food approach not only aids in rectifying the imbalance in food supply and demand, but also establishes a fundamental underpinning for national security assurance. Findings reveal that: (1) The crux of "Non-grain Conversion" of cultivated land under the greater food approach lies not in the dichotomy of "grain" versus "non-grain" but rather in the judicious allocation of diverse food categories within the framework of the greater food approach. (2) The greater food approach and "Non-grain Conversion" of cultivated land governance in the theoretical logic of the fundamental goal and value orientation consistency, theoretical origin and practice to follow the same origin, determines the two in the practical logic of interaction and linkage, embracing the greater food approach serves as the guiding ethos for "Non-grain Conversion" of cultivated land governance, constituting the bedrock and avenue for enacting the greater food approach. (3) Governance of "Non-grain Conversion" of cultivated land under the greater food approach encounters challenges such as lagging adjustments in planting structures, an inverted significance of grain and income gradients, simultaneous existence of production bottlenecks and wastage, as well as incongruences between universally applicable rectification measures and localized idiosyncrasies. (4) Proposals encompass five overarching strategies for systematized governance of "Non-grain Conversion" of cultivated land oriented towards the greater food approach, focusing on the preservation of grain within land, crops, techniques, losses, and policies. Grounded in the multifaceted demands and holistic outlook of the greater food approach, the optimization of governance strategies proffers invaluable insights for the theoretical refinement and practical exploration of "Non-grain Conversion" of cultivated land governance amidst the backdrop of a multidimensional transformation in the agricultural and food system.

Comprehensive scientific expeditions rely on scientific instruments, paradigms, and technological methods to conduct multidisciplinary analyses of surface conditions, resource endowments, and their dynamic changes and mechanisms, serving major national (regional) strategic needs. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, successive comprehensive scientific expeditions have played a significant role in frontier development, ecological environment governance, and national economic development. In the new era, comprehensive scientific expeditions must clarify regional resource and environmental conditions and their changes, fill knowledge gaps in related fields, and support national and regional development and strategic requirements. The development of new technologies and equipment, such as low-orbit satellite constellations, artificial intelligence, and unmanned monitoring, provides important opportunities for comprehensive scientific expeditions in the new era. To advance comprehensive scientific expeditions in the new era, it is essential to fully utilize new technologies, equipment, and methods for innovate expedition paradigms. Guided by national strategic needs, expedition tasks should be organized, which can achieve large-scale, high-frequency, and high-precision investigations of geographical resource elements, filling knowledge gaps in border areas, underground spaces, and deep-sea zones. Based on the regional differentiation of China's natural and human geographical environments, comprehensive scientific expeditions should be conducted in key domestic regions. Focusing on the six major economic corridors of the Belt and Road Initiative and key maritime areas, global comprehensive scientific expeditions should be carried out to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

This study utilizes emerging hotspot analysis to explore the spatio-temporal trends of vegetation optical depth (VOD) observed in Ku, X, and C microwave bands over China from 2002 to 2017. Furthermore, it analyzes the impacts of anthropogenic activities, represented by land use change, on the spatial and temporal changes in VOD, and employs Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model to quantitatively assess the climatic effects on VOD changes. Overall, VOD exhibits a southeast-to-northwest gradient over China, with central and southern regions identified as VOD hotspots, while Xinjiang and the central Inner Mongolia Plateau are identified as VOD cold spots. Regions with consistent emerging hotspot analysis results across the three bands demonstrate a "greening" phenomenon in sparsely-vegetated regions nationwide. Additionally, the association between land use change and emerging hotspots reveals strong impacts of human activities on VOD variations. Specifically, persistent and intensified VOD hotspots predominantly correspond to scenarios where grassland is converted to forest. Attribution of VOD changes using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling indicates that, in the humid zone, where hydrothermal conditions are favorable and soil moisture is abundant, further increases in temperature and precipitation may inhibit vegetation growth. In contrast, in the arid zone, the inhibitory effect of temperature is less prominent. In the Tibetan Plateau, increases in both temperature and precipitation will promote vegetation growth. The insights from this study are expected to provide scientific support for monitoring ecosystem changes, uncovering their driving forces, and assessing the effectiveness of ecological measures.

Coastal nebkhas are an important component of coastal sand dune ecosystems, widely distributed at varying scales, and the key subject of coastal aeolian geomorphology research. This paper systematically reviewed the morphological characteristics, developmental evolution, and dynamic processes of coastal nebkhas, summarizing the major advancements in research and technical methods both domestically and internationally. Key findings include: the establishment of dune developmental stages based on the correlation of dune morphological parameters (horizontal scale and height); the volume of coastal nebkhas is related to wind and sand activity, ocean dynamics, and biological factors; the dune formation mechanism is a coupled process consisting of wind-driven dynamics, sand source supply, and vegetation stabilization, with coastal environments indirectly influencing dunes through vegetation and wind-sand interactions; the relative importance of different factors varies across regions during dune development; airflow and its interaction with shrub dunes exhibit significant differences in various dune parts, with windward slopes generating reflective eddies that enhance wind speed, and leeward slopes forming horizontal and vertical vortices. Vegetation species type, coverage, density, and distribution all affect near-surface wind-sand movement, with the highest sand deposition typically occurring near vegetation on the windward slopes, where sand transport decreases. A technical approach combining observational and simulation studies has shaped the research, especially with the recent application of new technologies, such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicle measurement systems and computer simulations, which have significantly advanced the study of coastal nebkha morphology, airflow structure, and sediment transport patterns. However, current research faces three main limitations: an incomplete understanding of the development mechanisms of coastal nebkhas, and a need for deeper exploration into their dynamic mechanisms. In the future, the focus should be on combining traditional observations with modern emerging technologies to strengthen the study of the main limiting factors and their interaction mechanisms during the formation and development of nebkhas and deepen the understanding of their formation and development mechanisms in China. Through comprehensive field surveys, typical investigations, and morphological measurements of key distribution areas of coastal shrub dunes, multi-scale, long-term, continuous dynamic monitoring should be conducted. It is important to analyze the formation and evolution mechanisms of coastal nebkhas in different regions, providing a scientific basis for cross-regional dune management and protection. A comprehensive study of the joint action mechanisms of wind dynamics, hydrodynamics, particle adhesion, and biological forces is essential to reveal the spatiotemporal dynamic evolution patterns of coastal nebkhas in China, both annually and inter-annually. Furthermore, the influence mechanisms of vegetation ecological processes, human activities, and climate change on coastal nebkhas should be emphasized, addressing the gaps in domestic research and improving the research framework for coastal aeolian geomorphology in China.

Using images and interview data from the Nanzhi Street in the Songyang County, combined with K.-S. Lee's five-dimensional theory of food memory, this study explores the impact of media and commercialization on traditional food and local memory. This work analyzes how five factors—population hollowing, commercialization of preparation methods, standardization of sensory experiences, weakening of emotional connections, and uniformity—affect the relationship between food and local memory. It also discusses the mediating role of media as an intermediary factor. The findings indicate: (1) Loss of native residents: The departure of native residents has led to external operators maintaining emotional ties but failing to restore the community atmosphere. The demographic shift in the Nanzhi Street has transformed local memory from the emotional memory of native residents to the commercial memory of external operators. Media has simultaneously enhanced commercial vitality and accelerated the commodification and symbolization of local memory; (2) Differences in shop styles: There is a clear distinction between the styles of registered and non-registered shops. Registered shops preserve local characteristics but tend toward symbolic traditional appearances under policy support and media influence, while non-registered shops cater to influencer-driven culture, leaning towards commercialization. This dual influence maintains commercial vitality but also speeds up the commodification of local memory, reflecting the tension between preserving local culture and pursuing commercial development; (3) Changes in traditional food and sensory experiences: The preparation methods and sensory experiences of traditional food have changed to meet consumer demands, leading to differences in how tourists and locals perceive local memory. Media's simplified narratives and excessive commercialization reduce the cultural depth of local cuisine, reinforce stereotypes, and overlook the importance of craftsmanship and deep-rooted culture. These shifts not only affect consumer perceptions but also undermine the authenticity and completeness of local memory. Additionally, under the influence of commerce and media, traditional food has become increasingly standardized, with weakened artisanal techniques and local characteristics. Younger consumers are more exposed to adapted, standardized flavors, further simplifying the cultural essence of local cuisine and diminishing its role in cultural diversity and regional identity; (4) Impact of media on emotional connections: Media's influence on emotional connections is dual-faceted. For locals, private memories are made public, transforming traditional food from a familial emotional symbol into a symbol of local culture. For tourists, media transforms local memory into a commodified and emotionalized product, replacing personal connections with consumer-driven experiences. This shift reflects the commercialization of local memory and highlights the disconnect in emotional ties between locals and tourists, as private memories are gradually replaced by mass-consumption emotions. The work reveals the conflict between commercialization and local characteristics in the Nanzhi Street under media and policy guidance, emphasizing the importance of preserving local memory and emotional connections during urban transformation.

Analysis of the spatiotemporal agglomeration trends of individuals' daily activities can contribute to gaining a better understanding of the temporal and spatial selection characteristics of residents' daily activities, and the utilization of urban space. This is of considerable practical significance for improving the living environment and enhancing the quality of life of residents in affordable housing in the context of the current era of optimizing existing stock. In this study. we examined a large-scale affordable residential area in Nanjing as an empirical case. Based on the perspective of "family division of labor" and the activity log data of the residents in the large-scale affordable residential area, we initially applied a spatial autocorrelation model to construct a spatiotemporal autocorrelation function, and depicted the overall characteristics of the spatiotemporal agglomeration of the daily activities of the residents in this area from the dual scales of "main urban area–residential area." In addition, we conducted a comparative analysis of the spatiotemporal agglomeration characteristics of different activities. In this context, we characterized and compared the spatiotemporal response patterns of the daily activities of residents in this type of residential area. We subsequently undertook theoretical derivation, interpretation and refinement of the temporal and spatial selection processes of the daily activities of residents in large-scale guaranteed residential areas. From the perspective of spatiotemporal agglomeration trends, our findings revealed that the spatial and temporal clustering of the daily activities of residents in large low-income residential areas is often closely associated with the intensity of family division of labor and spatial scale. Among these, the spatial and temporal clustering of daily activities under medium and high intensity division of household labor was observed to be more obvious at the main urban area scale, whereas daily activities under low and medium intensity division of household labor were more concentrated on the scale of residential areas. From the perspective of response mode, we detected clear difference between the temporal-family and spatial-family response patterns of all types of activities, particularly between work and non-work activities. From the perspective of the interpretive model, the temporal range of different activities can be ordered as maintenance activities > survival activities > free activities, and the interaction of the temporal response process mainly occurs between the medium- and high-intensity division of household labor. Moreover, the spatial scope of different activities can generally be ordered as survival activities > maintenance activities > free activities, and the interaction of the spatial response process is mainly reflected in the high-intensity division of household labor. By examining the spatiotemporal patterns and decision-making mechanisms of residents' daily activities. we can provide necessary guidance and a basis for the construction of an ideal living circle for residents in large-scale public welfare residential areas.

With the ongoing advancement of digital technology and its application in rural areas, "digital village" has become one of the focal points in the field of geography. This study provided a definition and connotation of "digital village" based on a summary and analysis of existing literature. It reviewed the frontiers of research in China and internationally and offered a comparison from the perspective of knowledge production. The findings include: 1) In China, research predominantly focuses on normative studies aimed at addressing real-world issues in rural development and promoting policy optimization. The construction of digital village is seen as a means to facilitate high-quality rural development, with a concentration on how to leverage digital village initiatives to support rural revitalization and the rural restructuring resulting from the development of digital village. 2) The international studies are primarily empirical and tend to explain micro social phenomena. By examining specific issues such as the digital divide between urban and rural areas, these studies highlight various dimensions of digitization in the rural transformation process, particularly focusing on the formation of the urban-rural digital divide and its impact on coordinated urban-rural development. From a geographical perspective, future research could further address the following aspects: Re-thinking of the concept of digital village from the perspective of human-environment relationship, quantitative measurement of the urban-rural digital divide from a multi-spatial scale perspective, examination of digital village from the micro-actor perspective, and investigation of the positive and negative externalities of digital village construction based on a comprehensive research paradigm in geography.

Rural areal system is a multidimensional object of rural revitalization in the new era, and its complexity and dynamics require a breakthrough in single-domain thinking. Through the in-depth fusion of system science theories, multi-source data-driven technical methods and sustainable transformation paths, the full-chain governance of system diagnosis-scenario simulation-precise policy implementation should be carried out. Based on the scientific theory of human-land system and the multi-scale analysis paradigm of geography, this paper explores the "element-structure-function" cascade analysis system of rural areal system, analyzes the scientific connotation of rural areal system and rural revitalization, clarifies the multi-scale evolution law and transformation mechanism of rural areal system, develops rural areal system development status assessment and scenario simulation technology, and sorts out and proposes a "three-device" (diagnostic device, detector, simulator) platform framework for the transformation mechanism and simulation of rural areal system. By innovating multimodal spatiotemporal data fusion and intelligent interpretation methods, it can break through the technical bottleneck of quantitative inversion of rural areal system elements, establish a multi-factor collaborative observation indicator system and a data sharing application platform, reveal the spatial pattern of rural transformation under different development paths, and explore and create "three major systems", including a theoretical system of rural areal system with multi-dimensional interaction of nature-society-technology, a technical system of cross-platform coordinated observation of rural areal system, and a system of standards and norms for the scientific path of rural revitalization and its management. The findings will help to achieve the systematization of coordinated observation and scenario simulation of multi-source heterogeneous data in rural areal system, and provide theoretical guidance and technical support for the scientific formulation of rural revitalization plans and the comprehensive promotion of rural revitalization strategic decisions. Additionally, focusing on the current trend of technological progress, modern geography should connect with the international scientific frontier and national strategic needs, and take the system integration of geographic science-technology-engineering-practice (Geo-STEP) as the core to promote the transition of rural areal system research from "problem explanation" to "future design" and "scientific governance".

Foreign aid is a tool of U.S. foreign policy and provides a window into U.S. national strategy. In the era marked by frequent local conflicts and global turmoil, delving the motives of U.S. aid can enhance our comprehension of U.S. national strategic objectives. Utilizing U.S. aid data from 2000 to 2019, this paper examines the spatial evolution patterns in U.S. aid and its driving paths, considering altruistic, egoistic, and utilitarian motives. This analysis is conducted using GIS spatial analysis and Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). The results show that: (1) Total U.S. aid exhibits a basic trend of initial growth followed by stabilization, with military security aid and economic development aid as the primary categories of U.S. aid. (2) There are significant spatial and temporal differences in the distribution of U.S. aid. The Middle East and North Africa region has been a long-standing aid priority but is trending downwards, with an emphasis on military security aid, economic development aid, and humanitarian assistance. Sub-Saharan African countries have emerged as new hubs for U.S. aid, with primary focuses on social sector aid, economic development aid, and humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, other regions have seen diminishing amounts of U.S. aid. (3) The key drivers of U.S. aid have expanded from the level of economic development and U.S. exports to geostrategic, political relations and institutional quality factors, with an overall trend of a gradual shift from being driven by economic interests to geopolitical interests. This may be related to the eastward shift of the U.S. strategic centre of gravity. In terms of specific types of aid, economic development aid, social sector aid and humanitarian aid are economic interest-driven, military security aid is geopolitical interest-driven, and democratic political aid is democratic value-driven. The different types of aid serve different foreign policy objectives and together constitute a tool for the U.S. to pursue its political and economic interests. This paper can provide some reference for China's foreign policy making.