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.

Spatial justice refers to social equity in the production of space and the allocation of spatial resources, emphasizing the fairness in the distribution and utilization of spatial resources. In market-based historical and cultural districts, conflicts over the use of space arise among various stakeholders including businesses, residents, and cultural preservationists due to their competing needs and interests. These conflicts often create tensions between development, preservation, and everyday life. This study develops an analytical framework based on spatial production theory to examine the relationships between stakeholders in urban renewal, with a focus on achieving the goal of spatial justice in urban renewal. Using the Thirteen Hongs Historic Block in Guangzhou as a case study, the research draws on historical records, in-depth interviews, and survey data to uncover the root causes of spatial conflicts and the underlying factors and consequences of spatial injustice in market-based historic block. The findings reveal that spatial practices in the Thirteen Hongs Historic Block are shaped by the competing interests of government, market actors, and civil society. The unequal distribution of spatial rights has led to fragmented use of space, resulting in contradictions that hinder the realization of historical, economic, and social values. This spatial injustice stems from an imbalance of power, ineffective rule restructuring, and unequal access to resources. To address these issues, the study proposes a spatial justice-oriented approach to urban renewal. This approach includes three related strategies: a shared governance strategy to rebalance power relationships and achieve social equity, a collaborative governance strategy to ensure procedural fairness and institutional justice, a co-creation strategy to establish resource compensation mechanisms and achieve distributive justice. By integrating these strategies, the study aims to achieve a three-dimensional synergy of "value-procedure-outcome" spatial justice, fostering a more equitable and sustainable urban renewal mode.

National parks, as pivotal platforms for safeguarding biodiversity, sustaining ecosystem services, and propelling sustainable development, are progressively evolving into comprehensive platforms that integrate ecological conservation, recreation, education, and science research. Nature study travel, a novel form of activity that integrates nature education with study travel, aims to guide visitors in observing, learning, and experiencing natural ecosystems to enhance their environmental awareness and ecological literacy. The functional positioning of national parks is congruent with the objectives of nature study travel, thereby enabling national parks to provide ample natural resources as a foundation for such activities while concurrently offering suitable spatial and facility support for their implementation. A systematic review of domestic and international theories and research progress on the educational utilization, recreational utilization of national parks, and study travel was conducted to inform the development of a national park nature study travel system framework. This framework comprises four major components: resources and products, operations and management, stakeholders, and support and safeguards. The text subsequently provides a synopsis of the salient research issues, including resource survey and assessment, product design, activity processes and educational effects, multi-party collaboration and community integration, institutional systems and operational performance. Finally, it proposes practical pathways for nature study travel in national parks, tailoring these pathways to China's national conditions. The objective of this study is twofold: first, to furnish the academic community with insights and inspiration; and second, to offer a scientific basis and decision-making support for the optimization of multiple functions and the institutional development of China's national parks.

Against the backdrop of digital-driven industrial ecosystem reconstruction, this study explores how collaborative agglomeration of digital and tourism industries impacts cultural-tourism (CT) integration, with the aim of identifying pathways that transcend traditional development models and foster new poles of high-quality growth. This study employs China's provincial panel data (2012-2022), applying methods such as the coupling coordination degree model, spatial econometric model, and Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression (GTWR). Key findings are: (1) The collaborative agglomeration shows an imbalanced pattern characterized by an initial "high in the east, low in the west" distribution, which later evolved into an intensified core-periphery structure. Early advantages in eastern coastal areas, driven by technology and policy, were subsequently moderated by technology diffusion, reducing inter-regional disparities. (2) This agglomeration promotes CT integration through a "local reinforcement and neighboring spillover" effect, with the strongest impacts in the eastern region and southeast of the Hu Huanyong Line. GTWR results further reveal that the western region, leveraging its resource endowment and the "East Data, West Computing" project, experiences a growing promotional effect. Conversely, the eastern region's advantage is reinforced through advanced digital applications in the later stage. (3) Threshold effects show no significant nonlinearity, with stable growth. Spatially, areas of Southeast Hu Huanyong Line have obvious synergy (backed by industrial foundations and policies), while central and western regions are hindered by weak technology and infrastructure. Notably, the west has a stronger spatial spillover effect, benefiting from "East Data, West Computing" cost advantages and rich cultural-ecological resources. This study enriches the CT integration theoretical framework and supports regional coordinated development policies. Therefore, it is vital to strengthen inter-regional technological cooperation, optimize the layout of digital infrastructure, and promote a two-way flow of "data-culture" elements to enhance national cultural-tourism integration.

With the advancement of the natural resource asset property rights system reform, the realization of the value of natural resource assets has gradually become a focal point of social attention. Based on the perspective of "asset-capital-funds" transformation, this paper constructs a theoretical framework for the assessment, price formation, and value realization of natural resource assets. It divides asset value into direct and indirect use values and combines asset value assessment with capital accounting methods to empirically analyze the degree of value realization of natural resource assets in Ankang city. The study finds that: (1) The value of natural resource assets in Ankang city is 4.768 trillion yuan, with direct use value amounting for 636.81 billion yuan, primarily from land resources (54.04%) and forest resources (35.51%); the indirect use value is 206.57 billion yuan, discounted to 4.131 trillion yuan, mainly from climate regulation (40.70%), water conservation (35.12%), and cultural services (12.14%). (2) Through market transactions, ecological compensation, and concession transactions, the capital of Ankang's natural resource assets is calculated to be 1.457 trillion yuan. (3) The annual cash realization of Ankang city's natural resource asset value is 62.26 billion yuan, discounted to 1.187 trillion yuan, with the realization shares through market transactions, concessions, and ecological compensation accounting for 53.68%, 42.17%, and 4.16%, respectively. (4) There is still room for improvement in the realization of the value of natural resource assets in Ankang, with the broad (capitalized) realization degree at 30.56% and the narrow (funded) realization degree at 24.94%. This study provides a theoretical basis and practical reference for promoting the realization of natural resource asset value.

Against the backdrop of global environmental changes and the ongoing advancement of China's ecological civilization, the natural resources science must deepen its theoretical foundations and refine its academic system to address pressing challenges such as population-resource conflicts. Based on a review of the development trajectory of natural resource science, this paper focuses on the interaction and coordination between "space" and "elements" and proposes a disciplinary framework for natural resource planning centered on the "space-element-planning" triad. The proposed framework takes "spatial positioning-element allocation-planning coordination" as its logical starting point and builds the disciplinary content system around three key dimensions: revealing spatial patterns, optimizing element configurations, and constructing spatial support. Looking ahead, the development of natural resource planning should be guided by indigenous knowledge innovation, supported by interdisciplinary curricula, and driven by major scientific and technological missions. This will promote the establishment of a robust discipline of natural resource planning that supports the unified management of natural resources and territorial spatial governance, contributing to the realization of Chinese-style modernization characterized by harmony between humanity and nature.

Based on the theory of cultural ecosystem services (CESs) and the simultaneous development of five educations, this study constructs a comprehensive framework to elucidate the mechanisms among landscape education, CESs values, and natural resources teaching. It compiles expert evaluations of illustrations from middle school geography textbooks and a collection of study-tour itineraries for Gansu province. Using methods including categorical statistics, kernel density estimation, and MaxEnt model prediction, the study assesses the CESs values of natural resources featured in middle school geography curricula and Gansu study sites, and explores pathways through which value evaluation can advance natural resources teaching. Findings indicate: (1) Digital landscapes convey the digital CESs values in theoretical teaching through multimedia courseware, textbook illustrations, and other forms. Students perceive the physical CESs values via observation, experience and research. The values of CESs provide a pivotal basis for selecting teaching materials and field sites. (2) The illustrations in chapters such as "Resources Security and National Security" carry high value. Mixed multiple illustrations layouts better express educational and spiritual values. Chapter cover illustrations convey aesthetic values, and educational and spiritual are strongly linked. Values evaluation informs textbook revision through the selection of graphic and textual cases, innovative arrangement methods, optimized visual effects, and exploration of ideological and political elements. (3) Study-tour courses in Gansu show overall agglomerative spatial distribution. Lanzhou city and surrounding counties are the main high-value areas for five types of CESs. The high-value areas in the Hexi Corridor are concentrated in oases and cities. Value distribution is highly correlated with the density of primary and secondary schools in the region. Values assessment guides study-tour product development and practical education-based construction. The research has practical significance in refining teaching strategies and objectives across educational levels, optimizing teaching resources, and linking of theory with practice in teaching.

Land-sea integration is the core value orientation for the synergistic utilization of terrestrial and marine space and resources in China. To construct a coastal human settlement environment system featuring human-land (sea) interaction under the multidimensional goals of land-sea integration, this paper proposes the concept of the "Key Zone of Land-Sea Integration" and its spatial structure of "supporting zone-core zone-associated zone-hinterland zone". The Key Zone of Land-Sea Integration implements the research perspective of the coastal human settlement environment system in terms of scope definition, hierarchical structure, research priorities, and development dimensions. It follows the research approach of "spatial structure-geomorphic pattern-ecological network-human settlement order", couples the multidimensional values of "ecology-economy-space-culture-society", and puts forward key research issues. Specifically, in scope definition, it clarifies the spatial scope integrating land and sea, covering both coastal areas and their adjacent terrestrial and marine extensions. In hierarchical structure, it establishes a multi-level system to adapt to analyses and management at different scales. In research priorities, it focuses on the dynamic interactions between human activities and the natural environment within the zone. In development dimensions, it emphasizes the balance among economic growth, social progress, and ecological protection. Focusing on the integration of human-land (sea) interaction and the integration of land-sea multidimensional values at the urban scale from the perspective of the coastal human settlement system environment, the Key Zone of Land-Sea Coordination proposes clear spatial objects and carriers. It will further promote the integration of land-sea coordinated territorial spatial planning and governance, break down traditional barriers between land and sea management, and facilitate high-quality development of coastal human settlement by guiding rational spatial layout, efficient resource utilization, and harmonious coexistence between human and nature. Thus, it provides theoretical support and practical guidance for advancing systematic management of coastal areas and optimizing the sustainable development pattern of coastal human settlement.

International digital infrastructure represented by submarine cables has important strategic value in information transmission, economic and trade stability, and military security, and can provide solid support for the spatial selection of China's overseas strategic pivots (COSPs). Based on the theoretical framework of spatial selection of COSPs and the distribution pattern of global submarine cable network, we identified global Internet gateways and then screened COSPs at the regional, national and teleport scales. The results show that: (1) Overseas strategic pivot is further extension of Internet gateway, which endows the latter with a pivot attribute and strategic meaning on the basis of its connotation. The identification logic of COSPs based on submarine cable network follows the three-level spatial scale of ''region-country-teleport'', and geopolitical theory, new state space theory and location theory respectively dominate the spatial selection of COSPs at higher scale, mesoscale and lower scale. They each have their own focus and are nested with each other, forming a logical framework of the spatial selection of COSPs based on submarine cable network. (2) The global submarine cable network exhibits a distinct spatial imbalance, a pattern further diversified by the cumulative effects of scale on node distribution. However, regardless of the scale, the global submarine cable network has formed a ''one heart, three poles, three corridors'' pattern with the rimland of the Eurasian continent as the heart, the United States, the United Kingdom and Singapore as the three poles, and the three main corridors spanning the North Atlantic, the southeastern and the southwestern sea area of the Eurasian continent. (3) The spatial selection results of COSPs have geographical proximity and similarity, mainly distributed in six strategic zones, namely East Asia-Southeast Asia strategic zone, Persian Gulf-Red Sea strategic zone, Mediterranean-Europe West Coast strategic zone, Africa West Coast strategic zone, Caribbean strategic zone, and Eastern North Pacific strategic zone, presenting a ''core-expansion-periphery'' distribution pattern. The results can enrich the research framework of submarine cable and strategic pivot, providing theoretical reference and policy inspiration for expanding China's overseas interests.

With the emergence of new materialism, political geography has undergone a "volume turn" in an attempt to resolve the increasingly prominent dichotomy between nature and humanity. Volume studies oppose the flattening and static nature of traditional geopolitical research. Instead, they advocate starting from the materiality of the Earth system, emphasizing the significant impact of the three-dimensionality and fluidity of space on human activities and even emotions. This has sparked a wave of research on Earth politics in relation to volume politics and power dynamics. At the level of empirical research, the "volume turn" focuses on the three-dimensional aspects of geopolitics, its interaction with geophysical politics, as well as the sense of immersion and emotional atmosphere of humans within the Earth surface system. It aims to uncover the operations of politics, power, and emotions under the influence of the Earth system. On the one hand, the "volume turn" challenges the traditional territorial concept based on planarism, greatly expanding the scope of research in political geography. On the other hand, it broadens the human-environment relationship from an anthropocentric perspective to a comprehensive view of the human-Earth system. It bridges the gaps between "human and non-human" and "nature and society," emphasizing the embodied interaction between the human body and the Earth system. Undoubtedly, the "volume turn" will contribute to the expansion of research horizons and the integration of research themes in Chinese geography.

This study analyzes the development of the discipline of human geography in China over the past 40 years, based on projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) from 1986 to 2023. The analysis focuses on research directions and themes, the hosting institutions and their spatial distribution, as well as the structure of high-level talents. This paper primarily employs methods such as keyword cloud analysis, probability density distribution analysis, and spatial analysis. The findings are as follows: (1) Although the number and financial volume of funded projects have grown rapidly, human geography remains at a disadvantage in terms of scholarly influence and the magnitude of funding support. (2) The majority of approved projects and funds are concentrated under the application codes for Urban and Rural Geography (D0109) and Economic Geography (D0108), though growth in these areas has been limited in recent years. Promising areas of focus include cultural geography, political geography, and behavioral geography. (3) New research topics have emerged, such as spatiotemporal behavior and quality of life, social space and mobility, innovation networks, city networks, rural revitalization, geopolitics, and carbon reduction. (4) The distribution of approved NSFC projects in human geography generally follows a Pareto distribution and is predominantly located east of the Hu Line. (5) There are relatively few high-level talents in human geography in China, with an unbalanced gender ratio. To advance the field, we propose to raise human geography's profile in interdisciplinary dialogue, to consolidate disciplinary consensus, to articulate key research priorities and assessment frameworks, address developmental disparities among subfields, and prioritize groundbreaking research agendas. The study underscores key unresolved issues in the discipline's governance and financing, including the generality-specificity spectrum in knowledge generation, and reconciling inter-direction competition with distributive justice in resource allocation. The research advances scholarly understanding by documenting funding-driven development patterns in Chinese human geography while addressing dual challenges of international disciplinary recognition and domestic academic consensus-building.

The spatial restructuring of large Chinese cities has exacerbated internal spatial differentiation and social segregation, resulting in disparities in the distribution of environmental risks across social groups and regions. This has negatively impacted the health and well-being of urban residents. This study analyzes the socio-spatial disparities in environmental risk distribution in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu using pollution discharge permit data and census data, with ArcGIS spatial analysis methods. Principal component analysis is then applied for dimensionality reduction to capture the characteristics of urban spatial restructuring. Interaction term models are applied to analyze the intrinsic connections between environmental inequality and the urban spatial restructuring process. The findings reveal that individuals with lower education levels and migrant populations are exposed to greater environmental risks, with environmental inequality increasing from the city center to the periphery. The spatial variations in environmental inequality across the three cities can be attributed to their respective urban spatial restructuring processes and development trajectories, resulting in three distinct patterns of environmental inequality: minimal impact, localized improvement, and environmental deprivation. The study draws on Spatial Production Theory and Rawls' Theory of Justice to elucidate the evolution of environmental inequality in spatial differentiation within the context of urban spatial restructuring, emphasizing the shift from capital-driven spatial production to government-led social justice practices. It is suggested that when formulating and implementing strategies to promote environmental justice and sustainable urban development, the global and dynamic nature of urban space development should be considered to ensure equitable sharing of environmental benefits across all regions and social groups.

Three-dimensional fine characterization of soil pollutant distribution is critical for the implementation of precision remediation and scientific decision making in the management of contaminated sites. This review systematically examined key issues and research progress in this field through a trinity framework of non-stationarity decoupling, data bias correction, and model selection. We identified the spatial non-stationarity of pollutant concentrations and the inherent biases in sparse borehole data as two fundamental constraints that affect the accuracy of existing three-dimensional characterization models and the reliability of characterization results. We first analyzed the formation mechanisms and types of non-stationarity and discussed non-stationarity quantification and decoupling methods. Second, we summarized the principal sources of sampling bias in the collection of sparse biased drilling data and its bias correction method system. We also assessed the adaptability of different models to biased data and possible improvement. Third, we compared the advantages and limitations of the three predominant modeling paradigms (geostatistical, machine learning, and geochemical process models), analyzed the discrepancies and uncertainties in three-dimensional characterization model selection, and stressed the need for constructing a multi-source data-driven high-precision three-dimensional characterization system based on the trinity relationship framework. Finally, in combination with the development of intelligent decision-making technologies, we prospected the potential application of three-dimensional characterization technology in pollution diagnosis, risk assessment, and sustainable remediation. We also emphasize the potential value of model integration and dynamic optimization in soil pollution control. This methodological synthesis provides a reference for improving the accuracy of three-dimensional characterization of soil pollution distribution in complex sites and digital governance mode.

Terraced farmland is a unique agricultural landscape and high-quality farmland resource in mountainous areas, with great production and ecological functions, which makes it a valuable livelihood asset for rural households. As a type of farmland resource, the high-quality of terraced farmland originates from the substantial investment of labor force and materials in land improvement processes such as terracing projects, which results in higher "landesque capital". The economic essence of landesque capital is land appreciation. In recent years, the phenomenon of farmland asset devaluation has been widespread in mountainous areas, yet how the landesque capital value of terraced farmland change remains unclear. Therefore, based on land capital theory, this study clarifies the definition of the landesque capital value of terraced farmland, constructing a comprehensive diagnostic framework from the dual perspectives of land economic productivity and land marginalization. Using data from national rural household surveys and literature synthesis in China's mountainous areas, the study reveals the trends and regional differences of landesque capital value. The findings demonstrate that in recent decades, the landesque capital of terraced farmland in China has devalued, with the trend being particularly pronounced in the eastern region. From 1996 to 2020, the differential rent reflecting the landesque capital value of terraced farmland decreased from 793.2 yuan per ha to 441.88 yuan per ha (a 44.29% drop), based on 1995 constant prices. The grain yield increase effect of terraced farmland relative to sloped farmland has been declining, with the rocky mountainous areas in Northern China showing a more significant downward trend than the Loess Plateau region. The economic benefits derived from the landesque capital of terraced farmland are increasingly unable to cover the costs of maintaining their unique functions. Therefore, it is recommended to actively explore optimal utilization approachs for existing terraced farmland while cautiously implementing new terracing projects in China's mountainous areas.

The changes in the natural-artificial dualistic water cycle system have triggered the inconsistency of hydrometeorological time series. Continuing to use traditional frequency calculation methods would affect the accuracy of water resource planning and flood-drought management decisions, underscoring the need for (in)consistency testing before performing hydrological calculations. To address the misjudgement issues of current methods, this study proposes a hydrological (in)consistency testing method (CT) based on correlation coefficients. The CT method applies a discrete wavelet transform to extract high-frequency pure random components from the original time series, then calculates the correlation coefficients between these components and the original time series to determine (in)consistency. Statistical experiments indicate that the CT method significantly reduces false positive rates compared with traditional methods like the Bartels test. Its accuracy and stability improve as the time series length increases, making it especially effective at identifying inconsistent time series. These promising results confirm that the CT method is a valuable tool in (in)consistency test, ensuring robust and reliable outcomes. A case study of the surface water resources amount modulus coefficient time series of 10 major river basins in China (1956-2020) shows that surface water resources in the Southeastern, Yangtze, Huaihe, Pearl, and Southwestern river basins are consistent. In contrast, the Songhua, Haihe, Yellow, Liaohe, and Northwestern river basins display pronounced inconsistency characteristics. Existing studies, based on external driving factors such as climate change and human activities, have validated the inconsistency of hydrological time series in regions like the Songhua River Basin, indirectly confirming the effectiveness of the CT method. For consistent time series, consistent hydrological frequency analysis can be directly applied, whereas for inconsistent time series, researchers should analyze the characteristics of inconsistent components or conduct inconsistent hydrological frequency calculations. These approaches aim to predict and plan for potential risks, thereby providing robust support for scientific water resource management decisions.

To enhance ecological civilization, establishing a governance framework that reconciles the principles of financial sustainability with those of urban green development has been identified as an effective pathway for urban sustainability. Land finance constitutes a distinctive government revenue model in China, providing crucial support for accelerated urbanization and urban construction. Without alternative large-scale revenue sources for local governments, land finance continues to be an important source of off-budget revenue. Therefore, optimizing the use of land finance and leveraging its positive impact on sustainable urban development are crucial. The positive role of land finance in promoting urban green development is an effective means of advancing ecological civilization construction and high-quality urban development. Urban green spaces are pivotal elements of the urban ecological environment. Investigating the influence of land finance on urban green spaces is an important research area. This study employed panel data from 273 prefecture-level cities in China from 2007 to 2019 to systematically assess the impact of land finance on urban green spaces by utilizing the fixed effects and spatial Durbin models. Furthermore, it assessed the moderating effect of environmental governance in promoting land finance to support the improvement of urban green spaces based on the moderation effect model. The findings indicate that the impact of land finance on urban green space exhibits an inverted U-shaped pattern with a negative overall effect. However, the positive impact of land finance on urban green spaces is limited. Local governments' environmental governance exerted a significant positive moderating effect on the impact of land finance on urban green spaces. As environmental governance strengthens, the impact of land finance on urban green space shifts from negative to positive. This suggests that land finance can promote improvements in urban green spaces through high-level environmental governance. The coverage level of urban green spaces displayed spatial agglomeration characteristics, and land finance had a negative spatial spillover effect on urban green spaces. In addition, the moderating effect of environmental governance presented a positive spatial spillover effect. Consequently, the impacts of land finance and environmental governance on urban green spaces in economically and geographically adjacent cities must be considered. Subgroup analysis showed that the impact of land finance on urban greenspaces is more pronounced in cities located in the central and western regions. This study makes a significant contribution to the discussion on whether land finance can support the improvement of urban green spaces and how to promote the positive role of land finance in urban green development, and the positive role of environmental governance in facilitating the supportive role of land finance in promoting urban green development. This paper proposes policy suggestions on how to use land finance to enhance urban green spaces and provides new ideas for sustainable and green urban development.

Based on the investment path data of the top 100 benchmark enterprises of new quality productivity in 2024, according to the three-stage hierarchical affiliation model, the spatial network structure of new quality productivity in Chinese cities and its influencing factors are studied by using social network analysis, spatial analysis through geographic information system, and QAP(Quadratic Assignment Procedure) analysis. The findings of the study are as follows: (1) The spatial network of new quality productivity in Chinese cities involves a wide range of cities with a certain degree of two-way interaction, medium-to-high connectivity, and strong agglomeration. A connection between any two cities is typically achieved through a few nodes. Simultaneously, the network exhibits a small-world effect, forming several independent small groups or circles with high-frequency interactions. (2) The network first forms a national core skeleton with a triangle with "Beijing-Shanghai-Shenzhen" as the vertex. Furthermore, it expands to a diamond network connection pattern with "Beijing-Shanghai-Shenzhen-Chengdu" as the vertex, forming an obvious "core-edge" structure. Beijing plays a core guiding role in the allocation of new quality production factors, and Shanghai is the largest core to attract investment inflows. (3) The network consists mainly of cross-level connections, with high-level cities having substantial external spillovers and closer internal connections that are mainly responsible for the undertaking, and the internal connections are relatively loose. Additionally, the characteristics of internal and external connections differ considerably across the three major regions—East, Middle, and West. The eastern region has the closest internal connections and stronger external attraction and interactivity, forming a ladder-like network pattern. The Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta urban agglomerations exhibit characteristics of cohesive development, whereas the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration shows characteristics of external development. (4) Economic scale, industrial structure, network popularization, institutional proximity, innovation output, and innovative industries were the most important factors affecting the spatial network structure of China's new urban quality productivity. They essentially reflect the spatial configuration logic and coordinated agglomeration law of new quality production factors, and embody the network construction logic of "spatial nesting-innovation drive-industrial collaboration." Spatial nesting provides the most basic geographical and institutional support for the flow of new quality production factors and interaction between cities. The innovation drive is the core driving force behind the construction of network structures, and the industrial collaboration mechanism promotes this network relationship based on space and innovation, moving towards a deeper level of functional integration and jointly shaping a multilevel, gradient, and efficient flow network pattern.

Exploring the new pattern of the integration of the digital economy, culture, and tourism industry is one way to promote the high-quality development of the cultural and tourism industry. This study takes Marx's theory of the industrial capital cycle as a guide and constructs an evaluation index system to integrate the digital economy and cultural and tourism industries, and infrastructure, social subjects, external environment, and effectiveness. It adopts the entropy value method, Dagum Gini coefficient, and Markov chain to measure and analyze the level of development of the integration of the digital economy and cultural and tourism industry in 31 Chinese provinces and cities from 2012 to 2022, the regional differences, and their spatiotemporal evolution patterns. The study found the following. The development level of digital cultural tourism integration in China showed a fluctuating upward trend during the study period; however, the overall level remained relatively low. Only four provinces and municipalities, namely Shanghai, Beijing, Sichuan, and Anhui, achieved a "high level–high speed" development status. Significant disparities in digital cultural tourism integration exist among the eight major comprehensive economic zones, although a regional catch-up effect has emerged. The eastern, northern, and southern coastal regions form the first-tier group; the Middle Yangtze, Southwest, and Middle Yellow River regions constitute the second tier; and the Northeast and Northwest regions fall into the third tier. The Eastern Coastal region leads the country in the transformation and upgrading stages, whereas the northern coastal, middle Yellow River, and northwest regions show the most evident catch-up momentum. The overall disparity in digital cultural tourism integration across China has gradually narrowed. However, the gap between the eastern coastal and northwestern regions remains the primary obstacle to the coordinated development of digital cultural tourism integration. Meanwhile, the northeast region faces internal imbalance, indicating the existence of a "digital cultural tourism integration divide" within the region. This highlights the need to address development shortcomings and promote coordinated development among provinces within the northeast. The development trend of digital cultural tourism integration in China has remained relatively stable, with the emergence of four types of convergence "clubs": low-level, lower-middle-level, upper-middle-level, and high-level. Among them, convergence is most significant in the low- and high-level groups, reflecting a pronounced "Matthew effect." Cross-club transitions are rare, with higher probabilities of shifts occurring between adjacent levels than nonadjacent ones, and upward transitions are more likely to occur than downward transitions. Notably, the eastern and southwestern regions show a clear trend of upward mobility in digital cultural tourism integration, whereas the northern coastal and northeastern regions display roughly equal probabilities of upward and downward transitions, indicating a lack of clear directional tendencies in their development. This study systematically reveals the spatial patterns and dynamic trends of the integration between the digital economy and the cultural tourism industry in China in three dimensions: theoretical logic, indicator system, and evolutionary mechanism. This study provides theoretical support and policy references for enhancing the quality of digital cultural tourism integration, narrowing regional disparities, and promoting high-quality tourism.

The contradiction between natural ecological environment protection and the diversification of human needs is increasing daily in the transition period from high-speed to high-quality development. Coordination of the benign and balanced development of ecosystem services and human well-being, with a view to deconstructing the complex interactions of human-land composite systems, is of great scientific and practical significance. To date, studies have mainly focused on the impact of ecosystem services on human well-being and the feedback of human well-being to ecosystems and have paid little attention to the deep coupling relationship between ecosystem services and human well-being. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the complex coupling and coordination relationships between ecosystem services and human well-being to provide a scientific basis for achieving sustainable development. This study takes Guangdong Province, which has a developed economy, large population, and prominent human-land conflicts, as a typical example. This study comprehensively applied the InVEST model, the Revised Universal Soil Erosion Equation, and the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach to quantify the four main ecosystem services; constructed an indicator system for human well-being; and combined the coupled coordination degree model with a geodetector to analyze the temporal and spatial characteristics of ecosystem services and human well-being and reveal the coupled and coordinated relationship between ecosystem services and human well-being during 2000–2020. The results showed that: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the ecosystem services in Guangdong Province showed an overall downward trend, with a significant decline in carbon sequestration service, with average carbon sequestration decreasing by 11.31%; the spatial heterogeneity showed a pattern of "high in the north and low in the south" with the green ecological barrier in the mountainous areas of northern Guangdong highlighted, and the ecosystem services of the Pearl River Delta urban agglomerations significantly degraded; the level of human well-being significantly improved, and innovation vitality and open environment promoted the high-quality development of the region; (2) from 2000 to 2020, the degree of coupling coordination has shifted from barely coordinated to well-coordinated; however, the core urban areas of the Guangzhou-Foshan region remain characterized by an "economic-ecological" imbalance; the ecosystem services level of the mountainous areas in northern Guangdong is high, and the human-land system shows the characteristics of benign resonance development in the process of economic development; (3) the influencing factors of the coupling and coordination relationship between ecosystem services and human well-being show a stage-by-stage evolutionary feature: during rapid urbanization, the development of urbanization level and the adjustment of industrial structure determine the relationship between the two; in the high-quality development period, the main influence shifted to land intensive use and public social services; none of the influencing factors are independent, and there is an enhanced effect of multi-factor interaction among the influencing factors, showing a complex relationship of nonlinear enhancement. This study provides a theoretical basis for solving the human-land system conflict and optimizing the spatial governance of land in economically developed regions.

The innovation network of digital technology plays a significant role in reshaping innovation spaces and developing new quality productivity. This study explored the dynamic mechanism of impact of the endogenous structure of China's intercity digital technology innovation network, urban innovation endowments, and multidimensional boundary effects from the perspective of intercity collaboration between innovation entities, employing a temporal exponential random graph model (TERGM). The results indicate that: 1) In terms of the characteristics of spatial-temporal change, the innovation network exhibited a "dense in the east and sparse in the west" pattern, forming a diamond-shaped structure with five major urban agglomerations as endpoints. The core nodes of the network were primarily economic and technological centers within these urban agglomerations, and the network displayed regional imbalances. As the network evolved, the mode of connectivity shifted from long-distance dominance to a model that balanced nearby diffusion with small-scale, community-based innovation. The overall structure of the network demonstrated a certain degree of stability, with core nodes remaining unchanged, reflecting a situation where core technological cities within urban agglomerations drove innovation development in other regions. Additionally, there was a phenomenon of numerous factions existing within different regions, urban agglomerations, and provinces. 2) With regard to the mechanism of influence, the preferential linking effect of endogenous structures hindered network growth through the formation of "the strong gets stronger, the weak gets weaker" polarization. Closure and mediation effects promoted network change by facilitating link transmission among nodes and fostering closed innovation groups, indicating that the network exhibited path dependence. The expansion effect of urban innovation endowments and the matching effect of similarities and differences drove network change. Intercity relationship variables showed that geographical distance and administrative boundaries significantly obstructed network development. This study visualized the virtual aggregation of digital technology innovation elements from a geographical perspective and examined the driving mechanisms of the endogenous structure within networks on digital technology innovation. It provides an empirical support for the macro integration of virtual and geographical agglomerations in innovation spaces.