The first action of transnational, transboundary and trans-generational combination on Marxist geography produced a co-authored paper written by 23 scholars including David Harvey, which was published in Chinese journal, Geographical Research. This action helps to improve the knowledge level of Marist geography of China, and makes some efforts to build a cross-field and cross-country combination. This paper tries to continue the topics of the last issue, but mainly focuses on discussing how to put Marxist geography into planning and practice, and how to deal with the relations between theories and practice. From different perspectives, the scholars, mainly from geography, including Trevor Barnes, discuss the meanings, methodologies and paths of developing Marxist geography in China.
It is widely accepted that the distribution of some plant species may have changed significantly along with global warming. But the change of plant distribution in recent 30 years in central and eastern China has not been systematically summarized. Based on meta-analysis and data from Atlas of Woody Plants in China and other published studies, 251 distribution records of 119 plant species in the last 15 years are obtained. This study analyzed the distribution changes of these species through comparison of the original records, and further discussed the cause for these changes by calculating the Warmth Index (WI). The results show that: (1) 80% of the plant species in central and eastern China migrated northward in recent 30 years with a mean value of 3.37 degrees. (2) Most parts of China show a significant warming trend since the 1960s under the background of global warming, and the plant distribution changes are concentrated in the significant warming regions. (3) The migration has mainly occurred in the transitional regions from subtropical evergreen broad leaved forest to warm temperate deciduous broad leaved forest and coniferous-broad leaved mixed forest in the middle temperate zone. (4) The temperature rise provides more heat to satisfy the requirements of plants that cannot adapt to the natural environment in northern China before. For 83.61% of the species, the mean WI in the 2000-2014 period can meet the needs of plants better than the 1961-1990 period, so the migration is highly related to climate warming. In this paper, the trend and amplitude of the plant distribution changes are systematically summarized in the scale of species. The results can reflect the general impact of global change on the plant aspects in China, and it also provides a solid basis for scientific assessment of the impact of climate change on ecosystem. In the follow-up study, the response process and the change direction of plant under multiple factors influence will be further discussed.
Accurate global land cover datasets are key environmental information for research on global changes and regional sustainable development, such as global climate change, ecosystem assessment, biodiversity conservation. However, there are still some shortcomings in showing spatial and thematic details for the existing global land cover products at medium and low resolutions (300-1000 m). Recently, GlobeLand30, a global land cover product based on Landsat images at a 30-m resolution, was produced and released by China. The product made a breakthrough in enhancing spatial resolution of global land cover products, and has a wide range of application prospects. As with any land cover products, it is necessary to carry out accuracy evaluation of GlobeLand30 in global, regional or local scales before it is widely applied. This study aims at assessing the accuracy of GlobleLand30 in Henan province with cross-comparison analyses and sampling methods respectively. Firstly, the national land use database of China at a 1
Food security issue of China is an increasing challenge as its population continues to grow while the resources remain limited and unevenly distributed. In hence, volatile climate also restricts food production. Local factors are no longer the most significant determinants of resource management. In fact, it is possible to redistribute resource supplies to meet the demands by expanding production, trading chains and indirect resource usage by consumers in today's modern economy system. The concept of virtual resource mapping invokes quantitative resource flow research, such as in grain trade, and provides a scientific basis for setting policies. At present, most virtual resource mapping studies have focused on international food trade or trade among different regions, but less on the inter-provincial level of trade. Research has shown that utilizing virtual resource mapping is a good way to devise strategies to improve uneven distribution. The aim of the study is to understand how resources flow and are consumed within the inter-provincial grain trade in China. Drawing on existing research, we study 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), analyze virtual cultivated land flow underlying the inter-provincial grain trade in China between 2010 and 2012, and evaluate the rationality of China's current grain trade patterns from the perspective of resource consumption. Using provincial food supply and demand data, a network optimal path analysis in ArcGIS is performed and the results are used to build a linear optimization model to obtain inter-provincial food trading volumes. Northeast China, North China and the Huang-Huai-Hai regions are the main output regions while South China and Southwest China are the main input areas. Inter-provincial grain trade virtual cultivated land flow accounted to 1747.4×104 hm2. In particular Heilongjiang, with the largest virtual land output (403.5×104 hm2), and Guangdong had the largest virtual land input (312×104 hm2). Virtual mapping of resource consumption was based on calculations made from the perspectives of both producers and consumers, producer use reflects actual resource consumption, while consumer use is presented as the ideal number given local grain production and resource conservation for importers through grain trade. When the producer value is larger, the grain trade flow is unreasonable. Among China's inter-provincial grain trade, it has used 250×104 hm2 of cultivated land more than produced locally. The results show that though virtual cultivated land flow has eased regional land resources imbalance, for some high-efficiency cultivation provinces, grain input brings more resource consumption. In China, an optimized inter-provincial food trade pattern could improve regional development, promote the rational allocation of resources and increase food security for consumers.
This paper introduces the concept of gas flow superiority. Compared with other areas, if an area has an advantage in gas flow which is led by flow scale, traffic, gas consumption and economy, we call it gas flow superiority. In this paper, the input superiority and output superiority are measured,and the temporal and spatial evolution pattern of gas flow is also analyzed. Some conclusions about the temporal and spatial evolution pattern are drawn as follows. (1) The number of input regions and output regions has been changing over time, and regional disparity in superiortiy is very obvious. (2) Spatial convergence characteristics of output superiority decreases at first and then increases. Hot spot is located in the northwest of China. Areal distribution direction has changed from northwest-southeast to approximate north-south. (3) Spatial convergence characteristics of input superiority show the gradually increasing trend. Hot spot is located in the east of China. Besides, the gas flow superiority is influenced by gas production, consumption and other factors. So these factors are also analyzed. Some conclusions are also drawn in the paper. (1) Flow conditions and gas production are the principal influencing factors which result in the changes of output regions. (2) For input regions, gas consumption, gas industry and flow conditions are the main factors, and the influence of these factors has been strengthening continuously. Based on the analysis of evolution pattern and influence factors of gas flow superiority, we propose the following suggestions. (1) Gas flow channels should be improved in the future. Gas flow mainly relies on pipeline transport and there still exist some disadvantages in gas pipeline transport. Thus, gas pipelines should be improved in various regions. (2) Gas demand also constantly strengthens the guidance of gas flow, and external dependency will also increase, therefore, imported pipelines and supporting infrastructure should be set up in order to meet demand. (3) It is an important mean to developing our gas industry to guarantee gas supply. (4) Dealing with the relationship of harmonious development among the gas reserves, pipelines and gas demand is very necessary to ensure reasonable distribution.
Since the reform and opening up, China's rapid economic development is accompanied by serious environmental pollution. In China, industrial pollution is very prominent. In 2014, China's industrial SO2 and industrial smoke dust accounted for more than 80% of the total SO2 and smoke dust emissions. In order to develop scientific and reasonable pollution control policy, we must make clear the present situation and causes of China's industrial pollution. Based on the industrial pollution (waste water, SO2, smoke dust) data of 286 cities in 2013, and using the methods of exploratory spatial data analysis and spatial econometric model, this paper investigates the geographical concentration and influencing factors of the total amount and intensity of industrial pollution. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The industrial pollution (waste water, SO2, smoke dust) demonstrated significant geographical concentration and spatial autocorrelation and different patterns of spatial distribution. The total amount of waste water in the east region is larger than that in the west whereas the intensity of waste water in the east is lower than that in the west. The total amount of SO2 is higher in the north compared to that in the south and more areas are highly polluted. The intensity of SO2 in the west is higher than that in the east. The spatial pattern of total amount of smoke dust, which is similar to that of its intensity, is concentrated in the Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. (2) The total amount and intensity of the three pollutants showed significant spatial lag and spatial error spillover effect, which means the pollutant discharge in the region will be affected by the emissions of pollutants in the surrounding area. (3) Due to different characteristics, spatial pattern and industry orientation, the three kinds of pollutants have shown significant differences in the key factors of spatial distribution. Factors such as level of economic development, population density, the proportion of the tertiary industry, the scale of foreign capital investment, and the efficiency of energy consumption will increase the total amount of pollutants. However, the level of economic development, population density, the proportion of the tertiary industry, and the rising expenses in science and technology can reduce the intensity of pollution. (4) To reduce the industrial pollution, we should not only pay attention to the spatial interaction of industrial pollution, strengthen joint prevention and control among regions, but also raise the level of regional economic development, promote the upgrade of the industrial structure, increase investment in science and technology, and take related countermeasures suited to local conditions.
On the basis of the connotation of the environmental efficiency of industrial system, this paper builds the measurement model of industrial system eco-efficiency and the evaluation model of industrial sustainability in the perspective of the different production processes eco-efficiency elements such as resource abatement efficiency, clean production efficiency and terminal control efficiency. And it analyzes the eco-efficiency evolution and the influencing factors of industrial system in the Songhua River Basin of Jilin Province. The results indicate that: Firstly, comprehensive cities focused on the source abatement efficiency so as to allow the industry to "light", showing an overall low input, low consumption and low emission development, while resource-based cities focused on improvement of the clean production efficiency so as to allow the industry to "clean", showing an overall high input, high utilization and high emissions. Secondly, the increased amplitude of industrial system eco-efficiency had an obvious watershed characteristic in the order of Baicheng > Songyuan > Jilin > Songhua River Basin > Changchun. And then according to the contribution rate analysis of the production process of eco-efficiency, we could conclude that the reduction of resources and terminal control were the decisive factors to the eco-efficiency change of the Songhua River Basin in Jilin Province. Thirdly, the differentiation of industrial sustainable development was significant, and on the whole the industrial system sustainability of the watershed was enhancing. But the irregularity indicated the lack of labor division and the weak relation between regional industrial sectors. Finally, the paper examined the influencing factors of industrial system eco-efficiency of the Songhua River Basin, including the ownership structure, science and technology, environmental management efforts and foreign investment, while the function of economic development level, industrial structure and government regulation were not obvious.
In the context of global warming, to analyse spatial differentiation patterns of carbon emissions from urban residential energy consumption is of great importance. We took the city of Kaifeng as the case area, which is one of the typical small and medium-sized cites in the north of central heating transition zone of China. This study was based on questionnaire surveys, in which there are 1433 valid answers related to 5475 residents. Using the methods as descriptive statistical analysis, spatial autocorrelation analysis as well as the standard deviation ellipse analysis, we studied the spatial characteristics of the carbon emissions in term of the family-based urban resident's energy consumption in the urban area of Kaifeng city for 2015. Our study has achieved the following conclusions: (1) The carbon emissions of urban residents' energy consumption have the positive correlation in terms of spatial distribition, especially in the gathering region of high value. The high carbon emissions were observed in new urban development zone, or in the built-up area expanding faster. This is the area where there are new high-grade commercial housing estates, or the housing zone of the government-affiliated institutions. The low carbon emissions were mainly found in the region where the buildings were built up much earlier, and there is no further or less development. Mostly it is the zone with old commercial housing estate, or small local residential communities; (2) In Kaifeng city, the carbon emissions by household electricity consumption accounted for 67% of the total carbon emissions. The spatial pattern of per capita carbon emissions from residents' energy consumption was subject to heating carbon emissions, and the spatial pattern of per capita heating carbon emissions was subject to spatial pattern of central heating carbon emissions. Therefore, in order to reduce the carbon emissions of residents' energy consumption, it is important to reduce energy consumption from central heating system, and also narrow down the differences of per capita heating energy; (3) The family-based monthly income, the layout of centrally heating facilities and structure of the urban development are the main driving factors for the formation of the spatial dependence and spatial heterogeneity of carbon emissions from residential energy consumption.
Socio-ecological systems theory offers a conceptual model that has not been applied in analyses of the process and evolution of rural transformation in China. Drawing on a system transformation theoretical framework, we selected the town of Hongjia in Changwu County as a case study to explore the context of local rural transformation and associated environmental factors. We examined village-level socio-ecological system changes, with a particular emphasis on influencing factors associated with regime shifts and the robustness of rural socio-ecological systems. Our findings were as follows. First, the local rural socio-ecological regime has evolved through the transformation of the traditional agricultural regime, with some of the household regimes shifting to a non-agricultural system. Second, family characteristics constitute the objective conditions for the transformation of household regimes. Internal factors driving the transformation process include: the quantity of the household's cultivated land as well as labor quality and quality. Furthermore, householders' ages, culture level, and social networks are major determinants of the direction of transformation of the household regime. Third, the shift in household regimes presents a scattered and aggregated pattern, with evident differences in the robustness of households. Rural households are classified according to the planting structure and households' incomes. Differences in the robustness of different types of rural households can, in turn, be expressed as follows: apple+non-agricultural production > non-agricultural production > grain + non-agricultural production > apple production > agricultural production. Lastly, we discuss the findings of this microstudy of rural transformation, and its practical implications, proposing future research directions.
With the rapid urbanization process in China, the development of Chinese traditional villages presents a marginal characteristic compared with those urbanized areas. The paper studies 723 Chinese traditional villages, particularly in Hunan province. Along with the tool of ArcGIS 10.0, four key factors, namely, agricultural resources, economy, space composition and traffic system, have been carefully selected and used to investigate the impact of urbanization on the spatial distribution of villages. The study takes the scale of county as the basic unit. The core and edge regions of urbanization in Hunan province have been evaluated. The paper has superimposed two datasets, and the results show the marginalization tendency of traditional villages in Hunan province. Then the paper analyzes the formation mechanism of the marginalization feature of traditional villages, and puts forward some suggestions to help the conservation as well as sustaibable development of these Chinese heritages.
Borders separate political entities, but cross-border mobilities at the level of everyday life are common, complex and historically long existent. This paper suggests that the inhabitants of the borderlands and the governance of border regions should be analyzed from the lens of mobilities, which contribute to the ongoing production of the meanings of the border. This process involves the interaction and articulation between top-down state governance and bottom-up actions of negotiation and adaption. Borders are endowed with rich cultural meanings, which are also essential to the exercise of state power and the formation of community identities. In the context of the ethnic frontiers of China, the study of borders is particularly relevant, because the border has profound implications for ethnic minorities' integration into a unified national identity, especially given that ethnic identities do not always conform to de jure geopolitical orders. Based on these theoretical insights, this study focuses on the various forms of cross-border mobilities practiced by border inhabitants. Adopting qualitative research methods, it chooses the case of Village X, located in Hekou County, Yunnan Province, which borders Lao Cai Province, Vietnam. The study finds that cross-border mobilities of grassroots groups turn the border into an important constitutive factor in the formation of the social, economic and political niches at the borderlands. While ethnic groups do not challenge their de jure belonging to the nation-state, they nonetheless maintain regular cross-border social ties and exchanges to preserve ethnic identities. Cross-border mobilities not only serve pragmatist ends, but more importantly, they also play a significant role in the construction of cultural and national identities border inhabitants, and help construct social networks that bind together a cross-border society. Meanwhile, the official techniques of border governance strengthen the will of the nation-state, and the border is therefore changed to a materialized instrument of power. But grassroots communities have also developed various coping strategies, many of which have prompted the state to adopt more flexible and context-specific approaches of regulation that do not follow dogmatic principles. Therefore, this paper argues that we need to pay attention to the effects of flexible border management in the actual social contexts of the borderlands, and try to take into account the diverse ways in which mundane practices of border inhabitants co-constitute state power and geopolitical orders.
Spatial distribution pattern of population and its evolution with the change of time and space is a hotspot and core content for human geography. Under the influence of complex environmental factors like geology, geography, ecology, and resources, population and social economy in western and eastern regions of China exhibit a lopsided development pattern over a long period of time. With the proposed New Urbanization Construction and the Belt and Road strategy, the social economy in western China, or even the whole China, has opportunities and space for development. Under the circumstance, this study on population distribution in different periods and areas in China will provide basis and spatial cognition for the development of relevant sustainable development policies and measures. Population data is acquired from the national statistical yearbook and population census data in different periods, and further built up spatial joint with the county administrative boundary in different periods. The population density is calculated based on the population data and regional area, and revised according to the adjacent years. With the support of geographical information technology, the inverse distance weighted method is used for spatial interpolation of the population density. Because of spatial density and distribution for the sampling points, average population density replaced interpolated results in western China. The study depicts the east-west dividing line of population density and discrepancies of population density in different periods and areas during 1935-2010 using county-level Chinese census data from six stages (1935, 1964, 1982, 1990, 2000, and 2010) with the index of population distribution structure, the Gini coefficient of population density, the movement trace of population center of gravity, and spatial autocorrelation analysis. The results showcase the dividing line of population density and discrepancies of population density in different periods and areas during 1935-2010. Because of the influence of history, environment and economy, the characteristics of population distribution evolution in different periods and areas keep changing in this study. It is known to all that the people are mainly distributed in Southeast China with little area, and population is much sparse in Northwest China, but with the larger area. Even though the population distribution trend of balanced development keeps increasing, the spatial distribution pattern of population has not changed obviously in the whole nation. The Hu Huanyong Line can still be a good summary of the characteristics of population distribution in China. To the west of the Hu Huanyong Line, population density in several provinces keep increasing during 1935-2010, such as Gansu Province and Ningxia and Inner Mongolia autonomous regions. The number of areas with population density with more than 50 people per kilometer increases greatly in the three provincial units. Moreover, the trend transferred to northwest China during 1935-2010. At the same time, the population distribution has obvious spatial autocorrelations in China in the last 80 years. In spatial scale, the hot and cold spots for population distribution have obvious aggregation, with great spatial difference in the whole China. The High-High regions are mainly distributed in South and East China where population density is very high and economy is developing repidly. The Low-Low regions are distributed on both sides of Hu Huanyong Line, namely, Southwest China and Northwest China. The natural environment and living standard are very poor in these regions. The spatial difference of population distribution in the High-Low and Low-High regions is very obvious because of local natural geographical environment and economic development, and these regions are usually distributed around the High-High and Low-Low regions. Thus, it is possible to coordinate the development between eastern and western China. We should understand the connotation and denotation of the question put forward by Premier Li Keqiang based on the natural law and economic development strategy of China in the new period. Meanwhile, people-oriented awareness should be further set up, and the New Urbanization Construction can be used to raise urbanization levels in China, thus improving the standard of living and environment.
Rural landscape is a critical component of rural tourism. It also plays a key role in the success of the recent national program called "the Construction of Beautiful Village". Yet along with the development of rural tourism, rural landscape as a main attraction is becoming more homogenous, which tends to have consequent impact on the sustainability of rural tourism in different places. Therefore, studies concerning about the evolution logic of rural landscape become increasingly important. Nevertheless in existing rural geography literature, the process and mechanism of the evolution of rural landscape characters have rarely been investigated. This study thus, taking network structure characteristic and power relation as the breakthrough point, tries to uncover the evolution process of rural landscape. The study adopted social network analysis and provided an interpretation for the evolution with actor-net analysis. The study takes Jiangxiang Village in Jiangsu as the research site. The results suggest that there were 21 landscape characteristics for the village until 2015, which can be divided into 5 dimensions as scenic beauty, rurality, environmental friendliness, accessibility and tourist experience. From 2005 to 2015, the village's landscape characteristics had become increasingly diverse and rich, network density of the characteristics had increased, and their relationship in-between had also grown to be closer. The main line of landscape evolution had hardly changed, but the character, which is in the center of the actor-net, was obviously fluctuated. The celebrity effect of Chang Desheng and the importance of the surrounding service environment had become more apparent, while the character of rural atmosphere tended to be less important. The importance of leisure experience yet had a rising trend first and then falling. In addition, the characters with high degree of centrality played the same role in the net. The second part of this paper illustrated the logic behind such a phenomenon. The actor network included seven subjects, namely the central government, local government, village committee, political elites, the villagers, the enterprise in the village and the local natural resources. Governmental guidance, ability of the political elites and also the actors' reaction to the varying situations and policies in different periods, were found to be crucial to the evolution of the landscape character network. Power structure and the path of interests, being driving forces of the role definition, distribution and conversion for different actors, are principal elements in the construction of landscape character network. This article also demonstrates that SNA and ANT can be well applied to describe various social networks, and the process and mechanism of the evolution of rural landscape. Additionally, this study discusses the connection between landscape characters and socio-spatial restructuring, the logic of interaction among space, power and interests, as well as the institutional logic behind the case.
A large number of casualties and property damage are begotten by various natural and man-made disasters in recent years. In order to protect the disaster relics, pay homage to the victims, and disseminate disaster prevention knowledge and other purposes, many memorials have been constructed around the world, millions of tourists visit these memorials every year, and this kind of tourism is so called dark tourism. However, research on dark tourists is far from enough now, which is not convenient for the comprehension of dark tourism and tourism development and management of these memorials. Motivations of dark tourists are analyzed by taking Beichuan Earthquake Site Area as an example; segments and difference of dark tourists are discussed as well.
Based on factor analysis, dark tourism motivations are divided into three types, namely 'entertainment and self-development', 'welfare and education expedition', and 'mourning and exploration of the local characteristics'. 'Mourning and exploration of the local characteristics' is the main motivation of dark tourists, followed by 'welfare and education expedition', and only a small number of dark tourists are based on the 'entertainment and self-development'.
Furthermore, based on cluster analysis, dark tourists are classified into three segments as 'gray tourist', 'black tourist' and 'compound tourist'. Most tourists are 'black tourist' and on the other hand, only a small number of tourists are 'compound tourist'. In addition, the significant segments differ from each other in demographic characteristics, which have been found only on age. Specifically speaking, 'gray tourist' tends to be older than the other two segments of tourists; 'compound tourist' is the youngest group.
Dark tourists' attitudes towards the protection and tourism development of disaster relics are analyzed, most of tourists are in suppose of the protection and tourism development of disaster relics, and more tourists are in suppose of the protection of memorials than tourism development. However, compared with suppose of the protection, suppose of the tourism development is relatively low. This shows that some tourists are not agreeing with disaster relics to be used as tourism attractions, although the value and importance of protection of memorials are realized. Significant differences are found among three segments of tourists, the support level of the protection of disaster relics are becoming smaller as the sequence of 'compound tourists', 'gray tourists' and 'black tourists', however, the support level of the tourism development of earthquake relics is becoming lower as the sequence of 'compound tourists', 'black tourists' and 'gray tourists'.
In the future, the management of Beichuan Earthquake Site Area should focus on the following topics: (1) disseminate the positive value of earthquake memorials and dark tourism to the public; (2) conduct differentiated consumer guide to different segments of tourists, to avoid some morbid tourism behaviors and negative effects to local communities; (3) improve protection, development and management by learning experience and imitating other successful dark tourism sites, both in China and across the world.
Motivations and segments analysis of dark tourist at Beichuan Earthquake Site Area, can be of some reference value, however, restricted by the fact that only natural disaster memorials are discussed, more analysis should be made in the future on man-made disaster memorials, to acquire the tourists' behavior characteristics and disciplines by referring to behavior before travel, experience and perception after travel analysis.
Suburban scenic area is a kind of scenic spots which is near to the city. Due to various factors such as history, population, social and economic development, suburban scenic area is numerous and is an important type of scenic spots in China. Owing to its geographical advantage, many people who live in the city and who want to have a short distance tour on weekends or in short holidays would prefer to travel to suburban scenic areas. Also, it is a favorite tourist destination for those self-driving tourists.
In recent years, with the rapid development of tourism, especially the appearance of self-drive tourists, a large number of visitors and vehicles get into the suburban scenic area, which aggravates the mixed hybrid of tourist traffic, commuting traffic, and transit traffic, resulting in the issue of full people and full vehicles in tourism peak, and resulting in paralyzed traffic in the scenic area. The rising traffic congestion problem has become a bottleneck and a serious restricts for the sustainable development of suburban scenic areas. Because of the large proportion of suburban scenic areas in China, its great contribution and influence for Chinese tourism development, while the tourist traffic congestion has become a key issue restricting the development of the tourism scenic area, so there is an urgent need to make a deep thinking in theory and make a powerful exploration in practice to work out traffic congestion in suburban scenic areas, which is of great theoretical and practical significance to China's sustainable development of tourism and tourism scenic spots. At present, some scholars engaging in their practical work have put forward a model or a program to solve the tourist traffic congestion in suburban scenic areas. But there is still a lack of solution from a comprehensive and balanced perspective to solve traffic congestion in tourism scenic areas. In accordance with the characteristics and problems of tourist traffic in suburban scenic areas, based on the TDM theory of city traffic congestion solutions, this paper put forward a solution called "Plan-Manage-Service-Incentive", namely PMSI, to solve tourist traffic congestion. This model was applied to solve tourist traffic congestion in Wenzhou Yandangshan-Nanxijiang national scenic area and achieved a good result.
