The non-grain production of cultivated land in China is becoming increasingly severe. A comprehensive understanding of the patterns of change and formation mechanisms of non-grain production of cultivated land is of great significance for enhancing cultivated land protection and ensuring food security. Currently, there are diverse perspectives and methodologies for measuring non-grain production yet the results vary significantly, and comparative and integrated research on various measurement methods remains inadequate. Therefore, this study employed a meta-analysis approach to statistically examine 207 existing research articles, revealing the characteristics of change and driving mechanisms of non-grain production of cultivated land in China from 2000 to 2021. The findings are as follows: 1) The methods of non-grain crop area proportion, multiple cropping index, and autumn grain crop area are frequently used and widely applied, offering comparability at the national, regional, and provincial scales, which can be considered preferred methods for measuring non-grain production of cultivated land. 2) During the study period of this research, the rate of non-grain production of cultivated land in China remained stable at around 30.0% overall, with a slight downward fluctuation. Among the nine major agricultural regions, the Northeast China Plain, the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, and the Loess Plateau had non-grain production rates below 30.0% that remained relatively stable, the rate of non-grain production of cultivated land in South China was higher than 50.0% and the increase was larger, while in other regions the rates were in the range of 30.0% to 50.0%, with a general increase of 10.0% to 20.0%. The rate and growth of non-grain production of cultivated land were both lower in the northern grain crop planting regions than in the southern regions, which gradually increased in the main grain-producing areas, grain balanced areas, and main grain-marketing areas. At the provincial level, non-grain production exhibited a dynamic process characterized by clustered incremental increases and phased differentiation. 3) Non-grain production of cultivated land in China is influenced by multiple factors, including natural environment, economic development, social activities, policies, and technology. Through the foundational, bidirectional, driving, and regulatory effects of common and differential factors, the driving effects of non-grain production of cultivated land such as background, catalytic, enhancement, and retardation effects are formed. This study supports the viewpoints of many scholars, provides data references for in-depth research on the socioeconomic and natural environmental effects of non-grain production, and proposes optimization strategies for the effective implementation of scientific measures to manage non-grain production of cultivated land.

Cultivating and guiding new quality productivity to empower the high-quality development of resource-based regions is an inherent requirement and important focus for advancing Chinese style modernization and modernization of national governance. This study incorporated new quality productivity into the theoretical analysis framework for high-quality development in resource-based regions, systematically expounded the theoretical basis for new quality productivity empowering the transformation and high-quality development of resource-based regions, and empirically examined the mechanism and effects of new quality productivity empowering high-quality development of resource-based regions using benchmark regression models, multiple mediation effect models, and spatial Durbin models based on the panel data from 23 resource-based cities in Northeast China from 2010 to 2022. The research findings indicate that: 1) The promotion effect of new quality productivity on high-quality development of resource-based regions was significant, and this effect exhibited characteristics of regional differences, differences in development stages, and structural heterogeneity. 2) New quality productivity provided a solid foundation for the realization of high-quality development of resource-based regions through multiple channels such as technological innovation, industrial structure transformation and upgrading, and optimization of resource factor allocation, among which the mediation effect of industrial structure upgrading was the most significant. 3) New quality productivity had a positive spatial spillover effect on the high-quality development of neighboring resource-based cities. These findings not only help to theoretically clarify the connection between new quality productivity and high-quality development of resource-based regions, enrich the sustainability assessment framework of new quality productivity from the perspective of high-quality development of resource-based regions, but also help to guide local governments in formulating differentiated development strategies at the practical level, providing a policy basis for coordinating new quality productivity and advancing the tasks and goals of Chinese style modernization and modernization of national governance.

It is crucial for achieving the dual carbon goals and promoting high-quality urban development to reveal the heterogeneity of urban sprawl's impact on carbon emissions in the Yellow River Basin, and establish a scientific basis for coordinating urbanization with low-carbon development. This study evaluated the degree of urban sprawl based on long-term nighttime light imagery and LandScan population data, and empirically examined the impact of urban sprawl on carbon emissions and its spatial effects in 91 prefecture-level cities in the Yellow River Basin during 2004-2021 using the spatial Durbin model. It also used the geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) model to assess the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of these effects. The findings demonstrate that, first, a pronounced spatial disparity and spatial aggregation in carbon emissions existed across the study region, with higher levels in the eastern part compared to the western areas. While aggregate carbon emissions continued to rise annually, the rate of increase has shown consistent deceleration. Second, urban sprawl exhibited both significant direct and indirect effects. This result suggests that urban sprawl not only affected the carbon emissions of a city itself but also had spillover effects on those of the neighbors. Third, urban sprawl contributed to the rise in carbon emissions through three principal pathways: expanding the quantity and scale of industrial enterprises, extending residents' commuting distances, and elevating household energy consumption. Finally, the impact of urban sprawl on carbon emissions showed an upward trend in temporal variation, with a dynamic change characteristic of homogenization-differentiation-homogenization. In terms of spatial heterogeneity, the impact of urban sprawl on carbon emissions was predominantly positive, high coefficients mainly concentrated in the midstream regions, and low values mainly occurred in both the upstream and downstream areas. From the perspective of spatial evolution, the impact of urban sprawl on carbon emissions was gradually increasing, especially in the middle reaches. Consequently, the effects of urban sprawl on carbon emissions showed distinct spatiotemporal heterogeneity, varying in impact intensity in both the temporal and spatial dimensions. Formulating differentiated spatial development plans tailored to urban realities may prevent disorderly urban sprawl and facilitate both high-quality urban development and the achievement of carbon reduction goals in the Yellow River Basin.

Raising income levels and narrowing theurban-rural income gap is an important path to realize the well-being equity and common prosperity of urban and rural residents in national key ecological functional zones. This study focused on the national key ecological functional zones in China, comprising 410 counties. Dagum's Gini coefficient, kernel density estimation, and the multiscale geographic weighted regression (MGWR) model were used to measure the changes in urban and rural residents' incomes spatially and temporally, with a focus on the dynamic evolution of spatial differences in the urban-rural income gap (URIG). This study also identified factors that influenced the URIG and analyzed their roles over the past 10 years within the ecological functional zones. The results show that: 1) In the past 10 years, the income of urban and rural residents in the study areas has doubled overall, but it was still lower than the national average income level. The absolute income gap between urban and rural residents in the study areas, as well as the average incomes of urban and rural residents in China, was almost three times greater in 2020 than in 2010. The growth rate of income in urban and rural areas was highly consistent with the income growth rate in urban and rural areas across the country, and the growth rate of rural income level was faster than that of urban areas. 2) During 2010-2020, the overall income gap between urban and rural areas has dropped from 3.43 to 2.58, and the narrowing rate was greater than the national average level. By 2020, it basically kept pace with the national average level, tending towards common prosperity. The urban-rural income gap on the eastern and western sides of the Hu Huanyong Line was narrowing. The urban-rural income gap on the eastern side of the line was lower than that on the whole country, while the income gap on the western side of the line was higher than that of the country as a whole; The urban-rural income gap on both the northern and the southern sides of the Qinling-Huaihe Line was narrowing, with the urban-rural income gap in the south higher than that on the whole country, while the income gap in the north remains synchronized with the national average level. 3) The overall spatial difference in the level of urban-rural income gap has gradually narrowed, but there are still large differences. The urban-rural income gap in the eight key ecological functional zones all showed a narrowing trend; the urban-rural income gap extremes between the 23 functional areas also showed a narrowing trend. 4) Factors such as increases in aging rates, population density, urbanization rates, per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP), per capita household savings, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) all contributed to the decrease in the URIG. Increases in the ratio of added values from secondary and tertiary industries, per capita fiscal expenditure, employment rates, and the concentration of PM_2.5 delayed the reduction of the URIG. Significant spatial heterogeneity characterized the effects of different influencing factors on the URIG. This study provides fundamental understanding and policy insights for fostering urban-rural integration and regional common prosperity in ecological functional zones.

Corporate location is a core issue in economic geography, yet the prevalent practice of identifying corporate (headquarter) locations through registered addresses undermines data accuracy in numerous studies. This research examined the spatial distribution and influencing factors of A-share listed companies in Beijing in 2023 by distinguishing actual headquarters from registered addresses. Key findings reveal that: 1) Significant spatial separation exists between headquarters and registered addresses across cities and intracity districts. Influenced by economic factors, headquarters predominantly cluster in more developed areas, but registered addresses tend towards less developed regions that offer tax incentives. 2) Registered addresses substantially distort municipal- and district-level corporate location assessments, with district-level errors exceeding municipal discrepancies and sample errors outweighing quantitative inaccuracies, particularly severe in Chaoyang District. 3) A comparative analysis demonstrates that using registered address data reverses spatial autocorrelation outcomes, underestimates agglomeration intensity, distorts spatial patterns and centroid locations, and generates misleading coefficients in factor analysis—some showing inverted polarity. These findings challenge the validity of empirical studies relying on administrative registration data, particularly those concerning location theory and corporate geography. This study advocates critical reappraisal of conventional corporate location identification methodologies.

The environmental vulnerability of the Qingzang Plateau constrains the development of agriculture and animal husbandry, and the local knowledge drawn from the history of agricultural and pastoral activities has given rise to an adaptive and localized development model that is increasingly valued in regional sustainable development practices. This study focused on the agropastoral systems in eastern Qingzang Plateau, a region with distinct geographical and cultural characteristics. Based on field interviews and using a methodological framework of contextual knowledge tracing, case analysis, and systematic exposition, this study explored the human-environment relationship as embedded metaphorically in local knowledge and its implications for sustainable development. The results show that: 1) Constructing a "knowledge-behavior" sustainability framework for agropastoral areas, the study analyzed local knowledge on the Qingzang Plateau and found that agricultural and pastoral production modes shaped by Tibetan Buddhist norms, natural productivity constrained by historical experience, and household production behavior influenced by folk beliefs together constitute three dimensions of the human-environment relationship that metaphorically underpin the sustainable development of agriculture and animal husbandry on the Plateau. These dimensions operate on the human-grassland system in alpine regions through multiple mechanisms, including the regulation of grassland resource use, the adjustment of production objectives, and the organization of household production behaviors. 2) The case of Lageri Village reflects localized agricultural-pastoral practices, where ecological perceptions, family-based cultural values, and neighborhood mutual assistance are increasingly integrated with external knowledge. The shift of local knowledge towards locally grounded community of shared future knowledge of universal relevance has been externalized in herders' production and utilization practices, organizational and managerial arrangements, as well as in the application of technologies and institutions, manifesting an agricultural and pastoral development pathway characterized by weak sustainability.3) The chained relationship among contextual factors, knowledge transformation, and behavioral externalization—with corresponding feedback mechanisms—manifests in human-environment coordination, knowledge empowerment, and the activation of local agency. The sustainable development model and its planning practice suitable for the Qingzang Plateau urgently need to systematically explore, scientifically translate, and apply local knowledge for the management of the territorial space on the Qingzang Plateau.

With the transformation of urban rail transit station areas from serving transportation transit functions to performing urban service functions, it is highly relevant to examine the relationship between their built environment and spatial vitality. Taking the subway station areas of the four central districts of Guangzhou City as an example, this study clarified the distribution characteristics of spatial vitality based on subdivided station area units. It optimized the built environment variable system relying on the extended "node-place" theory, and employed the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model and SHAP explanation model to measure the impact of built environment variables on spatial vitality in station areas and their heterogeneity. The results reveal the following: 1) The overall level of spatial vitality in station areas exhibits a pattern of low vitality surrounding high vitality spaces, with high vitality station units showing a clustered scatter distribution, primarily concentrated in the core zones of the stations. 2) Variables related to the place dimension have a significantly greater impact than those concerning the connection and node dimensions. The density of consumer-related points-of-interest (POI) has the most significant impact on spatial vitality in the station areas, and there are notable interaction effects between multiple variables. 3) Within the stations' buffer zones, the impact of different built environment variables on spatial vitality in the station areas is significantly heterogeneous, with limited supporting effects of the built environment on spatial vitality for most station area units. This study provides some insights and recommendations for enhancing spatial vitality in station areas and promoting the sustainable development of urban rail transit.

The geographical names in Beijing have been influenced by political factors, economic landscape, and natural features in the historical period, forming a rich and distinctive cultural resource of geographical names. The old city of Beijing is a highly concentrated area of geographical name resources. By examining representative transportation-related geographical names and selecting five key time points (1949, 1965, 1990, 2005, and 2024) corresponding to different stages of Beijing's urban development, this study conducted a statistical analysis of the geographical names to elucidate their quantitative changes. Using GIS kernel density estimation, it visually presented the kernel density of geographical names for the years 1949, 1965, 1990, and 2024, revealing to some extent the changes in the cultural landscape of geographical names in the old city of Beijing during the process of urban renewal. Furthermore, by summarizing and categorizing the main characters used in geographical names, this study selected five categories of geographical names: economic landscape, elements of daily life, political and military factors, auspicious connotations, and religious beliefs, to display and analyze the change of their kernel density. The results show that the distribution of the cultural landscape of transportation-related geographical names in the old city of Beijing exhibited significant spatiotemporal differences, providing important clues for understanding the layout and functions of Beijing during different historical periods. The patterns of distribution and change of different categories of geographical name cultural landscapes in urban space have their own unique characteristics and marked differences. These differences not only reflect the dynamic process of urban development but also reveal multiple changes in society, economy, and culture. By systematically reviewing the spatiotemporal trajectory of transportation-related geographical names in the old city of Beijing, this study not only provided a micro perspective for revealing the patterns of change of urban historical spatial configurations, but also established an analytical framework to explore the interaction between geographical name cultural landscapes and urban development, highlighting the dual value of geographical name cultural landscapes as living urban archives in the inheritance of cultural heritage and spatial governance.

The construction of China's overseas parks is an important platform for production capacity cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. Exploring the driving mechanism and benefit level of the "one zone with multiple parks" development model of China-EU business and logistics cooperation parks will help to reveal the specific operation mechanism of trade-oriented overseas parks, and provide scientific basis for the high-quality development of overseas parks in the future. It will help to reveal the specific operation mechanism of trade-oriented overseas parks and provide a scientific basis for the future high-quality development of overseas parks. This study identified the contribution of the China-EU business and logistics park to China-Hungary bilateral trade. It then constructed the framework of "one zone with multiple parks" model, examined the linkage and coupling mechanism between multiple parks and multiple parks and neighboring regions, and analyzed the input-output efficiency of the park in recent years by using data envelopment analysis. The study found that: 1) The fluctuation of the proportion of the trade volume of the park in the total trade volume of China-Hungary was significant from 2017 to 2023, and the commodity structure of China-Hungary trade was concentrated. 2) Under the "one zone and multiple parks" model, after the Chinese products entered the park, the logistics park distributed the goods to Hungary and even to various European countries. The exhibition center responded to the feedback of European businessmen's demand with business exhibitions, and promoted the formation of Chinese brand spillover effect. The multiple parks were coupled through the interaction of commerce drive, logistics distribution, and service guarantee links. 3) The comprehensive efficiency and scale efficiency of the park fluctuated obviously from 2017 to 2023, and the technological efficiency was generally higher. Accordingly, this study proposed key measures to promote the high-quality development of the park, such as adjusting the input-output structure, avoiding economic and geopolitical risks, and improving the level of data security. The conclusions of the study are of theoretical and practical significance for improving the research on the type of overseas parks and the popularization and application of the model of "one zone with multiple parks".

Promoting cross-border railway infrastructure connectivity with neighboring countries holds significant strategic importance for China, but the geopolitical strategies of these neighbors often lead to setbacks in cross-border railway cooperation. Existing studies often use a single or the same theoretical framework to explain the geopolitical strategies of different countries, which is not conducive to clarifying the reasons behind the differentiated states of cross-border railways in various countries. This study applied multiple analytical frameworks based on national regime characteristics, comprising the theories of hedging, two-level game, and shatter belt. Through case analyses, it categorically investigated the impact of neighboring countries' geopolitical strategies on cross-border railway construction. The findings are as follows: 1) Based on the hedging theory, neighboring countries seeking a balance between security threats and economic interests affected railway construction. Kazakhstan maintained neutral hedging between Russia and China, while Laos enhanced active hedging with China to mitigate the influence of Vietnam, leading to the successful operation of the China-Kazakhstan and China-Laos railways. Conversely, the China-Vietnam railway faced setbacks due to Vietnam's "bamboo diplomacy". 2) According to the two-level game theory, political elites playing the game at domestic and international levels influenced railway projects too. Despite China's active promotion of cooperation, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan, China-Pakistan, China-Nepal, and China-Thailand railways were hindered by frequent domestic regime changes in recipient countries and external power interferences. 3) The shatter belt theory indicates that lack of unity and stability of neighboring countries leads to stagnation of cross-border railway projects as well. As the fragmentation situation in Myanmar intensifies, the construction of the Myanmar section of the China-Myanmar railway has been put on hold. Based on these findings, policy recommendations are proposed: First, China should increase aid to countries engaged in active and neutral hedging and guide neutral countries towards active side; for countries engaged in negative hedging, we need to prevent strategic backsliding while enhance "soft connectivity". Second, for countries where the two-level game theory is applicable, it is advisable to deepen domestic engagement to build consensus and prepare for geopolitical risks. Finally, for countries that can be analyzed through the shatter belt theory, we should prioritize "stabilizing political situation through economic means" to achieve consensus while timely implement security measures to ensure railway safety. These findings can provide valuable references for advancing cross-border railway cooperation between China and its neighboring countries.

Inter-basin water diversion projects are important means to alleviate regional water resource shortages and ensure sustainable economic and social development, and their implementation also changes the carbon sink benefits of the ecosystem in the water-receiving area. Therefore, reasonable formulation of carbon ecological compensation standards is of great significance for realizing the sustainable management of the regional ecosystem. Based on the emergy theory and the InVEST model, this study selected Jinan City, the water-receiving area of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project (SNWDP) in China, as a case study. By combining land use data, water resource data, and carbon density data from 2005 to 2020, we quantitatively analyzed the impact of inter-basin water transfer on the carbon storage value within the water-receiving area and proposed a standard for carbon ecological compensation. The results show that: 1) Using the energy system diagram that we developed for the water-receiving area under the background of inter-basin water diversion, the Emdollar ratio of Jinan City in 2020 was calculated to be 8.57×10¹¹ seJ/$. Based on the emergy theory, the carbon storage energy value of the SNWDP in Jinan was estimated to be 17.4 million yuan. 2) Based on the CA-Markov and the InVEST models, the change of carbon storage under the natural growth scenario and water transfer scenario of Jinan was simulated and calculated. Combined with carbon sequestration value, inflation rate, and market discount rate, the carbon storage value benefited from the SNWDP was 104 million yuan. 3) Therefore, we suggested that the carbon ecological compensation standard for the SNWDP in Jinan should have been between 17.4 million and 104 million yuan. The research on the calculation method of carbon ecological compensation for water-receiving areas is useful for promoting diversified ecological compensation, as well as the coordinated and sustainable development of ecological economy in the water-source areas and the water-receiving areas.

The hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes in precipitation are efficient tracers for identifying regional precipitation processes. Analyzing the changes in stable isotopes of atmospheric precipitation helps quantify the complex regional precipitation processes under climate change. Therefore, based on data from 767 precipitation events at six sites in the monsoon marginal zone from 2019 to 2024 and taking the Wei River source area as an example, this study analyzed the temporal and spatial variation characteristics of precipitation isotopes and their influencing factors. The results show that: 1) Precipitation isotopes are enriched during the monsoon period and depleted during the non-monsoon period; the spatial pattern shows higher values in the north and lower values in the south. The local meteoric water line indicates that the precipitation isotopes in this area are significantly affected by evaporation below the clouds, but the influence of the monsoon in Weinan is stronger. 2) In Weibei, the δ¹⁸O of precipitation during the monsoon period is dominated by the precipitation amount effect, while in the non-monsoon period it shifts to the temperature effect, and both temperature and precipitation amount effects are insignificant in Weinan; the correlation between convective activity during the monsoon period and precipitation δ¹⁸O is stronger than that during the non-monsoon period, with the cumulative time decreasing from 3-6 days to 1-2 days; the altitude gradient change rate ranges from -0.0043‰/m to -0.0048‰/m, reflecting a significant altitude effect. 3) During the monsoon period, precipitation is mainly influenced by both the southeast monsoon and the westerlies, while in the non-monsoon period, it is primarily influenced by the westerlies carrying water vapor (59.74%); Weinan is more influenced by the southeast monsoon (24.59%) and water vapor from the Tibetan Plateau (31.56%), and the influence of vegetation coverage and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) are higher in Weinan than in Weibei, which is more conducive to local water vapor recirculation. This study provides a reference for understanding the precipitation mechanisms in monsoon marginal zones and for water resource management in arid and semiarid regions.

Topography and landform are the result of the comprehensive action of internal and external geological forces, and determining the morphological characteristics and geomorphological processes of watershed landforms is helpful to understand the differentiation of watershed landform development and environmental change characteristics. In this study, the Nagqu River Basin in Xizang was taken as the study area, and the geomorphological types and geomorphic characteristics of the area were determined by calculating the topographic undulation and slope and aspect. Based on multi-dimensional geomorphological parameters such as hypsometric integral value (HI), river longitudinal profile fitting function, Hack profile, and gradient index (SL/K), the geomorphological evolution stage of the Nagqu River Basin was determined, and its evolution process and tectonic significance were analyzed. The results show that: 1) The landform types of the Nagqu River Basin are mainly high-altitude hills and high-altitude plains, which are low in the west and high in the east, and low in the middle and high at the periphery. 2) The HI values in the study area are between 0.07-0.61, and the fitting functions of the longitudinal section of the river are 35.29% exponential and 64.71% logarithmic. 3) The river longitudinal slope in the study area is relatively gentle, and the Hack profile of the basin is mostly convex and concave, indicating that the river is in a state of tectonic uplift. Lithological variations, faults, and tectonic activity intensity affect the characteristics of topographic and geomorphological indicators, the fault activity intensity in the downstream area is greater than that upstream, and the basin is in the stage of relatively strong tectonic activity. This study provides crucial references for understanding the environmental evolution of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.