Destination image constitutes a vital component of a region's overall competitive strength. Building on the model of narrative comprehension and engagement and persuasion theory, this study examines the impact of internal and external realism in intangible cultural heritage bearers' media narratives on destination image, as well as the mediating role of media character identification. External realism refers to the extent to which the story aligns with the real world (regardless of whether the story is fictional). Internal realism refers to the coherence within the story itself in terms of logic, character motivations, and the continuity of events. Media character identification includes three dimensions: the audience's emotional resonance with the media character, perspective-taking, and motivation internalisation. In addition, destination brand awareness is introduced as a moderating variable in the research model. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) is used to validate the net effects of antecedent variables on destination image. Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) is employed to explore the configurational pathways leading to positive destination image evaluations. The results show that: 1) Internal realism has a significantly positive direct effect on destination image, whereas the direct effect of external realism on destination image is not significant; 2) Both internal and external realism positively influence destination image through the mediating effect of motivation internalisation, while the mediating effects of perspective-taking and emotional resonance are not significant; 3) Destination brand awareness moderates the relationship between internal realism and destination image; 4) Destination image is the outcome of multiple interacting factors, with four types of condition configurations having high explanatory power for the formation of a favourable destination image evaluation. This study proposes a “Narrative-Character-Destination Image” framework, offering implications for destination image construction.
Environmental regulation serves as a key policy tool for protecting tourism ecological security and achieving high-quality tourism development. On the basis of using entropy method to measure the intensity of environmental regulation and the level of tourism ecological security in China province from 2006 to 2021, this paper tests whether there is spatial autocorrelation between them with the help of spatial autocorrelation, and constructs a spatial Durbin model to explore the spatial spillover effect of environmental regulation on tourism ecological security. The empirical results demonstrate three key findings: 1) During the study period, the intensity of environmental regulation and the level of tourism ecological security grew strongly, and both showed a spatial pattern of strong in the east, medium in the middle, and weak in the west and northeast, and the characteristics of spatio-temporal heterogeneity were prominent. 2) The global spatial autocorrelation of environmental regulation intensity and tourism ecological security level is significant, and the local spatial autocorrelation results show that the environmental regulation intensity and tourism ecological security level are mainly“H-H” and “L-L” clustering type. 3) Environmental regulations contribute to local tourism ecological security improvement through dual channels: facilitating technological innovation progress and promoting industrial structure optimization. Furthermore, Environmental regulations generate positive spatial spillovers to neighboring regions via two transmission pathways: industrial gradient transfer effects, environmental policy demonstration effects. Notably, the analysis confirms that these spatial spillover effects substantially outweigh the direct local effects. These research outcomes provide valuable policy implications for formulating precisely targeted environmental regulation strategies to enhance ecological security protection while fostering sustainable, high-quality tourism development.
Rural tourism serves as a vital instrument for China's rural revitalization, playing a significant role in diversifying rural economies, promoting urban-rural integration, and achieving sustainable development. Based on the ‘institutional-cultural' coupling perspective and utilizing the CiteSpace bibliometric tool, this study systematically reviewed the literatures on rural tourism development in China from the CNKI and Web of Science (WoS) core databases (2000—2024). It comparatively analyzed the differences and commonalities in research stages, hot topic, and methodologies between domestic (Chinese) and international (English) contexts. The findings reveal that: 1) Research in both Chinese and English contexts shows rising popularity, yet with distinct stage characteristics. Domestic studies are policy-driven, forming a practice-oriented framework around rural revitalization, cultural-tourism integration, and common prosperity; international studies focus more on micro-level issues like sustainability, community empowerment, and rural gentrification, reflecting critical perspectives. 2) The dynamic interplay between institutions and culture constitutes the core logic of rural tourism development. Domestic research emphasizes the enabling role of policy rigidity in cultural capitalization, while international research examines the contest between cultural authenticity and institutional power under globalization. 3) There are significant methodological divergences: Domestic studies prioritize policy validation and quantitative analysis centered on industrial development, whereas international studies predominantly employ qualitative deconstruction, centering on communities and individuals. Key implications suggest that future research should deepen exploration in three critical dimensions: theoretical integration and framework innovation, methodological innovation, and thematic refinement and expansion. Particularly, there is a need for cross-disciplinary approaches that bridge the gap between policy implementation and community-based sustainable development models. Additionally, longitudinal studies tracking the socio-economic impacts of rural tourism could provide valuable insights for both academic and practical purposes.
Based on questionnaire surveys and structured interviews conducted in these communities, this study analyzes the formation mechanism of the intention-behavior gap in rural tourism participation among resettled households, employing the Logit-ISM model. The results reveal a pronounced divergence between willingness and behavior, with up to 67% of households exhibiting such a gap. Factors influencing the consistency include government policy promotion, development demands for rural tourism, mutual trust and support among households, and household labor capacity. 2 primary pathways underlie the intention-behavior gap: the direct cause stems from individual households' cost-benefit assessments based on economic rationality; the indirect cause involves insufficient support from social network resources constructed at both individual and community levels; and the root cause lies in the inadequate interaction and multidimensional support among individuals, communities, and the government. The weighing of economic rationality aimed at benefit maximization, combined with the overarching logic of social network embedding, provides a systematic explanation for the formation of this intention-behavior divide. Based on the above conclusions, the following suggestions are put forward respectively for resettled rural households, resettlement communities and grassroots governments: First, resettled rural households should strengthen their tourism service skills to make their own qualities match the local tourism development. At the same time, they should make good use of micro-financial loans and collective mutual aid funds to reduce economic risks. Second, the village committees of resettlement villages in resettlement communities should take the lead in establishing tourism cooperatives, foster trust and support relationships among resettled rural households, and strengthen the sense of community in resettlement communities. Third, local governments should attach importance to policy publicity, improve resettled rural households' awareness of the content and direction of local tourism development policies, establish and improve the supervision mechanism for the implementation of policies, effectively bridge the “last mile” in policy implementation, and help rural tourism policies take root in resettlement communities.
The TOD (transit-oriented-development) pattern is an important way to alleviate urban traffic congestion and improve intensive land use. It is also a key measure to promote the sustainable development of urban tourism and public transportation. Exploring the relationship between the TOD pattern and urban tourism helps to promote a positive interaction between public transportation construction and urban tourism development. Therefore, this study proposes an analysis framework of TOD urban tourism vitality (TOD-UTV) based on human scale, and verifies the impact of Nanjing's TOD pattern on urban tourism from two aspects of geographical environment and environmental experience. The results show that: 1) The distribution of TOD tourism vitality is high in the central urban area and low in the surrounding areas. 2) The change tendency rate also shows a pattern of improvement in the middle and a decrease around. 3) The dominant factor contributing to this result is the significant coupling effect of infrastructure construction such as land development, roads and transportation facilities around TOD in the core urban area and the service quality of commercial places such as tourism and entertainment. Therefore, enhancing the coupling effect of environmental factors around TOD is an effective strategy to promote a positive interaction between urban tourism and public transportation. This study provides a new framework for evaluating how the TOD pattern promotes urban tourism development, provides theoretical support for exploring the relationship between urban tourism and public transportation on a human scale, and provides insights for the positive interaction between TOD planning and urban tourism development.
The interaction and construction of urban relationship networks have always been the focus of attention for urban geographers. In the information age, the virtual space is the mapping and extension of the real space. The search and connection volume of online tourism information can be regarded as the hotspots of social development or represent the potential travel intentions of consumers. Through the analysis of the informal flow space network, certain reference value can be provided for the tourism industry development planning of various regions. Establishing cross-scale spatial linkages between individuals-regions from virtual space can complement traditional geospatial perceptions. In this paper, we obtain the frequency of tourism information co-occurrence in two cities and municipalities in Xinjiang in Baidu index, and use social network analysis to explore the spatial and temporal evolution of the spatial network structure of tourism information flow in Xinjiang. The results show that: 1) Urumqi City has certain advantages in terms of destination tourism information flow and relationship network, but it does not show the “siphon effect” in the traditional geographic network, but constructs a complex flow relationship network beyond the geographic boundary. This suggests that tourists' willingness to embark on multi-region travel, even travelling across longer geographical distances, is crucial for promoting the balanced development of Xinjiang's regional tourism. 2) In the relational network space, the core-edge network structure is not entirely horizontal, but is hierarchical, and the hierarchical categorization is not based on its own inherent resource strengths and weaknesses as a single measure, but rather depends on the number of connections between nodes. It can be seen that in the information flow space, establishing information links becomes one of the ways for edge nodes to enter the core subgroups. 3) The core-edge hierarchical structure shows a dynamic change process, which challenges the idea of “the strongest is stronger than the strongest”, and by connecting to the core nodes, the nodes that were originally regarded as peripheral nodes can also be promoted to the core nodes, such as Hotan and Kashgar. The dynamic nature of real-time “reshuffling” and replacement of the positions of each node in the network reflects the importance of observing the development status of cities from informal networks, and can provide new insights for establishing interactive development relationships among cities. This paper not only verifies the innovative idea that networks are hierarchical, but also reveals the dynamic process of hierarchical change through spatial and temporal evolution characteristics, which provides new insights into the establishment of interactive development relationships between cities and provides new practical insights for marginal tourist destinations to become core tourist areas.
Rural spatial governance constitutes a critical component of China's governance framework, serving to regulate the allocation of spatial resources in rural areas, optimizes the spatial development patterns of the countryside, and facilitates integrated urban-rural development. The development of rural industries is the core of the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas and also the key to evaluating the effectiveness of rural spatial governance. However, the development of rural industries in China still faces the crux of insufficient endogenous development momentum and weak endogenous development capacity. Therefore, taking the neo-endogenous development theory as a starting point and using qualitative research and spatial data analysis methods, this paper aims to systematically investigate the process and mechanism of rural industrial spatial governance through a case study of Jianhe Village in Jianhu County, Yancheng City. The key findings are as follows: 1) The industrial spatial governance of Jianhe Village has undergone a transition from bottom-up endogenous governance to top-down exogenous governance, ultimately leading to the neo-endogenous governance characterized by “up-down linkage, internal and external symbiosis”. Rural industrial spatial governance practices at each stage exhibit distinct policy-oriented characteristics. 2) The industrial space of Jianhe Village has witnessed significant resource reorganization, adjustment, and optimization of production space functions. It has also experienced the scale expansion and agglomeration of industrial development, shrinkage in traditional agriculture spaces, as well as expansion in glass industry, e-commerce, and service industry spaces. This transformation has led to an increasingly complex space with characteristics such as production-life, production-ecology, and production-life-ecology interactions. 3) Rural industrial spatial governance constitutes a continuous and dynamic practice process involving multiple actors. The industrial spatial governance of Jianhe Village is a systematic process that effectively integrates and adjusts internal and external development forces under government leadership while placing rural society at its core for coordination with market/society. The resource base serves as a critical foundation, while multiple governance actors function as fundamental decision-makers. Among these, governments act as guiding forces, while markets and societal actors serve as intermediaries for interest coordination, and endogenous rural actors constitute the core element.
Agriculture-related enterprises are representatives of the future advanced productive forces in rural areas, and industry revitalization is an important foundation for rural revitalization. Although there is extensive research on rural revitalization, research focusing specifically on rural industry revitalization is relatively scarce, and research concentrating on the role of agriculture-related enterprises in this process is even rarer. However, such researches provide a fundamental theoretical and practical support for advancing rural industry revitalization, exerting a profound influence on achieving comprehensive rural revitalization. The Yellow River Basin is a key region for population concentration and agricultural development in China, which makes it a significant area for research. Therefore, utilizing municipal panel data of the Yellow River Basin from 2011 to 2020, this paper explores the impact of agriculture-related enterprises development on rural industry revitalization based on the analysis of the development of agriculture-related enterprises and the level of rural industry revitalization. The results show that: 1) From 2011 to 2020, the development level of agriculture-related enterprises in the Yellow River Basin increased from 0.056 to 0.212, showing a spatial characteristic of “high in the northeast and low in the southwest”; 2) From 2011 to 2020, the level of rural industry revitalization in the Yellow River Basin increased year by year, from 0.273 to 0.411, with a spatial distribution of “high in the east and low in the west”; 3) Through the branding of agricultural products and the enhancement of human capital, the development of agriculture-related enterprises significantly promotes rural industry revitalization, and for every 0.1 increase in the level of development of agriculture-related enterprises, the level of rural industry revitalization will increase by 0.067. The increase in the scale, diversity, innovative, marketization and normative of agriculture-related enterprises has, to varying degrees, contributed to level, efficiency, structure and method of rural production. This paper explores the mechanism through which agriculture-related enterprises impacts rural industry revitalization, providing theoretical foundations for understanding their intrinsic relationship and offering references for rural industrial transformation and modernization.
Specialized villages are the boosters of industrial prosperity and an important hand for rural revitalization. Studying the level of specialized villages' resilience and its evolution characteristics is of great significance for optimizing the specialized villages system, enhancing the economic development of agricultural areas, and promoting the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy. Based on the sample data of 50 specialized villages from 2008 to 2017 tracking survey in Henan Province, this article measures the resilience level of specialized villages and explores its evolution characteristics by constructing a specialized villages resilience evaluation index system and combining it with mathematical and theoretical models. The study shows that: 1) 56% of the comprehensive toughness of specialized villages in Henan Province is negative, concentrated in the northern part of Henan Province, the comprehensive toughness of the southern part of Henan Province has increased by nearly 10%, the toughness of service-type specialized villages has declined significantly compared with that of other types of specialized villages, and the area of high value of toughness of agricultural-type specialized villages has shifted from the east to the south. 2) Institutional toughness contributes most to the comprehensive toughness of specialized villages. The ecological toughness of 78% of the specialized villages in Henan Province declined, concentrated in the east of Henan. The cultural toughness and ecological toughness in central Henan Province have both decreased by about 10%, and the cultural toughness and economic toughness in southern and western Henan Province have both increased by more than 35%, with growth hotspots evolving from central and eastern Henan Province to western and southern Henan Province. Industrial-type specialized villages' cultural resilience increased by 16%, but ecological resilience declined by nearly 14%. Service-oriented specialized villages' cultural toughness declined by more than 10%. 3) The cultural dimension is the main short-board element affecting the comprehensive toughness of each type of specialized villages, and the amount of export foreign exchange, the annual sales income of the leading industries, the annual average electricity consumption of rural households, and the per capita water area are specific limiting factors.
Clarifying the evolutionary phenomena and patterns of geographical space is the theoretical prerequisite for achieving coordinated regional development. Current domestic and international research on the evolution of “Production-Living-Ecological Space” (PLES) in the rural areas of metropolitan coordinating regions is predominantly based on single spatial scales and public land use/cover datasets, with in-depth explorations centered on specific issues. A systematic framework that integrates spatial coupling structures, dynamic evolutionary phenomena, core drivers, and internal complex relationships has not yet been established. Moreover, there is a notable lack of empirical analysis supported by appropriate theories and feasible measurement methods. This study, grounded in Complex Adaptive Systems theory, develops a systematic analytical framework to investigate the evolutionary phenomena and patterns of PLES in the rural areas of metropolitan coordinating regions. It integrates methods such as the land use transfer matrix, spatial overlay, spatial autocorrelation, and the Pearson correlation coefficient, covering four dimensions: “aggregation patterns, evolutionary characteristics, evolutionary drivers, and internal relationships”. Using the rural areas in the Yinchuan Metropolitan Coordinating Region as an empirical case, this paper analyzes the spatial aggregation patterns, dynamic evolutionary phenomena, spatiotemporal flow of elements, and complex adaptive relationships of the PLES system since the stage of urban-rural integrated development.This study provides insights and references for numerous rural-related studies in metropolitan areas in the northwest region that share common characteristics.The findings demonstrate that: Within metropolitan regions, PLES in rural areas exhibits typified aggregation patterns; The evolution of these aggregation patterns is characterized by spatial self-limitation and multi-directional objectives, driven by core flow networks to form the primary pathway for spatiotemporal dynamic coupling of PLES.
Within the theoretical framework of interplay and linkage among enterprises, cities, and regions, the network link data of 285 cities at and above the prefecture level in China from 2005 to 2020 are constructed by using the interlocking-ownership network model and the investment holding relationship and headquarters-branch distribution of the top
This study constructs a multidimensional theoretical framework for land use conflicts (LUC) based on its manifestations and from the perspective of “scale-function-pattern”. It proposes a methodology for identifying and measuring LUC through multidimensional and multiscale interactions, and develops a zoning management scheme for conflict areas using a three-dimensional magic cube spatial classification model and a triangular model. Taking the Northern Slope Economic Belt of Tianshan Mountains (NSEBTM) in 2020 as a case study, the results show that: 1) The proposed methodology for identifying and measuring LUC from the “scale-function-pattern” perspective can enhance the scientific and comprehensive evaluation of LUC from multiple dimensions and scales. This approach provides a more nuanced understanding of the complex interactions between land use scale, function, and pattern, which are critical for effective conflict management. 2) In 2020, the area of LUC in the NSEBTM was 154 881.22 km2, with functional conflicts of land use being more prominent, pattern conflicts of land use being predominantly moderate and scale conflicts of land use relatively minor, presenting a spatial pattern of “high in the west and low in the east”. This spatial distribution highlights the regional disparities in conflict intensity, which are influenced by varying socio-economic activities and natural conditions across the study area. 3) Based on the identification results, the study region was divided into five zones: scale control zone, function optimization zone, pattern adjustment zone, development regulation zone, and strategic reserve zone. Among them, the strategic reserve zone accounted for the largest proportion (60.82%), while the scale control zone accounted for the smallest (0.12%). Implementing differentiated zoning management strategies according to local conditions is the key to alleviating conflicts. This study proposes a new perspective for LUC research, which can enrich the theoretical connotations of LUC, provide ideas and methodological references for multidimensional identification and management of LUC, and optimize the national land space pattern. By integrating the “scale-function-pattern” perspective, this study offers a comprehensive framework for understanding and managing LUC, contributing to the sustainable development of land resources and the harmonious coexistence of human and nature.
This paper analyzes the experiences of female sanitation workers in Haikou City within ecological civilization construction, revealing how their evolving embodiment reflects the changing dynamics of human-city contradictions and urban power structures, through an innovative framework that integrates Urban Political Ecology and embodiment theory. First, the article reviews the historical changes in sanitation in Haikou City. This study reveals how they have realised the simultaneous growth of self-empowerment and urban development by adapting to, integrating into, and participating in urban construction. Second, by analyzing the interaction between female sanitation workers and urban development in Haikou City, the study identifies three main stages of their embodied practices: In the early stage of urban development (1990s to 2015), female sanitation workers cope with the risk of marginalization by constructing a social network to adapt to their work and life in the city; In the middle stage of urban development (2015 to 2019), they adapt to their work and life in the city through self-empowerment to cope with the physical and mental stress of organizational management discipline, gradually awakening a sense of urban ownership and actively participating in urban environmental governance; in the later stages of urban development (2019 to the present), with technological change, women sanitation workers continue to learn new skills and participate in management work, demonstrating their initiative in building the city. These staged changes reflect the personal growth of female sanitation workers and the city's gradual emphasis on grassroots labor groups in the development process. Third, this study also reveals the process of relation of the main contradiction between female sanitation workers and the city, reflecting the changes in the development process of Haikou City. From the social abjection culture in the early period to the organizational and managerial discipline in the middle period to the scientific and technological changes in the later period, the contradiction between the practice of women sanitation workers and the city's development has evolved continuously. This paper introduces a bottom-up analytical framework of Urban Political Ecology that highlights the embodied practices of sanitation workers in Haikou, challenging traditional studies by examining the influence of power structures on individual practices and enhancing the understanding of social-ecological interactions in Chinese urbanization.
The Qijia Culture, which flourished from the late Neolithic to the early Bronze Age in the Gansu-Qinghai Region, represents one of the earliest archaeological cultures in China influenced by trans-Eurasian cultural exchanges. However, research into the formation and development of the Qijia Culture has been limited due to the lack of systematic synthesis and critical evaluation of published radiocarbon dating data. This paper compiles and organizes radiocarbon data from 137 samples of 37 archaeological sites associated with the Qijia Culture in northwestern China in the literature. To enhance chronological precision, we selected 71 reliable dates short-lived botanical remains (charred crop seeds) and animal bones, which are considered reliable indicators of contemporaneous human activity. These dates were calibrated using the IntCal20 calibration curve and analyzed within a Bayesian statistical framework implemented in OxCal v.4.4 to construct a chronological model. The modeling results indicate that the Qijia Culture emerged between 4200—3400 cal a B.P., which is later than previously estimated. Furthermore, the analysis confirmed a 200-300 year of ‘old-wood effect' in charcoal-based radiocarbon dates. Spatial-temporal patterns suggest that the earliest phase of the Qijia Culture originated in the upper reaches of the Jinghe and Weihe River basin in eastern Gansu, followed by a westward expansion into the western Loess Plateau, the northeastern margins of the Tibetan Plateau, and the eastern section of the Hexi Corridor. The cultural focus contracted to the Hehuang Valley and Taohe River Basin on the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau after 3800 cal a B.P., The internal differentiation and transformation of the Qijia Culture is hypothesized to have influenced the later contraction of the Qijia Culture into the Hehuang Valley and the Taohe River Basin, where the Qijia Culture persisted into its later stages. The construction of a robust Bayesian chronological framework based on high-quality radiocarbon evidence not only refines our understanding of the emergence, expansion, and decline of the Qijia Culture, but also contributes to broader discussions of early cultural transmission and interaction across prehistoric Eurasia.
Based on 1.0 km monthly temperature, and precipitation dataset of China in 1960—2022, we investigated spatiotemporal variation of summer precipitation in DJK Reservoir. We discussed correlation of summer precipitation with atmospheric circulation and global sea surface temperature anomalies. Results showed that: 1) In 1960—2022, summer temperature increased significantly, while precipitation witnessed an interdecadal fluctuating trend in DJK Reservoir. Spatially, there was an obvious spatial heterogeneity of temperature and precipitation. A faster increase of temperature mainly occurred in the eastern part of Danjiang River and the northern part of Hanjiang River, yet the upper of Danjiang River and Hanjiang River were areas where precipitation increased. 2) In terms of influencing factors, the SSTA over the tropical northern Atlantic, Nino 3 region of equatorial Pacific and tropical Indian Ocean in previous winter could be served as typical signal of summer precipitation anomalies in the DJK Reservoir. For atmospheric circulation index, when the intensity and extension of summer Asian polar vortex area showed a decreasing trend, as well as the higher atmospheric pressure of the northern Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, the upper-level westerly jet weakened and shifted southward, which could further enhance the convergence of cold and warm air to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, favoring more summer precipitation in the DJK Reservoir. 3) In terms of associated anomalous atmospheric circulation, when positive geopotential height anomaly over the mid-latitude Eurasian Continent, as well as the strengthened Western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH), the center of the high-pressure system moved westward. An obvious anticyclonic anomaly occurred in the South China Sea and Western Pacific, which was benefit to transport warm and humid airflow northward, contributing to the remarkable precipitation anomalies in the DJK Reservoir. For less precipitation in summer, low pressure over the central and eastern part of China and Western Pacific Ocean region decreased the thermal contrast between land and ocean. Weaken WPSH had been observed to extend northeastward, forming an intensified cyclonic circulation over the western North Pacific, which lead to East Asian summer rain belt shifted southward. Increased evapotranspiration coupled withdeficit water vapor content resulted in enhanced drought on the DJK Reservoir. Results can help us to understand characteristics of summer precipitation, and provide scientific basis for water resource development and utilization in key water source for middle route of the South to North Water Transfer Scheme.
In recent years, under the combined impacts of climate change and human activities, the lakes and wetlands in the Bashang Region of Hebei Province have shown a significant trend of shrinkage and degradation. The potential contamination of salty dust has sparked widespread public concern. However, due to the lack of comprehensive research on the surface soil properties of desiccated lake basins, there remains insufficient understanding regarding the extent of salt dust pollution risks in the Bashang area. For the study, 26 typical lake basins were selected based on remoted sensing imagery and literature analysis, followed by seasonal filed investigations and sampling during the dry and wet seasons (April and August) of 2023. During dry season of spring, when desiccated lake basins permitted vehicle or pedestrian access, systematic surface soil sampling was conducted along the prevailing winter-spring wind direction at the maximum cross-sectional width of each basin, employing a standardized cross sampling method to ensure spatial representativeness. After standardized pretreatment including natural air-drying, the soil samples were analyzed to quantify key properties: particle size distribution for dust emission potential, total salt contents as a salinity index, and soluble ion concentrations (e.g., Na+, Ca2+, Cl-) to identify dominant salt species. In 2023, the Bashang region recorded 7 perennially lakes and 12 seasonal dried lakes, collectively accounting 73% of the total investigated lakes. This indicates severe shrinkage and degradation of lake ecosystem in this area, particularly pronounced in the western endorheic zone. The surface soil texture of the shrinking and degraded lakes is generally fine, and the total salt content is generally high. Soil salinity levels were markedly high, with the majority classified as saline soil type (average total salt content: 58.93 g/kg). Based on dominant salt species, these lakes in the Bashang region could be classified into three types, chloride, sulfate-chloride and chlorinate-sulfate, with the first two types dominating. Spatial analysis showed progressive trends from shore to center, the topsoil texture generally fined, soil moisture content and total salt content exhibited consistent increases. The total salt content in surface soils of shrinking or degraded lakes exhibited a significant exponential increase with rising soil moisture levels. The lakes with higher soil moisture content tend to have higher total salt content in their surface soil. The topsoil texture of the larger lakes tends to be finer. Lakes with a topsoil silt-to-sand ratio (Rsilt/sand) of about 1.7 may have better water-holding and salt-bearing capacity. In summary, the Bashang region faces significant salt dust pollution risks, as evidenced by both the large area of shrinkage and degradation of lake basins and the generally high salt content of the topsoil across these ecosystems. During the episodes of drought coupled with strong winds, salt dust emission from these desiccated basins could exert a profound impact on air quality in Beijing, as well as the broader Jing-Jin-Ji metropolitan region.
The geographical attribution of the Chaka Basin remains ambiguous, as it is variably attributed to either the Qaidam Basin or the Gonghe Basin due to divergent academic criteria or insufficient scientific understanding between scholarly literature and the general public. Additionally, the potential mechanisms for salt formation in Chaka Salt Lake, which likely occurred only at the end of the late Pleistocene, remain unclear. For this reason, the evolution, saltation of the Chaka Basin and the spatial division of geographic units are discussed in terms of tectonic, topographic and geomorphic features, in order to form a scientific understanding, standardize the scientific expression and popularize the public. The results show that, as early as 10 Ma in the early Late Miocene, the uplifted Elashan had already divided the Chaka-Gonghe-Qinghai Lake regions from the Qaidam Basin. The Chaka Basin and the Shajuyu inland water system in the Gonghe depression are only divided by a Quaternary sedimentary beam less than 20 m above the surface of the modern lake, which is much lower than the lowest point of the Elashan watershed in the west side. The Chaka Basin belongs to the Gonghe Basin from the topographical point of view, and its area is about
Soil iron-bound organic carbon (Fe-OC) is an important component of soil organic carbon (SOC), but research on the content, contribution, and influencing factors of Fe-OC in tea garden soils is still limited. This study focused on three different tea production areas in Wuyi Mountain, Fujian Province, including Zhengyan tea, Banyan tea, and Zhou tea regions. The Fe-OC content and related indicators in the soils of these three tea production areas were measured and analyzed. The results showed that: 1) The Fe-OC content and the proportion of Fe-OC in total SOC (fFe-OC) in the Banyan tea region were significantly higher than those in the Zhengyan and Zhou tea regions (P<0.05), contributing more to SOC sequestration; 2) The fFe-OC in the soils of the three tea production areas ranged from 11.20% to 31.74%, indicating the significant role of Fe-OC in soil carbon sequestration in tea gardens; 3) In all three tea production areas, the Fe-OC was mainly formed through adsorption; 4) Fe-OC showed significant positive correlations with SOC, easily oxidizable organic carbon (EOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and free iron oxide (Fed) content (P<0.05). SOC components and Fed content significantly influenced the formation of Fe-OC in tea garden soil; 5) The dominant phyla in tea garden soils were Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria, with Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria playing dominant roles in iron redox processes; 6) The bacterial network in the Zhengyan tea soil had higher complexity and a more stable structure; 7) At the genus level, the relative abundance of Acidibacter in tea garden soils showed significant positive correlations with Fe-OC content, Fed, and fFe-OC (P<0.05). This indicates that biotic and abiotic factors regulate the formation of Fe-OC in tea garden soils. The findings of this study provide a theoretical reference for selecting soil carbon sequestration technologies based on iron-carbon regulation in tea gardens.
65 samples were selected for the study, Which from 7 different types of vegetation in Guangxi Fangcheng Yellow Camellia National Nature Reserve. The results showed that: 1) The palynological assemblage in the study area comprises a total of 132 families/genera of pollen types. Within this assemblage, evergreen trees such as those belonging to the genera Mallotus, Quercus, and Exocarpus dominate, with their abundance ranging from 1.43% to 87.77%. They are followed by coniferous tree species, which account for 4.81% to 79.81% of the total. Ferns and herbaceous plants constitute the subsequent group. The surface soil pollen assemblage, on the whole, provides a good representation of the modern vegetation communities and their distribution characteristics corresponding to the Guangxi Fangcheng Yellow Camellia National Nature Reserve. However, in the areas dominated by Cinnamomum cassia plantations, the pollen assemblages are less representative of the surrounding vegetation composition. 2) The pollen content of evergreen trees is relatively high in valley rainforests, tropical monsoon forests, evergreen broad-leaved forests, and Cinnamomum cassia plantation, with percentages reaching 59.12%, 62.25%, 58.89%, and 72.37%, respectively. The pollen content of herbaceous plants is highest in the Sect. Chrysantha Chang gene bank (averaging 57.38%), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). The content of fern spores is relatively high in Sect. Chrysantha Chang forests (averaging 46.32%) and Pinus massoniana forests (averaging 44.68%), mainly consisting of species belonging to the genus Dicranopteris. 3) The results of the principal component analysis (PCA) indicate that the Sect. Chrysantha Chang forests, Cinnamomum cassia plantation, Pinus massoniana forests, and Sect. Chrysantha Chang gene banks each exhibit good clustering and a certain degree of differentiation. In contrast, valley rainforests, tropical monsoon forests, and evergreen broad-leaved forests are relatively dispersed and show a certain degree of overlap. 4) The pollen of the Sect. Chrysantha Chang exhibits limited dispersal distances and low abundance in surface soil pollen assemblages. Even in the gene bank areas with the highest density of Sect. Chrysantha Chang plants, the pollen content is as low as 1.53%, indicating poor representation in the pollen assemblages. Therefore, the results of this study provide a reference for identifying Sect. Chrysantha Chang plants in future palynological analyses of stratified pollen assemblages.
