Search Results (112)

Zingiberaceae is an ecologically, economically, and culturally important plant family in tropical Asia, yet its diversity and ethnobotanical significance remain insufficiently documented in several parts of Thailand. This study investigated the diversity, traditional uses, preliminary regional conservation status, and selected taxonomic aspects of Zingiberaceae in Lop Buri Province, central Thailand. Field surveys, herbarium studies, morphological comparisons, informal ethnobotanical interviews, quantitative use analyses, and preliminary conservation assessments were conducted from 2024 to 2025. A total of 110 taxa, comprising 109 species and one putative natural hybrid, were recorded in 13 genera and three tribes. These included wild, cultivated, introduced, and locally utilized taxa documented from natural habitats, home gardens, agricultural areas, and other human-associated habitats. Among them, 43 taxa were recorded from natural habitats as wild or naturally occurring populations, whereas 95 taxa were newly documented for Lop Buri Province. Natural habitats, particularly limestone areas, mixed deciduous forests, and dry evergreen forests, supported important native and endemic taxa. Ethnobotanical data from 110 informants documented 5113 use reports for 106 taxa, covering food, spice, medicinal, ornamental, ritual and belief-based, cosmetic, and commercial uses. Curcuma and Alpinia turned out to be the most frequently utilized genera. A putative natural hybrid, Curcuma × lopburiensis, is also described. These findings highlight Lop Buri Province as a hot spot for Zingiberaceae diversity and an important area for traditional plant knowledge and conservation in central Thailand. Full article

Enhancing ecological resilience is essential for safeguarding ecological security in high-latitude cold regions under the combined pressures of climate change and intensive human disturbance. Focusing on Heilongjiang Province, China, this study develops a multi-scale analytical framework based on the resistance-adaptability-recovery (RAR) perspective and covering 11 indicators to reveal the spatial differentiation, internal coordination, and dominant constraints of ecological resilience (ER). Quantifications were conducted using 2024 multi-source spatial data at a 1 km × 1 km grid scale, with results aggregated to 120 counties at the county scale and further identified by applying Global Moran’s I, hot spot analysis, the coupling coordination degree model, and the obstacle degree model. The results reveal spatial heterogeneity in ER and its components. Resistance is generally weak, adaptability is strong, and recovery is polarized. ER components exhibit positive spatial autocorrelation. Medium coordination predominates (47.5% of counties), followed by low coordination (33.33%) and high coordination (19.17%). Low-coordination is constrained by weak resistance and recovery. Identifying soil conservation and habitat quality as primary constraints, which jointly constrain 88.4% of counties. These findings provide a mechanism-oriented basis for differentiated ecological governance in cold-region ecological security barriers. Full article

The deep integration of the digital economy and education is a critical pathway to addressing the common challenges in less-developed regions, such as human capital shortages, unequal public service provision, and low developmental inclusiveness during new-type urbanization. Using panel data from 11 prefecture-level cities in Jiangxi Province from 2017 to 2024, this study first constructs a comprehensive index system to measure the integration level of the digital economy and education, as well as the inclusive development level of new-type urbanization. The entropy method is employed for objective weighting and composite score calculation. The spatiotemporal patterns of these two variables are visualized using hot spot analysis. A spatial Durbin model (SDM) with dual fixed effects is then applied to empirically examine the direct effect, spatial spillover effects, and regional heterogeneity of the digital-education integration. The main findings are as follows: (1) Both the integration level of the digital economy and education and the inclusive development of new-type urbanization in Jiangxi Province exhibit a distinct spatial pattern characterized as “high in the north, low in the south, and weak in the central region”, with significant spatiotemporal coupling between the two. (2) The digital-education integration exerts a significant positive direct effect on the local inclusive development of new-type urbanization. The core transmission mechanisms are the inclusive sharing of digital educational resources and the effective enhancement of human capital. (3) The integration generates a positive, albeit relatively weak, spatial spillover effect on neighboring areas. The strength of this spillover effect shows pronounced regional heterogeneity, being strongest in Northern Jiangxi, followed by Southern Jiangxi, and weakest in Central Jiangxi. (4) Economic development and industrial upgrading synergistically drive inclusive development alongside the digital-education integration. However, unequal social security provision remains a significant inhibiting factor for inclusive development. Full article

Enormous land exploitation is triggering strong urban growth, and this phenomenon is exacerbating the already existing problem of rising land surface temperatures. This leads to increased human activities and a disruption of the balance of natural ecosystems. The application of thermal remote sensing techniques is, in this context, helpful in learning about the condition of the earth’s surface and monitoring how it changes over time. This paper utilizes thermal data from 2000, 2010 and 2020, with supplementary data from 2024, to assess current trends in two different seasonal conditions (rainy period and low rainy period). Two different areas (urban and rural) of the central Vietnamese Province of Thua Thien-Hue have been analyzed to compare them. Processing Landsat-5 TM, Landsat-7 ETM+, Landsat-8 OLI/TIRS, and Sentinel-2 satellite images, a heat map of the study area was defined, considering hot spots and cold spots. As support for this analysis, spectral indexes have been developed for a better comprehension of the land cover change over the years and to provide a validation of the thermal analysis. This paper aims to assess the threat posed by the intensification of the urban heat island effect on cultural heritage sites. The case studies are represented by areas where there are urban growing and cultural heritage sites to be preserved, such as the UNESCO-listed Hue Citadel. Full article

To systematically investigate the diversity and distribution patterns of Dendrocalamus in Yunnan Province, we integrated field surveys, literature reviews, specimen records, and existing research data to compile and analyze the distribution of Dendrocalamus species across the region. The results revealed the following: (1) A total of 3730 valid distribution points were compiled, representing 38 taxa of Dendrocalamus (including 32 species, 3 varieties, and 3 forms), reflecting remarkably high species diversity. These account for approximately 52% (38/73) of the global species and 69% (38/55) of those recorded in China. (2) Horizontal Distribution Pattern: In terms of distribution points, Pu’er had the highest count (929), followed by Xishuangbanna (759) and Lincang (586). Honghe, Wenshan, and Dehong also showed substantial records. Regarding species richness, Xishuangbanna ranked highest with over 20 species, while Pu’er and Honghe contained 15–20 species. Yuxi and Kunming supported 10–15 species, and Baoshan, Nujiang, Chuxiong, Wenshan, Qujing, and Zhaotong each hosted 5–10 species. In contrast, Dali, Lijiang, and Diqing recorded only 0–5 species. (3) Vertical Distribution Pattern: Distribution points were predominantly concentrated in the 1000–1500 m elevation range, whereas species richness peaked in the 500–1000 m band. Both the number of distribution points and species richness were lowest at elevations above 2500 m. (4) Based on the collected 3730 distribution points, kernel density analysis and hot spot analysis (Getis-Ord Gi*) were performed in ArcGIS 10.8. Both analyses indicated that southern Yunnan (centered on Xishuangbanna and Pu’er) exhibits significant spatial clustering characteristics, identifying it as the core distribution area for Dendrocalamus species in Yunnan Province. (5) During field surveys, a distinctive new species characterized by swollen internodes was discovered. Morphological comparison and phylogenetic analysis confirmed it as a new species of Dendrocalamus and named Dendrocalamus turgidinodis C.M.Hui, M.S.Sun & J.W.Li, it is similar to D. hamiltonii, D. fugongensis, and D. sinicus, but can be easily distinguished by culm diameter 13–16 cm, intranode swollen, culm leaf sheath deciduous, culm blade erect, culm leaf ligule ca. 5 mm tall., Foliage leaf ligule 1–1.5 mm tall (vs. 1.5–2 mm). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that Yunnan Province serves as a major distribution center for Dendrocalamus, with the genus primarily distributed from the southeastern to southwestern parts of the region, and concentrated most densely in the southern area encompassing Xishuangbanna and Pu’er. Full article

Maize, one of the world’s three major food crops, plays a vital role in global food security. Analyzing the spatiotemporal patterns of maize cultivation in Hunan Province and their influencing factors contributes to enhancing planting quality and efficiency, optimizing production patterns, and supporting provincial food security initiatives. Utilizing maize cultivation data from Hunan Province (2001–2023), this study employed the standard deviation ellipse, center of gravity shift model, and principal component analysis to examine production patterns and their drivers. Key findings include the following: (1) The maize planting area exhibited an overall increasing trend from 2001 to 2023, with a spatial convergence from the northwest towards the east. Cultivation hot spots were identified in Shaoyang, Loudi, and Changde. Maize cultivation was predominantly concentrated in areas with gentle slopes (0–3°) and gradually shifted eastward towards similar terrain. (2) The provincial maize production center of gravity followed a “Z”-shaped trajectory, moving eastward and southward with Loudi City as its core. While the spatial distribution pattern shifted from “northwest–southeast” to “west–east”, the core concentration area maintained its “northwest–southeast” orientation. Concurrently, the fragmentation of cultivated land within the maize planting landscape increased. (3) Maize planting hot spots expanded from the northwest towards the central and eastern regions, extending southward. Cold spot areas shifted from the central region towards the northeast. By the study’s end, the central region had emerged as the core maize planting area. (4) Agricultural production conditions and policy factors were identified as the main drivers of spatiotemporal changes in maize acreage within Hunan Province. Full article

Under the dual backdrop of the Healthy China strategy and the concept of sustainable development, optimizing the spatial layout of primary healthcare facilities is important for fairly distributing healthcare resources and strengthening the resilience of the public health system in a sustainable way. This study introduces an innovative 3D spatial resilience evaluation framework, covering transmission (service accessibility), diversity (facility type matching), and stability (supply demand balance). Unlike traditional accessibility studies, the concept of “resilience” here highlights a system’s ability to adapt to sudden public health events through spatial reorganization, contrasting sharply with vulnerable systems that lack resilience. Method-wise, the study uses an improved Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method (Ga2SFCA) to measure spatial accessibility, applies a geographically weighted regression model (GWR) to analyze spatial heterogeneity factors, combines network analysis tools to assess service coverage efficiency, and uses spatial overlay analysis to identify areas with supply demand imbalances. Harbin is located in northeastern China and is the capital of Heilongjiang Province. Since Harbin is a typical central city in the northeast region, with a large population and clear regional differences, it was chosen as the case study. The case study in Harbin’s main urban area shows clear spatial differences in medical accessibility. Daoli, Nangang, and Xiangfang form a highly accessible cluster, while Songbei and Daowai show clear service gaps. The GWR model reveals that population density and facility density are key factors driving differences in service accessibility. LISA cluster analysis identifies two typical hot spots with supply demand imbalances: northern Xiangfang and southern Songbei. Finally, based on these findings, recommendations are made to increase appropriate-level medical facilities, offering useful insights for fine-tuning the spatial layout of basic healthcare facilities in similar large cities. Full article

To promote the sustainable use of land resources and improve air pollution control, this study investigates the spatiotemporal dynamics of industrial land development and the heterogeneity of PM_2.5 concentrations across regions. Based on national land transaction data and PM_2.5 raster datasets, the analysis employs Moran’s I, a hot and cold spot analysis, and multivariate linear regression to examine how the transaction frequency, transaction area, and total transaction price of industrial land influence PM_2.5 concentrations in 286 cities from 2010 to 2021. The study focuses on quantifying the impact of industrial land development on PM_2.5 concentrations. The main findings are as follows: (1) the frequency of industrial land transactions varies significantly across regions, with clear intra-regional differences. The transaction area and total transaction price decrease in the following order: “East-West-Central-North-East” and “East-Central-West-North-East”, respectively. (2) The spatial clustering of PM_2.5 concentrations has intensified, with hot spots concentrated in Eastern and Central cities. Cold spots are distributed in bands along the Southern coast and scattered patterns in Heilongjiang Province. (3) The influence of industrial land development on PM_2.5 concentrations has generally weakened nationwide, with the strongest effects observed in the Eastern region. Among the development indicators, the impact of the transaction area is increasing, while those of the transaction frequency and total price are declining, showing clear regional disparities. Therefore, integrating sustainable development principles into the adjustment of the industrial land market is essential for effective air pollution prevention. Full article

Under China’s “dual-carbon” goal, it is necessary to coordinate the relationship between economic growth and emission reduction. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2021, this paper explores the coordination level among carbon cutting (CC), pollution reduction (PR), and economic growth (EG) by using the coupling coordination degree (CCD) model, a cold and hot spot analysis, and the Dagum Gini coefficient. Furthermore, we analyze the influencing factors of CCD from a spatial perspective using the geographically weighted regression (GWR) model. The results show that the coordination level of CC, PR, and EG in China has continued to improve and entered a moderately coordinated stage. Meanwhile, regional differences are also evident. The eastern region is a high-CCD concentration area, while the northwest and northeast regions are low-CCD concentration areas. However, inter-regional differences in CCD are decreasing. Urbanization, foreign direct investment, and new quality productive forces contribute significantly to achieving synergies among CC, PR, and EG. However, the effect of industry digitization on CCD fails the significance test in most provinces. The effects of the factors on CCD exhibit obvious spatial heterogeneity characteristics. These findings can provide an important basis for the formulation of regionally differentiated green and low-carbon development policies. Full article

This study examines the demographic dynamics of Extremadura and Andalusia, two autonomous communities in southern Spain characterized by low income levels and marked territorial differences in terms of ageing and depopulation. Based on the observation of growing demographic pressure associated with low birth rates and emigration to more economically dynamic areas, a methodological approach based on spatial analysis techniques is proposed. In particular, the ageing index and demographic dependency ratio indicators are used, applying tools such as Hot Spot Analysis and Cluster and Outlier Analysis to identify significant spatial patterns and outliers. The results show a high concentration of ageing and dependency in provinces such as Cáceres and Almería, suggesting greater demographic vulnerability. In contrast, urban areas such as Seville and Granada, as well as the Guadalquivir depression, show more favorable indicators, reflecting greater resilience. Likewise, municipalities with demographic behavior that is anomalous with respect to their surroundings are detected, which raises the need for micro-territorial studies aimed at understanding these exceptions and designing more effective public policies adapted to the local context. Full article

At the critical stage of China’s economic transformation, promoting integrated development among the digital economy, economic resilience, and ecological protection becomes essential to achieve high-quality national development. This study takes 30 Chinese provinces (autonomous regions/municipalities) as research subjects. A comprehensive index system evaluates coupling coordination among the digital economy, economic resilience, and ecological protection. The three-system coupled coordination model and obstacle degree model are employed. The research investigates comprehensive evaluation levels of these three systems. Evolutionary characteristics of their coupled coordination are analyzed. Influencing factors are identified through systematic examination. Key findings reveal: (1) Provincial digital economy, economic resilience, and ecological protection generally maintained good comprehensive evaluation levels between 2011 and 2021. Significant regional development imbalances persist nationwide. (2) Coupled coordination among the three systems remains moderate but shows overall growth trends. Development characteristics demonstrate notable temporal inadequacies and spatial imbalances. Provinces achieving primary and intermediate coordination levels increased from 1 to 12 during the study period. (3) Spatial autocorrelation features prominently in the three-system coordination. Cold and hot spot areas exhibit clustered distribution patterns. (4) Main obstacles constraining three-system coupling coordination show temporal and regional variations. These evolving barriers collectively form a dynamic coupling system. Policy recommendations include: Advancing coordinated development and organic integration of the three systems; enhancing cross-regional collaboration to reduce spatial and systemic disparities; and implementing multi-source driving strategies to strengthen coordinated development momentum. Full article

This study, guided by the concept hat “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”, focuses on explicating the ecological vulnerability characteristics of the Nanpan and Beipan River Basins, a typical karst river basin in Guizhou Province. In this article, a value equivalent table was built to calculate the ecosystem service value (ESV) within the basin from 2000 to 2020. The patch landscape and urban simulation model (PLUS) was improved to forecast ecosystem changes under four scenarios in the future. The Getis-Ord Gi*statistic, a spatial analysis tool, was introduced to identify and interpret the spatial patterns of ESVs in the study area. The research indicates that: (1) from 2000 to 2020, the spatial pattern of ecosystem has significantly improved, and with a notable ESV increase in the Nanpan and Beipan River Basins, especially the fastest growth from 2005 to 2010. Forest and grassland ecosystems are the main contributors to ESV within the basin, and the spatial distribution of ESV shows a decreasing trend from southeast to northwest. (2) Under different scenarios, forest ecosystem still would have the highest contribution rate to update the ESV between 2010 and 2035. The ESV is the lowest under the cropland protection scenario, amounting to CNY 104.972 billion. Compared to other scenarios, the ESV is higher under the sustainable development scenario, reaching CNY 106.786 billion, and this scenario provides a more comprehensive and balanced perspective, relatively achieving a harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. (3) The hot spots of ESV are mainly concentrated in the southeast and along the riverbanks of the study area. Urban ecosystems are the cold spots of ESV, indicating that protecting the ecosystems along the riverbanks is crucial for ensuring the ecological security and sustainable development of karst mountainous river basins. In the future development of karst mountainous river basins, it is necessary to strengthen ecological restoration and governance, monitor soil erosion through remote sensing technology, optimize the layout of territorial space to implement the policy of green development, and promote the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature, ensuring the ecological security and sustainable development of the basins. Full article

Fujian Province is an important soil and water conservation region in hilly South China. However, there has been limited attention paid to the assessment of water production and soil conservation at the provincial level, and the distribution patterns of ecosystem services under different environmental gradients in hilly regions have not been revealed. This study evaluated the spatiotemporal characteristics of water yield and soil conservation based on the InVEST model in 2000, 2010, and 2020, and explored their differences under six environmental gradients: elevation, slope, terrain position index, geomorphy, LULC, and NDVI. The results and statistics of the InVEST model showed significant spatial differentiation and temporal change in water yield; the distribution and changes in water yield and soil conservation both exhibited obvious clustering characteristics of cold and hot spots (low and high values); and the differences in distribution and change in water yield in different cities were higher than those in soil conservation. The distribution index and Geodetector showed that there were spatiotemporal differences in distribution and change characteristics of water yield and soil retention in different environmental gradients; the distribution and change differences in water yield were generally lower than those of soil conservation and the degree of distribution and change in water yield and soil conservation were generally more sensitive to the response of terrain factors (slope, TPI, and DEM). The high-value important regions of water yield and soil conservation were 1000 to 2160 m for DEM, 25° to 70.2° for slope, 0.81 to 1.42 for TPI, medium mountain for geomorphy, forest land for LULC, and 0.9 to 0.92 for NDVI, which indicates mountainous regions with high altitude, steep slopes, significant terrain changes, and high forest vegetation coverage. This study indicates that ecosystem services exhibit spatiotemporal differences in distributions across different environmental gradients, and attention should be paid to adapting to local conditions in ecological environment development. Full article

As one of the major public health security issues, pulmonary tuberculosis had a global death rate of 1.6 million in 2021 alone, ranking 13th in the world, posing a great threat to society and families. Analyzing the temporal and spatial distribution and evolution trend of tuberculosis, discussing the exposure factors and studying the environmental background that affects the incidence can provide the basis for accurate prevention and control and promote the healthy and stable development of society. Based on the county scale, this study determined the high-incidence areas through hot spot analysis and selected nine districts and counties covering meteorological stations and air monitoring stations. The explanatory power of each factor to the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis was analyzed by geographical detector, and the main influencing factors were explored. The results show that the following: (1) The number and incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis in Gansu Province declined from 2020 to 2022. (2) The influence of meteorological conditions such as temperature, precipitation and air pressure on pulmonary tuberculosis in different regions shows significant regional differences. Although the meteorological influence in adjacent regions shows certain convergence, the change in wind speed has no significant influence on the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis. (3) PM₁₀, altitude, temperature, population density and GDP per capita have strong explanatory power to the incidence of tuberculosis, and the interaction between any two factors exceeds the effect of a single factor in explanatory power, showing the characteristics of two-factor enhancement and nonlinear enhancement. Full article

Revealing the level of cultivated land use efficiency and its influencing factors in the northern agro-pastoral ecotone from the perspective of population contraction can provide a decision-making reference for ensuring national food security and promoting the implementation of rural revitalization strategies. In this paper, using the stochastic frontier production function and a Tobit regression model, we reveal the current situation of rural population shrinkage in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China and the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of cultivated land use efficiency, and identify influencing factors based on the perspective of “human–land”. The results show the following: (1) The rural population in all provinces and counties in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China showed a continuous loss trend. The southwest was a hot spot area for rural population reduction, and the northeast was a cold spot area for rural population reduction. (2) During 2000–2020, the cultivated land use efficiency in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China showed a fluctuating upward trend, rising from 0.595 in 2000 to 0.754 in 2020. Spatially, the cultivated land use efficiency in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China showed the characteristic of being higher in the northeast and lower in the southwest, and the cultivated land use efficiency in some counties in the central and southwestern parts showed a downward trend. (3) The cultivated land use efficiency in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China is comprehensively affected by multiple factors. The following factors were determined, presented in descending order of the absolute value of influence degree: proportion of the population over 65 years old > multiple cropping index > proportion of cultivated land area > proportion of rural population > average years of education > population change rate. Based on these results, this paper puts forward measures to improve cultivated land use efficiency in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China from the perspective of population shrinkage, so as to provide references for ensuring national food security and promoting rural revitalization. Full article