Addressing inclusion,innovation,and sustainability challenges through the lens of economic geography:Introducing the hierarchical regional innovation system

The world is facing dramatic challenges related to environmental sustainability at an accelerating pace.In this context,the field of economic geography(EG)has been playing an important role in understanding both the socioeconomic and technological dimensions of these challenges,as it deals with a variety of complementary notions and perspectives.Departing from this lens,our aim is to explore a conceptual framework that can help us to understand environmental changes relating to multi-dimensional territorial development,notably in eco-nomic contexts where inequality is high,and stratification based on hierarchies regulate social and economic life.Based on the territory concept,we propose the original notion of a hierarchical regional innovation system(HRIS)that emphasises the pervasive role of hierarchies(powers)in regional innovation systems and illustrate its value with evidence and case studies from extant literature on sustainability transitions.The HRIS can help us understand and promote development paths considering the contribution of inclusive eco-innovations(another original conceptual amalgam).Through some empirical cases from other studies in low-carbon transitions,we show the application of the HRIS(and inclusive eco-innovation)framework.In conclusion,we provide incen-tives to explore new regional innovation systems,alongside the HRIS,adapted to different regions worldwide and centred on the inclusiveness of people and places.

Ranking Regional Drought Events in China for 1960-2009

The spatiotemporal variations of the site and regional droughts in China during 1960–2009 were analyzed by applying a daily composite-drought index （CDI） to 722 stations in China's Mainland. Droughts frequently happened in a zone extended from Southwest China to the Yellow River, North China, and the southwestern part of Northeast China, with two centers of high frequency in North China and Southwest China. In Southwest and South China, droughts tend to happen during the winter. In North China and along the Yellow River, droughts mainly occur during the winter and during May–June. During the past 50 years, the geographical distribution of site drought events showed high frequencies （0.9–1.3 times per year） in the upper Yellow River basin and North China, comparing with moderate frequencies （0.6–0.9 times per year） in Southwest China and the southwestern part of Northeast China and with lower frequencies over the middle and lower Yangtze River basin. And the frequencies increased over China's Mainland except for the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. A regional drought （RD） event is a widespread and persistent event that covers at least five adjacent sites and lasts for at least 10 days. There were 252 RD events in the past 50 years—five times per year. Most RD events lasted for 100 days and covered 100 stations, but the longest and largest RD event lasted for 307 days from 6 September 1998 to 9 July 1999 and covered 327 stations from North to Southwest China.

Impacts of Upper Tropospheric Cooling upon the Late Spring Drought in East Asia Simulated by a Regional Climate Model

Responses of late spring （21 April 20 May） rainfall to the upper tropospheric cooling over East Asia are investigated with a regional climate model based on Laboratoire de M6t6orologie Dynamique Zoom （LMDZ4-RCM）. A control experiment is performed with two runs driven by the mean ERA-40 data during 1958-1977 and 1981 2000, respectively. The model reproduces the major decadal-scale circulation changes in late spring over East Asia, including a cooling in the upper troposphere and an anomalous meridional cell. Accordingly, the precipitation decrease is also captured in the southeast of the upper-level cooling region. To quantify the role of the upper-level cooling in the drought mechanism, a sensitivity experiment is further conducted with the cooling imposed in the upper troposphere. It is demonstrated that the upper-level cooling can generate the anomalous meridional cell and consequently the drought to the southeast of the cooling center. Therefore, upper tropospheric cooling should have played a dominant role in the observed late spring drought over Southeast China in recent decades.

DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSIS OF PERSISTENT DROUGHT/FLOOD EVENTS IN SUMMER OVER THE TWO-LAKE REGION OF CHINA

Based on the daily regional mean rainfall,the Z-index method is used to identify persistent flood and drought events lasting for at least 10 days over a region where Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake sit(referred to as the"two-lake region"hereafter).The National Centers for Environmental Prediction(NCEP)reanalysis data are then utilized to perform a preliminary diagnostic analysis on these events.The results indicate that the composite standardized geopotential height at 500 hPa presents two different meridional wave trains from north to south over the East Asian-Pacific region,i.e.,a"-+-"pattern for the droughts and a"+-+"pattern for the floods,respectively.The developing,maintaining and decaying phases in the drought and flood events are closely related to the intensity and location of a subtropical high and an extra-tropical blocking high.It is shown that the East Asian summer monsoon is strong(weak)with the occurrence of persistent drought(flood)events.Droughts(floods)are accompanied by a weak(strong)tropical convergent system and a strong(weak)subtropical convergent system.Furthermore,the persistent drought(flood)events are associated with a divergence(convergence)of vertically integrated water vapor flux.In the vertical profile of water vapor flux,divergence(convergence)in the mid-and lower-levels and convergence(divergence)in the higher levels are evident in the droughts(floods).Both the divergence in the droughts and the convergence in floods are strongest at 850 hPa.

Regional Evaluations of the Meteorological Drought Characteristics across the Pearl River Basin, China

Regional evaluation of drought characteristics provides critical information for water resource management. In this case, this study attempts to analyze the probability behaviors of drought events of a given severity in the Pearl River Basin and to construct severity-area-frequency curves of drought events. Due to possible impacts of complicated topographical properties and diverse climate types within the Pearl River Basin, the entire Pearl River Basin is subdivided into different homogeneous regions. In general, the Pearl River Basin can be categorized into four homogeneous regions, and the severity-area-frequency analysis results for the short-, medium- and long-term drought episodes within each homogeneous regions indicate stressful challenge for the water resource management in the Pearl River Basin due to the fact that severe droughts usually occur over the entire Pearl River Basin. Meanwhile, the Pearl River Delta will face a higher risk of drought when compared to other regions of the Pearl River Basin in terms of the medium-term drought. The Pearl River Basin is highly economically development and is heavily populated, thus impacts of droughts and related resilience resolutions or policies should be taken into account in the formulation of regional sustainable development of water resources and socio-economy within the Pearl River Basin, China.

Stable carbon and oxygen isotopes of four planktonic foraminiferal species from core-top sediments of the Indonesian throughflow region and their significance

Horizontal and vertical distributions of δ^18 and δ^13 were investigated in shells of four planktonic foraminiferal species, Globigerinoides ruber, Globigerinoides sacculifer, Pulleniatina obliquiloculata and Neogloboquedrina dutertrei, from a total of 62 core-top sediment samples from the Indonesian throughflow region. Results were compared to modern hydrologic conditions in order to explore potential of proxies in reconstructing fluvial discharge and upper ocean water column characteristics in this region. Our results show that, in the Makassar Strait, both of depleted δ^18 and δ^13 of these four species were linked to freshwater input. In the Bali Sea,however, depleted δ^18 and δ^13 for these species may be due to different reasons. Depleted δ^18 was a result of freshwater input and as well influenced by along-shore currents while depleted δ^13 was more likely due to the Java-Sumatra upwelling. Comparison of shell δ^18 records and hydrographic data of World Ocean Atlas 2005 suggests that G. ruber and G. sacculifer calcify within the mixed-layer, respectively at 0–50 m and 20–75 m water depth, and P. obliquiloculata and N. dutertrei within the upper thermocline, both at 75–125 m water depth. N.dutertrei calcifies at slightly deeper water depth than P. obliquiloculata does. In general, δ^13 values of both G.ruber and G. sacculifer are larger than those of P. obliquiloculata and N. dutertrei at all sites, possibly related to depth habitats of these species and vertical distribution of nutrients in the Indonesian throughflow region.

Dryness-wetness change and regional differentiation of flood-drought disasters in Guangdong during 1480-1940AD

Based on the historical records of the drought and flood disasters during 1480-1940AD, this paper reconstructs the sequences of wetness index （WI） and drought and flood disasters. We find a good identical relationship between the fluctuation of WI sequence and the δ^18O record of the GISP2 ice core in Greenland, which shows an apparent monsoonal disposal pattern of moisture and temperature. By applying the Morlet Wavelet Transform Method to deal with the data, several apparent periodicities, such as 7-8a, 11-15a, 20-23a and ca 50a, are revealed, among which some can be attributed to the solar forcing. Based on results of Cluster Analysis of dry-wet changes, we resume the regional differentiation pattern of flood-drought disasters all over Guangdong during different climatic intervals in the LIA and, find the western and northern parts of Guangdong have undergone drastic changes in drought-flood regional differentiation, but the eastern part is relatively stable, and the area of the Pearl River Delta shows stable condition of more flood disasters.

Risk Regionalization of Drought for Flue-cured Tobacco Planting in Qujing City Based on GIS

The risk regionalization of drought for flue-cured tobacco planting in Qujing City was studied to provide reference for drawing on advantages and avoiding disadvantages in flue-cured tobacco planting,disaster reduction,and disaster relief services.According to the production practice of flue-cured tobacco and local climate analysis,the risk of disaster-causing factors,sensitivity of disaster-breeding environment,vulnerability of carriers,and disaster prevention and reduction capability were analyzed and evaluated quantitatively.Secondly,starting from the formation mechanism of drought,a risk assessment model of the meteorological disaster was established by GIS technology.Finally,the risk assessment and regionalization of drought in the critical periods for drought-stricken flue-cured tobacco (transplanting period,root extending stage and vigorous growth period) in Qujing City were carried out.The results showed that in Qujing City,the risk areas of drought for flue-cured tobacco planting were divided into five grades in the transplanting period and six grades in the root extending stage and vigorous growth period.

PRELIMINARY STUDY ON THE FLOODING AND DROUGHT CALAMITY DURING PAST 1500 YEARSIN THE HAI'AN REGION, JIANGSU PROVINCE

Collection and arrangement of the historical records of climatic changes andenvironment evolution, especially in the aspect of calamities, are made on the history documents ofpast 1500 years about Hai'an region, Jiangsu Province. There existed two obvious flooding-droughtfrequently-occurring periods: one was from 1550 AD to 1850 AD and another was 1000 AD to 1200 AD.The period of 1550 AD to 1850 AD is interrupted by two relatively arid and cold climatic periods:one was from 1630 AD to 1700 AD and another was 1750 AD to 1820 AD. The main characteristic of thecalamity periods is that they occurred by turns, and sometimes, both drought and flooding occurredin the same year. The instability of the climatic changes in the Little Ice Age may be the mainreason of the frequently-occurring flooding and drought in Hai'an region. Research results also showthat the frequently-occurring periods of flooding and drought is in close relationship with thesolar activity, and therefore, occurrence of the flooding and drought may be in relation with theintensity of the solar activity. This hypothesis may need further study in the future.

Drought fluctuations based on dendrochronology since 1786 for the Lenglongling Mountains at the northwestern fringe of the East Asian summer monsoon region

The Lenglongling Mountains （LLM） located in northeastern part of the Tibet Plateau, belong to a marginal area of the East Asian summer monsoon （EASM） and are sensitive to monsoon dynamics. Two tree-ring width chronologies developed from six sites of Picea crassifolia in the LLM were employed to study the regional drought variability. Correlation and temporal correlation analyses showed that relationships between the two chronologies and self-calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index （sc_PDSI） were significant and stable across time, demonstrating the strength of sc_PDSI in modeling drought conditions in this region. Based on the relationships, the mean sc_PDSI was reconstructed for the period from 1786 to 2013. Dry conditions prevailed during 1817-1819, 1829-1831, 1928-1931 and 1999-2001. Relatively wet periods were identified for 1792-1795 and 1954-1956. Spatial correlations with other fourteen precipitation/drought reconstructed series in previous studies revealed that in arid regions of Northwest China, long-term variability of moisture conditions was synchronous before the 1950s at a decadal scale （1791-1954）. In northwestern margin of the EASM, most of all selected reconstructions had better consistency in low-frequency variation, especially during dry periods, indicating similar regional moisture variations and analogous modes of climate forcing on tree growth in the region.

Monitoring of Temporal and Spatial Changes of Land Use and Land Cover in Metropolitan Regions through Remote Sensing and GIS

The use of remote sensing techniques and subsequent analysis by means of geographical information system (GIS) offers an effective method for monitoring temporal and spatial changes of landscapes. This work studies the urbanization processes and associated threats to natural ecosystems and resources in the metropolitan areas of Berlin and Erlangen-Fürth-Nürnber?Schwabach (EFNS). To compute the land use/cover (LULC) of the study areas, a supervised classification of “maximum likelihood” using Landsat data for the years of 1972, 1985, 1998, 2003, and 2015 is used. Results show that the built-up area is the dominant land use in both regions throughout the study period. This land use has increased at the expense of green and open areas in EFNS and at the expense of agricultural land in Berlin. Likewise, 5% of forest in EFNS is replaced with urban infrastructure. However, the amount of forest in Berlin increased by 3%. While EFNS experienced relatively big changes in its water bodies from 1972 to 1985, changes in water bodies in Berlin were rather slight during the last 40 years. The overall accuracy of our remotely sensed LULC maps was between 88% and 94% in Berlin and between 85.87% and 87.4% for EFNS. The combination of remote sensing and GIS appears to be an indispensable tool for monitoring changes in LULC in urban areas and help improving LU planning to avoid environmental and ecological problems.

Analysis of Extreme Rainfall Events (Drought and Flood) over Tordzie Watershed in the Volta Region of Ghana

In regional water resources management and disaster preparedness, the analysis of extreme rainfall events is essential. The need to investigate drought and flood conditions is now heightened within the context of climate change and variability. The Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) was employed to assess the extreme rainfall event on Tordzie watershed using precipitation data from 1984-2014. The SPI on the time scale of 3, 6, 9 and 12 months were determined using “DrinC” software. The drought was characterised into magnitude, duration, intensity, frequency, commencement and termination at the time scales of SPI-3, SPI-6, SPI-9 and SPI-12. Results indicated that the middle reaches (Kpetoe) of the watershed experienced less severe drought condition compared to the lower reaches (Tordzinu). Mann-Kendall (MK) test and Sen’s slope (SS) revealed general increasing drought trend but insignificant at 95% confidence interval. The SS indicated change in magnitude of 0.016 mm/year, 0.012 mm/year, 0.026 mm/year and 0.016 mm/year respectively at the mentioned time scales at 95% confidence interval at the Tordzinu and that of Kpetoe were 0.006 mm/year, 0.009 mm/year, 0.014 mm/year and 0.003 mm/year. These changes could have implication for agriculture and water resources management and engender food insecurity among smallholder farmers.

Exploring Regional Innovation Growth Through A Network Approach:A Case Study of the Yangtze River Delta Region,China

As the leading urban agglomeration in China,the Yangtze River Delta(YRD)is experiencing a factor-driven to innovationdriven transition.However,the dynamics of regional innovation growth are not yet fully understood.This paper combines the complex network methodology with spatial econometrics to disentangle the contributions of innovation endowments,innovation network flows,and innovation network positions to regional innovation growth,as well as their spatial spillover effects.The primary findings suggest that regional innovation growth results from the networked agglomeration economies,which is shaped by the interactions between agglomeration factors and network factors.Specifically,agglomeration factors play a fundamental role in regional innovation growth.In contrast,network factors,such as the network flows and network positions,may contribute to new path creation by promoting access to external innovation resources.Additionally,the institutional factors show multiplexity in fostering regional innovation patterns.Such findings indicate that the YRD region should shift the innovation growth pattern from competitive involution to mutually beneficial cooperation to reduce regional disparities.In this regard,the institutional capacity of organizing network flows and fostering reciprocal inter-city partnerships has become increasingly critical for promoting sustainable innovation and regional development.

Histone H3K27me3 methylation regulates the expression of secreted proteins distributed at fast-evolving regions through transcriptional repression of transposable elements

The fine-tuned expression dynamics of the effector genes are pivotal for the transition from vegetative growth to host colonization of pathogenic filamentous fungi.However,mechanisms underlying the dynamic regulation of these genes remain largely unknown.Here,through comparative transcriptome and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing(ChIP-seq)analyses of the methyltransferase PoKmt6 in rice blast fungus Pyricularia oryzae(syn.Magnaporthe oryzae),we found that PoKmt6-mediated H3K27me3 deposition was enriched mainly at fast-evolving regions and contributed to the silencing of a subset of secreted proteins(SP)and transposable element(TE)families during the vegetative growth of P.oryzae.Intriguingly,we observed that a group of SP genes,which were depleted of H3K27me3 modification,could also be silenced via the H3K27me3-mediated repression of the nearby TEs.In conclusion,our results indicate that H3K27me3 modification mediated by PoKmt6 regulates the expression of some SP genes in fast-evolving regions through the suppression of nearby TEs.

Eco-geographical Regionalization of China:An Approach Using the Rough Set Method

Eco-geographical regionalization involves dividing land into regions by considering both intra-regional consistency and interregional disparity and is based on the pattern of differentiation of eco-geographical elements.Owing to the complexity of the land surface,and the limitation of data and appropriate methods,regions in China have hitherto been mapped manually,meaning that the process of mapping was non-repeatable.To make the regionalization technique repeatable,this study aimed to extract and quantify the expert knowledge of regionalization using an automated method.The rough set method was adopted to extract rules of regionalization based on the existing eco-geographical regionalization map of China,as well as its corresponding meteorological and geological datasets.Then,the rules for regionalization were obtained hierarchically for each natural domain,each temperature zone,and each humidity region.Owing to differences in zonal differentiation,the rule extraction sequence for the eastern monsoon zone and Tibetan Alpine zone was temperature zone first followed by humidity region,with the reverse order being applied for the northwest arid/semi-arid zone.Results show that the extracted indicators were similar to those of the existing(expert-produced)regionalization scheme but more comprehensive.The primary indicator for defining temperature zones was the≥10℃ growing season,and the secondary indicators were the January and July mean temperatures.The primary and secondary indicators for identifying humid regions were aridity index and precipitation,respectively.Eco-geographical regions were mapped over China using these rules and the gridded indicators.Both the temperature zones and humidity regions mapped by the rules show≥85%consistency with the existing regionalization,which is higher than values for mapping by the commonly used simplified method that uses the classification of one indicator.This study demonstrates that the proposed rough set method can establish eco-geographical regionalization that is quantitative and repeatable and able to dynamically updated.

Vegetation Index Reconstruction and Linkage with Drought for the Source Region of the Yangtze River Based on Tree-ring Data

Variations in vegetation are closely related to climate change, but understanding of their characteristics and causes remains limited. As a typical semi-humid and semi-arid cold plateau region, it is important to understand the knowledge of long term Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI) variations and find the potential causes in the source region of the Yangtze River. Based on four tree-ring width chronologies, the regional mean NDVI for July and August spanning the period 1665–2013 was reconstructed using a regression model, and it explained 43.9% of the total variance during the period 1981–2013. In decadal, the reconstructed NDVI showed eight growth stages(1754–1764, 1766–1783, 1794–1811, 1828–1838, 1843–1855, 1862–1873, 1897–1909, and 1932–1945)and four degradation stages(1679–1698, 1726–1753, 1910–1923, and 1988–2000). And based on wavelet analysis, significant cycles of2–3 yr and 3–8 yr were identified. In additional, there was a significant positive correlation between the NDVI and the Palmer Drought Severity Index(PDSI) during the past 349 yr, and they were mainly in phase. However, according to the results of correlation analysis between different grades of drought/wet and NDVI, there was significant asymmetry in extreme drought years and extreme wet years. In extreme drought years, NDVI was positively correlated with PDSI, and in extreme wet years they were negatively correlated.

Application of a multiregion model to the EM scattering from a rough surface with or without a target above it

An efficient multiregion model is introduced to calculate the electromagnetic scattering from a perfectly electrical conducting （PEC） rough surface with or without a PEC target above it. In the multiregion model, the rough surface is split into multiple regions depending on their position along the rough surface. Two intermediate regions are chosen as the dominant region. If a target is located above the rough surface, the target will also be included in the dominant region. The method of moments （MOM） is only adopted on the dominant region to ensure validity. Hence, the new model can greatly reduce the number of unknowns associated with full MOM analysis. The induced electric currents on the other regions are obtained by approximately considering the mutual coupling between different regions along the rough surface. Compared with the published hybrid method, this new model is not only suitable for EM scattering from a target above a rough surface but also applicable for just rough surfaces. Several numerical simulations are presented to show the validity and efficiency of the multiregion model.

Does digitalization mitigate regional inequalities?Evidence from China

Regional inequality significantly influences sustainable development and human well-being.In China,there exists pronounced regional disparities in economic and digital advancements;however,scant research delves into the interplay between them.By analyzing the economic development and digitalization gaps at regional and city levels in China,extending the original Cobb-Douglas production function,this study aims to evaluate the impact of digitalization on China's regional inequality using seemingly unrelated regression.The results indicate a greater emphasis on digital inequality compared to economic disparity,with variable coefficients of 0.59 for GDP per capita and 0.92 for the digitalization index over the past four years.However,GDP per capita demonstrates higher spatial concentration than digitalization.Notably,both disparities have shown a gradual reduction in recent years.The southeastern region of the Hu Huanyong Line exhibits superior levels and rates of economic and digital advancement in contrast to the northwestern region.While digitalization propels economic growth,it yields a nuanced impact on achieving balanced regional development,encompassing both positive and negative facets.Our study highlights that the marginal utility of advancing digitalization is more pronounced in less developed regions,but only if the government invests in the digital infrastructure and education in these areas.This study's methodology can be utilized for subsequent research,and our findings hold the potential to the government's regional investment and policy-making.

Effectiveness analysis of the prediction of regional debris flow susceptibility in post-earthquake and drought site

Debris-flow disasters occurred frequently after the Mw 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake on 12 May 2008 in Sichuan Province, China. Based on historical accounts of debris-flow disaster events, it found that debris flow occurrence is closely related to the impact of earthquakes and droughts, because earthquakedrought activities can increase the loose solid materials, which can transform into debris flows under the effect of rainstorms. Based on the analysis of historical earthquake activity(frequency, magnitude and location), drought indexes and the trend of climate change(amount of rainfall), a prediction method was established, and the regional debris flow susceptibility was predicted. Furthermore, in a debris flow-susceptible site, effective warning and monitoring are essential not only from an economicpoint of view but are also considered as a frontline approach to alleviate hazards. The advantages of the prediction and early monitoring include(1) the acquired results being sent to the central government for policy making;(2) lives and property in mountainous areas can be protected, such as the 570 residents in the Aizi valley, who evacuated successfully before debris flows in 2012;(3) guiding the government to identify the areas of disasters and the preparation for disaster prevention and mitigation, such as predicting disasters in high-risk areas in the period 2012-2017, helping the government to recognize the development trend of disasters;(4) the quantitative prediction of regional debris-flow susceptibility, such as after the Wenchuan earthquake, can promote scientific and sustainable development and socioeconomic planning in earthquake-struck areas.

Construction and Application of a Regional Kilometer-Scale Carbon Source and Sink Assimilation Inversion System(CCMVS-R)

CO_(2)is one of the most important greenhouse gases(GHGs)in the earth’s atmosphere.Since the industrial era,anthropogenic activities have emitted excessive quantities of GHGs into the atmosphere,resulting in climate warming since the 1950s and leading to an increased frequency of extreme weather and climate events.In 2020,China committed to striving for carbon neutrality by 2060.This commitment and China’s consequent actions will result in significant changes in global and regional anthropogenic carbon emissions and therefore require timely,comprehensive,and objective monitoring and verification support(MVS)systems.The MVS approach relies on the top-down assimilation and inversion of atmospheric CO_(2)concentrations,as recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC)Inventory Guidelines in 2019.However,the regional high-resolution assimilation and inversion method is still in its initial stage of development.Here,we have constructed an inverse system for carbon sources and sinks at the kilometer level by coupling proper orthogonal decomposition(POD)with four-dimensional variational(4DVar)data assimilation based on the weather research and forecasting-greenhouse gas(WRF-GHG)model.Our China Carbon Monito ring and Verification Support at the Regional level(CCMVS-R)system can continuously assimilate information on atmospheric CO_(2)and other related information and realize the inversion of regional and local anthropogenic carbon emissions and natural terrestrial ecosystem carbon exchange.Atmospheric CO_(2)data were collected from six ground-based monito ring sites in Shanxi Province,China to verify the inversion effect of regio nal anthropogenic carbon emissions by setting ideal and real experiments using a two-layer nesting method(at 27 and 9 km).The uncertainty of the simulated atmospheric CO_(2)decreased significantly,with a root-mean-square error of CO_(2)concentration values between the ideal value and the simulated after assimilation was close to 0.The total anthropogenic carbon emissions in Shanxi Province in 2019 from the assimilated inversions were approximately 28.6%(17%-38%)higher than the mean of five emission inventories using the bottomup method,showing that the top-down CCMVS-R system can obtain more comprehensive information on anthropogenic carbon emissions.