New Rural Community Construction or Retention Development:A Comparative Analysis of Rural Settlement Transition Mechanism in Plain Agriculture Area of China Based on Actor Network Theory

It is an important way to realize rural revitalization and sustainable development to guide rural settlement transition(RST)in an appropriate way.This paper uses actor network theory(ANT)to construct a theoretical framework for the study of RST.Taking two typical villages with different transition paths in rural areas of North China Plain as examples,this paper reveals the mechanism of RST and makes a comparative analysis.The results show that:1)after identifying problems and obligatory passage point,key actors recruit heterogeneous actors into the actor network by entrusting them with common interests,and realize RST under the system operation.2)Rural settlements under different transition paths have similarities in the problems to be solved,collective actions and policy factors,but there are differences in the transition process,mechanism and effect.The actor network and mechanism of RST through the path of new rural community construction are more complex and the transition effect is more thorough.In contrast,the degree of RST of retention development path is limited if there is no resource and location advantage.3)Based on the applicable conditions of different paths,this paper designs a logical framework of‘Situation-Structure-Behavior-Result’to scientifically guide the identification of RST paths under the background of rural revitalization.

Driving Analysis on Ecological Security in Vulnerable Transition Areas of Mountain and Plain

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the driving mechanism of eco- logical security in vulnerable areas in mountain and plain. [Method] The ecological security evaluation index system of Lincheng County was established using PSR model. Driving mechanism was analyzed in total system and subsystems respectively by the principal components. The ecological safety driving factor was calculated through the total system and subsystem respectively. And the intersection was adopt- ed as dominant driving factor. [Result] A total of 10 indices including density index of rivers, land degradation index, farmland drought and flood insurance yield, human in- terference index, population density, the natural population growth rate, per capita GDP, the R＆D funds spending accounts for the proportion of GDP, laborer by edu- cation degree and three industry accounted for the proportion of GDP, are the domi- nant driving factors of the regional ecological security. [Conclusion] This study will pro- vide reasonable and feasible advice for the benign development of the area.

Impact of livelihood diversification of rural households on their ecological footprint in agro-pastoral areas of northern China

Human-environment relationship is a focus of academic researches and an understanding of the rela- tionship is important for making effective policies and decisions. In this study, based on rural household survey data of Taibus Banner, Duolun county and Zhengxiangbai Banner in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region of China, we identified the impact of livelihood diversification on ecosystems in these agro-pastoral areas by using the ecological footprint theory and methodology together with the one-way analysis of variance （ANOVA） and correlation analysis methods. In 2011, the total ecological footprint of consumption （EFC） was 0.665 g hm2, and the total ecological footprint of production （EFP） was 2.045 g hm2, which was more than three times the EFC. The ecological footprint of arable land consumption （EFAC） accounted for a large proportion of the EFC, and the ecological footprint of grassland production （EFGP） occupied a large proportion of the EFP. Both the ecological footprint of grassland consumption （EFGC） and EFGP had a significant positive correlation with the income, indicating that income was mainly depended on livestock production and the households with higher incomes consumed more livestock prod- ucts. The full-time farming households （FTFHs） had the highest EFP, ecological footprint of arable land production （EFAP）, EFGP and EFGC, followed by the part-time farming households （PTFHs） and non-farming households （NFHs）, which indicated that part-time farming and non-farming employment reduced the occupancy and con- sumption of rural households on local ecosystems and natural resources to some extent. When farming households engaged in livestock rearing, both the EFAP and EFAC became smaller, while the EFP, EFC, EFGC and EFGP increased significantly. The differences in ecological footprints among different household groups should be taken into account when making ecosystem conservation policies. Encouraging the laborers who have the advantages of participating in non-farming employment to move out of the rural areas and increasing the diversification of liveli- hoods of rural households are important in reducing the environmental pressures and improving the welfare of households in the study area. Moreover, grassland should be utilized more effectively in the future.

Livelihood Diversification of Farm Households and Its Impact on Cultivated Land Utilization in Agro-pastoral Ecologically-vulnerable Areas in the Northern China

The relationship between livelihood diversification of farm households and cultivated land utilization has become a core research topic related to global environmental change.Agro-pastoral ecologically-vulnerable areas face challenges such as insufficient ecosystem conservation,low agricultural production,and weak economies.In this study,215 farm households from Zhengxiangbai Banner,Taibus Banner,and Duolun County of Inner Mongolia were surveyed.The sustainable livelihoods framework of the United Kingdom(UK)Department for International Development(DFID)was used to measure the livelihood capital of these farm households.A one-way analysis of variance(ANOVA)was applied to examine the differences in the livelihood capital of different types households,and a correlation analysis was applied to analyze its impact on cultivated land utilization.Results showed that households with non-farming activities accounted for 64.7%of the total surveyed households,and non-farming employment was becoming more prevalent.Physical and financial capital was the driving factors for livelihood diversity.Each livelihood capital had key factors that affected household farmland use behaviors,such as the age of householder,the labor ratio,proportion of income,farmland scale,number of machines,and these had a significantly positive or negative influence on farmland use.Full-time farming households were more likely to transfer the land into cultivation and invest more labor,while non-farming households with high income were likely to transfer farmland out and invest more money to develop efficient farming or improve the employment skills.The results of this study suggest that policymakers need to fully consider livelihood changes of local households.It is effective to strengthen labor training,create farmland market and improve the efficiency of farmland utilization.We hope to achieve a win-win scenario to improve local economies and ecosystem conservation.

Wavelet analysis of spring climate characteristics in arid aeolian area of agro-pastoral ecotone in China

The unique regional climate characteristics are among the main reasons for the frequent wind-sand activity in arid and cold areas in the agro-pastoral ecotone in Inner Mongolia, China. This paper focuses on the time series of temperature and precipitation in spring when sandstorms often occur in the area. Based on meteorological data for a 46-year period from 1959 to 2004, multi-scale variations and abrupt changes in temperature and precipitation were analyzed with the Mexican hat function （MHF） wavelet method, showing the multi-scale variation characteristics of temperature and precipitation, as well as the periods and change points at different time scales. The relationship between temperature and precipitation was obtained using the wavelet analysis method. Obvious staggered features of the variations of spring temperature and precipitation were observed in this agro-pastoral ecotone. The strongest oscillation periods of spring temperature variations were 1 and 22 years, while for precipitation, the strongest oscillation periods of variations were 2, 8, and 22 years. In addition, lower spring temperature corresponded to lower precipitation, whereas higher temperature yielded higher precipitation rate.

Wind Tunnel Study of Multiple Factors Affecting Wind Erosion from Cropland in Agro-pastoral Area of Inner Mongolia,China

In this paper,the process of wind erosion on two kinds of soil from the agro-pastoral area of Inner Mongolia are studied using wind tunnel experiments,considering the wind speed,blown angle of wind and soil moisture content.The results showed that the modulus of soil wind erosion increases with an increase of wind speed.When the wind speed exceeds a critical value,the soil wind erosion suddenly increases.The critical speed for both kinds of soil is within the range of 7-8m·s-1.For a constant wind speed,the rate of soil wind erosion changes from increasing to falling at a critical soil slope.The critical slope of loam soil and sandy loam soil is 20° and 10°,respectively.Soil moisture content has a significant effect on wind erosion.Soil wind erosion of both soils decreases with an increase of the soil water content in two treatments,however,for treatment two,the increasing trends of wind erosion for two soils with the falling of soil water content are no significant,especially for the loam soil,and in the same soil water content,the wind erosion of two soils in treatment one is significantly higher than treatment two,this indicates reducing the disturbance of soil surface can evidently control the soil wind erosion.

Application of Variable Strategies in the Low-cost and Energy-saving Rural Residences in Transitional Areas

Changeful and complex rural family structure and climatic features of transitional areas in China make the application of variable strategy in energy-saving rural residence designs possible.Aiming at the low cost,several effective and reasonable variable strategies were proposed for the design of interior spaces,main bedroom,sunshine room,staircase,west wall,door and window design to satisfy changing structure of a family during different periods and their different thermo-technical requirements in winter and summer.In this way,thermal comfort of rural indoor spaces will be improved,more energy saved,useful experience and thoughts provided for the energy-saving residence design in cold regions and regions hot in summer and cold in winter.

Application of a New Qeneration of Geophonesto Improve Seismic Acquisitionin Onshore-offshore Transition Areas

In this paper, we review the differences between velocity geophones （VG） and acceleration geophones （AG） and their effect on seismic signals acquired in onshore-offshore transition areas. We present a new generation of Land Piezoelectric Geophone （LPG） and analyze its performance. Our field experiments demonstrate that our new LPG can be used to substitute for VGs in order to eliminate phase, frequency and energy differences between different geophone systems commonlv used in transition areas.

Spatial Pattern and Development of Protected Areas in the North-south Transitional Zone of China

The north-south transitional zone in China mainly consists of the Qinling-Daba Mountains. It is the most important West-East geo-ecological space in China, containing protected areas vital for biodiversity conservation and ecological security of China. The protection and rational development of its natural habitat is of great significance to China’s ecological security and integration of protected areas based on mountain forest ecosystems on a global scale. In this study, five important types of protected areas in the transitional zone were selected, and their spatial patterns were analysed. Spatial analysis methods, such as kernel density estimation and accessibility analysis, were employed for both point and areal data, and focused on four aspects: land use scale, shift in the centre of gravity, spatial agglomeration, and accessibility. In addition, policy background and evolution of spatial and temporal characteristics of the protected area system in the transitional zone from 1963 to 2017 were also examined. We analysed the characteristics and geographical significance of the West-east corridor using the spatial pattern of the protected area system from the perspective of ecological and economic spaces. We focused on spatial shape, type intersection, and key areas to analyse the spatial overlap of the protected areas. Protected area establishment was divided into three stages: initial(1956–1980), rapid development(1981–2013), and national park transformation(2014–present). These stages reflected the change in the concept of ‘simple protection—sustainable use—integration and upgrade’ for protected areas of China. The spatial centre of gravity of the protection zone system was located in the west Qinling-Daba Mountains, and its high-density core exhibited a relatively stable N-shaped structure composed of four gathering areas. Affected by factors such as geographic environment and socio-economic development density, the average access time for protected areas was high(1.56 h);wetland parks and scenic areas are located closer to the city centre. As the West-east corridor in the transitional zone extends from west to east, there is a clear spatial dislocation between the development of protected areas and the intensity of human activities. During development, differentiated goal orientation should be adopted based on the idea of zoning and classified governance. With the advancement of the construction of protected areas, the spatial overlap of protected areas in the transition zone has become more prominent. At present, the spatially overlapped protected areas in the transitional zone remain prominent, with inclusion overlap being the most common, and forest parks exhibiting the highest probability of overlap with other protected areas, we should focus on in the integration process of the corridor-type ecological space based on the mountain forest ecosystem.

Research on the Impact and Strategies of Rail Transit Network Integration in the Context of Metropolitan Area Development:A Case Study of the Wuhan Metropolitan Area

The metropolitan area is one of the key focal points in the construction and development of China’s new urbanization.Urban integration is an emerging trend in metropolitan areas.This paper explores the traffic demand characteristics and economic aspects of rail transit within metropolitan regions and argues that the construction of an integrated urban rail transit network is an effective approach to support their development.Rail transit in metropolitan areas offers both technical and economic advantages,improving the efficiency of time and space resource utilization,fostering economic cooperation,and ultimately contributing to an integrated development model.However,the integration of rail transit networks faces several challenges,including road network planning,technical standards,and operational organization.Using the Wuhan metropolitan area as a case study,this paper analyzes the challenges of rail transit network integration and proposes strategic solutions for development.

THE POSSIBILITIES AND REALITIES ON THE REMANAGEMENT OF DESERTIFIED LANDS IN THE TRANSITIONAL ZONE BETWEEN THE DRY-FARMING AREA AND THE GRAZING AREA IN NORTH CHINA

The desertification process is rapidly developing at present and 61.5% of the land area in the zone are already desertified.Among the desertified lands, 26.9% are seriously desertified, 25% most seriously desertified and 47.4% are the lands where desertification is under way. They are caused by over-reclamation for farming, over-grazing, unreasonable collection of firewood,the destruction of vegetation and the misuse of water resources. Under the ecological environment in semi-arid zone,the degraded environment process possesses the ability of restoring to its original status as soon as the interruption of excessive human activities are eliminated. The fencing- and-self-cultivating method is an effective measure adopted universally in semi-arid zone to cure the desertified lands.The desertified lands can be readjusted and controlled easily if other controlling measures are supplemented. The fundamental ways to control desertification are to utilize rationally the resources, to readjust the existing

Modeling and Analysis of Transitional Tube with Constant Sectional Area along Derivative Central Route

Firstly, sample square-circular transition tube along straight central route was modeled on CATIA software. The parameters are as follows： let the tube length is L, and the constant cross section area is S, and S = πR^2 = a2, in which R stands for the circle radius on one end, and a the square side length on the other end; set up the coordinate system with OX axis on the central route in which the origin O is on centroid of the square end and assume the cross section size at x as the square shaped with all four comers filleted in radius r which is proportional to x, that is, the linear slope of r is R/L, thus, both values r and square side length ax can be attained on the constant cross section area assumption. Secondly, some sample polygonal-circular transition tubes along straight, circular and helical central route were implemented similarly. Thirdly, numerical analysis of stress and displacement of these tubes were carried out on MSC/PATRAN software which are important to the distribution of turbulent flow and the layout of these transitional tube structures.

A Study on Law of Change of Real Contact Area of Friction during Transition Process

Mechanism of frictional vibration and the difference of kinctic-static friction is an open question. Research shows that the change of real area of contact during transition process of friction results in the phenomena mentioned above. In substance, the F-Vr, descent and F-T ascent characters are caused by A-Vr, and A-T characters respectively. Based on ultrasonic experiment the mechanism of the phenomena is explained and the frictional formulas using the parameter-real area of contact are given in this article.

Quanta of the Phase-Space Areas Given by Intervals of Energy and Time Associated with Electron Transitions

The paper examines the energy of electron transitions in an emission process and the time intervals necessary for that process. For simple quantum systems, the both parameters—that of energy and time—depend on the difference Δn of the quantum numbers n labelling the beginning and end state of emission. It is shown that the phase-space areas formed by products of energy and time involved in the emission can be represented as a quadratic function of Δn multiplied by the Planck constant h.

Geological characteristics and development potential of transitional shale gas in the east margin of the Ordos Basin,NW China

The shales in the 2nd Member of Shanxi formation in the east margin of the Ordos Basin were deposited in a marine-nonmarine transitional environment during the Permian.Based on the recent breakthroughs in the shale gas exploration and theoretical understandings on the shale gas of the study area,with a comparison to marine shale gas in the Sichuan Basin and marine-nonmarine transitional shale gas in the U.S.,this study presents the geological characteristics and development potential of marine-nonmarine transitional gas in the study area.Four geological features are identified in the 2nd Member of the Shanxi Formation in the study area has:(1)stable sedimentary environment is conductive to deposition of widely distributed organic shale;(2)well-developed micro-and nanoscale pore and fracture systems,providing good storage capacity;(3)high content of brittle minerals such as quartz,leading to effectively reservoir fracturing;and(4)moderate reservoir pressure and relatively high gas content,allowing efficient development of shale gas.The 2nd Member of Shanxi Formation in the east margin of Ordos Basin is rich in shale gas resource.Three favorable zones,Yulin-Linxian,Shiloubei-Daning-Jixian,and Hancheng-Huangling are developed,with a total area of 1.28×104 km2 and resources between 1.8×1012 and 2.9×1012m3,indicating a huge exploration potential.Tests of the 2nd Member of Shanxi Formation in vertical wells show that the favorable intervals have stable gas production and high reserves controlled by single well,good recoverability and fracability.This shale interval has sufficient energy,stable production capacity,and good development prospects,as evidenced by systematic well testing.The east margin of the Ordos Basin has several shale intervals in the Shanxi and Taiyuan formations,and several coal seams interbedded,so collaborative production of different types of natural gas in different intervals can be considered.The study results can provide reference for shale gas exploration and development and promote the rapid exploitation of shale gas in China.

Estimating walking access area for rail transit station based on discrete choice model

The discrete choice model is used to estimate the walking access area of rail transit stations while considering the influence of existing competition from other traffic modes. The acceptable walking access area is determined according to the willingness of passengers to walk who prefer rail transit compared with bus and automobile. Empirical studies were conducted using the survey data of six stations from the rail transit in Nanjing, China. The results indicate that the rail transit is more preferable compared with bus and private automobile in this case when excluding the influence of individual and environmental factors. It is found that passengers tend to underestimate their willingness to walk. The acceptable walking access area of every rail transit station is different from each other. Suburban stations generally have a larger walking access area than downtown stations. In addition, a better walking environment and a scarcer surrounding traffic environment can also lead to a larger walking area. The model was confirmed to be effective and reasonable according to the model validation. This study can be of benefit to the passenger transportation demand estimation in the location planning and evaluation of rail transit stations.

Distribution of groundwater salinity and formation mechanism of fresh groundwater in an arid desert transition zone

This study reviews the distribution of groundwater salinity in an arid desert transition zone. By combining field experiments and computer simulation models we make a comprehensive analysis of the formation mechanism of fresh groundwater in relation to the paleogeographic conditions of lithofacies, the geochemical characteristics of the aquifer media, salt deliverability in the vadose zone and prevailing hydrodynamic conditions. The results demonstrate that(1) the lacustrine facies deposition stratum of the Huanhe formation in the Cretaceous system provides a brackish-salt groundwater environment;(2) the average salinity of parent rocks are approximately 440 mg/kg and 4 371 mg/kg in the Quaternary eolian sand and the Cretaceous Huanhe formation respectively, suggesting that parent rocks are the principal controlling factor in the distribution of groundwater quality given that mineral and chemical composition of the eolian sand is simpler than that of the Huanhe formation;(3) average groundwater flow rates are approximately 0.25 m/d and 0.1 m/d in eolian sand and Huanhe formation aquifers respectively, indicating that hydrodynamic conditions play an important role in driving in the formation and evolution of fresh groundwater;(4) The salinity deliverability in the vadose zone overlying the aeolian sand and Huanhe formation aquifers are approximately 15.97 mg/L and 220.42 mg/L respectively, signifying that the combination of lithology and salt content of vadose zone, rainfall infiltration, evapotranspiration and concentration heavily influence the formation, distribution and evolution of groundwater quality. This study can provide a scientific basis for the sustainable development and utilization of groundwater resources in arid areas.

Construction Method of Rail Transit Oriented Metropolitan Area under the Integration of Four Networks

In the process of metropolitan area integration,the current rail transit development is not enough to support the rapid expansion of the economy and population of the metropolitan area.It is necessary to attach importance to the important role of rail transit as a support system,promote the integrated development of the metropolitan area,and create a metropolitan area on the track.Through the problems in rail transit development,the development concept of “four networks integration” of rail transit is put forward.From multiple aspects of planning,construction and operation,reasonable promotion strategies are proposed,which could provide feasible suggestions for promoting the construction of metropolitan area on the track.

Analysis on the Transition of Resource-based Rural Land Use in the Context of Rural Revitalization:A Case Study of Taolingou Village,Yangquan City,Shanxi Province

The key to the transformation of resource-based rural economy lies in the land use transition,which has important theoretical and practical significance for the reconstruction of rural values and the promotion of rural revitalization.Taking Taolingou Village in Yangquan City,Shanxi Province as an example,on the basis of expounding the concept and connotation of land use transition,this paper analyzes the evolution trend of resource-based rural land use transition,explores the driving force of resource-based rural land use transition and clearly puts forward the measures to strengthen the transformation of resource-based rural land use in the context of rural revitalization.The analysis shows that the land use of Taolingou Village is transforming towards the trend of sustainability,putting people first and multi-function,which is consistent with the strategic goal of rural revitalization.The driving force of land use transition in Taolingou Village includes four aspects,namely,industrial structure,economic factors,development policy and contradiction between human and land.Adjusting and optimizing the industrial structure,protecting the ecological environment,perfecting relevant policies and regulations,and controlling the overall population are the effective measures for Taolingou Village to realize the land use transition.This case study is expected to provide a useful reference for the land use transition in other resource-based rural areas.

Characteristics and influencing mechanisms of production-living-ecological space dynamics in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area(TGRA),Chongqing,China

The Three Gorges Reservoir Area(TGRA)is an important ecological barrier in the Yangtze River Basin,China.Therefore,it is of great importance to understand the spatio-temporal variation and the driving factors of production-living-ecological spaces for sustainable and high-quality development in the TGRA.This study investigated the dynamic variation of production-living-ecological spaces in the TGRA by employing land use data in 2000,2005,2010,2015,and 2018,and detected the influencing factors by using the Geographic detector(GeoDetector).Results implied that the structure and dynamic trajectories of production-living-ecological spaces in the TGRA varied in both horizontal and vertical directions,and the study area was dominated by ecological space.A spatial orientation towards the northeast was detected in the evolution of production-living-ecological spaces during 2000-2018.In terms of quantity,the transition from ecological space(grassland and woodland)to agriculture land accounted for the largest proportion from 2000 to 2018.However,the reverse transition from agriculture land to ecological space has increased since 2000 with the efforts of“Grain for Green”.In terms of temporal scale,there was a fluctuating trend in production space with the continuous expansion of living space,while ecological space showed an inverted U-shaped trend during 2000-2018.The dynamic pattern of production-living-ecological spaces in the TGRA was influenced by both physical and socio-economic variables as basic determinants and dominant driving factors,respectively.Finally,the harmonization and protection of production-living-ecological spaces still require policy-makers’efforts.This work may have potential in advancing our understanding about land use conflicts,and provide a reference for rational layout of spatial functions and the realization of sustainable development in the TGRA.