Northeast Institute of Geography and Agricultural Ecology, CAS

The Northeast Institute of Geography and Agricultural Ecology, a new CAS research body inaugurated in March 2002,comes from the merger of two former CAS research affiliates:Changchun Institute of Geography and Heilongjiang Institute of Agricultural Modernization in Harbin.……

ON THE CHANGING AGRICULTURAL STRUCTURE AND ITS GEOGRAPHIC STUDIES

The aghcultural structure is defined as an interactive combination of controllable factors, which constitutes a supporting framework of agricultural system. It is a dynamic structure which changes with economic development Currentiy in China, the traditional aghculture is gradually transforming into the modern one, and the changing agricultural structure attracts attention of experts from different disciplines. The authors of this artide sopt that geographers should actively take part in the Studies of agricultural structure changes, and the conopt of 'major agricultural system' should be accepted for the purpose of expanding the area of their sclentific investigation, encouraging theoredcal innovation, improving research methods and techniques, and serving agricultural modernization.

1Chinese human geography and its contributions

The aim of this paper is to sift through examples of outstanding contributions made by Chinese human geography in terms of social applications and explain the basic concepts and theoretical methods explored by human geography that are behind the applications of results with major social influence, so as to be able to summarize the main school that represents developments in contemporary Chinese human geography. Chinese human geography upholds the subject＇s designation as being integrated and interdisciplinary. Research focuses on interactions between the natural and human spheres of the Earth＇s surface, and it is guided by the understanding and effects of the processes of regional sustainable development at different spatial scales. Chinese human geography has innovatively established the following development paradigm： ＂To be guided by application requirements, refine key issues of the discipline in the course of solving major issues of human geography in national and regional development, and by solving those key issues, to enhance its ability to provide scientific and technological support to serve national and local needs while promoting its own development.＂ Results from early Chinese human geography studies on land use and agricultural zoning, recent research results on point-axis system models and T-shaped national spatial development patterns, and current research results on territorial function theory and major function oriented zones have all continued and strengthened the mainstream school of Chinese human geography and have avoided the global tendency for human geography to become rapidly human-oriented, while results have been applied at the highest level of decision-making management. Chinese human geography can provide lessons for developing countries and may play a leading role in the future development of global human geography.