City Network Evolution Characteristics of Smart Industry: Evidence from Yangtze River Delta, China

The dual-path model of industrial evolution and spatial progression has been widely acknowledged and incorporated into the strategic planning to promote the development of urban industries and regional collaborations.However,current research on inter-enter-prise city networks mainly focuses on the single sector of flows on all enterprise branches,such as product value chains and production factors,but neglects that of particular industry department.Built upon the new economic geography and city networks theory,this paper develops a methodological framework that focuses on the analysis of city network evolution characteristics of smart industry.Particu-larly,a conceptual model of smart industry enterprise-industry-city is proposed and then applied to a case study of smart industry in the Yangtze River Delta Region,China.Using enterprise supplier-customer data,a city network of smart industry is constructed and sub-sequently analyzed with the proposed model.Findings indicate that the smart industry network in Yangtze River Delta Region exhibits a hierarchical structure and the expansion of the network presents a small-world network characteristic.The study not only makes a meth-odological contribution for revealing the industrial and spatial evolution path of the current smart industry,but also provides empirical support for the formulation of new economic development policies focused on smart industries,demonstrating the role of city clusters as carriers of regional synergistic development.

Structural Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Carbon Emission Spatial Association Network:A Case Study of Yangtze River Delta City Cluster,China

City cluster is an effective platform for encouraging regionally coordinated development.Coordinated reduction of carbon emissions within city cluster via the spatial association network between cities can help coordinate the regional carbon emission management,realize sustainable development,and assist China in achieving the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals.This paper applies the improved gravity model and social network analysis(SNA)to the study of spatial correlation of carbon emissions in city clusters and analyzes the structural characteristics of the spatial correlation network of carbon emissions in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD)city cluster in China and its influencing factors.The results demonstrate that:1)the spatial association of carbon emissions in the YRD city cluster exhibits a typical and complex multi-threaded network structure.The network association number and density show an upward trend,indicating closer spatial association between cities,but their values remain generally low.Meanwhile,the network hierarchy and network efficiency show a downward trend but remain high.2)The spatial association network of carbon emissions in the YRD city cluster shows an obvious‘core-edge’distribution pattern.The network is centered around Shanghai,Suzhou and Wuxi,all of which play the role of‘bridges’,while cities such as Zhoushan,Ma'anshan,Tongling and other cities characterized by the remote location,single transportation mode or lower economic level are positioned at the edge of the network.3)Geographic proximity,varying levels of economic development,different industrial structures,degrees of urbanization,levels of technological innovation,energy intensities and environmental regulation are important influencing factors on the spatial association of within the YRD city cluster.Finally,policy implications are provided from four aspects:government macro-control and market mechanism guidance,structural characteristics of the‘core-edge’network,reconfiguration and optimization of the spatial layout of the YRD city cluster,and the application of advanced technologies.

Analysis of factors influencing carbon emissions in the Yangtze River Delta region and projections of carbon peak scenarios

Based on the supply-side perspective,the improved STIRPAT model is applied to reveal the mechanisms of supply-side factors such as human,capital,technology,industrial synergy,institutions and economic growth on carbon emissions in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD)through path analysis,and to forecast carbon emissions in the YRD from the baseline scenario,factor regulation scenario and integrated scenario to reach the peak.The results show that:(1)Jiangsu's high carbon emission pattern is the main reason for the YRD hindering the synergistic regulation of carbon emissions.(2)Human factors,institutional factors and economic growth factors can all contribute to carbon emissions in the YRD region,while technological and industrial factors can generally suppress carbon emissions in the YRD region.(3)Under the capital regulation scenario,the YRD region has the highest level of carbon emission synergy,with Jiangsu reaching its peak five years earlier.Under the balanced regulation scenario,the YRD region as a whole,Jiangsu,Zhejiang and Anhui reach the peak as scheduled.

Evaluation of Ecological Sustainable Development in the Yangtze River Delta Region Based on Ecological Footprint Theory

The ecological footprint was employed as a quantitative indicator of resource inputs,enabling a detailed account of the structure of biological resources and energy occupancy,as well as the variation of resource productivity in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD)Region.From 2004 to 2018,there were notable variations in the ecological productivity of different types of land on basis of China’s equilibrium factor across the three provinces and one city in the YRD region.Jiangsu Province exhibited the highest ecological productivity of arable land,while Anhui Province exhibited the highest ecological productivity of forest land.Shanghai City exhibited the highest ecological productivity of pasture land,while Zhejiang Province exhibited the highest ecological productivity of water area.In 2018,the proportion of arable land within the total ecological carrying capacity of the YRD region reached 74.35%.Furthermore,the contribution of Jiangsu and Anhui provinces to the YRD’s total ecological carrying capacity was 41.36%and 41.26%,respectively.In the construction of a new development pattern in the YRD region,which is dominated by the domestic cycle as the main body and mutually reinforced by domestic and international double-cycle,the YRD region should combine the utilization of natural forces with innovation in science,technology and cooperation mechanisms.Furthermore,the government should guide the concentration of social capital towards green industries.It is also recommended that the moderate reduction of ecological footprints should be encouraged,and that the security of biological resources and energy,the leadership in the field of cutting-edge science and technology should be ensured in YRD region.This will facilitate the formation of a new development pattern of higher-quality integration at the national level firstly.

Measurement of Digital Economy Development Level in Yangtze River Delta and Its Influence on Ecological Efficiency

Based on the panel data of 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta from 2007 to 2018,this paper empirically tests the impact of digital economy development on urban ecological efficiency in the Yangtze River Delta.The results show that the development level of digital economy in Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration is fluctuating and rising;the development of digital economy has a significant positive role in promoting the improvement of urban ecological efficiency;there is significant regional heterogeneity in the promotion of ecological efficiency by digital economy,especially in central cities.

Characteristics and Transformation of Heavy Metal Pollution in Soil and Rice of Yangtze River Delta Region

[Objective]Characteristics of heavy metal pollution in soil and rice of Yangtze River Delta Region were studied.[Method]Heavy metal contents of more than 150 samples in Yangtze River Delta region were determined so as to make the soil environmental quality assessment and study the content distribution,transformation and distribution characteristics of heavy metals in different regions and different plant parts.[Result]The Yangtze River Delta region was polluted by Cd,Pb,Cr,Cu and Zn,among them Cd pollution was the most serious;Pb,Cu and Zn took second place;Cr appears the lightest;And there was almost no Hg and As pollution in this area.The Nemero pollution index of soil was 0.880 which was at the alert level.Cd,Cr,Cu,Hg and Zn in rice grains exceeded the background values.Heavy metal pollutions in soils divided by regions were in order of Taihu Lake region 〉Zhejiang region〉 Yangtze River region and urban areas 〉towns and rural areas.Heavy metal pollutions in soil divided by the uptake level were in order of rhizosphere soil 〉rice straw 〉rice grain.Transformation coefficients were in order of Cd〉 Cu 〉Zn〉 As 〉Hg〉 Pb〉 Cr.Distribution coefficients were in order of Zn〉 Cr〉 Cd 〉Cu〉 Hg 〉Pb 〉As.[Conclusion]There were larger value ranges of contaminated elements in the Yangtze River Delta Region,moreover individual samples had serious pollution,so the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution should be strengthened.

Effects of ground-level ozone (O_3) pollution on the yields of rice and winter wheat in the Yangtze River Delta

Effects of elevated O_3 on the yields of rice and winter wheat were studied by using open-top chambers(OTCs). Results showed that compared to the control treatment, 200 ppb, 100 ppb, 50 ppb treatments caused a 80.4%, 58.6% and 10.5% decrease in grain yields per winter wheat plant and a 49.1%, 26.1% and 8.2% decrease in grain yield per rice plant, respectively. According to the dose-response relation educed from OTCs experiment and the monitor data of O_3 concentrations in spots, it was estimated that the yield losses of rice and winter wheat resulted by O_3 pollution in the Yangtze River Delta region in 1999 were 0.599 million ton and 0.669 million ton, economic losses were 0.539 billion RMB Yuan and 0.936 billion RMB Yuan, respectively.

Impacts of Weather Conditions Modified by Urban Expansion on Surface Ozone: Comparison between the Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta Regions

In this paper, the online weather research and forecasting and chemistry （WRF-Chem） model is used to explore the impacts of urban expansion on regional weather conditions and its implication on surface ozone concentrations over the Pearl River Delta（PRD） and Yangtze River Delta（YRD） regions. Two scenarios of urban maps are used in the WRF-Chem to represent the early 1990s （pre-urbanization） and the current urban distribution in the PRD and the YRD. Month-long simulation results using the above land-use scenarios for March 2001 show that urbanization increases both the day- and night-time 2-m temperatures by about 0.6℃and 1.4℃, respectively. Daytime reduction in the wind speed by about 3.0 m s-1 is larger than that for the nighttime （0.5 to 2 m s-1）. The daytime increase in the PBL height （〉 200 m） is also larger than the nighttime （50-100 m）. The meteorological conditions modified by urbanization lead to detectable ozone-concentration changes in the PRD and the YRD. Urbanization increases the nighttime surface-ozone concentrations by about 4.7%-8.5% and by about 2.9%-4.2% for the daytime. In addition to modifying individual meteorological variables, urbanization also enhances the convergence zones, especially in the PRD. More importantly, urbanization has different effects on the surface ozone for the PRD and the YRD, presumably due to their urbanization characteristics and geographical locations. Even though the PRD has a smaller increase in the surface temperature than the YRD, it has （a） weaker surface wind speed, （b） smaller increase in PBL heights, and （c） stronger convergence zones. The latter three factors outweighed the temperature increase and resulted in a larger ozone enhancement in the PRD than the YRD.

Impact of urban expansion on regional temperature change in the Yangtze River Delta

Based on non-radiance-calibrated DMSP/OLS nighttime light imagery from 1992 to 2003, urban land area statistical data, meteorological data and land surface temperature data retrieved by MODIS and NOAA/AVHRR data, the influence of urbanization on regional climatic trend cf temperature in the Yangtze River Delta （YRD） was analyzed. Conclusions are as follows： 1） There is a significant urbanization process from 1992 to 2003 in the YRD. Four city clusters of Nanjing-Zhenjiang-Yangzhou, Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou, Shanghai and Hangzhou Bay form a zigzag city belt. The increase rate of annual mean air temperature in city-belt is 0.28-0.44℃/10a from 1991 to 2005, which is far larger than that of non-city-belt. 2） The urban heat island （UHI） effect on regional mean air temperature in different seasons is summer〉autumn〉spring〉winter. 3） The UHI intensity and the urban total population logarithm are creditably correlated. 4） The UHI effect made the regional annual mean air temperature increased 0.072℃ from 1961 to 2005, of which 0.047℃ from 1991 to 2005, and the annual maximum air temperature increased 0.162℃, of which 0.083℃ from 1991 to 2005. All these indicating that the urban expansion in the YRD from 1991 to 2005 may be regarded as a serious climate signal.

Peaked abundance of Calanus sinicus earlier shifted in the Changjiang River (Yangtze River) Estuary:a comparable study between 1959,2002 and 2005

The sea surface temperature （SST） of the East China Sea （ECS） increased in the past decades, which may have a great impact on the ecosystem of the ECS, including the changes in planktonpopulation structure. In this paper, the changes in peaked abundance of Calanus sinicus in the Changjiang River （Yangtze River） Estuary were compared between 1959 and 2002, based on the data collected from the seasonally oceanographic cruises and those performed in spring of 2005. It was much higher in spring compared with that in other seasons both in 1959 and 2002. Furthermore, in spring 2005, the time for occurrence and decrease of the peaked C. sinicus abundance advanced about one month, accompanying the increase in the sea surface water temperature （SST）. It peaked in June and decreased in July in 1959, however, in 2005, it peaked in May and attenuated sharply in early June. The earlier decrease of peaked C. sinicus abundance may further deteriorate the ecosystem in the Changjiang River Estuary and north nearshore of the ECS.

Spatial distribution and deposition history of nonylphenol and bisphenol A in sediments from the Changjiang River(Yangtze River) Estuary and its adjacent East China Sea

Nonylphenol（NP） and bisphenol A（BPA） are endocrine disruptors causing harmful effects including feminization and carcinogenesis to various organisms,and consequently,their contamination in natural environment has received wide concerns.This study reports the distribution characteristics of NP and BPA in surface sediments and their deposition history based on a dated sediment core in the Changjiang River（Yangtze River） Estuary and its adjacent East China Sea.The contents of NP and BPA in surface sediments ranged from 1.56-35.8 and 0.72-13.2 ng/g（dry mass）,respectively,with high values recorded in the two mud zones,the Changjiang River Estuarine Mud Zone and the Zhejiang Coastal Mud Zone.High values in the Zhejiang Coastal Mud Zone suggest the possibility of long distance transport of both contaminants through the Changjiang riverine plume.The contents were not correlated with the distance from the pollution source,indicating other factors including particle deposition rate and sediment grain size obviously affecting the distribution pattern.NP was also detected in a sediment core at layers deposited from the year of 1971 to 2001 with contents of up to 20.9 ng/g（dry mass）.The deposition fluxes of NP varied from 0.68 to 17.9 ng/（cm^2 · a） with peaks and valleys reflecting the traces of economic development history in China during the previous three decades.BPA was detected at sediment layers deposited from 1973 to 2001 with contents of up to 3.66 ng/g.The fluxes of BPA varied from 0.62 to 3.13 ng/（cm^2 · a） showing a similar pattern as NP.The contents of NP and BPA also indicated potential risks on benthic organisms in the study area.

Decreasing Reference Evapotranspiration in a Warming Climate-A Case of Changjiang (Yangtze) River Catchment During 1970-2000

This study deals with temporal trends in the Penman-Monteith reference evapotranspiration estimated from standard meteorological observations, observed pan evaporation, and four related meteorological variables during 1970-2000 in the Yangtze River catchment. Relative contributions of the four meteorological variables to changes in the reference evapotranspiration are quantified. The results show that both the reference evapotranspiration and the pan evaporation have significant decreasing trends in the upper, the middle as well as in the whole Changjiang （Yangtze） River catchment at the 5% significance level, while the air temperature shows a significant increasing trend. The decreasing trend detected in the reference evapotranspiration can be attributed to the significant decreasing trends in the net radiation and the wind speed.

Spatial-temporal Analysis of Daily Air Quality Index in the Yangtze River Delta Region of China During 2014 and 2016

Urban air pollution is a prominent problem related to the urban development in China, especially in the densely populated urban agglomerations. Therefore, scientific examination of regional variation of air quality and its dominant factors is of great importance to regional environmental management. In contrast to traditional air pollution researches which only concentrate on a single year or a single pollutant, this paper analyses spatiotemporal patterns and determinants of air quality in disparate regions based on the air quality index(AQI) of the Yangtze River Delta region(YRD) of China from 2014 to 2016. Results show that the annual average value of the AQI in the YRD region decreases from 2014 to 2016 and exhibit a basic characteristic of ‘higher in winter, lower in summer and slightly high in spring and autumn'. The attainment rate of the AQI shows an apparently spatial stratified heterogeneity, Hefei metropolitan area and Nanjing metropolitan area keeping the worst air quality. The frequency of air pollution occurring in large regions was gradually decreasing during the study period. Drawing from entropy method analysis, industrialization and urbanization represented by per capita GDP and total energy consumption were the most important factors. Furthermore, population agglomeration is a factor that cannot be ignored especially in some mega-cities. Limited to data collection, more research is needed to gain insight into the spatiotemporal pattern and influence mechanism in the future.

The environment effect on fish assemblage structure in waters adjacent to the Changjiang(Yangtze) River estuary(1998-2001)

We collected fish abundance data in the Changjiang(Yangtze River) estuary and adjacent waters in November 1998,May 1999,November 2000,and May 2001.Using the data,we evaluated the characteristics of the fish assemblages at each site and investigated the effect of several environmental factors.We used a multivariate analysis,including community ordination methods such as detrended correspondence analysis(DCA) and canonical correspondence analysis(CCA),and two-way indicator species analysis(TWINSPAN).We analyzed the biological community structure and environmental factors to determine their spatial distributions,temporal dynamics,and seasonal variations.Among the fish species,five exceeded 5% of the total abundance:Harpodon nehereus(42.82%),Benthosema pterotum(13.85%),Setipinna taty(11.64%),Thryssa kammalensis(9.17%) and Apogonichthys lineatus(6.49%).These were separated into four ecological assemblages:hypsithermal-saline,hypsithermal-brackish,hypothermal-brackish,and hypothermal-saline.We evaluated the degree of influence of environmental factors on the fish community.Our analyses suggested that environmental factors including water depth,salinity,turbidity,transparency,nutrient,and suspended matter formed a synthetic spatial gradient between the coastal and pelagic areas.Ecological and environmental factors changed temporally from 1998 to 2001,and drove the fish community succession.The environmental factors driving the fish community structure included bottom temperature,water depth,bottom and surface pH,surface total phosphorous,and bottom dissolved oxygen.This investigation was completed before completion of the Three Gorges Dam;therefore the results of this study provide an important foundation for evaluating the influence of the human activities.

Regional accessibility of land traffic network in the Yangtze River Delta

In a given district, the accessibility of any point should be the synthetically evaluation of the internal and external accessibilities. Using MapX component and Delphi, the author presents an information system to calculate and analyze regional accessibility according to the shortest travel time, generating thus a mark diffusing figure. Based on land traffic network, this paper assesses the present and the future regional accessibilities of sixteen major cities in the Yangtze River Delta. The result shows that the regional accessibility of the Yangtze River Delta presents a fan with Shanghai as its core. The top two most accessible cities are Shanghai and Jiaxing, and the bottom two ones are Taizhou （Zhejiang province） and Nantong With the construction of Sutong Bridge, Hangzhouwan Bridge and Zhoushan Bridge, the regional internal accessibility of all cities will be improved. Especially for Shaoxing, Ningbo and Taizhou （Jiangsu province）, the regional internal accessibility will be decreased by one hour, and other cities will be shortened by about 25 minutes averagely. As the construction of Yangkou Harbor in Nantong, the regional external accessibility of the harbor cities in Jiangsu province will be speeded up by about one hour.

Characteristics and Process of Land Use Changes in the Yangtze River Delta, China

As one of the developing countries China has an arable land per capita far below the world’s average level. With a high-density population and the quick development of economy and urbanization, the Yangtze River Delta shows the typical characteristics of land use in developed regions of China, which are: high land reclamation rate and low arable land per capita; intensive land use and high output value; and rapid increasing of construction land area and fast diminishing of arable lands. The analysis indicates that the process of the arable land changes in the Yangtze River Delta could be divided into four different change stages over the past 50 years.

Size-fractionated phytoplankton biomass in autumn of the Changjiang(Yangtze) River Estuary and its adjacent waters after the Three Gorges Dam construction

A cruise was undertaken from 3rd to 8th November 2004 in Changjiang(Yangtze) River Estuary and its adjacent waters to investigate the spatial biomass distribution and size composition of phytoplankton.Chlorophyll-a(Chl-a) concentration ranged 0.42-1.17 μg L-1 and 0.41-10.43 μg L-1 inside and outside the river mouth,with the mean value 0.73 μg L-1 and 1.86 μg L-1,respectively.Compared with the Chl-a concentration in summer of 2004,the mean value was much lower inside,and a little higher outside the river mouth.The maximal Chl-a was 10.43 μg L-1 at station 18(122.67°E,31.25°N),and the region of high Chl-a concentration was observed in the central survey area between 122.5°E and 123.0°E.In the stations located east of 122.5°E,Chl-a concentration was generally high in the upper layers above 5 m due to water stratification.In the survey area,the average Chl-a in sizes of >20 μm and <20 μm was 0.28 μg L-1 and 1.40 μg L-1,respectively.High Chl-a concentration of <20 μm size-fraction indicated that the nanophytoplankton and picophytoplankton contributed the most to the biomass of phytoplankton.Skeletonema costatum,Prorocentrum micans and Scrippsiella trochoidea were the dominant species in surface water.The spatial distribution of cell abundance of phytoplankton was patchy and did not agree well with that of Chl-a,as the cell abundance could not distinguish the differences in shape and size of phytoplankton cells.Nitrate and silicate behaved conservatively,but the former could probably be the limitation factor to algal biomass at offshore stations.The distribution of phosphate scattered considerably,and its relation to the phytoplankton biomass was complicated.

Seasonal Variation of Columnar Aerosol Optical Properties in Yangtze River Delta in China

In order to understand the seasonal variation of aerosol optical properties in the Yangtze River Delta,5 years of measurements were conducted during September 2005 to December 2009 at Taihu,China.The monthly averages of aerosol optical depth were commonly 0.6;the maximum seasonal average（0.93） occurred in summer.The magnitude of the Angstr¨om exponent was found to be high throughout the year;the highest values occurred in autumn（1.33） and were the lowest in spring（1.08）.The fine modes of volume size distribution showed the maxima（peaks） at a radius of ～0.15 μm in spring,autumn,and winter;at a radius of ～0.22 μm in summer.The coarse modes showed the maxima（peaks） at a radius of 2.9 μm in spring,summer,and autumn and at a radius of 3.8 μm in winter.The averages of single-scattering albedo were 0.92（spring）,0.92（summer）,0.91（autumn）,and 0.88（winter）.The averages of asymmetry factor were found to be larger in summer than during other seasons;they were taken as 0.66 at 440-1020 nm over Taihu.The real part of the refractive index showed a weak seasonal variation,with averages of 1.48（spring）,1.43（summer）,1.45（autumn）,and 1.48（winter）.The imaginary parts of the refractive index were higher in winter（0.013） than in spring（0.0076）,summer（0.0092）,and autumn（0.0091）,indicating that the atmosphere in the winter had higher absorbtivity.

International Freight Forwarding Services Network in the Yangtze River Delta, 2005–2015: Patterns and Mechanisms

This study examined the spatio-temporal trajectories of the international freight forwarding service(IFFS) in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD) and explored the driving mechanisms of the service. Based on a bipartite network projection from an IFFS firm-city data source, we mapped three IFFS networks in the YRD in 2005, 2010, and 2015. A range of statistical indicators were used to explore changes in the spatial patterns of the three networks. The underlying influence of marketization, globalization, decentralization, and integration was then explored. It was found that the connections between Shanghai and other nodal cities formed the backbones of these networks. The effects of a city's administrative level and provincial administrative borders were generally obvious. We found several specific spatial patterns associated with IFFS. For example, the four non-administrative centers of Ningbo, Suzhou, Lianyungang, and Nantong were the most connected cities and played the role of gateway cities. Furthermore, remarkable regional equalities were found regarding a city's IFFS network provision, with notable examples in the weakly connected areas of northern Jiangsu and southwestern Zhejiang. Finally, an analysis of the driving mechanisms demonstrated that IFFS network changes were highly sensitive to the influences of marketization and globalization, while regional integration played a lesser role in driving changes in IFFS networks.

Revisiting and Rethinking Regional Urbanization in Changjiang River Delta,China

China is entering a critical and accelerating phase of urbanization.As one of the most urbanized regions in China,the Changjiang(Yangtze)River Delta has experienced dramatic urbanization and urban transformation.However,in the recent years,many changes have taken place in this region and there is limited attention to the regional urbanization path evolution,its problems and the way to solve these problems.Therefore,we should revisit the urbanization process in the Changjiang River Delta again.In this paper,we revisited urbanization paths of the Changjiang River Delta by data analysis,influence factors of urbanization by the Gray Relational Analysis,and major challenges to urbanization of the Changjiang River Delta by theoretical considerations.We found that the urbanization of the Changjiang River Delta had experienced several stages of large-scale spatial and urban system restructuring.Within the Changjiang River Delta,Shanghai,Zhejiang and Jiangshu had experienced different urbanization path with local characteristics.But with their development model gradually converging,their urbanization model is also converging.We also found that the major influence factors affecting the Changjiang River Delta urbanization were dynamic change and urbanization was driven by different key factors in different socio-economic development stages.Meanwhile,the Changjiang River Delta urbanization is facing many problems such as existing institutional arrangements,including the hukou(household registration)system and others which can not meet the needs of current socioeconomic development and urbanization.Therefore,it is imperative to promote institutional innovation and adopt a new urbanization development strategy for the sake of the orderly and sustainable urbanization development in the Changjiang River Delta.