Water Quality,Influential Factors,and Management Strategies from 2016 to 2020 in the Yangtze River Economic Belt,China

The Yangtze River economic belt(YREB),China is important to the Chinese economy and for supporting sustainable development.Clarifying the relationship between water quality indices and socioeconomic indicators could help improve aquatic environment management in the YREB and our understanding of the causes and effects of water quality variations in other large river basins.In this study,river water quality,factors affecting water quality,and management strategies,and correlations between water quality indices and socioeconomic indicators in the YREB during the 13th Five-Year Plan period(2016-2020)were assessed.The single-factor evaluation method,constant price for GDP,and correlation analyses were adopted.The results showed that:1)water quality in the YREB improved during the 13th Five-Year Plan period.The number of aquatic environment sections meeting GradeⅠ-Ⅲwater quality standards increased by 13.1%and the number below Grade V decreased by 2.9%.2)The values of 12 indicators in the YREB exceeded relevant standards.The indicators with highest concentreation were the total phosphorus,chemical oxygen demand,ammonia nitrogen,and permanganate index,which were relatively high in downstream regions in Anhui Province,Jiangsu Province,and Shanghai Municipality.3)Ammonia nitrogen,chemical oxygen demand,and total phosphorus emissions per unit area and water extraction per unit area are relatively high in the three downstream regions mentioned above.4)Increased domestic sewage discharges have increased total wastewater discharges in the YREB.5)River water quality in the YREB strongly correlated with population,economic,and water resource indices and less strongly correlated with government investment,agriculture,meteorology,energy,and forestry indices.This confirmed the need to decrease wastewater discharges and non-point-source pollutant emissions.The aquatic environment could be improved by taking reasonable measures to control population growth,adjusting the industrial structure to accelerate industrial transformation and increase the proportion of tertiary industries,and investing in technological innovations to protect the environment.

Dynamic Variation of Vegetation NPP and Its Driving Forces in the Yellow River Basin, China

The productivity of vegetation is influenced by both climate change and human activities.Understanding the specific contributions of these influencing factors is crucial for ecological conservation and regional sustainability.This study utilized a combination of multi-source data to examine the spatiotemporal patterns of Net Primary Productivity(NPP)in the Yellow River Basin(YRB),China from 1982 to 2020.Additionally,a scenario-based approach was employed to compare Potential NPP(PNPP)with Actual NPP(ANPP)to determine the relative roles of climatic and human factors in NPP changes.The PNPP was estimated using the Lund-Potsdam-Jena General Ecosystem Simulator(LPJ-GUESS)model,while ANPP was evaluated by the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach(CASA)model using different NDVI data sources.Both model simulations revealed that significant greening occurring in the YRB,with a gradual decrease observed from southeast to northwest.According to the LPJ_GUESS model simulations,areas experiencing an increasing trend in NPP accounted for 86.82% of the YRB.When using GIMMS and MODIS NDVI data with CASA model simulations,areas showing an increasing trend in NPP accounted for 71.42% and 97.02%,respectively.Furthermore,both climatic conditions and human factors had positive effects on vegetation restoration;approximated 41.15% of restored vegetation areas were influenced by both climate variation and human activities,while around 31.93% were solely affected by climate variation.However,it was found that human activities served as the principal driving force of vegetation degradation within the YRB,impacting 26.35% of degraded areas solely due to human activities.Therefore,effective management strategies encompassing both human activities and climate change adaptation are imperative for facilitating vegetation restoration within this region.These findings will valuable for enhancing our understanding in NPP changes and its underlying factors,thereby contributing to improved ecological management and the pursuit of regional carbon neutrality in China.

Spatio-temporal Pattern of the Coupling Relationship between the Regional Exhibition and Manufacturing Industries-Empirical Exploration Based on the Yellow River and Yangtze River Basins

The meetings,incentives,conventions and exhibitions(MICE)industry and manufacturing industry havea complex interaction and coupling relationship,and the correct understanding and handling of the relationshipbetween the industries is a prerequisite and foundation for high-quality regional development.Based on the provincial panel data from 2011 to 2020,the article establishes the evaluation index system of the manufacturing andexhibition industries in the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins and then analyzes the evolution characteristicsand influencing factors of the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins in time and space based on the coupling coordination degree model.The results show that the correlation between the manufacturing and exhibition industriesin each province(region)along the Yangtze River and Yellow River basins remained stable and the volatility increased linearly from 2011 to 2020,and the degree of coordination gradually increased from being on the verge ofbeing out of tune to be well coordinated;spatially,indicating a development pattern of high in the east,low in thewest,high in the south,and low in the north,and the provinces with a high level of coupled coordination are concentrated in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River and the lower reaches of the Yangtze River,and thedevelopment of manufacturing industry is generally better than the development of the exhibition industry.Thegovernment should play a leading role in guaranteeing the high-quality development of the exhibition and manufacturing industries.Second,the government should pay attention to the coordinated development of the region torealize the regional linkage of the integration of the two industries.Finally,the government should strengthen theinternal connection of each province to recognize the linkage development of the industry within the region.

Changes in River Cross-section Morphology and Response to Streamflow and Sediment Processes in Middle Reaches of Yellow River,China

Changes in river cross-section morphology have decisive influences on the flood discharge and sand transport capacity of rivers;thus,these changes strongly reflect the vitality of a river.In this paper,based on the river cross-section and water and sediment data of two different periods(1974−1987 and 2007−2021),the trend analysis,change-point analysis and sediment rating curve method were used to analyze the change process of river cross-section morphology and its response to streamflow and sediment changes in the main river stream of the Yellow River at the Longmen hydrological station.From 1974 to 1987(except in 1977),the riverbed experi-enced siltation,and the riverbed elevation rose.Conversely,from 2007 to 2021,the riverbed experienced scouring,and the riverbed el-evation gradually decreased.The cross-section shape changed from rectangular to U-shaped(deeper on the right side)at the Longmen cross-section.The changes in streamflow and sediment processes significantly impacted the evolution of river cross-section.Stream-flow(P<0.05),sediment discharge(P<0.01),and the sediment load coefficients(P<0.01)decreased significantly.The relationship between the water depth and sediment load coefficients followed a power function.The decreasing trend in sediment discharge was sig-nificantly stronger than that in streamflow.Suspended sediment particles tended to become finer.The sediment rating curve indicates that the sediment supply from upstream decreased while the erosive power in the river channel increased,leading to a gradual decline in riverbed elevation at the Longmen cross-section from 2007 to 2021.These findings help us better understand the impacts of ecological restoration on changes in river streamflow and sediment during river evolution.

Numerical study on local scour characteristics around submarine pipelines in the Yellow River Delta silty sandy soil under waves and currents

Due to their high reliability and cost-efficiency,submarine pipelines are widely used in offshore oil and gas resource engineering.Due to the interaction of waves,currents,seabed,and pipeline structures,the soil around submarine pipelines is prone to local scour,severely affecting their operational safety.With the Yellow River Delta as the research area and based on the renormalized group(RNG)k-εturbulence model and Stokes fifth-order wave theory,this study solves the Navier-Stokes(N-S)equation using the finite difference method.The volume of fluid(VOF)method is used to describe the fluid-free surface,and a threedimensional numerical model of currents and waves-submarine pipeline-silty sandy seabed is established.The rationality of the numerical model is verified using a self-built waveflow flume.On this basis,in this study,the local scour development and characteristics of submarine pipelines in the Yellow River Delta silty sandy seabed in the prototype environment are explored and the influence of the presence of pipelines on hydrodynamic features such as surrounding flow field,shear stress,and turbulence intensity is analyzed.The results indicate that(1)local scour around submarine pipelines can be divided into three stages:rapid scour,slow scour,and stable scour.The maximum scour depth occurs directly below the pipeline,and the shape of the scour pits is asymmetric.(2)As the water depth decreases and the pipeline suspension height increases,the scour becomes more intense.(3)When currents go through a pipeline,a clear stagnation point is formed in front of the pipeline,and the flow velocity is positively correlated with the depth of scour.This study can provide a valuable reference for the protection of submarine pipelines in this area.

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.

Hydraulic characteristics and vegetation performance of the Yellow River sediment modified by biochar

The Yellow River sediment(YRS)is an important potential soil resource for the mine land reclamation and ecological restoration in the arid regions of northern China.However,it has the shortcomings of poor water-holding capacity and needs to be modified urgently.Therefore,two types of biochar,namely rice husk biochar(RHB)and coconut shell biochar(CSB),were utilized in this study to modify the YRS and compared with rice husk ash(RHA).Some engineering properties of the modified YRS(MYRS),including pore structure,water retention,permeability,and vegetation performance,were investigated by considering the effects of biochar types and dosages.Results showed that the addition of the three materials decreased the bulk density of the YRS and increased the volume of extremely micro pore(d<0.3µm),as well as the effective porosity and capillary porosity,thus contributed to an increase in the water-holding capacity of the sediment.Among the three conditioners,RHB is optimal choice for improving the water-holding capacity of YRS.Furthermore,the effect becomes more pronounced with increasing application rates.With the addition of the three materials,the permeability coefficients of MYRS gradually decreased,while the water retention rate during evaporation significantly increased.The pot experiment showed that the three conditioners all had significant promoting effect on the growth of oats.In particular,compared to plain soil,the total biomass of oats grown for 21 days increased by 17.46%,32.14%,and 49.60%after adding 2%,4%,and 8%RHB,respectively.This study introduces a new approach for using YRS as planting soil in arid and semi-arid areas of China to facilitate mine ecological restoration.

Landsat Image-Based Spatiotemporal Variation Analysis of Erosion and Deposition off the Qingshuigou of the Yellow River Delta from 1984 to 2021

Owing to climate change and human activity,the Qingshuigou of the Yellow River Delta(YRD)has undergone dynamic changes in erosion and deposition.Therefore,studying these changes is important to ensure ecological protection and sustainable development.In this study,the trend of erosion-deposition evolution in the Qingshuigou was investigated based on 38 coastline phases extracted from Landsat series images of the YRD at one-year intervals from 1984 to 2021.The periodicity of the scouring and deposition evolution was also analyzed using wavelet analysis.Results showed that the total area of the Qingshuigou was affected by deposition and erosion and that the fluctuation first increased and then decreased.The total area reached a maximum in 1993.The depositional area first increased and then decreased,whereas the overall erosion area decreased.Deposition and erosion areas showed periodic changes to some extent;however,the periodic signal intensity decreased.Furthermore,factors including channel morphological evolution and variations in water and sediment discharge affect the spatiotemporal dynamics of erosion and deposition processes.The application of nonconsistency tests finally revealed that deposition area and flushing magnitude exhibited non-stationarities,which are potentially attributed to impacts from climatic change drivers.

Runoff change in the Yellow River Basin of China from 1960 to 2020 and its driving factors

Analysing runoff changes and how these are affected by climate change and human activities is deemed crucial to elucidate the ecological and hydrological response mechanisms of rivers.The Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration and the Range of Variability Approach(IHA-RVA)method,as well as the ecological indicator method,were employed to quantitatively assess the degree of hydrologic change and ecological response processes in the Yellow River Basin from 1960 to 2020.Using Budyko's water heat coupling balance theory,the relative contributions of various driving factors(such as precipitation,potential evapotranspiration,and underlying surface)to runoff changes in the Yellow River Basin were quantitatively evaluated.The results show that the annual average runoff and precipitation in the Yellow River Basin had a downwards trend,whereas the potential evapotranspiration exhibited an upwards trend from 1960 to 2020.In approximately 1985,it was reported that the hydrological regime of the main stream underwent an abrupt change.The degree of hydrological change was observed to gradually increase from upstream to downstream,with a range of 34.00%-54.00%,all of which are moderate changes.However,significant differences have been noted among different ecological indicators,with a fluctuation index of 90.00%at the outlet of downstream hydrological stations,reaching a high level of change.After the mutation,the biodiversity index of flow in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River was generally lower than that in the base period.The research results also indicate that the driving factor for runoff changes in the upper reach of the Yellow River Basin is mainly precipitation,with a contribution rate of 39.31%-54.70%.Moreover,the driving factor for runoff changes in the middle and lower reaches is mainly human activities,having a contribution rate of 63.70%-84.37%.These results can serve as a basis to strengthen the protection and restoration efforts in the Yellow River Basin and further promote the rational development and use of water resources in the Yellow River.

Occurrence,Spatial Distribution,Sources and Risk Assessment of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Surface Sediments of the Yellow River Delta Wetland

Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances(PFASs)are emerging persistent organic pollutants(POPs).In this study,47 surface sediment samples were collected from the Yellow River Delta wetland(YRDW)to investigate the occurrence,spatial distribution,potential sources,and ecological risks of PFASs.Twenty-three out of 26 targeted PFASs were detected in surface sediment samples from the YRDW,with totalΣ23PFASs concentrations ranging from 0.23 to 16.30 ng g^(-1) dw and a median value of 2.27 ng g^(-1) dw.Perfluorooctanoic acid(PFOA),perfluorobutanoic acid(PFBA)and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid(PFOS)were the main contaminants.The detection frequency and concentration of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids(PFCAs)were higher than those of perfluoroal-kanesulfonic acids(PFSAs),while those of long-chain PFASs were higher than those of short-chain PFASs.The emerging PFASs substitutes were dominated by 6:2 chlorinated polyfluoroalkyl ether sulfonic acid(6:2 Cl-PFESA).The distribution of PFASs is significantly influenced by the total organic carbon content in the sediments.The concentration of PFASs seems to be related to human activities,with high concentration levels of PFASs near locations such as beaches and villages.By using a positive matrix factorization model,the potential sources of PFASs in the region were identified as metal plating mist inhibitor and fluoropolymer manufacturing sources,metal plating industry and firefighting foam and textile treatment sources,and food packaging material sources.The risk assessment indicated that PFASs in YRDW sediments do not pose a significant ecological risk to benthic organisms in the region overall,but PFOA and PFOS exert a low to moderate risk at individual stations.

Disentangling the influencing factors of spatiotemporal evolution of sloping farmland in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, China

Sloping farmland(SpF)is not only an important space for food production and supply in China’s hilly areas,but also a major source of soil erosion.Thus,it is important to achieve a healthy balance between regional food security and environmental protection.Yangtze River Economic Belt(YREB),an important grain production base where SpF concentrated in China,is also faced with serious soil erosion.However,research at the macro scale on the spatiotemporal change of SpF and its driving forces in YREB is still lacking.To bridge the gap,we first analyzed the long-term evolution characteristics of SpF in 1069 counties in the YREB and then explored the driving mechanism of SpF changes during 1980-2020.Results showed that the SpF in the YREB continuously decreased during the study period,with a total area decreasing by 26,300 km2.SpF was primarily concentrated in the upper reaches of the YREB while SpF use dynamic degree varied significantly with the most active change in the lower reaches,reaching to a maximum of 0.324%.The spatial gravity of SpF distribution relocated 20.15 km towards the southwest.As for the driving factors,the socioeconomic factors contributed greater to SpF changes in the whole YREB and its subregions.The intensity of human activities is the most crucial,with factor contribution rate constantly above 0.76.The interactive detection revealed that the prevailing interaction format was primarily bi-enhanced,supplemented with nonlinear-enhanced,which amplified the role of different factors after interacting with them.The pair-wise interaction involving socioeconomic factors had a more potential effect on SpF changes compared to those between physical geography and locational factors.The influence of the intensity of human activities on SpF changes is greatly enhanced after interacting with any factor.It dominated SpF changes in the YREB and its interaction with GDP played an important role at all times.These findings can enlighten differential management strategies of SpF use and ecological conservation in the YREB.

Activity Pattern and Habitat Use of Shorebirds in an Artificial Wetland Complex:A Case Study of Breeding Pied Avocet in the Yellow River Delta,China

With the loss of substantial natural wetlands in coastal zones,artificial wetlands provide alternative habitats for many shorebirds.Scientific management of artificial wetlands used by shorebirds plays an important role in maintaining the stability of shorebird population.Satellite tracking technique can obtain high-precision location information of individuals day and night,providing a good technical support for the study of quantitative relationship between waterfowls and their habitats.In this study,satellite tracking method,Remote Sensing(RS)and Geographic Information System(GIS)technology were used to analyze the activity pattern and habitat utilization characteristics of Pied Avocet during breeding period in an artificial wetland complex in the Yellow River Delta(YRD),China.The results showed that the breeding Pied Avocets had a small range of activity,with a total core and main home range of 33.10 km^(2) and 216.30 km^(2),respectively.This species tended to forage in the pond and salt pan during the day and night,respectively,with an unfixed staying time in the breeding ground.The distance between breeding ground and feeding ground was less than 6 km.It is emphasized that in addition to improving the conditions of the remaining natural habitats,effective managing artificial habitats is a priority for shorebird conservation.This research could provide reference for the management of artificial wetlands in coastal zones and supply technique support for the protection of shorebirds and their habitats,and alleviate human-bird conflicts and sustainable development of coastal zones.

Bioturbation Patterns in the Modern Subaqueous Yellow River Delta and Their Implication for Sedimentary Environment Changes

Bioturbation is one of the important processes that affect the structure and function of sedimentary environments.The particle mixing and element migration processes caused by bioturbation can interfere with the circulation of matter and the explanation of sedimentary records.Therefore,the quantitative characterization of bioturbation structures in the sedimentary sequence is of great significance in the field of sedimentology.Estuaries,where fresh and saltwater mix,exhibit high ecological heterogeneity and biodiversity,making them ideal places to explore bioturbation.This paper targets the subaqueous Yellow River Delta to quantitatively characterize bioturbation structures and their spatial distribution patterns using computed tomography(CT)scanning and three-dimensional reconstruction technology.By combining sediment characteristics and sedimentary environment analysis,the main factors affecting bioturbation structures are elucidated.The results show that bioturbation structures in the subaqueous Yellow River Delta can be divided into four types based on their morphology:uniaxial type,biaxial type,triaxial type,and multiaxial type.Skolithos,Palaeophycus in the uniaxial type,and Thalassinoides in the multiaxial type are the most developed structures.Different types of bioturbation may be constructed by trace-making organisms belonging to the same category or functional group.The intensity of bioturbation in this area ranges from 0 to 4%,with a decreasing trend from nearshore to offshore.There is a downward decreasing trend in the intensity of bioturbation overall in the sedimentary cores,with three vertical distribution patterns:exponential decay pattern,fluctuating decay pattern,and impulsive pattern.The impulsive pattern of bioturbation in a core may indicate the abrupt change in sedimentary environment induced by the Yellow River channel shift in 1996.These results suggest that factors affecting the development of bioturbation include grain size,porosity,consolidation,organic matter content of sediments,and sedimentation rate that is mainly influenced by local hydrodynamic conditions.The environment with clayey silt(average grain size 10μm)and moderate sedimentation rate(around 0.5 cm yr^(-1))is the most suitable area for the development of bioturbation in the Yellow River subaqueous delta.

Persistence of fertilization effects on soil organic carbon in degraded alpine wetlands in the Yellow River source region

In the restoration of degraded wetlands,fertilization can improve the vegetation-soil-microorganisms complex,thereby affecting the organic carbon content.However,it is currently unclear whether these effects are sustainable.This study employed Biolog-Eco surveys to investigate the changes in vegetation characteristics,soil physicochemical properties,and soil microbial functional diversity in degraded alpine wetlands of the source region of the Yellow River at 3 and 15 months after the application of nitrogen,phosphorus,and organic mixed fertilizer.The following results were obtained:The addition of nitrogen fertilizer and organic compost significantly affects the soil organic carbon content in degraded wetlands.Three months after fertilization,nitrogen addition increases soil organic carbon in both lightly and severely degraded wetlands,whereas after 15 months,organic compost enhanced the soil organic carbon level in severely degraded wetlands.Structural equation modeling indicates that fertilization decreases the soil pH and directly or indirectly influences the soil organic carbon levels through variations in the soil water content and the aboveground biomass of vegetation.Three months after fertilization,nitrogen fertilizer showed a direct positive effect on soil organic carbon.However,organic mixed fertilizer indirectly reduced soil organic carbon by increasing biomass and decreasing soil moisture.After 15 months,none of the fertilizers significantly affected the soil organic carbon level.In summary,it can be inferred that the addition of nitrogen fertilizer lacks sustainability in positively influencing the organic carbon content.

Spatial Heterogeneity of Embedded Water Consumption from the Perspective of Virtual Water Surplus and Deficit in the Yellow River Basin,China

Virtual water trade(VWT)provides a new perspective for alleviating water crisis and has thus attracted widespread attention.However,the heterogeneity of virtual water trade inside and outside the river basin and its influencing factors remains further study.In this study,for better investigating the pattern and heterogeneity of virtual water trade inside and outside provincial regions along the Yellow River Basin in 2015 using the input-output model(MRIO),we proposed two new concepts,i.e.,virtual water surplus and virtual water deficit,and then used the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index(LMDI)model to identify the inherent mechanism of the imbalance of virtual water trade between provincial regions along the Yellow River Basin and the other four regions in China.The results show that:1)in provincial regions along the Yellow River Basin,the less developed the economy was,the larger the contribution of the agricultural sector in virtual water trade,while the smaller the contribution of the industrial sector.2)Due to the large output of agricultural products,the upstream and midstream provincial regions of the Yellow River Basin had a virtual water surplus,with a net outflow of virtual water of 2.7×10^(8) m^(3) and 0.9×10^(8) m^(3),respectively.3)provincial regions along the Yellow River Basin were in a virtual water deficit with the rest of China,and the decisive factor was the active degree of trade with the outside.This study would be beneficial to illuminate the trade-related water use issues in provincial regions along the Yellow River Basin,which has farreaching practical signific-ance for alleviating water scarcity.

Impacts of multi-scenario land use change on ecosystem services and ecological security pattern: A case study of the Yellow River Delta

The Yellow River Delta(YRD), a critical economic zone along China's eastern coast, also functions as a vital ecological reserve in the lower Yellow River. Amidst rapid industrialization and urbanization, the region has witnessed significant land use/cover changes(LUCC), impacting ecosystem services(ES) and ecological security patterns(ESP). Investigating LUCC's effects on ES and ESP in the YRD is crucial for ecological security and sustainable development. This study utilized the PLUS model to simulate 2030 land use scenarios, including natural development(NDS), economic development(EDS), and ecological protection scenarios(EPS). Subsequently, the InVEST model and circuit theory were applied to assess ES and ESP under varying LUCC scenarios from 2010 to 2030. Findings indicate:(1) Notable LUCC from 2010 to 2030, marked by decreasing cropland and increasing construction land and water bodies.(2) From 2010 to 2020, improvements were observed in carbon storage,water yield, soil retention, and habitat quality, whereas 2020–2030 saw increases in water yield and soil retention but declines in habitat quality and carbon storage. Among the scenarios, EPS showed superior performance in all four ES.(3) Between 2010 and 2030, ecological sources, corridors, and pinchpoints expanded, displaying significant spatial heterogeneity. The EPS scenario yielded the most substantial increases in ecological sources,corridors, and pinchpoints, totaling 582.89 km^(2), 645.03 km^(2),and 64.43 km^(2), respectively. This study highlights the importance of EPS, offering insightful scientific guidance for the YRD's sustainable development.

Spatial-temporal Divergence Characteristics and Driving Factors of Green Economic Efficiency in the Yangtze River Economic Belt of China

The spatial and temporal variation of green economic efficiency and its driving factors are of great significance for the construction of high-efficiency and low-consumption green development model and sustainable socio-economic development.The research focused on the Yangtze River Economic Belt(YREB)and employed the miniumum distance to strong efficient frontier DEA(MinDs)model to measure the green economic efficiency of the municipalities in the region between 2008 and 2020.Then,the spatial autocorrelation model was used to analyze the evolution characteristics of its spatial pattern.Finally,Geodetector was applied to reveal the drivers and their interactions on green economic efficiency.It is found that:1)the overall green economic efficiency of the YREB from 2008 to 2020 shows a W-shaped fluctuating upward trend,green economic efficiency is greater in the downstream and smallest in the upstream;2)the spatial distribution of green economic efficiency shows clustering characteristics,with multi-core clustering based on‘city clusters-central cities'becoming more obvious over time;the High-High agglomeration type is mainly clustered in Jiangsu and Zheji-ang,while the Low-Low agglomeration type is clustered in the western Sichuan Plateau area and southwestern Yunnan;3)from input-output factors,whether it is the YREB as a whole or the upper,middle and lower reaches regions,the economic development level,labor input,and capital investment are the leading factors in the spatial-temporal evolution of green economic efficiency,with the com-prehensive influence of economic development level and pollution index being the most important interactive driving factor;4)from so-cio-economic factors,information technology drivers such as government intervention,transportation accessibility,information infra-structure,and Internet penetration are always high impact influencers and dominant interaction factors for green economic efficiency in the YREB and the three major regions in the upper,middle and lower reaches.Accordingly,the article puts forward relevant policy re-commendations in terms of formulating differentiated green transformation strategies,strengthening network leadership and informa-tion technology construction and coordinating multi-factor integrated development,which could provide useful reference for promoting synergistic green economic efficiency in the YREB.

Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Typical Ecosystem Services and Their Spatial Responses to Driving Factors in Ecologically Fragile Areas in Upper Yellow River,China

The identification of dominant driving factors for different ecosystem services(ESs)is crucial for ecological conservation and sustainable development.However,the spatial heterogeneity of the dominant driving factors affecting various ESs has not been adequately elucidated,particularly in ecologically fragile regions.This study employed the integrated valuation of ESs and trade-offs(InVEST)model to evaluate four ESs,namely,water yield(WY),soil conservation(SC),habitat quality(HQ),and carbon storage(CS),and then to identify the dominant driving factors of spatiotemporal differentiation of ES and further to characterize the spatial heterogeneity characteristics of the dominant driving factors in the eco-fragile areas of the upper Yellow River,China from 2000 to 2020.The results demonstrated that WY exhibited northeast-high and northwest-low patterns in the upper Yellow River region,while high values of SC and CS were distributed in central forested areas and a high value of HQ was distributed in vast grassland areas.The CS,WY,and SC exhibited decreasing trends over time.The most critical factors affecting WY,SC,HQ,and CS were the actual evapotranspiration,precipitation,slope,and normalized difference vegetation index,respectively.In addition,the effects of different factors on various ESs exhibited spatial heterogeneity.These results could provide spatial decision support for eco-protection and rehabilitation in ecologically fragile areas.

Land Use Dynamics and Ecosystem Service Value Changes in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration Under Different Scenarios

Urban agglomerations,serving as pivotal centers of human activity,undergo swift alterations in ecosystem services prompted by shifts in land utilization.Strengthening the monitoring of ecosystem services in present and future urban agglomerations contributes to the rational planning of these areas and enhances the well-being of their inhabitants.Here,we analyzed land use conversion in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD)urban agglomeration during 1990-2020 and discussed the spatiotemporal response and main drivers of changes in ecosystem service value(ESV).By considering the different development strategic directions described in land use planning policies,we predicted land use conversion and its impact on ESV using the Future Land Use Simulation(FLUS)model in three scenari-os in 2025 and 2030.Results show that:1)from 1990 to 2020,land use change is mainly manifested as the continuous expansion of con-struction land to cultivated land.Among the reduced cultivated land,82.2%were occupied by construction land.2)The land use types conversion caused a loss of 21.85 billion yuan(RMB)in ESV during 1990-2020.Moreover,the large reduction of cultivated land area led to the continuous decline of food production value,accounting for 13%of the total ESV loss.3)From 2020 to 2030,land use change will mainly focus on Yangzhou and Zhenjiang in central Jiangsu Province and Taizhou in southern Zhejiang Province.Under the BAU(natural development)and ED(cultivated land protection)scenarios,construction land expansion remains dominant.In contrast,under the EP(ecological protection)scenario,the areas of water bodies and forest land increase significantly.Among the different scenarios,ESV is highest in the EP scenario,making it the optimal solution for sustainable land use.It can be seen that the space use conflict among urban,agriculture and ecology is a key factor leading to ESV change in the urban agglomeration of Yangtze River Delta.There-fore,it is crucial to maintain spatial land use coordination.Our findings provide suggestions for scientific and rational land use planning for the urban agglomeration.

Regional Brand and High-quality Development of Fruits in Ethnic Areas of the Yangtze River Economic Belt under the Greater Food Approach

Establishing the Greater Food Approach and promoting the Yangtze River Economic Belt s national major regional development strategy can better support and serve the agricultural power and Chinese-style modernization.This paper introduces the characteristics of fruit industry in 16 autonomous prefectures and 47 autonomous counties under the jurisdiction of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.It studies the intellectual property resources of brand marks from the aspects of geographical indications,collective trademarks,certification trademarks,well-known trademarks in China and national design patents,and analyzes the main problems of brand and high-quality development of fruit industry in these ethnic autonomous areas.Finally,it puts forward some strategies,such as improving the protection of intellectual property rights of geographical indications,using intellectual property rights of brand signs,building modern seed industry upgrading project,drawing lessons from the experience of thousand villages demonstration project,ensuring that large-scale poverty does not occur,and building a diversified food supply system.