As an important aspect of the notion that "spatial is special", spatial heterogeneity has been a central topic of geospatial analytics. It is also closely related to the methodological tradition of geography and replicability of geographic research. The emergence of fine-grained big geospatial data and the development of Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) have brought new opportunities and challenges to spatial heterogeneity modeling. Spatial heterogeneity may refer to (1) values of geographic variables; and (2) associations, or the generation process of geographic variables, which correspond to data and process heterogeneity, respectively. Moreover, the specification of spatial heterogeneity may be categorized as continuous and discrete. Based on the dichotomies above, we summarize the main scenarios of spatial heterogeneity modeling and review corresponding methods: (1) homogeneity-based regionalization; (2) local spatial regression; and (3) spatial regime regression. In particular, we discuss approaches to delineate spatial regimes in an endogenous manner. We also review related methodological advances in GeoAI, where the principle of spatial heterogeneity is reflected in the design of neural network models. Finally, we point out several potential directions for future research. As emerging directions in spatial heterogeneity modeling, spatial regime regression and GeoAI methods need more attention from researchers.

Alluvial fans are common fan-shaped depositional landforms that develop at the outlets of mountain rivers or gullies. Mature and stable alluvial fans are important areas for both human habitation and production in mountainous regions, but they also pose potential hazards associated with flash floods and debris flows. Research on alluvial fans enhances our understanding of regional environmental dynamics and geomorphic evolution, as well as contributes to the mitigation of flood and debris-flow hazards. Therefore, it holds significant scientific value and practical importance. Although considerable research has been conducted on alluvial fans, both domestically and internationally, in recent decades, much of it has focused on geomorphology (morphometry), sedimentary history and characteristics, and historical environmental reconstruction (or inversion). Investigations into the mechanisms of fan development and their geomorphic effects remain relatively underexplored. This review systematically summarizes the key advancements in the research on the dynamic processes, mechanisms, and morphodynamics of alluvial fan development. We first provide an overview of current technical approaches applied in the study of alluvial fans, including field investigations and model experiments. Then, we summarize four critical aspects of fan dynamics processes and development mechanisms: primary and secondary processes; mechanisms of flow channel avulsion; interactions between tributary and main rivers; and the impact of alluvial fan development on sediment production, transport, and geomorphic processes. Finally, we discuss several areas that require further attention in future research. Currently, field observations and monitoring of the dynamic processes of alluvial fan development are inadequate. As an essential complement to post-event field surveys and experimental model research, there is an urgent need to enhance field observations in order to expand and deepen our understanding of alluvial fan development mechanisms. This will promote scientific insights into sediment dynamics and geomorphic processes within regional river systems.

Yangtze River Delta, as a pivotal region where the coastal axis and the riverside axis intersect, is characterized by complexity, diversity and typicality of the spatial structural evolution. Therefore, understanding its evolutionary pattern and constructing a theoretical model has important theoretical significance and application value. According to the core-periphery structure theory, the Yangtze River Delta can be divided into a core area that is centered on the Taihu Lake Basin and remaining periphery areas. However, due to its location at the junction of the river and the sea, a gateway area has emerged within the periphery area, thus forming a spatial structure that is composed of the core area and the gateway area. In the early period, the core area was centered on Suzhou, and a five-tier central place structure became well established since ancient times. However, the gateway area kept evolving and underwent three main changes: in ancient times, the gateway area was centered on Yangzhou, forming the canal gateway cluster; in the modern age, the gateway area became centered on Shanghai, forming an offshore gateway cluster; and in the contemporary era, the gateway area became centered on Ningbo, forming an oceanic gateway cluster. Their corresponding navigation capacities were 500 t, 10,000 t, and 200,000 t, respectively. Therefore, in addition to the existing central place theory and seaport spatial structure theory, the spatial structure evolution of the Yangtze River Delta presents a new evolutionary model: namely, the fusion evolutionary model of central places and port gateways. According to this model, in the early period, it was an endogenous evolution of the core area's spatial structure, which was in line with Christaller's hexagonal structure; while in modern times, the evolution of the spatial structure of the Yangtze River Delta was no longer dominated by central places, but rather, it became dominated by the gateway areas, making the k = 3 market principle turn into the k = 4 transportation principle. In this way, the Yangtze River Delta provides a globally exemplary empirical case for validating the process test of the central place theory, analyzing functional attributes of urban centrality and gateway, and refining the relevant theoretical model.

The low-carbon transformation of the energy system has emerged as a key strategy for addressing climate change risks, promoting high-quality development, and ensuring energy security. However, the clean transformation of the energy system faces significant uncertainties and challenges due to the complex constraints of multiple goals. This paper provides a comprehensive review and integrated analysis of the basic concepts, research methods, and challenges associated with energy transformation, drawing the following conclusions: (1) Shifting focus of energy transition: The energy transition in the context of carbon neutrality has evolved from being primarily technology-driven to problem-driven. The pace and success of energy transitions vary greatly across regions and nations, with policy regulation, technological innovation, market mechanisms, and behavioral factors playing pivotal roles in driving change. (2) Quantitative research on energy transition primarily centers on assessing the extent of the transition and forecasting its future trajectory. However, due to the intricate interconnections and mutual influences among multiple systems, including energy, economy, environment, and society, the predictive simulations often exhibit a pronounced "black box" effect, making interpretation and transparency more challenging. (3) Controversies and future research directions: There is ongoing debate within the international community regarding the comprehensive effects of energy transformation. The development model and pathways that balance low-carbon goals, economic growth, and energy supply security still require further theoretical and empirical exploration. While significant attention has been paid to the environmental, economic, and safety benefits of energy transformation, the social impacts have received less focus, which may undermine the long-term sustainability of the transition. Future research should integrate the dual objectives of climate change mitigation and economic development, adopt diversified transformation strategies, emphasize supply-demand coordination, and promote regionally coordinated transitions. Furthermore, strengthening multi-scale, cross-sectoral analyses will enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of energy transformations. This research aims to deepen understanding of the epistemology and methodology surrounding energy transformation, offering geographical scholars new perspectives and avenues for further investigation into this critical area of study.

Tropical cyclone activity has undergone significant changes under the impact of the global warming since the 20th century. However, the characteristic and trend changes of landing tropical cyclones over China still need to be further clarified. We conducted an analysis of the spatiotemporal characteristics and trends of landing tropical cyclones over China from 1949 to 2022 using the dataset of the best tracks of tropical cyclones from the China Meteorological Administration. Additionally, we explored the influences of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) on landing tropical cyclone activities. The results indicate that: (1) The annual average number of landing tropical cyclones over China is approximately 8.85, showing a significant decreasing trend, and the decreasing range becomes larger with lower latitude overall. However, both the proportion of landing tropical cyclones to the total number and the percentage of higher intensity tropical cyclones increase. The landing tropical cyclones from July to September account for 76.3% of the total, in which August experiences the most. (2) The landing positions of tropical cyclones in China are mainly concentrated between 18°N and 26°N, accounting for approximately 88.2% of the total, and the landing frequency shows a sharp decline in the regions north of 30°N. The central landing position of tropical cyclones has shifted significantly northwestward, moving closer to China. Compared to 1949-1969, the central generating position from 2010 to 2022 shifted 4.5 degrees westward and 2.0 degrees northward. (3) There is a correlation between ENSO and the frequency variation of generating tropical cyclones in the Northwest Pacific and landing over China. El Niño promotes the formation of strong tropical cyclones and leads to a more southeastern bias in the generating positions of landing tropical cyclones, while La Niña has an opposite effect. The PDO also affects the tropical cyclones to a certain extent. During the warm phase of PDO, the generating position of tropical cyclones is westward and the number is less than that in the cold phase. This study further clarifies the changing trends and characteristics of the landing tropical cyclones over China since 1949. It also highlights the impacts of ENSO and PDO on tropical cyclone activities. The findings can serve as a scientific basis for conducting simulations and assessments of tropical cyclones and for disaster prevention and mitigation efforts.

This paper reviews the social background of "pole-axis system" theory and the "T-shaped" land development and economic layout framework in China, especially the objective conditions that the country cannot implement another "strategic shift" of national development priorities, and the academic contribution of economic geography serving to national strategic development, as well as some concepts, ideas, knowledge and methods to achieve this goal. According to the significance and the scholars' comments of this theory and model in national practice, this paper describes the growth course and academic responsibility of an economic geographer to inspire the academic community to uphold the rigorous attitude of seeking truth from facts to make greater contributions to the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

With the advancement of urbanization and the profound transformation of socio-economic development in China, land use transition has become a complex research field involving multiple disciplines and dimensions. This paper comprehensively uses bibliometric analysis and systematic review methods to systematically sort out the research progress of land use transition in China from following dimensions: development context, theoretical framework, model and methodology, effect and mechanism, and regulation path. The study finds that: (1) Since the introduction of land use transition research to China in 2001, the field has flourished in the aspects of project funding, publication of monographs, and talent cultivation. Through hotspot analysis, it is found that research has shifted from being technology-driven to policy and economic-driven, and finally focused on multi-functional synergy and sustainable development. (2) Theoretical research can be divided into three levels: description-explanation, process characterization and diagnosis, and mutual feedback mechanism and regulation, forming a research paradigm of "dominant morphology-recessive morphology" coupling. The transition measurement method presents a three-dimensional characteristic of integration of 3S technology, mathematical model simulation, and field investigation. (3) Driven by the dual strategies of rural vitalization and food security, the socio-economic effects of land use transitions are manifested as a cascading response of farmers' livelihoods, factor flow, and industrial upgrading; related ecological and environmental effects show the bidirectional characteristics of negative effects and positive synergistic effects. (4) The driving mechanism of land use transitions is analyzed from the "element-structure-system" perspective, and its regulation system is discussed from multiple dimensions such as engineering technology innovation, institutional innovation, policy intervention, and multi-dimensional collaborative governance. (5) Future research needs to focus on breakthroughs in multi-scale transition threshold identification, complex system feedback simulation, regional model extraction, and optimization and regulation of transition through theoretical and methodological innovations. This study provides not only knowledge support for the construction of a land use transition research theoretical system with Chinese characteristics, but also decision-making support for the modernization of national territorial space governance and urban-rural integrated development.

Based on the diverse nexus between humans and nature, exploring innovative pathways and regional models for rural revitalization stands as a strategic cornerstone and a cutting-edge focus within rural studies. Following a systematical review on the shift of rural development paradigms, we in this paper propose an innovative pathway of rural neo-endogenous development driven by knowledge through the integration of concepts such as social innovation and rural transformation. Essentially, "knowledge-driven" can be understood as a process-based innovation, wherein various stakeholders participate in the generation, dissemination, feedback, and regeneration of scientific knowledge and local wisdom. This process ultimately precipitates shifts in behaviors and attitudes of both local and extra-local actors, thereby giving rise to collective insights and solutions for rural development. Regarding the functioning mechanisms, "knowledge-driven" typically facilitates the iteration of technological paths for rural development via four interconnected means: constructing novel discourses for rural transformation, empowering local communities, forging connections between local and extra-localities, and innovating rural governance. In practice implementation, "knowledge-driven" engages multiple stakeholders and unfolds across three sequential stages, they are, knowledge/experimentation searching, diffusion and expression of interest, collective learning and co-ordination. In conclusion, we contend that transcending the urban-centric "core-periphery" mindset, broadening the initial impetus and the cohort of pioneer actors, and streamlining the channel from "niche innovation" to "collective learning" hold significant promise for expediting the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas.

The integration of large-scale Low Earth Orbit satellite constellations (hereinafter referred to as "LEO constellations") and artificial intelligence (AI) technology presents a historic opportunity for a paradigm shift in geography research, heralding a new era for geography to evolve from qualitative geography, quantitative geography, and digital geography into the "LEO constellation-AI-driven Geography". Under this framework, future geographic research can rely on the high spatio-temporal resolution monitoring data provided by LEO constellations to accurately capture the high-frequency dynamic changes of geographic elements at multiple scales, particularly at the global scale. By coupling physical models with AI, it becomes feasible to conduct simulation experiments on the complex interactions between natural and human elements, system states, and interface changes. This will facilitate a deeper understanding of core geographic issues such as variable coupling, multi-process cascading effects, and teleconnection mechanisms. To propel "LEO constellation-AI-driven Geography", there is an urgent need to establish a new-generation data acquisition and sharing platform relying on LEO constellation, seamlessly creating a "dynamic map" of global geographic resources and elements. Additionally, a geographic process simulator that couples physical models and AI needs to be developed to intelligently simulate and predict changes and impacts of geographic elements and landscapes.

In the context of digital transportation, the relationship between ride-hailing services, public transport usage, and the built environment is a crucial area of research in urban geography and transportation geography. Nevertheless, there remains a lack of research in quantifying the impact of ride-hailing on public transport travel from the spatio-temporal dimensions, and the role played by the built environment in this context has not been clarified. To address these limitations, a spatio-temporal measure method of the substitution effect of ride-hailing travel was proposed by introducing demand elasticity theory and big data technology. Additionally, an efficient, dynamic, and refined measure method of the built environment was developed. On this basis, by integrating random forests with interpretable machine learning models, this paper focused on analyzing the multi-factorial nonlinear interactions and spatio-temporal coupling effect that influence the substitution effect. The empirical study of Chengdu shows that: (1) Travel efficiency is key to the competitiveness of public transport. For the same trip, the travel time of public transport is typically 2.0-3.5 times that of ride-hailing. Specifically, taking public transport often requires a 10-min walk to complete the first/last 1 km and involves 0-2 transfers. (2) There is a significant substitution effect of ride-hailing travel on public transport in the central city, with 28.69% and 27.08% of ride-hailing trips substituting public transport on weekdays and weekends, respectively, and the substitution effect is significantly enhanced during peak periods. (3) Destination accessibility has the highest positive impact on the substitution rate, followed by demographic socioeconomic factors, with urban spatial form and public transport accessibility having a relatively small degree of influence on the substitution rate. (4) The influence of built environment on the substitution effect exhibits a nonlinear interactive characteristic, with threshold ranges and interaction strengths showing significant variation over time. This study not only breaks through the limitations of traditional static "space-behavior" research, but also provides application references for the optimization of urban traffic and refined regulation of the built environment.

Major productive forces are crucial to the country's long-term stability and sustained prosperity, and are also a powerful means of improving economic efficiency, promoting coordinated regional development, and strengthening international competitiveness. This paper summarizes the layout of China's major productive forces and their spatial patterns in different periods by collecting multi-source data such as historical documents, regional socio-economic statistical data and remote sensing of light, and borrowing technical methods such as MCR model, kernel density analysis and standard deviation ellipse, etc. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The layout of China's major productive forces follows the law of economic geography agglomeration and diffusion cycle evolution, and has experienced the evolution of balanced development - decentralised development - centralised development - coordinated development-high-quality complementary development. This is manifested in the concentration of 156 projects to a few geographic spaces in the western region of China, dispersion in the central and western regions during the Third Front Movement, concentration along the eastern coast, and a gradient advancement toward the inland. However, the focus of development has always been in the southeast region along the Hu Huanyong line. (2) The results of the spatial pattern simulation of major productive forces follow the theory of regional development stages. During China's high-level development process, different spatial patterns have emerged successively: points (core poles), point-axis, and point-axis system (network), forming a multi-level pole-axis system with a "T" main framework along the coast and the Yangtze River, supplemented by other central cities and transportation arteries, in order to promote the balanced development of territorial space. (3) The main influencing factors of the development layout of China's major productive forces vary from time to time, with the geo-environment influencing the spatial layout in the early stage, and then the combined force of national strategies, policies and markets; GTWR further reveals that there is significant spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the factors influencing the development layout. The GTWR further reveals that there is significant spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the factors affecting its development layout. This study focuses on the layout and spatial patterns of the major productive forces, which can provide practical references for optimizing the layout of major productive forces and constructing a regional economic layout and national spatial system with complementary advantages and high-quality development.

A key approach to improving the predictive capability of territorial space planning is to effectively analyze the common challenges and governance experiences of pioneering countries. China serves as a notable example, with its increasing emphasis on integrating rational evolution of territories into spatial planning. In this study, we examined the spatiotemporal structure of Japan's territorial space, spatial transformation, and the spatial and temporal evolution of spatial conflicts from 1976 to 2021 on a national scale. We also simulated the future spatial evolution of Japan's territorial space based on the identification of the key driving factors. The results reveal the following: (1) Over the past 45 years, approximately one-quarter of Japan's territorial space has undergone structural transformation. Considerable urban space expansion and continuous ecological environment optimization have been accompanied by a marked decline in agricultural space and food production. This has created substantial food security challenges due to the degradation of agricultural production capacity. Concentration of the population in economically developed plains and topographically flat bay areas has exacerbated conflicts.(2) Japan's territorial space evolution exhibits distinct stages. Although national economic fluctuations and demographic changes do not substantially affect the overall trajectory of territorial space evolution, they can influence the rate and process of evolution. At the late stage of urbanization, the driving forces of spatial evolution are expected to be more concentrated on demographic, economic, and natural background factors. (3) Simulation results across various scenarios suggest no major structural changes in Japan's future territorial space pattern. Agricultural areas will continue to be encroached upon, exacerbating the national food security crisis as the challenges of rural depopulation and aging population deepen. In the next 10 to 15 years, Japan may form a world-class mega-aging urban agglomeration by linking the three major metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Nagoya, and Kansai.

Main function zoning (MFZ) is the fundamental system of China's territorial development and protection. Through differentiated functional orientation, the core objectives of MFZ are to guide the orderly flow of resources across regions and optimize the spatial pattern of national development. This study evaluates the impacts, their heterogeneities among four types of zones, and underlying mechanisms of MFZ planning on China's population redistribution using county-level data from the three latest national population censuses and causal inference tests through difference-in-differences models. The results show that: The MFZ effects generally align with policy orientation. Post-implementation, optimized development zones, prioritized development zones, main agricultural zones and key ecological zones experienced declining population growth rates, accelerated population agglomeration, accelerated population decline, and growth-to-decline transition, respectively. Using main agricultural zones as reference, the planning reinforced the population concentration advantages of prioritized development zones. The policy effect exhibits dual heterogeneity across regions and hierarchical levels. Population changes in agricultural and ecological zones mostly complied with planning guidance, whereas only 40% of county-level units within prioritized development zones achieved the policy goal of accelerated agglomeration. National-level prioritized development zones demonstrated approximately twice the impact of provincial-level counterparts. Population migration from restricted development zones to urbanized areas predominantly occurred through cross-regional migration rather than intra-prefecture movements, making the policy goal of "concentrated equilibrium" within prefecture-level cities difficult to achieve. The planning promoted shifts in influencing factors of population redistribution within each type of MFZ. The diminished role of secondary industries and enhanced influence of tertiary sectors in optimized zones, along with weakened economic drivers in ecological zones, aligned with planning objectives. However, industrialization in prioritized development zones failed to significantly boost population agglomeration, while agricultural zones remained profoundly influenced by industrialization and economic development, both deviating from intended planning orientations. The findings suggest that the new-round planning could moderately concentrate urbanized area layouts, clarify development sequences for prioritized development zones, and implement more targeted differentiated governance requirements for restricted development zones.

China is deeply interwoven with the world, which has an important impact on the economic geographical pattern of Chinese-style modernization. The economic geographical pattern of Chinese-style modernization is mainly configurated by three relations: relations between urban and rural areas, relations between the eastern and western regions, and relations between China and foreign countries. It is the foundation of the new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. Using strategic-relational approach, this paper analyzes the characteristics of pattern evolution dialectically from the perspective of political party discourse and multi-scale spatial characteristics. After 1840, the capitalist world system disintegrated China's unified pattern, and the regional imbalance and rural-urban gap became prominent in China. At the beginning of the 20th century, the imbalance and gaps intensified in China amid the world's multipolar conflicts. The Communist Party of China created the path of the rural areas to encircle the cities and won the victory of the Chinese revolution, which also changed the world pattern. After 1949, under the Cold War, China began to embark on the path of independently building socialism with Chinese characteristics. The relations between urban and rural areas, between eastern and western regions, between China and foreign countries are shifting to balance. Since the reform and opening-up in the late 1970s, globalization and multi-polarization have propelled the transformation of Chinese-style modernization. The imbalance has shifted from worsening to easing, and China has quickly become an important pole in the world. The world is undergoing profound transformation unseen in a century, uneven development between urban and rural areas, between the eastern and western regions, between China and foreign countries is fraught with uncertainties. Coordinating the three relations is the key to the realization of Chinese-style modernization. China-world relations have a U-shaped cycle of 50 years, regional relations play an intermediary role, and rural-urban relations are the easiest to change. It is necessary to strengthen the research of the economic geographical pattern of modernization, and integrate the three relations into a new development pattern. The H-shaped pattern should integrate spatial development strategies and reshape an open oriented, inside-out pattern through institutional innovation and the empowerment of talent resources.

Based on the data from childcare institutions released by the National Health Commission in June 2024, this study examines the spatial differentiation of childcare institutions across China using four provincial-level cities and 332 prefecture-level regions. The research employs ArcGIS spatial analysis methods and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) to uncover the influencing factors behind this spatial variation. Key findings include: (1) Childcare institutions in China predominantly exhibit a clustered distribution, characterized by a greater concentration in the east and sparser distribution in the west. This pattern manifests as "large clusters and small dispersions," with significant clusters forming in the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Bohai Rim, and numerous monocentric clusters centered around provincial capitals and major cities. (2) The number of childcare institutions is positively correlated with the tier of the city. Cities with fewer childcare facilities are numerous and spread out, primarily located in the western and northeastern regions. In contrast, cities with a larger number of institutions are mainly situated in the eastern coastal areas and major central-western cities such as Chengdu, Chongqing, Hefei, and Zhengzhou. (3) The population of children aged 0-4 years plays a decisive role in the spatial distribution of childcare institutions. Per capita disposable income of urban residents, the labor participation rate, and average household size serve as auxiliary factors influencing this spatial variation. While the average household size generally has a negative influence, other factors positively affect the distribution. As city tiers decrease, the impact of these auxiliary factors lessens, with minimal influence on fifth-tier cities. In conclusion, the study offers targeted recommendations for the development of China's childcare services industry.

"Form-flow integration" is an important theoretical concept proposed for understanding the complex human-land relationships in metropolitan regions with highly concentrated human activities. Existing research on regional spatial patterns has gradually shifted from a single perspective based either on physical spatial forms or on elemental flows to a comprehensive analysis. The new paradigm of region spatial analysis has focused on the balance between physical spatial forms and elemental flows. However, an in-depth analysis of the interaction mechanism between physical spatial forms and elemental flows is still needed. Especially, it is crucial to explore the territorial spatial optimization of a metropolitan region based on the perspective of "form-flow integration". Drawing on the theoretical joint of "central flow" and "central place", and the theory of human-land interaction, this paper aims to figure out the theoretical foundation for the concept of "form-flow integration". Combining the dynamic changes of human activities and the system of geographical environment against the background of globalization, industrialization, and urbanization, this paper analyzes the connotation and mechanism of the interaction between physical spatial forms and elemental flows. Furthermore, it explores the theoretical framework and specific path of metropolitan spatial optimization from the perspective of "form-flow integration". This paper concludes that while the human-land relationship is an important theoretical basis for "form-flow integration", the "form-flow integration" is a prominent manifestation of human-land relationships, which provides an important perspective for understanding the complex human-land relationships in regions with highly concentrated human activities. Addressing the practical needs of ecological civilization construction and territorial spatial planning, this paper explores the establishment of comprehensive metropolitan evaluation, spatial layout guidance, simulation, and optimization control system for the integration analysis of physical spaces and flow elements. Besides, through optimizing the territorial space of metropolitan regions from the perspective of "form-flow integration", it helps to form a metropolitan region coordinated development path integrating elemental flows and local resources.

Projecting changes in flow regime under climate change and reservoir operations is crucial for safeguarding water security, preserving biodiversity and restoring aquatic ecosystems of a basin. Leveraging bias-corrected climate model data, this study utilized the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) with an improved reservoir module and Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration to project the impacts of climate change and reservoir operations on the flow regime of the Yangtze River basin in the 21st century. The results showed that: (1) The improved SWAT model outperformed the original version, enhancing the simulation accuracy of daily streamflow and hydrological indicators at representative stations. The NSE (Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient) and KGE (Kling-Gupta efficiency coefficient) of simulation and observation of daily streamflow increased by 0.01-0.26 and 0.01-0.08, respectively. (2) Climate change is projected to increase streamflow, in which the streamflow increases significantly from January to April (the maximum increase is 17%). Meanwhile, climate change increases the variability of pre-flood streamflow (the maximum increase is 18%), the frequency of extremely high pulse, the duration of extremely high pulse and the rise rate of flow. (3) Reservoir operations effectively replenish dry-season flows (the maximum increase is 67%), reduce the frequency of extremely high pulse (the maximum decrease is 16%), and shorten the duration of both extremely high pulse (by -10% to -4%) and extremely low pulse (by -51% to -38%). Reservoir operations improve the stability of flow. While upstream reservoir operations can partially counteract climate-induced streamflow changes, their regulatory capacity is constrained by operational rules and total storage capacity. Therefore, adjusting reservoir operation strategies in response to the impacts of climate change on streamflow becomes imperative.

Chinese materia medica (CMM) is derived from nature, inherited from history, used in society, prospered in industry and benefited in the region. The ancient Chinese people began studying the relationship between CMM and their origin very early, which reflects that CMM is closely related to geography, and it is also the natural way of the formation of CMM, but the interdisciplinary fusion of CMM and geography has not yet formed. Based on the geographical characteristics of herbs, resources, products, industry and business of CMM, this paper analyzes the research framework of the medicine-geography relationship in CMM geography, and preliminarily analyzes its research objects, scientific problems, research contents and research methods. Results show that: (1) CMM geography is a science that studies the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of CMM and medicine-geography relationship. It is a discipline that examines the regional differences, spatial patterns, medicine-geography relationship, and sustainable utilization of CMM at the geographic spatial level, based on the division of production areas, featuring Daodi herbs, and aiming to ensure healthy use of drugs. (2) On the basis of the concept of "following the rules of time" in traditional Chinese medicine, CMM geography studies the medicine-geography relationship from three aspects: medicinal use, time, and space, based on the characteristic of "different origins of medicinal materials have differences" in CMM. It adheres to the concept of "selecting, using, and developing traditional Chinese medicine based on geographical differences and characteristics". (3) The study of CMM geography has the characteristics of intersectionality, comprehensiveness, regionalism, and dynamism. It integrates the research results and theoretical methods of CMM and geography, and conducts research on the regional differentiation, spatial structure, and evolutionary laws of five elements: the ecological attributes of CMM resources, the temporal attributes of CMM (herbal medicine), the social attributes of CMM products, the economic attributes of the CMM industry, and the regional attributes of CMM industry. (4) CMM geography integrates CMM with geography, utilizing techniques such as origin identification, changes in production areas, and spatial relationship models, following the principles of combining micro and macro perspectives, qualitative and quantitative approaches. It conducts research on the medicine-geography relationship, in order to promote the integration of pharmacology, medical science, physiology, and geography, and enrich the research content of traditional Chinese medicine and geography.

In the past 40 years since the theory of "pole-axis system" was put forward, its connotation has been continuously enriched, which has profoundly influenced the theoretical and empirical research in multiple disciplines. The theory has also greatly contributed to China's spatial development of national territory, planning and construction of urban system, and layout of major productive forces. In the new era, China's major regional strategies have profound scientific connotations, yet they still need to overcome blockages such as loose connections within and between urban agglomerations in the course of practice. In this sense, the framework of multi-dimensional proximity from the perspective of evolutionary economic geography can be instructive, since it further focuses on the dimensional linkages of cognitive proximity, technological proximity, relational proximity, and social proximity. Thus, in the context of "dual circulation" strategy, China's territorial space development should be further guided by the theory of "pole-axis system" as well as the framework of multi-dimensional proximity, accelerating the cultivation of new quality productivity, constructing a resilient network of inter-regional industrial collaboration, and comprehensively empowering regional high-quality development.

The growth and cultivation of leading scientific talent has become a hot topic for the government and academia. However, previous research has focused on education and management issues in the process of talent growth, while the geographical factors and processes influencing talent growth have been overlooked and neglected. Based on the education and work resumes of Nobel laureates in science, this paper systematically deconstructs the geographical pathways, regional functions, and influencing factors involved in the growth of leading scientists from 1901 to 2022. The main conclusions can be drawn as follows: (1) The geographical pathways of the growth of leading scientists has a significant institutional community effect, and achieving scientific breakthroughs is highly dependent on a few research institutions. (2) In the education stage, the educational centers where leading scientists grow up exhibit a significant phenomenon of succession, showing a wide range of sources and the highly degree of aggregation of inflows. And the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom account for 78.3% of the volume of leading scientists mobility in the education stage. (3) In the work stage, the geographical pathways of the growth of leading scientists has further narrowed, and there is a clear geographical transfer in the scientific centers where leading scientists work. The United States has become the largest "magnet country", accounting for 53.7% of the volume of leading scientists mobility in this stage. (4) During the growth process of leading scientists, regional functions are divided into six types: birth, education, promotion, birth and education, education and promotion, and omnipotent. After World War II, only the United States has developed into omnipotent type. (5) The influence mechanism of the mobility of leading scientists has its generality and particularity. Language has been widely proven to play an important role in the cross-border flow of the general population, but its impact on the migration of leading scientists is not significant. The proximity of social systems, political environment, and higher education are important factors for leading scientists to consider in their migration. However, the scientific development level of destinations does not significantly affect the mobility of leading scientists in turbulent times.

To accurately grasp and effectively coordinate the strategic goals of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the unprecedented global transformations in a century, while enhancing the country's cultural soft power and the influence of Chinese culture, and promoting the construction of a new form of human civilization, the Chinese nation objectively needs to establish a strategic space that supports the inheritance and innovation of Chinese civilization. This strategic space will serve as a cultural landmark for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-style modernization. To achieve this, we develop a construction index system for the strategic space of Chinese civilization inheritance and innovation by repeatedly examining China's regional development and historical and cultural territory. The index system comprehensively incorporates factors such as historical and cultural inheritance, rural revitalization, ethnic diversity, and ecological protection and diversity across five dimensions: history, geography, culture, society, and ecology. At the national district/county level, the strategic space for the Chinese civilization inheritance and innovation is divided into infrastructure construction area, key construction area, priority construction area, and core construction area based on the comprehensive evaluation results. The evaluation results reveal that the strategic space has formed a core area around Shaanxi and a southern core area around Guizhou. The construction conception of the strategic space for the Chinese civilization inheritance and innovation and its division provides strategic support for advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and facilitating Chinese-style modernization. Additionally, it plays a significant role in preserving the Chinese spirit and promoting rural revitalization as well as coordinated urban-rural development.

The urban-rural integration in the new era requires the coupled and coordinated development of new urbanization and comprehensive rural revitalization. This paper constructs an evaluation index system for new urbanization and comprehensive rural revitalization, and uses the modified coupling coordination degree model, spatial Markov chain, random forest model and other methods to quantitatively analyze the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics and influencing factors of coupling coordination types of new urbanization and comprehensive rural revitalization in Central China from 2007 to 2022. The results show that: (1) From 2007 to 2022, the coupling coordination type in the study area experienced a transition from moderate imbalance to minimal coordination, with regions of severe imbalance gradually disappearing and high-quality coordinated areas emerging, and the coupling coordination relationship has continuously improved. In terms of spatial distribution, high-value zones of coupling coordination level have remained concentrated in provincial capitals, while low-value zones have shifted toward western edge and the junction of Henan-Anhui-Hubei provinces, with boundary effects gradually emerging. (2) Regardless of the neighborhood conditions, the transition of the coupling coordination state exhibits "path dependence" and "self-locking" effects, while displaying "club convergence" phenomena, there is the possibility of transition to higher level but it is difficult to achieve leapfrog development. The geographical background plays an important role in the evolution of the coupling coordination state, which has an obvious spatial spillover effect, and the Markov prediction results also prove that spatial spillover effect will exist for a long time, the long-term evolution trend of the coupling coordination state is relatively good. (3) In the process of coupling and coordinated development, the level of industrial development plays a core leading role, the level of regional investment, the level of scientific and technological innovation, the level of human capital, and the employment structure of the population offer guarantees in terms of essential factors, and the geographical distance plays a restrictive role. Finally, this paper puts forward specific countermeasures and suggestions to provide scientific basis for the coordinated development of new urbanization and comprehensive rural revitalization in Central China.

Flight delay reveals important spatial interaction patterns and could offer crucial insights into the unique characteristics of airports. Existing studies mainly focus on identifying static or individual airport delay patterns, but neglecting the complex nonlinear dynamics involved. To fill the gap, this study proposes a novel methodology to explore the variations in airport delays, considering both temporal changes and spatial differences. We develop a new PageRankCube model that adopts multiple technologies, such as delay network generation, G_i^* statistics, Mann-Kendall trend identification, and network node effect measurements. Three types of flight delay networks, including arrival delays, departure delays, and flight delays, are constructed to discover spatiotemporal variability patterns, utilizing a dataset of approximately 350,000 flight records from 247 airports in China. The results show that: (1) Airport delays have a greater impact in eastern and southern China, but less influence in western and northern China. Strong cold and hot spots are grouped in several locations, whereas weak cold spots are distributed. (2) Large international airports in Beijing, Tianjin, the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta and Chengdu have formed a continuous and enhanced high delay spatial influence; small and medium-sized airports in the Northeast, Central and Western regions have shown a continuous low delay influence in time and space. (3) Compared with the departure delay network, the arrival delay network shows more significant heterogeneity in spatio-temporal distribution. The spatio-temporal heterogeneity between the flight delay and arrival delay networks shows higher similarity. (4) Enhanced hotspot airports can cause or transmit large-scale delays, while continuous cold spot airports have discrete and marginalized structural characteristics, resembling a "small world" network. This work addresses the constraints of conventional static delay pattern analysis, captures the changing spatial and temporal variations in delay patterns, and offers technical assistance in developing aviation control techniques.

Promoting social green transformation is an inherent requirement and a key task in the national strategy for a comprehensive green transformation of the economy and society. However, research on the quantitative characterization and spatiotemporal patterns of social green transformation remains relatively lacking. To address this gap, this paper introduces social psychology theory to construct a quantitative characterization framework for social green transformation. Using 19 urban agglomerations in China as the study area and following the "pattern-process-effect" research logic, the study integrates methods such as entropy-weighted TOPSIS, spatial Markov chains, and Random Forest model to sequentially reveal the spatiotemporal evolution patterns, spatiotemporal transformation, and dynamic impacts of the social green transformation on the economic green transformation. Finally, a comprehensive quantitative framework for regional green transformation is proposed. The results show that: (1) During the study period, the level of social green transformation in China's urban agglomerations showed a fluctuating upward trend, with the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Pearl River Delta urban agglomerations leading in social green transformation, while those along the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, the northern slope of Tianshan Mountains, Lanzhou-Xi'an region, and Ningxia along the Yellow River were relatively lagging. (2) There is a phenomenon of club convergence and spatial spillover effects in the social green transformation of urban agglomerations, and the transformation exhibits path dependence and spatial dependence, with low probabilities of cross-level and cross-regional transitions. (3) Social green transformation serves as a significant driving force for the green transformation of urban economies, and this driving effect has been strengthening over time. The role of social green transformation in advancing the strategy of ecological prioritization and green development is increasingly profound. Furthermore, this study helps to improve existing research on regional green transformation evaluation, providing new methods and ideas that better align with and respond to the current comprehensive green transformation strategy.

The valley roads at the northern foothills of the Qinling Mountains deeply cut the main chain of the Qinling Mountains, and are the "natural window" to gain insight into the geology, geomorphology, ecology and hydrological evolution of the Mountains. In this paper, the spatial distribution pattern and development characteristics of the valley roads at the northern foothills of the Qinling Mountains (Shaanxi section) were obtained by using Google Earth remote sensing image data, DEM elevation data and water system vector data, combined with ArcGIS, GlobalMapper multimodal spatial data identification and interpretation. The inheritance relationship between the valley roads at the northern foothills of the Qinling Mountains and the Guanzhong river system was explored. The following understandings were obtained: (1) According to the geomorphological characteristics of the valley roads, the length, pedestrian and water channel, the statistical standard of the valley roads was put forward. Combined with contour terrain and digital elevation model, the zoning interpretation is carried out, and the actual number of valley roads is 206. (2) Based on the visibility of remote sensing interpretation and the endowment water system in the valley roads, 76 representative valley roads were selected for statistical analysis. According to the length (≥15 km, 5-15 km, <5 km), the large, medium and small valley roads were divided. The Xi'an section is the most densely developed mainly for medium valley road (44.74%). (3) The direction of the valley roads is mostly N0°-NE30°, approximately perpendicular to the strike of the Fenwei Fault. The elevation of Yukou is normally distributed, concentrated between 500-800 m. The spacing between the valley roads is the rhythmic distribution of "small valley roads in big valley roads". (4) The elevation of the middle line of the valley roads is mainly distributed at 600-1500 m, the slope is mainly concentrated at 0°-20°, the width of the valley entrances are mainly at 30-90 m, and the shape of the valley entrances are mainly U-shaped, V-shaped and inverted trapezoidal. (5) The valley roads at the northern foothills of the Qinling Mountains and Weihe water system have a close inheritance relationship. Six of the "Eight River Systems in Chang'an" originated from the northern foothills of the Qinling Mountains, characterized by multi-source confluence. The purpose of this study is to provide detailed background data for the study of the most iconic geological and geographical labels in the Qinling Mountains with valley roads.

Focusing on the investment security of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), this study analyzes the geopolitical environment of countries (regions) along the Belt and Road from two dimensions: the political-business environment and political inclination. Since the proposal of the BRI in 2013, the political-business environments of the participating countries (regions) have shown slight improvements, though there are significant regional disparities. Generally, these environments are better at the eastern and western ends of the BRI countries (regions), while the central regions lag behind. There is no significant spatial dependence in the political-business environments of these countries (regions), but a weak trend toward homogenization exists, with lower-scoring countries (regions) mainly located in the former Commonwealth of the Independent States, the Middle East, and the Indochina Peninsula. These regions show weak interconnections and exhibit characteristics of "being alike but not cohesive", suggesting that BRI efforts should focus on contiguous breakthroughs rather than scattering in isolated points. The evaluation of political inclination shows that the political division among the BRI countries (regions) is significant, with varying attitudes towards China. As the attitudes towards China warm up, the political-business environment tends to deteriorate. This negative correlation between the two factors indicates that countries (regions) actively participating in the BRI are relatively politically unstable and economically underdeveloped, seeking to leverage the initiative for their development. Therefore, in the construction of the Belt and Road, while ensuring investment security, we should actively promote Chinese values, striving for the support and participation of more countries (regions) with favorable political-business environments. Given the realities of underdeveloped political-business environments and political divisions along the Belt and Road, China urgently needs to explore a geopolitical theory that fits the geopolitical pattern of the BRI to ensure the progress and reclaim the political narrative power through reshaping the geopolitical strategic narrative. This paper's quantitative evaluation of political inclination provides a preliminary exploration into the political fragmentation among these countries (regions) and serves as a reference for advancing research on the geopolitical environment.

Traveling has been a constant exploration of new knowledge and experiences in both the journey and the destination throughout the ages. Travelogues, in turn, are direct records of historical travel activities. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, with the improvement of canal transportation and canal systems, a comprehensive water-land transportation network centered around the Grand Canal (Beijing-Hangzhou Canal) and incorporating the north-south postal roads along the canal gradually took shape. This development attracted numerous officials, literati, envoys, and other elite groups, leading to the creation of a substantial number of travelogues and diaries related to the Grand Canal and its surrounding landscapes. Focusing on these travelogues, this study examines the spatiotemporal characteristics and influencing factors of the canal travels of elites in the Ming and Qing dynasties, contributing to a deeper understanding of the operation of transportation systems and the travel patterns of people in traditional societies during historical periods. This article, adopting a perspective of "mobility" and drawing on methods from historical geography, extracts information and expresses spatial characteristics from travelogue texts, revealing the overall spatiotemporal features of canal travels by Ming and Qing elites. Based on this, the study discusses the influences and constraints on individual travel activities. The research findings include: (1) Canal travels during the two dynasties formed concentrated zones, namely the Beijing-Tianjin travel belt in the north and the Huaiyang (Huai'an and Yangzhou)-Jiangnan travel belt in the south, while the central region remained relatively sparse. (2) Under the influence of natural conditions and canal transportation systems, travel activities exhibited a certain temporal rhythm within a year. (3) Factors such as social status, travel destinations, and modes of transportation significantly influenced the behavioral patterns, spatial perception, and emotional experiences of travelers during their journeys. Building on these analyses, this article proposes a mobility analysis framework for historical transportation geography, aiming to provide insights into the application of mobility paradigms in historical periods. This research not only contributes to the understanding of historical travels but also lays the groundwork for further exploration of mobility in historical contexts.

High-quality development of the marine economy is a key task for accelerating the construction of a maritime power, so as to realize Chinese-style modernization. This paper defines the scientific connotation of marine economy and its high-quality development. Based on the three major systems of marine economy and the five new development concepts, this paper synthesizes the high-quality development index of marine economy by means of vertical and horizontal separation grade method and fixed-base efficiency coefficient method. Then, with the help of the method of Dagum Gini coefficient, Markov matrix, standard deviation ellipse and geographic detector, spatio-temporal evolution and driving factors of high-quality development in coastal areas are systematically discussed. The results show that: (1) The continuous improvement of the comprehensive level of high-quality marine economic development is due to the collaborative optimization of marine economic, social and environmental systems. Guangdong, Shandong, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang are key regions leading the improvement of marine economic quality and efficiency. (2) The quality of marine economic development has obvious spatial and temporal differences. To be specific, there is a large gap within the southern blue economic circle, and the gap between the northern and eastern blue economic circles is also the most prominent. (3) The high-quality development of marine economy is moving forward in twists and turns. In terms of time, most provinces have the power to advance to a higher level, but the difficulty of transition is gradually increasing; In terms of space, the center of gravity of the marine economy's geographical pattern is always located in the Yangtze River Delta, forming a steady-state spatial structure of "one core and two wings". (4) The optimization of the quality of marine economy is the result of the joint action of the new development concept. After the introduction of the strategy of maritime power, innovation empowerment has replaced opening-up as the first driving force. In order to steadily promote the high-quality development of the marine economy at a higher level, it is necessary to implement the new development concept, which include give full play to the leading role of the blue economic zone, enhance the core competitiveness of the marine industry, build a free trade port with high standards, promote the cause of revitalizing the sea through science and education to cultivate new quality productive forces, deepen the construction of marine ecological civilization as well as clarify the key tasks of coastal areas. In this way, the sound operation of the marine economic, social and environmental systems tend to be promoted, completing the glorious mission of transforming to a maritime power.

To realize the "dual carbon" goals, it is necessary to actively explore the "dual carbon" response strategy in the national spaces and innovate the research on carbon emission reduction and carbon sink enhancement pathways within the existing Chinese national conditions and institutional framework. Currently, discussions centered around supporting carbon neutrality predominantly emphasize the carbon reduction dimensions of a single space or department, lacking comprehensive coordination and specific pathways demonstration research across multiple spaces and departments. This has led to unclear goal positioning and accountability relationships for carbon emission reduction and carbon sequestration in different national spaces, making it challenging to decompose the overall tasks and implement them concretely. On the basis of considering the spatial functional attributes and interactions of ecological space, agricultural space, and urban space, this study first establishes a cognitive framework for carbon balance effects of three types of space (ecological, agricultural, and urban spaces) and proposes design principles for carbon emission reduction and carbon sink enhancement pathways. Then, based on the share of carbon reduction undertaken by the three types of space, as well as the current application status, historical contributions, scope of application, and future potential of each pathway, this study further summarizes and proposes a multi-spatial coordinated pathway for enhancing carbon sinks within ecological spaces, reducing carbon emissions and increasing sinks in agricultural spaces, and decreasing emissions in urban spaces. This initiative not only contributes to achieving sustainable ecological restoration, efficient cropland management, and effective urban control, but also fosters the formation of climate mitigation optimization strategies and green transformation response methods under the integration of future national space.

In the context of U.S.-China trade war and COVID-19 pandemic and troubling global economy, the interaction between geopolitical risk (GPR) and global production network (GPN) has emerged as a new direction for GPN 2.0 research agenda. Exploring the reconfiguration process, strategic responses, and causal explanatory dynamics of lead firms is of practical and theoretical significance. This study uses interview data from 32 companies (Huawei and its suppliers) surveyed in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Dongguan in 2023. Focusing on the spatial logic, regional redistribution, actor strategies, and causal interaction mechanisms, this study illuminates how Huawei navigates the causal dynamics and strategies of its production network, particularly the complex landscape of industrial transfer from Shenzhen to Dongguan. The results, based on the GPN 2.0 perspective, (1) reveal three actor-specific strategies employed by Huawei: inter-firm control based on the leader and follower effects, inter-firm partnership seeking alternative strategic partners. This strategy is further strengthened through extra-firm bargaining between Huawei and local governments in Shenzhen and Dongguan, where Huawei seeks to market entitlement of local real estate, expands its market reach for 5G technologies and fosters local industrial upgrading. (2) There are three dynamic factors influencing Huawei's restructuring: the first is the cost-capability ratio, primarily considering the reduction of land costs and the optimization of its R&D headquarters, southern production base, talent training, and employee facilities; the second is market-driven, with a focus on the To-Business (ToB) model to explore new domestic 5G markets, establishing the "three BGs + five major corps" model, and expanding local markets, particularly through smart city projects in Shenzhen and Dongguan; the third factor is the risk environment posed by the U.S.-China trade war, which has driven Huawei to support a diversified domestic supply chain. Overall, Huawei's production network restructuring is driven by these three considerations: reducing production costs, expanding a more feasible and stable domestic 5G and industrial internet market, and mitigating the geopolitical risks posed by U.S.-China tensions that could disrupt its current production network. (3) This, in turn, influences the interplay between Huawei's dynamics and strategies: The risky environment drives Huawei's inter-firm control, market imperatives and risks deeply affect Huawei's inter-firm partnership. The core of Huawei's extra-firm bargaining with local governments is optimising cost-capability ratios and sustaining 5G/real estate markets. Overall, this study extends GPN risk research to the major role and subjective initiative of lead firms beyond previously considered roles of the state, techno-nationalism, international relations and geopolitical interventions. This study demonstrates how Huawei internalises and interacts with specific GPR as a causal factor, shedding light on firm adaption and evolution in response to changing geopolitical challenges. This paper has three main research contributions as follows: firstly, it introduces actor strategies in the reconfiguration studies and extends to the issue of interaction between actor strategies and causal dynamics in the GPN 2.0; secondly, the internalisation of GPR as a causal consideration of corporate restructuring is a positive and effective attempt to bridge the new research agenda of GPN 2.0; and thirdly, the paper focuses on the reconfiguration of Huawei's DPN, and in particular explores the industrial transfer and reconfiguration of Huawei from Shenzhen to Songshanhu town in Dongguan.