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.

Sustainable development is a significant scientific issue of global concern. Geography, as a comprehensive discipline focusing on the coupled relationship between human activities and the natural environment, provides systematic research and solutions for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, there is currently a lack of comprehensive reviews. This paper summarizes the theoretical framework and research progress of Geography supporting the SDGs and explores its future key research areas. This article indicates that: (1) Geography, in conducting integrated research on human-nature systems and serving regional and global sustainable development processes, has innovatively proposed and developed theoretical frameworks such as social-ecological systems, pattern-process-service-sustainability, metacoupling, and Classification-Coordination-Collaboration. These research frameworks include elements of human-environment system interconnections, process coupling, spatial coupling, and systematic regulation oriented towards SDGs, forming a comprehensive theoretical framework supporting sustainable development research in Geography, also referred to as "sustainable geography theoretical framework". (2) Geography has made positive progress in supporting the United Nations SDGs research in areas such as multi-source data acquisition, localization of indicator systems and multi-scale progress assessment, analysis of inter-target linkage mechanisms, and SDG achievement pathways. Geography provides important theoretical and methodological support for SDG research. (3) Geography and sustainable development-related research mainly focus on climate-ecological crisis response, sustainable utilization of food-energy-water resources, regional development and planning, human well-being and social governance, and the construction of SDG assessment indicators and databases. (4) In future research, there is a need to innovate and develop sub-disciplines of Sustainable Geography, optimize the construction of SDGs indicator systems, develop SDGs assessment and decision-making models, strengthen artificial intelligence geography, deepen research on human-nature system coupling, and promote regional and global sustainable development in the process of advancing innovation in the discipline of Geography.

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 physical geography and hydroclimatic conditions in the arid region of in northwestern China leading to diverse flood-generation mechanisms. Under the influence of global and regional climate change, the spatiotemporal variation of floods and flood-generation mechanism in this region is still unclear and restricts flood prevention and mitigation and the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative in the major regions. Based on the series of the annual maximum flood peak discharge in 58 river basins in the study area from 1961 to 2017, we analyzed and revealed the mechanisms, spatial distribution and interannual variation characteristics of flood in the basin in the past 60 years based on statistical tests and machine learning approaches. The results show that the frequency of extreme floods and the annual maximum flood peak discharge magnitude are increasing, with the maximum increase in the frequency of extreme floods at about 0.84 times/10 years, and the maximum increase in the annual maximum flood peak discharge magnitude at about 29%/10 years compared with the multi-year average, and the largest increase is mainly observed in the eastern Tianshan Mountains and the Qilian Mountains. There are three main flood generation mechanisms, i.e., rain (R), snow (S) and mix (M), the frequency of R and M floods increased significantly, while the frequency of S floods decreased. The contribution of flood mechanisms transformation to the increase of annual maximum flood peak discharge magnitude can reach up to 38%, which is significantly higher than the contribution of a single hydrometeorological factor such as precipitation. The results of this study emphasize the importance of attributing and predicting the changes of flood characteristics in geographically complex region from the perspective of flood mechanisms. Engineering hydrological design in the changing environment also needs to consider the influence of the heterogeneity of flood samples caused by different flood mechanisms on the flood frequency analysis, so as to provide scientific support for flood risk management and response in the basin.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The optimal allocation and scientific management of rural logistics resources is the key to unblock the domestic transportation cycle, and it is also the focus of the construction of a powerful transportation country and the integration of urban and rural transportation. From two perspectives of driving and walking, this study constructs a research framework for the evaluation of rural logistics terminal distribution with accessibility and equity. This study analyzes the accessibility of 440000 administrative villages in China and their nearest rural logistics terminal facilities. By using the online map tool, this study reveals the spatial distribution pattern and regional differences of rural logistics terminal facilities, and evaluates the spatial equity of rural logistics terminal facilities at the county level with Lorenz curves and Gini coefficients. The results show that: (1) Accessibility of rural logistics terminal facilities presents significant regional difference, and it declines from the coast to the interior, which is consistent with the socio-economic development pattern in China. (2) Accessibility of logistics terminal facilities presents significant urban-rural differences. According to the comparative analysis of travel distance, travel time, and travel modes, the urban-rural differences have been widened on travel time and by walking. (3) Based on the analysis with rural population distribution, the distribution of rural logistics terminal facilities presents the transport-related exclusion. The above findings can provide scientific support for the scientific layout of rural logistics terminal facilities so that we could promote the people-oriented integrated development of urban and rural transportation, and assist rural revitalization, so as to achieve common prosperity.

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.

Streamflow from the Lena River is one of the major sources of freshwater in the Arctic Ocean and has a significant impact on the Arctic atmosphere, sea ice thermal processes and ocean thermohaline circulation. In recent years, streamflow in the Lena River basin is changing significantly with intensified global warming. In order to investigate the response of streamflow to climate change in the Lena River basin, the study firstly analyzed the trends of precipitation, air temperature and streamflow in the basin from 1975 to 2014 using the M-K trend test. Then, we constructed the abcd-cr hydrological model by considering a coupled snowmelt and permafrost module. Based on the abcd-cr model, we simulated climatic scenarios and quantitatively estimated the relative changes of annual and seasonal streamflow and the elasticities of annual and seasonal streamflow to changes in air temperature and precipitation respected to different climate scenarios. Results showed that: (1) Both the annual and seasonal air temperatures in the Lena River showed increasing trends from 1975 to 2014; The annual, summer, and autumn precipitation presented increasing trends while the spring and winter precipitation showed decreasing trends; The annual, spring, autumn, and winter streamflow had significant increasing trends while the summer streamflow showed a non-significant decreasing trend. (2) The climate scenario simulation results quantified the variations in annual and seasonal streamflow resulting from changes in precipitation and air temperature. (3) The results of sensitivity analysis showed that annual streamflow increases with the increase of precipitation and decreases with the increase of air temperature; The impact of precipitation change on seasonal streamflow is similar to that of annual streamflow change. However, the impacts of air temperature varied in different seasons. Specifically, the relative change of summer streamflow is the largest, while that of winter streamflow is the smallest. The impact of air temperature on seasonal streamflow is more complex than that of annual streamflow due to the interactions between seasonal evaporation and freeze-thaw processes. With increasing air temperature, spring streamflow increases, while streamflow in other seasons decreases.

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.

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.

Rural development in the new era has ushered in material development opportunities but it is still faced with significant problems of imbalance and inadequacy. Rural social innovation is not only an important endogenous driving force to promote socioeconomic development and reform, but also a key force to break the dual "exogenous-endogenous" structure in rural areas, realize their neo-endogenous development, and promote the full implementation of the rural revitalization strategy to build a livable, viable, and beautiful countryside. This study interprets the conceptual characteristics of social innovation and rural social innovation in the theoretical perspective, sorts out the practical evolution of rural social innovation at home and abroad, explains the internal logic of rural social innovation and rural revitalization in the new era, summarizes the pathway for the realization of rural social innovation to promote rural revitalization, and looks ahead to the future key research areas of rural social innovation. The results show that the essence of rural social innovation lies in enhancing the active capabilities of rural society to achieve sustainable social benefits and promote rural sustainable development. From the perspective of social innovation theory, China's rural development has gone through an initial trial stage, a tortuous exploratory stage, a formal practice stage, and an innovative development stage. Rural social innovation plays a positive role in promoting rural revitalization and neo-endogenous development through innovation initiatives, processes, representation, and goals. In addition, rural revitalization can also react to and strengthen rural social innovation. According to the strategic and practical needs of rural revitalization, one method for promoting rural revitalization through rural social innovation is to reconstruct the relationships among the government, markets, and society. Future research into rural social innovation in the new era should be focused on examining its logical evolution and theoretical exploration, identifying its key elements and invisible thresholds, summarizing its network evolution and driving mechanism, and realizing its dynamic tracking and effect evaluations to provide theoretical guidance and a practical reference for the neo-endogenous development of rural revitalization in China.

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.

The morphological characteristics of floods are important indicators for flood prevention and control, and have important indicative significance. Traditional hydrological studies mainly focus on the change of characteristics in flood magnitude under the changing environment, and the characteristics and mechanism of changes in flood morphological parameters under the influence of urbanization and climate change remain to be further explored. Taking the highly urbanized river network area of the Taihu plain as a typical example, this paper proposed a process-based method to identify flood events, and revealed the change in flood morphological characteristics and its driving mechanisms between 1971 and 2020. The results show that not only the flood magnitude (peak water level and water level increment) but also the morphological characteristics of flood fluctuation (such as rate of rising limb and recession) have changed significantly in the Taihu plain under the background of changing environment. Impervious area has a non-linear effect on the flood morphological characteristics. In the study area, the stations with significant breakpoint for peak water level occupy 61.5%, and 76.9% stations showed a significant upward trend. 46.2% of the stations have a significant breakpoint for rate of rising limb, and all stations showed an increasing trend, among which, 38.5% of the stations reach the significance level. A total of 53.8% of the stations have significant mutation and significant trends of recession rate, and the recession rate reaches 0.628 mm·d^-1·a^-1 in the whole period in the study area (p<0.05). The antecedent water level conditions and rainfall characteristics are the main driving factors affecting the flood morphological pattern in the river network area of the Taihu plain. The results of this study could deepen the understanding of flood evolution in the Taihu plain region under a changing environment, and provide reference and support for flood disaster prevention and control in similar plain river network areas.

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.

In the context of rapid urbanization, promoting low-carbon school trips is a crucial strategy for fostering sustainable urban development. However, the factors influencing carbon emissions from school trips during compulsory education remain unclear. This study focuses on Kaifeng, a city experiencing rapid spatial expansion and reconstruction. Utilizing multi-source spatiotemporal big data, large-scale micro-surveys, and the SHAP model (an interpretable machine learning method), we explore the nonlinear mechanisms and threshold effects of low-carbon school trips. The results reveal the following: (1) Carbon emissions from school trips show significant spatial disparities, making rapid expansion of outer areas critical for emission reduction efforts. (2) Temporal and spatial accessibility are the most critical factors impacting carbon emissions. Secondary schools should be planned within a 15-minute walking circle, while primary schools need optimization to be within a 13-minute one. (3) Effective management of schools surrounding the built environment can support low-carbon school trips. Optimal conditions for low-carbon school trips include a road network density of 10-14 km/km², a land use mix of 2.4-2.7, and primary schools accommodating up to 1000 people. (4) The lack of students' ability to travel independently also restricts low-carbon school trips. Developing safe routes and promoting walking school buses are effective strategies for creating child-friendly cities. The research results provide valuable insights for the refined planning and governance of urban education resource distribution and low-carbon development.

The hydrochemical and isotopic compositions of water are controlled by natural and anthropogenic factors, therefore, it is of great significance to study the hydrochemical and isotopic compositions, changes and contributing factors for the rational utilization and scientific management of water resources within a watershed. Hydrochemistry, water (δD/δ¹⁸O-H₂O) and carbon (δ¹³C-DIC) isotope samples from surface-groundwater in the Yulong Snow Mountains-Lijiang area, China, were analyzed to reveal the spatial evolution of the above indicators along the water flow direction, to compare the changes of water chemical compositions between 2005 and 2021, and to explore the spatio-temporal differences of regional water environment affected by human activities. Results showed that: (1) In the basin, surface water and groundwater were mainly recharged by local atmospheric precipitation and glacier-snow meltwater, and the water chemistry types were mainly Ca·Mg-HCO₃ and Ca-HCO₃, while the concentrations of Na⁺, K⁺, Cl^- and {\mathrm{S}\mathrm{O}}_4^{2-} increased in some wells due to human activities; (2) Under the influence of natural processes and human activities, δD/δ¹⁸O-H₂O values increased along the direction of the surface-groundwater flow, while the value of δ¹³C-DIC decreased. Concentrations of Na⁺, K⁺, Cl^- and {\mathrm{S}\mathrm{O}}_4^{2-} increased significantly after water flows through the main urban area; (3) Water quality of the Yuhe River was reduced from class III to class IV (NH₄⁺ exceeded the standard) after the river flows through the Dayan ancient town, and significant negative correlation between Na⁺+K⁺ and δ¹³C-DIC, Cl^-+ \mathrm{ } {\mathrm{S}\mathrm{O}}_4^{2-} and δ¹³C-DIC occurred in wells from the ancient town, which revealed the negative impact of tourism activities on the water environment; and (4) Compared with 2005, the growth rates of Na⁺, K⁺, Cl^- and {\mathrm{S}\mathrm{O}}_4^{2-} concentrations in the Yanggong River, which were fed by urban sewage and wastewater, were greater than those of Lashi Lake, Yufengsi Spring and Tuanshan Reservoir waters. Our study revealed that human activities had a certain negative impact on the water environment in the Yulong Snow Mountain-Lijiang area, which provided basic data for water resources protection in the river basin and also confirmed that the combination of isotopes and water chemistry is an important means to study the water environment change and the contributing factors.

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.

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.