Ecological Economic Development Research Articles

Study on the Coordinated Development Model of Ecological Economy and Environmental Protection

This paper establishes a comprehensive evaluation index system of the ecological environment and the economy, and the coupling degrees and coordination degrees from 2015 to 2019 are calculated. The results show that (1) There is a relationship between economic growth and environmental pollution. Discharging industrial pollutants is an important factor affecting the coordinated development of the ecological environment and economic coupling. (2) The comprehensive evaluation index of the ecological environment and economic development systems is increasing yearly, and the quality of the ecological environment and the level of economic development are constantly improving. (3) The value of the coupling degree and coupling coordination degree between ecological environment and economic development is increasing yearly, and the development trend is good. The coupling degree gradually shifts from low-level coupling to high-level coupling stage.

Study on the Impact of Carbon Emission Trading Pilot on Green Land Use Efficiency in Cities

Under the overarching principle of sustainability, the reliance solely on expanding the landmass to meet the demand for high-quality economic growth is unsustainable. To address the need for harmonious ecological–economic development, this paper examines the influence of carbon emissions trading (CET) policies on the urban land green utilization efficiency (LGUE) from an environmental regulation perspective. Harnessing municipal panel data from 278 cities across China between 2011 and 2020, the study initially employs a super-efficient SBM model to estimate the urban LGUE. Further, a progressive difference-in-differences methodology is utilized to delve into CET’s impact on the LGUE. The main results are as follows. (1) Through the visual analysis of the time–space evolution trend, the LGUE displays pronounced spatial agglomeration, with the LGUE values being higher in the central and western regions compared to the east, and in the south versus the north. Over time, it follows a “U-shaped” change pattern. (2) The CET policy exerts a statistically significant positive influence on the LGUE, although this effect is accompanied by a temporal lag. Following a number of approaches to validate the results, the impact remains significant. (3) Regarding the heterogenous effects, the CET policy appears to have a greater impact on resource-based cities and those in the eastern part of China relative to non-resource-based and central–western cities. This research offers empirical evidence and countermeasure recommendations for the further refinement of the CET policy to enhance the urban LGUE.

Impacts of environmental and socioeconomic factors on gross ecosystem product of the Three Gorges reservoir area, China

AbstractEnvironmental and socioeconomic drivers would alter landscapes, bringing various effects with different directions and magnitudes. Demonstrating these driving effects is key to relieving the conflicts between territorial vegetation restoration and regional economic growth. However, the relationship between ecological protection and economic development due to landscape dynamics has not been systematically demonstrated as environment is difficult to quantify by the monetary value. In this article, we explored the changes in gross ecosystem product (GEP) in the Three Gorges (TG) reservoir area and constructed a conceptual framework to explicate its driving mechanism. Our results suggested that topographic, soil, and climatic factors positively impact on GEP through their important effects on vegetation structure, distribution, and succession. Additionally, reforestation policies promote the conversion of farmland and grassland to forestland in the TG reservoir region, which was the main contributor to enhancing GEP. Conversely, socioeconomic factors negatively impact GEP, of which effects were mainly manifested by changes in the proportion of ecological land. Therefore, it is essential to maintain a suitable land use proportion in this region to optimize GEP, and we proposed a landscape restoration program to enhance four ecosystem productions. This article provides a reference for land resource allocation for environmental protection and sustainable development in ecologically fragile areas.

Ecological Security Patterns Research Based on Ecosystem Services and Circuit Theory in Southwest China

The rapid economic development in the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle (CCEC) has exerted significant pressure on the ecological environment of the Sichuan–Chongqing Region in China. Balancing ecological protection and economic development has become an imperative challenge that needs to be addressed. In this study, we employed land use/cover data and environmental threat factors to construct Ecological Security Patterns (ESPs) for the CCEC using the InVEST model and Circuit Theory. The research findings revealed the following key outcomes: (1) The total area of suitable habitat in the CCEC was 208,728.3 km2, accounting for 87.14% of the study area. Habitat quality exhibited regional variations, with higher quality habitats predominantly found in the western and northeastern parts, and lower quality habitats in the central region. (2) The CCEC consisted of areas with low, medium, high, and optimal habitat quality, spanning 140,912.18 km2, 15,341.89 km2, 15,578.38 km2, and 36,895.85 km2, respectively. These areas accounted for 58.83%, 6.40%, 6.50%, and 15.40% of the study area, respectively. (3) The ESPs in the CCEC encompassed 22 ecological nodes, 36 clusters of ecological corridors, and 136 ecological sources. Ecological corridors served as radial connections, linking each ecological node and ecological source along mountain ranges, forested areas, river networks, and valleys. (4) The core ecological regions forming the ESPs of the CCEC included the Qionglai–Minshan–Longquan Mountains in the west, Tiefeng–Fangdou–Qiyue–Wushan Mountains in the east and northeast, and Dalou Mountain in the southeast. These regional-scale findings provide valuable insights for policymakers to implement targeted measures for ecological protection and promote green development. They offer objective guidance and constraints for managing urban expansion and anthropogenic activities, ultimately enhancing the ecological security level of the CCEC.

Johannesburg’s transit revolution: a critical report on transit-oriented development strategy

ABSTRACT In urban planning processes, global policies that are evaluated positively may not achieve favorable performance in specific urban, social, and policy circumstances. The practice of transit-oriented development (TOD) strategy in Johannesburg is a representative example. This report focuses on its role in balancing ecological sustainability, social inclusion, economic development, and impact on citizens. The report finds that while TOD can theoretically help eliminate social inequalities and promote economic and ecological sustainability, its practical effect is limited, manifesting in exacerbated government deficits and a growing gap between the rich and the poor. This report examines the causes and provides recommendations.

Evaluation of ecological carrying capacity and construction of ecological security pattern in West Liaohe River Basin of China

The West Liaohe River Basin (WRLB) is a typical agro-pastoral interlaced zone in Northeast China where excessive economic development activities brought great pressure on the ecosystem and caused a series of ecological problems, having a negative effect on regional ecological carrying capacity (ECC). The rational construction of ecological security pattern (ESP) is an effective way to improve regional ECC and alleviate the contradiction between ecological protection and economic development. In this study, taking the WLRB as an example, spatiotemporal changes of ECC in the WLRB from 2000 to 2020 were explored by using spatial principal component analysis (SPCA). Furthermore, ecological sources were determined by coupling ECC evaluation results with important ecological patches such as natural protected areas, and the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model combined with the circuit theory method were employed to identify ecological security zoning, ecological corridors and key ecological nodes. Then a comprehensive ESP of the basin was constructed. The results show as follows: 1) The ECC of the overall WLRB was at medium carrying level, yet was spatially differentiated, which decreased from the periphery to the center of the basin in general. ECC showed a fluctuating upward trend from 2000 to 2020. 2) The ecological source area of the WLRB was 21926.91 km², accounting for 17.33% of the total study area. The ecological sources were seriously fragmentated and mainly distributed in the mountain area. The area of ecological conservation zone, optimized buffer zone, ecological transition zone, ecological prevention and control zone were 55672.69 km², 32662.24 km², 23862.84 km² and 12021.04 km², accounting for 44.82%, 26.29%, 19.21% and 9.68%, respectively. We also extracted 95 ecological corridors (with a total length of 3130.97 km), 49 ecological pinch points (with a total area of 200.33 km²) and 30 ecological barrier points (with a total area of 318.30 km²), constituting a “points-lines-planes” comprehensive ecological security pattern. This research can provide scientific reference for the protection and restoration of ecological environment and regional sustainable development.

Multiscale Ecological Zoning Management with Coupled Ecosystem Service Bundles and Supply–Demand Balance, the Case of Hangzhou, China

Grasping the interrelationship between the supply and demand of ecosystem services (ESs) and spatial scale characteristics is the foundation for effective ecological zoning management, which helps to realize a win–win situation for both ecological protection and economic development. This paper focuses on the following three real problems: mismatch in ES supply and demand evaluation, mechanical and subjective delineation of ecological zoning, and rough management strategies, and constructs a multi-scale ecological zoning management framework for the “comprehensive evaluation of supply and demand, ecological zoning, and enhancement of human well-being”. This study integrates the InVEST model, SOM, Z-score quadrant matching, and coordination degree method, and applies them to the ecological management zoning of Hangzhou. The results show that (1) the spatial differentiation of ESs in Hangzhou is significant. The spatial pattern of the five types of ES supply varies at the county scale and the grid scale on which ES demand is concentrated and is consistent at different scales. (2) ES supply–demand matching in Hangzhou is at the basic coordination and can be divided into four modes including HH, LH, LL, and HL at both the county and grid scales. On the small scale, the proportion of mismatches declines slightly, but the severity rises. (3) ES supply is divided into four categories as follows: the food production bundle, the carbon storage bundle, the ESs balancing bundle, and the ESs depleting bundle, and clarifies the priority of ES management. (4) Construct an ecological management practice path, delineates 6 ecological management zones at the county scale and 19 secondary management zones at the grid scale. Targeted measures are proposed in terms of supply–demand adjustment strategies, ecological management strategies, and key implementation areas. This study helps to incorporate the interaction between the supply and demand of ESs into the planning framework and provides decision-making support for refined ecological management.

Spatial differences, distribution dynamics and driving factors of the synergy between marine ecological security and high-quality development in three major marine economic circles of China

IntroductionIn China, the sustainable development of the marine is facing a prominent contradiction between ecological security and economic development, as well as unbalanced and non-coordinated regional development. Exploring the regional differences in the synergy between marine ecological security (MES) and high-quality development of the marine economy (MHQD) and its driving mechanism is the key to optimizing the spatial distribution of marine development, promoting the synergistic and balanced development of the regional marine composite system during the “14th Five-Year Plan” period.MethodsIn this article, we employed the Dagum Gini coefficient decomposition model and Kernel density estimation methods to reveal the evolution of regional differences, sources, and distributional dynamics of synergistic development of the composite system from 2009 to 2020. Meanwhile, spatial econometric analyses were applied to identify the influencing factors and spatial spillover effects.ResultsThe level of synergistic development of composite system has a fluctuating upward trend, with a significant positive spatial correlation and a significant “polarization effect”. Inter-regional differences in the synergistic development of the composite system are the main source of the overall differences. Factors such as innovation-driven, human capital, and opening up to the outside world are important driving factors for the synergistic development of the composite system.DiscussionThe MES-MHQD composite system exhibits a low level of synergistic development, with significant differences in the level of synergy both among the 3MMECs and within each circle. We infer that the expansion trend of overall difference will constrain the exploration of a sustainable development path for China’s coastal regions in the future. It is necessary to optimize the spatial layout of the composite system, establish robust mechanisms for regional cooperation and communication, accurately identify the development bottlenecks of the regional composite systems. This study provides a theoretical basis and decision-making reference for the promotion of the synergistic development of the composite system of the Three Major Marine Economic Circles (3MMECs) in China.

A comprehensive study on non-governmental actors in shaping grassland ecological compensation within legal frameworks

Ecological compensation has emerged as a crucial institutional framework for managing the interplay between ecological preservation and economic development in China. This study focuses on the specific case of grassland ecological compensation to investigate the protection of rights and interests of non-governmental subjects. By utilizing data derived from questionnaire responses, this study examines the legal rights, obligations, and responsibilities associated with grassland ecological compensation. Statistical techniques such as Z-distribution, chi-square test, and non-parametric measures of correlation are employed to analyze the collected data, which are presented using tables and graphs. Furthermore, this research evaluates the current state of rights and interests of compensation subjects engaged in ecological compensation practices, aiming to enhance our comprehension and assessment of the extent to which the ecological compensation system safeguards the rights and interests of individuals. The findings show that a substantial number of respondents see current grassland ecological compensation methods in China as reasonable but insufficient, indicating a need for method diversification. There’s a clear preference for a shared responsibility model over government-only funding, especially in regions with large grassland areas. This highlights the necessity for adaptable laws and a legal framework that accommodates diverse stakeholder needs. Additionally, the importance of clear property rights is emphasized for sustainable land use. The study suggests legislative reform towards a more equitable and effective approach to grassland conservation, providing valuable recommendations for refining and advancing the ecological compensation system.Author name 1 (Ziqi Liu) mismatch between ms and metadata. We have foolowed metadata. Kindly check and confirm.The metadata is right. Thank you.

Optimization of Natural Resources to Realize Community Welfare

The purpose of this study is to empower the people of Panambangan Village in realizing independence and welfare based on optimizing community potential, focusing on understanding the history of Panambangan Village, the origin of the name of the village, and the potential of its natural resources. The method used in this study is qualitative research method. The potential of Panambangan Village tourist attraction has a tourist attraction that until now has not been developed. Research results The wealth of tourism potential of Panambangan Village needs to be developed in order to support sustainable tourism. Recommendations that can be given to develop tourism potential are directed based on the condition of Panambangan Village whose status as a tourist village, but conditions on the ground have not reflected this. This is shown by the development of tourism which is still constrained by development costs. Even though Panambangan Village has many natural features and cultural traditions that can be considered quite exciting tourist attractions, The conclusion of this study shows that efforts to optimize natural resources can be vital in achieving community welfare by combining ecological sustainability and economic development.

Spatiotemporal evolution of county level ecological security based on an emergy ecological footprint model: The case of Dingxi, China

Clarifying the spatiotemporal development of regional ecological security can support decision-making related to coordinated, sustainable regional development. This study used an emergy ecological footprint (EEF) model to analyze spatiotemporal changes in ecological security in the Dingxi region, a fragile-environment area in western China. The results indicated that in all counties in Dingxi, the change trends in emergy ecological carrying capacity per capita (eec) were not significant while spatiotemporal differences in emergy ecological footprint per capita (eef) was significant. Overall, the eef in 2019 is 0.2–1.3 times higher than in 2001(except Minxian), respectively. Zhangxian had the highest eef (2.74 ha/cap), followed by An'ding (1.47 ha/cap), while Minxian was the lowest (0.50 ha/cap). During the study, Minxian recorded an ecological surplus, the ecological pressure index showed a decreasing trend, the ecological security level increased, and sustainable development ability was stronger than in the other counties. Other counties are in a state of ecological deficit and have a high ecological pressure index, and regional ecological security is facing great challenges. Moreover, industrial structure, economic level, urbanization, and population size are the main drivers of ecological security in the Dingxi region, while geographic location and climatic factors are the dominant factors leading to its spatial differences. Therefore, controlling population size, reducing the use of nonrenewable resources, developing land resources appropriately, and using resources efficiently can promote the sustainable development of counties. Our findings could serve as a reference for the ecological construction and economic development of the counties.

Influencing Factors and Evaluation of Groundwater Ecological Function in Arid/Semiarid Regions of China: A Review

In arid and semi-arid areas, due to drought climate and shortage of water resources, groundwater is crucial for natural ecological protection and economic development. It serves a dual role as a resource function and an ecological function. However, with the continuous improvement of the exploitation and utilization of groundwater by human activities during rapid economic development, the phenomenon of groundwater overexploitation is becoming more and more serious, which has destroyed the natural balance of groundwater recharge and discharge. As a result, natural vegetation has lost the maintenance of the ecological function of groundwater, and a series of ecological and environmental problems have occurred, such as natural vegetation degradation, land desertification, sandstorms, and so on. In recent years, scholars have carried out research on groundwater resource management and optimization of water resource allocation, trying to solve the problem of water balance in arid regions. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive understanding and systematization regarding influencing factors and degeneration mechanisms related to groundwater’s ecological function. By summarizing and analyzing the previous research results, this paper summarizes the influencing factors, evaluation methods, existing problems and future directions of groundwater ecological function research in China to provide a reference for rational exploitation and utilization of groundwater and ecological protection. This paper is divided into four main contents. The first part introduces the definition of groundwater ecological function (GEF); the second part summarizes the research status of influencing factors of GEF, including the groundwater table depth, vegetation root system and lithologic structure of vadose zone, etc.; the third part analyzes the evaluation of groundwater ecological function; the fourth part discusses the existing problems in the study of groundwater ecological functions, and based on the above research the evaluation framework of GEF is proposed with the Shiyang River basin as a case study; and finally, it highlights the future research directions about GEF.

Spatiotemporal Variation and Prediction Analysis of Land Use/Land Cover and Ecosystem Service Changes in Gannan, China

For the preservation of ecosystems, including the enhancement of ecological strategies, examining the temporal and geographical variance in ecosystem services (ESs) and land use/land cover change (LUCC) is crucial. Gannan is situated on the upper Yellow River, which is a notable water conservation region with excellent ecological quality, but in the background of the local traditional production mode and rapid economic development, natural disasters, grassland degradation, and other ecological problems occur frequently. The integrated valuing of ecosystem services and tradeoffs (InVEST) model and the patch-generating land use simulation (PLUS) model are combined in this work to assess the spatiotemporal variance in ESs in Gannan. We set up three scenarios in modeling future land use—ecological protection (EP), natural development (ND), and economic development (ED) in 2050—and analyzed and evaluated the drivers of the variation in ESs. In order to reveal the LUCC in Gannan between 1990 and 2020, we predicted the LUCC and ESs spatial distribution characteristics in 2050, explored the correlation between its driving factors, and comprehensively analyzed and propose optimization measures and protection strategies. Through several simulation experiments, the findings indicate the following: (1) the largest percentage of land expansion for construction in Gannan between 1990 and 2020 is 74.53%, and the most noticeable percentage of shrinkage in the sand area is 20.67%; (2) from 1990 to 2020, Gannan’s water yield, carbon storage, soil retention, and habitat quality all changed, by 60 × 108 m3, 0.04 × 108 t, −10.66 × 108 t, and −0.02, respectively; (3) ESs are influenced by a variety of natural and societal variables: the southern and southwestern regions of Gannan are home to the majority of ESs hot spot areas, while the northern region is home to the majority of cold spot areas. This study contributes to the analysis of the developmental traits of Gannan ecosystems and can serve as a model for the preservation of terrestrial ecosystems with comparable environmental traits.

Multi-Scenario Land Use/Cover Change and Its Impact on Carbon Storage Based on the Coupled GMOP-PLUS-InVEST Model in the Hexi Corridor, China

Understanding the relationship between land use and carbon storage is vital for achieving sustainable development goals. However, our understanding of how carbon storage develops under land policy planning is still incomplete. In this study, a comprehensive framework that integrates Gray Multi-objective Optimization Programming (GMOP), the Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model, and the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) models is introduced to evaluate land use dynamics and ecosystem services. Two scenarios have been established to estimate Land Use and Land Cover Change (LUCC) patterns in the Hexi Corridor by 2035: the business-as-usual (BAU) scenario, developed based on historical trends, and the ecological conservation scenario (ECS), optimized with multiple policy objectives. The results show the following: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the predominant land use type in the Hexi Corridor was unutilized land, with LUCC mainly involving the transformation of unutilized land to grass land. (2) Carbon storage in the Hexi Corridor increased by approximately 9.05 × 106 t from 2000 to 2020 due to LUCC, characterized by higher levels in the south and lower levels in the north. (3) The areas of grass land and arable land are expected to continue increasing until 2035, while the extent of unutilized land is projected to decrease. The ECS is poised to create a balance between ecological protection and economic development. (4) By 2035, both the BAU scenario and ECS estimate an increase in the carbon storage of the Hexi Corridor, with the ECS expected to result in the most significant gains. These research findings provide valuable insights for administrators and researchers, guiding more rational land use planning and ecological restoration policies to achieve carbon peaking and neutrality.

Reconciling Ecological Sustainability and Economic Development in Developing Countries

Reconciling Ecological Sustainability and Economic Development in Developing Countries

Spatiotemporal patterns and evolutionary trends of eco-environmental quality in arid regions of Northwest China.

The arid regions of northwest China suffer from water shortages, low land quality, and a fragile ecological environment, while social and economic development has increased the ecological and environmental load. The spatiotemporal pattern and evolutionary trend of ecological environmental quality were investigated by constructing a remote sensing-based ecological environmental index (EQI) evaluation model incorporating four indicators: drought index (DI), soil erosion index (SEI), greenness index (GI), and carbon exchange index (CEI). The study found that between 2001 and 2020, the DI, the SEI, and the CEI in the northwest arid region exhibited a downward trend with reduction rates of - 3e-05, -0.0006, and -0.0018, respectively. However, the GI demonstrated an upward trend, with a growth rate of 0.002. The average EQI in 2020 was 0.315, indicating a fair grade, with only 11.56% falling above the medium level. A general increasing trend was observed throughout the study period in EQI, with an incremental rate of 0.0002. Areas with future improvements in EQI accounted for 57.547% and were principally located in the eastern part of Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, and the northern and southern portions of Xinjiang. Notably, land use was significantly correlated with EQI (p < 0.01), with a hierarchy of effects that ran: forest land (0.678) > cultivated land (0.422) > grassland (0.382) > wasteland (0.138). The highly robust findings presented here offer innovative methods for ecological and environmental monitoring in the arid region of the northwest, with potential implications at an international scale.

Interdecadal Change in the Covariability of the Tibetan Plateau and Indian Summer Precipitation and Associated Circulation Anomalies

This study investigates the interdecadal change in the covariability between the Tibetan Plateau (TP) east–west dipole precipitation and Indian precipitation during summer and primarily explores the modulation of atmospheric circulation anomalies on the covariability. The results reveal that the western TP precipitation (WTPP), eastern TP precipitation (ETPP), and northwestern Indian precipitation (NWIP) have covariability, with an in-phase variation between the WTPP and NWIP and an out-of-phase variation between the WTPP and ETPP. Moreover, this covariability was unclear during 1981–2004 and became significant during 2005–2019, showing a clear interdecadal change. During 2005–2019, a thick geopotential height anomaly, which tilted slightly northward, governed the TP, forming upper- and lower-level coupled circulation anomalies (i.e., anomalous upper-level westerlies over the TP and lower-level southeasterlies and northeasterlies around the southern flank of the TP). As such, the upper- and lower-tropospheric circulation anomalies synergistically modulate the summer WTPP, ETPP, and NWIP, causing the covariability of summer precipitation over the TP and India during 2005–2019. The upper- or lower-level circulation anomalies cannot independently result in significant precipitation covariability. During 1981–2004, the upper- and lower-level circulation anomalies were not strongly coupled, which caused precipitation non-covariability. The sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) in the western North Pacific (WNP) and tropical Atlantic (TA) may synergistically modulate the upper- and lower-level coupled circulation anomalies, contributing to the covariability of the WTPP, ETPP, and NWIP during 2005–2019. The modulation of the WNP and TA SSTs on the coupled circulation anomalies was weaker during 1981–2004, which was therefore not conducive to this precipitation covariability. This study may provide valuable insights into the characteristics and mechanisms of spatiotemporal variation in summer precipitation over the TP and its adjacent regions, thus offering scientific support for local water resource management, ecological environment protection, and social and economic development.

How much we know about precipitation climatology over Tianshan Mountains––the Central Asian water tower

Tianshan Mountains are the headwater regions for the central Asia rivers, providing water resources for ecological protection and economic development in semiarid regions. Due to scarce observations, the hydroclimatic characteristics of the Tianshan Mountains Precipitation (TMP) measured over highland (>1500 m) regions remain to be revealed. Here, we show the TMP belongs to a monsoon-like climate regime, with a distinct annual range and a high ratio of summer-to-yearly rainfall, and exhibits six abrupt changes, dividing the annual cycle into six precipitation sub-seasons. Over the past 60 years, the yearly TMP has significantly increased by 17.3%, with a dramatic increase in winter (135.7%). The TMP displays a significant 40-day climatological intra-seasonal oscillation (CISO) in summer. The TMP CISO’s wet phase results from the confrontation of the eastward propagating mid-tropospheric Balkhash Lake Low and the southward migrating Mongolian High. The sudden changes in the two climatological circulation systems trigger TMP’s changes, shaping the 40-day CISO. Emerging scientific issues are also discussed.

Research on the current situation and countermeasures of low-carbon ecological urban development: a case study of Guangdong Province

Abstract Current global climate change, increasing energy depletion, and continuous environmental degradation have made it crucial to transform the economic development model into a low-carbon economy. Urban development, being one of the major sources of carbon emissions, has made low-carbon and ecological urban development an important topic on the international agenda. This article uses principal component analysis and the entropy weight method to quantitatively evaluate the development of low-carbon ecological cities in Guangdong Province from three aspects: economic and social factors, living environment, and resource and environmental factors. Based on the current situation, it proposes development strategies to provide references and guidance for further low-carbon ecological economic development in Guangdong Province. In the current world situation, with global climate warming, increasing energy depletion, and continuous environmental deterioration, the transformation of the economic development model into a low-carbon economy is of great significance. Urban development, being a major source of carbon emissions, makes low-carbon and ecological urban development an increasingly prominent topic in international societal development. This paper quantitatively evaluates the development of low-carbon and ecological cities in Guangdong Province using principal component analysis (PCA) and the entropy weight method. The results indicate that economic and social development plays a decisive role in the development of low-carbon cities. Strategies for development are proposed in response to the current situation, providing guidance and reference for further progress toward a low-carbon and ecological economy in Guangdong Province.

Agricultural Production Efficiency and Ecological Transformation Efficiency in the Yangtze River Economic Belt

Measuring the agricultural production efficiency (APE) and the ecological transformation efficiency (ETE) is key to agricultural modernization and regional ecological civilization construction. Based on the agricultural input–output dataset of the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) from 2000 to 2015, we use the panel stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) to measure the APE and ETE to explore the spatiotemporal patterns of regional APE and ETE from the geographical perspective. We rely on the quantitative association characteristics to explore the key threshold of ecological economic development in agriculture. The results show that: (1) In the study period, the APE increased from 0.2993 to 0.5495, indicating that the cumulative growth of the whole period was 83.60%, and the high-value units gradually changed from point distribution to spatial distribution; (2) Although the ETE of the YREB increased from 2000 to 2015, the proportion of the first-class species was still only 7.26% in 2015, and the inverted U-shaped polarization distribution characteristics of the high-efficiency cities and the band-like structure of global decision-making units were formed at the same time; (3) The improvement of ETE has obvious segment distribution and threshold crossing characteristics, and the APE is equal to 0.661, which is the threshold for high-speed growth and low-speed growth of ETE. The research framework, spatiotemporal rules and key thresholds have reference value for agricultural modernization and ecological civilization construction.