Supply Perspective Research Articles

Zoning and Management of Ecological Restoration from the Perspective of Ecosystem Service Supply and Demand: A Case Study of Yuzhong County in Longzhong Loess Hilly Region, China

The loess hilly region is a typical ecologically fragile and sensitive area. It is of great significance when measuring the balance between supply and demand of ecosystem services and clarify the relationship between supply and demand of ecosystem services for scientific ecological restoration zoning and realizing regional ecological security and social and economic sustainable development. We take Yuzhong County in the loess hilly region of Longzhong, China as an example; by constructing the matching and coordinating relationship between ecosystem service supply and demand and following the idea of “problem diagnosis—strategic orientation—key optimization”, this paper delimits the ecological restoration zones and proposes corresponding governance strategies. The results show that: (1) The supply and demand of ecosystem services were mainly at a low and medium level, with significant spatial heterogeneity. Overall, the spatial pattern of ecosystem services showed high supply and low demand in the southwest mountainous areas and showed low supply and high demand in the urban gully areas of Yuzhong. (2) There were four types of spatial matching of ecosystem service supply and demand: HH type, LH type, LL type, and HL type. The local spatial autocorrelation of supply and demand was dominated by high-low or low-high spatial misadjustment. The average degree of coordination between supply and demand of ecosystem services was 0.629, indicating that supply and demand were basically coordinated. (3) The ecological restoration zones in Yuzhong County can be divided into six categories: the ecological core protection area, ecological potential restoration area, key ecological restoration area, soil and water conservation restoration area, ecological agriculture development area, and ecological innovation promotion area. The results of this study can provide ideas for the refined management and targeted restoration practice of regional ecosystem services. It provides a strong guarantee for ecosystem management and decision-making in the loess hilly region.

Heterogeneous mechanisms of urban land price in China: a perspective of natural restrictions and strategic supply

Analyzing how the underlying mechanism influences land value changes is essential to understanding the land market, which contributes to sustainable urbanization. Drawing upon a land transaction dataset, we analyze the determinants of urban land prices from 2008 to 2020, considering land supply and demands, with particular attention to natural restrictions and government interventions in China. The statistical analysis suggests that the inequality in industrial and commercial land prices rose from 2008 to 2015 and decreased after 2015. The inequality in residential land prices has kept rising from 2008 to 2020 because land finance is still essential to local government. Discriminatory price strategy for industrial land prices in eastern China is getting more popular. The regression models reveal the significant negative impact of natural restrictions on land price, and such impact from natural restrictions is decreasing after 2015. The market forces represented by city-level socioeconomic factors are becoming more important after 2015, indicating a more free land market in China. We also find the gaps between cities and counties in land prices are closing, which might benefit the recent development in rural and county region of China. These findings provide important insights into the transition in the land market in China from 2008 to 2020, which also contribute to a better understanding of the spatial inequality in the land market and the heterogeneity in different land-use types.

Ecological management zoning based on the supply-demand relationship of ecosystem services in China

Ecological management zoning has practical significance in the protection, management, restoration, and reconstruction of ecosystems. Existing studies have mostly divided ecological management zones from the ecosystem services (ESs) supply perspective, with few studies combining the relationship between ESs supply and demand (S&D). In this study, we divided the ecological management zones in China based on the matching degree of S&D (MD-S&D) and coordination degree of S&D (CD-S&D). The results indicate spatial differences in the distribution of MD-S&D and CD-S&D. The overall values of the two indicators are 3.03 (excellent match) and 0.86 (moderate coordination), respectively. Counties in important urban agglomerations have low MD-S&D values and the CD-S&D values in the eastern region were significantly higher than those in the western region. The county units in China can be divided into five primary and 15 secondary ecological management zones. Among different ecological management zones, ecological conservation zones and ecological restoration zones contain more than 90% of the county units, whereas ecological maintenance zones and ecological improvement zones contain few county units. In the future, more targeted ecological protection, remediation, and reconstruction policies should be implemented according to the specific conditions of different zones to promote sustainable development.

Development of General Practice in Communities From the Perspective of Supply and Demand

Objective To put forward suggestions for improving the scheme of general practice for functional communities from the perspective of supply and demand,guide the efficient use of the resources of general practice by the communities,and incorporate the general practice of communities into hierarchical diagnosis and treatment management. Methods In July 2021,stratified random sampling was employed to conduct the questionnaire surveys of the young and middle-aged (demand side) and the general practitioners (supply side),respectively.SPSS 20.0 was used for data analysis. Results The two sides had the same cognition about the main reasons for not signing a contract with a family doctor,which were the lack of knowledge about general practitioners and the lack of face-to-face communication opportunities.They had the same response about the form of services,with high acceptance of medical services via WeChat,outpatient consultation,and the internet.There were differences in service content between the two sides.The top three demands of the young and middle-aged were appointment registration and referral in superior hospitals,medication guidance,and massage,acupuncture,and moxibustion.The top service self-rated by general practitioners was personalized guidance and report interpretation of physical examination,and the bottom was massage,acupuncture,and moxibustion. Conclusions The general practice varies between the demand and supply sides.General practitioners should be encouraged to enter and learn functional communities and provide personalized services,thus improving the general medical service in functional communities.

Integrating land use management with trade-offs between ecosystem services: A framework and application

The trade-offs of ecosystem services (ES) are at the frontier of geographical and ecological studies. However, previous studies have focused on either supply-supply trade-off or supply–demand trade-off, while the integrated research of three trade-off types for ES (i.e. supply-supply trade-off, demand-demand trade-off, and supply–demand trade-off) needs to be further studied. This study integrated three trade-off types for ES to establish an analytical framework. This framework was then applied to a sub-watershed of the Yellow River in China (i.e., the Fenghe River watershed). Based on a quantitative assessment of both the supply and demand of ES, this study quantifies and displays these three trade-off types for ES in this sub-watershed. From the supply perspective, obvious trade-offs exist between food provision as well as water yield, carbon sequestration, and soil retention. From the demand perspective, there are weak conflicts between environmental experts and other stakeholders, and obvious trade-offs exist between soil retention as well as food provision, water yield, carbon sequestration, and eco-recreation. From the supply–demand match perspective, a deficit for food provision, water yield, and carbon sequestration exists in the northern urban areas, while a surplus exists in the southern areas. No deficit was found for soil retention and eco-recreation at the sub-watershed scale. Based on the spatial characteristics of these three trade-off types for ES, the Fenghe River watershed could be divided into 10 land use management zones. Finally, the corresponding measures and polices are proposed to optimize the matching of ES supply–demand. This study contributes to the optimization of the sustainability of ES from a novel perspective, and provides a scientific basis for land use management.

Spatiotemporal Characteristics of the Coupled Coordination Degree of Ecosystem Services Supply and Demand in Chinese National Nature Reserves

Nature reserves (NRs) are the main components of protected areas and geographic spaces, with unique natural and cultural resources. The establishment of nature reserves has not only strengthened the protection of specific species but has also played a vital role in the protection of ecosystem services (ESs). However, few studies have been conducted to systematically assess the effectiveness of nature reserves from the perspective of ecosystem services supply and demand (S&D) or make comparisons between the conservation effects of different types of nature reserves. This study analyzed the spatiotemporal characteristics of ecosystem service supply and demand in 412 Chinese national nature reserves. The results showed that both supply and demand for ecosystem services per unit area show a spatial pattern of increasing from west to east. The supply-demand matching pattern is dominated by high supply-high demand (H-H) and low supply-high demand (L-H) in the central and eastern regions, and high supply-low demand (H-L) and low supply-low demand (L-L) in the northeast, northwest, and southwest regions. The coupling coordination degree (CCD) of ecosystem services supply and demand increased from 0.53 in 2000 to 0.57 in 2020, and the number of NRs reaching the coordinated level (>0.5) increased by 15 from 2000 to 2020, representing 3.64% of the total number of protected areas. Steppe meadows, ocean coasts, forest ecosystems, wildlife, and wild plant types of nature reserves all improved more obviously. This provides a scientific basis for strengthening the ecological and environmental supervision of nature reserves, and the research methods and ideas can provide references for similar research.

항만 개발과 운영이 미치는 사회적 영향에 관한 연구

Korea supports economic growth through state-led port development. Previous studies have been conducted on the impact and effect of port development, but most of the previous studies have been conducted focusing on economic effects. In the industrialization era focused on a supply perspective, and after industrialization, focused on demand and efficiency perspective. Recently, international interest and public awareness of sustainable development (SDGs) are increasing. In particular, domestic and foreign studies have focused on the fact that ports are evolving while exchanging mutual influences with cities through various stages, and that other SOC industries, including ports, have great social value contributing to local communities and local residents. Considering the increasing trend, there is a need to evaluate social as well as economic impacts on local communities. In this study, the social impact of port development and operation was divided into positive and negative impacts, analyzed with a focus on users/administrators, and implications were derived, and implications were derived by comparing the importance and performance of factors considered during port development. This study analyzed the social effects and performance of the development of ports, which are important SOC, and suggested implications to improve the positive impact and effect in future port development. Continued research will be needed to estimate the social impact and effect of port development in the future.

Vertical integration selection of Chinese pig industry chain under African swine fever - From the perspective of stable pig supply.

Vertical integration is conducive to the realization of complementary interests and sustainable development of pig industry. The outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in 2018 has disrupted many activities along pig industry chain in China. The production capacity of breeding pigs has dropped rapidly, and the supply of pig is tight. The vertical integration of pig industry chain is the main driving force to ensure food supply. Based on the data of 12 listed pig companies from 2012 to 2019, we examine the ways and reasons for vertical integration of pig companies when external shocks increase by taking ASF as an example, breakpoint regression and Tobit model are used to analyze differences and determinants of the forward and backward integration of pig industry chain under ASF. The empirical results showed that the forward integration of the feed processing link and slaughter circulation link is higher than the backward integration. ASF had different effects on the vertical integration degree of each link. ASF promoted forward integration. The main factors have different influences on the vertical integration of pig industry in China. Forward integration increased mainly depending on previous asset specificity, legal system environment, market demand, and transaction frequency. The findings of the study imply that pig industry chain is taking the forward integration to cope with the ASF shock. The combination of feed link and breeding link reduces feed cost and ensures pig supply. Pig companies tend to reduce transaction costs by strengthening the control of downstream supply.

Research on Chinese Agricultural Products Based on Supply and Demand

Based on the data of agricultural prices and economic development in China in recent years as well as the previous research of economists, this paper will analyze the rules of fluctuation in agricultural prices in China and its possible influencing factors from the perspective of supply and demand. Due to the rapid development of productivity and the constant change of demand structure, the price of agricultural products in China has been increasing rapidly. However, in this process, the supply and demand imbalance also occurs from time to time, resulting in a large price fluctuation. This paper will also analyze some of China's agricultural policies and their positive effects. Macro policies can stabilize agricultural prices to some extent, but their effect is limited. Therefore, appropriate macro-control is needed to fundamentally guide production and trade process from both sides of supply and demand, so as to stabilize the price of agricultural products and market expectations.

Destination Image Perception Mediated by Experience Quality: The Case of Qingzhou as an Emerging Destination in China

In recent years, the competition in the tourism market has become more and more fierce. Tourism destinations need to ensure they have sufficient sources of tourists, and thus, improving their market competitiveness, image, and reputation are particularly important. For this reason, tourism academia has always attached great importance to the study of tourism destination image. Many studies have shown that tourists’ travel behavior is largely influenced by their perception of tourism destinations. Research on heritage tourism from the supply perspective is relatively abundant, whereas not much research has been conducted on the demand side, and the influence of heritage tourism on the perception of a destination’s image has rarely been discussed. This study examines destination image perceptions through three components: cognition, affection, and quality of experience. We propose a conceptual model that clarifies how the quality of experience mediates the formation of cognition and affection with regard to emerging destinations in mainland China. This study employed the PLS-SEM discontinuous two-stage approach, which involved the examination of higher-order constructs (HOCs). The results from a sample of 475 visitors to the ancient city of Qingzhou in mainland China showed that cognition positively influences affection, and they both positively influence the overall image. Quality of experience was shown to be a mediating factor between cognition and affection. Moreover, the variables under quality of experience were confirmed to be consistent with those under cognition.

Effect of Spatial Characteristics of Farmland Plots on Transfer Patterns in China: A Supply and Demand Perspective

(1) Background: The tense relationship between man and land makes transferring farmland rights in the market critical for improving agricultural production efficiency and promoting large-scale agricultural management. (2) Methods: This study considers the impact of the spatial characteristics of farmland plots on the economies of scale of farmers in terms of farmland use and heterogeneity. The effect of plots’ area and location on the directional flow of plots in the farmland transfer market from the perspective of matching supply and demand is also investigated. An empirical test is conducted on farmer actions and plot characteristics data based on surveys from 2015 and 2018 in the Chinese provinces of Heilongjiang, Henan, Zhejiang, and Sichuan. (3) Results: The plots’ area and location affect economies of scale for different potential transfer plots. This leads to large plots and adjacent plots in the market transferring to large-scale households, while scattered small plots mainly transfer to ordinary households. (4) Conclusions: The fixed spatial characteristics of the plots determine the scattered circulation of farmland in the transfer market, hindering the centralized utilization of farmland and restricting efficiency in farmland transfer market allocation. The findings from the context of China are similar to what has been found elsewhere. This suggests the need for a unified trading platform for farmland transfer and strengthening the mutual transformation of land and agricultural machinery.

Impact of New Energy Vehicle Development on China’s Crude Oil Imports: An Empirical Analysis

Breaking the highly oil-dependent energy use structure in the transportation sector will be crucial for China to reduce its dependence on crude oil imports and ensure its energy security, and the development of new energy vehicles is helping to break this dilemma. A time series analysis summarizes the possible relationships between new energy vehicles and crude oil imports, i.e., new energy vehicles, as alternatives to fuel vehicles, will reduce the demand for oil in the transportation sector, which will in turn reduce crude oil imports, and crude oil prices and crude oil production will inhibit crude oil imports. In this empirical study, monthly data from 2015 to 2021 on crude oil imports, the market share of new energy vehicles, crude oil prices, and crude oil production are selected, time-series multiple regression modelling is adopted, and endogeneity is treated using a generalized method of moments (GMM). The regression results show that crude oil imports decrease by one unit for every 16.32% increase in crude oil prices, indicating that price factor is the most influential factor in China’s crude oil imports, while crude oil imports decrease by one unit for every 133.99% increase in crude oil production, indicating that an increase in crude oil production contributes less to the reduction of crude oil imports. One unit of crude oil imports is added for every 15.53% increase in the share of new energy vehicles, indicating that the effect of new energy vehicles on limiting crude oil imports has not yet emerged. Probably due to the fact that new energy vehicles have not yet had a significant impact on fuel vehicles, oil consumption will continue to increase in the short and medium term, with oil for the petrochemical industry becoming the primary driver of this increase. Finally, policy implications are provided from the perspective of crude oil demand, supply, and China’s oil price mechanism.

The determinants of audit fees in the alternative investment market (Aim) in the UK: Evidence on the impact of risk, corporate governance and auditor size

This study examines the determinants of audit fees for companies listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in the United Kingdom (UK), which is the secondary market of the London Stock Exchange for small and medium sized companies. AIM companies are expected to present different audit pricing challenges compared to fully listed firms. From an audit demand perspective, AIM companies exhibit different risk and governance characteristics while, from a supply perspective, the AIM is characterized by greater auditor choice than typically found in main markets. We find that audit fees in the AIM are negatively influenced by client liquidity and the length of listing. We also find that higher levels of audit committee disclosures are associated with higher fees, although there is no evidence that individual audit committee characteristics influence audit fees. After controlling for self-selection bias, we find that Big 4 auditors charge higher fees and this premium is especially pronounced for smaller firms. Our findings contribute to the audit pricing literature by illustrating that the determinants of audit fees depends on the institutional setting in which companies operate as well as highlighting the importance of specific risk measures and auditor size in the determination of audit fees for AIM companies.

Regional Comprehensive Energy System Planning Considering Construction Cost under Dual Carbon Goals

Under the dual-carbon goal of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, from the perspectives of energy supply, coupling, consumption, etc., analyzing the carbon reduction path of the regionally integrated energy system and making an overall plan for it is the key to carbon emission reduction in the power industry, boosting an important starting point for the realization of the “double carbon” goal. To this end, under the constraints of carbon targets, a regional comprehensive energy system planning model considering construction cost is proposed that considers optimal construction timing and demand response. First, regional carbon emission quotas were allocated through the baseline method, and a regional comprehensive energy system planning model was established. Finally, the future challenges faced by the regional low-carbon integrated energy system have been prospected.

Self-control and debt decisions relationship: evidence for different credit options

In recent years, households have become increasingly indebted, which constitutes a matter of concern. Based on a sample from the Spanish Survey of Financial Competences, this paper examines the relationship between self-control and consumer borrowing behaviour and, in so doing, it proposes a new multi-item scale of individual’s self-control in financial matters and considers several types of consumer debt, thus overcoming the main gaps identified in previous research. Empirical evidence reveals that, overall, self-control problems lead to more indebtedness. However, comprehensive analyses have demonstrated that the influence of self-control differs across an exhaustive range of credit options. In this regard, the lack of self-control increases the probability of taking out unsecured personal loans, loans from family or friends, and credit card use. Evidence suggests that individuals’ first impulse leads them to ask their social circle for a loan. Overall, individuals might be tempted to get indebted when they cannot make ends meet. However, this first impulse usually faces barriers from the supply perspective, so the evidence suggests that the effect of self-control on borrowing decisions might be shaped not only by the demand side of credit but also by the supply one.

An analysis of the co-benefits of the supply–demand for multiple ecosystem services for guiding sustainable urban development

It is widely acknowledged that synergetic supplies of multiple ecosystem services (ESs) can improve the efficiency of multifunctional landscape management. However, even though the satisfaction of demands for ESs clearly and comprehensively reflects their efficiency, little is known about the efficiency of co-benefits for multiple ESs when both the supply and demand sides are considered. For the first time, we analyzed the co-benefits of the supply of and demand for multiple ESs in urban areas according to the degrees of synergy found among five typical urban ESs. We found that although supplies of multiple ESs were synergetic, and the degrees of synergy of single ES supply–demand were positively correlated with each other, the co-benefits of supply–demand for multiple ESs were not substantial. We also found that the demand for ESs critically affects ES efficiency, which should therefore be assessed from the perspectives of both supply and demand. Any initiative that focuses on just one aspect cannot bring about genuine synergy; nor can it prompt the re-entry of the natural ecosystem in urban areas into a positive cycle. We elucidated the different patterns of synergy that foster a balance in the supply and demand of multiple ESs, which can provide a basis for their differentiation and for grouped management approaches to enhance the co-benefits of the supply of and demand for multiple ESs. Evidently, the supply side of ESs requires attention, especially the key aspect of ecological processes that affect the synergy of ES supplies. Consequently, an in-depth exploration of the key ecological process affecting ES supplies and their synergy is warranted in the future.

Analysis of Demand and Supply for Mobile Payments in the UAE during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted many if not all aspects of our lives, including the way we handle money. This paper takes mobile payments as an example to show how COVID-19 affected the United Arab Emirates. Many researchers rushed into writing their first impressions in response to the pandemic to produce early study results. This paper uses these early electronic articles and blogs as valuable data sources for a first-level analysis. It attempts to assess the impact of COVID-19 on mobile payment services in the post-pandemic world from the demand and supply perspective in the UAE. The previous literature has been reviewed to understand the scope of the services present in the UAE before the onset of the pandemic. Further, an online questionnaire with open- and closed-ended questions was used to gather data from 125 vendors capable of receiving mobile payments. Regression analysis with two time periods has been included to develop a better perception of mobile payment services before and after the spread of the coronavirus. It was found that COVID-19 has created a suitable environment for mobile payments, with significant positive relationship in both periods. The reasons for using mobile payments during the pandemic were to apply social distancing and to avoid physical touch, a requirement in the COVID-19 period, resulting in a move towards creating a positive attitude towards a cashless society.

Discussion on the Pathway of Mental Health Problems of Chinese Generation Z College Students from the Perspective of Supply and Demand

Discussion on the Pathway of Mental Health Problems of Chinese Generation Z College Students from the Perspective of Supply and Demand

Regional foods in the tourism value chain: the case of Hazelnut of Brunyola

Abstract This paper aims to analyse the participation of a local product in the tourism value chain, from the supply perspective. Based on a qualitative case study, interviews were carried out with hazelnut producers from Brunyola, in Girona, north-eastern Catalonia. The results showed the influences of internal and external factors, such as climate change, on the present and future conditions of the value chain in the context of food tourism management and marketing. Stronger collaboration between public and private stakeholders would help the producers face the challenges of the transforming hazelnuts, and the region, into a tourist attraction.

Cuando el Turismo se convierte en juego: la gamificación en el turismo cultural en Catalunya

This article is focused on gamification and the study of its strategic use in cultural and creative tourism experiences in Catalonia. From a qualitative perspective and based on ten semi‑structured interviews, the objec‑ tive of this research is to analyse the relationships between gamification and tourism from a supply perspective. Results show the importance of gamification in learning and discovering the characteristics of a place, in attract‑ ing and retaining customers, and in encouraging co‑creation of unique experiences that combine offline and online resources. This research provides visibility on a topic as yet scarcely studied within the academic literature, and represents a contribution to the study of gamification and its implications for cultural tourism in Catalonia.