Modelling spatial variation in the treatment costs of nonpoint source pollution in mountainous regions of southwest China

Non-point source(NPS) pollution is considered to be one of the main threats of the aquatic environment. Mountainous regions are particularly important water sources for urban areas. The various driving factors of NPS pollution such as terrain, precipitation, and vegetation type in mountainous regions show clear spatial heterogeneity. Consequently, the management systems required for NPS pollution in mountainous regions are complex. In this study, we developed a framework to estimate and map the treatment costs for NPS pollution in mountainous regions and applied this method in Baoxing County, a typical mountainous county in Sichuan Province of southwest China. The export levels of total nitrogen(TN) and total phosphorus(TP) in Baoxing County were estimated using the water purification model in InVEST(Itegrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs) tool. NPS pollutant treatment costs were calculated based on the level of pollutants exports, water yield, water quality targets, and treatment costs of NPS pollutants per unit mass. The results show that at the watershed level the amounts of TN and TP exported in Baoxing County were below threshold limits. However, at the sub-watershed level, TN and TP excesses of 291.64 and 2.96 tons per year were found, respectively, with mean TN and TP treatment costs of 6.58 US$/hm~2 and 0.35 US$/hm~2. Appraising pollution treatment cost intuitively reflects the overall expenditure in NPS pollution reduction from an economic perspective. This study provides a foundation for the implementation of Payment for Ecosystem Service(PES) and the prevention and control of NPS pollution.     

Quantification of restricting factors of agricultural development in Min County of Gansu,China

Agricultural development in povertystricken areas is a major problem affecting agricultural modernization in China. This study discusses the restrictive factors affecting agricultural development in impoverished areas in China. A typical impoverished mountainous area, Min County,was selected for a case study. A regression analysis on the factors and characteristics of agricultural development in Min County between 1982 and 2017 was performed in this study. Taking agricultural output as the dependent variable, we selected nine main inputs of agricultural production in impoverished mountainous areas as the independent variables. Ridge regression analysis was carried out by testing for unit root and co-integration to verify the equilibrium relationship of the data. The results showed that the real Gross domestic product(GDP)per capita, the non-grain area ratio, the proportion of government expenditure on agriculture support to total expenditure, and the amount of chemical fertilizer applied in unit cultivated land area were the four most significant factors. The proportion of government expenditure on agriculture support to total expenditure was a negative influence, whereas the other three significant factors had a positive influence on agricultural output. This study highlights about the most significant factors affecting the agricultural development of impoverished mountainous regions in China.     

Evaluation of the production-living-ecology space function suitability of Pingshan County in the Taihang mountainous area,China

A rational utilization of land is a matter of importance in sustainable development of mountainous area. The land function in mountainous areas has a close connection with space structure of ecology, production and living. To promote a harmonious development of the relationship between people and nature in mountainous areas, it is necessary to coordinate their relationships of space functions. Suitability evaluation of basic unit function associated with multi-scale space analysis is a prerequisite to a reasonable optimization of land function structure. In this study, an optimized evaluation index system of combination functions was introduced into the assessment of ecological spatial functional suitability in ecological fragile regions by adding three indicators, namely, soil erosion sensitivity, landscape ecological risk and ecological sensitivity. The principle of "taking high"(referred to a function with high suitability to be regarded as the main function of an evaluation unit) and ecological priority(referred to the case, supposing the suitability of a unit's three functions is consistent, the main function is determined to be the ecological function) were used to determine the main function of an evaluation unit. Pingshan County, China, located at the eastern foot of the Taihang Mountain, was targeted in this case study. The production-livingecology space(PLES) function in Pingshan was identified by applying our improved valuation indexes. Further, the functional suitability distribution of the combination of elements was obtained by using overlapping comprehensive analysis method, considering the tradeoff of the functional suitability of combination elements. The regions suitable for production/living were distributed in relatively flat piedmont plains, whereas the regions suitable for ecology were distributed in the mountain areas of middle and low altitudes. Therefore, to maintain a sustainable development in mountainous areas, an improved scheme of development for Pingshan should be to delineate ecologically fragile areas, to build ecological industrial parks near existing scenic spots, to protect basic agricultural production areas, and to increase investment in science and technology, including reasonable ecological compensation. This study can provide reference for the planning of sustainable development in the Taihang Mountain area and similar regions.     

Farmer’s adaptive strategies on land competition between societal outcomes and agroecosystem conservation in the purple-soiled hilly region, southwestern China

The worldwide extension and intensification of farming during the last century has led to ecosystem degradation and caused a series of environmental problems.Conservation of ecosystem services in agricultural regions has been implemented by top-down government actions or initiated by resilience scientists in the developed countries,but little attention was paid in the developing countries,especially in some remote mountainous regions.The present paper presents a case study showing how local farmers obtained both maximal societal outcomes and agroecosystem conservation interests in the absence of distinct boundaries between agricultural and protected ecological areas in the densely populated purple-soiled hilly region of southwestern China.The local community(Yanting County) has developed a mosaic agricultural-forestry-fishery-stock breeding system with spatially targeted land uses,diverse agricultural productions and multiple ecological partnerships.It indicates that the local farmers have hereditarily perceived sound strategies on maximizing sustainable societal outcomes and optimizing tradeoffs among macro-market,state policy,new technological facility and ecological reinforcement.     

Integrating multisource RS data and GIS techniques to assist the evaluation of resource-environment carrying capacity in karst mountainous area

The karst mountainous area is an ecologically fragile region with prominent humanland contradictions. The resource-environment carrying capacity(RECC) of this region needs to be further clarified. The development of remote sensing(RS) and geographic information system(GIS) provides data sources and processing platform for RECC monitoring. This study analyzed and established the evaluation index system of RECC by considering particularity in the karst mountainous area of Southwest China; processed multisource RS data(Sentinel-2, Aster-DEM and Landsat-8) to extract the spatial distributions of nine key indexes by GIS techniques(information classification, overlay analysis and raster calculation); proposed the methods of index integration and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation of the RECC by GIS; and took a typical area, Guangnan County in Yunnan Province of China, as an experimental area to explore the effectiveness of the indexes and methods. The results showed that:(1) The important indexes affecting the RECC of karst mountainous area are water resources, tourism resources, position resources, geographical environment and soil erosion environment.(2) Data on cultivated land, construction land, minerals, transportation, water conservancy, ecosystem services, topography, soil erosion and rocky desertification can be obtained from RS data. GIS techniques integrate the information into the RECC results. The data extraction and processing methods are feasible on evaluating RECC.(3) The RECC of Guangnan County was in the mid-carrying level in 2018. The midcarrying and low-carrying levels were the main types, accounting for more than 80.00% of the total study area. The areas with high carrying capacity were mainly distributed in the northern regions of the northwest-southeast line of the county, and other areas have a low carrying capacity comparatively. The coordination between regional resource-environment status and socioeconomic development is the key to improve RECC. This study explores the evaluation index system of RECC in karst mountainous area and the application of multisource RS data and GIS techniques in the comprehensive evaluation. The methods can be applied in related fields to provide suggestions for data/information extraction and integration, and sustainable development.     

水稻种植环境综合适宜性评价方法研究

开展特定区域水稻种植产业布局是科学制定区域农业种植产业规划的重要内容,而水稻种植适宜性评价是水稻种植产业布局的前提。本文以中国好粮油示范县——福建省浦城县为研究区,基于层次分析模型构建土壤条件、立地条件、灌排条件、气候条件和机械耕作条件5大类共21个指标的水稻种植适宜性评价体系,利用地学模型、回归模型和空间插值等方法计算、模拟评价指标空间分布数据,形成5 m×5 m分辨率的评价指标栅格数据集,基于经验指数法建立适宜度指数模型,开展精细尺度下的水稻种植环境综合适宜性评价。利用实测样点水稻产量与水稻种植环境综合适宜度指数进行分析,发现二者呈显著正相关,验证了本研究评价工作的正确性和可行性。最后利用K-means属性聚类法识别研究区水稻种植多维环境适宜性的空间模式。结果表明：① 研究区水稻种植高度适宜、较适宜、中度适宜耕地面积占全县耕地面积的84.4%,次适宜耕地仅占15.6%,耕地整体适宜性较高;② Ⅰ类集聚区水稻种植综合适宜性和各类指标适宜性均较高;Ⅱ类集聚区水稻种植综合适宜性较高,但灌排条件适宜性很低;Ⅲ类集聚区水稻种植综合适宜性较高,但立地、土壤条件适宜性较低;Ⅳ类集聚区水稻种植综合适宜性较低,灌排条件适宜性最低。本研究可为水稻种植适宜性评价提供方法借鉴,并为浦城县更合理科学地开展农业种植规划提供依据。     

Agricultural Land Suitability of Production Space in the Taihang Mountains,China

The contradiction between the shortage of land for agriculture due to rapid expansion of industrialization and urbanization and increasing population pressure is projected to impose great threats to future food security.Agricultural land suitability evaluation is an effective approach to improve the utilization of land resources for crop production and thus enhance the capacity of food provision.In this study, we evaluated the land suitability for agriculture of the production space in the Taihang Mountains by three steps: establishing indicator system, determining weights for indicators, and constructing a fuzzy matter-element model to assess the grades of suitability.Results showed that the land suitability had a significant linear correlation with potential crop yields, indicating our evaluation was effective to predict crop production.The spatial pattern of land suitability for crop production demonstrated that land with higher suitability was generally located in piedmont plains and basins, while land with lower suitability was mostly situated in mountainous areas.The area of highly, moderately, marginally suitable and unsuitable land for agriculture was 32.13%, 28.58%, 37.49% and 1.80% of the production space, respectively.However, the correlation degree analysis indicated that the requirements of these four suitability grades were currently not satisfied but could be potentially fulfilled.In terms of indicator weights, soil properties were much more important than topography and location conditions to influence the grades of suitability.Among all indicators, slope, soil organic matter, soil texture and soil depth were the most influential factors, so slope farming prevention and organic fertilization were most likely to improve land suitability for agriculture.Compared the outputs of our land suitability evaluation model with the distribution of the existing croplands, we found that about 66.52% of marginally suitable and 54.55% of unsuitable land for agriculture were currently used for croplands.Therefore, de-farming policy should be implemented in areas of these two suitability grades.In contrast, cropland expansion was encouraged in the land that was highly or moderately suitable for agriculture.Our evaluation of agricultural land suitability is beneficial for future land use planning and decision-making in the Taihang Mountains.     

ECOLOGICAL SECURITY EVALUATION OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN KARST MOUNTAINOUS AREA—A Case Study of Du'an Yao Autonomous County in Guangxi

Ecological security is the main task and applied ficld of present geography, resources and environment sciences and ecology. Ecological security evaluation will efficiently promote ecological security and environmental construction in regional land use. In this thesis, the authors put forward the index system of ecological security evaluation in karst mountainous area on three aspects, the pressure of resources and eco-environment, the quality of resources and eco-environment, and the ability of environmental protection and ecological improvement. Using the evaluation method with single index, based on the case study of Du'an Yao Autonomous County of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the system of synthetic regionalization of ecological agricultural economy was formed, which includes three regions, south region with basic security and synthetic agricultural development, east region with critical security and agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry balanced development, mid-west and south region with eco     

黔桂喀斯特山地与山区类型划分技术与应用

科学界定山地和山区类型是认识山地、因地制宜促进山区可持续发展的基础,可为山区分类开发、分类施策提供依据。本文采用均值变点法确定滑动窗口尺寸,运用空间分析工具对SRTM进行处理以获取山地坡度、起伏度,并提取了黔桂喀斯特各类山地空间范围和规模,以此对县级层面黔桂喀斯特山区类型进行了划分。主要结论如下：①二次使用均值变点法确定移动窗口面积与平均地形起伏度拟合的对数曲线拐点,其表征的是黔桂喀斯特山区地形起伏度最佳统计单元—移动窗口面积为6.50 km²。②黔桂喀斯特山地占比大,山地与非山地面积之比约为89:11,且山地省际空间分异明显,贵州喀斯特山地以中山、中低山为主,占贵州部分的57%;而广西喀斯特山地以丘陵为主,占广西部分的59%。③黔桂喀斯特山地区均为山区县,其中,18个纯丘陵县、10个半山区县、15个准山区县、21个显山区县、32个整山区县。整山区县个数多,多分布于乌蒙山区和黔桂峰丛洼地山区,多数为国家扶贫开发工作重点县。     

ECOLOGICAL SECURITY EVALUATION OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN KARST MOUNTAINOUS AREA——A Case Study of Du＇an Yao Autonomous County in Guangxi

Ecological security is the main task and applied field of present geography, resources and environment sciences and ecology. Ecological security evaluation will efficiently promote ecological security and environmental construction in regional land use. In this thesis, the authors put forward the index system of ecological security evaluation in karst mountainous area on three aspects, the pressure of resources and eco-environment, the quality of resources and eco-environment, and the ability of environmental protection and ecological improvement. Using the evaluation method with single index, based on the case study ofDu‘an Yao Autonomous County of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the system ofsynthetic regionalization ofecological agricultural economy was formed, which includes three regions, south region with basic security and synthetic agricultural development, east region with critical security and agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry balanced development, mid-west and south region with ecological insecurity and compounded agriculture and forestry management. Meanwhile, for these regions, the countermeasures of sustainable agricultural development were pointed out, which provide the basis and example for ecological regulation and control of sustainable agricultural development in counties of karst mountainous area.     

Determinants of public goods investment in rural communities in mountainous areas of Sichuan Province,China

This study aims to investigate two important issues： what are the determinants of public goods investment and what is the government＇s investment behavior in mountainous areas. The impacts of natural conditions, target, and demand elements on public goods investment are analyzed with statistical method, and the determinants of public goods investment in the areas are obtained by using population-weighted and stepwise regression models with Eviews6.0 software with survey data in 2008 and calculated data based on GIS of 20 typical villages in mountainous regions in Sichuan, China. The results showed： （1） natural conditions are the important determinants of public investment. Mountainous villages with steep slope have relatively high levels of investment; （2） concentration of population and the educational levels of the village leaders also have important impacts on public goods investment; （3） the government is more concerned with public investment resources particularly in areas characterized by fragile ecological environment and poor agricultural output. These results suggest that the current investment strategy helps to reduce disparities in regional development.     

Traditional farming in the mountainous region of Bangladesh and its modifications

Shifting cultivation is a traditional farming system practiced in the tropical mountainous areas. Although it has been widely perceived as an economically inefficient and environmentally harmful agricultural production system, recent science reviews, however, indicate that the deleterious impacts of shifting cultivation on environment may have been overestimated. Despite the pressures of agricultural intensification in areas where shifting cultivation occurs, farmers across the tropics still maintain this traditional farming system. The objective of this study was to explore existing traditional shifting cultivation practices and their various modifications including the innovative farming techniques developed by farmers in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs), the mountainous region of Bangladesh, and examine their importance with respect to recent socio-economic and environmental changes. The study revealed that shifting cultivation still exists as the most dominant farming method which supports livelihoods and culture of the hill ethnic people. However, demand for more food and household income to meet livelihood needs of an increasing population combined with a rapid deterioration of soil and water quality over decades contributed to development of innovative farming practices through fallow land farming, crop substitution, agroforestry and homestead gardening in the CHTs. Through these farming techniques farmers maintain a strong relationship with traditional knowledge system embedded in the age-old shifting cultivation practices. Today state policies and market forces act in favor of replacement of traditional farming with intensive cash crop agriculture. It seems that disappearance of traditional farming practices from the hills may threaten local biodiversity and food security. It may be recommended that shifting cultivation should be encouraged in areas where they have potential for contributing to preservation of native biodiversity and ecosystem services, and protection of local peoples’ food security and cultural identity.     

Spatial spillover and the factors influencing public service supply in Sichuan province,China

This article examines the spatial characteristics of public service supply and the factors influencing such supply in cities of Sichuan Province, China using spatial-autocorrelation and spatial econometric models with statistical data in 2012. The results demonstrate that expenditures on different types of public services present different spatial autocorrelation patterns. Although the spatial differences in basic public service expenditures are relatively small, a clear fan-shaped spillover to the east can be seen in Chengdu City. Chengdu also shows high clustering of advanced public service expenditures, being a typical core-periphery pattern. Post-earthquake reconstruction expenditures are clustered in the ＂5.12 Wenchuan earthquake＂ region and spill over toward cities to the east. The efficiency of public services in the mountainous areas in western Sichuan is low and exhibits a pattern of low-low spatial autocorrelation. The efficiency of public service supply is affected by economic, social, political and geographical factors. Based on the results of this analysis, we recommend a supply strategy that incorporates different types of public services and a specialized public service supply strategy for mountainous areas. Overall public service efficiency should be enhanced by focusing on narrowing the gap in farmers＇ income among regions and accelerating urbanization. Decision-makers should consider moresupportive policies with regard to providing basic public services in mountainous areas to ensure an equalized supply of basic public services. To enhance the efficiency of advanced public service supply, additional growth pole should be encouraged and incentivized; however, investments are required to drive the development of the peripheral regions through regional economic integration. Both software and hardware types of infrastructure are required to supply services efficiently during post-disaster reconstruction.     

Ecosystem Health: Assessment Framework,Spatial Evolution,and Regional Optimization in Southwest China

Regional ecological health,the core of comprehensive ecosystem assessments,is an important foundation for regional exploration,environmental conservation,and sustainable development.The mountainous areas in southwest China are backward in economy,but industrialization and urbanization have been rapid in recent years.This study assessed the ecosystem health of the Sichuan and Yunnan provinces in China using a pressure-state-response(PSR)model.Spatiotemporal patterns of regional ecosystem health were analyzed from 2000 to 2016,including overall characteristics as well as local characteristics.Ecosystem health in most regions was improved over time(Y=0.0058 X–11.0132,R2=0.95,P<0.001),and areas with poorer ecosystem health decreased from half to one-third of the total area.Analysis of the primacy ratio and the variation coefficient confirmed that the gap in health scores between regions has gradually expanded since 2007,but there are more high quality regions overall(Z of Moran’s index<1.96,P>0.05).Overall,the regional ecosystems to the east of the Hu line-an imaginary line dividing east and west China into roughly equivalent parts-were healthier than those to the west.The pressure and state scores of ecosystems were determined by physiographic condition,and the response scores by government policies and social concern.The spatiotemporal patterns of ecosystem health were dominated to a greater extent by natural than anthropogenic factors,which explains why the shift in the patterns aligned with the direction of the Hu line.Dividing regions into key management areas based on natural geographical conditions and socioeconomic development could contribute to the formulation of a reasonable ecological and environmental protection policy,guaranteeing ecosystem services in the long run.     

基于栅格的安徽省人居环境人文适宜性评价

新时期新型城镇化建设对适宜的人居人文环境提出了切实要求。运用GIS技术,基于夜间灯光遥感影像、交通矢量、兴趣点（POI）、统计年鉴等多源数据,以500 m×500 m栅格为基础单元,选取经济水平、交通通达、历史文化、公共服务等因子（权重分别为0.36、0.27、0.17、0.20）,采用综合指数法构建人居环境人文适宜性评价模型,定量评价2017年安徽省人居环境人文适宜性。结果表明：① 安徽省人居环境人文适宜性指数介于0.83~87.10之间,划分为高度适宜区、较高适宜区、中度适宜区、一般适宜区及临界适宜区5种类型区,以中度适宜区面积最大,占全省总面积68.72%,高度适宜区面积最小,仅占总面积的1.24%,整体呈现“多核心”、“条带式”空间分异格局;② 交通通达和公共服务是造成全省人居环境人文适宜性分异的主要因子,其指数均值在中度适宜区皆达到了94.18,且贡献率均值在各类型区均在34.00%以上;历史文化对较高及临界适宜区影响明显,贡献率均值分别为10.51%和11.93%;经济水平对高度适宜区的作用最显著,其贡献率均值高达22.02%;③ 全省近90.86%的人口集中分布在人居环境人文适宜性指数43.00~66.00之间,属于中度至较高适宜区的范围,人居环境人文质量与人口分布较为匹配。测评结果较为客观地反映了安徽省人居环境的人文本底。     

Identification of agricultural systems in the mountains of Northeast Thailand

Agricultural systems in Thailand’s northeastern mountains are described in terms of their type of crops, marketing channels, and labor requirements. Five distinctive systems are identified: The Field crop system, Fruit tree system, Industrial tree plantation system, Specialty crop system and Agro-tourism system. The different systems are compared with each other in order to identify their respective strengths and weaknesses as development models. The Field crop system covers the largest area of agricultural land and is found in all mountainous villages but it generates very low net profits per hectare. The Specialty crop system and Agro-tourism system generate very high net profits per hectare but cover only a small land area and have a restricted spatial distribution. Expansion of these high value systems may be limited because they are capital and labor intensive and require highly skilled farmers to manage them successfully. If these constraints can be overcome, they may offer a useful model for mountain agricultural development.     

Classification and Gradation of Cultivated Land Quality in Bishan County of Chongqing, China

The conflicts among food security, economic development and ecological protection are the “sticking point” of undeveloped southwestern mountainous areas of China. The objectives of this study are to identify appropriate inte- grated indicators influencing the classification and gradation of cultivated land quality in the southwestern mountainous area of China based on semi-structure interview, and to promote the monitoring of cultivated land quality in this region. Taking Bishan County of Chongqing as a study case, the integrated indicators involve the productivity, protection, ac- ceptability, and stability of cultivated land. The integrated indicators accord with the characteristics of land resources and human preference in southwestern mountainous area of China. In different agricultural zones, we emphasize different indicators, such as emphasizing productivity, stabilization and acceptability in low hilly and plain agricultural integrative zone (LHP-AIZ), protection, productivity and stability in low mountain and hill agro-forestry ecological zone (LMH-AEZ), and acceptability in plain outskirts integrative agricultural zone (PO-IAZ), respectively. The pronounced difference of classification and gradation of cultivated land, regardless of inter-region or intra-region, is observed, with the reducible rank from PO-IAZ, LHP-AIZ to LMH-AEZ. Research results accord with the characteristics of assets management and intensive utilization of cultivated land resources in the southwestern mountainous area of China. Semi-structure interview adequately presents the principal agent of farmers in agricultural land use and rural land market. This method is very effective and feasible to obtain data of the quality of cultivated land in the southwestern mountainous area of China.     

内蒙古自治区人居环境综合适宜性评价及空间优化

科学评价区域人居环境适宜性,是开展国土空间开发适宜性评价的前提,对提高区域资源环境承载能力,促进人与自然和谐发展至关重要。本文以内蒙古自治区为案例,基于栅格尺度从自然与人文2个方面对人居环境适宜性进行评价;将适宜性因子作为城乡建设用地扩展的限制条件,采用MCR模型对城乡建设用地进行模拟,提出区域人居环境空间优化方案,主要结论有：水文与气候条件对内蒙古自治区人居环境的整体限制作用较强;内蒙古自治区人居环境临界适宜与不适宜区占比最高,达到52.8%;高度适宜区占比最低为9%,主要分布在前套平原及西辽河平原,全区人居环境适宜性水平整体偏低。内蒙古自治区城乡建设用地人居环境比较适宜与高度适宜区占绝对优势,适宜比例超过73%,从适宜性空间分布来看,南部整体优于北部,东部整体优于西部,地带性特征明显。内蒙古自治区城乡人居环境不适宜与临界适宜主要表现为自然条件不适宜及对自然保护区的不合理占用。内蒙古自治区城乡建设用地模拟结果显示远期呼包地区一体化连片趋势明显,内蒙古自治区可逐步形成以呼包鄂都市区、赤通都市区为主体,以文化特色鲜明、公共设施完善的中心城镇及中心乡村为依托,以人居环境不适宜区为间隔,城乡融合的人居环境空间格局。     

The evolution of tea spatial agglomeration in China: An analysis based on different geographical scales

The spatial agglomeration of agricultural production is conducive to reducing planting costs, increasing production efficiency and improving product quality. It is an important way to promote the transformation and upgrad of tea industry and realize the modernization of China’s tea industry. This study used Gini coefficient and spatial autocorrelation analysis to explore the characteristics of tea spatial agglomeration in China from three geographical scales: regional level, provincial level and prefecture level from the year 2005 to 2015. The results indicated that there was a significant scale effect on the tea spatial agglomeration. The agglomeration degree increased from the regional level, provincial level to prefecture level. The types of spatial agglomeration evolution of the three scales were Ushaped, continuous diffusion, and continuous agglomeration. The spatial autocorrelation of tea production could only be found at the prefecture level. Meanwhile, at the prefecture scale, we could not only reveal the pattern changes at the regional and provincial levels, but also identify tea production agglomeration regions. Compared with the large scale, the small scale could reveal the characteristics of tea spatial agglomeration in more details. Factors such as natural resource endowments, cost factor, technological advancement, agglomeration economy, and agricultural policy influenced the evolution of tea spatial agglomeration from different geographical scales. Finally, from the perspectives of spatial transfer of tea production, promoting spatial agglomeration, building tea production bases, and breaking administrative boundaries, we proposed several policy suggestions for optimizing the spatial layout of tea production.     

Agricultural Non-point Source Pollution in China: Evaluation,Convergence Characteristics and Spatial Effects

In this study, an inventory analysis approach was used to investigate the intensity of agricultural non-point source pollution(ANSP) and its spatial convergence at national and provincial levels in China from 1999 to 2017. On this basis, spatial factors affecting ANSP were explored by constructing a spatial econometric model. The results indicate that: 1) The intensity of China's ANSP emission showed an overall upward trend and an obvious spatial difference, with the values being high in the eastern and central regions and relatively low in the western region. 2) Significant spatial agglomeration was shown in China's ANSP intensity, and the agglomeration effect was increasing gradually. 3) In the convergence analysis, a spatial lag model was found applicable for interpretation of the ANSP intensity, with the convergence rate being accelerated after considering the spatial factors but slower than that of regional economic growth.4) The spatial factors affecting the ANSP intensity are shown to be reduced by improving agricultural infrastructure investment, laborforce quality, and crop production ratio, while the expansion of agricultural economy scale and precipitation and runoff have positive impact on ANSP in the study region. However, agricultural research and development(RD) investment showed no direct significant effect on the ANSP intensity. Meanwhile, improving the quality of the labor force would significantly reduce the ANSP intensity in the surrounding areas, while the precipitation and runoff would significantly increase the pollution of neighboring regions. This research has laid a theoretical basis for formulation and optimization of ANSP prevention strategies in China and related regions.