American viticultural areas: A problem in regional geography

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine a particular type of formal geographic region—the viticultural region—to promote an understanding of the geographical bases of wine production. The authors have found that the viticultural area is an excellent vehicle for teaching students how geographers construct and analyze regions. Although the wine industry in the United States is concentrated overwhelmingly in California and secondarily in a belt running from New York across Pennsylvania and into Ohio, most of the lower 48 states have at least one officially recognized viticultural area. The following problem has been developed to be used “as is” or to be modified for any state or region in the country. By the end of the problem, students have gained hands-on experience in defining regions, correlating physical geography with human activities, and thinking about the importance of place names and scale.     

Incidental Aquaculture in California's Rice Paddies: Red Swamp Crawfish

Introduction of the red swamp crawfish, Procambarus clarkii, into California and its diffusion throughout northern California's rice paddies created the conditions for an incidental aquaculture economy in a landscape devoted to irrigated grain production. For more than three decades, fishermen have harvested this prolific invader and sold their catch to Europe and the Gulf Coast. Since 2004, the diffusion of Vietnamese‐American seafood restaurants to California and nationally has created additional markets for red swamp crawfish.     

Wine trails as organizational pathway toward landscape coherence: the case of the Finger Lakes region,New York,USA

This paper explores the role of so-called wine trails as planners and managers of viticultural landscapes, using the case of the Finger Lakes region in New York, USA. Using key informant interviews, it assesses the current capacity and the future potential of these non-governmental, fee-based ‘clubs’ to mediate between global markets and the local agricultural landscape in the absence of policy frameworks designed for this purpose. Though it finds little evidence of such mediation today, the paper argues that the structure and institutional position of wine trails, organizations whose members’ livelihoods depend substantially on long-term landscape coherence, position them to play a more assertive role in doing so in the future, particularly in places marked by lax planning regimes and scarce resources.     

Industrial specialization and economic performance: A case of Czech microregions

An influential body of literature suggests that economic diversity rather than specialization fuels the economic performance of regions and nations. The authors argue that this hypothesis has no universal applicability and that a more differentiated view is needed. In particular, historical specificity of the local environment and structural characteristics of regional economies should be taken into account. They focus on the effects of industrial specialization on economic performance and the vulnerability of Central European post-communist regions, namely Czech microregions with less than 200,000 inhabitants. They examine whether the economic performance and vulnerability of these regions is fuelled rather by industrial specialization or diversity when controlling for other potential determinants of regional economic performance. Their findings show that the dependence of Czech regions on manufacturing correlates with higher economic performance but also with higher regional vulnerability. In addition, industrial specialization within manufacturing was found to be instrumental for the economic performance of regions with high dependence on manufacturing. With a decreasing share of employment in manufacturing, industrial diversity rather than specialization becomes more valuable for the economic performance of Czech regions.     

Africanized honeybee habitat suitability: a comparison between models for southern Utah and southern California

The Africanized honeybee (AHB; Apis mellifera scutellata) is an invasive species which poses a threat to the United States' agricultural industry because of potential decline in pollination services. Previous research has confirmed that the AHB may still expand its range farther north and that limiting environmental factors for AHB distribution vary across the country. This study examines similarities and differences in AHB distribution and the relative importance of environmental factors between two regions of the southwestern United States: southern Utah and southern California. The Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) modeling approach was used to create two species distribution models of the AHB. First a model was created based on AHB presence data in Utah. This model was used to estimate the Utah distribution and also to project the California distribution based on Utah environmental preferences. The second model was created to predict distribution in California and to project distribution in Utah based on AHB environmental preferences in California. The level of influence of each variable was measured through percent contribution and permutation importance. Model performance was assessed through the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Models estimated AHB presence with high accuracy (AUC > 0.95) in original environments, but were less accurate (AUC < 0.8) in novel environments. Minimum temperature was the primary controlling factor of AHB distribution in each model, and other variables followed similar ranking of importance between the two models. Species response curves varied substantially between the two models. Models did not transfer well from one region to the other because of local differences in response curves and the relative importance of environmental variables, suggesting that AHB in these regions may not have realized their potential geographic range.     

A comparison of the upper-mantle structure beneath Eurasia and the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans

Summary. A travel-time curve for P seismic waves recorded at NORSAR from earthquakes in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans is of a significantly different character from those for rays bottoming under western Russia and southeast and central Europe. The differences arise principally from variations in the outer 200–300 km of the three regions and from the apparently anomalous nature of the velocity distribution between 300 and 500km beneath southern and central Europe. Extremal 'tau' inversion is extended to the calculation of bounds on vertical transit time for different depth ranges beneath the three regions. A maximum difference of 5 s is permitted by the bounds in the two-way vertical transit times of P waves between 50 and 800 km below western Russia and the oceans. The bounds obtained on transit times between 300 and 800 km demand no significant difference between the two regions and permit a maximum difference of 2.5 s in two-way transit time. This is consistent with the observation that the oceanic travel-time curve may be fitted to within observational error by a model which is substantially the same as that for western Russia below 300 km.     

REGIONAL VARIATIONS IN DENOMINATIONAL SWITCHING AMONG WHITE PROTESTANTS*

This study examines the hypothesis that the determinants of denominational switching vary regionally among white American Protestants. Data for the analysis are taken from the National Opinion Research Center's General Social Survey for 1974 through 1984. Using logistic regression, the analysis compares the determinants of switching among respondents residing in the nine Census regions of the U.S. Results reveal significant regional differences in the determinants of switching, especially in the effects of conversion, childhood affiliation and interdenominational marriage.     

THE SOURCES OF REGIONAL ELDERLY POPULATION GROWTH: MIGRATION AND AGING-IN-PLACE *

A region's elderly population has two sources of growth: net migration and the net aging-in-place of its resident population. This paper outlines a method for identifying the projected relative contribution of these two sources of elderly population growth over time, and illustrates it with data for the states of Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, and New York. The sources of elderly population growth differ between regions and over time.     

CHILEAN PORTS: COMMODITY SPECIALIZATION AND POTENTIAL FOR CONTAINERIZATION*

Port commodity specialization is primarily influenced by economic functions, but also by unique geographic considerations. A port system's evolution is dependent upon a complex mix of both physical and human factors. A case study of Chilean ports examines their potential for increasing containerized traffic. By applying indices of port commodity specialization and national commodity specialization to maritime transport data, a series of working hypotheses pertinent to specialization is tested. Suggestions are made for developing a port system to accommodate containerization. The results indicate that Chile should support the development of three regional port subsystems.     

Created unequal: China's regional pay inequality and its relationship with mega-trend urbanization

The relationship between inequality and mega-trend urbanization in China is complicated. At least in the first two decades of economic reform, urbanization is one of primary drivers of rising inequality across the country. Using between-and within-group components of Theil's T-statistics measured across regions and sectors, this paper provides new estimates of the evolution of China's regional inequality during the reform period. We particularly analyze the associations between inequality and China's megacities-oriented urbanization strategy. We find that China's overall pay inequality started to rise rapidly in the early 1990s, that it peaked in 2008, with the between-provinces component peaking as early as 2002. Since 2008 overall pay inequality has decreased, with between-province and within inequality both showing steady declines. In these respects, the evolution of pay inequality in China mirrors the trajectory expected under the hypothesis of a Kuznets' curve.     

Vague cognitive regions in geography and geographic information science

Cognitive regions are regions in the mind, reflecting informal ways individuals and cultural groups organize their understanding of earth landscapes. Cognitive region boundaries are typically substantially vague and their membership functions are substantially variable – the transition from outside to inside the region is imprecise or vague, and different places within the region are not equally strong or clear as exemplars of the region. Methods for assessing and cartographically depicting cognitive regions, as with other vague geographic regions, have traditionally implied an inappropriate level of boundary sharpness and membership uniformity, such as when boundaries are mapped as precise lines. Research in recent decades has explored methods for assessing and depicting boundary vagueness and membership variability, either within or across individuals, but has still assumed homogeneity and regularity in the vagueness and variability. In this article, we present two studies that assess the cognitive regions of ‘Northern’ and ‘Southern’ California, and, for comparison, ‘Northern’ and ‘Southern’ Alberta. The first study uses a standard boundary-drawing task; the second uses a novel task in which participants rate cells of a high-resolution grid laid over an outline map. This technique allows us to assess and depict vagueness and nonuniformity that is heterogeneous and irregular across different areas. Differences in the conceptualization of ‘Northern’ and ‘Southern’ regions in California, as compared to those in Alberta, point to thematic influences on cognitive regions in California but not in Alberta. As is often true with cognitive regions, Northern and Southern California are about attitude, not just latitude.     

中国旅游产业集聚空间格局演变及其对旅游经济的影响——基于专业化与多样化集聚视角

利用2001—2018年中国省域旅游产业与旅游经济相关数据,综合空间分析和计量模型方法,研究中国31个省(区、市)旅游产业专业化和多样化集聚的空间格局演变特征及其对旅游经济的影响。研究表明:①中国旅游产业专业化集聚程度呈现西高东低的分布特征,多样化集聚程度则表现为东高西低;②专业化集聚指数热点区集中于西部省份,冷点区以华东和华中省份为主;多样化集聚指数热点区位于中国沿海各省份,冷点区则主要包括新疆、西藏;③SDM模型估计结果表明,中国旅游产业多样化集聚能够促进旅游经济的提高,专业化集聚产生抑制效应,不同区域影响效应具有明显差异,东部地区以旅游产业多样化集聚带动旅游经济,中部地区多样化集聚的正向效应尚未显现,而西部地区专业化集聚对旅游经济发挥促进作用。     

AMENITY MIGRATION IN THE U.S. SIERRA NEVADA*

ABSTRACT. Since 1960 California's Sierra Nevada counties have ranked among the regions with the strongest relative population growth in the state. Reassessment of peripheral areas has been the main force driving population and settlement growth in the central Sierra Nevada of California and Nevada, termed “amenity migration” or “counterurbanization.” This study analyzes the impacts of amenity migrants—“urban refugees”—on socioeconomic conditions in high‐mountain regions. We define these regions as the “High Sierra,” comprising zones at elevations more than 1,800 meters above sea level. People who migrate to the High Sierra tend to be white and well educated, with considerable household earnings. Unlike the population in the foothills, these migrants are not senior citizens. Their demand for periodic or permanent residences has caused housing prices to increase enormously. As a result, a majority of homes are now priced well beyond the reach of local salaries, which may lead to potential conflict between locals and newcomers. The massive settlement expansion in high‐mountain areas requires a new approach to land‐use planning, one that takes functional regions into account. Therefore, it is expedient to reassess existing jurisdictional boundaries.     

中美航空客运网络层次结构和地域系统对比分析

美国民航1978年彻底市场化以来已经历30多年的发展,航空网络趋于成熟。我国民航也在经历市场化改革,机场属地化完成至今已近10年,运量快速增长、高铁建设等因素正剧烈地影响着网络演变。对比中美两国航空网络有利于判断我国航线网络和机场体系的演变趋势,对于我国民航发展具有借鉴意义。以中国大陆地区和美国本土48个州作为研究区,运用交通地理信息系统和VBA等技术,从绝对联系和首位联系两个角度,对当前中美两国航空客运网络层次结构和地域系统进行分析与对比。研究发现:中国航空客运网络已表现出一定的轴辐体系,但一级枢纽较少、客运压力过大,且航空枢纽重东南、轻中西;美国航空客运网络的轴辐体系已趋向完善,各大枢纽和重要城市之间的内部空间联系非常密切。进而,提出了一些政策性建议,以期对我国航空客运网络未来的空间发展形式和方向提供借鉴。     

世界能源贸易网络的演化特征与能源竞合关系

详尽地探讨全球能源贸易网络的演化特征及国际贸易的竞合关系,可为中国能源贸易政策的制定提供科学支撑。论文运用复杂网络方法,从整体格局出发研究了世界能源贸易网络的演化特征,并重点从供给与需求两方面分析了贸易集团演化与供需大国的能源竞合关系。研究结果表明：20世纪90年代以来,世界能源贸易关系不断趋于复杂化。近年来,能源贸易主体数量基本保持稳定,当前占世界总数近80%的国家/地区均参与能源贸易;世界能源贸易网络同时具有小世界特性与无标度特性;世界能源的进出口格局已发生重塑,能源的出口重心逐渐由东亚、中东、澳洲和欧洲转向了东欧、中东、北美、澳洲和西非等地区,进口重心由东亚、西欧和澳洲向北美、东亚和西欧转移;世界能源贸易网络存在四大集团,分别是以美国为首的贸易集团、欧洲-俄罗斯等国家贸易集团、东亚-东南亚贸易集团和澳大利亚-印度-非洲贸易集团等。地理距离、制度差异、历史文化及政治关系等是贸易集团演化的重要原因;贸易集团内,核心国家间的贸易依赖存在着非对称性,能源需求国进口来源的多元化现象更为突出,东亚、东南亚市场是供给国共同争夺的对象。     

Agro-industrial conventions: some evidence from northern California's wine industry

Research into learning, innovation, and clustering suggests that local socioeconomic practices, or conventions, are critical to economic growth and regional development. Yet when it comes to the wine industry, explanations of economic success often focus on natural advantages. This article seeks to address this issue, presenting findings on the local practices of wine producers in northern California. The argument is that there are important local social and industrial linkages that bolster the competitiveness of California's wine industry and serve to upgrade production practices. This article highlights the career histories and perceptions of several key informants who are offered as exemplars of more commonly shared industrial experience and practice.     

基于期刊论文的中国地级以上城市知识专业化研究

将287个地级以上城市（不包括港澳台地区）作为研究对象,以中国知网发布的168个学科领域期刊论文数量为数据来源,对中国地级以上城市知识专业化水平、影响因素及其与经济发展的关系进行了研究。研究发现：① 中国地级以上城市的专业化水平总体偏低,多样化水平较为明显;知识专业化水平西部地区>中部地区>东部地区;地区相对专业化指数随城市行政等级依次升高,即直辖市<副省级城市<省会城市<普通地级市。具有资源优势的城市,其知识专业化领域高度集中在以资源为基础的领域;中小城市的知识专业化领域相对较少,专业化程度高;大中城市知识专业化领域多,多样化趋势明显,但各领域的知识专业化程度相对较低。从城市等级上来看,知识专业化程度表现为五线城市>四线城市>三线城市>二线城市>一线城市。② 知识专业化水平主要受科教经济因素、人才潜力和服务业因素、工业基础因素、人口规模因素四大因素影响。③ 知识专业化与经济发展关系密切,整体呈现倒U形关系;但各区域随发展阶段不同,表现出不同的形式可以分为U形、倒U形、M形和W形4种大类型。     

Wine, regions and the geographic imperative: The Coonawarra example

Abstract:   The growth of the global wine trade has focused attention on regional origin in the production, marketing and consumption of wine. This paper presents a case study of the regulatory processes around the development of one particular South Australian wine region: Coonawarra. The process of the delineation of the Coonawarra region illustrates the tensions between treating wine regions as biophysical entities, and the realities of the economic, political, legal and cultural forces that shape regions. The paper highlights how ambiguities in the physical and social criteria that frame regional definition legislation can lead to boundaries that form through a process of judicial accretion rather than relating directly to any of the criteria themselves.     

GERMAN GREAT–POWER RELATIONS IN THE PAGES OF SIMPLICISSIMUS, 1896–1914*

ABSTRACT. Wilhelmine Germany had a powerful economy and, after 1898, began construction of a fleet to challenge Great Britain's global power. This article analyses Germany's cultural “will to power” in the period through the eyes of the avant‐garde, Munich‐published weekly magazine Simplicissimus as it examined the series of security crises between 1896 and the outbreak of war in 1914. The magazine was no fan of Wilhelmine militarism, its principal artist having been jailed for criticism of the kaiser, but it showed a deep support for Germany's rise to power on moral grounds. Many illustrations dealt with global power projection through the navy and the need for a suitable security partner within Europe. Its illustrators depicted Great Britain as an immoral world power only Germany might check and France as its preferred security partner to keep Europe at peace.