China’s coupled human-environment system(CHES) is assessed here via a systems schema that emphasizes the complex interactions of components and their attributes. In addition to the human and environment components, w...China’s coupled human-environment system(CHES) is assessed here via a systems schema that emphasizes the complex interactions of components and their attributes. In addition to the human and environment components, we identified two other components to evaluate the relationship. The four components are human activity intensity, resource carrying capacity, ecological constraints and system’s openness. Based on their interactions, we derived a cognitive schema for classifying the level of strain or stress of an area. The analysis draws on 11 indicators and 29 sub-indicators including remote sensing data and statistical data that are used to estimate the four components. The findings indicate that human activities are highly intense in a few geographical areas, particularly large urban systems and trade and investment zones on the eastern coastal areas. Nonetheless, these areas are also well-endowed in water resources and fertile soils although urban systems are increasingly stressed from negative pollution externalities. They are also open systems which allow them to bear a higher level of pressure and adjust accordingly. Desertification and soil erosion point to relatively fragile biophysical systems in the west and southwest, but human activities are still relatively less intense compared to their coastal counterparts. As a whole, only 14% of areas may be said to be relatively or highly strained. This however belies another one-third of areas that are currently unstable, and likely to become strained and thereby vulnerable in the near future.展开更多
The study of human-environment relationships in mountain areas is important for both theoretical and practical reasons, as many mountain areas suffer similar problems, such as depopulation, unemployment and natural ha...The study of human-environment relationships in mountain areas is important for both theoretical and practical reasons, as many mountain areas suffer similar problems, such as depopulation, unemployment and natural hazards. Medium mountains constitute a special case within mountains, because they are more populated but less attractive as tourist destinations than high mountains. In this context, the Apuseni Mts （Romania） are considered as a ease study. In this paper, we apply GIS-based, quantitative methods to characterize the strength and dynamics of human-environment interactions, taking into consideration some environmental factors （elevation, relative height, slope, river distance, lithology, land cover, natural attractions） as well as historical population and recent tourism data. We found that population density has strong （r2〉0.8） relationships with all relief factors （elevation, relative height, slope, river distance）, and that best-fit functions are nonlinear. We outlined the varying demographic scenarios by elevation zones and interpreted the historically switching sign of population change versus elevation relationship. We demonstrated that lithology also has an impact on the spatial distribution of population, although it is not independent from the relief effect. The land cover of the mainly cultural landscape is very strongly correlated with relief parameters （especially slope）, which suggests good adaptation. We pointed out the dominance of karst objects in the natural tourism potential of the Apuseni Mts and also explored further components of real tourism （spas, heritage, towns）. Finally, we concluded that the environmental settings investigated do in fact constrain the spatial framework of society, but soeio-economic changes in history can be explained from the side of society, which conforms to the theory of cultural possibilism.展开更多
Symmetrical relationships between humans and their environment have been referred to as an extension of symmetries in the human geographical system and have drawn great attention.This paper explored the symmetry betwe...Symmetrical relationships between humans and their environment have been referred to as an extension of symmetries in the human geographical system and have drawn great attention.This paper explored the symmetry between physical and human systems through fractal analysis of the road and drainage networks in Wuling mountainous area.We found that both the road and drainage networks reflect weak clustering distributions.The evolution of the road network shared a significant self-organizing composition,while the drainage network showed obvious double fraetal characteristics.The geometric fractal dimension of the road network was larger than that of the drainage network.In addition,when assigned a weight relating to hierarchy or length,neither the road network nor drainage network showed a fractal property.These findings indicated that the fractal evolution of the road network shared certain similarities with fractal distribution of the drainage network.The symmetry between the two systems resulted from an interactive process of destroying symmetry at the lower order and reconstructing symmetry at the higher order.The relationships between the fractal dimensions of the rural-urban road network,the drainage network andthe urban system indicated that the development of this area was to achieve the symmetrical isomorphism of physical-human geographical systems.展开更多
Amid ongoing global environmental change and the critical pursuit of sustainable development,human-environment systems are exhibiting increasingly complex dynamic evolutions and spatial relationships,underscoring an u...Amid ongoing global environmental change and the critical pursuit of sustainable development,human-environment systems are exhibiting increasingly complex dynamic evolutions and spatial relationships,underscoring an urgent need for innovative research frameworks.Integrated geography synthesizes physical geography,human geography,and geographic information science,providing key frameworks for understanding complex human-environment systems.This editorial proposes an emerging research framework for integrated geography—“Composite driving-System evolution-Coupling mechanism-Synergistic regulation(CSCS)”—based on key issues such as climate change,biodiversity loss,resource scarcity,and social-ecological interactions,which have been highlighted in both recent critical literature on human-environment systems and UN assessment reports.The framework starts with diverse composite driving forces,extends to the evolution of human-environment system structures,processes,and functions that these drivers induce,explores couplings within human-environment systems,and calls for regulation aimed at sustainable development in synergies.Major research frontiers include understanding the cascading“evolution-coupling”effects of shocks;measuring system resilience,thresholds,and safe and just operating space boundaries;clarifying linkage mechanisms across scales;and achieving synergistic outcomes for multi-objective sustainability.This framework will help promote the interdisciplinary integration and development of integrated geography,and provide geographical solutions for the global sustainable development agenda.展开更多
Achieving Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)requires place-based solutions that reconcile global aspirations with local realities.Landscapes and regions represent a pivotal scale domain—large enough to capture cross...Achieving Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)requires place-based solutions that reconcile global aspirations with local realities.Landscapes and regions represent a pivotal scale domain—large enough to capture cross-boundary ecological and socioeconomic processes,yet sufficiently grounded to enable context-sensitive understanding and governance.Landscape sustainability science offers a robust framework for bridging the global-local divide in SDG implementation.Rooted in the long-standing convergence between ecology and geography—tracing back to Humboldt’s unity of nature—landscape sustainability science advances a spatially explicit,systems-oriented approach guided by the principles of strong sustainability.Here we present the landscape sustainability science framework,structured around the core triad of landscape pattern,ecosystem services,and human wellbeing,and operationalized through dual feedback loops and the analysis–adaptation–assessment cycle.Our assessment shows that landscape sustainability science contributes directly to eight SDGs and indirectly to six others,offering actionable strategies for climate resilience,sustainable land management,and inclusive landscape governance.By helping to spatialize,localize,and operationalize global sustainability targets,landscape sustainability science provides a pragmatic pathway to advance the SDGs in diverse socioecological contexts.If global sustainability is to be achieved,we must think and act like a landscape.展开更多
Background Exploring how immersive technologies can simulate and assess user experiences in designed environments is an important topic in architectural research.In this study,a multisensory virtual reality(VR)system ...Background Exploring how immersive technologies can simulate and assess user experiences in designed environments is an important topic in architectural research.In this study,a multisensory virtual reality(VR)system developed to support the study of human-built environment interactions under multimodal conditions(visual,olfactory,and auditory)was evaluated.Methods The effectiveness of the system was tested by conducting in-depth user studies using a mixed-method approach to provide quantitative and qualitative evidence.The results of the case study were discussed,key features of the proposed prototype were assessed,and limitations and opportunities for future studies were identified.Results Findings showed that multisensory elements can deepen participants’sense of presence,increase engagement levels,and enrich overall user experience in immersive environments.Integrating olfactory stimuli into virtual representations of architectural spaces revealed how multisensory feedback informs spatial perception and supports the development of more responsive and human-centered design strategies.Conclusions This study contributes to the emerging field of sensory architecture,aiming to move beyond visual simulation toward a richer embodied understanding of space.The proposed approach provides valuable insights into the development of multisensory VR environments in architecture,enabling future research and immersive research methodologies in wider fields.展开更多
The orientations of ancient tombs have attracted increasing scholarly attention,as they offer valuable insights into early social structures,cultural traditions,and the relationship between humans and their environmen...The orientations of ancient tombs have attracted increasing scholarly attention,as they offer valuable insights into early social structures,cultural traditions,and the relationship between humans and their environment.However,the application of machine learning algorithms to the study of tomb orientation remains relatively underexplored.In this study,we employed a Gaussian mixture model to conduct a systematic analysis of the spatial and temporal evolution of Neolithic tomb orientations in Central China.We also examined the relationship between tomb orientation and both environmental factors and sociocultural dynamics.The findings suggest a deliberate and methodical approach to the planning and alignment of tombs during the Neolithic Age.Tomb orientations in each chronological phase displayed clear clustering patterns,reflecting a developmental trajectory from uniformity to diversity,and ultimately toward integration.While early angular measurement techniques appear to have emerged,they do not show evidence of sustained technical progression.Instead,different periods seem to have achieved similar levels of directional accuracy.The predominance of westward-facing tombs may be closely tied to both topographic features and the symbolic association with sunset.At the same time,cultural evolution and interregional exchange played essential roles in shaping the distinctive patterns of prehistoric tomb orientation.This research contributes not only to the understanding of ancient funerary practices but also demonstrates the potential of machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies in advancing archaeological analysis.展开更多
Understanding the interactions between humans and nature in the Anthropocene is central to the quest for both human wellbeing and global sustainability.However,the time-space compression,long range interactions,and re...Understanding the interactions between humans and nature in the Anthropocene is central to the quest for both human wellbeing and global sustainability.However,the time-space compression,long range interactions,and reconstruction of socio-economic structures at the global scale all pose great challenges to the traditional analytical frameworks of human-nature systems.In this paper,we extend the connotation of coupled human and natural systems(CHANS)and their four dimensions—space,time,appearance,and organization,and propose a novel framework:“Coupled Human and Natural Cube”(CHNC)to explain the coupling mechanism between humans and the natural environment.Our proposition is inspired by theories based on the human-earth areal system,telecoupling framework,planetary urbanization,and perspectives from complexity science.We systematically introduce the concept,connotation,evolution rules,and analytical dimensions of the CHNC.Notably there exist various“coupling lines”in the CHNC,connecting different systems and elements at multiple scales and forming a large,nested,interconnected,organic system.The rotation of the CHNC represents spatiotemporal nonlinear fluctuations in CHANS in different regions.As a system continually exchanges energy with the environment,a critical phase transition occurs when fluctuations reach a certain threshold,leading to emergent behavior of the system.The CHNC has four dimensions—pericoupling and telecoupling,syncoupling and lagcoupling,apparent coupling and hidden coupling,and intra-organization coupling and inter-organizational coupling.We mainly focus on the theoretical connotation,research methods,and typical cases of telecoupling,lagcoupling,hidden coupling,and inter-organizational coupling,and put forward a human-nature coupling matrix to integrate multiple dimensions.In summary,the CHNC provides a more comprehensive and systematic research paradigm for understanding the evolution and coupling mechanism of the human-nature system,which expands the analytical dimension of CHANS.The CHNC also provides a theoretical support for formulating regional,sustainable development policies for human wellbeing.展开更多
The relationship between stakeholders and the environment influences sustainable development and human wellbeing.To illustrate the multi-stakeholder perceptions of environmental pollution in China,we interpreted a fee...The relationship between stakeholders and the environment influences sustainable development and human wellbeing.To illustrate the multi-stakeholder perceptions of environmental pollution in China,we interpreted a feedback loop in the perception-behavior-environment nexus from the perspective of the coupled human-environment system,measured the differences of environmental perceptions among five stakeholders(the public,government,media,companies,and scientists)and regions(including 31 provinces,autonomous regions,and municipalities in China,with exceptions of Taiwan of China,Hong Kong of China,and Macao of China due to a lack of data)using big data,and made a comparison between the perceptions and the actual pollution situation.The results showed that the five stakeholders exhibited similar perceptions of environmental pollution at the national scale,with air pollution being of most concern,followed by water pollution and soil pollution.There were significant spatial differences in environmental perceptions.All stakeholders in the developed regions in eastern China paid relatively high attention to environmental issues,while those in the northwestern regions paid much less attention.There existed a mutual influence and interaction among the different stakeholders.More attention should be paid to air pollution in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,water pollution in Hainan Province,Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,Heilongjiang Province,and Jilin Province,and soil pollution in Hainan Province,Fujian Province,and Jilin Province.This paper provides a research paradigm on multi-stakeholder environmental perceptions based on big data,and the results provide a background reference for regional environmental governance.展开更多
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.41430636,No.41571159
文摘China’s coupled human-environment system(CHES) is assessed here via a systems schema that emphasizes the complex interactions of components and their attributes. In addition to the human and environment components, we identified two other components to evaluate the relationship. The four components are human activity intensity, resource carrying capacity, ecological constraints and system’s openness. Based on their interactions, we derived a cognitive schema for classifying the level of strain or stress of an area. The analysis draws on 11 indicators and 29 sub-indicators including remote sensing data and statistical data that are used to estimate the four components. The findings indicate that human activities are highly intense in a few geographical areas, particularly large urban systems and trade and investment zones on the eastern coastal areas. Nonetheless, these areas are also well-endowed in water resources and fertile soils although urban systems are increasingly stressed from negative pollution externalities. They are also open systems which allow them to bear a higher level of pressure and adjust accordingly. Desertification and soil erosion point to relatively fragile biophysical systems in the west and southwest, but human activities are still relatively less intense compared to their coastal counterparts. As a whole, only 14% of areas may be said to be relatively or highly strained. This however belies another one-third of areas that are currently unstable, and likely to become strained and thereby vulnerable in the near future.
基金supported by the Hungarian National Science Foundation,OTKA 104811 projectsupported by the János Bolyai Scolarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
文摘The study of human-environment relationships in mountain areas is important for both theoretical and practical reasons, as many mountain areas suffer similar problems, such as depopulation, unemployment and natural hazards. Medium mountains constitute a special case within mountains, because they are more populated but less attractive as tourist destinations than high mountains. In this context, the Apuseni Mts （Romania） are considered as a ease study. In this paper, we apply GIS-based, quantitative methods to characterize the strength and dynamics of human-environment interactions, taking into consideration some environmental factors （elevation, relative height, slope, river distance, lithology, land cover, natural attractions） as well as historical population and recent tourism data. We found that population density has strong （r2〉0.8） relationships with all relief factors （elevation, relative height, slope, river distance）, and that best-fit functions are nonlinear. We outlined the varying demographic scenarios by elevation zones and interpreted the historically switching sign of population change versus elevation relationship. We demonstrated that lithology also has an impact on the spatial distribution of population, although it is not independent from the relief effect. The land cover of the mainly cultural landscape is very strongly correlated with relief parameters （especially slope）, which suggests good adaptation. We pointed out the dominance of karst objects in the natural tourism potential of the Apuseni Mts and also explored further components of real tourism （spas, heritage, towns）. Finally, we concluded that the environmental settings investigated do in fact constrain the spatial framework of society, but soeio-economic changes in history can be explained from the side of society, which conforms to the theory of cultural possibilism.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China project(Grant Nos.41201130,41101361,and 41371183)
文摘Symmetrical relationships between humans and their environment have been referred to as an extension of symmetries in the human geographical system and have drawn great attention.This paper explored the symmetry between physical and human systems through fractal analysis of the road and drainage networks in Wuling mountainous area.We found that both the road and drainage networks reflect weak clustering distributions.The evolution of the road network shared a significant self-organizing composition,while the drainage network showed obvious double fraetal characteristics.The geometric fractal dimension of the road network was larger than that of the drainage network.In addition,when assigned a weight relating to hierarchy or length,neither the road network nor drainage network showed a fractal property.These findings indicated that the fractal evolution of the road network shared certain similarities with fractal distribution of the drainage network.The symmetry between the two systems resulted from an interactive process of destroying symmetry at the lower order and reconstructing symmetry at the higher order.The relationships between the fractal dimensions of the rural-urban road network,the drainage network andthe urban system indicated that the development of this area was to achieve the symmetrical isomorphism of physical-human geographical systems.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grants No.W2412144,42271292)the 111 project,and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China.
文摘Amid ongoing global environmental change and the critical pursuit of sustainable development,human-environment systems are exhibiting increasingly complex dynamic evolutions and spatial relationships,underscoring an urgent need for innovative research frameworks.Integrated geography synthesizes physical geography,human geography,and geographic information science,providing key frameworks for understanding complex human-environment systems.This editorial proposes an emerging research framework for integrated geography—“Composite driving-System evolution-Coupling mechanism-Synergistic regulation(CSCS)”—based on key issues such as climate change,biodiversity loss,resource scarcity,and social-ecological interactions,which have been highlighted in both recent critical literature on human-environment systems and UN assessment reports.The framework starts with diverse composite driving forces,extends to the evolution of human-environment system structures,processes,and functions that these drivers induce,explores couplings within human-environment systems,and calls for regulation aimed at sustainable development in synergies.Major research frontiers include understanding the cascading“evolution-coupling”effects of shocks;measuring system resilience,thresholds,and safe and just operating space boundaries;clarifying linkage mechanisms across scales;and achieving synergistic outcomes for multi-objective sustainability.This framework will help promote the interdisciplinary integration and development of integrated geography,and provide geographical solutions for the global sustainable development agenda.
文摘Achieving Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)requires place-based solutions that reconcile global aspirations with local realities.Landscapes and regions represent a pivotal scale domain—large enough to capture cross-boundary ecological and socioeconomic processes,yet sufficiently grounded to enable context-sensitive understanding and governance.Landscape sustainability science offers a robust framework for bridging the global-local divide in SDG implementation.Rooted in the long-standing convergence between ecology and geography—tracing back to Humboldt’s unity of nature—landscape sustainability science advances a spatially explicit,systems-oriented approach guided by the principles of strong sustainability.Here we present the landscape sustainability science framework,structured around the core triad of landscape pattern,ecosystem services,and human wellbeing,and operationalized through dual feedback loops and the analysis–adaptation–assessment cycle.Our assessment shows that landscape sustainability science contributes directly to eight SDGs and indirectly to six others,offering actionable strategies for climate resilience,sustainable land management,and inclusive landscape governance.By helping to spatialize,localize,and operationalize global sustainability targets,landscape sustainability science provides a pragmatic pathway to advance the SDGs in diverse socioecological contexts.If global sustainability is to be achieved,we must think and act like a landscape.
文摘Background Exploring how immersive technologies can simulate and assess user experiences in designed environments is an important topic in architectural research.In this study,a multisensory virtual reality(VR)system developed to support the study of human-built environment interactions under multimodal conditions(visual,olfactory,and auditory)was evaluated.Methods The effectiveness of the system was tested by conducting in-depth user studies using a mixed-method approach to provide quantitative and qualitative evidence.The results of the case study were discussed,key features of the proposed prototype were assessed,and limitations and opportunities for future studies were identified.Results Findings showed that multisensory elements can deepen participants’sense of presence,increase engagement levels,and enrich overall user experience in immersive environments.Integrating olfactory stimuli into virtual representations of architectural spaces revealed how multisensory feedback informs spatial perception and supports the development of more responsive and human-centered design strategies.Conclusions This study contributes to the emerging field of sensory architecture,aiming to move beyond visual simulation toward a richer embodied understanding of space.The proposed approach provides valuable insights into the development of multisensory VR environments in architecture,enabling future research and immersive research methodologies in wider fields.
基金The Basic Scientific Research of Henan Academy of Sciences,No.20250601010National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.41971016+2 种基金The Innovation Team Project of Henan Academy of Sciences,No.20230103Science and Technology Innovation Platform Cultivation and Promotion Project of Henan Academy of Sciences,No.241001037The Soft Science Project of Henan Province,No.252400410524。
文摘The orientations of ancient tombs have attracted increasing scholarly attention,as they offer valuable insights into early social structures,cultural traditions,and the relationship between humans and their environment.However,the application of machine learning algorithms to the study of tomb orientation remains relatively underexplored.In this study,we employed a Gaussian mixture model to conduct a systematic analysis of the spatial and temporal evolution of Neolithic tomb orientations in Central China.We also examined the relationship between tomb orientation and both environmental factors and sociocultural dynamics.The findings suggest a deliberate and methodical approach to the planning and alignment of tombs during the Neolithic Age.Tomb orientations in each chronological phase displayed clear clustering patterns,reflecting a developmental trajectory from uniformity to diversity,and ultimately toward integration.While early angular measurement techniques appear to have emerged,they do not show evidence of sustained technical progression.Instead,different periods seem to have achieved similar levels of directional accuracy.The predominance of westward-facing tombs may be closely tied to both topographic features and the symbolic association with sunset.At the same time,cultural evolution and interregional exchange played essential roles in shaping the distinctive patterns of prehistoric tomb orientation.This research contributes not only to the understanding of ancient funerary practices but also demonstrates the potential of machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies in advancing archaeological analysis.
基金Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.41590842,No.41801164China Postdoctoral Science Foundation,No.2018M630196。
文摘Understanding the interactions between humans and nature in the Anthropocene is central to the quest for both human wellbeing and global sustainability.However,the time-space compression,long range interactions,and reconstruction of socio-economic structures at the global scale all pose great challenges to the traditional analytical frameworks of human-nature systems.In this paper,we extend the connotation of coupled human and natural systems(CHANS)and their four dimensions—space,time,appearance,and organization,and propose a novel framework:“Coupled Human and Natural Cube”(CHNC)to explain the coupling mechanism between humans and the natural environment.Our proposition is inspired by theories based on the human-earth areal system,telecoupling framework,planetary urbanization,and perspectives from complexity science.We systematically introduce the concept,connotation,evolution rules,and analytical dimensions of the CHNC.Notably there exist various“coupling lines”in the CHNC,connecting different systems and elements at multiple scales and forming a large,nested,interconnected,organic system.The rotation of the CHNC represents spatiotemporal nonlinear fluctuations in CHANS in different regions.As a system continually exchanges energy with the environment,a critical phase transition occurs when fluctuations reach a certain threshold,leading to emergent behavior of the system.The CHNC has four dimensions—pericoupling and telecoupling,syncoupling and lagcoupling,apparent coupling and hidden coupling,and intra-organization coupling and inter-organizational coupling.We mainly focus on the theoretical connotation,research methods,and typical cases of telecoupling,lagcoupling,hidden coupling,and inter-organizational coupling,and put forward a human-nature coupling matrix to integrate multiple dimensions.In summary,the CHNC provides a more comprehensive and systematic research paradigm for understanding the evolution and coupling mechanism of the human-nature system,which expands the analytical dimension of CHANS.The CHNC also provides a theoretical support for formulating regional,sustainable development policies for human wellbeing.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42171210)the Research Funding for the Second Comprehensive Scientific Investigation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (2019QZKK1005)the Start-up Research Program of Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (E0V00102YZ)
文摘The relationship between stakeholders and the environment influences sustainable development and human wellbeing.To illustrate the multi-stakeholder perceptions of environmental pollution in China,we interpreted a feedback loop in the perception-behavior-environment nexus from the perspective of the coupled human-environment system,measured the differences of environmental perceptions among five stakeholders(the public,government,media,companies,and scientists)and regions(including 31 provinces,autonomous regions,and municipalities in China,with exceptions of Taiwan of China,Hong Kong of China,and Macao of China due to a lack of data)using big data,and made a comparison between the perceptions and the actual pollution situation.The results showed that the five stakeholders exhibited similar perceptions of environmental pollution at the national scale,with air pollution being of most concern,followed by water pollution and soil pollution.There were significant spatial differences in environmental perceptions.All stakeholders in the developed regions in eastern China paid relatively high attention to environmental issues,while those in the northwestern regions paid much less attention.There existed a mutual influence and interaction among the different stakeholders.More attention should be paid to air pollution in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,water pollution in Hainan Province,Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,Heilongjiang Province,and Jilin Province,and soil pollution in Hainan Province,Fujian Province,and Jilin Province.This paper provides a research paradigm on multi-stakeholder environmental perceptions based on big data,and the results provide a background reference for regional environmental governance.
