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The increasing demand for tea has resulted in the swift expansion of tea plantations, leading to significant alterations in the local ecosystem. This has garnered considerable attention. However, research on rationally modifying land use structures (LUSs) in specialized tea regions to achieve a balance with ecosystem services (ESs) and enhance their synergistic effects remains limited. In this study, we quantified the values of water yield (WY), soil conservation (SC), carbon storage (CS), and habitat quality (HQ) by the InVEST model, utilized K-means clustering to categorize the LUSs of the village areas in Anxi County from 2010 to 2020, and then investigated the influences of the LUSs on the ESs by the improvement of the constraint line tool, according to which we utilized the ecosystem services trade-off degree (ESTD) and the Pearson correlation coefficient to explore the trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services. The findings indicated that: (1) LUSs in Anxi County are tea garden structure (TS), forest land-tea garden structure (FTS), and construction land-cropland-tea garden structure (CCTS); (2) In LUSs, to achieve a balance among WY, SC, CS, and HQ, the dominant land use proportions were as follows: 0.5 for tea plantations in TS; a range of 0.55–0.6 for forest land and 0.05–0.1 for tea plantations in FTS; and CCTS, 0.25–0.3 for built-up land, 0–0.1 for cropland, and 0.2 for tea plantations; (3) The trade-offs and synergies of ESs vary across different LUSs. The synergy is particularly evident in FTS. Increasing the quantity of forest area is helpful in enhancing the synergy of ESs. This study offers an analysis of the effect of LUSs on ESs and their interconnections in specialized tea planting regions. It serves as a valuable insight into informing urban planning for future land usage and ecological conservation efforts.

Based on the theories of symbiosis and configurational analysis, this study constructs a theoretical framework for exploring the sustainable development of tea agricultural heritage systems, with an empirical investigation of 40 typical cases in China. Utilizing fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and integrating multi-source data, this study delves into the intricate mechanisms underlying its sustainable development. The findings indicate that the sustainable development of tea agricultural heritage systems is not determined by a single factor but results from the interplay of multiple conditions. Specifically, ecological protection performance and regional driving capacity serve as necessary conditions, while research resource allocation, industrial comprehensive strength, and heritage site development level act as sufficient conditions. Furthermore, the sustainable development pathways can be categorized into two types, namely “dual-cycle drive” and “total-factor drive”, encompassing four configurations. The “dual-cycle drive” emphasizes the mutually beneficial symbiosis between ecological and socio-economic sustainability, involving ecological protection, research resources, regional driving capacity, and industrial strength. The “total-factor drive”, on the other hand, reflects the synergistic symbiosis of ecology, socio-economy, and culture, incorporating various combinations of factors such as ecological protection, regional driving capacity, tea culture inheritance, and heritage site development. Lastly, the driving combinations leading to non-sustainable development exhibit asymmetry, suggesting that the formation of non-sustainability is not merely the reverse outcome of sustainable conditions. The absence of key conditions, such as ecological protection or regional driving capacity, results in the emergence of non-sustainable configurations. In conclusion, this study unveils the complexity and multidimensionality of the sustainable development of tea agricultural heritage systems, providing a scientific basis and practical pathways for formulating effective protection and sustainable development strategies.

Exploring the interrelationships and influencing factors of the multifunctionality of cultivated land is crucial for achieving its multifunctional protection and sustainable use. In this paper, we take the Min River basin as a case study to construct a multifunctional evaluation system based on “agricultural production, social security, ecological service, and cultural landscape” using multi-source data. We analyze the spatial and temporal characteristics of the multifunctionality of cultivated land through kernel density estimation (KDE) and visual mapping. Subsequently, we assess the trade-off strength between the multifunctional aspects of cultivated land using the root mean square error (RMSD). Finally, we identify the drivers of the multifunctional trade-off intensity of cultivated land and analyze their influencing mechanisms using Geographic Detectors. The results show that (1) from 2010 to 2020, the multifunctional structure of cultivated land in the study area underwent significant changes: the levels of agricultural production, social security, and ecological service functions first increased and then decreased, while the levels of cultural landscape function and comprehensive function continued to increase. The spatial distribution is characterized, respectively, by “high in the east and low in the west”, “high in the west and low in the east”, “high in the north and low in the south”, “high in the whole and sporadically low in the northeast”, and “high in the middle and low in the surroundings”. (2) During the study period, the trade-off strengths related to social security functions increased, while the trade-off strengths of the remaining multifunctional pairs of cultivated land showed a weakening trend, with high values of trade-off strengths among functions particularly prominent in the Nanping Municipal District. (3) Both natural and human factors significantly affect the multifunctional trade-off strength of cultivated land. Among the specific factors, elevation, slope, average annual temperature, and per capita GDP are the key factors influencing the strength of the trade-offs between functions. The results of this study provide empirical support for enriching the understanding of the multifunctionality of cultivated land and offer a decision-making basis for promoting the differentiated management of cultivated land resources and the synergistic development of its multifunctionality.

Human actions have led to consistent and profound alterations in land use, which in turn have had a notable effect on the services provided by ecosystems. In this research, the Google Earth Engine (GEE) was initially employed to perform a supervised classification of Landsat satellite images from 2000 to 2020, which allowed us to obtain land-use data for Putian City, China. Next, the geo-informatic Tupu model and the revised valuation model were used to explore the spatial attributes and ecological effects of land-use changes (LUCs). Subsequently, EEH (eco-economic harmony), ESTD (ecosystem services tradeoffs and synergies degree index), and ESDA (exploratory spatial data analysis) methods were employed to further analyze the coordination level, trade-offs, synergies, and spatial patterns of ecological-economic system development. The findings revealed that: (1) The land-use composition in Putian City was predominantly cultivated land and forest land, with other types of land intermixed. Concurrently, there was an ongoing trend of expansion in urban areas. (2) ESV in Putian City exhibited an upward trend, increasing from 15.4 billion CNY to 23.1 billion CNY from 2000 to 2020. (3) ESV exhibited an imbalance in spatial distribution, with high-high agglomeration areas concentrated in the central part of Putian City and the coastal region of Hanjiang District, while low-low agglomeration areas were prevalent in Xianyou County in the southwest, Xiuyu District along the coast, and Licheng District in the urban center. (4) Synergistic relationships among ESs predominated, though the trade-off relationship showed a tendency to expand. (5) The ecological environment and economic progress in Putian City collectively faced a region of potential risk. The findings of this study are intended to serve as a guide for improving the distribution of land resources and for developing strategies that ensure the sustainable development of the region’s socio-economic framework.

The realization of the value of ecological products has led to an economic means for reducing carbon emissions in China. Tea is one of the most important cash crops and one of the most popular beverages in the world. Due to the complex the tea industrial chain, it is considered to be an industry with high carbon emissions. Ecological tea products with low-carbon attributes can be considered a linkage of ecology, economy, and society. Based on this, this paper presents research on low-carbon ecological tea (LCT). Herein, we construct the formational logic of low-carbon ecological products, explore the connotations of LCT, and form a conceptual pathway for realizing LCT to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. This paper starts from the upstream, midstream, and downstream of the industrial chain; it establishes three value realization pathways that keep, as a priority, the promotion of ecological industrialization, focus on restoration to improve the ecology of the industrial chain, and innovate technology to expand the industrial chain. The pathways are a set of low-emission production solutions that use techniques to enhance carbon sequestration in soil, reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides, and help shift to clean energy from low-emission sources in the stages of plantation, processing, and distribution. In the process of realizing LCT, the government plays an important role, and its support and guidance are needed. Based on stakeholder theory, this paper builds an implementation mechanism that focuses on the micro perspective (users, organizations), integrates the mesoscopic perspective (industry), and relies on the macro perspective (government).

The establishment of a new type of natural protected area system with national parks as the main body is an inevitable trend of current development, and it is also an important ways to build a more beautiful China. During tourist visits, the national park will promote a variety of ways to enhance the ecological values of tourists. Ecological values can strengthen tourists’ sense of identity, but their impact on tourists’ pro-environmental behavior is not discussed. Based on this, Wuyishan National Park, a world natural and cultural heritage, is selected as the case site, and the PLS-SEM analysis method is used. An empirical test was conducted on 358 valid samples collected in the field. The results show the following: (1) tourists’ ecological values and place identity can positively affect their pro-environmental behaviors; (2) place identity plays a mediating role between ecological values and tourists’ pro-environmental behavior; (3) place dependence and place identity play a chain mediating role between ecological values and tourists’ pro-environmental behavior; (4) according to the PLS-MGA test, gender and age can play a moderating role on the influence of ecological values on pro-environmental behavior. Therefore, the managers of national parks should pay attention to the cultivation of ecological values and consider tourist attraction, as well as formulating marketing strategies and other policy suggestions according to the different characteristics of tourists. The findings of this study offer both practical guidance and a theoretical underpinning for advancing ecological tourism within the framework of natural protected areas, with national parks playing a central role.

Exploring the mechanisms and processes of land-use transitions (LUTs) and their impact on ecosystem services can effectively elucidate the intricate interactions between human and natural systems, which is pivotal for advancing the sustainable development of regional economies and enhancing ecological environments. However, the existing literature lacks comprehensive analysis regarding the spatial and temporal evolution of LUTs, with insufficient integration of the “spatial pattern” and “time process”. Moreover, traditional assessments of the ecosystem services value (ESV) often overlook their negative costs. To address these gaps, this study first utilized the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform and employed the random forest algorithm to conduct supervised classification on Landsat remote-sensing images from the years 2000, 2010, and 2020 within the research area, thereby obtaining land-use data for three distinct periods. And then, we investigated the geographic features of LUTs and their ecological effects in the Ningde City of China from 2000 to 2020. The geo-informatic Tupu model and a newly revised method of benefit transfer were primarily employed for this purpose. The findings indicate the following: (1) Over the study period, the land-use structure of Ningde City predominantly comprised cultivated land and forest land, with continuous decreases in both types and a concurrent increase in built-up land. (2) Significant disparities exist in the spatial distribution of Tupu units, notably with “forest land → cultivated land” and “cultivated land → built-up land” as crucial units influencing ESV changes. (3) The ESV in Ningde City decreased from CNY 1105.54 × 108 to CNY 1020.47 × 108 over 2000–2020, while the ecosystem dis-services value exhibited an opposing trend, rising from CNY 12.68 × 108 to CNY 20.39 × 108. (4) The net ESV in Ningde City showed a decline over the same period, indicating a certain vulnerability in the city’s ecological system structure. This study aims to enhance our understanding of the influence of land-use patterns on ESV, offering valuable insights for regional ecological–environment management and land-use policy formulation, thereby fostering sustainable development in ecological, environmental, and socio-economic dimensions. Furthermore, the results serve as a reference for evaluating net ecosystem services value in other countries/regions.

The expansion of tea plantations has caused changes in land use structure, which, in turn, has affected the regional habitat quality. Exploring the characteristics of changes in land use structure and habitat quality under different development scenarios is important for the formulation of regional land planning policies and the guarantee of ecological security. This study quantified the habitat quality of the study area from 2010 to 2020 based on the InVEST habitat quality module and explored the land use distribution patterns and habitat quality change characteristics under different scenarios in combination with the PLUS model. The results show that, from 2010 to 2020, the area of tea plantations expanded by 153.0126 km2, and the mean value of habitat quality increased from 0.6502 to 0.6919; in different development scenarios, the area of tea plantations was from large to small in the order of scenario 1 (871.2468), scenario 3 (599.4531) and scenario 2 (518.5440), and the mean value of habitat quality was from high to low in the order of scenario 1 (0.7385), scenario 2 (0.7162) and scenario 3 (0.6919). This study mainly explored the structural changes of land use and habitat quality evolution characteristics under different development scenarios in the study area, and the results of the study can provide a reference basis for rational land development and utilization and habitat conservation in the large-scale tea plantation area.

After being satisfied with material life, the citizens have ample economic ability and time to stress on leisure life and participate in recreation activity. To cope with such demands, ecotourism naturally becomes an alternative choice of tourism for many people. Under the sustained-yield management, a lot more of ecotourism issues are discussed. In face of the competitive tourism market, it becomes primary for tourism industry effectively developing regional tourism resources, enhance the construction of ecotourism environment image, and deliver necessary information for more attractive environment image to drive customers' "intention" to visit. Taking ecotourism visitors in Fujian Province as the research samples, the questionnaire are distributed on-site. Total 322 valid copies of questionnaire are retrieved, with the retrieval rate 77%. The research results show significantly positive correlations between 1. environment image and word of mouth, 2. word of mouth and tourism intention, and 3.environment image and tourism intention. According to the results, suggestions are proposed in this study, expecting to effectively enhance the competitiveness of domestic ecotourism in the competitive tourism market and achieve sustained-yield management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]