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Assessing the socioeconomic development of rural areas is important for the targeted implementation of rural revitalization in China, especially after three years of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. However, the influence of COVID-19 on socioeconomic development in rural areas remains unclear. Therefore, this paper constructed a comprehensive socioeconomic development index (SEDI) by considering county-level statistics on natural environment, social resources, and economy as proxies for assessing local socioeconomic development, and analyzed the influence of COVID-19 from the changing pattern of SEDI before and after COVID-19, with Wumeng Mountain (WM) area as the study case. In response to the absence and untimeliness of statistics, we employed both nighttime light (NTL) and land use/land cover (LULC) features to fill in these missing SEDIs from 2013 to 2022, using random forest regression. With the assistance of LULC, the overall R2 increased from 0.7763 to 0.9056, and the estimation accuracy improved in 36 out of 38 counties. All counties in WM experienced an increase in SEDI, and the growth rate did not slow down, proving the effective implementation of rural revitalization strategy. Also, the spatial clustering pattern remained relatively stable. These findings provide scientific foundations for the local government to assess comprehensive development and formulate policies.

Land use and cover changes have substantially altered surface landscape patterns, resulting in landscape ecological risk (LER) and jeopardizing the continued supply of ecosystem services (ES). Although ES and LER are positive and negative aspects of ecological security representation, respectively, the spatiotemporal mechanism of their interaction still needs to be further clarified. This study focused on the Wuling Mountain Area (WMA), a critical ecological functional zone. First, multi-source data and multi-models were used to evaluate LER and ES and analyze their spatiotemporal characteristics. Subsequently, a geographically and temporally weighted regression model was applied to uncover the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the impacts of LER on various ES. Finally, ecological zones were delineated based on the LER-ES quadrant, a driving force analysis was conducted, and ecological management strategies are proposed. The main results are as follows: (1) LER and various ES showed overall decreasing and increasing trends, respectively. (2) Except for water yield, the impact of LER on various ES showed clear spatiotemporal non-stationarity, with a significant negative impact, which was most pronounced for habitat quality. (3) The WMA was divided into four ecological zones: ecological risk prevention zone, ecological conservation zone, ES enhancement zone, and ecological reshaping zone. Elevation, normalized difference vegetation index, and human footprint were identified as the main drivers of ecological zoning. This research lays a solid foundation for in-depth understanding of the impacts of LER on ES. The proposed zoning scheme provides strong support for the ecologically sustainable development of the WMA.

[Objective] To scientifically understand the spatio-temporal evolution process and formation mechanism of urban space, agricultural space and ecological space in Qinling-Daba Mountain area is the key to promote the overall coordination of the national spatial development pattern and the rise of the central and western regions, and it is also an urgent need for high-quality transformation and development of the region. [Methods] Based on the methods of spatial transfer matrix, topographic location analysis and random forest regression, the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics and driving mechanism of Qinba Mountain region during 2000—2020 were studied from two dimensions of “pattern scale-topographic location”. [Results] (1) In the past 20 years, the cities and towns in the Qinba Mountain area expanded dramatically, and the agricultural and ecological space continued to shrink. While the population of 58.33% of the counties decreased, the urban land was still expanding, and the “total population and urban size” showed a serious polarization. (2) The phenomenon was characterized by urban and agricultural space “climbing up the hills”, while ecological space “descended into the valleys”. The newly added urban and agricultural space was moved up 1 to 2 topographic positions on average. The dam elevation project of Danjiangkou Reservoir downstream had a significant impact on the overall spatial distribution gradient of the mountainous areas. (3) The dynamic adjustment and replacement of “agricultural space to ecological space” was the leading type of transformation in Qinba Mountain area, and the influence of fiscal expenditure was the most significant. Agricultural space was the main source of new towns, and the scale of urban degradation into agricultural and ecological space was significant in Qinba mountain area. (4) Land development policies, mountain terrain attributes, traffic location conditions and social and economic factors jointly restrict and affect the results of territorial spatial evolution in Qinba Mountain area, and there were obvious differences in the effect intensity and the number of significant factors of various types of factors in different conversion directions. [Conclusion] Promoting the concentration of new towns to the key development zones, scientifically guiding agricultural and ecological space to conform to the topographic gradient layout, carefully carrying out water conservancy project construction, and planning the overall regional layout of the “Three districs and Three lines” will have a positive impact on the optimization of territorial spatial pattern in Qinba Mountain area.

This study is based on the Taihang Mountain Area in Southern Hebei Province, focusing on battlefield sites in She County. Interdisciplinary theories and methods such as field investigation, architectural typology, and GIS spatial analysis are used to establish the protection roadmap and geographic information database for battlefield sites. The aim is to reveal the architectural characteristics and spatiotemporal distribution patterns of battlefield sites, evaluate its current status and constraints, and propose targeted protection strategies and restoration measures. Research has found that battlefield sites combine the characteristics of traditional dwellings and village temples, presenting the characteristics of clear clustering distribution and low altitude with a system near the water in the spatial and temporal dimensions, with good natural adaptability and unique rural cultural landscapes. At the same time, in response to the constraints and challenges still faced by protection work, a protection strategy framework has been constructed from six aspects: strengthening daily maintenance, reducing human and natural damage, optimizing the property rights system, unifying responsibility subjects, comprehensive development and utilization, and international legislation and cooperation. Repair and protection guidelines have been established from five technical links: timber structure, joinery work, roof, wall, and ground. This study can lay the foundation for the cultural inheritance and sustainable protection of battlefield sites in the Taihang Mountain Area of Southern Hebei Province, and provide theoretical references and practical examples for similar research.

Filling mining is a technology that can curb land subsidence, efficiently dispose of industrial solid waste, and quickly liberate the “three underground” coal resources. This article focuses on controlling mining subsidence in the 4603 (2) working face and 4604 (1) working face of Shanxi Shenzhou Coal Industry Co., Ltd. It conducts in-depth research on the determination of fly ash composition, testing of filling slurry fluidity, engineering practice of filling mining technology, and the entire process of subsidence observation. The results indicate that: the specialized auxiliary materials developed based on fly ash can fully stimulate the potential activity of fly ash. A flowability test mold was used to test the flowability of the filling slurry quickly, and the upper limit of the concentration of the self-flowing filling slurry was determined to be 55%. We have developed a bag cycle filling process with a filling step distance of 2.4 m, which includes “mining → filling → mining → filling”. We have mastered the strength evolution characteristics of filling materials at different ages and established a correlation equation between the strength of filling materials and time length. After 60 days of age, the strength of the consolidated specimens is stable at 3.0MPa, meeting the filling design requirements of 2.0 MPa for the final strength of filling materials; After filling with high-concentration slurry from the terrain, the maximum subsidence of the working face is −156 mm and the maximum subsidence of the strike is −111 mm, achieving the control goal of surface subsidence less than 200 mm. This ensures the safe use of large garbage treatment stations on the ground and dense buildings and structures in surrounding coal villages. The research results can provide a reference for filling mining in similar valley mountain mining areas.

The European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) is generally considered a lowland breeder with exceptional occurrences in the mountainous areas of Italy and Greece. The occasional observation of a small but significant population of stonechat at 1850 m a.s.l. in the central Apennines led us to investigate the ecological requirements of the species in this high mountain area. Using the territory mapping method, we identified all breeding territories and their ecological characteristics. We found a close association between the stonechat and the prostrate shrub juniper Juniper communis ssp. alpina and discussed the structural similarity of this shrub with the natural heath and moorland habitat of the stonechat in Germany and Great Britain. The surprisingly high population densities found in this study compared to those of neighbouring lowland agricultural habitats suggest that heathland with prostrate shrubs is the original natural habitat of the stonechat wherever the climate permits, from sea level in northern Europe to 2000 m above sea level in Mediterranean countries. Preliminary results from a small sample area show that the mountain breeding stonechat has a long breeding season, from its arrival in early March until its departure in late October. We argue the role of the juniper heaths for shelter and food supply during and after the frequent snow showers in early spring. The association of the stonechat (and other species) with prostrate shrub lands indicates the importance of conserving this habitat in Italy, where the stonechat has recently been classified as endangered (EN) on the national red list. To this end, we recommend in-depth studies on the stonechat-prostrate shrub association in other high mountain areas in Italy and abroad, where, on the one hand, increasing industrialisation of agriculture and, on the other hand, vegetation encroachment due to abandonment of agro-pastoral activity lead to rapid habitat loss and seriously threaten the lowland populations of the stonechat.

Ecological safety evaluation is a key tool that reflects changes in the quality of the ecological environment and provides a scientific basis for land use policies and ecological environment construction. This study used the Changbaishan region as the study area, selected 23 indicators from natural and socioeconomic aspects, adopted the Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response-Management (DPSIRM) model, and used hierarchical analysis and entropy value methods to determine the weights and comprehensively evaluate the ecological security of wetlands. The results showed that the ecological safety value increased from 0.1754 to 0.2933 from 1990–2020 in the Changbai Mountains area, moving the critical safety state to the safety state. The value was lower in the center and higher in the east, north, and southwest. In addition, the wetlands in the north recovered faster. During the study period, the driver, response, and management indices increased, whereas the pressure, state, and impact were relatively stable. The Changbai Mountain region has achieved success in wetland management, education, environmental protection expenditure, ecological compensation, and natural wetland protection; however, rational planning is still needed for urbanization, construction and development, and wetland tourism.

[Objective The aims of this study are to determine the soil desiccation characteristics of a typical plantation in the Baiyu Mountain area, and to provide theoretical basis for reasonable selection and sustainable development of plantation in Baiyu Mountain area. [Methods] The plantations with 40 years of vegetation restoration (PopulusXhopeiensis Hu & Chow. Pinus tabulaeformis and Pinus sylvestris var. mongholica Litv.) were taken as the samples. The barren grassland was taken as the control. Artificial soil drilling method was used to study the drying characteristics and influencing factors of 0-5 m soil in the artificial forest. [Results] (1) The average soil water content of different plantations was in the order: grassland (4.95%) Pinus sylvestris vat, mongholica Litv. (4.49%) >Populus X hopeiensis Hu & Chow (4,39%) >Pinus tabuliformis (2.44%). (2) The soil dry layer existed in different plantations and the formation depth and thickness of the dry layer were basically the same, but the average water content of the soil in the dry layer was different, the lowest value was observed in Pinus tabulaeformis and the highest value was observed in the wasteland. (3) The soil desiccation index of different plantations followed the order: Pinus tabuliformis (69.75%) >PopulusXhopeiensis Hu & Chow (28.83%)> Pinus sylvestris var. mongholica Litv. (26.73%)> grassland (17.05%). (4) Correlation analysis and multiple linear regression model showed that silt. sand and depth were the main factors affecting soil desiccation characteristics of Pinus sylvestris var. mongholica Litv.. Pinus tabulaeformis and Populus X hopeiensis Hu & Chow. respectively. [Conclusion] The soil desiccation degree of Pinus sylvestris var. mongholica Litv, was the lowest after 40 years of planting. Pinus sylvestris var, mongholica Litv. could be used as the best choice for afforestation of typical plantation in Baiyu Mountain area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective In July 2022(Beijing time), the glacier survey group and mountaineering group of the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) performed the "Second University Students' Scientific Expedition to the Yangtze River" in the Geladandong Snow Mountain area. Methods To analyse the spatial and temporal characteristics of glaciers in this region, scientific research data were combined with optical remote sensing image interpretation, InSAR deformation information extraction, LiDAR altimetry measurements, and high-precision geodetic survey data to conduct multisource remote sensing image fusion processing research. Aerial triangulation encryption, frequency domain image matching, the waveband ratio method, and visual interpretation were used to extract DOM, DSM, glacier area and number distribution information from high-resolution satellite GF1, GF6, GF7, ZY3, and Landsat 7 remote sensing images of Geladandong Snow Mountain and typical glaciers.Sentinel-1A and ICESat-2 images were used, supported by the cross-correlation offset tracking method in the SAR image space domain, to extract glacier surface velocity and elevation changes, respectively. The 3D spatial coordinates and elevation outliers of all the control points were calculated for the BDS CORS station in Qinghai Province using the Gamit/Globk double difference ionospheric combination model, real-time extended (RTX), and real-time kinematic (RTK) techniques. Results The results revealed 512 glaciers in the Geladandong Snow Mountain area, with an average annual growth rate of 3.12%, an area of 1 111.96 km2, and an average annual retreat rate of 0.63%.The average daily maximum velocity of the Jianggen (gu) Diru glacier is 0.25 cm/d, and the average annual maximum velocity is 91.25 cm/a. The maximum retreat value, accumulation value and annual change rate of Jianggen (gu) Diru glacier on the south side and north side are -74.63 m, 38.44 m, -5.29 m/a to 3.09 m/a, -39.17 m, 35.74 m, -3.02 m/a to 2.85 m/a, respectively. The precision of the regional quasigeoid refinement model and the errors at all control sites both attained mm levels. Conclusion The aforementioned findings can provide data support for subsequent research on glaciers in this region.

【Objective】 Water ascent in plant is driven by water evaporation from leaves, influenced by meteorological factors. Understanding its variation with these factors is important to unveil the mechanisms underlying plant transpiration. This paper is to investigate the correlation between sap flow and meteorological factors in a plantation located in the Chaohe mountain area. 【Method】 The experimental site is at the Dadaigou Experimental Station in Fengning County. Sap flow from May to October in different tree species including Larix principis-rupprechtii, Pinus tabulaeformis and Hippophae rhamnoides, was measured using the Granier-type thermal dissipation probe. Meteorological data measured during the same period were used to analyze their impact on the sap flows. 【Result】 ① In sunny days, sap flow measured in all species increased in daytime and decreased in evening; it was larger in sunny days than in rainy days. Sap flow in Hippophae rhamnoides was faster and more sensitive to rainfall than other two species. ② Hourly sap flow in all species was positively correlated to atmospheric temperature (Ta), vapor pressure deficit (VPD), net radiation (Rn) and wind velocity (W), and negatively correlated to rainfall and relative humidity (Rh). Rn is the factor affecting sap flow most, followed by VPD, Ta and Rh. ③ Daily sap flow in Larix principis-rupprechtii, Pinus tabulaeformis and Hippophae rhamnoides was 2.78, 1.44 and 5.27 mL/(cm2·h) separately, affected significantly by Rn, VPD and Ta. ④ There was a significant delay in the response of sap flow to changes in meteorological factors for all three species, with the response to changes in VPD and Rn delayed by 20 min and 60 min for Larix principis-rupprechtii, 40 min and 50 min for Pinus tabulaeformis, and 20 min and 50 min for Hippophae rhamnoides, respectively. 【Conclusion】 The meteorological factors that affect sap flow in the three species in the Chaohe mountain area were net radiation (Rn) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD). There was a significant delay in the response of sap flow to changes in meteorological factors. Studying plant transpiration and its variation with meteorological factors should consider such a delay.

This paper described how university students from Macau took social responsibility in China through Service-Learning project. It was an introductory experience for the student participants and for the children in the mountain area as well. This study aimed at raising children's interest in learning and their desire of continuing study. Results were reported in four themes: (1) increasing personal competence of teamwork spirits, leadership and service skills; (2) students' perception towards poverty issue and education in China rural and mountain areas; (3) having commitment to the next service; (4) realizing that Service-Learning must be a mutual process. This paper also provides an overview of how a living-learning community dedicated itself to community service to educate residents holistically.

Degrading rock wall permafrost was found responsible for the increase in rockfall and landslide activity in several cold mountain regions across the globe. In Greenland, rock wall permafrost has so far received little attention from the scientific community, despite mountains being a predominant feature on the ice-free coastline and landslide activity being significant. In this study, we aim to make a first step towards a better understanding of rock wall permafrost in Greenland by modelling rock wall temperatures in the mountain area around the town of Sisimiut, which is 68° N on the west coast of Greenland. We first acquire rock surface temperature (RST) data for the period September 2020–September 2022 to model rock surface temperatures from weather forcing. The model is then applied to weather data from 1870 to 2022, generating rock surface temperatures to force transient heat transfer simulations over the same period. By extrapolating this method at the landscape scale, we obtain permafrost distribution maps and ad hoc simulations for complex topographies. Our model results are compared to temperature data from two lowland boreholes (100 m depth) and geophysical data describing frozen and unfrozen conditions across a mid-elevation mountain ridge. Finally, we use regional carbon pathway scenarios 2.6 and 8.5 to evaluate future evolution of rock wall temperatures until the end of the 21st century. Our data and simulation describe discontinuous permafrost distribution in rock walls up to roughly 400 m a.s.l. Future scenarios suggest a decline of deep frozen bodies up to 800 m a.s.l., i.e. the highest summits in the area. In summary, this study depicts a picture of warm permafrost in this area, highlighting its sensitivity to ongoing climate change.

Three sites at 900 m a.s.l. in the sub-alpine mountain birch forest region and under different levels of human-influence were investigated. Site 1: An open birch forest with some scattered spruces, a rich bush and field layer and a rich moss cover; very little grazed. Site 2: Tree and bush layer removed, a rich field layer invaded by open area species and some ’culture indicators’; there was a rich moss cover. Site 3: Grazed; tree layer, bush layer and moss cover absent. Pitfall trapping (18 May – 18 Aug. 2000) in site 1 - 3 resulted in 48, 48 and 22 spider species (in total 64 species). In site 1 and 2 Pardosa riparia (C.L.Koch, 1833) and Alopecosa pulverulenta (Clerck, 1757) were dominating. P. sphagnicola (Dahl, 1908) was also fairly common in site 1, P. palustris and P. hyperborea (Thorell, 1872) in site 2. Site 3 was almost completely dominated by Pardosa palustris (73.2 %) and Erigone atra Blackwall, 1841 (18.2 %); present (absent elsewhere) were also some specimens of Oedothorax retusus (Westring, 1851) (4.6 %).

IntroductionThe thickness of ground substrate in shallow mountainous areas is a crucial indicator for substrate investigations and a key factor in evaluating substrate quality and function. Reliable data acquisition methods are essential for effective investigation.MethodsThis study utilizes six machine learning algorithms—Gradient Boosting Machine (GB), Random Forest (RF), AdaBoost Regressor (AB), Neural Network (NN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN)—to predict ground substrate thickness. Grid search optimization was employed to fine-tune model parameters. The models’ performances were evaluated using four metrics: mean squared error (MSE), root mean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and the coefficient of determination (R2). The optimal parameter combinations for each model were then used to calculate the spatial distribution of ground substrate thickness in the study area.ResultsThe results indicate that after parameter optimization, all models showed significant reductions in the MSE, RMSE, and MAE, while R2 values increased substantially. Under optimal parameters, the RF model achieved an MSE of 1,589, RMSE of 39.8, MAE of 26.5, and an R2 of 0.63, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.80, outperforming the other models. Therefore, parameter tuning is a necessary step in using machine learning models to predict ground substrate thickness, and the performance of all six models improved significantly after tuning. Overall, ensemble learning models provided better predictive performance than other machine learning models, with the RF model demonstrating the best accuracy and robustness.DiscussionMoreover, further attention is required on the characteristics of sample data and environmental variables in machine learning-based predictions.

Old economic development theories no longer adequately explain development issues as the world moves toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The key to solving this problem lies in shifting from economic wellbeing with wealth at its core to sustainable wellbeing with equitable development at its core. However, there is a lack of systematic methods and applications for assessing sustainable wellbeing, which leaves policy makers unsure of how to optimize policies for sustainable wellbeing enhancement. Therefore, this research aims to establish a sustainable wellbeing measurement system connection with the SDGs, to value and index sustainable wellbeing, and to explore the progress of sustainable wellbeing in 46 counties in the Qinba Mountain Area from 2009 to 2020, taking the Qinba Mountain Area, which is the most concerned area in China. Methodologically, Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), Ecosystem Services Vuale (ESV), and Life Satisfaction (LS) are valorized separately to represent economic capital, ecological capital, and social capital, thus valorizing sustainable wellbeing, and get the Sustainable Wellbeing Value (SWV). Based on this, we follow the principle of “the best system is one that achieves a simultaneously prosperous” advocated by the theory of sustainable wellbeing, and calculate the Sustainable Wellbeing Index (SWI) by the method of coupling coordination, so as to build up the interconnection of the three capital accounts of sustainable wellbeing: economic, ecological and social. We investigate the spatial and temporal dynamics dynamic changes of sustainable wellbeing in the Qinba Mountain Area based on the valuation and indexation of sustainable wellbeing. The results of the research show that, first, the value of sustainable wellbeing in the Qinba Mountain Area fluctuates upward, with economic capital contributing the most, ecological capital fluctuating the most, and social capital contributing most smoothly. Although economic capital is necessary for the development of all counties, it is obvious that developing counties rely on it more. The SWI in the Qinba Mountain Area fluctuates and rises, and it is overall in a stage of coordinated transition, showing strong social and economic capital and weak ecological capital. By county, the proportion of dysfunctional economic, ecological, and social capital interrelationships declined significantly in all counties. However, some counties still suffer from ecological lag, mainly stemming from an imbalance between human activities and the required ecosystem services. Therefore, it is crucial to clarify the functional territorial zoning of regions and promote the structural transformation of development. This research will provide a valuable reference for the refinement research of Sustainable Development Goals and the optimization of rural development policies in mountainous areas.

Different driving environments may lead to increased mental workload and fatigue among drivers, consequently diminishing driving safety. To investigate the impact of various factors on drivers' driving load, this study approaches the issue from three perspectives: external weather environment, road driving environment, and in-vehicle driving environment. Through the experimental modeling of the mountainous road section of Provincial Highway S208 in Chongyang County, Xianning City, and employing simulated driving experiments, various factor combinations were designed to investigate the visual characteristics of drivers. Through factor analysis, a comprehensive examination is conducted on four visual indicators: the rate of change in pupil area, fixation duration, saccade velocity, and saccade angle, to explore the patterns of influence exerted by these factors on the driving load of drivers. The evaluation results of driving workload indicate that the degree of driver distraction decreases when the plant spacing is set at 6 meters and the type of road traffic auxiliary facilities is configured to two. When the traffic flow on the road is zero and no driving sub-mission are present, the driver experiences the minimum level of workload. The findings of this study provide robust theoretical support for nighttime mountain driving safety, contributing to the in-depth exploration of traffic safety theories., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Li et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Study Design Cross-sectional cohort study. Purpose This study investigated the relationship among osteoporosis, sarcopenia, locomotive syndrome, and spinal kyphosis in older individuals living in a mountain area. Overview of Literature Kyphosis greatly reduces the quality of life of older individuals. Osteoporosis and sarcopenia are kyphosis-causing factors. Methods This cross-sectional study included 361 individuals aged ≥65 years (mean age, 75.0 years) living in a local mountain area and underwent medical check-ups from 2014 to 2018. The survey items included kyphosis index, body mass index, back pain prevalence, back pain Visual Analog Scale score, Oswestry Disability Index, walking speed, grip strength, skeletal mass index, osteoporosis (% young adult mean [YAM]), LOCOMO 5 score, and presence of sarcopenia (Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia). The participants were divided into the N (kyphosis index: