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Due to the influences of the storage environment, water content change, particle settlement, natural loss, and other factors, the distribution density of wheat and the volume of grain pile in the storage process are gradually changed so that the single weight calculation method cannot objectively evaluate the storage quantity of wheat and also causes difficulties to the regular inspection of the quantity of wheat stock. To meet the practical needs of wheat inventory monitoring, a wheat inventory monitoring method based on inventory measurement and the support vector machine regression (SVR) prediction model is proposed. By collecting the working papers for the physical inspection of wheat in grain warehouses in Shanxi province, Hebei province, Henan province, Jiangsu province, and other places, the storage time, storage weight, storage moisture content, measured moisture content, measured volume weight, measured net volume, and measured weight for inspection were selected as training samples for the SVR prediction model, and kernel function selection and parameter optimization were carried out. We developed an optimal prediction model for the amount of wheat in the grain depots. In the actual grain store measurement process, the net volume of wheat in the current grain store was obtained by a laser volumetric measuring apparatus, the actual bulk density of wheat was sampled, and the actual moisture content of wheat was measured by sampling. The three samples, their storage time, their storage moisture content, and their storage weight were fed into the trained SVR prediction model as new samples, and the predicted weight of the wheat in the current grain store was obtained from the output. The error rate calculation procedure was introduced to achieve an anomalous judgment error rate for grain depots. The experimental results showed that the SVR prediction model based on the linear kernel function had a very low mean squared error and high determination coefficient, and the average prediction accuracy of the grain stock error rate reached 93.2 percent, which can meet the requirements of wheat quantity monitoring in grain warehouses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmers' green production transformation can ensure the quality and security of agricultural products to a certain extent and alleviate the pressure of the agricultural environment. It is essential to understand the impact of socialized agricultural services on the degree of farmers' green production transformation. Based on 1018 survey responses of farmers in Henan, Shandong, and Shanxi provinces, this paper used the finite mixture model to calculate the degree of farmers' green production transformation and used the propensity score matching (PSM) model to construct the counterfactual hypothesis to estimate the average processing effect and heterogeneity of socialized agricultural services on the degree of farmers' green production transformation. The results showed that: 1 The production mode of wheat growers could be divided into traditional production mode and green production mode. The proportion of wheat growers engaged in green production accounted for 20.33%; their fertilizer application was reduced by 363.35 kg/hm², and their pesticide cost was reduced by 418.73 yuan/hm². 2 Fertilization services and plant protection services could significantly promote the wheat growers' green production transformation, and their average treatment effects were 0.109 and 0.152, respectively. Compared with fertilization services, plant protection services promoted wheat growers' green production transformation to a greater extent. After farmers purchased fertilization services and plant protection services, the corresponding chemical input costs per hectare were reduced by 204.06 yuan and 284.56 yuan, respectively. 3 The impact of socialized agricultural services on farmers' green production transformation was significantly heterogeneous. The average treatment effect on green production transformation was more significant for part-time farmers and farmers trained in agricultural technology who purchased the services. Therefore, we should vigorously cultivate the socialized agricultural service market, strengthen the support for such services in different sectors, guide farmers with different endowments to reasonably purchase such services, and promote farmers' green production transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Irrigation & Drainage is the property of Journal of Irrigation & Drainage Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Establishment of a watershed ecological compensation mechanism between multiple subjects is an effective means to realize the collaborative governance of water pollution and maintain the security of water ecology. This paper breaks through the conventional upstream and downstream perspectives of watershed ecological compensation design research and combines them with uncertainty factors. The watershed ecological compensation mechanism for the mainstream and branches was established based on the evolutionary game and the random process. Then, taking the midstream of the Yellow River as an example, some constraint conditions and influencing factors were explored. Results show that: (1) The branch government (i.e., the Shanxi provincial government) is the key to establishing an ecological compensation mechanism between the river mainstream and branches. (2) The proportion of pollution transferred by other branches, the initial probability and the random factors are the main factors affecting the decision-making of branch governments (Shanxi and Shaanxi provincial governments). (3) The compensation and reward of the mainstream government to the branch government and the compensation of the branch government to the mainstream government are the main factors affecting the decision-making of mainstream and branch governments (Shanxi–Henan provincial governments, Shaanxi–Henan provincial governments). The study may provide scientific guidance for the construction of a watershed ecological compensation mechanism between mainstream and multiple branches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased CO2 emissions from urban energy consumption pose a significant challenge to regional carbon mitigation policies. In this paper, we integrated two nighttime light (NTL) data: the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS) and the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) composite data to estimate the energy carbon emissions from 2000 to 2019. Then the spatiotemporal dynamics of carbon footprint and deficit in the Yellow River Basin were analyzed at the provincial, municipal, and county scales combined with NPP data. The study shows that (1) the total amount of energy consumption CO2 emissions in the Yellow River Basin had increased from 1332 Mt in 2000 to 6469 Mt in 2019, but the average annual growth rate slowed down after 2010 from 11.5 to 5.61%. (2) From 2000 to 2018, the provinces with the highest carbon footprint and carbon deficit were concentrated in Inner Mongolia and Shanxi. In 2018, Inner Mongolia's carbon footprint was 1366.91 × 104 km2, accounting for 22.8% of the total. Cities with high carbon footprint were mainly economic centers and energy-intensive areas of various provinces. High-carbon deficit counties were mainly distributed in the western region. In 2018, 954 counties exhibited carbon deficits. (3) The carbon footprint in the Yellow River Basin at the municipal and county scales have a significant spatial correlation. The H–H clusters of the carbon footprint on the municipal scale were distributed in the middle reaches of the Yellow River Basin. At the county scale, the L-L clusters were mainly in Sichuan and eastern Henan regions. Through the analysis of the spatial and temporal evolution of carbon footprint and carbon deficit in the Yellow River Basin, it is significant to measure the degree of comprehensive coordination of carbon sources and sinks in the basin, to grasp the differences in the level of regional carbon emissions, and to promote synergistic regional governance, assist in the formulation of more precise carbon emission reduction policies, and to promote green and high-quality development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil moisture (SM) plays an important role in regulating terrestrial–atmospheric water circulation and energy balance. Most of the existing studies have explored the dynamic patterns of SM based on experimental methods. However, the analysis of large-scale regions and long-term SM sequences was limited. Alternatively, satellite remote sensing data is a potential source for SM analysis for large-scale basins. Therefore, the SM data from the European Space Agency (ESA) Climate Change Initiative (CCI) from 2000 to 2015 is used in this paper to analyze the SM spatial-temporal changes in the Yellow River Basin (YRB). Further, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and meteorological data are used to explore the relationships between SM and NDVI, precipitation, air temperature, and wind speed, respectively. The results showed that the overall trend of SM in the YRB was decreasing from southeast to northwest during the past 16 years. The upper reaches of the YRB had shown a humid trend, with a value of 0.00047 m3·m−3·year−1, mainly due to the increase in precipitation; there was an obvious drought trend in the middle reaches of the YRB, especially in Shanxi Province and Henan Province, with a value of −0.00030 m3·m−3·year−1, which may be owed to vegetation greening increasing the soil evaporation. Overall, it is determined that the main factors influencing SM changes were NDVI and precipitation, followed by air temperature and wind speed. This study can provide a scientific basis for the spatial-temporal distribution characteristics and attributions of SM in the YRB over a long time series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silo-cave is a unique human habitation form on the Loess Plateau in northern China, which consists of an excavated 6–7 m deep pit as the courtyard and cave dwellings in the surrounding four walls. This architecture has had a history of more than 7000 years, and yet such "living fossils for the history of dwellings" are now facing great crises and challenges during rapid social and economic development. In this paper, remote sensing and GIS techniques are used to comprehensively and systematically investigate the spatial distributions and morphological characteristics of silo-caves at both the macro and micro scales. The research shows that silo-cave villages are mainly distributed in economically underdeveloped areas, such as West Henan (Yuxi), South Shanxi (Jinnan), Central Shaanxi (Guanzhong), and East Gansu (Longdong). The morphological evolution patterns of typical silo-cave villages are identified, including: (1) retaining the periphery and rebuilding the inner parts of the villages, (2) retaining the inner parts and expanding the periphery of the villages, and (3) rebuilding the inner parts and expanding the periphery of the villages. These patterns are demonstrated to be influenced by many factors, including landforms, traffic conditions, economic development, population growth, and administrative division adjustment. Sustainable development of these traditional silo-cave villages relies on administrative policy and planning, people's awareness of cultural heritage protection, culture inheritance, industrial transformation, and public services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences is the property of Editorial Board of Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Coal Science & Technology (0253-2336) is the property of Coal Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

[Display omitted] • The equivalent coefficient is revised according to ability and willingness to pay. • The Best-worst method is used to determine the weight of the allocated indicators. • A 10 km buffer calculation strip is established in the compensated payment area. • The overflow of hydrological adjusting is greater than that of erosion prevention. • Ecological compensation in 2010–2020 is higher than that in 2000–2010. Coordinated governance and horizontal ecological compensation are important ways to realize ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin. Taking the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River as the research object, this paper analyses the compensation relationship and amount of cities along the line in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan and Shandong provinces. Firstly, the spillover value of regulation of water flows and erosion prevention of 32 counties along the Yellow River in Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces were calculated during 2000–2010 and 2010–2020 from the perspective of land use/cover change (LUCC). Secondly, the compensation accounting index system was established based on the classification of ecological services given the beneficiaries' individual preferences, and each indicator's weights were determined based on the Best-worst method. Finally, setting the water ecological service value of the 10 km buffer zone on both sides of the Yellow River as the accounting scope, this paper calculated the amount of ecological compensation paid by 16 cities in Shandong and Henan provinces. The results show that: (1) The spillover value of Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces in 2010–2020 is greater than that in 2000–2010, and the values of erosion prevention in both stages are lower than that of regulation of water flows; (2) From the perspective of providers, the highest is 3.68e + 08 yuan in Lvliang from 2000 to 2010, while the highest is 3.60e + 09 yuan in Yulin from 2010 to 2020; (3) From the perspective of beneficiaries, Zhengzhou has the highest amount of compensation in Henan province, which is 2.28e + 08 yuan in 2000–2010 and 9.41e + 08 yuan in 2010–2020 respectively. In Shandong province, Heze pays the highest value of 1.27e + 08 yuan from 2000 to 2010, and Jinan pays the highest value of 9.56e + 08 yuan from 2010 to 2020. The ecological compensation scheme obtained in this paper is more sustainable than the vertical compensation and expands the scope of the existing ecological compensation standards, which can effectively stimulate the enthusiasm for ecological protection, and reduce the financial pressure on the central government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extraordinarily severe coal mine accidents (ESCMAs) are characteristized by thirty fatalities or more in one accident. In this paper, such ESCMAs are analyzed using 188 cases which occurred in Chinese underground coal mines. The analysis shows that the number of ESCMAs and the death toll have decreased steadily over time. Gas explosions, mine water inrushes, and coal dust explosions are the three major types of ESCMAs. Among the causes of ESCMAs, inadequate implementation of safety measures, deliberate violations and electromechanical equipment faults are the three top causes of ESCMAs, accounting for 27.13 %, 21.81 %, and 15.96 % of incidences, respectively. Meanwhile, ESCMAs frequently occur in the heading face, especially gas explosions, mine water inrushes and coal and gas outbursts. Furthermore, ESCMAs reoccur often in certain provinces, such as Shanxi, Henan and Heilongjiang, and mostly during November and December in each year. The results of statistical studies have presented useful information for the prevention of ESCMAs in order to reduce the probability of such disastrous accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer preferences and attitudes toward genetically modified (GM) food have been widely studied, yet there is little research on the aspects of farmers and risk amplification. Based on both a field survey and an experiment conducted in villages in China's eastern provinces of Shandong, Shanxi and Henan in 2021, we explore the impact of producers' risk amplification and risk preferences on the acceptance of transgenic technology. Results show that only 37.3% of participants from the whole sample did not amplify the risk associated with GM products. In terms of regions, the percentages of participants in Henan, Shanxi and Shandong who amplified the risk associated with GM products were 65.3%, 62.4% and 60%, respectively. Moreover, the results of the economic experiment on risk preference indicate that over two-thirds of farmers proved to be risk-averse. Finally, full sample estimation results using ordered logit and Poisson models showed that risk amplification, relative risk aversion and risk perception all have negative impacts on producers' response to GM plant seeds, including participants' acceptance intention, purchasing intention and recommendation intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural technology extension and social networks are the essential components of formal and informal institutions, respectively, and their influence on agricultural production has been the focus of academics. This article takes conservation tillage technology as an example, based on simple random unduplicated sampling, and uses survey data of 781 farmers in Heilongjiang, Henan, Shandong, and Shanxi provinces of China. This article empirically tests the interaction effects and heterogeneity of agricultural technology extension and social networks on farmers' adoption of conservation tillage technology and analyzes their substitution effect or complementary effect. The results showed the following: (1) From a single dimension, both agricultural technology extension and social networks can significantly promote farmers' adoption of conservation tillage technology, and the promotion effect of agricultural technology extension is greater. The average probability of farmers who accept agricultural technology extension and social networks adopting conservation tillage technology increases by 36.49% and 7.09%, respectively. (2) There is a complementary effect between agricultural technology extension and social networks in promoting farmers' adoption of conservation tillage technology. The two functions complement and support each other, and this complementary effect is more evident in social networks' reciprocity. (3) Further analysis reveals that the interaction effect between agricultural technology extension and social networks has significant group differences, technology type differences, and regional differences in farmers' adoption of conservation tillage technology. Therefore, to facilitate the extension and application of conservation tillage technology, efforts need to be made in both agricultural technology extension and social networks, fully leveraging the complementary effects of the two. In addition, differentiated policies and measures should be adopted according to local conditions, and precise policies should be implemented for different groups and technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study mainly focuses on extraordinarily severe gas explosion accidents (ESGEAs) in Chinese coal mines. • Disorganized ventilation fan management and illegal blasting were the most prominent causes of ESGEAs. • ESGEAs are linked with the operating locations, occurrence time, regions and ownership of the coal mines. Extraordinarily severe gas explosion accidents (ESGEAs) (thirty fatalities or more in one accident) have a high occurrence frequency in Chinese coal mines. There are 126 ESGEAs that occurred in China from 1950 to 2015, and they were investigated through statistical methods in this study to review the overall circumstances and to provide quantitative information on ESGEAs. Statistical characteristics about accident-related factors, such as gas accumulation, ignition sources, operating locations, accident time, coal mine regions and coal mine ownership, were assessed in this paper. The statistical analysis shows that disorganized ventilation fan management was the most frequent cause of gas accumulation in ESGEAs, while illegal blasting was the most prominent cause of the ignition source in ESGEAs. Furthermore, ESGEAs were found to occur frequently in certain provinces (e.g., Shanxi, Henan and Heilongjiang) and during November and December of the year. Moreover, most accidents and the largest death tolls generally occur in state-owned coal mines. Based on the results of statistical studies, some countermeasures were proposed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, ozone and PM 2.5 pollution has often occured in the Fenwei Plain due to heavy emission and favorable geographical conditions. In this study, we used the weather research and forecasting/chemistry (WRF-Chem) model to reproduce the complex air pollution of the ozone and PM 2.5 in the Fenwei Plain (FWP) from 20 May to 29 May 2015. By comparing the simulation results with the observed data, we found that although in some cities there was a bias between the simulated values and observed data, the model captured the trend of pollutants generally. Moreover, according to the assessment parameters, we validated that the deviations are acceptable. However, according to these parameters, we found that the WRF-Chem performed better on ozone simulation rather than PM 2.5 . Based on the validation, we further analyzed the pollutant distribution during the contaminated period. Generally speaking, the polluted area is mainly located in the cities of the Shanxi province and Henan province. Moreover, in this time period, pollution mainly occurred on 27 May and 28 May. In addition, due to different formation conditions of ozone and PM 2.5 pollution, the distribution characteristics of these two pollutants were also found to be different. Ozone pollution mainly occurred north of FWP due to the prevailing wind and the chemistry of ozone production. As for PM 2.5 , the pollution occurred at night and the polluted area was located in the FWP. Furthermore, high PM 2.5 areas were closed to emission sources in the FWP, showing a high correlation with primary emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sudden flood disasters cause serious damage to agricultural production. Rapidly extracting information such as the flooding extent of agricultural land and capturing the influence of flooding on crops provides important guidelines for estimating the flood-affected area, promoting post-disaster farmland restoration, and providing an auxiliary decision-making basis for flood prevention and disaster relief departments. Taking the flood event in Henan and Shanxi Provinces as example, based on the characteristics of the variations in radar data and optical data before and after the disaster, we propose an extent information extraction method for the flood inundation area and the flood-affected area of agricultural land. This method consists of change detection, threshold extraction, and superposition analysis, which weakens the negative impact of the radar data speckle noise and cloud contamination of the optical data on the extraction of the agricultural land flooding to a certain extent. The method was developed based on a flood event in Henan Province and validated in Shanxi Province. The results show that the production of this method have a clear boundary and accurate extent, and the overall precisions of the flood inundation area and flood-affected area extraction are 0.87 and 0.92, respectively. The proposed method combines the advantages of both radar and optical remote sensing data in extracting the specific extents of the flood inundation area and the flood-affected area in large spatial scale. Finally, the impact of time window size to the performance of the method is further analyzed. In the application of the proposed method, the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform provides a low-cost, fast, and convenient way to extract flood information from remote sensing data. The proposed scheme provides a scientific data basis for restoring production of agricultural land after a flood disaster, as well as for national post-disaster damage assessment and disaster relief decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the differences in the spatial and temporal distribution patterns of online attention to sudden torrential rain public events in Shanxi and Henan provinces in China, and their influencing factors, the Baidu index search platform was used to obtain the online attention of 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) nationwide for the 20 July 2021 to 9 August 2021 Henan torrential rain and the 5 October 2021 to 25 October 2021 Shanxi torrential rain. The geographical concentration index, the coefficient of variation, the Moran index, and the Pearson correlation were used to analyse the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of the online attention of the floods in Shanxi and Henan and their influencing factors. The study shows that: (1) from a temporal perspective, the daily internet attention of both the Shanxi and Henan torrential rain reached its highest value on the third day, showing a sharp rise followed by a sharp fall in an inverted "V" pattern, and compared to the prolonged and continuous torrential rain in Shanxi, the short-lived precipitation and broken ring of the Henan torrential rain were seriously urgent, showing a higher internet attention. For example, the highest daily attention in Shanxi was only 73,643, while the highest daily attention in Henan was 56,054, which is 7.6 times higher than the former. The Geographical Concentration (G) index of internet attention for torrential rain in Shanxi increased from 1.55 to 8.25 within three weeks, with attention shifting from scattered to concentrated, while the G-index for torrential rain in Henan showed an inverted "V" shape; the Coefficient of Variation (CV) index for torrential rain in both provinces showed a downward trend within three weeks. (2) In terms of spatial distribution, the regional distribution of the network concern about the torrential rain in Shanxi and Henan is uneven. The provinces and cities with a higher concern about the torrential rain in Shanxi are mainly some eastern provinces and cities, such as Jiangsu, Beijing, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hainan, etc., who have signed coal protection agreements with Shanxi. The provinces and cities with a higher concern about the torrential rain in Henan are mainly the economically developed coastal provinces or provinces adjacent to Henan, such as Beijing, Zhejiang, Shandong, and Shaanxi, etc. The concern of each city for the torrential rain in the two provinces is in line with the law of distance decay. (3) In terms of influencing factors, the level of regional economic development, demographic factors, and Internet penetration and distance all have a certain influence on the level of attention to sudden torrential rain, and the study found that the level of economic development and demographic factors have the most significant influence on the level of internet attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has imposed an ultra-low emissions (ULE) standards policy regarding the emission concentrations of the thermal power industry, and the region of the Fen-Wei Plain (China), which is an important area regarding blue-sky protection, is in urgent need of accelerating the transformation of its thermal power units to conform with China's ULE standards. Based on China's high-resolution thermal power industry emission inventory, this study used the Comprehensive Air Quality Model with extensions (CAMX) to examine emissions from the thermal power industry and the associated impacts on the atmospheric environment of the Fen-Wei Plain. (1) Spatially, the highest emissions and the greatest air quality contributions were concentrated in the Shanxi and Henan areas, which are regions that have considerable power generation capacity. (2) In terms of species, NOX represented the largest air quality contribution and registered the smallest reduction. (3) Temporally, emission sources presented the greatest contributions in summer. (4) In terms of policy evaluation, implementation of ULE standards resulted in the reduction of the contribution of thermal power industry emissions to air quality by 56.82%, 27.44%, and 44.55% for SO2, NOX, and PM2.5, respectively. The results reflect the current levels of pollution on the Fen-Wei Plain attributable to the thermal power industry and provide insight in relation to decision-making processes regarding regional air quality management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Xiong'er Group is mainly distributed in western Henan, southern Shanxi, and southeastern Shaanxi. As a set of low-grade metamorphic and low-deformation volcanic rocks formed in the transition period during the tectonic evolution of the North China Craton in the Precambrian, the tectonic and magmatic evolution information of this period are well recorded. The accurate isotopic dating of the Xiong'er Group has great significance to the study of the stratigraphic division and formation of volcanic rocks in the Xiong'er Group and the improved cognition of regional tectonic magmatism. In this study, through the SHRIMP (sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe) zircon uranium-lead (U-Pb) isotope dating of the volcanic rocks of the Xiong'er Group in the Xiong'er Mountain, the research results showed that the age data were separated into two intervals, the magmatic zircon ages from 1836 to 1711 Ma and the inherited zircon ages from 2415 ± 19 to 2193 ± 34 Ma. The isotopic age of magmatic zircon was considered to represent the formation age of the Jidanping Formation in the Xiong'er Mountain, and the isotopic ages of the inherited zircons were consistent with the formation ages of the Taihua Group supracrustal rocks in the lower Xiong'er Group. Combined with previous studies on isotope and rock geochemistry of volcanic rocks in the Xiong'er Group, it was believed that the formation ages of the volcanic rocks of the Xiong'er Group are between 1874 and 1618 Ma, among the ages of the Xushan Formation, Jidanping Formation, and Majiahe Formation, which were concentrated between 1874 and 1800 Ma, 1836 and 1711 Ma, and 1780 and 1618 Ma, respectively. The age of inherited zircon in the volcanic rocks of the Xiong'er Group indicated that the formation of the volcanic rocks of the Xiong'er Group had the addition of stratigraphic materials from the Taihua Group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Eight Taihang Xing routes are eight natural passages formed by the Taihang Mountains, which bore the functions of transportation and military gateways for the three provinces of Shanxi, Hebei and Henan in ancient times. Fukouxing is one of the Eight Taihang Xing routes. It is the main road connecting the Shangdang Basin and southern Hebei. It has an important influence on the history and culture of southeastern Shanxi and southern Hebei, forming a unique cultural route. In this study, the historical evolution of Fukouxing is analyzed firstly, and then the spatial distribution of the ancient road is explored, hoping to provide an important basis for the protection of cultural heritage along the Fukouxing route. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface greenness reflects the situation of vegetation cover. Vegetation index calculated from the Red and Near Infrared bands of remote sensing images, whose values indicate the level of photosynthetic activity, is monotonically related to surface greenness when vegetation canopy does not fully cover the background soil. Especially for desert regions, vegetation index is positively correlated with vegetation coverage. Therefore, vegetation index can be used to study the change in greenness of desert areas. This study collected MODIS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data from 2000 to 2010 and analyzed their change over China in this period. The results showed that an increasing trend of NDVI occurred over 66.84% (OLS fitting) or 64.27% (LAD fitting) of China, indicating that China's greenness is increasing overall. Meanwhile, desertification of China decreased. Areas showing large increase in greenness are found in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Ningxia, Henan, Shandong, Qinghai, and Gansu while regions with large decrease in greenness are found in Northeast Inner Mongolia, South Tibet, Jiangsu, and Shanghai. Changes of Qinghai, Gansu, Xinjiang and South Tibet could probably be driven by climate factors. Decrease of greenness in Northeast Inner Mongolia was related to agricultural reclamation. Decrease of greenness in Jiangsu and Shanghai was related to rapid urbanization. Climate factors did not exhibit obvious correspondence to the large increase in greenness in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Ningxia and Gansu, indicating that the changes might have been caused by human factors. The reduction of desert areas in China could probably have been caused by human management and protection at the national scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to rapid urbanization and socio-economic development, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution has drawn very wide concern, especially in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, as well as in its surrounding areas. Different socio-economic developments shape the unique characteristics of each city, which may contribute to the spatial heterogeneity of pollution levels. Based on ground fine particulate matter (PM2.5) monitoring data and socioeconomic panel data from 2015 to 2019, the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, and its surrounding provinces, were selected as a case study area to explore the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of PM2.5 pollution, and the driving effect of socioeconomic factors on local air pollution. The spatio-temporal heterogeneity analysis showed that PM2.5 concentration in the study area expressed a downward trend from 2015 to 2019. Specifically, the concentration in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei and Henan Province had decreased, but in Shanxi Province and Shandong Province, the concentration showed an inverted U-shaped and U-shaped variation trend, respectively. From the perspective of spatial distribution, PM2.5 concentrations in the study area had an obvious spatial positive correlation, with agglomeration characteristics of "high–high" and "low–low". The high-value area was mainly distributed in the junction area of Henan, Shandong, and Hebei Provinces, which had been gradually moving to the southwest. The low values were mainly concentrated in the northern parts of Shanxi and Hebei Provinces, and the eastern part of Shandong Province. The results of the spatial lag model showed that Total Population (POP), Proportion of Urban Population (UP), Output of Second Industry (SI), and Roads Density (RD) had positive driving effects on PM2.5 concentration, which were opposite of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In addition, the spatial spillover effect of the PM2.5 concentrations in surrounding areas has a positive driving effect on local pollution levels. Although the PM2.5 levels in the study area have been decreasing, air pollution is still a serious problem. In the future, studies on the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of PM2.5 caused by unbalanced social development will help to better understand the interaction between urban development and environmental stress. These findings can contribute to the development of effective policies to mitigate and reduce PM2.5 pollutions from a socio-economic perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jing‐Jin‐Ji (Beijing‐Tianjin‐Hebei) and the surrounding Jin‐Lu‐Yu (Shanxi‐Shandong‐Henan) regions are experiencing severe problems with air pollution. To measure the change in pollutant concentrations over the next few years, the fractional order accumulation grey model is used to forecast the air quality indicators. The results show that the concentrations of fine particulate matter, particulate matter 10, and sulfur dioxide show a downward trend, and 8‐h O3 (annual) and 8‐h O3 (spring and summer) show an upward trend in these areas. There is a slight increase in nitrogen dioxide concentration in Shanxi, but its concentration in other areas shows a slight decline. The results obtained can provide a clear direction for air quality management decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]