PapersFlow Research Brief
Regional Development and Environment
Research Guide
What is Regional Development and Environment?
Regional Development and Environment is the interdisciplinary study of rural revitalization strategies in China, encompassing agricultural development, economic growth, ecological protection, regional planning, social support, elderly care, sustainable development, innovation management, and community governance.
This field includes 72,096 works focused on balancing economic progress with environmental sustainability in rural China. Key themes involve ecosystem service valuation, land use changes, and policy integration for urbanization and revitalization. Research emphasizes protection of ecological zones like the Tibetan Plateau and cultivated land amid rapid development pressures.
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Rural Revitalization Strategy China
This subfield analyzes China's national rural revitalization strategy implementation across provinces. Researchers evaluate policy frameworks, governance integration, and urbanization-ruralization coordination.
Cultivated Land Protection Policies
Cultivated land protection research examines China's redline policies and dynamic balance mechanisms post-reform. Researchers study legal frameworks, enforcement challenges, and cropland conversion controls.
Ecosystem Services Valuation China
Ecosystem services valuation develops methods for quantifying wetland, forest, and agricultural benefits in China. Researchers apply expert-based, InVEST, and benefit transfer approaches regionally.
Ecological Security Shelter Zones
Ecological security shelter zones research focuses on Tibetan Plateau and Yangtze River constructions. Researchers assess biodiversity corridors, water conservation, and climate adaptation functions.
Land Degradation Restoration IPBES
Land degradation and restoration synthesizes IPBES assessments for policy-relevant restoration strategies. Researchers evaluate desertification drivers, monitoring indicators, and scalable interventions.
Why It Matters
Studies in this field guide policies for sustainable rural economies, such as valuing ecosystem services to inform land management decisions, as shown in "Expert Knowledge Based Valuation Method of Ecosystem Services in China" by Chen Cao (2008), which built on global valuations to assess Chinese forests, grasslands, and farmlands with 702 citations. "Changes of Land Use and of Ecosystem Service Values in Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China" by Zongming Wang et al. (2006) quantified ecosystem value shifts due to land use changes, aiding regional planning in wetland areas with 228 citations. "The Integration of New-Type Urbanization and Rural Revitalization Strategies in China: Origin, Reality and Future Trends" by Mingxing Chen et al. (2021) examines how these strategies address food security and equity, influencing national policies on tenure governance referenced in the FAO's "Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security" (2019, 318 citations).
Reading Guide
Where to Start
"The Integration of New-Type Urbanization and Rural Revitalization Strategies in China: Origin, Reality and Future Trends" by Mingxing Chen et al. (2021) provides an accessible entry on core strategies, summarizing origins, realities, and trends for newcomers to the field.
Key Papers Explained
"Expert Knowledge Based Valuation Method of Ecosystem Services in China" by Chen Cao (2008) establishes valuation methods that inform later works like "Changes of Land Use and of Ecosystem Service Values in Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China" by Zongming Wang et al. (2006), which applies them to specific land changes. "Protection and Construction of the National Ecological Security Shelter Zone on Tibetan Plateau" by Yili Zhang (2012) extends this to high-altitude protection, while "Review of the evolution of cultivated land protection policies in the period following China’s reform and liberalization" by Xinwei Liu et al. (2017) contextualizes policies supporting these efforts. Mingxing Chen et al. (2021) integrates them into modern revitalization frameworks.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Research continues to build on ecological security zones and land tenure guidelines, with no recent preprints available to indicate shifts in the last six months.
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Expert Knowledge Based Valuation Method of Ecosystem Services ... | 2008 | — | 702 | ✕ |
| 2 | Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure o... | 2019 | FAO eBooks | 318 | ✕ |
| 3 | Ecosystem services by paddy fields as substitutes of natural w... | 2012 | Ecological Engineering | 305 | ✕ |
| 4 | Changes of Land Use and of Ecosystem Service Values in Sanjian... | 2006 | Environmental Monitori... | 228 | ✕ |
| 5 | Protection and Construction of the National Ecological Securit... | 2012 | — | 200 | ✕ |
| 6 | Stagnation Without Equity: Patterns of Growth and Inequality i... | 1996 | The China Journal | 193 | ✕ |
| 7 | Summary for policymakers of the assessment report on land degr... | 2018 | — | 185 | ✕ |
| 8 | Review of the evolution of cultivated land protection policies... | 2017 | Land Use Policy | 184 | ✕ |
| 9 | The Integration of New-Type Urbanization and Rural Revitalizat... | 2021 | Land | 182 | ✓ |
| 10 | General Characteristics and Treatment Possibilities of \nD... | 2017 | University of Zagreb U... | 169 | ✓ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What methods are used to value ecosystem services in China?
"Expert Knowledge Based Valuation Method of Ecosystem Services in China" by Chen Cao (2008) adapts global methods from R. Costanza (1997) to value forest, grassland, and farmland ecosystems. Chinese researchers apply these to local contexts, addressing limitations in prior valuations. The approach has garnered 702 citations for its practical application.
How have land use changes affected ecosystem services in Northeast China?
"Changes of Land Use and of Ecosystem Service Values in Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China" by Zongming Wang et al. (2006) documents shifts in land use that altered ecosystem service values in the region. These changes impact ecological monitoring and assessment. The paper received 228 citations.
What is the role of the Tibetan Plateau in China's ecological security?
"Protection and Construction of the National Ecological Security Shelter Zone on Tibetan Plateau" by Yili Zhang (2012) highlights the plateau's shelter function for China's and Asia's ecological security. Global change and human activities increase ecosystem pressures there. It has 200 citations.
How do urbanization and rural revitalization integrate in China?
"The Integration of New-Type Urbanization and Rural Revitalization Strategies in China: Origin, Reality and Future Trends" by Mingxing Chen et al. (2021) traces their evolution as national strategies for socialism with Chinese characteristics. They address development needs through policy integration. The work has 182 citations.
What policies protect cultivated land in post-reform China?
"Review of the evolution of cultivated land protection policies in the period following China’s reform and liberalization" by Xinwei Liu et al. (2017) outlines policy developments in Land Use Policy. These ensure arable land amid economic growth. It holds 184 citations.
Open Research Questions
- ? How can ecosystem service valuations be refined to better account for regional variations under global change pressures on the Tibetan Plateau?
- ? What are the long-term equity outcomes of integrating new-type urbanization with rural revitalization strategies?
- ? How do land use changes in plains like Sanjiang continue to impact ecosystem service values amid agricultural intensification?
- ? What governance models best balance tenure security for land, fisheries, and forests with food security in rural China?
Recent Trends
The field maintains 72,096 works with a focus on China's rural revitalization, as evidenced by highly cited papers like Chen Cao at 702 citations and Mingxing Chen et al. (2021) at 182 citations on urbanization integration, but no new preprints or news in the last six to twelve months signals steady rather than accelerating publication growth.
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