New Developments and Perspectives in Physical Geography in China

Abstract

Physical geography is the cornerstone of geography. In this article, the starting points of disciplines in physical geography in recent years in China are discussed. With the coupling of systems set as the research object, and sustainable development as the ultimate goal, the upgrade of physical geography can be deconstructed into three steps: deepen physical geography from the perspective of pattern-process coupling, improve the focus of physical geography from ecosystem processes to ecosystem services, and increase the understanding of the physical geography 'pattern, process, service, sustainability' research cascade. The incorporation of human activities into physical geographic processes is essential to conduct integrated analysis on physical and human factors at different scales. The development of ecosystem service models that couple supply-demand and sustainable development are of great importance to bridge the role of ecosystem services between the natural environment and human well-being. Moreover, human-land systems and sustainable development have become the core areas and frontiers of integrated physical geography and even geography in general. China faces the great strategic demand of constructing an ecological civilization in a new era, and the development of the disciplines of physical geography should give full access to the advantages of intersecting and comprehensive disciplines, focus on the human-land system patterns, processes, and services in key research areas, and provide disciplinary support for regional, national, and global sustainable development.

Impact of Geography on Adaptation for the Future Sustainability of Human Society on Earth

“…Geography divided along physical and human branches is interconnected by environmental geography (which integrates contemporary issues of human-environment interactions) (de Blij & Murphy, 2003). Physical geography the cornerstone of geography, emphasizes the various internal and external forces such as geomorphologic, atmospheric, and hydrological processes that produce different landforms, form soil, and distribute biological elements, climate, and weather over different places (Bendix & Urban, 2020;Getis et al, 2008;Fu et al, 2019). On the other hand, human geography deals with the study of relationships, and interactions of human beings and the environment and emphasizes the need to appreciate the diversity of people, places, and cultures, and understand the role people play in shaping our world (Fouberg & Murphy, 2020).…”

Spatiotemporal Evolution of Ecological Security in the Wanjiang City Belt, China

“…Due to the range of different geographical conditions, researchers have established ecological security (early warning) evaluation index systems (Feng et al, 2018;Peng et al, 2018;Halkos et al, 2019). 2) Ecological security evaluation systems have been constructed based on single systems and complex natural and human social systems, including social systems, low-carbon tourism systems, atmospheric systems, aquatic ecosystems, land security systems (Fu et al, 2018;FU et al, 2019). 3) The research methods and models used in previous studies include the factor analysis method, entropy method, analytic hierarchy process, and the Pressure-State-Response (PSR), Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR), and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) evaluation model (Xu et al, 2012;Rogan et al, 2016).…”

A Dynamic Urban Lake Area Evolution Model Based on Multilevel Grid, Cellular Automata, and Multiagent System

“…ey not only supply water for living and production but also play a significant role in regulating urban environment, storing flood, irrigating farmland, and beautifying the landscape of a city [1][2][3][4][5]. us, they are extremely valuable for urban development.…”