Since the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality have been established, forest carbon sinks have garnered significant attention. As a fundamental component of forest carbon sinks, the quality of forest land significantly influences the carbon sink capacity of forests. This study utilized Kaizhou District, Chongqing City, a typical forest area as a case study, and used the correction method, factor method, CASA model, landscape ecology indexes, and canonical correlation analysis to evaluate the level of forest land quality and reveal the spatial distribution pattern and influencing mechanisms of forest land quality. The results showed that: (i) The quality index of public welfare forest land was distributed in [37.89, 148.15], and each quality level was diversified in space. The quality index of commodity forest land was distributed in [40.00, 92.67], and some high-quality forest land appeared in the transition zone of each region; (ii) The forest land quality index and the amount of net primary productivity passed the correlation test. Primary net productivity was higher on forest land with a high-quality index and lower on forest area with a low-quality index; (iii) public welfare forest land was mainly positively affected by community structure, average annual precipitation, average annual temperature, and soil moisture. Commodity forest land was mainly positively affected by average annual temperature, soil moisture, and slope aspect. However, landform had a significant negative impact on the two types of forest land. Given these findings, we also proposed a series of measures aimed at promoting the sustainable development of research on regional forest land.

Clarifying the residential space differentiation in urban fringe areas and its influencing factors are crucial for land use planning and sustainable urban development. This study investigates residential space differentiation and its influencing factors in the urban fringe area of Beijing from the perspective of housing rent. Utilizing multi-source data, including housing rent statistics from the China Real Estate Price Platform, remote sensing imagery, and POI big data, we employ the residential dissimilarity index for tenants, geographical detector, and MGWR model to analyze spatial patterns and driving mechanisms. The results show the following: (1) The residential space differentiation in the urban fringe area of Beijing is obvious, showing an “X”-shaped fragmentation pattern, with the northeast and southwest regions forming high differentiation values, while the northwest and southeast regions form low differentiation values. (2) The residential space differentiation in the marginal area shows a strong scale effect, which originates from the historic “collage” development mode of Beijing. (3) The differentiation of residential space in Beijing’s urban fringe area is sensitive to the spatial accessibility of residential areas to other facilities, and is less affected by the spatial proximity, such as the number of facilities. (4) The central potential and traffic potential factors are still the core driving forces shaping the differentiation pattern of residential space in the marginal area; the role of leisure supporting factors has become increasingly prominent, and it has gradually become the key factor strengthening residential space differentiation; and the influence of medical and commercial supporting factors is relatively weak.

Under strict ecological protection regimes, identifying development pathways that can be integrated into forest governance without undermining conservation boundaries remains a critical challenge. This study adopts a qualitative case-study approach to examine how forest birdwatching is governed as a form of low-disturbance forest use in Mingxi County, China. Based on semi-structured interviews, field observations, and governance-related materials, the analysis examines governance mechanisms and interaction processes shaping everyday regulatory practices. The findings indicate that forest birdwatching does not function as low-disturbance use by virtue of its activity type alone, but through its progressive embedding within routine forest governance under rigid institutional constraints. Institutional enforcement, spatial zoning, community-based benefit coordination, and media-supported normative regulation interact to stabilize behavioral boundaries, manage participation, and mitigate disturbance risks. The governance significance of forest birdwatching lies not in its direct replicability across regions, but in its value as an analytical reference for understanding how governance elements may be conditionally configured under specific institutional, organizational, and spatial contexts. By clarifying the minimum enabling conditions under which low-disturbance forest use can contribute to collaborative governance outcomes, this study provides a context-sensitive analytical framework for forest governance in ecologically valuable but development-constrained regions.

Unequal access to employment poses a critical challenge to urban social sustainability, particularly in migrant-receiving cities. Residential differentiation, as a spatial manifestation of inequality, may structurally constrain migrants’ opportunities to enter formal labor markets and achieve social inclusion. Using survey data from rural migrants in Beijing’s urban fringe areas in 2024 (N = 539), this study examines the impact of residential differentiation on labor market outcomes, with a focus on formal employment entry. Probit models and instrumental variable estimation are employed to address endogeneity and explore underlying mechanisms. The results show that higher levels of residential differentiation significantly reduce migrants’ likelihood of entering formal employment. After accounting for endogeneity, residential differentiation is also associated with a higher risk of overtime work. Mechanism analysis further indicates that commuting distances serve as a core pathway through which residential differentiation affects employment outcomes, not merely as a matter of physical distance but by shaping the range of accessible job opportunities. In contrast, heterogeneous social networks function as an important moderating mechanism that can help individuals access employment information and opportunities beyond their immediate residential environment. These findings suggest that unequal access to employment is a key pathway through which residential differentiation undermines urban social sustainability, highlighting the importance of policies that promote inclusive labor markets and cross-group social integration.

Exploring the impact of cultivated land transfer on grain green total factor productivity is of great significance in promoting efficient and low-carbon utilization of arable land and green and high-quality development of grain production in China. Based on the panel data of 30 provincial-level administrative regions in China from 2006 to 2022, this study employed the EBM model, Tobit model and mediation effect model to measure grain green total factor productivity across provinces, analyze its spatiotemporal evolution trends, and explore the influence and mechanisms of cultivated land transfer on the grain green total factor productivity. The findings revealed that: (i) The overall level of China’s grain green total factor productivity was relatively low, though it exhibited some improvement and regional differences during the sample period, with the highest level in grain-producing areas, followed by production-marketing balance areas, and the lowest level in grain-marketing areas. (ii) Cultivated land transfer had a significant positive impact on grain green total factor productivity. However, an excessively large scale of transferred cultivated land may also inhibit efficiency improvements. (iii) The impact of cultivated land transfer on grain green total factor productivity showed notable regional heterogeneity. In terms of coefficient magnitude, the impact was greater in production-marketing balance areas than in grain-producing areas, while it was not significant in major grain-marketing areas. The effect was stronger in the western region compared to the eastern and central regions. (iv) Cultivated land transfer could improve grain green total factor productivity through large-scale management of cultivated land, large-scale management of services and green production technology. Further analysis indicated a synergistic interaction between scale management and technological progress in green production within these pathways. To enhance grain green total factor productivity, it is essential to implement region-specific policies for cultivated land transfer and scale operations that account for local geographical and agricultural conditions. Specifically, policymakers should facilitate the integration of land scale management with service scale operation, while simultaneously promoting the coordinated advancement of scale operation and green production technology.