Spatial Distribution and Geographical Mechanism of Natural Resources in China under the Orientation of the New Economic Demands

Xiangmin Zhang, Bin Yu, Hailong Yu, Zhuofan Li, Shen Luo, Jianwu Sun and Yong Fan
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Xiangmin Zhang: Key Laboratory for Geographical Process Analysis and Simulation of Hubei Province, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
Bin Yu: Key Laboratory for Geographical Process Analysis and Simulation of Hubei Province, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
Hailong Yu: Key Laboratory for Geographical Process Analysis and Simulation of Hubei Province, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
Zhuofan Li: Key Laboratory for Geographical Process Analysis and Simulation of Hubei Province, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
Shen Luo: School of Marxism, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200240, China
Jianwu Sun: School of Geographic Science, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China
Yong Fan: Research Institute for Smart Cities and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Spatial Information Smart Sensing and Services, School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518000, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 14, 1-19

Abstract: The demand structure of resources for new economy is different from the traditional one in that its development may significantly change China’s economic location map and spatial pattern. Based on 343 administrative units of prefecture-level cities in China, this research constructs the measurement index system of terrestrial surface natural resources under the orientation of the new economic demands; this research mainly analyses the spatial distribution characteristics and geographical mechanism of natural resources by means of the spatial autocorrelation and spatial similarity calculation methods. The results show that: (1) The structure and endowment of natural resources under the orientation of the new economic demands need to be reexamined. The significance of a good environment and ecological resources has been highlighted. The coupling of resource elements better reveals the availability of natural resources. (2) The natural resources decrease from southeast to northwest, showing a pattern of “abundant in the south and east and scarce in the north and west”. Natural resources have a significant positive correlation in spatial distribution with two types of agglomeration: high-high agglomeration and low-low agglomeration, showing the local agglomeration feature of “high in the south and low in the north”. (3) Natural factors such as temperature, precipitation and altitude affect the spatial distribution of natural resources, with the temperature being the most significant. This indicates that the original natural environment and its role are the geographical mechanism for the formation and distribution of natural resources. The results could provide a reference for the development and the optimization of China’s new economy.

Keywords: natural resources; spatial autocorrelation; spatial similarity; geographical mechanism; new economy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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