Content of Frontier & focus: Theory and practice of digital empowerment for high-quality development of forestry in our journal

Published in last 1 year |  In last 2 years |  In last 3 years |  All Please wait a minute... For Selected: Download Citations EndNote Reference Manager ProCite BibTeX RefWorks Toggle Thumbnails Select Digital Economy Development, Value Realization of Forest Ecological Products, and Urban-Rural Income Gap Fanbin Kong,Yu Lu,Caiyao Xu Scientia Silvae Sinicae    2024, 60 (5): 1-21.   DOI: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.LYKX20230570 Abstract （0）   HTML （0）    PDF （958KB）（245）       Knowledge map    Save Objective: This study investigates the relationship and mechanisms among the digital economy development, the value realization of forest ecological products, and the urban-rural income gap. The aim is to provide a scientific foundation for promoting equitable urban-rural income through the integrated development of the digital ecological. Method: Based on panel data from 11 prefecture-level cities in Zhejiang Province between 2011 and 2020, this study employs mediation effect models and interaction effect models to investigate the impact and mechanisms of the effects of the digital economic development, value realization of forest ecological products, and their interaction terms on the urban-rural income gap. Result: 1) Both the digital economic development and the value realization of forest ecological products can significantly reduce the urban-rural income gap. 2) Results from the analysis of mediation and interaction effects indicate that the level of digital economic development can diminish the urban-rural income gap by enhancing the value realization efficiency of forest ecological products. The mediating effect of reducing the urban-rural income gap reached 11.76% of the total effect. Moreover, under their interaction, the combined digital ecological demonstrates an intensified effect in narrowing the urban-rural income gap. 3) Analysis of the working mechanism reveals that the value realization efficiency of forest ecological products contributes to narrowing the urban-rural income gap by increasing non-agricultural employment. 4) Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the three dimensions of digital economic development ( digital talent, digital industry, and digital application) effectively reduce the urban-rural income gap. However, only the digital industry dimension can reduce the urban-rural income gap by enhancing the value realization efficiency of forest ecological products. The impact of the level of digital economic development, the value realization efficiency of forest ecological products, and their interaction is greater in areas with larger urban-rural income gaps, particularly in the southwestern Zhejiang. Conclusion: During the comprehensive advancement of rural digitization, there should be continuous efforts to strengthen the deep integration between the digital economy and forestry production processes. This aims to achieve synchronous and coordinated development between the value realization efficiency of forest ecological products and the narrowing of the urban-rural income gap. The strategy involves nurturing and attracting digital talent, promoting research and application of digital technologies, and enhancing the efficiency of digital technology in supporting rural residents’ forestry production. This approach maximizes the role of digital economic development in facilitating the value realization of forest ecological products and reducing the urban-rural income gap. Implementing dynamic and diversified strategies for digital economic development, particularly in mountainous and rural areas with significant urban-rural income gap, involves strengthening their digital infrastructure. This strategy enables them to leverage the “digital dividend” to drive efficient realization of forest ecological products value and sustainable, coordinated growth in rural residents’ forestry income, acting as a subsequent force for development. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Measurement and Influencing Factors of the Level of Integrated Development of Digital Economy and Forestry Industry in Zhejiang Province Jun Zhai,Hongqiang Yang,Caiyao Xu,Fanbin Kong Scientia Silvae Sinicae    2024, 60 (5): 22-34.   DOI: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.LYKX20230477 Abstract （0）   HTML （0）    PDF （803KB）（167）       Knowledge map    Save Objective: By studying the level of integrated development of digital economy and forestry industry in 11 prefectural-level cities in Zhejiang Province, its spatial distribution characteristics, components and their external influencing factors, the integration mechanism of digital economy and forestry industry could be clarified to provide scientific basis for promoting the high-quality development of forestry industry in China. Method: The evaluation index system of development level of digital economy is constructed from three dimensions of digital infrastructure, digital business scale, and digital technology innovation, and the index system of forestry industry development level is constructed from three dimensions of scale, structure, and efficiency. The panel data of 11 prefectural-level cities in Zhejiang Province from 2015 to 2021 is collected, and the entropy method, the coupled coordination model, the spatial analysis of the Moran index are applied to measure the integrated development level of the digital economy and the forestry industry, time evolution, regional differences and spatial distribution, and the panel data model is constructed to explore the main external factors affecting the development level. Result: 1) The integrated development level of digital economy and forestry industry in 11 prefectural level cities in Zhejiang Province is relatively low, and there is an annual declining trend. 2) The spatial distribution of the integrated development level in most prefectural level cities in Zhejiang Province varies significantly, and there are negative or positive correlation characteristics in neighboring prefectural level cities. 3) The number of computers per 100 households of rural residents and the number of owned mobile telephones per 100 rural residents have the strongest correlation with the integrated development level. 4) Regional per capita GDP and traffic convenience have a significant negative effect on promoting the integrated development of digital economy and forestry industry, and the digital economy index has a significant positive effect on the integrated development level. Conclusion: The integrated development level of digital economy and forestry industry in 11 prefectural level cities in Zhejiang Province from 2015 to 2021 shows a downward trend with no obvious spatial variations characteristics, and the various components of the digital economy and external factors affect the integration development level of digital economy and forestry industry in different directions and degrees. Therefore, Zhejiang Province needs to attach great importance to the integrated development of digital economy and forestry industry, and take the lead in creating a demonstration highland for high-quality development of the forestry industry empowered by digitization. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Impact of Rural E-Commerce Development on Intra-Regional Income Gap and Shared Prosperity in Forested Areas Dan Pan,Luyi Luo,Kaiwen Ji,Fanbin Kong Scientia Silvae Sinicae    2024, 60 (5): 35-50.   DOI: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.LYKX20230525 Abstract （0）   HTML （0）    PDF （819KB）（141）       Knowledge map    Save Objective: In the process of realizing a Chinese-style modernization with shared prosperity for all citizens, this study examines the impact and mechanisms of rural e-commerce development on income gap and shared prosperity in forested areas. It aims to provide valuable insights for reducing income gap within rural communities, achieving an organic unity of efficiency and equity, and promoting shared prosperity. Method: The study treats the“comprehensive demonstration policy of e-commerce into rural areas”as a quasi-natural experiment for the development of rural e-commerce and utilizes five waves of panel data from the China family panel studies (CFPS) spanning from 2012 to 2020. It employs a supervised double machine learning method to analyze the impact and mechanisms of rural e-commerce development on both the macro-level village-level intra-regional income gap among all forest farmer households within each forested village and the micro-level intra-regional income gap among individual forest farmer households within each village, which can help to answer the question of how rural e-commerce development contributes to shared prosperity. Result: 1) Rural e-commerce development significantly reduces the gini coefficient of annual income for all forest farmer households within each forested villages and the relative deprivation index among individual forest farmer households within each forested village, implying that rural e-commerce can effectively lower income gap within forested areas. These results remain robust after a series of sensitivity tests. 2) The reduction of income gap within forested areas due to rural e-commerce development is primarily achieved by substantially increasing the income of low-income forest farmer households that below the 40th percentile and below the mean income, thereby promoting shared prosperity. 3) The promotion of non-agricultural employment among forest farmer households, the enhancement of entrepreneurial activities among forest farmer households, and the increase in the value of agricultural products are the primary pathways through which rural e-commerce development reduces income gap within forested areas. 4) Rural e-commerce development has a greater income-increasing effect on forest farmer households with low skill levels, low social capital, and below the poverty line, indicating its inclusive characteristic. Conclusion: Through an empirical study with a large micro-database, the balancing effect between equity and efficiency demonstrated by rural e-commerce as an important manifestation of the digital economy in rural forest areas is verified. Under the wave of digital economy development, this study not only provides new empirical evidence of rural e-commerce in narrowing the internal income gap in forest areas, but also provides important policy insights for promoting common prosperity. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Can the Rural Digital Development Improve Forestry Economic Resilience: An Empirical Evidence Based on Panel Data of 30 Provinces Yali Mu,Hao Wang,Hongqiang Yang,Fanbin Kong Scientia Silvae Sinicae    2024, 60 (5): 51-66.   DOI: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.LYKX20230484 Abstract （0）   HTML （0）    PDF （899KB）（125）       Knowledge map    Save Objective: This study aims to investigate the mechanisms through which rural digital development improves forestry economic resilience, providing a scientific basis for promoting the formation of a new pattern of sustainable forestry development. Method: Drawing upon panel data from 30 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) in China spanning the period 2011 to 2020, we constructed quantified measures of rural digital development and an evaluation index system for forestry economic resilience. Employing various statistical models including fixed effect, mechanism testing, panel threshold effect and spatial Dubin models, we analyzed the relationship between rural digital development and forestry economic resilience. Result: 1) Rural digital development is found to positively influence forestry economic resilience by enhancing productivity in both labor and land factors. These results remains robust even after a series of robustness tests and endogenous treatments. Significant regional differences exist in the impact of rural digital development, with stronger effects observed in the eastern region of China. Moreover, the enhancing effect of rural digital development on forestry economic resilience strengthens as the resilience level increases. 2) The relationship between rural digital development and forestry economic resilience exhibits nonlinear characteristics, characterized by an initial strong“digital dividend”, followed by a“digital bottleneck”in the middle stage, and ultimately yielding increasing benefits in the later stage. 3) There is a threshold effect of rural digital development on forestry economic resilience. When the level of digital development is below the first threshold, the impact on forestry economic resilience is significantly positive. However, as the level of digital development increases beyond the first threshold, the marginal returns diminish. Significant spatial spillover effects between rural digital development and forestry economic resilience are identified, with both direct and indirect effects being positive. 4) In addition to the level of rural digital development, economic development, industrial structure, and precipitation also wield significant positive effects on forestry economic resilience. Conclusion: Rural digital development stands as a potent means to effectively enhance forestry economic resilience. Accordingly, we advocate for leveraging digital technology to optimize labor and land resource allocation, fostering robust growth in the rural digital economy, and enhancing forestry economic resilience through phased, dynamic, and differentiated strategies. Concurrently, efforts to fortify economic support, streamline industrial structures, and leverage natural endowments should be intensified to further bolster forestry economic resilience. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Impact of Digital Rural Construction on Development and Upgrading of Forestry Industry of 26 Counties in Mountainous Regions of Zhejiang Province Caiyao Xu,Yan Ren,Jun Zhai,Fanbin Kong Scientia Silvae Sinicae    2024, 60 (5): 67-88.   DOI: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.LYKX20230522 Abstract （0）   HTML （0）    PDF （1282KB）（127）       Knowledge map    Save Objective: Under the background of accelerating the promotion of the deep integration of the digital economy and the real economy to empower high-quality development of the modern forestry industry, studying the influence mechanism of digital rural construction on the development and upgrading of forestry industry can provide a scientific basis for formulating policies and strategies for high-quality development of forestry by digital empowerment in areas rich in forest resources. Method: Based on the panel data of 26 mountainous counties in Zhejiang Province from 2001 to 2021, we built the evaluation index system of county digital rural construction level to measure the level of digital rural construction, and the two-way fixed effect model, intermediary effect model, threshold effect model, and spatial Durbin model were used to quantitatively analyze the impact of digital rural construction on the development and upgrading of forestry industry and its mechanism. Result: 1) From 2001 to 2021, the level of digital rural construction in 26 mountainous counties in Zhejiang Province showed an increasing trend, among which the level of digital rural construction in cross-development counties was higher than that in ecological development counties. From 2001 to 2021, the scale of forestry industry development in 26 mountainous counties of Zhejiang Province continued to expand, but there were obvious regional differences and serious polarization. From 2001 to 2021, the rationalization of forestry industry structure in 26 mountainous counties of Zhejiang Province increased slightly, and the degree of advanced forestry industry structure volatility rose. 2) Digital rural construction can promote the development and upgrading of forestry industry, which means digital rural construction has a significant positive impact on the development scale of forestry industry, rationalization of forestry industry structure, and advanced forestry industry. There is a threshold effect on the impact of digital rural construction on the rationalization of forestry industry structure and the advanced forestry industry structure. 3) Digital rural construction can promote the development and upgrading of the forestry industry through technology empowerment, labor empowerment, and governance empowerment. 4) There is a positive spatial spillover effect of digital rural construction on the development and upgrading of forestry industry. The digital rural construction can significantly promote the development scale of forestry industry, rationalization of local forestry industry structure, and advanced forestry industry structure, at the same time, it has a significant positive impact on the development scale, rationalization of forestry industry structure and advanced forestry industry structure in neighboring areas. Conclusion: From 2001 to 2021, the level of digital rural construction in 26 mountainous counties of Zhejiang Province continued to improve, the development and upgrading of forestry industry were improving, and factors such as technology application level, human capital level, and value realization efficiency of forest ecological products affected the digital rural construction to promote the development of forestry industry to varying degrees. Therefore, all county units need to accelerate the digital rural construction and make efforts in terms of the application of innovative technologies, vigorously introducing talents, improving the ecological governance capabilities of the forestry sector and the operation and management level of forestry enterprises, and cultivating leading forestry enterprises and giving play to the role of radiation and driving force, adapt to local conditions and carry out categorized policies. Thus, it will promote the development and upgrading of forestry industry in mountainous counties, and create a demonstration model for the construction of high-quality development of forestry with digital empowerment. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics