论地理学面临的挑战与发展

地理科学研究地球表层系统特定时空层次下的系统有序度和变化。其发展正面临着几大挑战:①地球表层系统的复杂性难以精确定量描述;②人地关系变化速度超过人类认识与预警能力;③地球表层系统的模糊性与科学价值精确性存在矛盾;④地理学与其它学科的竞争剧烈;21世纪地理学研究主要趋势:①地理学研究人文化;②界面研究将成为自然地理研究热点;③全球研究是地理学重大题材;④地理学研究生态化;⑤山地研究将成为地理学重大领域;为着地理学的顺利发展,建议:①造就地理学思想家和战略家;②进行地理学方法论的集成和创新;③寻找适合各时代认识水平的定量化方法;④重点突出与人类命运攸关的重大课题,创立有震撼性、权威性的理论和成果。

On Geography Facing Challenges and Its Development

Geographical science studies order degree and its changes of the earth surface system in a definite spatial and temporal scales. Contemporary geography is facing several serious challenges: (1) the complexity of the earth surface system is very difficult to be described quantitatively; (2) the change speed of relationship between human and the earth oversteps human ability for identifying and forecasting warning; (3) there exists a contradiction between fuzzy characteristics of the earth surface system of and exact demand for scientific value; (4) acute competition exists between geography and other scientific disciplines. Geography development might have the following tendencies in the 21st century: (1) geography study pays more attention to humanism; (2) interface study would be a hot point for physical geography study; (3) global study would be a big issue for geography study; (4) geography would pay more concern to ecological security; (5) mountain research would become an important field. For accelerating geography development, the author gives the suggestions as follows: (1) bring up a number of geographical thinkers and strategists; (2) assembling all useful methods from other disciplines for geography and creating new geographical methodology; (3) seeking quantitative methodology to suit different demands in different development levels; (4)focusing geography study on big subjects concerning with human future.