Aspects of public health development in China's western region.

The public health level in a country is closely related to national development and quality of life. In order to appraise the level of health services in the western region of China, panel data of 124 prefecture-level units covering the period 2011 to 2021 was used together with a health evaluation index system based on four dimensions: quality of life, environmental situation, the level of health services and longevity. To assess this, we used entropy weights, standard deviation and coefficient of variation together with the geographical detector model that measures the stratified spatial heterogeneity. The results show that although public health services have improved overall, the various dimensions are still not balanced as longevity did not match up everywhere. While the developmental level of the various health dimensions presents a pattern of a relatively smooth increasing gradient in the west-central- east direction, the situation with respect to the north-centralsouth is more uneven with both ups and downs. However, a trend of continuous enhancement of all health dimensions was found with a significant positive correlation of spatial clustering, with hotspots and 'sub-hotspots' contracting from north to south, while coldspots and 'sub-coldspots' expanded from west to east. This can be seen as the result of multiple factors, with the level of urbanization and economic level as the dominant factors and government guidance, agglomeration capacity and industrial structure being auxiliary.

Bringing traits back into the equation: A roadmap to understand species redistribution.

Ecological and evolutionary theories have proposed that species traits should be important in mediating species responses to contemporary climate change; yet, empirical evidence has so far provided mixed evidence for the role of behavioral, life history, or ecological characteristics in facilitating or hindering species range shifts. As such, the utility of trait-based approaches to predict species redistribution under climate change has been called into question. We develop the perspective, supported by evidence, that trait variation, if used carefully can have high potential utility, but that past analyses have in many cases failed to identify an explanatory value for traits by not fully embracing the complexity of species range shifts. First, we discuss the relevant theory linking species traits to range shift processes at the leading (expansion) and trailing (contraction) edges of species distributions and highlight the need to clarify the mechanistic basis of trait-based approaches. Second, we provide a brief overview of range shift-trait studies and identify new opportunities for trait integration that consider range-specific processes and intraspecific variability. Third, we explore the circumstances under which environmental and biotic context dependencies are likely to affect our ability to identify the contribution of species traits to range shift processes. Finally, we propose that revealing the role of traits in shaping species redistribution may likely require accounting for methodological variation arising from the range shift estimation process as well as addressing existing functional, geographical, and phylogenetic biases. We provide a series of considerations for more effectively integrating traits as well as extrinsic and methodological factors into species redistribution research. Together, these analytical approaches promise stronger mechanistic and predictive understanding that can help society mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change on biodiversity.

Study on the differences and influencing factors of spatial distribution of population aging at township scale: a case study of township research units in Anshun City, China.

An aging population is one of the main features of China's current population structure, and it is a key area that needs attention to achieve high-quality population development. Because of its unique geographical environment, economic conditions, and sociocultural background, the study of population aging in the karst region of southwest China is particularly important. However, there is a lack of research exploring the regional differentiation of population aging and its influencing factors in the karst regions of southwest China. In light of this, we chose Anshun City, located in Guizhou Province's southwest area, as the case study area. We used the Lorenz curve and spatial autocorrelation to study the differences in the spatial distribution pattern of population aging and introduced multi-scale geographical weighted regression to explore its influencing factors. The results show that Anshun City's older people population proportion (OPP) is generally high with more than 7% of the older people there, making it part of an aging society. The OPP appeared high in the east and low in the west in spatial distribution; the older people population density (OPD) revealed a gradually increasing trend from south to north. At the township scale, both the OPP and the OPD showed significant spatial positive correlation, and the spatial agglomeration characteristics were obvious. OPD and OPP have a positive spatial correlation at the global level, and townships with similar OPP or OPD were spatially adjacent. The spatial distribution characteristics of population aging are the consequence of complex contributions such as natural, social, economic, and karst factors. Further, the spatial distribution pattern of aging is determined by a variety of influencing factors, which have different directions and intensities. Therefore, it is necessary to formulate and implement corresponding policies and strategies to deal with the aging problem in the future.

Temporal and geographical variations in diagnostic imaging in Norway.

BACKGROUND: Unwarranted temporal and geographical variations are acknowledged as a profound problem for equal access and justice in the provision of health services. Even more, they challenge the quality, safety, and efficiency of such services. This is highly relevant for imaging services. OBJECTIVE: To analyse the temporal and geographical variation in the number of diagnostic images in Norway from 2013 to 2021. METHODS: Data on outpatient imaging provided by the Norwegian Health Economics Administration (HELFO) and inpatient data afforded by fourteen hospital trusts and hospitals in Norway. Data include the total number of imaging examinations according to the Norwegian Classification of Radiological Procedures (NCRP). Analyses were performed with descriptive statistics. RESULTS: More than 37 million examinations were performed in Norway during 2013-2021 giving an average of 4.2 million examinations per year. In 2021 there was performed and average of 0.8 examinations per person and 2.2 examinations per person for the age group > 80. There was a 9% increase in the total number of examinations from 2013 to 2015 and a small and stable decrease of 0.5% per year from 2015 to 2021 (with the exception of 2020 due to the pandemic). On average 71% of all examinations were outpatient examinations and 32% were conducted at private imaging centres. There were substantial variations between the health regions, with Region South-East having 53.1% more examinations per inhabitant than Region West. The geographical variation was even more outspoken when comparing catchment areas, where Oslo University Hospital Trust had twice as many examinations per inhabitant than Finnmark Hospital Trust. CONCLUSION: As the population in Norway is homogeneous it is difficult to attribute the variations to socio-economic or demographic factors. Unwarranted and supply-sensitive variations are challenging for healthcare systems where equal access and justice traditionally are core values.

Recent Advances and Future Perspectives in the E-Nose Technologies Addressed to the Wine Industry.

Electronic nose devices stand out as pioneering innovations in contemporary technological research, addressing the arduous challenge of replicating the complex sense of smell found in humans. Currently, sensor instruments find application in a variety of fields, including environmental, (bio)medical, food, pharmaceutical, and materials production. Particularly the latter, has seen a significant increase in the adoption of technological tools to assess food quality, gradually supplanting human panelists and thus reshaping the entire quality control paradigm in the sector. This process is happening even more rapidly in the world of wine, where olfactory sensory analysis has always played a central role in attributing certain qualities to a wine. In this review, conducted using sources such as PubMed, Science Direct, and Web of Science, we examined papers published between January 2015 and January 2024. The aim was to explore prevailing trends in the use of human panels and sensory tools (such as the E-nose) in the wine industry. The focus was on the evaluation of wine quality attributes by paying specific attention to geographical origin, sensory defects, and monitoring of production trends. Analyzed results show that the application of E-nose-type sensors performs satisfactorily in that trajectory. Nevertheless, the integration of this type of analysis with more classical methods, such as the trained sensory panel test and with the application of destructive instrument volatile compound (VOC) detection (e.g., gas chromatography), still seems necessary to better explore and investigate the aromatic characteristics of wines.

Scaling approaches and macroecology provide a foundation for assessing ecological resilience in the Anthropocene.

In the Anthropocene, intensifying ecological disturbances pose significant challenges to our predictive capabilities for ecosystem responses. Macroecology-which focuses on emergent statistical patterns in ecological systems-unveils consistent regularities in the organization of biodiversity and ecosystems. These regularities appear in terms of abundance, body size, geographical range, species interaction networks, or the flux of matter and energy. This paper argues for moving beyond qualitative resilience metaphors, such as the 'ball and cup', towards a more quantitative macroecological framework. We suggest a conceptual and theoretical basis for ecological resilience that integrates macroecology with a stochastic diffusion approximation constrained by principles of biological symmetry. This approach provides an alternative novel framework for studying ecological resilience in the Anthropocene. We demonstrate how our framework can effectively quantify the impacts of major disturbances and their extensive ecological ramifications. We further show how biological scaling insights can help quantify the consequences of major disturbances, emphasizing their cascading ecological impacts. The nature of these impacts prompts a re-evaluation of our understanding of resilience. Emphasis on regularities of ecological assemblages can help illuminate resilience dynamics and offer a novel basis to predict and manage the impacts of disturbance in the Anthropocene more efficiently. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ecological novelty and planetary stewardship: biodiversity dynamics in a transforming biosphere'.

Discovering Subgroups of Children With High Mortality in Urban Guinea-Bissau: Exploratory and Validation Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The decline in global child mortality is an important public health achievement, yet child mortality remains disproportionally high in many low-income countries like Guinea-Bissau. The persisting high mortality rates necessitate targeted research to identify vulnerable subgroups of children and formulate effective interventions. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to discover subgroups of children at an elevated risk of mortality in the urban setting of Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. By identifying these groups, we intend to provide a foundation for developing targeted health interventions and inform public health policy. METHODS: We used data from the health and demographic surveillance site, Bandim Health Project, covering 2003 to 2019. We identified baseline variables recorded before children reached the age of 6 weeks. The focus was on determining factors consistently linked with increased mortality up to the age of 3 years. Our multifaceted methodological approach incorporated spatial analysis for visualizing geographical variations in mortality risk, causally adjusted regression analysis to single out specific risk factors, and machine learning techniques for identifying clusters of multifactorial risk factors. To ensure robustness and validity, we divided the data set temporally, assessing the persistence of identified subgroups over different periods. The reassessment of mortality risk used the targeted maximum likelihood estimation (TMLE) method to achieve more robust causal modeling. RESULTS: We analyzed data from 21,005 children. The mortality risk (6 weeks to 3 years of age) was 5.2% (95% CI 4.8%-5.6%) for children born between 2003 and 2011, and 2.9% (95% CI 2.5%-3.3%) for children born between 2012 and 2016. Our findings revealed 3 distinct high-risk subgroups with notably higher mortality rates, children residing in a specific urban area (adjusted mortality risk difference of 3.4%, 95% CI 0.3%-6.5%), children born to mothers with no prenatal consultations (adjusted mortality risk difference of 5.8%, 95% CI 2.6%-8.9%), and children from polygamous families born during the dry season (adjusted mortality risk difference of 1.7%, 95% CI 0.4%-2.9%). These subgroups, though small, showed a consistent pattern of higher mortality risk over time. Common social and economic factors were linked to a larger share of the total child deaths. CONCLUSIONS: The study's results underscore the need for targeted interventions to address the specific risks faced by these identified high-risk subgroups. These interventions should be designed to work to complement broader public health strategies, creating a comprehensive approach to reducing child mortality. We suggest future research that focuses on developing, testing, and comparing targeted intervention strategies unraveling the proposed hypotheses found in this study. The ultimate aim is to optimize health outcomes for all children in high-mortality settings, leveraging a strategic mix of targeted and general health interventions to address the varied needs of different child subgroups.

The geography of corporate fake news.

Although a rich academic literature examines the use of fake news by foreign actors for political manipulation, there is limited research on potential foreign intervention in capital markets. To address this gap, we construct a comprehensive database of (negative) fake news regarding U.S. firms by scraping prominent fact-checking sites. We identify the accounts that spread the news on Twitter (now X) and use machine-learning techniques to infer the geographic locations of these fake news spreaders. Our analysis reveals that corporate fake news is more likely than corporate non-fake news to be spread by foreign accounts. At the country level, corporate fake news is more likely to originate from African and Middle Eastern countries and tends to increase during periods of high geopolitical tension. At the firm level, firms operating in uncertain information environments and strategic industries are more likely to be targeted by foreign accounts. Overall, our findings provide initial evidence of foreign-originating misinformation in capital markets and thus have important policy implications.

The Geography of Metacommunities: Landscape Characteristics Drive Geographic Variation in the Assembly Process through Selecting Species Pool Attributes.

AbstractThe nonrandom association between landscape characteristics and the dominant life history strategies observed in species pools is a typical pattern in nature. Here, we argue that these associations determine predictable changes in the relative importance of assembly mechanisms along broadscale geographic gradients (i.e., the geographic context of metacommunity dynamics). To demonstrate that, we employed simulation models in which groups of species with the same initial distribution of niche breadths and dispersal abilities interacted across a wide range of landscapes with contrasting characteristics. By assessing the traits of dominant species in the species pool in each landscape type, we determined how different landscape characteristics select for different life history strategies at the metacommunity level. We analyzed the simulated data using the same analytical approaches used in the study of empirical metacommunities to derive predictions about the causal relationships between landscape characteristics and dominant life histories in species pools, as well as their reciprocal influence on empirical inferences regarding the assembly process. We provide empirical support for these predictions by contrasting the assembly of moth metacommunities in a tropical versus a temperate mountainous landscape. Together, our model framework and empirical analyses demonstrate how the geographic context of metacommunities influences our understanding of community assembly across broadscale ecological gradients.

Propagation thresholds and driving mechanism detection of karst meteorological- agricultural drought: A case study in Guizhou Province.

It is significant to systematically quantify the propagation thresholds of meteorological drought to different levels of agricultural drought in karst areas, and revealit's the propagation driving mechanisms. This can guide early warning and fine management of agricultural drought. In this study,we selected Guizhou Province as an example. The standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) and standardized soil moisture index (SSI) were used to characterize meteorological and agricultural drought. The run theory was used to identify, merge and eliminate drought events. The maximum correlation coefficient was used to capture the propagation time of meteorological-agricultural drought. The regression models were used to quantify the propagation intensity threshold from meteorological drought to different levels of agricultural drought. Finally, the propagation threshold driving mechanism was explored using geographical detectors. The results show that: (1) in terms of temporal variations during the past 21 years, regional meteorological drought had a shorter duration and a higher intensity than agricultural drought, Particularly, 2011 was a year of severe drought, and agricultural drought was significantly alleviated after 2014. (2) In terms of spatial variations, the "long duration area" of meteorological drought duration showed an "S" shaped distribution in the northeast, and the "short duration area" showed a point-like distribution. The overall duration of agricultural drought showed a spatial distribution of northeast to "medium-high in the northeast and low in the southwest. (3) The drought propagation time showed an alternating distribution of "valley-peak-valley-peak" from southeast to northwest. In terms of propagation intensity thresholds, light drought showed an overall spatial distribution of high in the east and low in the west. Moderate, severe, and extreme droughts showed a spatial distribution of low in the center north of southern Guizhou) and high in the borders. (4) There was a strong spatial coupling relationship between karst development intensity, altitude and meteorological-agricultural drought propagation thresholds. The interaction of different factors exhibited a two-factor enhancement and nonlinear enhancement on the propagation threshold. This indicates that synergistic effects of different factors on the propagation threshold were larger than single-factor effects.

Spatial-temporal trends in leprosy burden and its associations with socioeconomic and physical geographic factors: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of our study was to assess the multiscalar changes in leprosy burden and its associated risk factors over the last three decades. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted an in-depth examination of leprosy's spatial-temporal trends at multiple geographical scale (global, regional, and national), utilizing information from Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD 2019). METHODS: Incidence and the estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) in age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of leprosy were determined, with countries categorized based on leprosy incidence changes. We examined socioeconomic and physical geography influences on leprosy incidence via Spearman correlation analysis, using ternary phase diagrams to reveal the synergetic effects on leprosy occurrence. RESULTS: Globally, incident cases of leprosy decreased by 27.86% from 1990 to 2019, with a reduction in ASIR (EAPC = -2.53), yet trends were not homogeneous across regions. ASIR and EAPC correlated positively with sociodemographic index (SDI), and an ASIR growth appeared in high SDI region (EAPC = 3.07). Leprosy burden was chiefly distributed in Tropical Latin America, Oceania, Central Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia. Negative correlations were detected between the incidence of leprosy and factors of SDI, GDP per capita, urban population to total population, and precipitation, whereas the number of refugee population, temperature, and elevation showed opposite positive results. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a global decline in leprosy over the past three decades, the disparities of disease occurrence at regional and national scales still persisted. Socioeconomic and physical geographic factors posed an obvious influence on the transmission risk of leprosy. The persistence and regional fluctuations of leprosy incidence necessitate the ongoing dynamic and multilayered control strategies worldwide in combating this ancient disease.

Exponential growth of private coastal infrastructure influenced by geography and race in South Carolina, USA.

Homeowners in coastal environments often augment their access to estuarine ecosystems by building private docks on their personal property. Despite the commonality of docks, particularly in the Southeastern United States, few works have investigated their historical development, their distribution across the landscape, or the environmental justice dimensions of this distribution. In this study, we used historic aerial photography to track the abundance and size of docks across six South Carolina counties from the 1950s to 2016. Across our roughly 60-year study period, dock abundance grew by two orders of magnitude, mean length of newly constructed docks doubled, and the cumulative length of docks ballooned from 34 to 560 km. Additionally, we drew on census data interpolated into consistent 2010 tract boundaries to analyze the racial and economic distribution of docks in 1994, 1999, 2011, and 2016. Racial composition, measured as the percentage of a tract's population that was White, positively correlated with dock abundance in each year. Median household income and dock abundance were only correlated in 2011. Taken together, these metrics indicate the growing desire for direct estuary access, however, that access does not appear to be equally spread across racial groups. Because docks enhance estuarine access and demarcate private property, our study provides longitudinal insights into environmental justice concerns related to disparate private property ownership. We found a persistent correlation between the racial characteristics of an area and dock abundance, strongly indicating that White South Carolinians have had disproportionately greater private water access for the past two decades.

Pediatric asthma and altitude: a complex interplay between different environmental factors.

Asthma is one of the most common non-communicable diseases, and its prevalence and morbidity are influenced by a wide array of factors that are only partially understood. In addition to individual predisposition linked to genetic background and early life infections, environmental factors are crucial in determining the impact of asthma both on an individual patient and on a population level.Several studies have examined the role of the environment where asthmatic subjects live in the pathogenesis of asthma. This review aims to investigate the differences in the prevalence and characteristics of asthma between the pediatric population residing at higher altitudes and children living at lower altitudes, trying to define factors that potentially determine such differences. For this purpose, we reviewed articles from the literature concerning observational studies assessing the prevalence of pediatric asthma in these populations and its characteristics, such as spirometric and laboratory parameters and associated sensitization to aeroallergens.Despite the heterogeneity of the environments examined, the hypothesis of a beneficial effect of residing at a higher altitude on the prevalence of pediatric asthma could be confirmed, as well as a good profile on airway inflammation in asthmatic children. However, the possibility of a higher hospitalization risk for asthma in children living at higher altitudes was demonstrated. Moreover, a positive association between residing at a higher altitude and sensitization to pollens and between lower altitude and sensitization to house dust mites could be confirmed in some pediatric patients, even if the results are not homogeneous, probably due to the different geographical and climatic regions considered. Nonetheless, further studies, e.g., extensive and international works, need to be conducted to better understand the complex interplay between different environmental factors, such as altitude, and the pathogenesis of asthma and how its prevalence and characteristics could vary due to climate change.

The death burden of colorectal cancer attributable to modifiable risk factors, trend analysis from 1990 to 2019 and future predictions.

BACKGROUND: The death burden attributable to modifiable risk factors is key to colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and regional distribution of attributable CRC death burden worldwide from 1990 to 2019. METHODS: We extracted data from the Global Burden of Disease Study in 2019 and assessed the mortality, age-standardized death rate (ASDR), population attributable fractions, and time trend in CRC attributable to risk factors by geography, socio-demographic index (SDI) quintile, age, and sex. RESULTS: Over the past 30 years, from high to low SDI region, the number of deaths increased by 46.56%, 103.55%, 249.64%, 231.89%, 163.11%, and the average annual percentage change (AAPC) for ASDR were -1.06%, -0.01%, 1.32%, 1.19%, and 0.65%, respectively. ASDR in males was 1.88 times than in females in 2019; ASDR in males showed an increasing trend (AAPC 0.07%), whereas ASDR in females showed a decreasing trend (AAPC -0.69%) compared to figures in 1990. In 2019, from high to low SDI region, the 15-49 age group accounted for 3%, 6%, 10%, 11%, and 15% of the total population; dietary and metabolic factors contributed 43.4% and 20.8% to CRC-attributable death worldwide. From high to low SDI region, ASDRs caused by dietary and metabolic factors increased by -23.4%, -5.5%, 25.8%, 29.1%, 13.5%, and 1.4%, 33.3%, 100.8%, 128.4%, 77.7% respectively, compared to 1990. CONCLUSIONS: The attributable CRC death burden gradually shifted from higher SDI to lower SDI regions. The limitation in males was more significant, and the gap is expected to be further expanded. In lower SDI regions, the death burden tended to affect younger people. The leading cause of CRC-attributable deaths was the inadequate control of dietary and metabolic risk factors.

Epidemiological, clinical, and geographical characterization of Leprosy in the County of Santarém-Pará: Insights for effective control and targeted intervention.

Leprosy is an infectious disease characterized by slow and chronic evolution, caused by Mycobacterium leprae and or Mycobacterium lepromatosis, an intracellular alcohol-acid-resistant (BAAR) bacillus. The objective of this study was to provide an epidemiological, clinical, and geographic characterization of leprosy in the city of Santarém-Pará during the period 2011-2020. A cross-sectional, descriptive, and quantitative approach was used, employing maps and tables to illustrate clinical and epidemiological variables, including: sex, age, race, area of residence, operational classification, clinical form, number of skin lesions, number of affected nerves, and health units. During the analyzed period, 581 cases of leprosy were diagnosed, resulting in the following cumulative incidence rates: male (60%); age over 15 years (94%); urban area (73%); multibacillary (74%); borderline form (46%); skin lesions greater than 5 (34%); and no nerves affected (68%). In the urban perimeter, a higher cumulative incidence of cases was observed in the central area with 133 cases. However, the health unit reporting the largest number of cases belonged to the southern area, specifically the Basic Health Unit of Nova República, with 48 cases. This study highlights the need to characterize the nuances of leprosy and its variability within the urban environment, according to different areas. Further research is essential to inform the implementation of public policies aimed at addressing the population with the highest vulnerability index, thereby reducing leprosy rates in Santarém.

Recent genetic, phenetic and ecological divergence across the Mesoamerican highlands: a study case with Diglossa baritula (Aves: Thraupidae).

The topographical, geological, climatic and biodiversity complexity of Mesoamerica has made it a primary research focus. The Mesoamerican highlands is a region with particularly high species richness and within-species variation. The Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer, Diglossa baritula (Wagler, 1832), is a species endemic to the Mesoamerican highlands, with three allopatric subspecies currently recognized. To characterize divergence within this species, we integrated genomics, morphology, coloration and ecological niche modeling approaches, obtained from sampling individuals across the entire geographic distribution of the species. Our results revealed a clear genomic divergence between the populations to the east versus the west of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. In contrast to the genomic results, morphology and coloration analyses showed intermediate levels of differentiation, indicating that population groups within D. baritula have probably been under similar selective pressures. Our morphology results indicated that the only sexually dimorphic morphological variable is the wing chord, with males having a longer wing chord than females. Finally, ecological data indicated that there are differences in ecological niche within D. baritula. Our data suggest that D. baritula could contain two or more incipient species at the intermediate phase of the speciation continuum. These results highlight the importance of the geographical barrier of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and Pleistocene climatic events in driving isolation and population divergence in D. baritula. The present investigation illustrates the speciation potential of the D. baritula complex and the capacity of Mesoamerican highlands to create cryptic biodiversity and endemism.

Puparium of Merosargus cingulatus Schiner, 1868 and Ptecticus lanei James, 1941 (Diptera: Stratiomyidae: Sarginae), with new geographical records for the species and a list of all known immatures of the subfamily.

The puparia of Merosargus cingulatus Schiner, 1868 and Ptecticus lanei James, 1941, two Neotropical species of Sarginae (Stratiomyidae), are described and illustrated based on 19 and 17 immatures of each species, respectively. The specimens were collected in rotting vegetal material in Carambe, state of Paran, Brazil. Images of reared adults of both species are provided, allowing future identifications of specimens. New distributional records include the first occurrences of M. cingulatus in the Brazilian states of Cear, Maranho, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Rio de Janeiro. With these two new descriptions, immature stages (6th instar and/or puparium) of 29 species of Sarginae are now known, with only eight species known from the Neotropical Region.

Leaf traits of prickly ash and its correlation with ecological and geographical factors of origin.

The morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics of leaves result from the long-term adaptation of plants to their environment and are closely related to plant growth and development. In this study, 37 prickly ash germplasm resources from 18 production areas were utilized as the subjects of research. Logistic equations, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis were employed to comprehensively evaluate the leaf traits of prickly ash germplasm resources, with an analysis of their correlation with ecological and geographical factors in the production areas. The results showed that the leaf traits of prickly ash germplasms of different origins are substantially different and diverse. The coefficient of variation for the 14 leaf traits was greater than 10%. The coefficient of variation of the compound leaflet number was the highest among all the considered leaf traits, and the coefficient of variation of leaf thickness was the lowest, at 49.86% and 11.37%, respectively. The leaf traits of the prickly ash germplasm originating from Chongqing in Yongchuan, Chongqing in Rongchang, and Yunnan in Honghe ranked highest, whereas the leaf traits of the prickly ash germplasm from Henan in Jiaozuo, Gansu in Tianshui, and Shanxi in Yuncheng ranked lowest. The results of the correlation analysis showed that among the ecological and geographical factors of the origins, latitude had the strongest correlation with the leaf traits of the prickly ash germplasm. As latitude increased, the leaves of prickly ash gradually decreased in size, weight, and leaf shape index. The factor with the second strongest correlation was temperature. The leaves of the prickly ash germplasm originating from warmer climate areas were larger and heavier than those from areas with colder climates. Altitude and longitude did not significantly affect the leaf traits of the prickly ash germplasm, but at similar latitudes, the leaves of the prickly ash germplasm in high-altitude areas were smaller, and the leaves of the prickly ash germplasm in low-altitude areas were larger. These findings can provide valuable references for breeding and the sustainable utilization of new varieties of prickly ash resources.