# Exploration on the Process of Rural Three-Industry Integration through the Stage of Symbiosis

Authors: Wenjing Cui; Jing Chen; Yiming Yuan; Huawen Shen; Qianyan Zhou
Journal: Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing
 (2022)

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## Abstract

The orderly development of diverse rural industries affects sustainable development in China. This study offers new insight in that the three-industry integration leads the rural economy as a whole system, with the integration between different industries affecting not just a single industry’s development but also the sustainability of multiple rural industries. Conghua District is taken as an example in this research, and selected indicators and data from the past 14 years are obtained from theConghua Statistical Yearbook. The density dependence logistic model is adopted to analyze the symbiosis patterns of rural three-industry integration system (RTIIS). The findings reveal that the symbiosis between the primary industry and the secondary industry in Conghua is poor, resulting in a negative symbiosis relationship—namely, the mode of mutual competition. However, the symbiotic development model appears to reveal a positive, asymmetrical relationship (mutualism) between primary industry and tertiary industry and between secondary industry and tertiary industry. This study explores the process of rural three-industry integration through to the stage of symbiosis and provides scientific research methods and directions for the sustainable symbiosis of RTIIS. Future research on RTIIS in the framework of symbiosis theory will be of higher theoretical and practical value.


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## Body

## 1. Introduction

As an economic activity, agriculture contributes significantly to a country’s development [1]. The huge rural population of China imposes challenges for its economic development and environmental protection measures [2]. It is essential for policymakers and development planners to establish effective plans and policies with an accurate grasp of future economic trends [3]. As part of this process, various forms of moderate-scale management [2] were introduced by the Chinese government to prompt sustainable development in rural areas [4]. Driven by a gradually improved system of poverty alleviation efforts [5] and policies of industrial development for poverty relief [6], major progress has been made. With innovative methods and emerging models, China eliminated absolute poverty by the end of 2020 [6]. However, scholars and government departments have gradually realized that the driving force should not (only) be government policy but also the internal power. To alleviate these problems, many extensive and in-depth studies have been conducted.With the continuous improvement of China’s productivity and the optimization of the industrial structure, the demand for the development of a rural three-industry integration system (RTIIS) is increasing [7]. Promoting agricultural and nonagricultural convergence has become a major policy direction in the development of agriculture and the rural economy [8, 9]. Rural industrial integration has gradually evolved into a national development strategy.Since 2014, the Chinese central government has proposed the vigorous development of agricultural industrialization and has been promoting the integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries. In 2015, Central Document No. 1 made it clear for the first time that farmers’ incomes needed to be increased by promoting the integration and development of the industries in rural areas. In 2016, the Chinese central government emphasized once again that it is necessary to “deeply explore the multiple functions of agriculture and cultivate and strengthen new industry and new formats in rural areas,” by introducing the integration of industries’ mechanisms and promoting an increase in farmers’ incomes. In April 2018, the National Development and Reform Commission issuedthe 2017 Annual Report on the Integration and Development of Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Industries in Rural Areas, which summarized the typical experiences of various regions while conducting rural primary industry, secondary industry, and tertiary industry integration, established the main framework for China’s modern agricultural construction, and marked the upgrading of rural three-industry integration to the national strategic level [10]. In 2018, Central Document No. 1 continued to emphasize the construction of an industries integration development system in rural areas through the development of multifunction agriculture, the improvement of agricultural production, a marketing linkage mechanism, and the development of characteristic cultural industries. The guiding opinions on promoting the revitalization of rural industry, issued by the State Council in June 2019, made it clear that rural industry relies on agriculture and involves farmers as the major actors. It advises on the integrated development of rural primary, secondary, and tertiary industry as a path, with distinctive regional characteristics, active innovation and entrepreneurship, rich business types, and close interest linkage used to promote agriculture and make the farming industry more profitable. The Chinese government also suggested that the proportion of added value of rural primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in the country’s GDP should be greatly increased in 5–10 years, which would mark important progress in the revitalization of rural industries.According to the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) of economic activities: primary industries or sectors are concerned with extracting and acquiring raw materials, which mainly include agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, sideline fishery, and other basic industries; secondary industries mainly manufacture products with raw materials, which entail industries that have industrial attributes; tertiary industries are a general term for the service industries that support the primary industry and secondary industry sectors [11]. The above three industries account for the existing state of the industrial economy, with the characteristics of interdependence and interconnection.Due to the combined efforts of experts, scholars, the government, etc., progress has been made in the development of rural industries. The integrated development of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries should be accepted as the path, with a focus on secondary and tertiary industries. This is fundamental to promoting the revitalization of rural areas, which will increase farmers’ incomes and is also the key to improved quality, efficiency, and competitiveness of agriculture. Rural industrial integration is the inevitable result of the development of agriculture [12]. Both theoretical and practical research have shown that relying on agriculture, optimizing the allocation of capital, taking advantage of technology and resources through industrial linkage, technology penetration, and institutional mechanism innovations can allow the RTIIS to develop in a coordinated way and promote agriculture and the rural economy, which will be an important way to lead rural areas out of poverty [7]. In fact, the existing literature, not least that related to agricultural tourism or the integrated development of rural primary, secondary, and tertiary industry, notes the significance of RTIIS development in rural areas, such as for promoting China’s agricultural development, rural prosperity, farmers’ quality of life and income, enhancing overall economic development [3, 9, 12, 13], improving the utilization rate of production factors, gathering resources to produce a synergistic effect [14], and improving agricultural competitiveness [15]. Meanwhile, the integration of the three types of agricultural industries and the development of modern agriculture are of great significance for bridging the development gap between rural and urban areas and achieving fully coordinated development. They are also important first steps to building the modern agricultural industry system, realizing rural revitalization, and accelerating the integrated development of urban and rural areas [16].China’s rural primary, secondary, and tertiary industry integration is in the early stages [17], and there are many problems, such as (1) the degree of integration between the agricultural, secondary, and tertiary industries is low, the interconnection between different industries is not strong, and the realization of the industrial chain and value chain is not sufficient; (2) the development of new agricultural management organizations is slow; (3) the diffusion and penetration of technical elements is not strong; and (4) the external environment of integrated development needs to be improved [9]. Convergence of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in rural China is still a new concept, so the majority of research is descriptive, such as summarization of experiences, investigations, and case analyses [9]. Most of the existing studies involve a personal understanding of the concept and mode of the integration of the three industries, but there is no study on the integration status of the three industries with quantitative indicators in empirical research. However, empirical research is very important to answer the questions of how to integrate the three industries in rural areas [18]. Consequently, there is clearly a need for profound analysis of RTIIS with respect to the development processes [4].Based on the aforementioned context, the integration of the three industries in China’s rural development needs a core of symbiosis to guide sustainable development; however, problems still exist in the research into rural integration of the three industries. First, the integration of the three industries does not involve research on the circulation between industries in industrial symbiosis. Second, industrial symbiosis has not been discussed and analyzed scientifically in rural areas. Finally, the research on the integration of the three industries only focuses on argumentative research, without having developing a scientific quantitative research method.Symbiosis is a long-term process of physical interaction between two or more biological organisms, in which the function of each individual usually depends on the interaction of the other [4]. German biologist Heinrich Anton de-Bary introduced the symbiosis theory in 1879, defining symbiosis as the living together of different species. Industrial symbiosis is a subfield of industrial ecology [19]. The adoption of industrial symbiosis can create economic benefits for companies, as well as environmental and social benefits for society [20], which allows businesses to maximize their use of resources by recycling [21]. Indeed, symbiosis would bring about a variety of benefits to the coordinated development of economics and ecology. Therefore, the application of symbiosis theory is widely adopted in research on rural settlement restructuring [4], the land–marine economy [22], urban–rural integration [23], etc. RTIIS is a unique system involving the integration of different industries’ systems into a macrosystem. The introduction of symbiosis theory to RTIIS solves the problem of rural industrial integration from a systematic perspective.Creating sustainable development strategies ensuring agricultural development and promoting the rural economy is a fundamental consideration for a variety of stakeholders [24, 25]. Recently, industrial development in rural regions has been widely discussed in a series of studies. Specifically, in the context of rural development, research involving RTIIS and its development strategies has attracted academic attention, with many interdisciplinary research results being produced in the fields of ecology [18, 26], economic geography [27, 28], agritourism [14, 15, 29], and regional economy [9]. A dissipative structure [30] and integrated development of RTIIS [9] are two typical focuses of rural research. In fact, the existing literature, not least that related to rural regions’ sustainable development, notes the importance of the development of RTIIS [12]. Currently, an issue that is receiving increasing attention in the literature is the empirical analysis model of the RTIIS and a methodology for assessing its progress.In this research, a symbiosis system method for RTIIS is presented for restructuring and integrating rural industries. In the spirit of the integration of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in rural areas, the concept of industrial symbiosis is adopted as a theoretical structure. Broadly, this study will analyze the elements, mechanisms, operations, and evolutionary path of industrial symbiosis in the process of rural industrial development, taking Conghua in Guangzhou, China, as an example. The purpose of this paper is (1) to analyze the mechanism and symbiotic operational processes of RTIIS, (2) to determine the symbiotic relationships between different industries in the process of the integration of the three industries, and (3) to take Conghua as an example study area, providing empirical research for analyzing the symbiosis modes of RTIIS.


## 2. Three-Industry Integration in Rural Regions

Industrial integration in rural areas is not a new phenomenon. Generating additional income and providing benefits to the local economy are the two primary concerns of farmers [31], which leads them to diversify from the agricultural base and undertake multiple activities [32]. The combination of agricultural tourism and agricultural farming is becoming more and more popular in rural areas and has attracted much research. Specifically, as rural areas are endowed with numerous historic, natural, and social qualities, it is common for tourism to spread in conjunction with farming activities [33]. Agritourism, which is a combination of agricultural production and tourism [33], has been primarily developed for its economic benefits and represents a symbiotic relationship for areas where neither farming nor tourism could be independently justified [15, 34]. Meanwhile, in the 1980s, due to the emergence of township enterprises and industries in rural areas of China, scholars realized that a lack of organic connection between industry and agriculture leads to a relative shrinkage of the rural economy [9]. Earlier research in the agro-industrial context suggested that a sustainable agro-industrial value chain is essential for sustained food and environmental security [35].Scholars urge the organic combination of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries through diversified operations [36, 37]. Meanwhile, agriculture is regarded as the focal point of industrial integration; Wang et al. referred to this industrial integration as “creative agriculture” [38]. The interpretations of “the integration of the three industries” vary and have included the extension of the agricultural industry chain [39], adding value to agricultural products [40], using modern elements to “integrate and transform” primary industry [10], the industrialized management of agriculture [8], the internalization of transaction costs [41], the “six-sector industrialization” concept in Japan [9], business entities crossing the border [9], and researchers maintaining a consistent attitude towards new technologies, new formats, and new business models [17, 42]. Consequently, the three-industry integration mentioned in this paper is not a simple sum of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in rural areas. In a rural three-industry integration system (RTIIS), which means the integration of the rural primary, secondary, and tertiary industries and the application of industrial integration theory to rural economic development [41], the essence of “industrial integration” is the fusion and rebirth of old industries to cope with the new conditions of the economy and technology. Specifically, the key feature of RTIIS is organic connection [9], which represents a symbiotic relationship [15] as a higher stage among the three industries.A RTIIS can promote agricultural efficiency, the increase of farmers’ income, and rural prosperity [43]. Meanwhile, three-industry integration is an important part of the construction of an industrial structure [3, 15], an important way to increase farmers’ income [9, 12, 14, 44], a way of preserving cultural and social values [29], and an important measure of the implementation of the strategy of rural revitalization and the quality of agriculture [13]. Moreover, it can enhance the competitiveness of agriculture, promote the emergence of new enterprises, shape the brand image of agricultural industry, and accelerate the integration of the urban and rural economy [41]. Accordingly, a RTIIS will become an inevitable trend in the construction of modern agricultural industrial systems in rural areas [41].In terms of the definition and internal structure, RTIIS belongs to the rural production space system (RPSS), which refers to the organic aggregation of structures and mechanisms formed by multiple subjects carrying out various production activities and establishing complex social and economic relationships [30]. The research into RPSS has drawn many rural researchers [2]; however, few of these researchers have analyzed a RTIIS of RPSS in a systematic way.The concept of the rural three-industry integration system (RTIIS) is not common in the international academic community. At present, Chinese scholars mostly focus on the topic of RTIIS to conduct theoretical and qualitative research [8, 9, 18, 25, 26, 28, 37, 41, 45–47]. First, according to the experience of developing countries, scholars summed up the future development direction of the RTIIS [9, 13, 18, 25, 40, 42] and the driving factors of RTIIS [27, 45]. Second, some scholars empirically tested using the specific mechanism of RTIIS to increase farmers’ incomes [24, 44]. Third, the development path is also discussed in some studies [7, 26, 48–50]. Meanwhile, with the deepening of the research and the specific development of the research object, empirical research into RTIIS with interdisciplinary research tools, like PSM-DID [28], the Panel Threshold Model [24], Fusion Degree Evaluation System [18], or System Coupling Theory [25], has begun. Most of the existing studies focus on the theoretical level, which means that research into RTIIS is still in its infancy [9], and there is a serious lack of empirical analysis [12].As far as the current investigation is concerned, the results of these early studies suggest that the degree of RTIIS varies by region and industry [12]. Existing studies on RTIIS have mostly focused on income-increasing mechanisms, innovation and alliances among industries, diverse industrial features, and the measurement of interindustry integration. For a RTIIS degree evaluation method system and specific accounting method, most researchers adopted system coupling [25] or the geometric mean of [18] industrial integration and labor integration. Few studies have explored RTIIS from a systems perspective. Nevertheless, earlier research highlights a symbiotic relationship among industries that presents an organic connection [9, 15, 34]. In parallel, although there has been an upsurge of research on industrial integration in previous theoretical circles, industrial integration is by no means equal to industrial symbiosis [51]. In fact, industrial symbiosis is the advanced stage of industrial integration. Systematic empirical research is constructed for RTIIS in this study via symbiosis theory, to provide theoretical support for the sustainable development of rural industries.


## 3. Integration among Industries and Symbiotic Linkages

### 3.1. Symbiosis Theory

The theoretical lenses underpinning this investigation are the symbiosis theory and the associated relational view. In 1879, a German mycologist, Heinrich Anton de-Bary, first proposed the concept of symbiosis [52]. Symbiosis is an extended physical association between one or more members of different species—that is, a permanent physical association of multiple organisms to some extent. The essence of symbiosis is the cooperation and systematization of the participants to obtain mutual benefits.Since the 1950s, researchers have pointed out that symbiosis exists not only in the biological world but also in human social systems [53], which led to the symbiosis theory being applied in the field of sociology. The broad definition of industrial symbiosis also includes the evolution of the national economy [51].In the field of economics, researchers first tried to observe the law of market economy from the perspective of biological movement, while subsequent researchers expanded the economic application boundary of symbiosis [51]. Mirata and Emtairah pointed out that the symbiosis between different economic industries is a long-term cooperative relationship formed by the flow and exchange of technology, resources, labor, and capital among different industries in a certain geographical region [54]. The core elements of a symbiotic system are the symbiotic mode (M), symbiotic unit (U), and symbiotic environment (E) [55, 56]; meanwhile, symbiotic interfaces are considered to be a necessary condition for the formation of a symbiotic system and the interaction medium of the three elements of symbiosis [4, 55, 57, 58].Specifically, a symbiotic unit (U) refers to the basic energy production and exchange unit of symbiosis or a symbiotic relationship, which is the basic material condition for its formation. Meanwhile, the symbiosis environment (E) is the condition where the symbiotic unit occurs, and the sum of all factors outside the symbiotic unit (U) constitutes the symbiotic environment. Additionally, the symbiotic model (M), also called the symbiotic pattern or symbiotic relationship, is the energy exchange relationship of symbiotic units, which reflects both the mode of interaction and the intensity of interaction between symbiotic units. As for behavior modes, the symbiosis model (M) can be divided into the parasitic relationship, favoritism symbiosis, and mutualism symbiosis. At an organizational level, the symbiosis mode (M) can be divided into point symbiosis, intermittent symbiosis, continuous symbiosis, and integration symbiosis [55, 56].Furthermore, in the past few decades, research on symbiosis has also increased. Symbiosis theory has been adopted to establish the symbiotic evolutionary logistical model of the marine ecology and marine economy [59], analyze the symbiotic relationships among peasant households [4], distinguish land and marine-based economic symbiosis mechanisms [22], explore the interactive relationship between producer services and the manufacturing industry [53, 60], and analyze competition and symbiosis among enterprises in the engineering consulting industry [61]. Additionally, symbiotic linkages have been established for the economy and the environment to enable sustainable development of the social economy. Industrial symbiosis is an economic phenomenon with independent industries or business modules as symbiotic units [51], which as a subfield of industrial ecology (IE) ensures the reduction of environmental damage through the efficient use of waste and by-products [19, 62] and by improving the sustainability profile of the industrial system [54]. In parallel, IE also offers new approaches to solving environmental problems at the local and regional levels. Based on the environmental sustainability factors, many previous studies have carried out relevant research on industrial symbiosis [20, 51, 54, 62–68].


### 3.2. Symbiosis and Its Applicability in Research on RTIIS

At present, China’s rural areas have entered a state of rapid integration. Driven by environmental policy and rural development needs, there is a new normal of high integration and industrial symbiosis in rural areas. Generally speaking, the three industries have coexisted in rural areas from the very beginning. As shown in Figure1, the three industries can be separated into agricultural Ua and nonagricultural Una−sandUna−t in the traditional model of RTIIS. Figure 1 shows the traditional model of RTIIS.Figure 1
Traditional model of RTIIS (rural three-industry integration system).Although there has been an upsurge in research on industrial integration, the basic industrial integration system is not to the same as industrial symbiosis [51]. In the framework of industrial symbiosis, integration is the premise of symbiosis. Without integration, symbiosis is nonexistent. The integration defined by industrial symbiosis is related to the natural attribute of industrial value creation and realization. Integration in the sense of symbiosis is based on value cocreation [51]. The concept of cooperation and coevolution is the essence and core of the symbiosis theory [22], which is also an important factor in a RTIIS.Symbiosis plays an important role as an evolutionary mechanism [69]. Only when the industrial integration has created connections between industrial units and produced innovation value can it be studied from the perspective of symbiosis—that is, industrial symbiosis is the product of the development of industrial integration to a higher degree. The symbiosis patterns of RTIIS are still unknown. Thus, the research approach applied to symbiosis is different from that used with the traditional industrial structure, which emphasizes the adaptability of environmental and symbiosis mechanisms between industries [51]. The applicability of symbiosis theory in this research should be part of the process of building coevolutionary approaches.To discuss the symbiosis theory in the research of RTIIS, whether the three industries have innovative significance and ability should be determined first. As explained earlier, industrial integration emphasizes the industrial boundary and takes the formation of new industrial formats as its fundamental symbol; meanwhile, integration in industrial symbiosis focuses on business connections during the process of industrial innovation and value proliferation [51]. Analyzing from an innovation value perspective, the integration of agriculture, industry, and tourism is consistent with symbiosis research. However, the most controversial area is the tourism industry. Rural tourism is dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises, which are generally considered to be less innovative than other industries. However, scholars have pointed out that the growth of tourism is correlated with the degree of innovation [70], which plays an equally important role in the services sector [71].According to Yuan [55], the general conditions of symbiosis are as follows: (1) in order to form a symbiotic relationship between potential or candidate symbiotic units, there must be a certain connection in time and space—that is, a symbiotic channel; (2) there must be a certain material, information, or energy connection between symbiotic units; (3) in the formation of a symbiotic relationship, the choice of symbiotic partners is not random, but shows some regularity; (4) there is a critical scale Smin<S<Smax relationship between symbiotic units. The factors above are important conditions for the formation of symbiosis. At present, China’s rural areas have entered a state of rapid integration. Driven by environmental policy and rural development needs, there is a new normal of high integration and industrial symbiosis in rural areas. With the promoting of the government and the development of society and the economy, the three-industry integration is becoming more connected. These strong connections have led to business connections in the process of industrial innovation and value proliferation, i.e., symbiosis. Figure 2 displays the symbiotic linkages of RTIIS.Figure 2
The symbiotic linkages of RTIIS (rural three-industry integration system).Previous studies have pointed out that symbiotic system (S) is the set of symbiotic relationships formed by a symbiotic unit according to the symbiotic model. As shown in Figure2, based on the RTIIS model, the RTIIS symbiosis structure can be divided into the symbiotic mode (M), symbiotic unit (U), and symbiotic environment (E); meanwhile, the symbiotic interface is composed of a series of interacting mediums, i.e., agricultural Ua and nonagricultural Una−sandUna−t economic systems. On this basis, compatibility, determined by internal relationships, is the basic determinant of symbiosis. During the development of the RTIIS, the agricultural Ua and nonagricultural Una−sandUna−t economic systems gradually became interdependent and mutually promoting stages. With the symbiotic units’ (U) restructuring, symbiotic interface (I) strengthening, the symbiotic pattern (M) evolving, and the symbiotic environment (E) improving, a stable symbiotic state is gradually formed. The dominant factor has also shifted from policy guidance to market leading, and a stable and perfect industrial chain has been formed.In rural areas, economic problems in the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries can be considered as unique systems that satisfy the principles of the symbiosis theory. Moreover, economic factors, such as labor, land resources, and productive capital, are compatible and dependent as components of various industries in RTIIS, and they are combined in the RTIIS system. Therefore, we view RTIIS as a holistic symbiotic system. From the perspective of symbiosis, the relationships amongUa, Una−s, and Una−t are not only cooperative relationships but also diversified cooperation under the same environmental state and competition based on evolution. During this process, the symbiosis mode continuously evolves and forms a stable state. According to the difference between planned and self-organized symbioses proposed by Chertow, the ideal development of RTIIS is from planned integration to self-organized symbioses [72]. RTIIS is a collection of symbiotic relationships, the result of which is the different industries’ interaction in sharing infrastructure, public service facilities, and public spaces. The quantitative analysis of symbiotic patterns is a method to judge the interaction patterns among symbiotic units. Therefore, this study constructed the logical symbiosis function of symbiosis theory to quantitatively analyze the symbiosis mode of RTIIS.


## 3.1. Symbiosis Theory

The theoretical lenses underpinning this investigation are the symbiosis theory and the associated relational view. In 1879, a German mycologist, Heinrich Anton de-Bary, first proposed the concept of symbiosis [52]. Symbiosis is an extended physical association between one or more members of different species—that is, a permanent physical association of multiple organisms to some extent. The essence of symbiosis is the cooperation and systematization of the participants to obtain mutual benefits.Since the 1950s, researchers have pointed out that symbiosis exists not only in the biological world but also in human social systems [53], which led to the symbiosis theory being applied in the field of sociology. The broad definition of industrial symbiosis also includes the evolution of the national economy [51].In the field of economics, researchers first tried to observe the law of market economy from the perspective of biological movement, while subsequent researchers expanded the economic application boundary of symbiosis [51]. Mirata and Emtairah pointed out that the symbiosis between different economic industries is a long-term cooperative relationship formed by the flow and exchange of technology, resources, labor, and capital among different industries in a certain geographical region [54]. The core elements of a symbiotic system are the symbiotic mode (M), symbiotic unit (U), and symbiotic environment (E) [55, 56]; meanwhile, symbiotic interfaces are considered to be a necessary condition for the formation of a symbiotic system and the interaction medium of the three elements of symbiosis [4, 55, 57, 58].Specifically, a symbiotic unit (U) refers to the basic energy production and exchange unit of symbiosis or a symbiotic relationship, which is the basic material condition for its formation. Meanwhile, the symbiosis environment (E) is the condition where the symbiotic unit occurs, and the sum of all factors outside the symbiotic unit (U) constitutes the symbiotic environment. Additionally, the symbiotic model (M), also called the symbiotic pattern or symbiotic relationship, is the energy exchange relationship of symbiotic units, which reflects both the mode of interaction and the intensity of interaction between symbiotic units. As for behavior modes, the symbiosis model (M) can be divided into the parasitic relationship, favoritism symbiosis, and mutualism symbiosis. At an organizational level, the symbiosis mode (M) can be divided into point symbiosis, intermittent symbiosis, continuous symbiosis, and integration symbiosis [55, 56].Furthermore, in the past few decades, research on symbiosis has also increased. Symbiosis theory has been adopted to establish the symbiotic evolutionary logistical model of the marine ecology and marine economy [59], analyze the symbiotic relationships among peasant households [4], distinguish land and marine-based economic symbiosis mechanisms [22], explore the interactive relationship between producer services and the manufacturing industry [53, 60], and analyze competition and symbiosis among enterprises in the engineering consulting industry [61]. Additionally, symbiotic linkages have been established for the economy and the environment to enable sustainable development of the social economy. Industrial symbiosis is an economic phenomenon with independent industries or business modules as symbiotic units [51], which as a subfield of industrial ecology (IE) ensures the reduction of environmental damage through the efficient use of waste and by-products [19, 62] and by improving the sustainability profile of the industrial system [54]. In parallel, IE also offers new approaches to solving environmental problems at the local and regional levels. Based on the environmental sustainability factors, many previous studies have carried out relevant research on industrial symbiosis [20, 51, 54, 62–68].


## 3.2. Symbiosis and Its Applicability in Research on RTIIS

At present, China’s rural areas have entered a state of rapid integration. Driven by environmental policy and rural development needs, there is a new normal of high integration and industrial symbiosis in rural areas. Generally speaking, the three industries have coexisted in rural areas from the very beginning. As shown in Figure1, the three industries can be separated into agricultural Ua and nonagricultural Una−sandUna−t in the traditional model of RTIIS. Figure 1 shows the traditional model of RTIIS.Figure 1
Traditional model of RTIIS (rural three-industry integration system).Although there has been an upsurge in research on industrial integration, the basic industrial integration system is not to the same as industrial symbiosis [51]. In the framework of industrial symbiosis, integration is the premise of symbiosis. Without integration, symbiosis is nonexistent. The integration defined by industrial symbiosis is related to the natural attribute of industrial value creation and realization. Integration in the sense of symbiosis is based on value cocreation [51]. The concept of cooperation and coevolution is the essence and core of the symbiosis theory [22], which is also an important factor in a RTIIS.Symbiosis plays an important role as an evolutionary mechanism [69]. Only when the industrial integration has created connections between industrial units and produced innovation value can it be studied from the perspective of symbiosis—that is, industrial symbiosis is the product of the development of industrial integration to a higher degree. The symbiosis patterns of RTIIS are still unknown. Thus, the research approach applied to symbiosis is different from that used with the traditional industrial structure, which emphasizes the adaptability of environmental and symbiosis mechanisms between industries [51]. The applicability of symbiosis theory in this research should be part of the process of building coevolutionary approaches.To discuss the symbiosis theory in the research of RTIIS, whether the three industries have innovative significance and ability should be determined first. As explained earlier, industrial integration emphasizes the industrial boundary and takes the formation of new industrial formats as its fundamental symbol; meanwhile, integration in industrial symbiosis focuses on business connections during the process of industrial innovation and value proliferation [51]. Analyzing from an innovation value perspective, the integration of agriculture, industry, and tourism is consistent with symbiosis research. However, the most controversial area is the tourism industry. Rural tourism is dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises, which are generally considered to be less innovative than other industries. However, scholars have pointed out that the growth of tourism is correlated with the degree of innovation [70], which plays an equally important role in the services sector [71].According to Yuan [55], the general conditions of symbiosis are as follows: (1) in order to form a symbiotic relationship between potential or candidate symbiotic units, there must be a certain connection in time and space—that is, a symbiotic channel; (2) there must be a certain material, information, or energy connection between symbiotic units; (3) in the formation of a symbiotic relationship, the choice of symbiotic partners is not random, but shows some regularity; (4) there is a critical scale Smin<S<Smax relationship between symbiotic units. The factors above are important conditions for the formation of symbiosis. At present, China’s rural areas have entered a state of rapid integration. Driven by environmental policy and rural development needs, there is a new normal of high integration and industrial symbiosis in rural areas. With the promoting of the government and the development of society and the economy, the three-industry integration is becoming more connected. These strong connections have led to business connections in the process of industrial innovation and value proliferation, i.e., symbiosis. Figure 2 displays the symbiotic linkages of RTIIS.Figure 2
The symbiotic linkages of RTIIS (rural three-industry integration system).Previous studies have pointed out that symbiotic system (S) is the set of symbiotic relationships formed by a symbiotic unit according to the symbiotic model. As shown in Figure2, based on the RTIIS model, the RTIIS symbiosis structure can be divided into the symbiotic mode (M), symbiotic unit (U), and symbiotic environment (E); meanwhile, the symbiotic interface is composed of a series of interacting mediums, i.e., agricultural Ua and nonagricultural Una−sandUna−t economic systems. On this basis, compatibility, determined by internal relationships, is the basic determinant of symbiosis. During the development of the RTIIS, the agricultural Ua and nonagricultural Una−sandUna−t economic systems gradually became interdependent and mutually promoting stages. With the symbiotic units’ (U) restructuring, symbiotic interface (I) strengthening, the symbiotic pattern (M) evolving, and the symbiotic environment (E) improving, a stable symbiotic state is gradually formed. The dominant factor has also shifted from policy guidance to market leading, and a stable and perfect industrial chain has been formed.In rural areas, economic problems in the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries can be considered as unique systems that satisfy the principles of the symbiosis theory. Moreover, economic factors, such as labor, land resources, and productive capital, are compatible and dependent as components of various industries in RTIIS, and they are combined in the RTIIS system. Therefore, we view RTIIS as a holistic symbiotic system. From the perspective of symbiosis, the relationships amongUa, Una−s, and Una−t are not only cooperative relationships but also diversified cooperation under the same environmental state and competition based on evolution. During this process, the symbiosis mode continuously evolves and forms a stable state. According to the difference between planned and self-organized symbioses proposed by Chertow, the ideal development of RTIIS is from planned integration to self-organized symbioses [72]. RTIIS is a collection of symbiotic relationships, the result of which is the different industries’ interaction in sharing infrastructure, public service facilities, and public spaces. The quantitative analysis of symbiotic patterns is a method to judge the interaction patterns among symbiotic units. Therefore, this study constructed the logical symbiosis function of symbiosis theory to quantitatively analyze the symbiosis mode of RTIIS.


## 4. Study Area

The findings of earlier studies suggest that industrial symbiosis analysis does not establish a “world standard” in advance, but needs to involve rational judgments according to the actual situation [51]. For improving the research arguments, empirical research should be demonstrated.The RTIIS in Conghua was selected as a case study based on two selection criteria used in an earlier study [64]: (1) the maturity of the system and (2) the diversity of the system. The maturity criterion requires that the industries’ symbiosis system should involve a greater number of interconnecting links in order to have a wide range of resource links to frame into cases. The diversity criterion supposes that an industry’s symbiosis system involves a variety of types of symbiosis-performing companies and a variety of resources being exchanged.


### 4.1. System Maturity of Study Area

Conghua, the largest administrative district of Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, covers a total area of 1974.5 square kilometers. Under its jurisdiction, it has three subdistricts (Jiekou, Chengjiao, and Jiangpu), five towns (Taiping, Wenquan, Liangkou, Lvtian, and Aotou), and two development zones (Conghua Economic Development Zone and Liuxi Hot Spring Tourist Resort), with a registered population of about 640,000. Conghua ranked first in Guangdong Province for many years in terms of the natural environment and tourism competitiveness. As a model of rural revitalization in Guangdong Province, it is a booming district that is suitable for habitation, employment, and tourism. Conghua is located in the northern mountainous area of Guangzhou and is rich in natural resources and leisure and ecotourism opportunities. Figure3 shows the location of the study area.Figure 3
Location of the study area (Southern China: Conghua District of Guangzhou Municipality).After an investigation in August 2020, the RTIIS in Conghua was determined to be in the mature stage. As the nickname “Garden of Guangzhou” suggests, there are many different industries here, such as integrated development led by primary industry, or integrated development led by the tourism industry. With the continuous promotion of government policies in the early stage, Conghua has become a typical rural district with three-industry symbiosis. Conghua ranks first in terms of the number of modern urban agricultural demonstration areas and urban agricultural tourist attractions in Guangzhou. Under the framework of the urban development strategy of “moving east, connecting west, expanding south and optimizing north,” Conghua is an important area for the development of urban agriculture and a gathering place for urban agricultural tourism in Guangzhou.


### 4.2. System Diversity of the Study Area

Conghua has a superior location, convenient transportation, and the largest tourist market in China, with the largest number of tourists and highest per capita consumption level in Guangzhou and the Pearl River Delta, which provides superior conditions for the development of urban agricultural tourism. Based on formula (1), the three-industrial diversity of Conghua is analyzed by the number of working populations in each industry from 2007 to 2019, and the diversity index is obtained and visualized, as shown in Figure 4. Over the last 14 years, the three-industry diversities of Conghua district have developed very rapidly because of its advantageous location and hot springs industry. With the promotion of government policies and the construction of several provincial modern agriculture industrial parks, Conghua is evolving from traditional and subsistence agriculture to become a typical rural area with a three-industry symbiosis system. Figure 4 is the change chart of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries diversity index in Conghua district, Guangzhou.Figure 4
Change chart of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries diversity index in Conghua District, Guangzhou.


## 4.1. System Maturity of Study Area

Conghua, the largest administrative district of Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, covers a total area of 1974.5 square kilometers. Under its jurisdiction, it has three subdistricts (Jiekou, Chengjiao, and Jiangpu), five towns (Taiping, Wenquan, Liangkou, Lvtian, and Aotou), and two development zones (Conghua Economic Development Zone and Liuxi Hot Spring Tourist Resort), with a registered population of about 640,000. Conghua ranked first in Guangdong Province for many years in terms of the natural environment and tourism competitiveness. As a model of rural revitalization in Guangdong Province, it is a booming district that is suitable for habitation, employment, and tourism. Conghua is located in the northern mountainous area of Guangzhou and is rich in natural resources and leisure and ecotourism opportunities. Figure3 shows the location of the study area.Figure 3
Location of the study area (Southern China: Conghua District of Guangzhou Municipality).After an investigation in August 2020, the RTIIS in Conghua was determined to be in the mature stage. As the nickname “Garden of Guangzhou” suggests, there are many different industries here, such as integrated development led by primary industry, or integrated development led by the tourism industry. With the continuous promotion of government policies in the early stage, Conghua has become a typical rural district with three-industry symbiosis. Conghua ranks first in terms of the number of modern urban agricultural demonstration areas and urban agricultural tourist attractions in Guangzhou. Under the framework of the urban development strategy of “moving east, connecting west, expanding south and optimizing north,” Conghua is an important area for the development of urban agriculture and a gathering place for urban agricultural tourism in Guangzhou.


## 4.2. System Diversity of the Study Area

Conghua has a superior location, convenient transportation, and the largest tourist market in China, with the largest number of tourists and highest per capita consumption level in Guangzhou and the Pearl River Delta, which provides superior conditions for the development of urban agricultural tourism. Based on formula (1), the three-industrial diversity of Conghua is analyzed by the number of working populations in each industry from 2007 to 2019, and the diversity index is obtained and visualized, as shown in Figure 4. Over the last 14 years, the three-industry diversities of Conghua district have developed very rapidly because of its advantageous location and hot springs industry. With the promotion of government policies and the construction of several provincial modern agriculture industrial parks, Conghua is evolving from traditional and subsistence agriculture to become a typical rural area with a three-industry symbiosis system. Figure 4 is the change chart of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries diversity index in Conghua district, Guangzhou.Figure 4
Change chart of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries diversity index in Conghua District, Guangzhou.


## 5. Methodology

Taking Conghua district in the north of Guangzhou (China) as an example, this study analyzes the RTIIS symbiosis model from 2006 to 2019 by using the quantitative analysis model of industrial symbiosis. The results are helpful in analyzing the development of rural industry integrations in Conghua district and exploring the sustainable development direction of RTIIS. In order to achieve the purpose of empirical research, a logistic coevolution model [22, 59], evaluation of the integration degree of the three industries [18], and a logistical model of symbiotic evolution based on PSIR [59] were adopted in previous studies. Different from previous studies on economic systems or ecosystems, this study discusses the integration and symbiosis model among multiple rural industries. In rural areas, the demographics of the working population are an important indicator reflecting the development of rural industrial sectors.In the context of this study, the essence of the three-industry symbiotic system is a set of “working population” changes in the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries. A logic symbiosis function is an appropriate tool to analyze the symbiosis patterns of agricultural (primary industry) and nonagricultural (secondary and tertiary industry) economic systems. By using the logical symbiosis function, this paper combines the essential characteristics of economic development and symbiosis evolution of RTIIS; moreover, it establishes a symbiosis evolution model of RTIIS.


### 5.1. Data Sources

For a certain area, the population density of organisms corresponds to the biomass of the area, so in the study of population dynamics of organisms, the biomass of a certain area is often used to stand in for the population density [73]. In previous studies on symbiosis models, enterprise size and market share [74], or GDP [22, 75, 76], were identified as industrial biomass data. However, while considering the unique research area of rural industries and the different GDP ranges generated by each industry, the working population of each industry was used as the measurement standard of regional population biomass in this study. In order to test whether the time superposition of the logistic coevolution model can accurately describe the coevolution process of the RTIIS symbiosis system, this study selected the working population of the tertiary industry in Conghua as the basic data for the empirical analysis.The results of the empirical analysis in this paper can provide a reference for the evolution and coordination of RTIIS in China. The data used in this study were obtained from the Guangzhou Statistical Yearbook (2007a–2020a), the Guangzhou Yearbook (2007a–2020a), and the Conghua Yearbook (2007a–2020a), the government work reports, statistical communiqués, and data of national economic and social development published by the Conghua municipal government over the years, as well as some data from interviews and research reports of the Guangzhou Tourism Bureau and other units; the study period was from 2006 to 2019.


### 5.2. Shannon-Weaver Biodiversity Index

Shannon-Weaver biodiversity index is often adopted to calculate the diversity index in the local environment of plant communities. This research calculates the three-industry diversities with the Shannon-Weaver biodiversity index before test the symbiotic model among three industries. The formula of Shannon-Weaver biodiversity index is(1)H=∑i=1nPiln1Pi.In which,H is the industrial diversity index in the integration of three industries; n is the number of industries; Pi represents the proportion of employment in i industry in the total number of people of all types in all industries.


### 5.3. Basic Logistic Symbiotic Model

The logistic symbiotic function model, adopted from previous studies [22, 59], is expressed as follows:
(2)dN1tdt=r11−N1tk1+α12∙N2tN1t,dN2tdt=r21−N2tk2+α21∙N1tN2t.A RTIIS is the integration of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in rural areas. Assume that the working population density of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries isN1, N2, and N3, respectively, and the natural growth rates of the three are r1, r2, and r3, respectively. Based on rural productive materials, foreign capital, rural land resources, and other external environmental factors, as well as policy guidance and market size, the maximum environmental capacity in this study is k1, k2, and k3; therefore, the RTIIS can be expressed as in the following equation:
(3)dN1tdt=r11−N1tk1+β1∙N2t+γ1∙N3tN1t,dN2tdt=r21−N2tk2+α2∙N1t+γ2∙N3tN2t,dN3tdt=r31−N3tk3+α3∙N1t+β3∙N2tN3t.In which,1−N1t/k1,1−N2t/k2, and 1−N3t/k3 denote the retardation factors of primary, secondary, and tertiary industry economic system development, respectively. Due to the limitations on rural resources, the development of 1−N1t/k1,1−N2t/k2, and 1−N3t/k3 will show a trend of gradually slowing down. Furthermore, α, β, and γ are inter-symbiotic model interaction coefficients within RTIIS, whose value range can be used to evaluate the symbiotic patterns among the symbiotic units within RTIIS. The symbiotic relationship corresponding to the symbiosis coefficient is shown in Table 1.Table 1
Relationship of symbiosis coefficient.
Symbiosis coefficientα2,γ2,α3<0α2,γ2,α3=0α2,γ2,α3>0β1,β3,γ1<0Negative symbioticNegative commensalismParasiticβ1,β3,γ1=0Negative commensalismNo symbiotic relationshipPartial interest symbiosisβ1,β3,γ1>0ParasiticPartial interest symbiosisMutualismNotes:α, β, and γ mean the symbiotic relationship rate of primary, secondary, and tertiary industry; 1, 2, and 3 present primary, secondary, and tertiary industry.Whenβ1<0, α2<0γ1<0,α3<0;γ2<0,β3<0, it indicates a reverse symbiosis between primary industry and secondary industry, i.e., a negative symbiotic relationship. Additionally, it should be pointed out that when the symbiosis coefficient between the two is not equal, it indicates that the damage degree of primary industry and secondary industry is not equal, which is reverse asymmetric symbiosis; however, when the coefficient of symbiosis between the two is equal, the two degenerates together—that is, there is reverse symmetric symbiosis. When β1=0, α2=0γ1=0,α3=0;γ2=0,β3=0, it means that there is no symbiotic relationship between primary industry and secondary industry; that is, they develop independently and belong to the cogeneration mode, which is also called the parabiosis model. When β1<0, α2=0, or α2<0β1=0 (γ1<0,α3=0 or α3<0,γ1=0;γ2<0,β3=0 or β3<0, γ2=0), it means that there is reverse symbiosis, also called a negative commensalism model. In this state, the symbiosis coefficient of negative value is the victim party, and the symbiosis coefficient of 0 is the nonvictim party.Whenβ1>0, α2<0 or α2>0, β1<0 (γ1>0,α3<0 or α3>0,γ1<0;γ2>0,β3<0 or β3>0, γ2<0), it means that there is a parasitic relationship between the primary industry and secondary industry; the industry with the positive symbiosis coefficient is the beneficiary, and the industry with the negative symbiosis coefficient is the victim. Parasitism is a special form of symbiosis; the parasitic relationship generally does not only generate new energy but only changes the energy distribution of the victim unit, and a parasitic relationship only has a single flow of energy or matter, which is manifested as the flow from the victim unit to the beneficiary unit.Whenβ1>0, α2=0, or α2>0, β1=0 (γ1>0,α3=0 or α3>0,γ1=0;γ2>0,β3=0 or β3>0, γ2=0), it represents a partial interest symbiosis. The industry with a positive symbiosis coefficient is the beneficiary, and the industry with 0 as the coefficient is the nonbeneficiary. Partial interest symbiosis is one of the less common symbiotic behavior patterns, which can be said to be an intermediate mode of transformation from parasitic to mutualistic. The characteristics of partial interest symbiosis are as follows: first, the symbiosis produces new energy, but the new energy is generally only transferred to a certain unit in the symbiosis, or a certain symbiosis unit obtains all the new energy. Second, there is a bidirectional exchange of matter, energy, and information in the symbiosis. Partial interest symbiosis is, overall, harmless to one unit but beneficial to the other.Whenβ1>0,α2>0γ1>0,α3>0;γ2>0,β3>0 denotes the symbiosis pattern of the primary industry and secondary industry is mutualism. In addition, when the two symbiotic coefficients’ range is unequal, this is positive asymmetric reciprocal symbiosis; when the two symbiotic coefficients are equal, presenting equivalent benefit allocation, this is positive symmetric mutualism. Symmetrical mutualism is the ideal state of symbiosis and is the most efficient, cohesive, and stable symbiosis—that is, symmetrical mutualism is the target type and target state of symbiosis.To measureα, β, and γ, we need to acquire the values of the other variables first. For measuring r1, r2, and r3, the endogenous growth rate, the methodology is adopted from earlier studies [22, 75]. Divide the evolution of the primary industry and secondary industry into periods, and between the adjacent two cycles ti,ti+1. Therefore, the increase in the working population of the primary industry economy is △N1ti+1=N1ti+1−N1ti. Its average is N1ti+1=N1ti+1−N1ti/2, and the slope is △N1ti+1/△t. The increase in the working population of the secondary industry economy is △N2ti+1=N2ti+1−N2ti; its average is N2ti+1=N2ti+1−N2ti/2, and the slope is △N2ti+1/△t. Between two adjacent periods, the slope of the straight line can substitute for the approximate curvature that represents the true relationship. As the curvatures vary, the working population curve becomes much less representative of the primary industry and secondary industry economic system [22, 75]. Equation (3) can be transformed into a superposition of the time internal of the logistic coevolution model, as in the following equation:
(4)dN1tdt=r11−N¯1tk1+β1∙N¯2t+γ1∙N¯3tN¯1t,dN2tdt=r21−N¯2tk2+α2∙N¯1t+γ2∙N¯3tN¯2t,dN3tdt=r31−N¯3tk3+α3∙N¯1t+β3∙N¯2tN¯3t.


## 5.1. Data Sources

For a certain area, the population density of organisms corresponds to the biomass of the area, so in the study of population dynamics of organisms, the biomass of a certain area is often used to stand in for the population density [73]. In previous studies on symbiosis models, enterprise size and market share [74], or GDP [22, 75, 76], were identified as industrial biomass data. However, while considering the unique research area of rural industries and the different GDP ranges generated by each industry, the working population of each industry was used as the measurement standard of regional population biomass in this study. In order to test whether the time superposition of the logistic coevolution model can accurately describe the coevolution process of the RTIIS symbiosis system, this study selected the working population of the tertiary industry in Conghua as the basic data for the empirical analysis.The results of the empirical analysis in this paper can provide a reference for the evolution and coordination of RTIIS in China. The data used in this study were obtained from the Guangzhou Statistical Yearbook (2007a–2020a), the Guangzhou Yearbook (2007a–2020a), and the Conghua Yearbook (2007a–2020a), the government work reports, statistical communiqués, and data of national economic and social development published by the Conghua municipal government over the years, as well as some data from interviews and research reports of the Guangzhou Tourism Bureau and other units; the study period was from 2006 to 2019.


## 5.2. Shannon-Weaver Biodiversity Index

Shannon-Weaver biodiversity index is often adopted to calculate the diversity index in the local environment of plant communities. This research calculates the three-industry diversities with the Shannon-Weaver biodiversity index before test the symbiotic model among three industries. The formula of Shannon-Weaver biodiversity index is(1)H=∑i=1nPiln1Pi.In which,H is the industrial diversity index in the integration of three industries; n is the number of industries; Pi represents the proportion of employment in i industry in the total number of people of all types in all industries.


## 5.3. Basic Logistic Symbiotic Model

The logistic symbiotic function model, adopted from previous studies [22, 59], is expressed as follows:
(2)dN1tdt=r11−N1tk1+α12∙N2tN1t,dN2tdt=r21−N2tk2+α21∙N1tN2t.A RTIIS is the integration of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in rural areas. Assume that the working population density of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries isN1, N2, and N3, respectively, and the natural growth rates of the three are r1, r2, and r3, respectively. Based on rural productive materials, foreign capital, rural land resources, and other external environmental factors, as well as policy guidance and market size, the maximum environmental capacity in this study is k1, k2, and k3; therefore, the RTIIS can be expressed as in the following equation:
(3)dN1tdt=r11−N1tk1+β1∙N2t+γ1∙N3tN1t,dN2tdt=r21−N2tk2+α2∙N1t+γ2∙N3tN2t,dN3tdt=r31−N3tk3+α3∙N1t+β3∙N2tN3t.In which,1−N1t/k1,1−N2t/k2, and 1−N3t/k3 denote the retardation factors of primary, secondary, and tertiary industry economic system development, respectively. Due to the limitations on rural resources, the development of 1−N1t/k1,1−N2t/k2, and 1−N3t/k3 will show a trend of gradually slowing down. Furthermore, α, β, and γ are inter-symbiotic model interaction coefficients within RTIIS, whose value range can be used to evaluate the symbiotic patterns among the symbiotic units within RTIIS. The symbiotic relationship corresponding to the symbiosis coefficient is shown in Table 1.Table 1
Relationship of symbiosis coefficient.
Symbiosis coefficientα2,γ2,α3<0α2,γ2,α3=0α2,γ2,α3>0β1,β3,γ1<0Negative symbioticNegative commensalismParasiticβ1,β3,γ1=0Negative commensalismNo symbiotic relationshipPartial interest symbiosisβ1,β3,γ1>0ParasiticPartial interest symbiosisMutualismNotes:α, β, and γ mean the symbiotic relationship rate of primary, secondary, and tertiary industry; 1, 2, and 3 present primary, secondary, and tertiary industry.Whenβ1<0, α2<0γ1<0,α3<0;γ2<0,β3<0, it indicates a reverse symbiosis between primary industry and secondary industry, i.e., a negative symbiotic relationship. Additionally, it should be pointed out that when the symbiosis coefficient between the two is not equal, it indicates that the damage degree of primary industry and secondary industry is not equal, which is reverse asymmetric symbiosis; however, when the coefficient of symbiosis between the two is equal, the two degenerates together—that is, there is reverse symmetric symbiosis. When β1=0, α2=0γ1=0,α3=0;γ2=0,β3=0, it means that there is no symbiotic relationship between primary industry and secondary industry; that is, they develop independently and belong to the cogeneration mode, which is also called the parabiosis model. When β1<0, α2=0, or α2<0β1=0 (γ1<0,α3=0 or α3<0,γ1=0;γ2<0,β3=0 or β3<0, γ2=0), it means that there is reverse symbiosis, also called a negative commensalism model. In this state, the symbiosis coefficient of negative value is the victim party, and the symbiosis coefficient of 0 is the nonvictim party.Whenβ1>0, α2<0 or α2>0, β1<0 (γ1>0,α3<0 or α3>0,γ1<0;γ2>0,β3<0 or β3>0, γ2<0), it means that there is a parasitic relationship between the primary industry and secondary industry; the industry with the positive symbiosis coefficient is the beneficiary, and the industry with the negative symbiosis coefficient is the victim. Parasitism is a special form of symbiosis; the parasitic relationship generally does not only generate new energy but only changes the energy distribution of the victim unit, and a parasitic relationship only has a single flow of energy or matter, which is manifested as the flow from the victim unit to the beneficiary unit.Whenβ1>0, α2=0, or α2>0, β1=0 (γ1>0,α3=0 or α3>0,γ1=0;γ2>0,β3=0 or β3>0, γ2=0), it represents a partial interest symbiosis. The industry with a positive symbiosis coefficient is the beneficiary, and the industry with 0 as the coefficient is the nonbeneficiary. Partial interest symbiosis is one of the less common symbiotic behavior patterns, which can be said to be an intermediate mode of transformation from parasitic to mutualistic. The characteristics of partial interest symbiosis are as follows: first, the symbiosis produces new energy, but the new energy is generally only transferred to a certain unit in the symbiosis, or a certain symbiosis unit obtains all the new energy. Second, there is a bidirectional exchange of matter, energy, and information in the symbiosis. Partial interest symbiosis is, overall, harmless to one unit but beneficial to the other.Whenβ1>0,α2>0γ1>0,α3>0;γ2>0,β3>0 denotes the symbiosis pattern of the primary industry and secondary industry is mutualism. In addition, when the two symbiotic coefficients’ range is unequal, this is positive asymmetric reciprocal symbiosis; when the two symbiotic coefficients are equal, presenting equivalent benefit allocation, this is positive symmetric mutualism. Symmetrical mutualism is the ideal state of symbiosis and is the most efficient, cohesive, and stable symbiosis—that is, symmetrical mutualism is the target type and target state of symbiosis.To measureα, β, and γ, we need to acquire the values of the other variables first. For measuring r1, r2, and r3, the endogenous growth rate, the methodology is adopted from earlier studies [22, 75]. Divide the evolution of the primary industry and secondary industry into periods, and between the adjacent two cycles ti,ti+1. Therefore, the increase in the working population of the primary industry economy is △N1ti+1=N1ti+1−N1ti. Its average is N1ti+1=N1ti+1−N1ti/2, and the slope is △N1ti+1/△t. The increase in the working population of the secondary industry economy is △N2ti+1=N2ti+1−N2ti; its average is N2ti+1=N2ti+1−N2ti/2, and the slope is △N2ti+1/△t. Between two adjacent periods, the slope of the straight line can substitute for the approximate curvature that represents the true relationship. As the curvatures vary, the working population curve becomes much less representative of the primary industry and secondary industry economic system [22, 75]. Equation (3) can be transformed into a superposition of the time internal of the logistic coevolution model, as in the following equation:
(4)dN1tdt=r11−N¯1tk1+β1∙N¯2t+γ1∙N¯3tN¯1t,dN2tdt=r21−N¯2tk2+α2∙N¯1t+γ2∙N¯3tN¯2t,dN3tdt=r31−N¯3tk3+α3∙N¯1t+β3∙N¯2tN¯3t.


## 6. Results

Comparing the simulation value and the actual value through MATLAB, the fitting curve of the symbiotic coefficient of the three industries in Conghua is obtained. By identifying the virtual curve, the simulation value fitted by the symbiotic coefficient is similar to the actual development situation both in values and trends. The secondary and tertiary industries have been developing rapidly, while the population engaged in the primary industry is also rising after a certain period of decline. Since 2012, the working population of three-industries has been developing rapidly. Figure5 shows the symbiotic evolution curve of three industries of Conghua.Figure 5
Symbiotic evolution curve of three industries of Conghua.MATLAB is used in this research to separate the iterative formulae and acquire the maximum bearing capacity of the environment. Moreover, the Nelder–Mead simplex algorithm is adopted to obtainr1, r2, and r3 as the natural growth rates of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries, as well as the largest environmental capacities, k1, k2, and k3, in 2006–2019. Finally, the parameters of each unit are estimated, and the superposition of the time interval logistic model is iteratively tested. Table 2 presents the results of the Conghua logistic model.Table 2
Results of the Conghua logistic model.
Primary_1Secondary_2Tertiary_3r0.0010.0000.000k100,017.99799,995.541100,000α−0.0010.010β−0.0090.010γ0.0090.002Notes:α, β, and γ mean the symbiotic relationship rate, r means the natural growth rate, and k means the largest environmental capacity.In Table2, and taking the number of working populations in these three kinds of industries as the index, the calculation results of the three-industry symbiosis model can be revealed.According to the above data analysis, the symbiosis between primary and secondary industry in Conghua is poor, resulting in a negative asymmetry symbiosis relationship—namely, the mode of mutual competition. In terms of the symbiosis relationship between the primary and secondary industries, the estimated coefficient of the secondary industry in the regression coefficient of the primary industries is negative (β1=−0.009), and the estimated coefficient of the secondary industries is negative (α2=−0.001), which indicates that the primary and secondary industries present negative asymmetry symbiosis. The primary industry economies have a weak link with the secondary industry economy. Furthermore, because α2>β1, in rural areas of Conghua, the secondary industry suffers more under the negative asymmetrical symbiosis between the primary and secondary industry. In the current mature market state of Conghua district, the working population needed by the primary industry and the secondary industry have a competitive relationship, and a state of “exclusivity” appears. This is consistent with previous studies on the reduction in numbers of rural workers and the situation of fallow farmland [77]. The emergence of competition leads to a larger market contradiction between the primary and secondary industries in Conghua district. Under the conditions of mutual competition, it will be most beneficial, policy-wise, to open up more employment channels and attract more of the working population to carry out production activities of various industries in rural areas [78–82].However, the symbiotic development model appears to indicate positive asymmetrical mutualism relationships between the primary and tertiary industries and between the secondary and tertiary industries. In terms of the relationship between the primary and tertiary industries, since the estimated coefficient of the tertiary industries in the regression coefficient of the primary industries is positive (γ1=0.009) and the estimated coefficient of the tertiary industries is positive (α3=0.010), this indicates that the primary and tertiary industries are in a mutualistic symbiosis. Due to α3>γ1, the primary industries have the advantage. In terms of the relationship between the secondary and tertiary industries, since the estimated coefficient of the secondary industry is positive (γ2=0.002) in the regression coefficient of the secondary industries and the estimated coefficient of the secondary industries is positive (β3=0.010), it indicates that the secondary industries and the tertiary industries are mutually symbiotic, and the correlation between the secondary and tertiary industries is significant. Because β3>γ2, there is benefit asymmetry in the relationship—that is, positive asymmetrical mutualism: the secondary industries have the advantage.Positive asymmetrical mutualism is one of the most common modes of symbiosis. The main characteristics of a positive asymmetrical mutualism relationship are as follows: first, this kind of mutualism is based on the division of labor of symbiotic units and generates new energy; second, the new energy generated by such a symbiosis is often distributed asymmetrically due to the interaction of symbiosis interface [83–85]. Third, such symbiosis often involves not only bilateral exchange mechanisms of material, information, and energy but also multilateral exchange mechanisms. It can be said that the existence of a multilateral exchange mechanism is an important basis for evaluating the merits and demerits of symbiosis [86, 87]. Compared with parasitic and partial symbiosis, positive asymmetrical mutualism not only produces new energy but also has wide but uneven distribution. At the same time, there is not only bilateral two-way communication but also multilateral and multidirectional communication [55].In Conghua district, the symbiosis between the tertiary and primary industries, or between the tertiary and secondary industries, shows a positive asymmetrical mutualism relationship with multilateral and multidirectional exchanges. This is related to the nature of the tertiary industries. While engaged in the work of the primary and secondary industries, the tertiary industries, as the main guiding direction of the current rural tourism policies, have relatively high integration and symbiosis. The development of the tertiary industries will become an important force to promote the construction of an interindustrial symbiosis system in the design of the future construction and development path of Conghua district.


## 7. Conclusions

In the paper, underpinned by industrial integration and the symbiosis theory, a RTIIS and its mature stage are proposed to contribute to existing rural industrial integration by extending the current understanding of the relationship between the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in rural areas. First, the symbiosis mode (patterns) stage is distinguished in this research; meanwhile, a tentative analysis has been carried out on the RTIIS with symbiosis frameworks. In addition, the stages of dynamic evolution within the RTIIS are tested in this research by using a logistic model. Finally, we distinguished the symbiotic modes (patterns) of the RTIIS of Conghua from 2006 to 2019 in the empirical study. The purpose of this study was to construct the development order of a rural three-industry integration system to provide an empirical test framework for achieving the coordinated development of RTIIS and to provide a theoretical basis for formulating strategic objectives in the future. This study puts forward a theory for the integration of the three industries in rural areas and defines the conditions and criteria necessary. During the first six months of 2020, during the COVID-19 outbreak, the per capita operating net income of rural residents in poor areas increased by 4.9%, which was higher than the growth rate of GDP in the same period. While scholars are paying more attention to cities, the self-sufficient lifestyle in rural areas, the interpersonal relationships in the familiar society, and the ecological pattern surrounded by farmland have shown its positive side in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 outbreak epidemic. In service of China’s further economic development, the promotion of the rural economy plays an important role in promoting domestic demand. The integration of the three industries in rural areas is an important way to guide policy and promote the development of a rural diversified economy. With the continuous improvement of China’s productivity and the optimization and adjustment of industrial structures, the demand for the development of a rural three-industry integration system (RTIIS) is increasingly strong [7]. Nevertheless, RTIIS is an intricate and unique process influenced by natural ecosystems, socioeconomic conditions, and policy orientation. The process of dynamic evolution of RTIIS within the symbiosis theory is tested, distinguishing symbiosis units, symbiosis interface, symbiosis environment, and symbiosis modes in RTIIS. Moreover, we analyzed the characteristics and usage of RTIIS in symbiosis theory frameworks. Finally, this study revealed the symbiotic modes of the RTIIS of Conghua in China from 2006 to 2019. The symbiosis between the tertiary and primary industries, and between the tertiary and secondary industries, is positive asymmetrical mutualism relationships with multilateral and multidirectional exchanges. However, the symbiosis between the primary and secondary industries in Conghua is poor, resulting in a negative asymmetry symbiosis relationship. In the future, policy conditions and behavior guidance of rural practitioners can be provided for the symbiosis of primary and secondary industries. Actually, positive interactions in symbiosis, especially mutualism and cooperation, may considerably contribute to the generation of variability and complexity and to an enormous increase in fitness. At present, a symmetric mutualism model has not been formed in the Conghua area, so the construction of a symmetric mutualism model will be the goal and ideal state of Conghua and other rural areas to develop the integration of the three industries.



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*Source: 7419736-2022-05-11.xml*