Spatial Coupling Pattern and Driving Forces of Rural Settlements and Arable Land in Alpine Canyon Region of the Maoxian County, China

Abstract

For mountainous areas in different regions, the study of the spatial coupling relationship between rural settlements and arable land resources is a key aspect of coordinated rural development. In this study, a spatial coupling relationship model and a Geodetector are introduced to explore the spatial coupling relationship and driving factors of rural settlements and arable land in the alpine canyon region. The nearest neighbor index, Voronoi diagram, and landscape pattern index system based on the geographic grid are used to analyze the spatial differentiation characteristics of rural settlements in the alpine canyon region, and the spatial coupling relationship model is introduced to explore the spatial coupling relationship between rural settlements and arable land. Finally, the driving factors of the coupling relationship are detected based on Geodetector. The results show that (1) the spatial distribution of rural settlements in the study area is “T-shaped” with a relatively regular settlement shape; (2) the population in the alpine canyon region is relatively small, and the conflict between people and land is not prominent in most areas, so the overall coupling situation between rural settlements and farming land is dominated by fewer people and more land; and (3) the spatial coupling between rural settlements and arable land in the alpine canyon region is mainly affected by four types of factors: terrain topography, meteorology, soil and population, and economy. The interaction between the factors has a synergistic enhancement effect. The results of the study provide theoretical support for the development of rural settlements in the alpine canyon region.