Abstract:

Based on the analysis of land use transfer flow, social network analysis method, and kernel density analysis method, this paper explores the evolution of land spatial patterns and their dynamic mechanism of Yuanzhou District, Guyuan City, southern Ningxia, China from 2000 to 2018. The main results are as follows. (1) The land use structure of production-living-ecological space has changed from 44.76%, 2.90%, and 52.34% in 2000 to 41.17%, 6.29%, and 52.54% in 2018, respectively, showing the decrease in production land, a considerable expansion of living land, and a weak expansion of ecological land use. (2) Dryland, forest land, natural grassland, and other grassland are important land types that affect land use transfer in Yuanzhou District. The land use transfer among the major land types determines the basic framework of the production-living-ecological space land transfer network in the Yuanzhou District. Reflecting the orientation that “ecological space is represented by beautiful mountains and clear waters”, the areas converted to ecological land mainly occur in regions unsuitable for agriculture and human habitation. In areas with suitable slopes, farmland is changed, and irrigation conditions are enhanced to improve the intensive use of water and soil resources, reflecting the guiding principle of “production space is represented by intensive and efficient production”. The expansion of living space occurs in gentle river valleys with suitable living conditions, reflecting the orientation of “living space is livable”. (3) The overall characteristics of the production-living-ecological space evolution are as follows: The humid region of Liupan Mountain is a high-value region extending from north to south. The loess hilly and gully region is a scattered high-value region. Sanying Town, Touying Town, and Huangduopu Town in the Qingshui River Valley are high-value regions of surface shape. Guanting Town is an important area centered on the county seat. The transfer flows of different major land types show different spatial agglomeration characteristics. (4) The evolution of land spatial patterns in Yuanzhou District was driven by rural human settlement construction, urbanization and industrialization, intensive use of water and soil resources, and ecological construction. This was addressed by the flow of land use transfer and resulted from the evolution of the quantitative structure and spatial patterns of production-ecological space. As a result, a dynamic mechanism of production-living-ecological space transmission was proposed in Yuanzhou District. Ecological construction was found to be the most important driving force of spatial pattern evolution in Yuanzhou District, followed by intensive use of water and soil resources, contributing 49.40% and 31.01% to the spatial evolution of production-living-ecological space in Yuanzhou District, respectively. Soil and water loss is still an important driving force for land conversion to unused land, accounting for 13.02%. Based on land use transfer flow trace analysis, the driving mechanism analysis method provides a new perspective and approach for research on the driving forces of territorial spatial evolution.

Key words: territorial spatial optimization, production-living-ecological space, land use transfer flow, driving mechanism, Yuanzhou District