Spatial Pattern Characteristics and Factors for the Present Status of Rural Settlements in the Lijiang River Basin Based on ArcGIS

Wenjun Zheng, Wentao Cao, Guifang Li, Sijia Zhu and Xianyan Zhang ()
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Wenjun Zheng: College of Tourism & Landscape Architecture, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin 541004, China
Wentao Cao: College of Tourism & Landscape Architecture, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin 541004, China
Guifang Li: College of Tourism & Landscape Architecture, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin 541004, China
Sijia Zhu: College of Tourism & Landscape Architecture, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin 541004, China
Xianyan Zhang: Department of Science and Technology, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin 541004, China

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 5, 1-15

Abstract: In China, rural settlements have undergone significant changes in response to dramatic socioeconomic shifts. However, there has not been any report on rural settlements in the Lijiang River Basin. In this study, ArcGIS 10.2 (including hot spot analysis and kernel density estimation) and Fragstats 4.2 (such as the landscape pattern index) software were used to analyze the spatial pattern and causes of rural settlements in the Lijiang River Basin. The Lijiang River Basin is mainly dominated by micro- and small-sized rural settlements with small areas. Moreover, the results of a hot spot analysis showed that micro- and small-sized rural settlements were mainly located in the upper reaches, and medium- and large-sized rural settlements were mainly located in the middle and lower reaches. The kernel density estimation results showed that the distribution characteristics of the rural settlements in the upper, middle, and lower reaches were significantly different. The spatial forms of rural settlements were affected by physiographic factors such as elevation and slope, karst landforms, and river trunk channels as well as the national policy system, tourism economic development, town distribution, historical heritage, and minority culture. This study is the first to systematically elaborate on the rural settlement pattern and its internal logic from the perspective of the Lijiang River Basin, providing a basis for the optimization and construction of the rural settlement pattern.

Keywords: rural settlements; spatial pattern; Lijiang River Basin; ArcGIS; karst landforms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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