Spatiotemporal pattern and driving force analysis of multi-functional coupling coordinated development of cultivated land

Abstract: This study aims to promote the multifunction coupling and coordinated development of cultivated land resources for national food security. The social and economic panel data was collected from Shaanxi Province of China in 2010, 2015 and 2019. A coupling coordination degree model was established to explore the spatial-temporal pattern using the comprehensive index method. The multi-functional coupling coordination relationships of cultivated land were also determined in various districts and counties from the perspective of classification index areas. A geographical detector was selected for the driving mechanism of multi-functional coupling and coordination degree of cultivated land. The results showed that: 1) There was a weakening trend in the overall production function of cultivated land from 2010 to 2019, particularly in the Weihe plain in the Central . There was a low-level function of social security, where the weakening of the Low-mountain and flat dam area in the Southern, while the significant enhancement for the northeastern part of the Loess hilly and gully region in the Northern, and the first weakening and then strengthening in the Loess plateau area in Northern River and the Weihe plain. There was an enhancing trend in the ecological function, where the classification index areas were developed from the low to the medium and high level, except for the high and higher level distribution in the Low-mountain and flat dam area in the Southern. 2) The multi-functional coupling and coordination level of cultivated land was mainly on the verge of maladjustment and basically coordination. There was a change with the time from the low coordination to high coupling state, where the transformation from the maladjusted recession to the verge of maladjustment and basically coordination were found in the Loess hilly and gully region in Northern, as well as the Qinba middle and high mountain area in the Southern, whereas, the Sandy area along the Great Wall in the Northern was developed from on the verge of maladjustment to the basic coordination and high coordination. 3) The key driving factors were determined the multi-functional coupling and coordination of cultivated land, including the slope, elevation, average annual precipitation in the regional conditions, the intensity of human activities, and road network density in the urbanization level. In addition, the explanatory power of agricultural development level was enhanced with the time, indicating the limited level of industrial development and the quality of business entities. There were also some interactions among the influencing factors, particularly for the two-factor and nonlinear enhancement between each factor. As such, these factors jointly determined the evolution of coupling coordination degree. The finding can provide the theoretical support to improve the level of cultivated land utilization, further to strengthen the 'trinity' protection of cultivated land in rural revitalization.