Multidimensional framework for analyzing the distribution patterns of traditional villages in the karst landscape regions of China

The habitat environment of karst regions is facing challenges, such as rocky desertification and soil erosion. Traditional villages are among the most important components for the long-term survival and development of the habitat in karst areas, so the distribution patterns of traditional villages need to be understood for the conservation of karst habitats. In this study, a multidimensional framework was constructed to explore the distribution patterns of traditional villages in karst areas of China from planimetric, topographic, humanistic, socioeconomic, and hydrogeologic dimensions. We used geographical spatial analysis indicators and related analysis methods to analyze the main distribution patterns of traditional villages in karst landscape areas. Results showed that in the planimetric dimension, the distribution of traditional villages exhibited a cohesive pattern of "one core and many points." In the topographic dimension, the number of traditional villages showed an inverted-U-shape change with rising altitude, and the villages were concentrated in the area with an altitude of 600-800 m a.s.l and a slope <5 degrees. In the humanistic dimension, the distribution was dominated by Han (37.32%), Miao (21.3%), and Dong (10.61%) ethnic minorities, which were mostly found in the low-population-density area with 100-200 people/km2. In the socioeconomic dimension, the traditional villages had low traffic density and GDP per capita and were far from cities. In the hydrogeological dimension, the traditional villages were mainly located in areas with a groundwater runoff modulus >30 L/s-km2. This study expands our understanding of the characteristics of traditional settlements in karst areas and provides effective guidance for the future planning and heritage management of settlements in karst areas.