Socio-economi...ical counties_ZHANG Haipeng.pdf

J.Geogr.Sci.2023,33(3):655-680 DOI:https:/doi.org/10.1007/s11442-023-2100-3 2023 Science Press Springer-Verlag Socio-economic roots of human settlement layout in the marginal zone of the Changtang Plateau uninhabited area:A comparative study of three typical counties ZHANG Haipeng1,2,*LIU Weidong1,2,LIU Zhigao1,2,CHENG Han1,LIU Hanchu3 1.Key Laboratory of Regional Sustainable Development Modeling,Institute of Geographic Sciences and Nat-ural Resources Research,CAS,Beijing 100101,China;2.College of Resources and Environment,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100049,China;3.Institutes of Science and Development,CAS,Beijing 100190,China Abstract:Human activities in the marginal zone of the Changtang Plateau(CTP)uninhabited area are important research topics in China and globally.Based on the core-periphery theory of geography,this paper selected three counties in the marginal zone of the CTP uninhabited area with significant transitional physical geography features and socio-economic conditions as case areas.We used the data set of settlement patches identified by visual interpretation in Google Earth Pro,combining them with field survey data to study the evolution of human settlements on the CTP,the characteristics of settlement layout,and their socio-economic roots.The study found that:(1)Since the democratic reform in Tibet,the production mode of herders on the CTP has transitioned from four-season nomadic herding to cold-season sed-entary grazing,warm-season rotational grazing,and then to a combination of sedentary grazing and forage supplementation.In structural changes of grassroots organizations,vil-lage boundaries were clarified,grazing ranges were fixed,and settlement systems were formed.(2)On a large scale,the settlement layout on the CTP showed a certain degree of agglomeration in local areas,but the settlements spatial agglomeration decreased as the observation scale decreased.The settlement size structure matched the typical rank-size rule of rural settlements.(3)The settlement layout of the CTP showed significant traffic lines and dominant location orientation.These orientation characteristics revealed“core-periphery”regional differences.Changes in production conditions,such as artificial grass cultivation and part-time employment,affected the dependence on traditional grazing points.Settlements moved from resource dependence to dependence on multiple elements,such as resources and facilities.The religious,cultural heritage of the sacred mountains,lakes,and temples Received:2022-04-14 Accepted:2022-08-29 Foundation:The Second Comprehensive Scientific Investigation and Research Project of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,No.2019QZKK1007;The Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences,No.XDA20010102 Author:Zhang Haipeng(1992),PhD Candidate,specialized in economic geography and regional studies.E-mail:*Corresponding author:Liu Weidong(1967),PhD and Professor,specialized in economic geography,regional develop-ment and the Belt and Road Initiative studies.E-mail: 656 Journal of Geographical Sciences influenced the settlement layout,leading to clustering in local areas and to group format.This study expands our understanding of the settlement pattern in the marginal zone of uninhab-ited areas and provides valuable references for advancing the optimization of the CTP human settlement system in the new era.Keywords:Changtang Plateau;marginal zone of uninhabited area;settlement;socio-economic elements;Qing-hai-Tibet Plateau;human-land relationship 1 Introduction The formation and evolution of human settlement patterns are influenced by the natural en-vironment and socio-economic conditions(Li et al.,2019).Their degree of influence on the settlement layout differs for different geographical environments and productivity levels.At low productivity levels,the natural environment plays a dominant role in the siting of set-tlements.While its influence decreases due to its temporal stability(Zhou et al.,2013).On long time scales,socio-economic systems are usually in constant change,and their impact on settlement patterns is dynamic and increasing in intensity(Tang et al.,2018).Chinas vast territory is divided into three levels of terrain in terms of geographical conditions,agri-cultural and pastoral areas in terms of production methods,and in line with 56 ethnic groups in terms of human landscape.Different ethnic groups have different living customs and cul-tural characteristics.These objective circumstances determine that the settlement patterns of different regions,and their formation mechanisms have specific regional genes(Li et al.,2018).The interaction of internal and external development factors in the new era of indus-trialization,urbanization,and economic globalization has caused drastic adjustments to the socio-economic system of the Chinese countryside,profoundly affecting the evolution of the settlement pattern(Yang et al.,2019).This is especially true for the remot