Spatiotemporal patterns and influencing factors of rural multifunctionality in the Yellow River Basin: A case study of Shaanxi Province

Promoting the coordinated development of rural multifunctionality in the Yellow River Basin is a key pathway toward achieving regional rural revitalization and building a livable, business-friendly, and aesthetically pleasing countryside. Using 107 counties and districts in Shaanxi Province as the basic research units and selecting the years 2010, 2015, and 2020 as temporal nodes, this study constructs a rural multi-functionality evaluation system. By integrating subjective and objective weighting methods with the GeoDetector model, it explores the spatiotemporal evolution of rural functions and the driving mechanisms behind dominant functional types. The research results reveal 3 findings. ① High-value multifunctional areas exhibit significant spatial heterogeneity. Agricultural production functions have evolved into a "multi-point scattered + clustered" pattern; non-agricultural production functions show a "multi-point mosaic" pattern; livelihood security functions remain stable in non-central areas of Guanzhong and northern Shaanxi; and ecological conservation functions display a "high in the south, low in the north" distribution, with a trend of "simultaneous decline in both high and low values." ② Based on current dominant functions and their interactions, dominant functional types are categorized into four major classes and twelve subtypes, reflecting a transition from single-function dominance to multifunctional integration. ③ Univariate factor detection indicates that dual-function dominant areas are influenced by fewer driving factors, yet these factors exert stronger effects. Transportation accessibility, production conditions, and the degree of marketization are key constraints limiting the enhancement of weakly integrated multifunctional areas. Interaction analysis reveals significant synergistic effects among influencing factors, characterized by nonlinear enhancement and bivariate enhancement patterns. The findings of this study can provide a scientific basis and decision-making support for the future functional orientation and strategic planning of rural development in Shaanxi Province and the broader Yellow River Basin region.