Spatial and temporal distribution and evolution of traditional villages in Xin ’an River Basin of China based on geographic detection and remote sensing technology

• Villages in the Xin ’an River basin gather at the cross-provincial border. • Villages in the Xin ’an River basin are directly related to the gentle slopes of hills and high temperatures. • The distribution of villages in the Xin ’an River Basin has hydrophilic characteristics. Traditional villages are important historical and cultural heritages, but with the continuous expansion of cities, the number of villages is rapidly declining or even disappearing, and it is urgent to carry out research on village conservation. Existing research focuses ignores the factors affecting their time and space dimensions. In this study, the Xin’an River Basin, a cross-provincial watershed with triple attributes of nature, economy and society, was chosen as a representative pilot area for the ecological compensation mechanism. The study analyzed the distribution characteristics of these villages and quantified the relevant influencing factors by using spatial analysis methods of geographic information systems and mathematical statistics such as geographic concentration index, kernel density analysis, and standard deviation ellipse. Results of the study indicate that, firstly, villages in the study area basin are numerous and widely distributed, and their spatial distribution is characteristically clustered and heterogeneous. Secondly, the spatial distribution density in the study area varies significantly, showing high-density areas across provincial boundaries, and the western area is larger than the eastern area, and the central area is larger than the peripheral area. Thirdly, the distribution of villages in Xin’an River Basin is closely related to the natural environment, mostly distributed in the terrain and climate conditions favorable for production and survival, with hilly and gentle slopes, high temperature and precipitation, and the distribution of villages is characterized by hydrophilicity.