Spatio-temporal patterns and synergistic obstacles of rural multifunctionality in arid oasis regions: A case study from Ganzhou District in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin, Northwest China

Exploring the development laws of oasis rural areas from the perspective of multifunctional coordination is conducive to addressing the vulnerability of the human-land system in arid regions. Based on the resource and environmental constraints, socio-economic transformation, and characteristics of leisure demand evolution in oasis rural areas of arid regions, this study constructed a rural multifunctional evaluation system from the perspective of the "production-living-ecology" system, which encompasses six core dimensions, namely agricultural product supply (APS), economic value-added (EVA), social security (SS), cultural and tourism leisure (CTL), ecological conservation (EC), and environmental maintenance (EM). Taking Ganzhou District, a typical oasis in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin in Northwest China as an example, the spatio-temporal pattern, synergistic relationship and obstacle factors of rural multifunctionality from 2011 to 2020 were systematically analyzed by applying the entropy weight method, spatial concentration index, coupling coordination degree model and obstacle degree model. The results show that: (1)The multifunctional development presents a law of spatio-temporal differentiation. The production function shows a "core-periphery" structure; the living function has shifted from a "high in the central axis and low in the two wings" pattern to a "high in the east and low in the west" pattern; the ecological function has improved overall, but the shortcomings in sensitive areas are prominent. (2) The overall level of multifunctional coordination is relatively low. Although the coupling coordination degree has continued to rise, it is still dominated by intermediate-level coordination or below. There is a widespread trade-off relationship among functions, with the negative conflict between APS and EC being the most significant. (3) The multifunctional synergy barriers have spatial gradient characteristics, and the order of obstacle degrees is: APS > SS > CTL > EC > EVA > EM. The core area of the oasis is mainly affected by ecological-environmental barriers, while the peripheral areas and transition zones are dominated by production-economic barriers. This study reveals the evolution mechanism of rural multifunctionality in arid oasis areas under resource competition and policy regulation, and proposes a differentiated governance path of "ecological optimization in core areas, industrial promotion in peripheral areas, and conservation priority in transition zones". It not only provides a theoretical reference for understanding the complexity of the human-land system in arid oasis areas, but also offers a replicable practical plan for coordinating ecological protection and rural development in similar regions around the world.