Study on the Reconfiguration Mechanism of the "Production-Living-Ecological Space" in Rural Areas of Xizang under the Gradient of Altitude and Cultural Geographical Environment

Abstract

The unique altitude gradient of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its profound cultural-geopolitical environment jointly shape the fundamental pattern of the rural regional system in Xizang. Focusing on the "Production-Living-Ecological" spaces, this study aims to reveal their reconstruction mechanisms under the dual influence of the high-altitude environment and ethnic culture. By constructing a "Production-Living-Ecological" spaces classification system incorporating altitude factors and employing GIS spatial analysis and the Geodetector model, this research quantitatively analyzes the spatial pattern evolution in the Xizang Autonomous Region from 2000 to 2020. The results indicate that during the study period, driven by the ecological priority strategy, Xizang's territorial space underwent a fundamental transformation from "production-dominated" to "ecology-dominated," with the proportion of ecological space increasing from 48.0% to 75.2%. The altitude gradient serves as the rigid framework for vertical spatial differentiation, with low, medium, and high-altitude zones corresponding to "living-production core areas," "agro-pastoral ecological transition zones," and "absolute ecological dominance zones," respectively. Geodetector results show that the interaction between road network density and GDP is the core economic engine driving the agglomeration of production and living spaces, while its superposition with natural endowments (e.g., precipitation) constitutes a primary pressure source on ecological space. The cultural-geopolitical environment, with social capital, folk traditions, and ecological ethics at its core, deeply regulates and maintains the internal order and resilience of rural spaces through mechanisms of "cohesion," "activation," and "regulation." Accordingly, this paper proposes an optimization pathway of "vertical division of labor, cultural empowerment, and zonal coordination," aiming to provide theoretical reference and practical guidance for harmonizing human-land relationships and achieving sustainable development in high-altitude ethnic regions.