Exploring the spatiotemporal variation characteristics and influencing factors of gully agricultural production transformation in the Chinese Loess Plateau: A case study of loess hilly and gully region in Yan'an City

Exploring the variation characteristics and influencing factors of gully agricultural production transformation (GAPT) in the Loess Plateau (LP) can provide scientific reference for the evolution of rural human-environment relationship and agricultural multi-functional development in the context of green high-quality development. In this paper, Taking Yan'an City of loess hilly and gully region (LHGR) as the study area, 30m resolution Landsat TM/OLI data in the year of 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2018 were selected, and kernel density estimation and geographic detector model were used to analyzes the process of GAPT, and to explore the driving force of GAPT in the LP and its spatial-temporal differentiation pattern. The results show that: (1) In the past 20 years, the gully agricultural production in the Yan'an LHGR has shown a divergent distribution and phased expansion, and the overall trend of fluctuating shrinkage. The gully agricultural production transformation center of gravity in the study area has shifted from the middle-altitude to the low-altitude area. (2) The gully agricultural production in the study area is transforming to agglomeration at small spatial scales. GAPT mostly occurs in the water supply belts near river waters, and in the area close to roads and areas near rural settlements which are closely related to human activities. (3) The process of GAPT mainly driven by socio-economic factors and policy factors, and it presents three evolution characteristics: contiguous distribution of traditional agricultural production, transformation of modern gully agricultural production functions, and modern agricultural and tourism multi-functional three-industry integration. The essence is the functional transformation of gully agricultural land. (4) GAPT in the LP is driven by many factors. Behavior subjects at different levels would promote the GAPT in different directions under the background of major national and regional development policies. The research results can provide scientific reference for crop planting mode adjustment, sustainable land use management, and the similar regional agriculture green transformation, thus supporting the realization of the strategic objectives of high-quality agricultural development and rural revitalization in the Yellow River Basin.