Search Results (2)

Rural house is a fundamental component of rural settlements, and understanding its construction and development characteristics is crucial for rural land use and development planning. This paper focuses on the spatiotemporal characteristics and influencing factors of Rural Houses Construction Development (RHCD) from 1980 to 2019 with a case study of Qingyuan Town in China. Based on the literature review and filed research, a set of evaluation indicators for RHCD was established. The article calculates RHCD indicators from temporal and spatial dimensions, uses the location entropy method to demonstrate the spatial distribution of indicators, and classifies the RHCD type of 14 villages in Qingyuan Town using clustering algorithms. It also analyzes the influencing factors of spatiotemporal distribution. The results show that the RHCD in Qingyuan Town exhibits typical characteristics of mountainous areas and aligns with the development trends of rural society in China. Population growth, geographical location, and economic development are the primary driving factors for the quantity indicator (Qi), while economic growth, construction technology, industrial development, and policy adjustments are the key factors influencing the form indicator (Fi). In future policy-making, greater emphasis should be placed on optimizing development strategies, improving data and monitoring systems, and integrating administrative strength with actual development needs. Full article

Nonferrous metal smelting is a potential emission source of trace elements. However, it is vital to identify the dominant factors in determining toxic element (TE) spatial distribution and migration behaviors. We hypothesize that soil clay is the key factor in agricultural land around nonferrous metal smelting areas. Hence, this study focused on Qingyuan Town, a typical nonferrous metal smelting base. From this site, 95 soil samples (0–20 cm) were collected from cultivated land around the nonferrous metal smelters. Eight soil samples were analyzed for TE speciation and clay minerals in hot spot and non-hot spot areas following the TE distribution. A geographical detector (Geodor) showed that the distributions of total and exchangeable TE were affected by multiple factors (clay, CaO, and Fe₂O₃). X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the clay was mainly comprised of an illite and smectite mixed layer (67.13%), illite (15.38%), chlorite (9.25%), and kaolinite (8.25%). Moreover, correlation analysis showed that the exchangeable As was positively correlated with illite (R² = 0.76, at p < 0.01 level), kaolinite (R² = 0.43, at p < 0.01 level), and chlorite (R² = 0.59, at p < 0.01 level) in the hot spot, but negatively correlated with a mixed layer of illite and smectite (R² = 0.83, at p < 0.01 level). In contrast, the cases of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn presented an opposite tread with As. The positive matrix factorization (PMF) results showed that the contribution rate of nonferrous metal smelting to soil As was 42.90% and those of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn were 84.90%, 56.40%, 59.90%, and 59.20%, respectively. These results can provide guidance for controlling the TE risk associated with agricultural land management. Full article