Research on the types of environmental characteristics of traditional villages in Guizhou province, China

This study, which focuses on 724 traditional villages in Guizhou Province, China, has practical implications for conservation and development. By employing the nearest-neighbor and geographical concentration indexes, we have analyzed the spatial distribution, geographical environment characteristics, and types of these entities. The analysis reveals that the spatial distribution of traditional villages in Guizhou is unbalanced, with a co-existing pattern of agglomeration and dispersion. However, the degree of agglomeration is limited, and the agglomeration mainly occurs in the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture and the Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. The diversity of their geographical environment is unveiled by analyzing elevation, terrain undulation, and distance to the river system. Through cluster analysis, the geographical environment types of traditional villages are categorized into 10 distinct groups. After clarifying the unique characteristics of each category, the type composition of conventional villages in different cities and prefectures is sorted out. Overall, village types with low elevation, complex terrain, and high elevation, all of which are close to water, account for a relatively large proportion. These findings enhance our understanding of the geographical environment and distribution patterns of Guizhou's traditional villages, providing critical theoretical support for their conservation and development.