Integrating land use functions and heavy metal contamination to classify village types

Abstract

Identifying the dynamic processes of socio-economic development and environmental sustainability is an important measure to prevent environmental degradation and improve human well-being in village areas. However, there is currently a lack of analytical frameworks that integrate socio-economic and environmental security indicators in village areas, making it difficult to accurately identify the ecological environmental status of village areas at different stages of development. This study quantified the multifunctional land use and heavy metal pollution risks of different village areas using land use data and soil samples collected in the field. It then integrated land use functions and heavy metal pollution risks into the analytical framework using hierarchical clustering, which identified different types of village areas. The results show that: (1) The applicability and accuracy of this analytical framework are validated by a sample verification, which classifies village areas into traditional village, productive village, comprehensive village and ecotype village. (2) Most village areas belong to the traditional village with single production and life functions. With the development of village industries, some traditional villages become productive villages. Those closer to cities or with policy support continue to develop into comprehensive villages. In this process, the village socio-economy develops, land use functional services become more diverse, but heavy metal risks gradually increase. (3) Traditional villages should prevent pollution risks from Cd, Zn and other heavy metals. Productive villages should prevent Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr and other heavy metals from industrial and domestic wastewater. Comprehensive villages should strengthen soil remediation and remediation of heavy metal contaminated sites, adjust industrial layout. Ecotype villages should avoid the impact of exogenous pollutants on the region and develop ecotourism industries. Through the classification results and discussion of village area types, this study effectively reveals the differences in environmental risks faced by socio-economic development in typical village areas in China, and provides a basis for governments to formulate functional planning and environmental protection policies suitable for different types of villages.