Objective The aims were to reveal the response mechanism of the evolution of rural settlements to topography and human conditions, in order to provide a basis for site selection for land space optimization projects, such as ecological resettlement and settlement withdrawal, and to alleviate the contradiction between people and land.

Method Taking Hohhot, a typical arid area, as an example, the spatial and temporal evolution of the scale and shape, kernel density, spatial correlation degree and land use transfer characteristics of rural settlements from 1980 to 2023 were systematically analyzed by means of landscape pattern index, kernel density estimation, spatial autocorrelation and land use transfer matrix. Combined with landscape index and buffer analysis, the geographical detector was used to explore the dominant driving factors from the perspective of landscape ecology.

Result The scale and shape of rural settlements showed an overall growth trend. The scale of rural settlements in Qixian County was larger than that in urban areas, but the change range was smaller than that in urban areas. A number of high aggregation core areas were formed, showing the characteristics of central and northeast dense, south and northwest sparse. There was a significant spatial positive correlation in the area of rural settlements. The distributions of high-low and low-high agglomeration types were relatively stable, while the high-high and low-low agglomeration types showed an expansion and reduction trend, respectively. The new rural settlements were mainly from cultivated land, grassland and unused land. The primary industry value, the total value of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery, the urbanization rate, the rural population, the distance from the county and the elevation were the main factors affecting the distribution of rural settlements. The distance from rivers, roads and slopes were important factors. In addition, policy regulation had a significant impact on the evolution of rural settlements.

Conclusion In view of the spatial and temporal differentiation characteristics of rural settlements and the analysis of dominant factors, it was necessary to strengthen local policies in the future to promote the construction of arid areas and beautiful villages.