As a model of the symbiotic wisdom between humans and nature, traditional villages carry rich historical and cultural values in their existence. However, the rapid urbanization process has led to the destruction and even disappearance of many traditional villages, and surviving villages urgently need to cope with the severe challenge of protecting their original ecology and cultural environment. To preserve the heritage of traditional villages, it is necessary to investigate their geographic distribution and influencing factors. We have conducted research and statistics on traditional villages using Geographic Information System (GIS) spatial analysis technology (GIS), described in detail the complex interrelationships among natural, social, and cultural variables in the distribution and evolution of villages, and analyzed the relevant influencing factors qualitatively and quantitatively. The results of the research show that (1) in terms of geographical distribution, traditional villages in Guizhou tend to exhibit a high degree of agglomeration and clustering, and their distribution structure is characterized by “small aggregation and scattering, with many cores and few peripheries”. (2) Most traditional villages in Guizhou appeared after the end of the Qing Dynasty. (3) Natural and cultural factors influence the design and layout of traditional settlements, and socioeconomic and historical culture influence the evolution of traditional settlements. These factors also influence the formation of traditional villages and the changes in their geographical distribution. This study provides a scientific basis for the sustainable development of traditional villages in Guizhou Province. It explores a new way to study and protect the spatial patterns of traditional villages.

Among the world’s most important three chief black lands, China’s northeast region is a vital hub for the commercial extraction of grain, undertaking the task of grain reserves and special transfers. Utilizing the provincial data of the three northeastern provinces from 2010 to 2021, and using existing documents and records as essential elements, we structured a land security appraisal system with five criterion layers and 21 indicator layers of pressure, state, impact, response, and management. The three provinces in the northeast were evaluated for the security of their land resources using the entropy-dependent weight-TOPSIS pattern. The study findings indicate that: (1) In general, land resource security of the three northeastern provinces shows a pattern of decline followed by a gradual increase from 2012 to 2021, and there is a steady improvement in the level of land’s ecological stability; (2) There are differences in the ecological stability of the soil across cities and provinces, with Heilongjiang Province having the best land security status and Liaoning Province having the worst; (3) The amount of soil erosion in tiny watersheds is the indicator that has the biggest influence on land ecological stability in the three provinces in the northeast; (4) The response layer is the criterion layer that has the strongest correlation with land ecological safety.