Rural livelihood resilience (RLR) is significant for the sustainability of rural areas, farmers and agriculture. This research takes the mountainous areas of Southwest China as the study areas and integrates the buffer, adjustment and renewal capabilities to construct a RLR analysis framework and evaluation indicator system. The RLR of 234 sample counties was evaluated using set pair analysis, and the influencing factors of RLR were investigated using Geodetector. The aim is to scientifically analyze the vertical spatial differentiation and influencing factors of RLR and fully explore the risk-resistant potential of rural livelihood systems in mountainous areas. The results show that (1) From 2000 to 2020, RLR increases significantly, but the level is still low, and its structure shows a primary pattern of “buffer capability > adjustment capability > renewal capability”. (2) There is no significant negative correlation between RLR and terrain gradients, especially in the middle and low mountains. RLR in high mountainous areas is significantly lower than in low and medium mountainous areas, but the gap is narrowing. There are no significant gaps in RLR and various capabilities between low and medium mountain areas. (3) Economic development, non-agricultural industries and grassroots autonomous organizations are essential determinants for RLR. Economic development, grassroots autonomous organizations and transportation conditions are more important in low and medium mountain areas, while non-agricultural industries and medical conditions contribute more to high mountainous areas. (4) To enhance the RLR, policy recommendations should place a strong emphasis on extending the agricultural industry chain, improving rural production and living infrastructure and strengthening the supply of high-quality social public services. The findings can provide a scientific basis for governments to implement rural revitalization strategies and improve farmers’ well-being, as well as practical guidance for enhancing the risk resistance ability of underdeveloped mountainous rural areas.

The accelerating conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural uses poses critical threats to food security and sustainable land management, particularly in ecologically fragile karst mountainous regions. This study investigated the spatiotemporal patterns and driving mechanisms of cropland non-agricultural conversion (CNAC) in the Qian-Gui karst region (Guangxi and Guizhou, China) from 2000 to 2020, employing land use datasets and socioeconomic indicators through geographically weighted regression (GWR) modeling. The results showed that (1) from 2000 to 2020, the CNAC rate in the Qian-Guizhou karst mountainous region reached 2.03%. The area of CNAC increased by 14.60 × 10⁴ hm², increasing 1.74 times in 2010–2020 compared to 2000–2010, showing a trend of rapid growth. Specifically, the growth rate of the CNAC area was the highest in apparent mountainous (110.36%) and quasi-mountainous counties (100.5%), followed by semi-mountainous counties (95.28%), while entirely mountainous (40.89%) and pure hilly counties (37.68%) experienced the lowest growth, revealing distinct regional disparities. (2) Spatially, CNAC exhibited a pattern of “high in the north and south, low in the central region”, and the overall level of CNAC displayed significant regional imbalances, with extreme grades distributed in provincial capitals, high and medium grades concentrated in prefecture-level city districts, and light and low grades mainly located in counties and districts (accounting for more than 55.56% of the total number of research units in the two time periods). (3) There was significant spatial heterogeneity in the driving effect of factors influencing CNAC. Agricultural output and population density showed the strongest positive correlations; effectively irrigated areas exhibited a growing influence over time (except for pure hilly counties); rocky desertification areas exerted a strengthened influence on CNAC in pure hilly counties, while their impact was relatively lower in other regions compared to other indicators. Therefore, when formulating policies to protect farmland, it is essential to take into account the specific conditions of different types of counties in mountainous areas and adopt management measures tailored to these regional characteristics.