Spatio-Temporal Pattern and Influence Mechanism of Cultivated Land System Resilience: Case from China

The study of cultivated land systems from the perspective of resilience is of great significance for the innovation of the research paradigm of cultivated land use and the rational utilization and protection of cultivated land. This study aims to explain the theoretical connotations of cultivated land system resilience (CLSR), construct an evaluation system and zoning rules for CLSR, and take 30 provinces of China as case study areas to explore the influencing factors of CLSR, so as to provide a reliable governance plan for the sustainable development of cultivated land. The results show that: (1) CLSR refers to a sustainable development ability that CLS—by adjusting the structure and scale of internal elements—absorbs and adapts to internal and external disturbances and shocks to the maximum possible extent, abandons the original inapplicable state, creates a new recovery path, achieves a new balance, and avoids system recession. (2) The overall CLSR of the 30 provinces showed an upward trend, and the degree of polarization of the distribution pattern was gradually intensified and experienced a transition process from “leading by resource and ecological resilience—equilibrium of each resilience—leading by production and scale structural resilience”. (3) In the north, east, and south coastal areas of China, CLSR mainly consists of the major evolution areas and the stable development areas; the potential excitation areas of CLSR are mainly concentrated in the central and western regions of China; the CLSR-sensitive lag areas and degraded vulnerable areas are mainly distributed in the northwest and southwest of China. (4) Water resource endowment has a strong influence on CLSR, while social economy mainly influences CLSR through ‘economic foundation-superstructures’ and ‘economic development-factor agglomeration’. (5) According to the different CLSR zones, CLSR was strengthened mainly from the aspects of driving factor agglomeration, building factor free-flow systems, and multi-means support.