Research on the Evolution Characteristics and Interaction Mechanism Between Socio-Economy and the “Production-Living-Ecological” Functions of Land Use at the County Level: A Case Study of Henan Province

The ongoing development of the economy and society has increasingly intensified the imbalance between the supply and demand of land resources. Achieving coordinated development between socio-economic growth and the “Production-Living-Ecological” functions of land-use is therefore a key foundation for high-quality regional development. In light of this, this study focuses on Henan Province at the county level. Building on a theoretical framework that examines the relationship between socio-economic development and the “Production-Living-Ecological” functions of land-use, we employed methods including the entropy method, linear weighting method, mechanical equilibrium model, and curve estimation model. These were used to explore the evolution characteristics and interactive relationship between socio-economic development and the “Production-Living-Ecological” functions at the county level in Henan Province. The findings reveal that: (1) The socio-economic development level of counties in Henan showed an overall upward trend during the study period, with the average value rising from 0.2320 in 2010 to 0.2702 in 2023. High-level areas were mainly concentrated in the central region around Zhengzhou. (2) The overall level of the “Production-Living-Ecological” functions of land-use in Henan’s counties followed a gradually increasing trend, with a relatively stable evolution process. The functional levels in northern, central, and eastern Henan were notably higher than those in the western and southern regions. (3) There is a significant positive correlation between the socio-economic development level of counties in Henan and the comprehensive level of the “Production-Living-Ecological” functions of land-use. Moreover, socio-economic development exerts a one-way influence on the functional level of “Production-Living-Ecological” in land-use. Identifying the interactive relationship between socio-economic factors and these land-use functions can provide quantitative references and a decision-making basis for rationally adjusting the “Production-Living-Ecological” functions across different stages of development.