The spatiotemporal evolution of toponymic cultural landscapes in Hebei Province, China, and its influencing factors-Datasrt

Current research on toponymic cultural landscapes lacks systematic attention to geographical transition zones and often neglects the interpretation of long-term evolutionary processes and driving mechanisms. This study examines 1,854 township-level place names in Hebei Province, China, by integrating methods such as kernel density estimation, geographic detectors, and spatial autocorrelation analysis. Focusing on the transition zone along the Taihang Mountains–Great Wall corridor, patterns of spatiotemporal differentiation and the dual mechanisms shaping changes in place names are investigated. The findings reveal significant spatiotemporal variation in Hebei's place names. Natural environment names have contracted toward northeastern mountainous and coastal regions, while cultural names have shifted northward. The transition zone exhibited a "military-to-civilian" transformation characteristic during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Slope gradient and vegetation coverage are identified as primary natural drivers, whereas ethnic integration and migration during the Ming Dynasty constitute the key social factors. This study enriches interdisciplinary research on human–land relationships and toponymic landscapes in transition zones, proposes region-specific conservation strategies, and provides a scientific basis for the protection of toponymic cultural heritage in similar transition zones across Hebei and North China.当前有关地名文化景观的研究，往往缺乏对地理过渡带的系统性关注，且常忽视对其长期演化过程与驱动机制的解读。本研究以中国河北省1854个乡镇级地名为研究对象，整合核密度估计（kernel density estimation）、地理探测器（geographic detectors）、空间自相关分析（spatial autocorrelation analysis）等方法，聚焦太行山-长城廊道过渡带，探究地名的时空分异格局及其演变的双重驱动机制。研究结果显示，河北省地名存在显著的时空差异：自然环境类地名向东北山区与沿海区域收缩，而文化类地名则向北迁移；该过渡带在明清时期呈现出“由军转民”的转型特征。本研究识别出坡度与植被覆盖度为主要自然驱动因子，而明代的民族融合与移民活动则是关键社会因素。本研究丰富了过渡带人地关系与地名文化景观的跨学科研究，提出了针对性的区域保护策略，并为河北省及华北地区同类过渡带的地名文化遗产保护提供了科学依据。