[Suitability of human settlement environment in Buyei traditional villages in rocky desertification area of Guizhou, China.].

To investigate the traditional village living environment adaptability to desertification and topography, the suitability evaluation index system and weight of traditional Buyei traditional villages in the rocky desertification area human settlement were quantified using Delphi method and comprehensive weighting method. We calculated human settlements environment suitability value and threshold to comprehensively analyze the human settlements environment suitability. The results showed that 10% of the traditional Buyei traditional villages were located in the rocky desertification areas with high intensity and extremely high intensity and had the tradition of selecting the best environment. The index system of residential environment suitability was composed of five first-level indices (economy, historic culture, ecology, society, and building environment suitability) and 26 second-level indices. This index system was applicable to villages in karst regions. The comprehensive environmental suitability value (2.81-3.77), the economy value (0.77-1.17), the historic culture value (0.39-0.50), the ecology value (0.83-1.07), the social environment value (0.38-0.53) all decreased with the increasing intensity of rocky desertification, but the suitability value of building environment did not change, which ranged from 0.43 to 0.51. Rocky desertification had profound and synergistic impacts on economy, historic culture, ecology and social environment. The floor level of the human settlement suitability threshold was 2.93. If the threshold was lower than 2.93, it could be considered to move or take measures to improve its value. The suitability value (3.56) of traditional village living environment in mountain slope was higher than that in depression (3.42) and valley (3.16). The human settlement suitability of traditional villages in rocky desertification area was higher than that of ordinary villages, but was lower than that of normal landform, with the differences in economy and ecology being the main reasons. To improve the living environment of traditional villages in rocky desertification areas, we should strengthen the comprehensive control of rocky desertification and policy support, develop ecological economy and tourism, protect historic culture or choose ecological migration. This research could provide theoretical base for the planning and construction of village living environment protection in karst areas.