The Causal Pathway of Rural Human Settlement, Livelihood Capital, and Agricultural Land Transfer Decision-Making: Is It Regional Consistency?

Despite the increasing interest in understanding mechanism of household livelihood decisions to increase welfare, combined role capitals and human settlements is unclear. Therefore, this paper we carried out extensive empirical research explore causal pathway between (including infrastructure, public services, social governance) human, natural, physical, financial, capitals) on agricultural land transfer, taking employment choices as an intermediary factor. On basis, study analyzed regional differences decision-making mechanisms transfer behaviors eastern, central, western regions China through a multi-group structural equation model. The results demonstrated that capital accumulation can directly possibility inflow (β = 0.130, p < 0.01), but indirectly reduce dependence by stimulating non-agricultural −0.613, 0.01). improvement settlement promotes (outside region) enhances willingness enter into agriculture. play significant mediating strengthening weakening settlements. To achieve intense development sustainable rural areas, both should be considered.