An environmental type-recessiveness framework for the spatial coupling of environmental heterogeneity and ICH recessiveness in Guizhou’s ethnic minority villages, China

The relationship between environmental heterogeneity and intangible cultural heritage (ICH) remains insufficiently explored at the regional scale. Using data from 312 ethnic minority villages and 305 ICH items in Guizhou, China, this study develops an Environmental Type–Recessiveness Cultural Adaptation (ERC) framework to examine associations between environmental conditions and ICH distribution patterns. Four environmental variables were integrated into five environmental types using K-means clustering. ICH recessiveness was operationalized as a three-dimensional composite index comprising observability, carrier explicitness, and environmental association. Expert scoring exhibited strong reliability. Results reveal clear associations between environmental settings and ICH recessiveness: moderate recessiveness predominates across the province; high-elevation, high-elevation environments with large distance to water systems tend to host more recessive forms of heritage, whereas low-relief and highly accessible landscapes are associated with lower recessiveness. These findings indicate that environmental differentiation is spatially coupled with systematic variation in ICH recessiveness. Such spatial correspondence is consistent with processes of socio-ecological adaptation rather than environmental determinism. The ERC framework provides a standardized and reproducible quantitative approach for comparative analysis of ICH across heterogeneous landscapes, offering a transferable tool for heritage research in mountainous and ethnically diverse regions. Overall, the observed west-to-east gradient in ICH recessiveness further supports the role of socio-ecological adaptation in shaping ethnic heritage patterns in mountainous environments.