Table 1.

Geo-relations of six villages in the research area

Ecological immigrant type	Ecological immigration location	Migration distance	Migration date	Neighboring village of the emigration area
Immigrants from the Liupan Mountain water conservation area	Village a, Liushutai Village Group 2 in Xinzhuang, inhabited by people who moved from Shangwan Village in Xinmin, Jingyuan County, Guyuan	Approximately 300 km	2006	Village e: Zhangtai Village Team 3 in Xinmin, Jingyuan County, Guyuan, which is an unmoved neighboring village of the original Shangwan Village in Xinmin, Jingyuan County, Guyuan
Immigrants from loess hilly areas	Village b: Yongxin Village Xinquan Group in Liuquan, inhabited by people who moved from Talachuan in Hechuan Village, Jiatang, Haiyuan County, Zhongwei	Approximately 200 km	1999	Village f: Chenwan Team of Baotai Village in Jiatang, Haiyuan County, Zhongwei, which is an unmoved neighboring village of the original Talachuan natural village of Hechuan Village in Jiatang, Haiyuan County, Zhongwei
Immigrants from key arid and sandstorm control areas under dryland–to–nearby wetland migration projects	Village c: Xiangyuan Village Xiangyuan Group in Dahe, inhabited by people who moved from Shuayishan Village in Shitangou Town, Tongxin County, Wuzhong	Approximately 20 km	2000	No residents near the emigration area
Immigrants from key arid and sandstorm control areas under dryland–to–nearby wetland migration projects	Village d: Shuitao Village Group 1 in Liuquan, inhabited by people who moved from Shuitao Village - Wanghutai Village in Weizhou, Tongxin County, Wuzhong	Approximately 2 km	2000	No residents near the emigration area

The dryland-to-nearby wetland migration projects resettle immigrants from deep mountain areas lacking water sources and transportation to nearby flat areas with water sources, with the migration distance less than 20 km

Neighboring village of the emigration area refers to the village that remains in the vicinity of the immigrants’ original residence