Abstract: Exploring the coupling coordination and spatio-temporal evolution characteristics of "production-living-ecological" functions is of great significance. It is a key measure to optimize the regional function and promote revitalization of rural areas. The coupling coordination model, local auto-correlation analysis, Dagum Gini coefficient and subgroup distribution method were employed in this study. Based on clarifying the connotation of "production-living-ecological" functions, and taking "county" as the evaluation unit, the evaluation value of the production function, living function and ecological function as well the comprehensive function of Jiangsu Province in 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017 were calculated. Furthermore, the spatial-temporal evolution and coupling coordination law of "production-living-ecological" functions with multi-dimensional scale were revealed. It shows that during the study period, the high value agglomeration of rural "production-living-ecological" functions in Jiangsu province was prominent, and the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of production function was obvious. Northern Jiangsu and its border area with Central Jiangsu Province had prominent advantages in production functions, and the regional units of ecological function superiority showed an expanding trend. The "production-living-ecological" functions in rural areas of Jiangsu Province are mostly in the running-in stage and the high-level coupling stage, and the proportion of extremely weakly coupled regional units was the lowest. The middle and southern regions of Jiangsu Province were mainly high coupling units. The proportion of general coordinated regional units of "production-living-ecological" was the highest, and the level of coupling coordinated development showed a weakening trend. Moreover, the low level coupling and coordinated development of production-living-ecological functions in rural areas in Jiangsu Province had been deteriorating continuously, and most of them were in the unbalanced coordination zone and the transition coordination zone, without realizing the benign spatial resonance. The imbalance of rural "production-living-ecological" functions in Jiangsu Province experienced an evolutionary process of rising, decreasing and rising, and the gap between groups in southern Jiangsu Province was always small. The fluctuation trend of disequilibrium degree of life function was consistent with the comprehensive function of "production-living-ecological" and the regional disequilibrium of ecological function gradually weakened during the study period. The level of health care and ecological environment play vital roles in promoting the "production-living-ecological" function in rural areas of Jiangsu Province.

Key words: “production-living-ecological” functions in rural area, coupling coordination, Dagum Gini coefficient, spatio-temporal pattern, influencing factors, Jiangsu Province