Abstract: The models of cultivated land kernel density， dynamic degree and influence mechanism were used to discuss the evolution and influence mechanism of cultivated land’s spatial distribution from 1990 to 2020 in Liaoning Province. The results showed that the characteristics of cultivated land agglomeration in Liaoning Province are significant， showing a spatial distribution pattern of "dense in the northwest and sparse in the southeast"， with a variation range of 0~10.17hm²/km². The relative index of cultivated land change gradually transformed from the high in the western and eastern regions in 1990 to the high in the central region in 2020. In the 1990s， the average annual increase of cultivated land was 1.88×10⁴hm²， but decreased by 2.72×10⁴hm² after the 21st century. The area of cultivated land decreased in Shenyang， Dalian and Anshan but increased in Panjin and Tieling. Natural factors are a prerequisite for cultivated land use， but socio-economic and regional policies play an important role. The intensification of drought and the reduction of agricultural population led to a reduction of 3.576×10⁵hm² of cultivated land. With the social development， the average output value increased by 302%， and the social fixed investment increased by 9.4 times. It is suggested that the government should encourage diversified cultivation of cultivated land， establish a mechanism for the circulation of cultivated land， strengthen the construction of new countryside， and encourage the young labor force to return home to develop science and technology agriculture.

Key words: cultivated land use; kernel density estimation; spatial-temporal evolution; influence mechanism; Liaoning Province