Land-use change and its ecological responses: a pilot study of typical agro-pastoral region in the Heihe River,northwest China |
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| Authors: | Ziqiang Du Yudan Shen Jian Wang Wenshi Cheng |
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| Institution: | (1) College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Gansu Agricultural University, 730070 Lanzhou, China;(2) Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Science, 730000 Lanzhou, China;(3) College of Economy and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070 Wuhan, China |
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| Abstract: | Although rapid land-use change has taken place in many arid and semi-arid regions of northwestern China, relatively less attention
has been paid to studying the characteristics of land use change, as well as the ecological responses of land use change in
these regions, especially in fragile agro-pastoral regions. This paper analyzes the land use change and its ecological responses
during 1985–2005 based on the landscape metrics change and transition matrix of land use types by the combined use of satellite
remote sensing and geographical information systems in Shandan County, a typical agro-pastoral region in the middle and upper
reaches of Heihe River, northwest China. The results indicate significant changes in land use have occurred and the landscape
has become more continuous, clumped and more homogeneous within the examined area. Land use change was mainly characterized
by remarkable expansion of barred land and water area, slight increase of cropland and urbanized land, and evident shrinkage
of grassland and woodland. The study also demonstrates that the land cover suffered severe degeneration and the ecological
environment tended to deteriorate over the study period, mainly as follows: grassland degradation, land desertification and
ecosystem services decline. |
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