The dynamic of dike–pond system in the pearl river delta during 1964–2012

Abstract

As a traditional mode of agricultural production in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, the dike-pond systems (DPS) play an essential role in local economic development and the ecology-agriculture balance. Since 1964, evolution of the systems has been influenced by climate change, policy, and the market economy. We used multi-temporal remotely sensed data (KH-4 data from 1964, KH-9 data from 1976, Landsat TM data from 1988, Landsat ETM+ data for 2000, and HJ-1A data for 2012) to extract land use information for the PRD region. We used this information to describe the development of dike-pond systems in the PRD region and discuss the driving mechanisms in the evolution of the systems.