Changes of land use/cover and landscape in Zhalong wetland as “Red-crowned cranes country”, Heilongjiang province, China

Abstract

Hydrological and ecological role of wetlands were growing significant. Based on Landsat satellite remote sensing data collected in the years of 1990, 2000 and 2014, and integrating GIS with analytical methods of landscape ecology, research on changes of land use/cover and landscape pattern of Zhalong wetland from 1990 to 2014 was conducted. Then, we analysed the effect of human activities and climate changes on land use/cover. The main conclusions were as follows: (1) Significant changes in land use/cover have taken place in Zhalong wetland during 1990-2014.Cultivated land, unused land and construction land increased continually, while the area of reed swamp, water swamp, grass land and water land decreased accordingly; (2) Landscape patch shape has be increasingly irregular and turned complexed, there was the tend of the growing diversification and homogenization of land use change and the growing complicate landscape pattern in Zhalong wetland; (3) There was a warm-dry climate trend from 1958 to 2014; (4) Human activities including population, construction, water land pollution and production have been threatening the wetland ecosystem. Those changes in Zhalong area were caused by nature and human activity. However, the human’s contributions are great.