LAND USE AND LANDSCAPE PATTERN CHANGES IN NAIMAN BANNER OF HORQIN SANDY LAND, CHINA

Abstract

Quantifying the spatial-temporal dynamics of land use and landscape patterns is important for land management and ecological conservation in an ecologically fragile region. This study focused on Naiman Banner on the southern edge of Horqin sandy land, one of the largest sandy lands in northern China. Based on remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS), the spatial-temporal changes of land use and landscape pattern were investigated in Naiman Banner from 2002 to 2018. The results showed that the area of cropland and construction land area increased by 586.75 km2 and 215.05 km2, respectively. Meanwhile, the area of grassland, forest land, sandy land and water body decreased by 488.55 km2, 177.44 km2, 88.88 km2 and 46.89 km2, respectively. Forest land and grassland were mainly replaced by cropland, and sandy land was mainly converted into grassland. The area of cropland expanded towards the north of the study area. The largest patch index of cropland and construction land increased, while that of grassland decreased. The landscape change was mainly characterized by the largest patch index increased, which suggested the landscape became more homogeneous. The study is meaningful in the land use management and ecological environment protection in Naiman Banner of Horqin sandy land.