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Title: SPATIAL-TEMPORAL PATTERN AND DRIVING FORCES OF LAND USE CHANGES IN XIAMEN

Author
item QUAN, BIN - CAS, RES. CTR. SOIL/WATER
item CHEN, JIAN-FEI - GUANGZHOU UNIVERSITY
item QUI, HONG-LIE - CALIFORNIA STATE UNIV
item Romkens, Mathias
item YANG, X.Q. - JIMEI UNIVERSITY, XIAMEN
item JIANG, S.F. - JIMEI UNIVERSITY, XIAMEN
item LI, B.C. - CAS, RES. CTR. SOIL/WATER

Submitted to: Pedosphere
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/5/2006
Publication Date: 7/1/2006
Citation: Quan, B., Chen, J., Qui, H., Romkens, M.J., Yang, X., Li, B. 2006. Spatial-temporal pattern and driving forces of land use changes in Xiamen. Pedosphere. 16(4):477-488.

Interpretive Summary: Industrialization and urbanization can significantly affect land use changes in the impacted area. This is especially true in the Xiamen District of Fujian Province in the P. R. China, where a pro-active policy of industrialization based on a favorable investment climate for Taiwanese entrepreneurs, has led to a rapid change in land use. Large areas of cropland have been converted for industrial and urban use. In this article, an analysis is made of land use changes over a 13-year period from 1988-2001. Land use was determined by Landsat satellite images and data obtained from the Land Resource Survey Office in Xiamen. The land use classification system divided land use into cropland, orchards, forest land, rural-urban construction land, water bodies, and unused land. The data show that the greatest change was from cropland into rural-urban industry land (7%). The information obtained from this study will be extremely helpful in devising better government policies on land use changes.

Technical Abstract: Using the Landsat TM data of 1988, 1998 and 2001 respectively, this paper analyzes the spatial-temporal characteristics of land use changes during the 13 years from 1988 to 2001 in Xiamen, China. The purpose of the research is to analyze the dynamic process of land use and land cover changes in order to improve our understanding of the dynamics of LUCC in the special economic zone of Xiamen. Furthermore, we intended to find driving forces of land use change and search for sustainable land utilization practices. Research results can provide a scientific basis for government decision making in regional resource and environmental coordinated development. The results indicated that cropland decreased remarkably by nearly 11304 ha, however, the rural-urban construction and water body areas increased by 10152 ha and 849 ha, respectively, during 13 years. From 1988 to 2001, 52.53% of the lost cropland was converted into rural-urban construction land. Fast urbanization contributed to a great change in the rate of cropland land use during these years. Huli and Xinglin district have experienced the greatest dynamic degree of land use change due to the development of industry and industry based economies and fast rate of urbanization. The construction of sea-filling and land-reclamation contributed to a water body decrease and sea environment destruction. The land use changes in the study area have been driven by urbanization and industrialization, infrastructure and agricultural intensification, improved level of affluence of the farming community and policy factors. Finally, some sustainable land utilization measures were discussed such as land management system construction, land planning, development of land potentials, new technology applications and environmental protection.