Spatial-temporal pattern and differences of land use changes in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of China during 1975–2005

Abstract

Regional land use changes are an important part of global changes. The research on land use changes in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of China attracts a lot of attention owing to the Three Gorges Dam building. The Three Gorges Reservoir Area becomes one of the important research areas. This study analyzed the transforming processes and traits of each land use type and the regional differences of land use changes during the past 30 years, summarized the distribution of different land use types in different buffer zones and regresses the equation areas and different buffer distances based on buffer analyses and regression analyses, and then analyzed the transforming rules in different buffer distances, got the optimal influence distances. The research results indicate that, (1) cultivated land lies at the northwest of the reservoir and was decreasing, however, the construction land was increasing, especially the urban construction land, a large number of land was flooded because of the reservoir water level rise; (2) urban area was sprawling quickly in developed and neighboring areas, and a great deal of cultivated land and a considerable amount of grassland were occupied; in the earlier time, rural settlements occupied lots of cultivated land and a sum of forestry land in the later time; (3) the optimum influenced distances for cultivated land and forestry land were 10–35 km, and for urban and rural settlements were in 5–20 km. Overall, this research can reflect the spatial-temporal characteristics of land use changes during the 30 years, and it is helpful for urban planning and land use planning in the reservoir area.