Abstract:

Impacts of afforestation on land use change at Xinglongzhao area were analyzed by using 3S techniques based on remote sense data in 1975, 1985, 1995, and 2005. The results showed that fixed sand dune area decreased by 39 545.77 hm²(from 45 789.74 hm² to 6 243.97 hm²) from 1975 to 2005, and the annual change rate of area ratio was -2.9%. Woodland and cropland increased obviously, and woodland alone increased by 30 025.56　hm², with the annual rate 1　117.52%. Rest types of land use did not change obviously. The land use change was characterized by the shifts from the mobile dune to the semi-fixed dune or the fixed dune, from the semi-fixed dune to the fixed dune, and from the fixed dune to the woodland and cropland. Landscape indices such as Shannon diversity, Shannon evenness, and connectance indices decreased, while the patch density increased. This study indicated that the afforestation resulted in a decrease in the landscape heterogeneity and an increase in the landscape fragmentation.

Key words: afforestation, land use change, Kerqin sandy land