Land-use Conversion Patterns in the Middle of the Yinshan Mountains

Taking the middle Yinshan Mts. as an example, this paper analyzes land-use patterns in mountains of faming-pastoral region with Landsat-TM and ETM images for 1990 and 2000. The emphasis is put on the spatio-temporal changes of farmland, grassland and woodland. It is found that the main land use change is the mutual conversion of farmland and grassland. The main conversion of woodland is also toward grassland. The conversion of grassland to farmland chiefly occurs in the northern foot of Yinshan Mts, and that of woodland to grassland in the southern parts of Yinshan Mts. Land use changes little in the upper parts of the Yinshan Mts. Farmland conversion to other types appears largely on elevations of 1 500 m to 1 600 m and 1 700 m to 1 850 m, while the conversion of non-farmland to farmland occurs mainly on elevations of 1 700 m and 1 900 m. Between 1 600 m and 1 800 m are the altitudes where most of the conversion of grassland to farmland happens. Grassland area increases on elevations of 1 450 m to 1 600 m and decreases between 1 650 m and 1 800 m. Woodland declines almost in all the mountain areas except the altitudes between 2 000 m and 2 200 m where the conversion of woodland to other types and other types to woodland is just the same. Near the altitudes of 1 800 m and 2 100 m are the areas where the most intensive land use change can be seen in the mountain regions of farming-pastoral zone.