Analysis On The Trend Of The Landscape Changes Of Farming-Pastoral Zone In Etuoke Banner, Inner Mongolia

The farming-pastoral ecotone is the last barrier to prevent the desertification and the sandmoving towards east and south. However, because of the out of control of the artificialinterfere, the farming-pastoral ecotone doesn't play the role of ecological barrier. Thedeterioration of ecological environment has become serious threat to the ability of sustainabledevelopment. The pressure of existence and development points intently to the ecologicalvulnerable area. Therefore, the problem of the sustainable development of the farming-pastoral ecotone attracts the general attention of the government and the scientists.Desertification is one of the most serious environmental problems in north China. Thechange of landscape patterns can reflect the process and characteristics of desertification. TheErdos Plateau is located in the farming-pastoral ecotone where desertification is serious.In this paper, a case study about the regional difference of the changes of landscapepatterns is carried out in Etuoke Banner on the Erdos Plateau based on the maps of landscapein 1990 and 2003, which was interpreted from TM / ETM+ images. The study area is dividedinto four subregions, i.e., the Mu Us Sandland subregion, steppe subregion, desert steppesubregion and steppe desert subregion. The landscape patterns in the subregions are analyzedby using the indexes of diversity, superiority, uniformity, fractal dimension indexes, averageshape, size and density of landscape spots, etc., and calculating the transform matrix of thearea of patch classes. It is analyzed numerically that the trend of the landscape changes andthe regional differences of landscape changes in the 4 subregions in Etuoke Banner of the past13 years through the structure of patch classes, the index of landscape pattern, and thetransform matrix. Meanwhile, through the research of the climate resources and statisticsannual resources of the past 10 years in Etuoke Banner, the driving force on the landscapechanges and the driving force on different changes in the different subregions are analyzed.The main results are as follows: The environment here is terribly vulnerable, and is facedwith the severe process of desertification and pasture degradation. The tendency of climatebecoming warmer and arider is the background factor of the environment degradation, and theinfluence of the human activities also expedites the process. The main reason that results inthe regional difference of the landscape changes is the the regional difference of the intensityof human activities.