Changes in the Landscape Pattern in Sanjiangyuan during 1970–2020 and Implications for Ecotourism Development

Abstract

The landscape spatial pattern in Sanjiangyuan region has changed substantially over the past 50 years. This study analysed the implications of variations in grassland, wetland, desert, and forest landscapes during 1970–2020 for ecotourism development in the Sanjiangyuan region by applying satellite remote sensing data, and discussed the factors driving these changes through a literature analysis. The results show that the areas of the four landscape types accounted for 89.7% of the total area of the Sanjiangyuan region in 2020. The most widely distributed landscape type was grassland (71.95%), followed by wetland and desert, and then forest. Under the influence of climate change and human activities, the proportion of these four landscape types increased by 5.01% during 1970–2020. Grassland experienced the largest increase, followed by wetland. In contrast, forests have decreased by 0.83%, and deserts have decreased by 2.79%. The landscape structures of the 17 districts are similar, and they have changed little over the past 50 years. This landscape pattern indicated an overall homogeneity that poses challenges to ecotourism development among those counties, especially with regard to grassland ecotourism, which needs to be a concern of managers.