Establishment and Preliminary Application of Relationship between Land Cover and Terrain Factors

Abstract

National land cover data of China at scale of 1 to 250,000, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) at resolution of 1km by 1km and county-level administrative division data were used as basic data to explore the relationship between spatial distribution patterns of land cover and terrain factors. Firstly, county-level administrative units were used as samples for statistical analysis and multiple linear regression analysis as method to establish quantitative models between area ratio of land cover and main topographical factors at national and provincial scales respectively. Secondly, methodology that the models were applied to estimate area proportion of land cover on grid cell scale was explored with forest as an example. Regression analysis results showed that area proportion of five of the six categories of land cover was significantly correlated with main terrain factors. The quantitative models between area proportion of land cover and terrain factors based on county-level statistical unit (macro-scale) might absolutely be used to estimate area proportion of land cover at grid cell (micro-scale). Although there existed some differences between estimated results and actual situation, the overall trend between the two remained the same.