GIS-based quality analysis on the cultivated land resources in poor areas of China

Abstract

Cultivated land resource is a key factor that affects the development standard of a region. By analysis of land use and land cover data in 2000, together with national geographical data, soil fertility comprehensive quality assessment data (1980), a GIS-based research is carried out on the quality analysis of cultivated land resources in poor areas. Firstly, data mining methods are used to gather the inter-relationships between the poor areas' cultivated land resources and its geographical background factors. Secondly, comparative analysis between the poor areas and non-poor areas is conducted to reveal the difference. Results show that the big difference exists in the basic natural features of the cultivated land resources between poor and non-poor areas. Although the quantity of cultivated land resource in those poor areas is not less than that of non-poor areas, the quality is lowly evaluated because of its high elevation, steep slope and earth surface roughness. Finally, after overlay analysis , the natural quality of cultivated land resources in poor areas is assessed according to their topographical and soil fertility features.