Analysis of Land Use Change in Sichuan Province from 2000 to 2020

Abstract

Against the background of accelerated urbanization and increasing demand for ecological protection, land use change has significant impacts on regional ecological security and sustainable development. Based on land use data of Sichuan Province for the years 2000, 2010, and 2020, this study systematically analyzes the characteristics of land use change from the perspectives of temporal variation, type conversion, and spatial patterns by integrating the land use transition matrix and the standard deviational ellipse method. The results show that from 2000 to 2020, the land use structure in Sichuan Province underwent significant adjustments, with forest and built-up land continuously increasing, while cropland and grassland showed a declining trend. Land use conversion was mainly characterized by mutual transformations among cropland, grassland, and forest, accompanied by the conversion of cropland to built-up land, presenting an overall pattern of “cropland shifting toward ecological land and built-up land.” The spatial distribution pattern was strongly constrained by topographic conditions, forming a basic pattern of “plateau forest-grassland, basin agriculture, and urban agglomeration,” with the overall structure remaining relatively stable over the 20-year period. The spatial distribution directions of different land use types were generally stable, and the migration of the centers of gravity was limited. Among them, cropland exhibited relatively significant changes, while built-up land showed a continuous expansion trend. The findings of this study can provide a scientific reference for optimizing regional land use allocation and ecological protection.