DYNAMICS OF LAND USE CHANGE IN A TIBETAN INHABITED REGION, THE THREE RIVERS HEADWATERS REGION OF CHINA

Abstract

Land use/cover change is an essential component of global change. It holds great implications for many ecosystem processes. The Three Rivers Headwaters Region plays a key role in regulating water supply and climate of East Asia. Therefore, insights into the processes and driving forces of the land use dynamics of this region is needed. In this study, RS and GIS techniques were used to analyze the land use change from 1987 to 2016. PCA method and correlation analysis were applied to scrutinize the driving forces. Buffer analysis, questionnaire survey and field observation were conducted to investigate the religious driving force. The result shows that, the area of barren land was largely increased, while the area of grassland was greatly decreased. The dominant driving forces included social-economic development, climate condition, population growth, and environmental protection activities. Also, the affiliation of Tibetan Buddhism might affect the land use of this region.