title: [Land use change and its driving factors in Mongolia from 1992 to 2005].
abstract: Based on the remote sensing images in 1992 and 2002 and the MODIS images in 2001 and 2005, as well as relevant statistical information, the integrated characteristics and the spatial heterogeneity of land use change in Mongolia were analyzed, with the driving factors discussed. The results showed that from 1992 to 2005, the area of farmland and forestland in Mongolia decreased significantly, that of construction land and unused land exhibited an increasing trend, water area showed a slight decrease, and grassland had less change in its area but declined in its quality. A significant regional difference was observed in the land use change, which mainly concentrated in the mountain areas of the western plateau and in the northern part of southern Gobi area. Both natural (climate change and natural disasters) and social (policies, regulations, and population increase) driving factors were responsible for the land use change in Mongolia.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. weiyunjie07@mails.gucas.ac.cn
authors.forename: Yun-Jie
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhen
authors.forename: Xue-Lin
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ochirbat
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Batkhishig
mesh_terms: D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000254:growth & development*; D008986:Mongolia; D006109:Poaceae / Q000254:growth & development*; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D014197:Trees / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil