Abstract:  

Based on land cover database of the Three Gorges Reservoir area in 1990, 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015, we analyze the spatialtemporal patterns, changing characteristics, and the main drivers. Results show that:(1) the main land cover types in 2015 are forest(41.45%) and arable land(24.58%).(2) From 1990 to 2015, the acreage of artificial surface, wetland, forest and other land increased significantly, while cultivated land, shrub and grassland decreased.(3) The regional comprehensive dynamic degree of land cover increased and then tended to be stable. Artificial surface changed mostly, followed by wetland and cultivated land. The prominent changes in the first ten years were cultivated land occupied by the artificial surface, and in the last fifteen years were forest, shrub and cultivated land turned to artificial surface and wetland.(4) The construction of the Three Gorges Project, resettlement, economic development and urbanization led to the continuous expansion of the artificial surface. The storage of reservoir contributed to the rapid increase of wetland, and the adjustment of agricultural structure promoted the expansion of garden. In summary, the ecoenvironment of this area tended to be improving, under Grain for Green ecological policy in the past 25 years, and the acreage of forest increasing significantly. Meanwhile, the acreage of sloping cultivated land continuously decreased, resulting in the contradiction between human and land. These results will support the ecoenvironmental protection and coordinated development of social economy in the Three Gorges Reservoir area.