Abstract: This paper studied the dynamics of landscape pattern in Nanjing city since 1986 by using GIS and major landscape index with Landsat TM imageries in 1986, 1994, 2000, the topography map of 1:100 000 in 1973 and current land use map of 2000. The results showed that landscape structure of Nanjing City changed dramatically in the course of rapid urbanization. The natural and seminatural landscape such as cultivated land, greenbelt, water and unused land became manmade landscape. In general, landscape diversity and average area of the patches increased. Fragmentation Fi, separation Ni, and lacunarity A(r) decreased. The urban exploitation becomes regulated and rational. But the different landscape factors in the same time or the same landscape factor in different years had different change modes. The speed of urban expansion is rapid from 1986 to 1994 in which the area of the manmade landscape increased largely, the area of cultivated land, greenbelt and unused land decreased, the patches distribution was not wellproportional and Fi increased,with its speed declined during 1994 ~ 2000 when the exploitation of Nanjing city became disciplinary and the patch distribution tends to be uniformal with Fragmentation Fi, separation Ni, and lacunarity A(r) decreasing barring cultivated land.

Key words: Nanjing City, landscape pattern, dynamic change, fragmentation, separation, heterogeneity