Spatiotemporal variation in land use and driving forces in Baotou City

ZHANG Yingying; LI Jun; XUAN Jinran; LI Ziqi; LI Jiaxin; YU Nan; SONG Xinxin; ZHAO Yongqiang; YANG Chao; KOU Jiefeng

doi:10.13522/j.cnki.ggps.2025165

Abstract：[Objective]Baotou,located in the semi-arid region of Inner Mongolia,is characterized by intensive resource exploitation and rapid urbanization.It is facing increasing pressure on land use and ecological sustainability.This paper analyzed the spatiotemporal changes in land use and their driving forces from 1995 to 2020 in the region.[Method]A land use transfer matrix,land use intensity index,and GeoDetector model were employed to examine the changes in land use,spatial variation in land use intensity across the region,and the effects of eight factors on these changes:DEM,slope,aspect,soil type,temperature,precipitation,GDP,and population density.[Result]From 1995 to 2020,grassland and cultivated land were the predominant land use types in Baotou.Cultivated land was mainly converted to grassland and construction land,with transferred areas being 1 204.54 km2 and 315.4 km2,respectively;construction land had expanded continuously.The land use intensity index ranged from 201 to 386 during the study period,with the highest value observed in Kundulun District in 2020 and the lowest in Baiyun'ebo Mining District in 2015.Population density and GDP were the primary factors driving the changes in land use intensity.The interaction between population density and aspect had the strongest explanatory power,and their combined effect was greater than that of any single factor.[Conclusion]The identified spatiotemporal patterns and driving mechanisms of land use intensity in Baotou provide a scientific basis for optimizing land use and promoting coordinated ecological and economic development in the region.