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Ecology, Environment & Carbon Cycle
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A Study on Land Use and Environment in Tonza City area in Hainan Province, China: Twenty Years of Change
Krishna Pahari
Department of Human Ecology, School of International Health, University of Tokyo
7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Tel: (81)-3-5841-3608, Fax: (81)-3-5841-3395
E-mail: pahari@humeco.m.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Masahiro UmezakiI
Section of International Health, Graduate School of Tokyo Medical and Dental University
1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo -ku, Tokyo 113-8519
Tel: (81)-3-5803-5188, Fax: (81)-3-3818-7176
Hong Wei Jiang
Department of Human Ecology, School of International Health, University of Tokyo
7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo -ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Tel: (81)-3-5841-3608, Fax: (81)-3-5841-3395
E-mail: pahari@humeco.m.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Abstract:
Counties under the Tonza city of Hainan province in China are remote areas inhabited mainly by Li ethnic community. Remote Sensing has been utilized in order to better understand the human interaction with the environment and the natural resources. This paper summarizes the study of changing land use covering a time span of last two decades, in the four counties, namely Fan Yang Zheng, Maoyan Zheng, Hongshang Xiang and Shui Man Xiang in Tonza city area in Hainan. Landsat MSS and Landsat ETM data were used to analyze the land cover into broad classes, and then spatial and temporal dynamics of land use change was analyzed for the whole area and different counties. The study showed a significant increase in forest and a decrease in grassland in the study area over this period. This change is consistent with the history of various policy measures and laws with respect to shifting cultivation and forest use adopted in the area during the period, which could be verified from our field investigations.
1. Introduction and the Study Area
The Tonza area in Hainan province of China is inhabited by minority nationality called Li ethnic community. It is in the remote mountainous region in the inland of Hainan island. Most of the inhabitants are farmers and their socioeconomic condition is very poor compared to the people in the coastal areas. They have traditionally been following their lifestyle based on subsistence farming. However, there have been marked change in the way they have been using their land and resources over the last several decades.
There have been two important historical events in this area in the last two decades affecting the people’s resource use practices. One was the land reform implemented in 1982, another one was the designation of Hainan Province as a Special Economic Zone in 1988. These events, together with the designation of natural reserve for some areas in 1986 and then the implementation of a law in 1993 prohibiting the burning of trees for shifting cultivation, have created conditions for change in land use practices in the area. These have been manifested in increase in forest resources since people were no longer allowed to cut tree and burn areas for shifting cultivation, and also increasing use of land for cash crops because of push towards a cash economy.
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