A study on land use/land cover change in Beijing from 1989 to 2008

Based on TM remote sensing images in 1989, 2000 and 2008, combining with GIS technology, and the city of Beijing´s land use change characteristics in the past 20 years from 2008 will be analyzed. The indicators such as single land use dynamics, land utilization classification index and land use transfer matrix will be used to reveal the changes on range, speed and direction of this study area. On the above result, using the natural environment, social and policy system factors of the study area to analyze the driving forces of land use change. The conclusions are also apparent. In the past 20 years, the rapid urbanization, together with the expansion of population and the development of economic which also increasing demand for land, leading to a sharp decline in farmland and a substantial increase in constructions which including residential land; waters was also slightly smaller because of the dry climate, a handful of rainfall ,and the interference of human activities on the environment; woodland and grassland that at the edge of the city changed a little, which due to the impact of it´s terrain.