WISE EXPLOITATION OF NEWLY GROWING LAND RESOURCES——An Assessment on Land-use Change of Chongming Island Using GIS

Chongming Island, the third largest island in China and the largest alluvial island in the world, is situated in the north of Shanghai Municipality at the mouth of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River. Along the fertile and prosperous sea coast there are a total area of over 120×103ha, with a population of 735 0 00, accruing some 500ha of new tidal land resources come from silt, sand and mud carried by the Changjiang River every year, extending about 140m per year. This dynamic process of alluvial growth has run for some 1500 years. Mudflat on Chon gming Island at the mouth of the Changjiang River is a resting ground for migrat ory birds and host more than a hundred species, including rare cranes and geese. But the local people keep reclaiming the tidal land for economic development. O bviously, it is crucial to have a well-concerted plan for future exploitation. In this study, we attempted to investigate the status changes of land use and wi ld life habitats on Chongming Island in recent 10 years, and then analyzed diffe rent human activities and their effects on wild life habitats using satellite im age data (1990, 1997 and 2000) as well as field survey. Based on the analysis, t his study explored the relationships between island growth and land use/cover ch ange (LUCC), predicted what the habitat would be like in the future and tried to find more effective use of this new growing resource. At last, this study provi ded some preliminary management plans for Chongming Island that will coordinate the development of local economies and the conservation of wild life and their h abitats.