Abstract：Based on RS/GIS techniques，the TM/ETM satellite images in Zichang County of 1990, 1999 and 2006 were used as basic data，field investigation, land use dynamic, annual change rates and land transfer matrix were used to analyze the land use characteristics and its driving factors. The result shows: 1) from 1990 to 2006, the cultivated land and unused land decreased, while the grassland, forest, construction land increased significantly, the water area increased at beginning and then decreased; 2) during this period, the cultivated land, grassland, forest and unused land changed dramatically, and the change rates occurred more sharply from 1999 to 2006 than the period from 1990 to 1999; 3) cultivated land and unutilized land decreased significantly among all kinds of lands, due to the increase of grass land and forest land contributed by the cultivated land; 4) the human factors such as society, economy, policy are playing important roles in the change of land utilization, especially the policy factor has been the maim driving power for the change of landuse structure.
2012, Vol. 10 
