Review on Spatial Variability and Scale Effects of Land Quality
土地质量的空间变异与尺度效应研究进展

Land quality indicating the effects of natural factors and human activities on land resource plays an important role in environment improvement and sustainable land use. Population increasing and economic development have brought greater pressures on land resource since 1980's, which resulted in different land degradation. More and more governments, international organizations and scientists have paid attention to the improvement and management of land quality, and it is important to deeply understand the spatial variability of land quality in different scales. In this paper, the concept and characteristics of land quality and scale, methdology of spatial variability are first intruduced, then spatial variability and scale effects of land quality is streesed. At the same time, the development trends of land quality spatial variability and its relative researches are discussed, aiming to provide insights into further study of land quality and sustainable land use in China. Future study concerned includes: close relationship between land quality indexes and practical applications; more research on related mechanism and effects; and more focus on land use patterns and ecological processes.