Prediction of land use dynamic change in Zhengzhou using Markov process

Taking Zhengzhou as the research object based on ETM image in 2006 and 2009,the situation of the areas of various land use types transformation has been analyzed using RS and GIS tools and the transition probability matrix was calculated.Then the dynamic change tendency of the regional land use was predicted using the Markov process.The results show that in several years in the future,the land use in Zhengzhou would present the tendency that cultivated land,forest land,grass land and water area would reduce year by year,but city and countryside residential area and industry and mining land may increase on a large scale.It was predicted that by 2018,cultivated land would reduce to 59.10%,forest land to 8.32%,grass land to 5.70%,water area to 2.11%;but city and countryside residential area and industry and mining land would increase to 24.69%.