Delineation of Rural Settlement Boundaries in the Upper Reaches of Min River, China

Abstract

Settlement marks the crucial spatial form for human survival, while rural settlement serves as concentrated reflection of relationship between human and land in mountainous areas. The upper reaches of Min River is not only a multi-ethnic neighborhood, but also a typical eco-environmental vulnerable area as well as the prone area for mountain hazards. Taking SPOT-5 images as the significant data source for spatial analysis, this paper, in accordance with the different geographical positions that rural settlements are located, classifies rural settlement into three types: valley settlement, slope surface settlement and mountain settlement, aiming at boundary characteristics of which the paper confirms symbol for their remote sensing interpretation. With the combined approach of field survey and remote sensing interpretation, the paper finds out that in study area, there are 1667 natural settlements under 625 administrative villages, density of which is 0.025km2, and settlement distribution in this region enjoys the features of dispersity, low density as well as small scale.