] area of forest 
ced changes in 
1.3%. The rest 
between other 
trajectory of F- 
6%. Cropland 
al area of the 
ear-cutting and 
to unused land, 
ed area. About 
lost to built-up 
| change is 1.7 
rea during past 
ION 
generally have 
nd land cover 
offer statistical 
rowth drives or 
d Barnes 1985). 
" the study area 
3 million. The 
for grain have 
the study areas 
ipid economic 
changes in this 
f the Yanbian 
; a boost in 
struction. The 
oincided with a 
ic of China, in 
ic construction 
of forestry in 
Yu et al. 2011). 
ed for a long 
ywned forestry 
ountains. Since 
rest protection, 
a combination 
jn. However, in 
the broadening 
and neglected 
rly exhausted 
t al 2000). The 
ngest influence 
1949(Gao et al. 
ast China was 
as a continuous 
)1, which could 
plands on steep 
id. Since 2002, 
driven by the 
ited land. 
ltivated land to 
est Conversion 
an Ecological 
he nation since 
st China have 
Is have slowly 
increased (Wang et al. 2004). To stimulate motivation for forest 
protection efforts, the central government has started to pay 
ecological subsidies to the local foresters whose forests were 
classified as ecological welfare forests under complete 
protection since 2003 (Dai et al. 2009). Some forested area was 
rehabilitated in Yanbian prefecture. Nevertheless, the 
afforestation area decreased from 48.9x10° ha to 6.7x10? ha for 
the period of 1999-2006. The cultivated land in state-owned 
forestry enterprises is mostly used for growing economic crops 
such as ginseng and orchards (Zhao et al.2011). The continuous 
shrinkage and fragmentation of forests requires more effective 
efforts towards forest protection in the study area. 
In short, the area of forestland decreased 4% in the past 20 
years. The quality of forest has severely worsened, and 
considerable decrease in forest was mainly attributed to 
reduction of closed forest. The patch numbers of forests 
increased while the average area decreased. Fractal dimension 
analysis showed that forest patch shape tended to be regular and 
simpler indicating more human influence. Forests experienced 
the process of substantial clearing and fragmentation. The 
representative temporal trajectories of forest change were 
driven by human activities including cultivation, logging, 
reforestation and urban construction. The transformation from 
forests to croplands is a result of pressure to supply more food 
and more economic income for the rapidly increasing 
population and to meet economic demand. The study implies 
that increased human pressures and socioeconomic 
development play an important role in the shrinkage and 
degradation of forests in the past 20 years. 
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