Anrong, Dang 
  
GIS BASED STUDY ON THE REGIONALIZATION OF 
CHINA’S GRAIN PRODUCTION SYSTEM 
Anrong DANG*, Shouyong YAN**, Yalan LIU** 
* GIS Lab. School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, China 
danrong@tsinghua.edu.cn 
** Institute of Remote Sensing Application, CAS, China 
KEY WORDS: GIS, China, Grain Production System, Regionalization 
ABSTRACT 
Taking the achievements of previous agricultural regionalization as reference, the author discussed the theory, principle, 
method, and index of the grain production system regionalization according to its general framework of theory, model, 
structure, and functions. Based on the index and supported by the spatial database and attribute database of China’s 
agriculture, for the first time in China, the author used GIS tools to determine the regionalization scheme of China’s 
grain production system. The regionalization scheme includes nine first class regions and thirty four subclass regions. 
1 THEORY AND METHOD OF GRAIN PRODUCTION SYSTEM REGIONALIZATION 
1.1 Theory of Grain Production System Regionalization 
Grain production system is one kind of complex system that is composed of factors such as food crop, natural resources, 
and social economic resources (Dang anrong, et al, 1998). Because of the regional diversity of both natural factors and 
social economic factors, grain production system has obvious characteristics of regional diversity. In order to develop 
and manage grain production scientifically, it is very important to divide regions with different features and unit regions 
with similar features at the same time based on the rules of regional diversity of grain production system. So, the theory 
basis and the essential task of grain production system regionlization are to determine a series of regions for grain 
production development. 
Although the regionalization of grain production system is based on the natural rules of regional diversity, it is very 
difficult to determine the grain production region by applying traditional technology, because of the existence of spatial 
transition between different regions. So, the following points of view are very important for regionalization. First of all, 
the objective and significance of reginalization must be realized. Second, the characteristics of regional diversity for 
grain production must be studied. Third, the principle and index of regionalization must be determined (Zhou Lisan, 
1981, 1993; Qiu Baojian, 1986). And fourth, new technique and method must be applied. 
1.2 Method of Grain Production System Regionalization 
Generally, there are two kinds of regionalization methods: one is dividing from large region to small one, and another is 
uniting from small region to large one (Deng Jingzhong, 1982). From large region to small one, the dividing method is 
to divide region based on the regional diversity. During the dividing process, the diversity between two regions is 
becoming little, and the comparability in the region is becoming great. The final regionalization scheme is determined 
while the diversity is reaching the minimum, and the comparability is reaching maximum (Agricultural Regionalization 
Committee, 1989). By contrast, from small region to large one, the uniting method is to unit regions based on the region 
comparability. During the uniting process, the comparability between two regions is becoming little, and the diversity in 
the region is becoming great. The final regionalization scheme is determined while the diversity is reaching the 
maximum, and the comparability is reaching minimum (Qiu Baojian, 1986). Both advantages and disadvantages are in 
existence in these two methods (Li Yingzhong, 1997; Wang Qing, 1993). 
Supported by the new information processing technique GIS, this paper combined the two kinds of regionalization 
methods together to determine the regionalization scheme of China's grain production system. Concretely, the dividing 
method is used to determine the first class of grain production region based on the index of climate and topography. In 
each first class region, the uniting method is used to determine the subclass of grain production region based on the 
index of soil, social, economy, productivity, and structure of grain production. The regionalization scheme determined 
by means of such kind of combined method will have both characteristics of scientific and practicability. 
  
International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXIII, Part B7. Amsterdam 2000. 71