Symposium on Remote Sensing for Resources Development and Environmental Management / Enschede / August 1986 
545 
The application of remote sensing in Song-nen plain 
of Heilongjiang province, China 
Zhang Xiu-yin, Jin Jing, Cui Da 
Subcenter of Agricultural Remote Sensing Heilongjiang Academy of Agri. Science, China 
ABSTRACT: This report describes the development and the results that obtained though the practical application 
of remote sensing technology to evaluate and classify the natural resources and land use in Song-nen plain of 
Efeilongjiang province in 1985. The method were used visual interpretation and multitemporal analysis techniques 
to derive information from lanasat images and combined with topograph maps as well as airphotos which were used 
for the detail of the area that was not clear on the landsat images and for measuring; the coefficient of land 
use. The thematicmaps at 1:200000 scales prepared on land use and other specialistic maps. This result gave a 
way of how the natural resources and land use in our province can be inventory, evaluation and management by 
using remote sensing data on the cost minimizing basis. 
1 INTRODUCTION 
Song-nen plain is the main region of both Heilongjia-^ 
ang province and nation for agricultural and animal 
husbandry. It's located in the west part of Heilong 
jiang province China. The total area of Song-nen 
plain, is 103 thousend square kilometers. It's between 
Song Hua river and Nen Jiang river and surroundings. 
This is first time to inventory, evaluate and classi 
fy the natural resourcers and land use by using remo 
te sensing data from landsat images.The aim of the 
study is that to explore a way by using remote sens 
ing data accoding to our province condition, and to 
know how mach the natural resources con be used as 
well as how the land was used in the past years. 
2 GENERAL DESCRIPTION 
Song-nen plain is situated in fhe west part of Heilo- 
ongjiang province,China. It's between latitude 44 10' 
N—48 35 'N and longitude 121 20' E— 128 05 ' E - Main 
part of the area (center and south-west part'is low 
plain which altitude about 120 — 200 M above the sea 
level and studded with lakes, reservoirs, ponds and 
pools.Tn the north-east part of the plain is gentle 
slop hills. The clamate of this region belongs to 
semiarid. The rainfull of the area is about 350-500 
mm, and 60 percent concentrated in July and August. 
( Figure 1 ). 
3 MATERIALS 
This study is based on infomation obtained from MSS 
landsat images( at H2 00000 scale )combined with to 
pograph maps ( at 1:506000 scale ) and airphotos whi 
ch were used for the detail of the area where was not 
clear on the landsat images. The images selected were 
E - 22457, E-30930, E-22438, E-22276, E-22261, E-312- 
01, E-22296, E-30192 etc. Total of number were 18 
sheets, in defferent months and years. The false col- 
lor composite were made by applying different filter 
and techiques and that to be more effective for in 
terpretation land use. The sample area, the landsat-D 
TM image were used also. 
4 THE METHOD 
This invintory of natural resources and land use was 
based on visual interpretation from landsat images 
and to go to the field for check. 
The steps of the work as follow: 
1. Preparation 
It included that landsat images ( both MSS and TM at 
a scale 1:200000 ), topograph maps ( at 1:50000 scale 
and airphotos were collected, basic maps and transpa- 
rencemaps were made (both at scale 1:200000 ). 
2» Interpretation of landsat images in lab. 
First, interpretation marks were established by going 
to the field and in the lab. and then defined stanard 
of classification and delineated of the interpreta 
tion from landsat images. The samjbre area were sele 
cted also in this step. 
3. Field work for vhe interpretation check. 
It’s included that check for the accuracy of inter 
pretation and correct the errorwhich were interpre 
ts ted. 68 number of sampling area for checking , and 
the total number of checked field were 11 5. The area 
of checked were about 73.647 thousend hac. and about 
10% of the total area. The accuracy of interpretation 
was 94-7 percent. 
4. Making the final maps and measurement calcula 
ting the areas. 
The final maps completed were present land use map 
and natural resourcem maps such as natural pasture 
and grassland map, forest map, water resourees map 
and reed distribution map of Song-nen plain at a sca 
le 1:200000. 
The method of calculation area was that if the cal 
culated area was larger than 1 cm square on the map 
which were measured by planimeter and the calculated 
area was smaller than 1 cm square which was measured 
by caunting the squares that f r0 m the standard trans 
parent square paper which covered on final map. 
The total area = the number of squares times 
one square representative area 
The classification of land use as follow5 
Agricultural land ( including cultivated land, paddy 
field and permanent vegetable field ). 
Range land ( including natural pastureland and grass 
land ). 
Wood land ( including forest, shrub and brushes ). 
Water area ( including rivers and lakes, reservoirs, 
ponds and pools ). 
Urban or built up areas (including cities and towns, 
and industry areas ). 
Reed land 
Communication land ( including railway and road area) 
Unutilization land ( including marsh land, sand land, 
bare rock and soline-alkaline land).