Spatial and Temporal Evolution Characteristics of Land Use/Cover and Its Driving Factor in Cambodia during 2000-2020

Research on the spatial distribution and dynamic evolution of land use/cover (LUC) is the basis for land management and ecological protection. However, there is currently a lack of long-term analyses of the evolution of LUC at the national scale in Cambodia. Based on the GLC FCS30 dataset, this paper analyzes the temporal and spatial evolution of LUC in Cambodia from 2000 to 2020, as well as its relationship with the country's economic and social development and climate change using dynamic degree, flow direction diagram, principal component analysis, and multivariate stepwise regression. The main findings are as follows. (1) Cropland and forest are Cambodia's most significant land cover types. In 2020, the proportions of cropland and forest accounted for 47.67% and 42.22% of the total land area. Among the cropland area, rainfed cropland accounted for 35.90%, irrigated cropland accounted for 7.26%, and other cropland accounted for 4.51%. (2) From 2000 to 2020, rainfed cropland areas increased significantly (+4.69 x 10(3) km(2), +7.77%), while irrigated cropland areas increased less (+0.37 x 10(3) km(2), 2.91%). The forest area continued to shrink (-7.71 x 10(3) km(2), -9.16%), and the area of impervious surfaces expanded most significantly (+161.16%). (3) In 2000-2020, the integrated dynamic degree of land use presented a spatial differentiation pattern of high in the northeast, low in the middle, and lowest in the plain area. The most critical LUC change processes were the conversion of forest and shrubland to rainfed cropland and the transformation of rainfed cropland to impervious surfaces. (4) The change in LUC in Cambodia has mainly been affected by economic development and human activities, especially regarding the agricultural added value, agricultural raw material export value, urban population, and urbanization rate. This study will help the Cambodian government to strengthen national land management and planning in a targeted manner and may provide a reference for the analysis of land use change processes in similar areas.

Automated summary

This study analyzes the temporal and spatial evolution of land use/cover in Cambodia from 2000 to 2020, and explores its relationship with economic and social development as well as climate change. The findings show that cropland and forest are the most significant land cover types in Cambodia, with rainfed cropland increasing significantly and forest area shrinking. The spatial distribution of land use exhibits a differentiation pattern, with the highest dynamic degree in the northeast and the lowest in the plain area. Land use change in Cambodia is mainly influenced by economic development and human activities.