Study on Land Use Change and Its Impacts in the Nanming River Basin

Land use significantly affects river basin water quality directly and indirectly through landscape pattern changes. This study analyzed land use changes in the Nanming River Basin in 2000, 2010, and 2020, calculating landscape pattern indices for different buffer zones in 2010 and correlating them with water quality data. Key findings: From 2000 to 2020, grassland area decreased while artificial surfaces expanded, with landscape fragmentation declining as buffer scales increased. Upper reaches had better water quality than lower reaches, though both sections showed significant nitrogen pollution. Higher proportions of cropland and artificial surfaces correlated with worse pollution, while grassland and forest land strongly inhibited pollutants. Reduced landscape fragmentation benefited water quality, and more standardized artificial surface shapes had stronger positive effects.