Abstract: The impact of tourism activity on landscape pattern is an important reflection of tourism disturbance, while landscape metrics are the quantitative indices in reflecting the changes of landscape pattern. In order to evaluate tourism disturbance, this paper selected landscape metrics to construct a tourism disturbance degree index with the consideration of tourism use extent and intensity. The index was then applied to evaluate the tourism disturbance in Jiuzhaigou tourism area. During the evaluation process, QuickBird image of the tourism area was selected, and 3S technology was used in the image interpretation and the tourism area partitioning (sub-areas 1-5). From the sub-area 1 to sub-area 5, the elevation was ascending, and the vertical distance of each sub-area was the same. Then, the tourism disturbance degree of each sub-area was calculated. The results indicated that from sub-area 1 to sub-area 5, the tourism use extent was the same but the tourism use intensity showed a decreasing trend, and thereby, the tourism disturbance degree had an overall decrease. Specifically, the tourism disturbance degree of sub-area 2 was the largest, followed by sub-areas 1 and 3, while those of sub-areas 4 and 5 were the smallest. As to each sub-area, the tourism disturbance degree didn’t have significant relationship with the mean patch fractal dimension, which demonstrated that the tourism disturbance had no significant effects on the land use pattern.

Key words: Mast seeding, Plants, Seed yield, Hypothesis, Synchrony