Abstract: Qixia City of Shandong Province is one of the major apple production areas in China, while light and heat conditions and terrain are the key factors affecting the distribution of local apple orchard and the apple quality. It is necessary to optimize the local land use pattern of apple orchard, based on the principles of ecological suitability for the agricultural structure adjustment of the City. On the basis of the simulation on the spatial distribution of light and heat conditions and topographical parameters, and choosing the present land use types as the landscape medium surface, this paper established a minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model by using GIS technology, and explored the technical approaches for the optimization of apple orchard land use in the mountainous area of Qixia City. Four zones were divided, i.e., most suitable, highly suitable, suitable, and the sub-suitable, occupying 20466, 38392, 97367, and 41301 hm², respectively. The acreage of the most and highly suitable zones for apple planting was 29% of the total. This study showed that the MCR model provided decision-making basis for apple industry development and agricultural structure adjustment of Qixia City.

Key words: Cele oasis, Tamarix ramosissima, Water physiology, Irrigation