Abstract: In this paper, the landscape maps of Kwanting Reservoir watershed were interpreted based on the six Landsat images in 1978-2009, and, by employing the Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient in economics, the distribution uniformity and the dynamic changes of the landscape types were analyzed. Buffer analysis was also used to improve the current popular method to enable the Lorenz curve to be smoother and the Gini coefficient to be more accurate. In the study area, there existed obvious spatiotemporal differences in the distribution uniformity of various landscape types. Farmland had the most uniform distribution, artificial forest land had the most non-uniform distribution in 1978-1998, and natural grassland had the most non-uniform distribution after 2004. The levels of various landscape types distribution uniformity were negatively correlated the areas of the landscape types, and the changes of the distribution uniformity were correlated to the changed manners of the areas of the landscape types, i.e., the changes in part area or in whole area could alter the evolution direction of certain landscape type. In recent 30 years, the natural landscapes in the study area had an overall degeneration, manifesting in their decreasing area, more and more uneven distribution, and increasing replacement by artificial landscapes.

Key words: Tamarix, Water physiology