[Regional spatial patterns of water circumstances in loess plateau area based GIS]

Based on the integration of GIS and geo-synthesis analysis, the water circumstances for plant growth in the Shaanxi Loess Plateau area were studied and a map reflecting regional water circumstances at the scale of 1:500,000 was made. The results showed that the water circumstances for plant growth in the Loess Plateau area were affected by the integration of precipitation soil texture, loess deposition, geomorphology and coverage, and could be measured by sub-indicators from the mentioned aspects. The index from the view point of plant development was used for the water circumstance assessment. The water circumstances of the Loess Plateau including forest zone, shrub zone and grassland zone appeared a complex spatial mosaic structure, and the main of the plateau was suitable for forestry which meant the plateau had an expected potential for eco-restoration.