Land consolidation and GIS application in Xinjiang, China

The growing concern about land resource management and the associated decline in land quality have led to the attention of land consolidation in many countries. Land consolidation is a tool for improving the effectiveness of land cultivation and may improve land productivity and possibly also the total factor productivity if it induces and enhances technical progress and increases scale economies. Land consolidation can also improve labor productivity to supporting rural development. Consolidation deals with a large number of phenomena, such as fields, roads, and land use, all of which exhibit characteristic forms and patterns which can be analyzed as to their existing spatial organization, or as to their changing spatial organization through time. This Paper put forward some approaches and advices about carrying out the principles of the agro-land consolidation, guiding the ideology, developing the strategy and tidying up the farmland. Firstly, the main conception and methodology of land consolidation are described. Then, the strengths and weaknesses of land consolidation in their process are discussed. Finally, as an example, through analyzing of the present condition and potential of land use and landscape in Beitun Oasis, China, a discussion and conclusions on land consolidation aided by GIS are presented. This will certainly play an exemplary role in the similar areas of north-west and zone of China.