Spatiotemporal Distribution Characteristics of Land Resources in the Middle Reaches of the Yellow River in China from 1980 to 2018: An Asset Perspective Based on Multi-source Data

A land resource asset (LRA) table is highly valued by the Chinese government for resource management. However, most of China’s researches on LRA table focused on theoretical construction. The difficulty in obtaining data hinders the practice and promotion of existing methods, and it limits the selection of data for many practical studies. Thus, this study proposes a land value quantification (LVQ) model that is suitable for a large spatio–temporal scale background to solve the above problems. Based on this model, the LRA table in the middle reaches of the Yellow River was successfully compiled. The results indicated that: (1) the assets of regional land resources were in an unbalanced development state; (2) the LRAs in the middle Yellow River had changed frequently; (3) there were significant spatial differences in the distributions of various types of LRAs in the middle reaches of the Yellow River; and (4) topography and soil erosion were the main factors restricting optimal regional land resource spatial allocation. Based on the research findings, this study provides scientific policy recommendations for the optimal allocation and sustainable development of land resources in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. Moreover, the LVQ model proposed in this research provides a model reference for LRA accounting with large spatial and temporal scales in China and similar regions.