Abstract:

The purpose of this study aimed to reveal the relationship between cultivated land occupation by construction and economic development. The purpose based on a theory of decoupling, which derived from environment research, analysis the data between cultivated land occupation by construction and non-agricultural GDP in Chongqing province from 2001-2009. The results indicate that: (1) at the first stage from 2001to 2004, elasticity values of decoupling changed dramatically, changing from a kind of expansion negative decoupling status to a expansion connection status. The pressure from arable land occupied by construction first increased, and then decreased; (2) at the second stage from 2004 to 2007, elasticity values of decoupling changed smoothly, showing a transition from a expansion connection to a strong decoupling, to some extent, the pressure from arable land occupied by construction was controlled; (3) at the third stage from 2004 to 2007, elasticity values of decoupling vary smoothly, showing the status was a strong decoupling. The pressure from arable land occupied by construction decreased. As a whole, elasticity values of decoupling between arable land occupied by construction and non-agriculture GDP from change dramatically to change smoothly. This means arable land protection has already shown a marked positive effect. With the stable and fast development of economy in the future, the pressure from arable land occupied by construction will be likely to increase. So the management for arable land occupied by construction should be strengthened. Necessary policies and measures about the protection of farmland, such as economical and intensive utilization of arable land resources should be taken.