Abstract: This paper reviewed the studies about the spatiotemporal pattern of ecological cropland conversion and its effects on the spatiotemporal variation of vegetation succession, with the focus on the Loess Plateau of China. Recently, ecological cropland conversion is very popular all over the world due to the driving of both natural and human factors, and is dominated by abandonment rather than rehabilitation. Most of the studies focused on the spatiotemporal pattern of ecological cropland conversion in relation to the affecting factors at different scales, and a few integrated studies were made about the spatiotemporal variation in ecological cropland conversion at multiple scales. After cropland conversion, the vegetation succession showed a complicated spatiotemporal pattern due to comprehensive effects of many factors. The study focus of vegetation succession after cropland conversion showed the trends of: from structure analysis to function analysis of plant community, and from pattern analysis of succession processes to analysis of spatiotemporal variation of vegetation succession. However, it is lack in the study about the spatiotemporal variation, affecting factors, and mechanisms of vegetation succession after cropland conversion. Therefore, in the future, more attention should be paid on the multiple scale spatiotemporal variation of ecological cropland conversion and vegetation succession.

Key words: Lakeside zone, Ecological restoration and reconstruction, Ecological function, Degraded ecosystem