Abstract: Based on field investigation and geographic information system technology, the land use change in Wenchuan County of Sichuan Province from 1974 to 2000 was analyzed, and the habitat suitability for wild animals was evaluated by using habitat suitability model, with the change causes of suitable habitat analyzed. The results showed that from 1974 to 2000, the study area had an obvious land use change, with forest area decreased dramatically while the areas of grassland, shrub land, and farmland increased. The suitable habitat and its core area for wild animals decreased, and the distance between the core areas increased, which was not beneficial to the protection of wild animals. The increasing population and economy were the main causes for this change, and hence, the protection of wild animal habitat should be strengthened with the development of economy.

Key words: Water-soil environment quality, Indicators system, Assessment method, Artificial neural network