Analyzing Spatial and Temporal Changes of Aquaculture in Yunlin County, Taiwan

This article analyzes spatial and temporal changes of aquaculture land use in Yunlin County, Taiwan, and discusses the driving forces for these changes. Digital land-use maps and satellite imagery for 1982, 1988, 1994, and 2002 were used to extract aquaculture areas. A geographic information system was used to derive changes in aquaculture areas and to compute the spatial clustering statistics over time. A survey of eighty-seven farmers was conducted to obtain their views and concerns about aquaculture. The results show a rapid expansion in aquaculture during the 1980s, driven mainly by exports to Japan, and a continuous decline since the mid-1990s because of economic, environmental, and demographic factors. © Copyright 2006 by Association of American Geographers.