Abstract: In order to effectively monitor ecological effects of the complex area, taking the eastern agricultural area in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Loess Plateau transition zone as case study area, rapid extraction methods of land use information was studied using remote sensing technology in the large complex area. Firstly, according to the study areas characteristics, a classification system for analyzing land use change was designed. Secondly, a comprehensive remote sensing classification method was adopted based on the geographical division in eastern agricultural area of Qinghai plateau. Result showed that the proposed method was suitable for land use information extraction of large complex area, the Kappa coefficient was 0.71 with 0.12 higher than that of the conventional method. The classification mapping indicated that farmland was the main in the structure of land utilization, the proportion of slope farmland from 6° to 25° to total cultivated land was 63.4% and water and soil conservation should be intensified for slope farmland from 6° to 25°. This study provides an effective way for land use remote sensing information extraction in a wide range of complex areas and provides a reference for the scientific management and planning of agricultural land resources in the eastern part of Qinghai Plateau.