Calculation and analysis of land consolidation potential in rural habitat during rapid urbanization process in China

Based on theoretical analysis, this paper develops a specific mathematical model to calculate the land consolidation potential in rural habitat in China. The calculating result shows that there will be a very huge land consolidation potential with the decreasing rural population in rapid urbanization process in China. 1.7381～2.9658 million hectares of cultivated land can be increased through land consolidation in 2010, and 2.7910～4.0186 million hectares in 2030. According to the calculating result, the temporal and spatial changing situation of the land consolidation potential in all eco-regions is also analyzed in this paper. It shows that the potential is greater in East and Central China than in West China. In order to make the potential turn into the increase of cultivated land in practice, effective measures and investment in land consolidation must be strengthened.