Based on RS and GIS,land use changes and its driving factors in Baotou from1987 to 2002 have been analysed.The findings can be explained as following:(1) From 1987 to 2002,the areas of forestlands,grasslands and waters are reduced,whereas the areas of other land use types are enlarged.Parts of forestlands,grasslands and waters had becomed farmlands and about 31.5% of the changed grasslands transferred to unused lands.The newly-increased farmlands mainly came from grasslands and unused lands,and the former account for 36.34% while the latter 27.61%.The newly-increased lands for construction mainly came from grasslands and farmlands,and the propotion of them are 49.86% and 34.28% respectively.(2)The general quality of regional eco-environment has deteriorated from 1987 to 2002,and the land degradation,specially the lawn degeneration,and the developing the cultivated land are the main factors which the region ecological environment worsens,the ecological contribution ratio of them respectively is 51.84%(41.04%),23.63%.(3)The tendency of land use changes and its eco-environmental effects displayed spatial heterogeneity.The general quality of regional eco-environment in every district has deteriorated during the last 16 years,and the fastest is Damao County,and the slowest is Tuyou County.The degradation of meadow plays a decisive role in the deterioration of Damao's general ecological environment,and its ecological contribution rate is up to 96.61%.However,the ecological contribution ratio of the meadow degradationg,afforestation and conceding the cultivated land to forest and grass in Tuyou County are 44.23%,18.21% and 10.36% respectively.This indicates that afforestation and conceding the cultivated land to forest and grass play a certain role in the improvement of Tuyou's general ecological environment.