[Objective] The changes of land use pattern in the Yaoluoping National Nature Reserve from 1994 to 2017 were analyzed

and the impacts of returning farmland to forests and ecotourism on the change of land pattern were revealed in order to provide a basis for the protection and utilization of forestland in the nature reserve.[Methods] Land use information was extracted from four LandsatTM/ETM+/OLI images from the years of 1994

2002

2012 and 2017. By use of supervise classification and transition matrix

the dynamic changes of land use pattern and its transfer characteristics in the nature reserve were analyzed during the past 20 years.[Results] The results showed that the land use structure in the nature reserve changed dramatically from 1994 to 2017. The forest land

residential areas and gardens increased

while the cultivated land decreased significantly. The main change was that cultivated land converted into gardens and residential areas

and a small part of forest land was transformed into residential areas. From 1994 to 2002

the area of forest land increased greatly

and the cultivated land decreased greatly. From 2002 to 2012

the residential area showed a trend of expansion

the area of garden increased greatly

while the cultivated land decreased. The amount of land use conversion was relatively small during the period from 2012 to 2017

the area of residential land

woodland and garden increased slightly

and the area of cultivated land reduced relatively.[Conclusion] The change of land use pattern in the Yaoluoping National Nature Reserve is the result of returning farmland to forests

tea industry and tourism development. Returning farmland to forests has resulted in the reduction of farmland and the increase of forest land

and the tourism development has resulted the increase of residential land.