在探讨春秋、战国至民国时期长江流域人口总量变动趋势的基础上, 着重研究长江流域人口活动对植被变迁的影响。 联系长江流域历史上人口与环境关系的发展及特征, 将植被变迁的过程划分为四个阶段:第一阶段, 春秋战国至六朝, 农田生态系统创建时期;第二阶段, 隋唐五代 , 农业生态系统与自然生态系统和谐共存时期;第三阶段, 北宋至明中叶, 人口与环境关系日见紧张时期;第四阶段, 明中叶至民国, 人口与环境关系严重恶化时期。 通过分阶段研究, 揭示人口过程与植被变迁之间的联系, 反映人口与植被变迁相互作用的途径或作用机制的运行过程。
 

Based on the inquiry into the general tendency of population development in the Yangtze River Valley (YRV)during mo re than 2000 years from the Spring and Autumn-Warring States Period
to the Republic of China Period , the effect on the changes in vegetation by population activities in the YRV was studied. Linking with the historical development and features of the relationship between the population and environment in YRV , the process of the changes of natural vegetation is divided into four stages , that is: (1)The period from the Spring and Autumn-Warring States to Six Dynasties in which the agricultural co-sy stem was founded .(2)The period from Sui-Tang Dy nasty to the Five Dynasties in which the agricultural eco-system and natural eco-system w ere harmonious eco-existence.(3) The period from No rthern Song Dynasty to the mid Ming Dynasty in which the populationenvironment relationship w as increasing ly strained .(4)The period from mid Ming Dynasty to the Republic of China in w hich the population-environment relationship deteriorated seriously .The author try to bring to light the connection between the population process and the changes in natural vegetation , and explains the mutual action of the population and the changes in natural vegetation or the operational process of the action system .