Abstract:In the Sanjiang Plain of northeastern China, extensive amounts of continuous wetlands have been fragmented gradually over time as a result of human activities. This has led to the formation of a large number of isolated wetlands over the past few decades. Analyses on the spatial structural of isolated wetland landscapes has become a hot topic in the area of wetland ecology and global change. In this paper, we analyze the spatial structure of isolated wetland landscapes in the Sanjiang Plain. The analyses were based remote sensing images of the Sanjiang Plain taken in 2010, and the detailed landscape spatial structure of the isolated wetlands was created by using geographic information system (GIS) technology and a landscape model, under a resolution of 60 m. The results show that there are a number of isolated wetlands in the central-southern part of the plain, and the larger isolated wetlands are mainly distributed in the Middle East, at the same time, the adjacent degree and connection degree are higher between the isolated wetland patches, what's more, the shapes of the isolated wetland patches are more complex in Sanjiang and Honghe nature reserves as well as the study area in the west. With the reduce number of the wetland patches, non isolated wetlands increase gradually and play a role in landscape connection, on the contrary, the isolated wetlands' effect is gradually reduce, however, the isolated wetland patche value always in a higher level, and it also plays an important role in landscape connection. Overall, the landscape spatial structure of isolated wetlands in the Sanjiang Plain appears to be the result of comprehensive effects from the topography, agricultural development, national policy, and other factors.