Spatial-temporal Dynamics of Rubber Plantation in the Border Region of China, Laos and Myanmar: 1980-2010 Luguang Jiang, Zhiming Feng, Xiaona Liu, Peng Li and Jinghua Zhang Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, 100101 Outline  Background  RS Interpretation of Rubber Plantation  Spatial-temporal Pattern of Rubber Plantation  Topographic Features of Rubber Plantation  Summary and Prospect Background • Rubber plantation was introduced to this region in 1940s • BRCLM is the key region of opium poppy substitution planting under international cooperation • Rubber, as the main cash crop for opium poppy substitution planting: more income for local farmers, less drugs for the world The Border Region of China, Laos and Myanmar BRCLM includes three counties in southwest Yunnan Province, China (Jinghong City, Menghai County, Mengla County), three provinces in northern Laos (Luang Namtha Province, Phongsaly Province, Oudomxay Province), and two districts in northeast Myanmar (Kengtung District, Mongphat District) The region covers nearly 74 000 km2 with million people living in the end of 2010 BRCLM is a multi-ethnic region with more than twenty ethnics living across borders Outline  Background  RS Interpretation of Rubber Plantation  Spatial-temporal Pattern of Rubber Plantation  Topographic Features of Rubber Plantation  Summary and Prospect Interpretation of Rubber Plantation • Remote sensing sources : Landsat MSS/ETM/TM images; MODIS images • Time-series: 1980-1990-2000-2010 • DEM: GDEM (30m) • Other data: Standard format of topographic maps with 1: 100000 scale; Field survey samples of Xishuangbanna in 2010 • Based on MODIS-NDVI data, we analyzed phenological characteristics of each vegetation coverage and determined the temporal window for rubber detection • According to the spectral differences of rubber forest at different age, young rubber forest (