Spatial distribution of population based on interpolation and its application in the farmingpastoral transition regions

Several widely used methods were used to compare the effectiveness on spatial distribution of population for Bayan Nur city, based on Census Data of 2000. The results of this study showed that the gross population obtained by five surface interpolation methods was similar to the statistical population and the difference was below 0.1%, but the population value of neighboring areas showed a nonlinear great change in theirs administrative regionalization boundary inside and outside. Although the administrative central point as control point spot interpolation method overcame the great changes in population between neighboring two areas, the gross population was more than 4 times of statistical gross population. This implied that and the administrative central point as control point spot interpolation method was not better way to determine spatial distribution of population. The gross population using the many spot as control point spot interpolation method was 75% of the statistical gross population; therefore, it was not also a better approach. This study indicated that the gross population obtained by the periphery adjustment points as control points spot interpolation method was 98.22% of the statistical gross population, and the periphery adjustment points as control points spot interpolation method improved the great changes in population between neighboring two areas. Such, this method was a better approach to spatial interpolation of population distribution for national population. This study also compared the grid chart of nation population density with the grid chart of farmingpastoral transition population density and drew a conclusion that the uniformity of population density between national and farmingpastoral transition regions was 0.641 3. The population distribution was an important field in the research of the farmingpastoral transition regions.