The researchers studied land use patterns in Yongding County using a new method called AutoLogistic modeling. By considering factors like distance to town and population density, they created a model that better predicts land use types compared to traditional methods. The AutoLogistic model showed improved accuracy in predicting cultivated land, forest land, construction land, and virgin land in the area. This suggests that the new model is a more effective way to understand and simulate land use patterns in the region.