The researchers studied how different areas of land were used in the Songnen High Plain over 13 years. They looked at the landscape based on elevation and slope, and found that human activities had a big impact on some areas, leading to fragmentation. They also saw that more land was used for farming, especially for growing rice, and that the amount of woodland varied between different areas. Overall, the structure of the land use changed over time, with some areas becoming more stable and others more affected by human actions.