The study looked at how urbanization has changed the land use in Xiangtan City over three time periods. Using data from the late 80s, mid-90s, and 2000, the researchers analyzed the landscape patterns to see how the city has developed. They found that the amount of cultivated land decreased by 1.10% by 2000, with urban land increasing the most. This means that more land was converted to urban areas, impacting the overall landscape. Additionally, a small portion of woodland was also converted to cultivated land. Overall, the changes in land use show a trend towards more urban development in Xiangtan City.