| Based on GIS techniques and combining with digital terrain index and land use degree composite index，this paper studied the spatial distribution of land use of Huxian County in Shaanxi Province，and analyzed the land use:degree on train gradient. The results indicated that crop land, orchard and construction land had obvious advantages in 16 terrain positions，and the distribution index of forest and qrassland increased with the increase of terrain position; Ac-cording to the quantitative expression of landuse degree on terain gradient，terrain niche was divided into three sections, 1~6, 7~20 and 21~25, which occupied respectively 43.44%, 50.39% and 6.17% of the total study area. Distri-bution index can describe the difference between the actual distribution and the standard distribution of a landscape element，excluding the disturbance of the area, therefore availing kinds of comparative analysis. Crop land and construction land had obvious advantages on lower terrain niche. Finally suggestions were put forward for land use of Huxian County in the future. |