The land use change graph from 1982 to 2003 of Xiaojiang watershed in typical karst region was analyzed by GIS based on 2 times spatial data.The results showed: (1) the cultivated land increased was the most important changes, which was transformed from unused land. 610. 12 km² land use had been changed, of which 268.5 km² or 44. 01% of the total was changed into cultivated land during the past 20 years in Xiaojiang watershed.(2) The annual change rate of regional land use was 2. 95%, while the annual change rate of cultivated land, unused land and forest land were 10. 55%, 4. 08% and 5. 95%, respectively.(3) The spatial pattern of land use in Xiao jiang watershed changed from composed of large and scatter patches mosaic to compose of middling and scatter patches mosaic,and the types of dominating patch have also been changed, which changed from unused land and forestland patch to cultivated land and forest land patch. (4) When the spatial pattern of land use in Xiaojiang watershed was analyzed quantitatively by introducing the diversity index,dominance index, homogeneity index and broken index,a clear picture of the interference degree caused by human activities can be made. As the increasing of disturbances from human, the diversity index,the homogeneity index and the broken index all increase,especially the broken index increased by 84.6%.(5) By analyzing of the change of the land use gravity center, the change of land use spat ial pat tern was very obvious during the past 20 years in Xiaojiang watershed.The land use gravity center has changed in different speed. Finally, analyzed quantitatively by introducing society and economy data, it was clarified that the rapid growth of population and the economic development for survival were the main driving forces of land use change in Xiaojiang watershed during the past 20 years. Furthermore,macro-policies such as ecological protection were also important human driving forces of land use change.