Abstract:Since the middle of the 20th century,global climate change, intensified human activities and the interactions between the two have deeply impacted and altered the patterns and processes of land ecosystems. The resulting pressure of their joint action possibly leads to the approximate point of collapsing of land systems in some regions. The current rapid socio-economic development of China does not follow a sustainable path largely because it is at the expense of increasing the vulnerability of land systems and damaging ecological and environmental functions. It is a great challenge facing the socio-economic development of China to understand and effectively manage the vulnerability and resilience of land systems under the driving of both high-intensity human activities and global climate change. This paper presents a general analysis of the vulnerability of the current land systems and the problems and challenges facing the sustainable use of land resource. The current status of the vulnerability of land systems in China is particularly evaluated and typical international case studies of the vulnerability and resilience of land systems introduced. In consequence, possible approaches for rehabilitating land systems in fragile regions across China are emphatically discussed.