Abstract: Terrain has a direct effect on land use and spatial patterns, and it is an important factor affecting the spatial distribution pattern of land use in hilly and mountainous areas. Taking the upper reaches of Minjiang River as an example, the change trend of land use pattern in topographic comprehensive index classification was analyzed by GIS. The results showed that: ① The main land use paterns in the study area were grassland and forest land. In recent years, forest land and unused land decreased, cultivated land, grassland and construction land increased. ② The spatial distribution of land use had obvious topographic gradient effect. The advantage area of cultivated land and construction land concentrated in the low terrain area, the advantage area of forest land and unused land concentrated in the middle terrain area, the advantage area of grassland concentrated in the high terrain area, and the advantage area of water area was low and high terrain area. ③ The comprehensive index of land use degree decreased with the increase of terrain niche index, and the land use degree in low topographic gradient area in 2020 was significantly higher than that in 2000.