Abstract: To measure the degree of arable land fragmentation, the impact of land preparation on the landscape of arable land in the western hills of Yuxi was analyzed, and the influencing factors of arable land fragmentation were explored. Typical indicators, including average patch area, arable patch density index and arable patch fragmentation index, were selected from the landscape aspect to constitute the arable fragmentation index system. The research results showed that the fragmentation index of arable land in Shuitou community was 0.042 3 in 2012 and 0.036 9 in 2017, and the fragmentation has been alleviated to a certain extent; the main characteristics of arable land fragmentation in Shuitou community were influenced by topographic factors, and the greater the undulation of the terrain, the higher the degree of fragmentation; the main drivers of arable land fragmentation in the study area were topography, land use policy, water area, roads, etc. The topography factor was the fundamental factor of arable land fragmentation in the hilly area of Yuxi, and the land use policy is the effective measure to reduce the fragmentation, and policies and measures such as land preparation should be carried out to actively guide land transfer and coordinate urban and rural development.

Key words: fragmentation of arable land, fragmentation characteristics, fragmentation motives, Yuxi Hill District