Four sets of remote-sensing data were used in this study: Landsat multi-spectral scanner (MSS) imageries acquired in 1975 with an 80-m spatial resolution, Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM) imageries acquired in 2000 with a 30-m resolution, and Thematic Mapper (TM) imageries acquired in 1990 and 2005 with a 30-m spatial resolution. Based on the technology of remote sensing and geographic information system, the characteristics of land desertification in the source region of Yangtze River from 1975 to 2005 were acquired. Result showed that the area of desertification lands increased by 2 678.43 km² from 1975 to 2005, accounting for 8.78% of the total area of desertification land in 1975. The increase rates during 1975-1990, 1990-2000 and 2000-2005 were 61.72 km²·a^-1, 4.54 km²·a^-1 and 341.43 km²·a^-1, respectively. Furthermore, landscape software Fragstats 3.3 was used to analyze landscape pattern of the desertification lands. It was found that the landscape pattern changed significantly. The fragmentation degree of desertification land increased rapidly between 1975 and 1990, decreased slightly between 1990 and 2000, and increased again between 2000 and 2005.