BEIJING - Authorities uncovered 9,462 cases of illegal land use in the first quarter of this year, statistics from the Ministry of Land and Resources showed Wednesday.

The discovered misuses, including illegal exploration of mining resources and unlawful construction, involved 3,200 hectares of land, down 35.6 percent year-on-year, the ministry said.

The year-on-year drop was a result of growing awareness among local governments and departments and tougher supervision, as well as inclement winter weather and the impact of the Spring Festival holiday, said Wang Ling, a ministry official.

Despite the drop, Wang said the possibility of a rebound in land misuse is increasing, as some local governments still feel a strong urge to expand land use to spur development, despite a shortage of arable land reserves.