Evaluation of the Sustainable Development Ability of the Urban Ecosystem in Jiangsu Province Based on the Information Entropy

Abstract

Urban ecosystem (UE) is a typical “natural-social-economic system”. In the process of a new round of urbanization, urban ecosystems are facing challenges on ecological land reduction and environmental degradation. Better understanding and optimizing the evolutionary directions of UE are of great significance for both urban sustainable development and eco-civilization construction. In this study, based on dissipative structure theory and urban nature-economy-society complex ecosystem theory, the indicator system of evaluating UE developing direction was set up through information entropy method. This indicator system was made up by four types of information entropy including backup inflow entropy, imposed output entropy, destructive metabolism entropy, and regenerative metabolism entropy. Then, Jiangsu province were selected as the study area. Year-based information entropy model together with UE evolution index system were applied to analyse the order and complexity of UE during 2005-2015; The weights of indicators evaluating UE were calculated. Furthermore, the index scores of UE were calculated by combing with standardization values of indicators. And urban ecosystem sustainable development level was evaluated based on integrated development degree and coordinated development degree models. This study aims to provide a theoretical reference for the sustainable development and optimization of UE health in the Jiangsu province.