Quantitative assessment and analysis on the dynamic change of ecological capital in arid areas

Abstract

Ecological capital is the summation of the direct value of biological resources and the ecological service function value of ecosystems. Under the support of RS, GPS and GIS, in this paper the RS-based quantitative measurement model of assessing ecological capital is developed based on the traditional ecology theory and the research on the value of ecological capital per unit area by using the ecological parameters including Landsat TM data, CBERS satellite data, meteorological data, MODIS satellite data, land cover data and field-measured data. A case study on the spatiotemporal distribution of ecological capital in Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture in 1990, 1995 and 2003 is carried out, and the dynamic change of ecological capital in the prefecture is measured and compared with GDP. The maps of the spatial distribution of ecological capital in the study area are charted, and the characteristics of spatial distribution of ecological capital are analyzed. The results show that the values of ecological capital in the prefecture in 1990, 1995 and 2003 were 1.473 68×1011, 1.661 60×1011 and 1.778 95×1011 yuan RMB (hereafter referred to as yuan) respectively, and that in spatial distribution, the ecological capital decreases from the alpine zones to the plains and from the oases to the deserts, which accords with the zonal distribution of vegetation in arid areas. The measured results can more objectively reflect the ecological capital and its spatial distribution in arid areas, provide an ideal foundation for further study in the future, and can also be combined with the study on service functions of ecosystems and the regional planning as an important basis of regional planning.