Ecological Pressure Index Research Articles

Are Natural Resource Rents and Renewable Energy Consumption Solutions for Environmental Degradation? Fresh Insights from a Modified Ecological Footprint Model

A comprehensive approach addressing the key factors exacerbating pressure on the environment is required to minimize the damages caused by global warming and environmental destruction. For this purpose, the present study investigates the effects of renewable energy consumption (REC) and natural resource rents (NRRs) on environmental degradation within the scope of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis for ASEAN-5 countries. Differing from most previous studies, this research represents environmental degradation by using the ecological footprint pressure index, which considers both the supply and demand aspects of the environment. The present study covers the period between 1990 and 2018. This study employs the Method of Moments Quantile Regression (MMQR), an advanced panel technique that yields reliable results on the outlier issue, endogeneity, and non-normal distribution. The MMQR results confirm the EKC hypothesis, assuming the presence of an inverted U-shaped relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation. Moreover, the results reveal that REC and NRRs reduce environmental degradation in all quantiles. Given these results, policymakers in the ASEAN-5 countries are recommended to utilize productivity gains from natural resource rents for investment in clean energy and to shift their energy consumption policies towards renewable energy technologies and research.

Spatiotemporal evolution of county level ecological security based on an emergy ecological footprint model: The case of Dingxi, China

Clarifying the spatiotemporal development of regional ecological security can support decision-making related to coordinated, sustainable regional development. This study used an emergy ecological footprint (EEF) model to analyze spatiotemporal changes in ecological security in the Dingxi region, a fragile-environment area in western China. The results indicated that in all counties in Dingxi, the change trends in emergy ecological carrying capacity per capita (eec) were not significant while spatiotemporal differences in emergy ecological footprint per capita (eef) was significant. Overall, the eef in 2019 is 0.2–1.3 times higher than in 2001(except Minxian), respectively. Zhangxian had the highest eef (2.74 ha/cap), followed by An'ding (1.47 ha/cap), while Minxian was the lowest (0.50 ha/cap). During the study, Minxian recorded an ecological surplus, the ecological pressure index showed a decreasing trend, the ecological security level increased, and sustainable development ability was stronger than in the other counties. Other counties are in a state of ecological deficit and have a high ecological pressure index, and regional ecological security is facing great challenges. Moreover, industrial structure, economic level, urbanization, and population size are the main drivers of ecological security in the Dingxi region, while geographic location and climatic factors are the dominant factors leading to its spatial differences. Therefore, controlling population size, reducing the use of nonrenewable resources, developing land resources appropriately, and using resources efficiently can promote the sustainable development of counties. Our findings could serve as a reference for the ecological construction and economic development of the counties.

Dynamic change of forest ecological carrying rate in Yunnan province

Based on the concept of green development, with Yunnan Province as the research object and forest ecological carrying rate as the target layer, two sub-systems of forest ecological carrying capacity and environmental pollution pressure were constructed. The TOPSIS method was used to calculate the forest ecological carrying capacity and environmental pollution pressure index of Yunnan Province from 2011 to 2020, so as to obtain the forest ecological carrying rate. The results showed that: (1) the forest ecological carrying capacity index in Yunnan Province increased first, then decreased and then increased in the past 10 years. (2) The environmental pollution pressure index of Yunnan Province showed an overall rising trend in the past 10 years. (3) The forest ecological carrying rate in Yunnan Province is still in overload state. Therefore, to improve the level of forest ecological carrying capacity in Yunnan Province, it is necessary to formulate relevant policies from two aspects: forest ecological carrying capacity and environmental pollution.

Evaluation of water resources sustainable development in karst area based on the improved emergy ecological footprint model: A case study of Yunnan Province

Abstract This study combined emergy theory with water ecological footprint to analyze and evaluate the sustainable development status of water resources in Yunnan Province from 2012 to 2021. The water pollutant account and the water product account were supplemented to the water ecological footprint. The results showed that the water resources in Yunnan Province were generally in an ecological deficit during the study period, but their absolute values were very small. The ecological pressure index of water resources was high, while the sustainable utilization index of water resources was low, indicating that the water resources were in a state of unsustainable utilization. However, the emergy ecological footprint of water resources and the emergy ecological footprint of water resources of 10,000 Yuan GDP showed a decreasing trend, and the eco-economic coordination index of water resources was relatively high, indicating that the water resources will show a sustainable development trend in the future. The sustainable development of water resources was influenced by both natural ecological factors and social factors. Therefore, suggestions such as improving the utilization rate of water resources development, developing a green low-carbon economy, preventing and controlling water pollution, and protecting the water environment are conducive to promoting the sustainable development of water resources.

Natural Vegetation Area Design in an Arid Region Based on Water Resource Carrying Capacity—Taking Minqin County as an Example

Water resource management and natural vegetation distribution status are important for the sustainable development of agricultural, ecological and socio-economic systems in arid areas, and the carrying area of vegetation is limited by the established water resources. This study proposed the concept of natural vegetation area design in arid areas based on water resource design carrying capacity and took Minqin County belonging to a typical inland arid area as an example and socio-economic water consumption, ecological water consumption and water resource utilization efficiency in the study area as the main selected factors as well as reference indicators. By calculating the water ecological footprint, water resource carrying and water resource ecological pressure index of the main natural vegetation design area in Minqin County in 2017, we analyzed and evaluated its water resource carrying status and predicted the natural vegetation areas in 2025. The results showed that there was a large gap (the increase was 13.25–9.29%) between the actual area of various types of natural vegetation in 2017 and that in 2025. The water resource utilization was more effective in various types of natural vegetation in Minqin County under the stable development model, and the water ecological deficit was approaching 0, but the utilization of forest trees other than shrubs and herbaceous plants was in an insecure state, and the water ecological deficit was less than 0. The water resource allocation schemes under the restoration model and the optimization model were safer ecological development models for natural vegetation in Minqin County, which was in a state of water-ecological surplus, and the water-ecological surplus value was greater than 0. Thus, it could be seen that coordinating the water resource supply among various types of natural vegetation in an arid area was a preferred strategy to ensure the sustainable development of regional ecology as well as an effective countermeasure to improve the water use efficiency of natural vegetation in the county to a certain extent. This study aimed to evaluate the carrying capacity of a natural vegetation area and the water pressure index under certain water supply conditions, which could provide a reasonable theoretical reference for water resource management in arid areas.

Research on Spatiotemporal Changes in Carbon Footprint and Vegetation Carbon Carrying Capacity in Shanxi Province

The climate and ecological problems caused by excessive carbon dioxide emissions are attracting more and more attention, and the need for carbon reduction has reached a consensus. Carbon peak and carbon neutrality is a solemn commitment made by China to the world and a strategic arrangement to achieve economic and social transformation. This study focused on Shanxi Province, a base of power source and heavy chemical industry in China. Based on energy consumption data, carbon emission data set at the county level, land use data and socioeconomic data, we built a carbon ecological pressure index in order to analyze the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of the carbon footprint, carbon carrying capacity and carbon ecological security status of each county in Shanxi Province from 2000 to 2020. The results showed that: (1) the total carbon footprint of Shanxi Province increased, and the number of high carbon emission counties showed an increasing trend. The largest part of carbon footprint was coal. (2) The vegetation carbon-carrying capacity showed an increasing trend in general, and forest land was the main contributor to the carbon-carrying capacity. (3) The carbon deficit of Shanxi Province was greater than 0 and behaved as a carbon source. The carbon ecological security decreased from a relatively safe level to a general safe level. (4) The carbon ecological pressure index gradually increased. It was predicted that the carbon ecological security level of each county will remain basically unchanged by 2025 and some will still be at a carbon ecological insecurity level. In general, the carbon ecological pressure index of some counties was still large. It is necessary to strengthen the use of clean energy, optimize the industrial structure and increase the carbon sink of forest land in order to reduce carbon emissions and increase the carbon sink, so as to ensure carbon ecological security and realize the goal of a low-carbon economy.

Regional water resources security assessment and optimization path analysis in karst areas based on emergy ecological footprint

With the continuous growth of the world's social economy and population, problems such as water shortage and water environment deterioration need to be solved urgently. Combining the emergy carrying capacity of water resources and the emergy ecological footprint method, the water security and sustainable development status of the typical city in the karst region (Anshun City) was evaluated, and the internal driving factors and optimization suggestions were discussed. The research results of water security in Anshun City show that: The water resources carrying capacity fluctuates greatly with rainfall and is generally in a low-level surplus state. The ecological pressure index and the sustainable utilization index show a downward trend. The pressure intensity of social and economic systems on water resources is increasing, and the sustainable development of water resources is not optimistic. Water resources security is mainly affected by natural ecological mechanisms centered on mountain systems, geological structures and hydrological systems, as well as social mechanisms centered on changes in population scale, land development and utilization, and urban development. In the future, the sustainable development of water resources can be promoted by changing the mode of economic development, optimizing the allocation of water resources, and protecting the ecological environment.

New green development indicator of water resources system based on an improved water resources ecological footprint and its application

The assessment of green development of water resources system is critical for the formulation of high-quality development policies of regional economy and society. Despite the water resources ecological footprint (WEF) model has been proved to be an effective measure in evaluating the sustainable utilization of water resources, there is still lacking a well-established method to weigh the green development of water resources system concerning the economic and social development. In this study, the parameters of the traditional WEF model were calibrated and optimized, and an extended WEF model, which suit for different regions, was constructed; Further, based on WEF, the water resources ecological benefit ratio (WEBR) was proposed, which depict the relationship between the sustainability of water resources and social economy. The integrated framework coupling the above methods had been verified in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region of China. The results demonstrated that: (1) From 2010 to 2020, the WEF in BTH region all exceeded the water resources ecological carrying capacity (WEC), showing varying degrees of overload in water resources utilization. Water resources ecological pressure index (WEPI) is relatively high, and there is no significant improvement. (2) The slope of BTH's WEBR is weakening, and shows spatial heterogeneity. (3) The coordinated development of WEPI and WEBR is stable, and most cities are within the L-L cluster. This study can provide support for decision-makers and promote the green and high-quality development of region water resources system and economic society.

Ecological Sensitivity of Urban Agglomeration in the Guanzhong Plain, China

In the past two decades, China’s urbanization has advanced rapidly. In 2018, Xi’an was successfully selected as a national central city, and the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration (GZPUA) is emerging rapidly due to Xi’an. This study focuses on the current ecological status of the region and how to strike a balance between economic development and ecological protection. This study uses the ecological vulnerability of the Guanzhong urban agglomeration as a starting point to investigate the changes in its spatial and temporal distribution of ecological vulnerability and the primary driving factors, as well as to investigate the interaction between the changes in ecological vulnerability and urban agglomeration development in the GZPUA region. Using the “sensitivity–elasticity–pressure (SEP)” assessment framework model, this paper selects the spatial distribution data of natural, social, and economic sources in 2000 and 2020 based on the ecological environment characteristics of GZPUA. By using spatial principal component analysis, this paper quantitatively evaluates the ecological vulnerability changes of GZPUA in two periods, 2000 and 2020, with 1000 m × 1000 m raster as the evaluation unit, classifies the ecological vulnerability of the area into levels, and conducts a sub-regional in-depth study from different administrative regions. This research helps to comprehend the change in ecological environment quality in the GZPUA and provides a basis for ecological environment management decisions in the region. The results showed that (1) the ecological vulnerability of the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration as a whole is moderate, with the highest ecological vulnerability index (EVI) value of 0.89 and the lowest EVI value of 0.087 in 2000, and the highest EVI value of 0.93 and the lowest EVI value of 0.082 in 2020. The percentage of areas with the highest ecological vulnerability (moderate or severe) was 5.07% in 2000 and 15.11% in 2020. (2) The variation scope of the integrated EVI in the study region is 1.78–4.96 (2000) and 1.81–4.99 (2020), among which the EVI values in Xi’an, Bei Lin, Lian Hu, and Xin Cheng are the highest and the EVI values in Tai Bai, Zhou Zhi, and Feng Xian are the lowest. (3) In the central region of GZPUA, the spatial variation of CEVI is distributed in a circle that is highly congruent with the region’s economic and population development characteristics, whereas the spatial variation of CEVI in the southern mountainous region of the study area is primarily constrained by the topography and natural conditions. This region has low CEVI because of the high mountains and thick forests, which is a crucial ecological barrier for the GZPUA. (4) The EVI, ecological sensitivity index (ESI), ecological elasticity index (EEI), and ecological pressure index (EPI) have a strong relationship with land use. Among them, farmland and built-up land showed highly significant correlations with the EVI, ESI, EEI, and EPI (p < 0.01).

Regional sustainability: Pressures and responses of tourism economy and ecological environment in the Yangtze River basin, China

The relationship between the tourism economy and the ecological environment is under pressure, and balancing this relationship is crucial for promoting regional sustainability. In this study, the Yangtze River basin, the first largest river in Asia and third largest in the world, was selected as the focus area. The spatial and temporal characteristics of tourism economic development and ecological environmental pressure from 2000 to 2019 were analyzed using the tourism economic development index, ecological environmental pressure index and dynamic change index, and the decoupling process of tourism and the economic system was studied dynamically using the decoupling analysis model. The results show that (1) spatially, the tourism economy in the Yangtze River basin exhibits a pattern of high development in the east and low development in the west, and high in the south and low in the north. Ecological environmental pressures varied greatly, with less pressure in the upstream provinces and more pressure in the middle and downstream provinces. (2) Temporally, the tourism economies of Qinghai and Tibet started with a lower but faster growth rate, while Hunan and Hubei have a higher starting point but limited change. The ecological environmental pressure changes do not show a clear spatial distribution pattern. (3) The decoupling relationship between tourism economy and ecological environment in the Yangtze River basin is moving toward a harmonious development. Achieving a harmonious balance between the two systems is crucial for maintaining ecological balance and regional sustainability.

中国“水量”和“水质”生态足迹及可持续能力量化方法与实证研究

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 中国“水量”和“水质”生态足迹及可持续能力量化方法与实证研究 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202203270749 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 河南省重点研发与推广专项(222400410283) Quantitative method and empirical study on the ecological footprint of water quantity and water quality and their sustainability in China Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:科学测度水资源和水环境可持续能力,对区域水资源管理具有重要意义。从"水量"和"水质"两个角度,对我国31个省域地区的"水量"及"水质"生态足迹、生态承载力和生态压力指数进行研究。结果表明:(1)2000-2020年,我国水资源生态压力指数均小于1,最高值为2011年的0.86,总体水量供给充足,可持续能力强;万元GDP水量生态足迹呈波动下降趋势,用水效率大幅度提升。(2)2000-2020年,我国水质可持续能力均较强,处于安全和较安全状态,水质生态盈余量约2亿hm2;人均水质承载力约为人均水质生态足迹的2倍,且万元GDP产生的污水量呈下降趋势。(3)人均水量生态足迹和万元GDP水量生态足迹的空间重心均位于甘肃省。水量及水质生态足迹高值区,均主要位于"胡焕庸线"西北部,而承载力高值区,主要位于青藏高原和我国南方地区。(4)我国水量可持续能力处于安全、临界状态和不安全的地区数,分别占55%、6%和39%;水质可持续能力处于安全、临界状态和不安全的地区数,分别占61%、3%和35%;水量及水质可持续能力较强和较弱的地区数之比,约为6 ∶ 4。研究揭示了我国水量及水质风险等级的区域差异,有助于为我国水资源管理及水污染防治提供科学依据。 Abstract:Scientific measurement of water resources and water environmental sustainability is of great significance to regional water management. This study evaluates ecological footprint, ecological carrying capacity and ecological pressure index of "water quantity" and "water quality" in 31 provinces and regions in China. The results show that: (1) From 2000 to 2020, water resources ecological pressure index of China was less than 1, with the highest value of 0.86 which indicates water resources supply being sufficient and sustainable. Water quantity ecological footprint per ten thousand Yuan GDP showed a fluctuating downward trend and water use efficiency increased significantly. (2) From 2000 to 2020, water quality in China was relatively sustainable and in a safe state, while ecological surplus of water quality was about 200 million hm2. Per capita water quality carrying capacity is about twice the ecological footprint. And the amount of sewage generated by ten thousand yuan of GDP shows a decreasing trend. (3) Spatial centers of per capita and ten thousand GDP "water quantity" ecological footprint are both located in Gansu Province. The high value areas of water quantity and water quality ecological footprint are mainly located in the northwest of the Huhuanyong Line, while the high value areas of water capacity are mainly located in Tibetan Plateau and southern China. (4) The proportions of areas with safe, critical and unsafe water quantity sustainability are 55%, 6% and 39%, respectively, and the numbers of areas with safe, critical and unsafe water quality sustainability account for 61%, 3% and 35%, respectively. The ratio of the number of areas with strong and weak water sustainable is about 6:4. The results reveal the regional differences in water quantity and water quality risk in China, which helps to provide a scientific basis for the utilization of water resources and water pollution prevention. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

THE UTILITY OF METAGENOMIC DATA FOR THE BLACK SEA ECOLOGICAL STATUS ASSESSMENT

According to Marine Strategy Framework Directive the assessment of marine ecosystems’ environmental status is performed with 11 Descriptors, which are based on biological, physical and chemical parameters. The biological indexes are calculated based on taxonomic structure and distribution of eukaryotic communities. Meanwhile, bacterioplankton is sensitive to anthropogenic impact and is thus a promising indicator of aquatic environment status. We have tested the utility of ecological pressure index (Pi) calculated with chemical data and bacterial community-based index (microgAMBI) for the assessment of Black sea waters ecological status. According to our estimations Pi varied depending on the chemical data used for its calculation, which indicates the necessity of using a wide range of xenobiotics in complex ecological status assessment. MicrogAMBI indicated that the Black sea surface waters can be characterized by “good” environmental status. “Moderate”, “poor” and “bad” ecological status was shown for 3 stations, yet there were no significant region-specific differences between the shelf zone and the open water. Actinomycetales, Halomonadaceae and Shewanella relative abundance was associated with higher microgAMBI estimations and respectively with worse ecological status. Meanwhile, positive correlation was found between Synechococcus, Acidimicrobiaceae, Pelagibacteraceae, Rhodobacteraceae, Microbacteriaceae, Polaribacter, Rhodothermaceae and Chloroflexi abundance and “good” ecological status. Microbial metagenomic data is promising for the complex assessmnet of Black sea waters ecological status, however, more research is needed to validate this approach. The development of metagenomic databases will contribite to increase in precision of microgAMBI calculation and subsequent ecological status analysis.

The Ecological Footprint and Allocation of Guangxi Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomeration

To understand the allocation efficiency and fairness of natural capital in the Guangxi Beibu Gulf urban agglomeration, its ecological footprint from 2007 to 2020 was calculated based on the emergy ecological footprint (EEF) model, and the 10,000 Yuan GDP and Gini coefficient were introduced. The results show that (1) in the past 14 years, the per capita ecological footprint of the urban agglomeration slowly increased, the ecological pressure index rapidly increased with an average annual growth rate of 6.55%, and the regional ecological safety showed an unsafe trend. (2) The regional ecological footprint was mainly based on cultivated land, construction land and fossil energy land, of which the latter two significantly increased. For construction land, the average annual per capita growth rate in the central city of Nanning and the coastal cities (Fangchenggang, Beihai and Qinzhou) exceeded 10%, ranging from 11.39%–25.70%. For fossil energy land, the annual average per capita growth rate in Fangchenggang and Chongzuo exceeded 10%, at 19.64% and 11.40%, respectively. During urbanization, increasing population density leads to increased regional consumption of electricity and energy, thus affecting the regional ecological security. (3) The resource utilization efficiency improved annually, and the resource allocation was generally fair. Nanning and Beihai had high economic contributions and low ecological carrying capacities, Qinzhou and Chongzuo had low economic contributions and high ecological carrying capacities, and Yulin and Fangchenggang had low economic contributions and low ecological carrying capacities. These results clarify the differences among cities in the development of the Guangxi Beibu Gulf urban agglomeration, improve the efficiency of natural resource allocation, and provide a reference for the achievement of regional sustainable development.

Exploration of Rural Agroforestry–Pastoral Complex Systems Based on Ecological Footprint*—Taking Zhagana in Yiwa Township as an Example

Since 2010, with the rapid development of tourism in Zhagana, Yiwa township, problems with the agroforestry–pastoral complex system and economic development in Zhagana have come to the fore. In order to investigate the sustainability of the agroforestry–pastoral complex system, the ecological footprint model was used to analyse the sustainable development of the ecosystem in Yiwa township from 2005 to 2020 and the ecological security changes in Zhagana from 2010 to 2020 through examining the ecological footprint intensity, the ecosystem diversity index and the ecosystem development capacity index. The results of the study show that the per capita ecological footprint of Yiwa township showed an overall decreasing trend between 2005 and 2020, and the per capita ecological deficit also showed a decreasing trend. Forest land was the most important component of the ecological footprint per capita, and grassland was the most important component of the ecological carrying capacity per capita. The footprint depth tended to increase and then decrease, and the footprint width tended to decrease, with a gentle increase from 2010. The ecological pressure index showed an overall decreasing trend, and the ecological sustainability index showed a sudden upward fluctuation after 2016. Overall, the ecological economy of Zhagana has some capacity for development, but there is a high level of ecological pressure.

Ecological security assessment based on ecosystem service value and ecological footprint in the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration, China

The ecological environment in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) urban agglomeration has been affected by the acceleration of industrialization and urbanization, such as the urbanization lags behind industrialization and the level of town construction is backward, resulting in ecological and environmental problems. Thus, this paper detected the ecological security (ES) in the PRD urban agglomeration through the ecological footprint (EF) method, providing a reference for regional ES evaluation. Equivalence factor and yield factor were first calculated based on the ecosystem services value (ESV) for EF calculation. Then, we established the ES evaluation index system through EF, including per capita ecological deficit (ED), ecological footprint diversity index (EFDI) and ecological pressure index (EPI). The results showed that the difference between equivalence factor and yield factor for various land type was observed in the study region. Water regions had the largest equivalence factor, with the value of 2.48, indicating that human activities were most affected by water. Grassland has the highest biological production capacity as the yield factor of which is the highest, with the value of 4.36 in 2020. Temporally, the per capita EF in the PRD urban agglomeration has been increased from 2000 to 2020, while the per capita ecological carrying capacity (ECC) has been decreased over time, indicating that the ecological pressure is rising because of human activities. Spatially, the per capita EF and the per capita ECC show a spatial pattern of “low in the middle and high around”. In addition, the per capita ED shows an increasing trend, reaching 0.11 hm2/capita by 2020. The EFDI has decreased by 0.26, indicating that the richness and fairness of the ecosystem are declining. The ES is in “not safe” and “extremely unsafe” level in 2020, which has threatened the ecological environment in the region. Therefore, the ecological environment in this region is deteriorating, restricting sustainable development. There is no doubt that the region needs to strengthen environmental protection and balance the relationship between economy and ecology. If ecology is not taken seriously, the ED will grow and the insecurity of the ecological environment will continue to increase. The current state of the ecological environment in the PRD urban agglomeration is only a microcosm of the ecology in many small and medium scale regions. The results of this paper are useful for providing ideas for EF and ES analysis of other regions.

Evaluation and analysis of ecological security based on the improved three-dimensional ecological footprint in Shaanxi Province, China

The increase in human activities has led to a series of ecological issues such as ecological imbalance, environmental pollution and resource depletion. Developing a comprehensive, applicable and simple ecological security assessment system is critical for determining the current state of the regional ecological environment and formulating sustainable development strategies. Therefore, an integrated ecological security index was established in this study based on entropy method by incorporating the ecological pressure index (EPI), ecological utilization efficiency (EUE), ecological and economic coordination index (EECI) and utilization ratio of capital stocks to flows (Rflowstock). The ecological security of Shaanxi Province from 2000 to 2019 was analyzed from single and comprehensive perspectives. The results showed that (1) during 2000–2019, the per capita ecological deficit of Shaanxi first increased at an average annual rate of 105.75 %, and then decreased at an average annual rate of 3.26 %, reaching a peak of −1.815 nha/cap in 2016. And the sequence of ecological deficit of three regions in Shaanxi was Guanzhong > Northern Shaanxi > Southern Shaanxi. Only Hanzhong, Shangluo and Ankang had an ecological surplus in 2019, whereas the remaining cities were in deficit. (2) Shaanxi’s ecological footprint depth increased from 1.52 to 2.86 in 20 years, indicating that capital flow is insufficient to meet the ever-increasing consumer demand, and the capital stock has been continuously consumed. In 2019, the ecological footprint depth of the cities in Shaanxi ranked from high to low as Weinan (12.69) > Xianyang (9.98) > Tongchuan (7.39) = Yulin (7.39) > Xi'an (4.50) > Baoji (3.01) > Yan'an (2.08) > Hanzhong (1.34) > Shangluo (1.21) > Ankang (1.11). (3) Although Shaanxi’s EUE continued to improve, the EPI, EECI and Rflowstock indicated that the ecological situation of Shaanxi was gradually deteriorating. (4) From 2000 to 2019, Shaanxi’s IESI increased by 54.55 %, exhibiting the spatial distribution of Guanzhong > Northern Shaanxi > Southern Shaanxi. Only the IESI of Hanzhong, Ankang and Shangluo showed a downward trend, indicating that the level of ecological security was strengthening in these regions. The findings will help local governments develop and implement regional character-based policies in support of regional sustainable development. Moreover, this study provides a framework for evaluating ecological security with broad coverage, simple operation and comparable results.

Assessing Spatial and Temporal Changes of Natural Capital in a Typical Semi-Arid Protected Area Based on an Ecological Footprint Model

Exploring spatial and temporal changes in protected areas (PAs) is essential for protecting natural capital and creating a harmonious relationship between humans and nature. This study has assessed land use/land cover (LULC) changes in the Jajrud, a Protected Area with a semi-arid climate zone in Iran (covers an area of 18,814 km2), to assess the sustainability of the use of natural resources using Landsat imagery from 1989 to 2018. Likewise, Ecological Footprint accounts (including the sum of biological, freshwater, energy, and pollution) and changes in the per-capita Ecological Carrying Capacity were investigated to uncover Ecological Deficits. The Ecological Pressure Index was used to explore driving factors of natural capital utilization in each of the various identified zones. Between 1989 and 2018, high-density pastures decreased the most in Jajrud, while built-up land increased the most. Likewise, the Ecological Footprint increased while the Ecological Carrying Capacity decreased, increasing Ecological Deficit quantities. Driving factors for the use of natural capital differs among the various zones due to differing management goals, type of uses, and human activity development. As supply and demand for natural resources were clearly out of an imbalance between the supply and demand of natural resources and exceeded the maximum tolerable limits in Jajrud, a change in production and consumption patterns is necessary. This case study has practical importance for establishing mathematical models to reveal the patterns of LULC, ecological footprint, ecological deficit, and ecological pressure indices in a typical PA in a semi-arid region of Iran. Our approach is advisable for semi-arid PAs in Iran and regions with similar attributes in other countries.

Spatial and temporal changes of ecological footprint of water resources in Hohhot-Baotou-Ordos-Yulin urban agglomeration and evaluation of sustainable utilization

The Yellow River Basin is currently facing a fragile water ecological environment and severe water resources security situation, located in the Yellow River a few bends inside the city group of Hoh-hot-Baotou-Ordos-Yulin also presents the contradiction of limited water resources carrying capacity and in-creasing water demand. Based on the ecological foot-print model, the temporal and spatial variation characteristics of the ecological footprint of water resources in Hohhot-Baotou-Ordos-Yulin urban agglomeration from 2001 to 2019 are analyzed. The influencing factors of the ecological footprint are analyzed by using the correlation test, and the sustainable utilization of water re-sources in Hohhot-Baotou-Ordos-Yulin urban agglomeration is discussed. It is found that there is an obvious gap between the ecological footprint of water resources per capita and the ecological carrying capacity of Hoh-hot-Baotou-Ordos-Yulin urban agglomeration. The eco-logical pressure index is always higher than the standard value, and the ecological deficit of Ordos is the most serious. The contradiction between the social development of urban agglomeration and the utilization of water resources is more prominent, and the utilization situation of water resources is not optimistic.

Investigating the environmental Kuznets curve in the five most complex countries: Insights from a modified ecological footprint model

Several researchers have focused on the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis to analyze environmental degradation using carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and ecological footprint as dependent variables. However, analyzes based on these variables neglect the supply side of environmental sustainability. To address this shortcoming, this study aims to examine the determinants of the ecological footprint pressure index (EFPI) in the context of the EKC hypothesis. The EFPI provides a more detailed picture of environmental issues by considering both ecological footprint and biocapacity. Thus, the study aims to add scientific value to the existing literature by analyzing the EFPI under the EKC hypothesis for the first time. Building on this, our research investigates the effects of economic complexity (ECX), per capita income, and renewable energy consumption (REC) on the EFPI by adopting a novel econometric approach. The results of the Fourier autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) method show a cointegration relationship between income, ECX, renewable energy and EFPI in Germany, Switzerland and Sweden. The long-term elasticities indicate that ECX reduces the EFPI in Germany and Switzerland, while renewable energy mitigates environmental pressure in Switzerland and Sweden. Our findings also confirm the validity of the EKC hypothesis for Germany and Sweden. Based on these findings, the study suggests that ECX, renewable energy and economic growth can all be used as policy instruments to reduce environmental pressure in the three member states of the European Union.

Decoupling of water resources utilization and coordinated economic development in China's Hexi Corridor based on ecological water resource footprint.

The rapid growth of population and economy leads to a further increase in demand for water resources. The contradiction between supply and demand of water resources has become the main bottleneck restricting sustainable development of a regional social economy. Accurate measurement of regional water usage and the harmonious balance between water consumption (WC) and economic growth (EG) are the premise of regional high-quality development. Based on this premise, this paper studied the arid oasis region, Hexi Corridor, as the research object; utilized the theory of ecological footprint to calculate the ecological footprint (EFW) and ecological carrying capacity (ECCW) of water resources from 2005 to 2019; and quantitatively analyzed the water utilization situation in Hexi Corridor in the past 15years. Then, combining with the coordinated development decoupling evaluation model, the connection between WC and EG was evaluated. The main results of this study were as follows: (1) During the study period, EFW has shown a fluctuating downward trend, decreasing from 1.745 in 2015 to 1.588 hm2/person in 2019. The average annual EFW per capita of 10,000 yuan of GDP decreased by 10.18%, which showed that the water resources utilization efficiency was gradually increasing. However, there was still a large water deficit. The average water ecological pressure index was 16.55; water resources were under great pressure. (2) From 2005 to 2019, the relationship between WC and EG experienced stages of strong decoupling-weak decoupling-weak negative decoupling-strong decoupling in Hexi Corridor, and the coordination between the two was gradually strengthened. (3) The decoupling status of the Hexi Corridor cities was gradually optimized. Zhangye was the best and in a stable decoupling state, followed by Wuwei and Jiuquan. The number of decoupling years accounted for 85.7% and 78.6% of the evaluation period, respectively. The cities with poor decoupling status were Jiayuguan and Jinchang, and the number of decoupling years accounted for 71.4% and 57.1%, respectively. This study provides some highlights for the formulation of arid oasis regional water strategy.