Three-dimensional ecological footprint assessment for ecologically sensitive areas: A case study of the Southern Qin Ling piedmont in Shaanxi, China

The ecological management of ecologically sensitive areas is highly sensitive and complex. The three-dimensional ecological footprint assessment for ecologically sensitive areas plays a decisive role in the overall development of a region's ecological environment and can be helpful for promoting the coordinated and sustainable development of economic and natural capital utilization. Taking a typical ecologically sensitive area in the southern Qin Ling piedmont of Shaanxi (southern Shaanxi) as an example, this paper describes the per capita ecological footprint (EF) and per capita biological capacity (BC) from 2005 to 2015. In addition, based on an analysis of the utilization of capital stocks and flows and the ecological footprint depth (EFdepth) and size (EFsize), the factors driving changes in the region's ecological footprint size are revealed by a partial least squares model (PLS model). The results indicate that the per capita biological capacity in the southern Qin Ling piedmont of Shaanxi remained stable at 2.100 ha/cap and that the per capita ecological footprint increased, with fluctuations between 1.359 ha/cap and 2.239 ha/cap. After the first appearance of a per capita ecological deficit in 2013, the ecological footprint depth peaked in 2014 at 1.049 ha/cap. The capital stocks consumption rate was well controlled, which meant that capital flows remained the main source of natural capital. The main factors driving the ecological footprint size are commonly used arable land, the per capita disposable income of urban residents and the primary industry output value. Therefore, some suggestions are offered as follows: control the land use for urbanization, accelerate industrial restructuring and upgrading, and establish a mechanism for environmental monitoring and warning.