Dynamic changes of ecological footprint and ecological capacity in Hunan province

Ecological footprint method is an effective approach for quantitatively measuring the regional sustainable development degree.To quantitatively evaluate dynamic variation of the sustainable development degree of Hunan Province,dynamic changes of ecological footprint from 1998 to 2006 were analyzed based on ecological footprint method.The analysis on the dynamic changes of ecological footprint and ecological capacity in Hunan Province showed that in 1998—2006,the ecological footprint per capita in the province increased from 1.244 1 hm2 to 1.633 7 hm2.While the ecological capacity per capita decreased from 0.481 9 hm2to 0.455 6 hm2,with an increased ecological deficit year after year.The per-capita ecological deficit increased from 0.762 2 hm2 in 1998 to 1.182 1 hm2in 2006.The contradiction between the ecological footprint and ecological capacity pricked up gradually,and the ecological environment was at risk.There existed a severe imbalance in the supply and demand of ecological footprint per capita.The main body of the demands was grassland and cultivated land accounting for 30.11%-37.34% and 29.83%-33.53% respectively,and next to fossil fuel with accounting for 17.60%-22.85% of the tota1.while their supply was cultivated land occupied 51.02%-53.23%.As a whole,the ecological footprint per ten thousand yuan GDP declined in the five years,indicating that the resources use efficiency in the province was improved gradually.Based on the causes of the ecological deficit,and the present situation of the economic development and resources distribution in the province,some measures were advanced to reduce and eliminate the ecological deficit in Hunan Province.