Primary study on evaluation index system for groundwater exploitation potentiality based on the niche theories

Based on the groundwater resources evaluation, the groundwater exploitation potentiality evaluation is aiming at providing references for management, planning and development of groundwater. Traditional evaluation methods mainly adopted individual indicator as a method which cannot fully reflect the affecting factors of the groundwater exploitation potential in a scientific way. The idea that the spatial distribution and dynamic change of groundwater is not only affected by socio-economic development and exploitation technology but also influenced by its regulation is coincided with the niche theory. This paper has preliminarily applied the niche theory to groundwater exploitation potential analysis, and proposed the concept of groundwater niche as well as its related definition, connotation and calculation formula. Meanwhile, by taking the Hebei Plain as an example, the article has made an evaluation of groundwater exploitation potentiality and a contrast with the results of the traditional evaluation methods on the construction of groundwater niche index system, and then verified the feasibility and rationality of this index system. It turns out that, it is truly comprehensive, scientific and rational to make groundwater niche calculation and exploitation potential analysis by using the evaluation index system. Niche theory has provided a new and fundamental attempt for the analysis and competition strategy for the groundwater exploitation potentiality evaluation.