[A modified method of ecological footprint and its application].
The Wackernagel's method of ecological footprint assumes that arable lands are cropped only once a year in a country or a region, which does not accord with the conception of ecological footprint referring to the area of productive land. In this paper, the method of cropland footprint was modified by regulating with multi-cropping index, and the ecological footprint calculated with the new method was for the area of cropland but not that of multi-cropping. The ecological economic systems in Binhai and Funing counties of Jiangsu Province from 1995 to 2003 were analyzed by the modified method, and the results showed that when calculated with conventional Wackernagel's method, the ecological footprints of Binhai and Funing were from 1.79 hm2 to 2.22 hm2 and from 1.38 hm2 to 2.81 hm2, and the percentages of cropland ecological footprint in total ecological footprints decreased from 42.65% to 38.81% and from 45.73% to 38.85%, respectively, while calculated with the modified method, the ecological footprints and the percentage of cropland ecological footprint in total ecological footprints were from 1.43 hm2 to 1.88 hm2 and from 1.12 hm2 to 2.43 hm2, and decreased from 28.45% to 22.89% and from 32.94% to 29.42%, respectively. It was indicated that the ecological footprint calculated with the new method was for the area of cropland, which more accorded with the eco-capacity and changed the size and composition of ecological footprints, being able to reflect the use of natural resources more precisely.
Department of Environmental Economics, Shanxi University of Finance and Economics, Taiyuan 030006, China. shuyuwang@163.com
Shu-Yu
SY
Wang
Xin-Min
XM
Bian
D002681:China; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000254:growth & development*; D004463:Ecology; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*