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Arid Land Geography ›› 2022, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (6): 1988-2003.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2022.098

• Regional Development • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Ecological footprint and sustainable utilization of grassland resources in Inner Mongolia

ZHANG Jianing1(),YAO Linjie1,ZHANG Hengrui1,ZHAO Yanyun1,ZHANG Qing1,2,3,LIU Pengtao4()   

  1. 1. School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, Inner Mongolia, China
    2. Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, Ministry of Education of China, Hohhot 010021, Inner Mongolia, China
    3. Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, Hohhot 010021, Inner Mongolia, China
    4. Inner Mongolia Ecological and Agricultural Meteorological Center, Hohhot 010051, Inner Mongolia, China
  • Received:2022-03-13 Revised:2022-04-18 Online:2022-11-25 Published:2023-02-01
  • Contact: Pengtao LIU E-mail:1743287595@qq.com;birdlpt@163.com

Abstract:

The ecological footprint model is widely used in regional sustainability evaluation. In this study, net primary productivity was used to construct the equivalence and yield factors of grassland resources in 12 cities in Inner Mongolia, China. Then, the ecological footprint and carrying capacity of grassland resources at five-year intervals for seven periods from 1990 to 2020 in the province and city scales were assessed. Combined with the population density, this study described the spatial distribution pattern of ecological footprint. Finally, this study evaluated the temporal and spatial changes in grassland sustainability in Inner Mongolia using a land-use sustainability model. The results showed that the yield factor of grassland in Inner Mongolia differed and decreased from east to west. The ecological carrying capacity also decreased from east to west. In the last 30 years, the per capita ecological carrying capacity has exhibited a slight downward trend, whereas the per capita ecological footprint has exhibited a gradually increasing trend, resulting in the transition from an ecological surplus to an ecological deficit between 2000 and 2005. High ecological footprints were concentrated in the Tongliao, Xilinhot, Erenhot, southern Ulanqab, and eastern Erdos cities. The sustainability of grassland resources in Inner Mongolia decreased gradually, from strong sustainability in 1990 to weak unsustainability in 2020. Areas with severe sustainability degradation are concentrated in the Hohhot, Baotou, and Wuhai cities. The findings of this study can serve as a reliable theoretical basis for the protection and sustainable development of grassland resources in Inner Mongolia.

Key words: ecological footprint, ecological carrying capacity, sustainable development, grassland resources, Inner Mongolia