| A region is a huge complex system of ecological econmics. According to the theoriesof ecological economics, social economic system is one of subsystems of natural system,that is larger than social economics system, and human society and natural system whollyintegratede. With the point of ecological, economic and social integrated, learned aboutecological crises human are faced could lead us to deal with the relationship betweenhuman and nature. Sustainable development builed on the theories of ecological econmicshave become the main theme of society to develop. Counties, as we know, are ecologicaleconomic system with complexity like other social sytems. County sytem is a main basicunit to reconstruct demonstration eco-region in China. The goal of reconstructingdemonstration eco-region according to principles of ecological economics is to implement asustainable development of reional system. What needed to be concerned is theharmonization of the relationships among the social, economic and natural subsystems.Once the requirement meets the ecological environment will be protected and improved. Asa result, life quality of peoples in the region will be improved and problem of therelatiohship between economic develpement and environmental protection will be solved.How to study the relationship between human society and nature, built indicator system andfind method to assessment regions objectively have significant for improving ecologicalreconstruction and life quality of peoples, protecting environment. There are not enoughfreshwater for living and production and cropping index (CI) is higher in China.Considering cropping index and freshwater in calculation of ecological footprint, it couldreflect the regions more resonable. Therefor, this dissertation studied the methods toassessment regional ecological economic system based on the theory of ecological footprint.Ecological footprint being a tool of sustainable development decision-making is one ofpopularized methods to assement sustainabilityin the recent.Here the author reports an improved method of footprint calculation. Three regionswere investigated and studied the natural ecological and social economic situation. They areFuning, Binhai and Yixing County in Jiansu Province. The yearly situation of 1995-2004(1949-2004 to Binhai) were studied using improved ecological footprint account method based on the theories of econmics, systamatics and ecological economic in quantitive andqualitive, dynamic and static. Had improved ecological footprint account formula ofcropland with regional cropping index (CI). Ecological footprint calculated using improvedmethod is land area but not croppring for crops. Only with improved method, ecologicalfootprint been account is according it conception implies and ecological footprintconsistency with the regional biocapacity. In the improved method, freshwater isconsidered as a component of ecological footprint, because it is an important resource forhuman. Conception of development ability was redefined. It is point out that what isobtained by the calculation with ecological footprint is development level. Ecologicalfootprint reflects production development level but not development ability. Developmentalability should be the potential of economic development in a region or a country that isaffected by social development level and ecological environmental factors analysis ofdevelopment ability should consider ecological environment, that is to say ecologicalcapacity. The conception of ecological economic resilenc and coefficienc formula wasproposed. Ecological footprint coefficient was taken as the index to assessmentsustainability. Some papameters in the formula of entire-array- polygon method wereredefined. In the study, the average of each index of the regional system was considered ascritical value. So, the subjective effects to the method were reduced and the assessmentmethod more objective and reflectactual dynamic of index. Trend and dynamic is moreimportant to human than existing situation of development of a system. It is convenient forcomparing among different situations of a system and especially if it involoves in differentregions. The dissertation integrates entire-array polygon method and ecological footprint inview of social, economic and ecological environmental area. For the first time, this is anattempt to combine ecological footprint and entire-array-polygon method as a tool tomeasure sustainability of a region. Ecological demands and supplies of regional system areconsidered in the method of synthesis assessment to region. Eight indices were selected toassessment sustainable of regional systems using entire-array-polgon method. Through theanalysis to the three region systems of Funing, Binhai and Yixing County, followingconclusions were obtained.On the basis of analysis to the conception, basic theory and applying studies ofecological footprint, it was opinioned. The Wackernagel method has a presumption that theland of each category to be needed in a given region or in a given country does not overlapand the land used for cropping is harvested only once annually. This implies that Wackernagel method determines the harvest area required, not the land area required.Essentially, the footprint of cropland is not consistent with the biocapacity of the cropland.There is an error in ecological remainder/deficit for the same problem between footprintand biocapacity. Herein the author report an improved method of footprint calculation bytaking the regional or country's cropping index into consideration. Using the improvedmethod, ecological demand/supply of three regions selected was analyzed. In 1995-2003,ecological footprint per capita increased from 1.1381 to 1.5877 gha/cap and from 1.1068 to2.1092 gha/cap in Binhai and Funing Counties respectively. Ecological footprint per capitaof Yixing County increased from 1.7162 to 2.3812 during 1999-2004. Biocapacity of thethree regions changed less duing the period to be studid. In 1995-2003, the average yearlyrate increasing of ecological deficit per capita is 6.35% in Binhai, 9.83% in Furling.Ecological remainder per ten thousands GDP of Yixing was larger than that of Binhai andFuning. This indicates that to produce same amount of GDP it has less pressure toenvirontment in Yixing than in Binhai and Funing. To develop new technological industries,to increase second sector and dramatically to develop third sector are important strategy tosustainable development. The Ulanowicz development ability increased from 1.3575 to2.4996 in Funing, 1.3903 to 1.7609 in Binhai during 1993-2003, and 2.5683 to 3.8471 inYixing during 1999-2004. This showed us that Yixing develop faster than Furring andBinhai. Correlation coefficient between development ability and GDP per capita calculatedusing improved method is larger than using Wackernagel method. The results wereconsistent with three regions actual situation.Analyzed the social economic driving forces upon ecological footprint in Binhairegional system during 1950-2004, it was concluded that the main driving forces in theregion is GDP, non-rural area population, and the total value of industrial production.Correlation coefficienct between non-rural area population and ecological footprint waslarger than the other driving forces. It is indicates that ecological footprint was effectedsignificantly by people's life style and production structure.There are two situations when ecological footprints are large in a regional system. (1)Ecological capacity is large when ecological remainders implying to ecological economicdevelopment ability in the region is too strong. (2) Ecological capacity is small. This refersto human acitivity is strong in the region, but capacity of the system is smaller thanfootprint. Consequently, there will be an ecological deficit due to overshot system.Although ecological footprint per ten thousands GDP may be lare, ecological economic system in the region or country is unsustainable and its development ability is weakercomparably considering ecologically out of the balance.Moreover, positive ecological remainder per ten thousands GDP indicates thatecological economic system is sustainable in the case of the practicing production. Thereare also two situations: (1) Ecolgocial footprint is small and ecological capacity is large. Inthis situation, level of economic development is low but ecological economic system haspotential development ability. (2) Ecologcial footprint and ecological capacity both arelarge. This implies that efficiency of resource used is high.Based on the theory of ecolgocial footprint the dissertation analyzed the ecologicaleconomic system in the three regions with the view of demands of economic system tonatural resource and supply of ecosystem for nautral resource. Throgh the synthesisappraisement to the ecological economic systems in the three regions withentire-array-polygon method in view of society, economy and ecology, it is buildtheoretical bases for the reconstruction and the management of demonstration eco-zone.The results tell us that the synthesis index increased from 0.0273 to 0.5033 in 1995-2003.The synthesis index had an increasing trend in Binhai and Yixing during 1999-2004. It isindicates that the regional ecological economic system developed toward sustainability. Theaverage yearly rate of sysnthesis index increased in Yixing was 41.47%. It is larger than inBinhai. Synthesis indicator method could show the low of regional systems development.On the basis of the analysis to regional ecological economic systems, developmentstrategies were proposed. To reduce ecological footprint through increasing resourcesutility, improving styles of production and life, controlling regional population. To reduceecological deficit by intensifying ecological consciousness, increasing productivity andconservating ecosystem. For promoting regional development, combine resourcesexploitation with environment conservation, base on ecological industries and reconstructregional ecological economic assessment system.
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