Assessment On The Vulnerability Of Social-Ecological Systems In Pingtan Island

The complex social-ecological coupling system is created and threatened by interaction between human and nature.To recognize vulnerability correctly can help the progress of the sustainable development.The island has become a high-profile fragile belt due to natural disasters and the accelerated development of economic chaos.Pingtan Island is the fifth largest island in China with great bay,unique tourism scenery and rich aquatic resources.Recent years,the rise of human activities due to the rapid urbanization and natural disasters leads to the appearance of social-ecological problems continuously.Assessing the vulnerability of the social-ecological systems of Pingtan Island not only helps to identify the main driving factors,but also be great significance to realize the higher level harmonious development.This study selected 41 indicators from three dimensions—exposure,sensitivity and adaptability to construct social-ecological vulnerability assessment index system which using the combination of principal component analysis and entropy method to evaluate the vulnerability of social-ecological systems in Pingtan Island in 2000-2013 dynamically and quantitatively.The main research conclusions are as follows:(1)The assessment index system built from three parts—exposure,sensitivity and adaptive capacity reflect the vulnerability of social-ecological systems in Pingtan Island fully.(2)Comprehensive use of principal component analysis and entropy evaluation method can evaluate the vulnerability of social-ecological systems in Pingtan Island scientifically and objectively.(3)During the study period,exposure part present the growth overall which means the disturbance and stress strength of Pingtan Island were increasing.Exposure driving factors includs human activities,shelter forest area,marine problems,storms and drought.Sensitivity was on the rise as a whole.The social-ecological system's instability of the study area became higher.Sensitivity driving factors are population factors,economic factors,agricultural factors and industrial structure.Adaptive capacity showed a trend of rising.The system's ability to cope with internal and external changes was enhancing.Education,infrastructure and economic resilience composed the adaptive driving factors.(4)During the study period,the vulnerability of social-ecological systems in Pingtan Island was on the rise overall,and the dynamic change was divided into two stages:In 2000-2010,the vulnerability decreased irregular due to the decrease of the exposure and sensitivity and the rising of adaptive ability;in 2010-2013,the vulnerability grew rapidly duo to the high strength of economic construction and development which brought by the establishment of Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone on the exposure and sensitivity is far more than the adaptive capacity.(5)The growth of base vulnerability and potential vulnerability in Pingtan Island were at a faster rate than the adaptation ability in 2010-2013.If not timely control or even reduce the vulnerability of the base vulnerability and potential vulnerability,the realistic vulnerability will accelerate continonusly in the future,Pingtan Island social-ecological system's damage probability and extent will continue to grow,and the recoverty capacity will continue to decline.