Methods of land carrying capacity research based on ecological services supply value in Yunnan

Although the study of land carrying capacity assessment methods has involved a variety of factors in the past decades, few research studies have deeply focused on a particular aspect. Using the supply of ecological service value combined with population needs of ecological service value, a land carrying capacity assessment method was constructed for an effective quantitative test of land carrying capacity. A land cover classification was carried out using satellite remote sensing images as basic data source. Using the Costanza’s ecosystem service value evaluation method as a reference point (namely the unit area ecological service value coefficient), the ecological services value of a certain area was calculated. Combined with population need, the ecological services value was quantified. Finally, a method for evaluating the carrying capacity of land resources in Yunnan Province based on the supply value of ecological services was established to make extension and supplement for existing land carrying capacity assessment methods. Based on the analysis of Yunnan Province, it was helpful to improve the existing land resources carrying capacity assessment methods. The remote sensing technology used in this study to acquire land cover and land use data for Yunnan Province was critical for developing more effective methods. Combined with the Costanza’s theory of ecosystem service value, the supply of ecological service value in Yunnan Province was calculated. Based on the local statistical population data, total food consumption in different regions and cities of Yunnan Province was calculated. Finally, a land carrying capacity assessment parameters and standards based on the supply of ecosystem services was built for Yunnan Province. From the characteristics of the study area and the research goals, land cover/use types in Yunnan Province were divided into 6 classes: farmland, woodland, grassland, wetland, artificial surfaces and unused land. Based on TM Landsat remote sensing image data and the research area (the whole Yunnan Province) for 2010, the object oriented automatic classification method was used to obtain the overall distribution of the 6 land cover types in Yunnan Province on eCognition 8.7 classification platform. The results showed that given the supply of land resources and regional population food consumption, the situation of land resources in the region was optimistic. This was noted for Diqing, Nujiang and Lijiang in northern Yunnan Province and also those sparsely populated areas in southern Xishuangbanna and Pu’er. In other areas, however, land supply service was very inadequate relative to the population need. This was due to the long development history, large population, etc. The evaluation method of land carrying capacity constructed based on ecological services supply was a significant improvement over existing ones, with the potential to benefit land resource carrying capacity assessments elsewhere. It had the potential to contribute to the assessment of regional land resources and to lay a solid scientific basis for sustainable development planning.