MEASUREMENT AND DRIVING FACTORS OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN SHENYANG CITY

Based on the three-dimensional (3D) ecological footprint model, this paper has provided the measurements of the dynamic changes of the 3D ecological footprint of Shenyang from 2005 to 2016, and the analysis of the driving factors behind such footprint through the partial least-squares regression. Our research findings reveal that: The overall per capita 3D ecological footprint of the Shenyang City went upward from 2005 to 2016, with an average annual growth rate of 16.5%; at the meantime, the per capita ecological carrying capacity showed a year-on-year downward trend at an average annual rate of 0.79%. The analysis of partial least squares regression indicates that urban ecological construction and environmental pollution constitute the significant factors that lead to the increase of the ecological footprint year by year in Shenyang. On the contrary, the exchange and trade, the environmental governance and the structure of land use are conducive to relieving the pressure on the ecological expansion. Our analysis of the importance of variable projections demonstrates that per capita public green area and the emission indicators of the industrial waste have imposed a greater influence on the index of ecological footprint of Shenyang and are relatively consistent with the comprehensive evaluation results of the regression analysis. In the future, we shall enhance the efficiency of urban ecological construction by optimizing industrial structure, using clean energy, actively developing foreign trade and exchanges, and rationally planning urban land use.