Eco-environmental Quality Evaluation of Manasi River Basin in Recent 30 Years

Taking the Technical Specifications of Eco-environmental Quality Assessment enacted by the State Environmental Protection Administration in 2006 as the conceptual framework model and improving some indices and weights in the regulation,the eco-environmental assessment index system for Manas River Basin was established,and the eco-environmental quality index (EQI) of this basin from 1976 to 2005 was assessed based on the related data.The results indicated that the ecological quality index increased to 48.26 from 34.44 during 1976-2005.The biologic abundance index,vegetation coverage index and land deterioration index decreased,while there was an increase in water reticulation density index,environmental quality index and pollution load index,so the improvement and deterioration of the ecological environment coexisted in the basin.On the whole,the poor state of the basin ecological environment had turned into a general state,and the eco-environmental quality was developed towards favorable circle.The results also showed that the improved calculating method of EQI accorded with the actual situation of the research area.

Assessment on eco-environmental quality of the Yellow River Basin by considering desertification index

Desertification has had a significant impact on the ecological environment of the Yellow River Basin(YRB)in China.However,previous studies on the evaluation of the ecological environment quality(EEQ)in the YRB have paid limited attention to the indicator of desertification.It is of great significance to incorporate the desertification index into the spatiotemporal assessment of the EEQ in the YRB in order to protect the ecological environment in the region.In this study,based on multi-source remote sensing data from 91 cities in the YRB,this article proposes a desertification remote sensing ecological index(DRSEI)model,which builds upon the traditional Remote Sensing Ecological Index(RSEI)model,to analyze the spatiotemporal changes in the EEQ in the YRB from 2001 to 2021.Furthermore,using the geographic detector(GD),and geographically and temporally weighted regression(GTWR)model,the study assesses the impact of human and natural factors on the EEQ in the YRB.The research findings indicate that:(1)Compared to the traditional RSEI,the improved DRSEI shows a decreasing trend in the evaluation results of the EEQ.Among the 24 cities,the change in DRSEI exceeds 0.05 compared to RSEI,accounting for 26.37%of the YRB.The remaining 67 cities have changes within a range of less than 0.05,accounting for 73.63%of the YRB.(2)The results of the GD for individual and interactive effects reveal that rainfall and elevation have significant individual and interactive effects on the EEQ.Furthermore,after the interaction with natural factors,the explanatory power of human factors gradually increases over time.The spatial heterogeneity results of GTWR demonstrate that rainfall has a strong direct positive impact on the EEQ,accounting for 98.90%of the influence,while temperature exhibits a more pronounced direct inhibitory effect,accounting for 76.92%of the influence.Human activities have a strong negative impact on the EEQ and a weak positive impact.

Land cover change and eco-environmental quality response of different geomorphic units on the Chinese Loess Plateau

Land cover in the Chinese Loess Plateau has undergone dramatic changes since the late 1980s.Revealing the trend in land cover change and eco-environmental quality response of different geomorphic units in this stage is a realistic requirement for promoting sustainable development of the Chinese Loess Plateau.Based on the data of geomorphic units and land cover in 1990,2000,2010 and 2018 of the Chinese Loess Plateau,we studied the trend of land cover change and eco-environmental quality response of different geomorphic units by using a significance index of land cover change,a proportion index of land cover change and an eco-environmental response model.The results indicated that from 1990 to 2018,the areas of forestland and construction land substantially increased,whereas those of cropland,grassland,wetland and unused land considerably decreased.Land cover change exhibited large geomorphic differences,and the main conversion of land cover was from cropland into other land types.Unstable trend of land cover change in the loess tablelands and sandy loess hills declined,whereas the unstable trends in the other geomorphic units enhanced.Eco-environmental quality varied among different geomorphic units.The expansion of construction land and degradation of forestland,grassland and wetland resulted in the deterioration of eco-environmental quality.The conversion of cropland and unused land into forestland and grassland,and the conversion of grassland into forestland were the main factors that drove the improvement of eco-environmental quality.The findings of this study may provide theoretical reference and support decision making for the optimization of land use structure and the improvement of eco-environmental quality on the Chinese Loess Plateau.

Spatial-temporal changes and driving factors of eco-environmental quality in the Three-North region of China

Eco-environmental quality is a measure of the suitability of the ecological environment for human survival and socioeconomic development.Understanding the spatial-temporal distribution and variation trend of eco-environmental quality is essential for environmental protection and ecological balance.The remote sensing ecological index(RSEI)can quickly and objectively quantify eco-environmental quality and has been extensively utilized in regional ecological environment assessment.In this paper,Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS)images during the growing period(July-September)from 2000 to 2020 were obtained from the Google Earth Engine(GEE)platform to calculate the RSEI in the three northern regions of China(the Three-North region).The Theil-Sen median trend method combined with the Mann-Kendall test was used to analyze the spatial-temporal variation trend of eco-environmental quality,and the Hurst exponent and the Theil-Sen median trend were superimposed to predict the future evolution trend of eco-environmental quality.In addition,ten variables from two categories of natural and anthropogenic factors were analyzed to determine the drivers of the spatial differentiation of eco-environmental quality by the geographical detector.The results showed that from 2000 to 2020,the RSEI in the Three-North region exhibited obvious regional characteristics:the RSEI values in Northwest China were generally between 0.2 and 0.4;the RSEI values in North China gradually increased from north to south,ranging from 0.2 to 0.8;and the RSEI values in Northeast China were mostly above 0.6.The average RSEI value in the Three-North region increased at an average growth rate of 0.0016/a,showing the spatial distribution characteristics of overall improvement and local degradation in eco-environmental quality,of which the areas with improved,basically stable and degraded eco-environmental quality accounted for 65.39%,26.82%and 7.79%of the total study area,respectively.The Hurst exponent of the RSEI ranged from 0.20 to 0.76 and the future trend of eco-environmental quality was generally consistent with the trend over the past 21 years.However,the areas exhibiting an improvement trend in eco-environmental quality mainly had weak persistence,and there was a possibility of degradation in eco-environmental quality without strengthening ecological protection.Average relative humidity,accumulated precipitation and land use type were the dominant factors driving the spatial distribution of eco-environmental quality in the Three-North region,and two-factor interaction also had a greater influence on eco-environmental quality than single factors.The explanatory power of meteorological factors on the spatial distribution of eco-environmental quality was stronger than that of topographic factors.The effect of anthropogenic factors(such as population density and land use type)on eco-environmental quality gradually increased over time.This study can serve as a reference to protect the ecological environment in arid and semi-arid regions.

Spatiotemporal changes of eco-environmental quality based on remote sensing-based ecological index in the Hotan Oasis,Xinjiang

The rapid economic development that the Hotan Oasis in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,China has undergone in recent years may face some challenges in its ecological environment.Therefore,an analysis of the spatiotemporal changes in ecological environment of the Hotan Oasis is important for its sustainable development.First,we constructed an improved remote sensing-based ecological index(RSEI)in 1990,1995,2000,2005,2010,2015 and 2020 on the Google Earth Engine(GEE)platform and implemented change detection for their spatial distribution.Second,we performed a spatial autocorrelation analysis on RSEI distribution map and used land-use and land-cover change(LUCC)data to analyze the reasons of RSEI changes.Finally,we investigated the applicability of improved RSEI to arid area.The results showed that mean of RSEI rose from 0.41 to 0.50,showing a slight upward trend.During the 30-a period,2.66% of the regions improved significantly,10.74% improved moderately and 32.21% improved slightly,respectively.The global Moran's I were 0.891,0.889,0.847 and 0.777 for 1990,2000,2010 and 2020,respectively,and the local indicators of spatial autocorrelation(LISA)distribution map showed that the high-high cluster was mainly distributed in the central part of the Hotan Oasis,and the low-low cluster was mainly distributed in the outer edge of the oasis.RSEI at the periphery of the oasis changes from low to high with time,with the fragmentation of RSEI distribution within the oasis increasing.Its distribution and changes are predominantly driven by anthropologic factors,including the expansion of artificial oasis into the desert,the replacement of desert ecosystems by farmland ecosystems,and the increase in the distribution of impervious surfaces.The improved RSEI can reflect the eco-environmental quality effectively of the oasis in arid area with relatively high applicability.The high efficiency exhibited with this approach makes it convenient for rapid,high frequency and macroscopic monitoring of eco-environmental quality in study area.

Dynamic Assessment on Regional Eco-environmental Quality Using AHP-Statistics Model—A Case Study of Chaohu Lake Basin

An indicator system closely connected with eco-environment, in which indicator involves in such fields as society, economy, resources, environment and ecology, is first proposed for eco-environmental quality assessment. Then, a hierarchical model with four levels is established by virtue of these indicators and attributes. In the model, weights of indicators and attributes are determined by combining Delphi method with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and a statistic method is used to eliminate the influences arising from the differences in dimension and magnitude of indicators. On these grounds, an AHP-statistics model is provided for regional eco-environmental quality assessment. As a case, such AHP-statistics model is utilized in the dynamic analysis of regional eco-environmental assessment in Chaohu Lake basin. Study results show that natural environmental quality in the watershed was in the declining state while social environmental quality was in a markedly improved situation from 1996, and the synthetic eco-environmental quality was gradually and slowly improved under the common influences of both natural and social environmental factors. Example of application testified the capacities of above methodology to evaluate the real and dynamic state of regional eco-environmental quality.

Multi-agent Blind Model and Its Application to Regional Eco-environmental Quality Assessment

Through denoting each expert as an agent and viewing a multiple criteria decision-making as a synthesis problem of aggregating experts＇ ratings, a multi-agent blind model （MABM） is developed for regional eco-environmental quality assessment. In this model, the ratings of the evaluated object under an index, given by expert group, are first utilized to construct a series of blind numbers. In general, each index will correspond to different blind numbers. On the basis of aggregating index weights, the rank score in the form of a blind number is obtained for the evaluated object. Then, by means of calculating expected value of the above blind number, its rank score is further converted into a crisp value. By way of comparing the expected value with classification standards, eco-environmental quality of the evaluated sample could he identified successfully in the end. As a case, the MABM is used to evaluate the eco-environmental quality of Chaohu Lake basin. Study result shows that the MABM is a useful model for regional eco-environmental quality assessment.

Universal Index Formula of Parameterized Combination Operator for Eco-environmental Quality Evaluation

[Objective] The aim was to evaluate the regional eco-environmental quality by using the universal index formula of parameterization combination operator based normalized index values.[Method] Through setting reference values and normalized transformation formulae for typical ecological environmental indexes appropriately,the difference among the standard normalized values would become very small after normalized transformation,and the ecological environmental indices expressed by normalized values can be equivalent to normalized indices.Under certain optimization conditions,shuffled frog leaping based on immune evolutionary particle swarm optimization algorithm was applied to optimize the parameters in parameterization combination operator formula,and the universal index formula suited to eco-environmental quality assessment was established finally.[Result] The universal index formula of parameterization combination operator,appropriate for any m(1≤m≤23) ecological environmental indices,was used to assess the eco-environmental quality of towns surrounding Headland Reservoir,and the results were in full accordance with those of unascertained measure method,that is,the eco-environmental quality of five towns around Headland Reservoir was the fourth grade.[Conclusion]The universal index formula of parameterization combination operator,suited to eco-environmental quality evaluation,is simple and intuitive in form,easy in computation and universal in application.

Grey Clustering Evaluation on Regional Eco-environmental Quality Based on Normalized Index Value

[Objective] The aim was to assess regional eco-environmental quality by means of grey clustering method based on normalized index value. [Method] Eco-environmental quality in Chaohu basin was assessed by using grey clustering method based on normalized index value, and the evaluation results were compared with those of unascertained measure method to verify the feasibility of grey clustering method used to evaluate regional eco-environmental quality. [Result] In the grey clustering assessment method based on normalized index value, indices whose standard normalized values in the same grade were close to each other were classified into one class and had the same whitening function, which reduced the number of whitening functions. Grey clustering method based on normalized index value was used to assess eco-environmental quality in Chaohu basin, and the evaluation results were basically in accordance with those of unascertained measure method, namely eco-environmental quality in Hefei, Chaohu and Lu’an belonged to the third (pass), fourth (worse) and fifth grade (bad), except for one grade difference in overall basin, and the results showed that the method had practicality and could be applied to assess regional eco-environmental quality. [Conclusion] The study could provide theoretical foundation for the establishment of comprehensive management countermeasures of regional ecological environment.

Assessing the impacts of ecological-living-productive land changes on eco-environmental quality in Xining City on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China

The Ecological-living-productive land(ELPL)classification system was proposed in an effort to steer China's land pattern to an ecological-centered path,with the development model shifting from a single function into more integrated multifunction land use.The focus is coordinating the man-land contradictions and developing an intensive,efficient and sustainable land use policy in an increasingly tense relationship between humans and nature.Driven by socioeconomic change and rapid population growth,many cities are undergoing urban sprawl,which involves the consumption of cropland and ecological land and threatens the ecological balance.This paper aims to quantitatively analyze the critical effects of ELPL changes on eco-environmental quality according to land use classification based on leading function of ecology,living and production from 1990 to 2015 with a case study of Xining City.Also,four future land use scenarios were simulated for 2030 using the Future Land Use Simulation(FLUS)model that couples human and natural effects.Our results show a decrease in productive land(PL)and an increase in ecological land(EL)and living land(LL)in Xining City.Forestry ecological land(FEL)covered the top largest proportion;agriculture productive land(APL)showed the greatest reduction and urban and rural living land(U-RLL)presented a dramatic increase.The eco-environmental quality improved in 1990-2010,mainly affected by the conversion of APL to FEL and GEL.However,the encroachment of U-RLL into APL,other ecological land(OEL)and FEL was the main contributor to the decline in eco-environmental quality in 2010-2015 as well as the primary reason for the increase area of lower-quality.The Harmonious Development(HD)-Scenario,characterized by a rational allocation of LL and PL and a better eco-environment,would have implications for planning and monitoring future management of ELPL,and may represent a valuable reference for local policy-makers.

Integrated Evaluation Model for Eco-Environmental Quality in Mountainous Region Based on Remote Sensing and GIS

Based on Remote Sensing （RS）, Geographic Information System （GIS）, and combining Principal Component Analysis, this paper designed a numerical integrated evaluation model for mountain eco-environment on the base of grid scale. Using this model, we evaluated the mountain eco-environmental quality in a case study area-the upper reaches of Minjiang River, and achieved a good result, which accorded well with the real condition. The study indicates that, the integrated evaluation model is suitable for multi-layer spatial factor computation, effectively lowing man＇s subjective influence in the evaluation process; treating the whole river basin as a system, the model shows full respect to the circulation of material and energy, synthetically embodies the determining impact of such natural condition as water-heat and landform, as well as human interference in natural eco-system; the evaluation result not only clearly presents mountainous vertical distribution features of input factors, but also provides a scientific and reliable thought for quantitatively evaluating mountain eco-environment.

Study on the Change of Eco-Environmental Quality in Jiufeng Mountain Area Based on InVEST Model

Habitat is not only an important place for animals and plants to inhabit and reproduce, but also the basis of human survival and development. With the large-scale development of mineral resources, land use types have changed sharply, fragile habitats tend to collapse, and the future sustainable development has lost a stable carrier. Habitat quality is a comprehensive expression of the interaction of many factors such as land, biology and water resources for many years. Natural factors are the most direct factors affecting habitat quality, and human activities are the most intense factors. The habitat module of invest model was used to evaluate the changes and temporal and spatial characteristics of habitat quality in Jiufeng Mountain from 1990 to 2018. It is found that the habitat quality in Jiufeng Mountain area shows a downward trend, and the ecological environment is very fragile. The high value areas of eco-environmental quality are mainly distributed in mountainous and hilly areas with high vegetation coverage;The low value areas of eco-environmental quality are mainly distributed in industrial and mining land and gully areas. With the development of society and economy and the development of mining industry in Jiufengshan area, the area of construction land is also increasing.

Dynamics of the eco-environmental quality in response to land use changes in rapidly urbanizing areas: A case study of Wuhan, China from 2000 to 2018

The dramatic land use changes that occur in rapidly urbanized areas are important inducement to changes in the eco-environmental quality.Investigating urban land use changes and their eco-environmental quality responses can provide theoretical support and a decision-making basis for sustainable and high-quality development in rapidly urbanizing areas.Taking Wuhan,China,as the study area,this paper extracts land use information using Landsat satellite remote sensing images and a support vector machine classification.Based on this,a remote sensing-based ecological index evaluation model including humidity,greenness,dryness and heat is constructed to explore the changes in land use and their eco-environmental quality responses from 2000 to 2018.The results show that(1)the structure,extent and spatial layout of land use in Wuhan from 2000 to 2018 have undergone tremendous changes under rapid urbanization,and the change of construction land is the greatest among all land use types;(2)the overall quality of eco-environment in Wuhan continues to improve as the scale of the improved eco-environment areas is greater than that of the deteriorated areas.The direction and magnitude of the impact of each indicator on the eco-environmental quality are different;(3)the improvement or deterioration of eco-environmental quality is closely related to the changes of different land use types within the study area.The eco-environmental quality shows significant spatial heterogeneity,especially between the main urban areas and the suburban areas.This paper argues that reasonably adjusting the land use structure can serve to maintain or even improve the quality of the regional eco-environment.Finally,this study puts forward suggestions for the coordinated development of land use and the eco-environment in rapidly urbanizing areas.

Information Entropy Fuzzy Matter-element Model and Its Application to Regional Eco-Environmental Quality Assessment

Based on the fuzzy characters of eco-environmental quality conception and classification standards, the incompatibility of evaluation indexes, the statistical fluctuation of index values, an information entropy fuzzy matter-element model for evaluating regional eco-environmental quality is proposed by way of comprehensively utilizing such theories as information theory, fuzzy sets and matter-element theory, etc. As a case, the model established here is used to evaluate the eco-environmental quality of Lake Chaohu basin. In the case, the eco-environmental quality standards and the evaluated schemes are indicated as matter-elements, together. Through constructing compound fuzzy matter-element, probability compound fuzzy matter-element and self-information compound fuzzy matter- element, the information entropy of each matter-element （including evaluated schemes and classification standards） is calculated in the end. According to these obtained information entropy values, the evaluated schemes can be not only arranged in quality state order but also classified by classification standards .Study result shows that information entropy fuzzy matter-element model is suitable for regional eco-environmental quality assessment.

Based on non-targeted metabolomics for differential components screening of Rosae Chinensis Flos and Rosae Rugosae Flos and their quality evaluation

Background:Rosa chinensis Jacq.and Rosa rugosa Thunb.are not only of ornamental value,but also edible flowers and the flower buds have been listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as traditional medicines.The two plants have some differences in efficacy,but the flower buds are easily confused for similar traits.In addition,large-scale cultivation of ornamental rose flowers may lead to a decrease in the effective components of medicinal roses.Therefore,it is necessary to study the chemical composition and make quality evaluation of Rosae Chinensis Flos(Yueji)and Rosae Rugosae Flos(Meigui).Methods:In this study,40 batches of samples including Meigui and Yueji from different regions in China were collected to establish high-performance liquid chromatography fingerprints.Then,the fingerprints data was analyzed using principal component analysis,hierarchical cluster analysis,and partial least squares discriminant analysis analysis chemometrics to obtain information on intergroup differences,and non-targeted metabolomic techniques were applied to identify and compare chemical compositions of samples which were chosen from groups with large differences.Differential compounds were screened by orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis and S-plot,and finally multi-component quantification was performed to comprehensively evaluate the quality of Yueji and Meigui.Results:The similarity between the fingerprints of 40 batches roses and the reference print R was 0.73 to 0.93,indicating that there were similarities and differences between the samples.Through principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis of fingerprints data,the samples from different origins and varieties were intuitively divided into four groups.Partial least-squares discriminant analysis analysis showed that Meigui and Yueji cluster into two categories and the model was reliable.A total of 89 compounds were identified by high resolution mass spectrometry,mainly were flavonoids and flavonoid glycosides,as well as phenolic acids.Eight differential components were screened out by orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis and S-plot analysis.Quantitative analyses of the eight compounds,including gallic acid,ellagic acid,hyperoside,isoquercitrin,etc.,showed that Yueji was generally richer in phenolic acids and flavonoids than Meigui,and the quality of Yueji from Shandong and Hebei was better.It is worth noting that Xinjiang rose is rich in various components,which is worth focusing on more in-depth research.Conclusion:In this study,the fingerprints of Meigui and Yueji were established.The chemical components information of roses was further improved based on non-targeted metabolomics and mass spectrometry technology.At the same time,eight differential components of Meigui and Yueji were screened out and quantitatively analyzed.The research results provided a scientific basis for the quality control and rational development and utilization of Rosae Chinensis Flos and Rosae Rugosae Flos,and also laid a foundation for the study of their pharmacodynamic material basis.

The features of soil aggregation and its eco-environmental effects under different subalpine forests on the east slope of Gongga Mountain, China

Structural properties of forest soils have important hydro-ecological function and can influence the soil water-physical characters and soil erosion. The experimental soil samples were obtained in surface horizon (0-10 cm) from different subalpine forest types on east slope of Gongga Mountain in the upriver area of Yangtze River China in May 2002. The soil bulk density, porosity, stable infiltration rate, aggregate distribution and particle-size distribution were analyzed by the routine methods in room, and the features and effects on eco-environment of soil aggregation were studied. The results showed that the structure of soil under mixed mature forest is in the best condition and can clearly enhance the eco-environmental function of soil, and the soil structure under the clear-cutting forest is the worst, the others are ranked between them. The study results can offer a basic guidance for the eco-environmental construction in the upper reaches of Yangtze River.

The eco-environmental guarantee for China's urbanization process

Studying the change of resources consumption and eco-environmental carrying capacity are of importance to the sustainable development of urbanization.Based on the China's economic and social statistical data from 1950 to 2006,the ecological footprint,eco-logical footprint intensity,ecological deficit and surplus,and eco-environment quality com-prehensive index are calculated,the correlation between urbanization and eco-environmental change is analyzed and the eco-environmental guarantee for China's urbanization in 2030 is forecasted.The major results could be summarized as follows:(1) there is a positive linear relation between urbanization and ecological footprint,negative linear relation between ur-banization and ecological footprint intensity,ecological deficit and surplus and the negative exponential relation between urbanization and eco-environment quality comprehensive index.(2) By 2030,the urbanization level will reach 61.32%,the ecological deficit will increase to 42.2866×108 hm2 and the eco-environment quality comprehensive index will drop to 0.3016 on the condition that the total quantity ecological footprint achieves 55.9348×108 hm2.(3) Under the existing urban development pattern,the ecological overload will be more serious in the next 24 years.Constructing the reasonable industrial structure and establishing the intensive resources utilization system to alleviate the eco-environmental pressure are the tough challenges in China's urbanization process.

CATASTROPHIC ECO-ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE IN THE SONGNEN PLAIN,NORTHEASTERN CHINA SINCE 1900S

Although the Songnen Plain in the northeastern China was developed relatively late in the temperate zone of the world, its eco-environment has changed greatly. This paper analyzes the changes of land cover and the rates and trends ofdesertification during the past 100 years in the Songnen Plain. According to the macroscopic analysis, we find that the eco-environment in the plain has reached to the threshold of catastrophic change since the 1950s. The Thom Needle Catastrophic Model was used to determine and validate this conclusion. Human activities, including large-scale construction projects, such as huge dams and dikes, and excessive grazing were the primary factors contributing to regional eco-environmental catastrophe. And irrational reclamation of the wilderness also affected the eco-environmental change. The results reveal the complex human-land interactions.

Quantitative Evaluation of Sustainable Development and Eco-Environmental Carrying Capacity in Water-Deficient Regions:A Case Study in the Haihe River Basin,China

Quantitative assessment of development sustainability could be a challenge to regional management and planning, especially for areas facing great risks of water shortage. Surface-water decline and groundwater over-pumping have caused serious environmental problems and limited economic development in many regions all around the world. In this paper, a framework for quantitatively evaluating development sustainability was established with water-related eco-environmental carrying capacity （EECC） as the core measure. As a case study, the developed approach was applied to data of the Haihe River Basin, China, during 1998 through 2007. The overall sustainable development degree （SDD） is determined to be 0.39, suggesting that this rate of development is not sustainable. Results of scenario analysis revealed that overshoot, or resource over- exploitation, of the Basin＇s EECC is about 20% for both population and economy. Based on conditions in the study area in 2007, in order to achieve sustainable development, i.e., SDD〉0.70 in this study, the EECC could support a population of 108 million and gross domestic product （GDP） of 2.72 trillion CNY. The newly developed approach in quantifying ecoenvironmental carrying capacity is anticipated to facilitate sustainable development oriented resource management in waterdeficient areas.