Research on the Sustainable Utilization of Cultivated Land Based on Improved Ecological Footprint Model in Yunnan Province

PurposeTo evaluate the sustainable use of cultivated land in Yunnan Province from 1999 to 2018, and to provide scientific basis in order to alleviate the contradiction between people and land, and improve the sustainable use of cultivated land.

MethodThe improved model was used to evaluate the sustainable use of cultivated land. On this basis, the STIRPAT model and partial least squares regression were used to quantitatively analyze the affecting factors of the ecological footprint change of cultivated land.

ResultFrom 1999 to 2018, the ecological footprint of per capita cultivated land in Yunnan Province showed an overall fluctuating upward trend, and the ecological carrying capacity of per capita cultivated land showed an overall fluctuating downward trend. It means the ecological deficit of cultivated land in Yunnan Province was becoming more and more serious, and the sustainability of cultivated land decreased from weak unsustainability to medium unsustainability. Among them, agricultural machinery total power, fertilizer use, pesticide use and per capita GDP are the most significant factors affecting the ecological footprint of cultivated land.

ConclusionThe improved ecological footprint model of cultivated land better describes the change characteristics of cultivated land sustainability in Yunnan Province. The severe challenges faced by the sustainable use of cultivated land should be mitigated from two aspects: reducing the ecological footprint of cultivated land and increasing the ecological carrying capacity of cultivated land.