The development and testing of regional sustainable development indicators is an active research area. This study uses quantitative indicators to determine whether nature's ecological carrying capacity can satisfy the needs of humans. There are many quantitative measuring methods for sustainable development, but the ecological footprint analysis has a more widespread application. This method is used to calculate ecological footprints by looking at need and the ecological carrying capacity in terms of support, and study the use degree of humanity to natural. Using these results, the circumstances of an area or country's sustainable development may be established.
Xilinguole League is located 111°59'-120°00'E and 42°32'-46°41'N. The total area is 201442 km², with a grassland area of 192000 km², and covers one-quarter grassland area of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
In this study we conducted an ecological footprint analysis of the Xilinguole League, using statistical data from 1981 to 2008. The computed ecological carrying capacity and its 30-year dynamics revealed the major development trends of this semi-arid grassland region. Our findings showed the following. (1) Rapid industrialization and urbanization altered the area's per capita ecological footprint dramatically. The area increased from 1.0868 hm² in 1981 to 24.2176 hm² in 2008, surpassing China's national average and that of other domestic grassland areas. The main driver of this increase was the rapid expansion of areas involved in the extraction of fossil fuels and other grassland uses. (2) Rapid population growth resulted in the decline of per capita ecological carrying capacity for this region, with grassland-cropland capacities being most affected. The total per capita ecological carrying capacity decreased from 3.1565 hm² in 1981 to 2.3915 hm² in 2008. (3) Development has been accompanied by a shift from a regional ecological surplus to an ecological deficit. Two factors are responsible for these conditions. First, since the 1990s, the domestic market has increased the demand for and taken advantage of local resources such as coal and other electric power generation sources. In addition, the area itself has experienced economic development, which has accelerated industrialization. This development has caused an increase in demand for energy use and living resources, further advancing urbanization. As a consequence, the ecological footprint has increased dramatically. Second, demand for livestock production has increased dramatically and has resulted in long-term over-grazing. In addition, many years of poor grassland management has damaged the grassland ecology and created a fragile environment. Grasslands in the area have become severely degraded, and ecological carrying capacity has declined. Moreover, industrialization and urban development, the growth of residential areas and transport routes, the takeover of grassland by industrial and mining areas, have all put extra stress on available grassland.
The Xilinguole League development represents a massive increase in energy use and the severe ecological deficit of a semi-arid grassland area due to industrialization and urban development. However, because grasslands offer an important foundation for economic development, their degradation may compromise the region's sustainability. Scientific research is vitally important to find a balance between industrialization and urbanization incentives and the sustainable management of natural resources.