Ecological footprint and major driving forces in West Jilin Province, Northeast China

The environmental impact caused by local people (ecological footprint of consumption, EFc) and the actual environmental impact that the ecosystem burdens (ecological footprint of production, EFp) in West Jilin Province, Northeast China from 1986 to 2006 were evaluated by using ecological footprint (EF) method. And the major driving forces of EFc and EFp were analyzed by STIRPAT model. Both EFc and EFp showed increasing trends in 1986–2006, accompanied by decreasing ecological deficits but expanding ecological overshoots. Population (P), GDP per capita (A1), quadratic term of GDP per capita (A2), urbanization (Ta1), and quadratic term of urbanization (Ta2) were important influencing factors of EFc, among which Ta2 and Ta1 were the most dominate driving forces of EFc. A1, A2 and Ta2 were important influencing factors of EFp, among which A2 and A1 were the most dominate driving forces of EFp. In 1986–2006, the classical Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis did not exist between A2 and EF (both EFc and EFp), but did between Ta2 and EF. The results indicate that enhancing the urbanization process and diversifying economic sources is one of the most effective ways to reduce the environmental impact of West Jilin Province. Moreover, importance should be attached to improve the eco-efficiency of resource exploitation and consumption.