Spatial and temporal dynamics and driving factor analysis of ecological footprint of Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration based on improved parameters

Take the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration (YRDUA) as the research area, the parameters of ecological footprint model was modified based on “national hectare”. Then the time series and spatial distribution of per capita ecological footprint of 26 cities in the study area from 2006 to 2016 were discussed. Finally, three typical cities (Shanghai, Suzhou and Ma’anshan) were selected to discuss the main driving factors of ecological footprint change in terms of environment and economy. The results indicated that the per capita ecological footprint of 26 cities in YRDUA from 2006 to 2016 showed an upward trend in time series, the spatial distribution pattern had little change, and the distribution trend was generally high in the surrounding area and low in the middle. The per capita GDP, urbanization rate and population were the main driving factors of the growth of ecological footprint.