Integrating Remote Sensing and GIS for Ecological Capacity Assessment: The Case of Regional Planning in Melbourne, Australia

摘要

Two prominent and alternate approaches, ecological carrying capacity and ecological footprint, link the production of ecosystem services with their consumption by societies. An overlapping goal of both approaches is to promote the sustainable use of ecosystem services - especially in urban areas - such that cities and towns can be continuously liveable. Yet, little integration of these perspectives and their emphasis on distinct units has been attempted. In this paper, these two approaches are combined to provide knowledge to inform the planning and management of future urban growth in Melbourne, Australia. Using a GIS, statistical and remotely sensed data are used to calculate ecological carrying capacity and ecological footprint for metropolitan Melbourne. Spatially explicit modelling of ecological surplus or deficit is then conducted to identify land suitable for future urban development. Result from this analysis is then compared with the government's urban growth plan (Melbourne 2030) which nominated urban growth areas simply from the city structure perspective. Such analysis can help generate public and decision makers' awareness of biophysical accounting tools such as ecological carrying capacity and ecological footprint analysis which could be included in metropolitan planning practice to inform decision making for better urban growth management concerning sustainability. This in turn should increase interest in establishing improved urban planning regimes to maintain idealized structure as well as the ecological function of cities and urban regions.