An Ecologically Based Technique for the Principal Function Zoning
生态导向下的主体功能区划方法初探

China's 11th Five-Year Plan calls for the Principal Function zoning in the whole country, which is to distinguish four kinds of principal function sections from the whole country according to the Ecological Carrying Capacity, the Exploitation Density and the Development Potential. Now, the principal Function zoning is started up throughout the country and some provinces have attempted to organize the advance study of zoning. However, for this task is still in its infancy, there is not a complete range of techniques to recourse to. From transition of the quantitive revolution to the ecological trends and the logical relations between the Exploitation and the Protection, this paper attempts to put forward an ecologically based technique for the principal function zoning and mainly discusses the basic flow, the index system and the distinguishing techniques of the zoning. "Protection first and development follow" is our basic way of thinking in this paper. In other words, the basic ecological frame of the area should be laid off before its development rank is determined. The index system is also put forward which is made up of three characteristic indexes including the Ecological Footprint, the Ecological Carrying Capacity and the exploitation density, and the ordinal distinguishing system of the principal function is established. The purpose of the research is to stimulate public discussion on a topic that will have major impact on the development of our country and thus provide methods and theory system for the Principal Function zoning of our country.