Research on the Land Carrying Capacityand Spatial Balance of an Urban Agglomerationin the Central Plains: A Case Studyof the Zhengzhou Metropolitan Area

The Zhengzhou metropolitan area is the core of growth in the Central Plains Economic Zone.Understanding the equilibrium of ecological footprints holds paramount importance for ensuring sustainable ecological development in this region.This research employed a three-dimensional ecological footprint model and the Gini coefficient to compute the ecological footprint and landcarrying capacity for each city within Zhengzhou.Subsequently, an analysis of the spatial balance of the ecological footprint was conducted.The results showed that: (1) The depth of the overall per capita ecological footprint depth in Zhengzhou continued to decrease, yet remained above 1, reaching 9.42 hm 2 ;(2) From 2014 to 2021, the overall land comprehensive carrying capacity index of the Zhengzhou metropolitan area exceeded 1, signifying an overload state for cultivated land; (3) The comprehensive Gini coefficient of the ecological footprint across cities in the Zhengzhou metropolitan area ranged from 0.202 to 0.244, falling within the "relatively average" range, indicating balanced spatial distribution.This study offers insights and a theoretical framework for fostering the coordinated development of ecological environments and social economies within the Central Plains urban agglomeration.