Ecological Footprint and Carrying Capacity of the Agricultural Water-Land-Energy Nexus in China

Regarding water and land use, China's farming industry is unrivalled. Energy consumption and carbon production are two sides of the same coin for the agricultural sector. Utilising approaches to agricultural water pollution, biological ecological footprint, energy ecological footprint, and carrying capacity, this research investigates the ecological pressure index of agricultural water-land energy in China and the spatiotemporal patterns of resource depletion. The main results are as follows: There was an upward trend in China's agricultural BEF, reaching almost 66% of the total in 2020. Although it decreased, the ecological impact of PEF (acid runoff from farms) remained high at around 33%. Agricultural energy usage, on the other hand, has the lowest EEF. Over the last 20 years, there has been a 114.663% increase in agriculture's total ecological footprint (TEF) per person. Ecological footprints per hectare of agricultural land ranged from 3.16 to 3.63 hectares. There has been a substantial increase in ecological efficiency in the agricultural sector. Shandong, Henan, and Heilongjiang provinces have among China's highest TEFs. Sichuan, Tibet, and Hunan are the three provinces with the highest agricultural total ecological capacity (TEC). With stress indices (TEF/TEC) of 1.42 and 1.14, respectively, Tianjin and Henan provinces have the highest levels of agricultural ecological stress. Sustainable crop production is hindered because of the significant disparity between the demand for and availability of natural resources in agriculture. In addition to offering strategies and ideas for fostering sustainable agricultural expansion, the results may shed light on the causes and dynamics of resource pressure in agriculture across different eras and regions.