The Decadal Changes in Resource and Environmental Carrying Capacity of Estuarine Ecosystem

From the perspectives of resources, environment, and socio-economic factors, a comprehensive evaluation index system for the resource and environmental carrying capacity of the Qiantang River estuary ecosystem was constructed. The weights of each index were determined using the expert scoring method, and evaluation grades such as "excellent," "good," "fair," and "poor" were assigned to each indicator. Applying this evaluation standard, a quantitative analysis of the resource and environmental carrying capacity of the Qiantang River estuary ecosystem and its sub-indicators was conducted for the decade from 2012 to 2021. The results indicate that, with the implementation of strict control measures for reclamation, nearshore pollution control, and marine ecological restoration, the resource and environmental carrying capacity of the Qiantang River estuary ecosystem fluctuated between 0.553 and 0.605 during 2012—2021, showing a relatively stable level and overall sustainable condition. However, the ecological carrying capacity index related to suspended solids, inorganic nitrogen, and labile phosphate exhibited poor performance, indicating an overloaded state that requires attention.