Comparative analysis of ecological carrying capacity at different scales in Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia.

• Based on cascade framework, the ECC index system is built. • ECC is evaluated at different scales in Xilingol League. • To find the driving factors of ECC at different scales in Xilingol League. • Explore sustainable development path of coal power exploitation regions. Coal is a vital resource in China. With limited coal and the deteriorating eco-environment, it is consensus to take the sustainable development road in coal power exploitation regions. Taking Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia as an example, based on the cascade framework constituted by the "Driver - Pressure - State - Impact - Response" (DPSIR) model, this paper aimed to analyze the ecological carrying capacity at the league (city) scale and at the banner (county) scale contrastively. It found that the overall change trend was a wide "V" type at the league (city) scale. Moreover, the ecological carrying capacity at the banner (county) scale showed that the north was superior to the central and south in 2005, 2011 and 2018. The principal component analysis (PCA) approach had been adopted to analyze the driving factors. Driving factors were economic development and coal and electricity development at the league (city) scale, as well as resource supply and urbanization development at the banner (county) scale. At the league (city) scale, the economic benefits of industrial development had improved people's living standards, and part of the funds could be used in the investment in ecological restoration, thus improving the ecological carrying capacity; at the banner (county) scale, most counties were still coal-dependent areas, and the number of resources had a more significant impact on the ecological carrying capacity. This study provided ideas for sustainable development in energy exploitation regions at different scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]