承载力概念的源起与发展：基于资源环境视角的讨论

科学认识承载力概念的源起与发展对于资源环境承载力理论探讨与实践研究具有重要的科学价值和现实意义。论文立足资源环境视角,从基于种群个体最大生物量的生态承载力,到基于人口与资源关系的资源承载力和基于人口与环境关系的环境承载力,再到面向区域可持续发展的资源环境承载力,较为系统地阐释了资源环境承载力的概念源起与发展历程。通过追踪公开发表或可获取的英文文献,同时兼顾中文资料,综述表明：承载力概念最早诞生于1840年代的工程机械领域,之后,在生态学、地理学、资源科学与环境科学领域得到了持续但有争议的发展;资源环境承载力概念最早可见于20世纪初期的能量承载力和畜牧承载力研究,1940年代末期以土地承载力研究为标志的资源承载力研究诞生;直到20世纪末期,具有综合特征的资源环境承载力概念才在中国悄然兴起,严格意义上的资源环境承载力研究则始于21世纪初。目前,我国资源环境承载力研究总体处于发展阶段,以概念探讨和定性研究为主,尽管在政策层面已得到国家有关部门的高度重视。相对而言,国外相关研究却较少使用这一概念,相应研究报道并不多见。2010年以来,作为描述发展限制的一个重要判据,资源环境承载力研究的现实意义在中国越来越受到重视,国家重大研发计划已有多项部署。但承载力概念似乎也成为了“灵丹妙药”,存在研究泛化或概念泛化现象。鉴于此,有必要科学认识资源环境承载力概念的源起与发展,加强资源环境承载力的科学内涵与理论基础、技术方法与模型参数以及模式化、规范化与标准化等方面的研究工作,以求正本清源、学以致用。

The Genesis and Evolution of the Concept of Carrying Capacity: A View of Natural Resources and Environment

Understanding the genesis and evolution of the concept of carrying capacity scientifically is of great scientific value and realistic significance to carry out theoretical investigation and practical research of resources and environmental carrying capacity (RECC). With the perspective of natural resources and environment, in this paper, starting from the terminology of ecological carrying capacity established based on the maximum biomass of individual species, the terminology of resources carrying capacity (RCC) developed based on the relationship of human population and natural resources, to the terminology of environmental carrying capacity formed based on the relationship of human population and environment, and then to the integrated term of RECC oriented to regional sustainable development, the genesis and evolution process of RECC were comprehensively summarized in a longitudinal fashion. This preliminary review paper was typically relied on the currently available historical English literatures (e.g. published papers, books and reports) as well as some literatures in Chinese. This review paper showed that the term of Carrying Capacity originated in the fields of engineering and mechanism which belong to the study of Physics in 1840s. It then achieved continuous but controversial development in Ecology, Geography, Resource Science and Environmental Science. To our knowledge, the concept of RECC can be mirrored in the studies of energy carrying capacity and carrying capacity of animal husbandry in the earlier 1900s. It was not until the late 1940s that the examination of land carrying capacity symbolized the born of RCC. In the late 1990s, a comprehensive concept of carrying capacity or RECC was reported occasionally without gaining too much public attention. However, strictly speaking, the related analysis of RECC in China was just started in the early 2000s. Overall, the RECC related studies in China are currently at their developing stage featured by concept discussion and qualitative analysis, although the concept of RECC has gained much attention from national decision-making departments. In contrast, similar studies of RECC are seldom reported abroad. Entering the 21st century, labelled as an important indicator for describing the restriction degree of development, the practical importance of the RECC related studies is gaining and/or will gain more and more attention from the scientific community of natural resources and environment as well as the central government. For example, there were several projects supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China during 2016-2018. However, the concept of carrying capacity has seemingly become a ready-made panacea which is widely generalized in many research aspects or has a conceptualization tendency. In terms of these issues, it is necessary to clarify and rectify the genesis and evolution of RECC thoroughly and strengthen continuous studies of RECC from the perspectives of scientific connotation and theoretical basis, technical approaches and model parameters, as well as the standardization for practical utilization.