Eco-economic regionalization of the Loess Plateau

This paper discussed the significance of eco-economic regionalization of the Loess Plateau as reported in existing literature. 22 indexes of natural ecological and socio-economic systems were covered, and administrative counties (districts) were considered as complete individual taxons. The Loess Plateau was devided into 4 eco-economic belts — southern warm-temperate semi- humid agroforestry (Ⅰ); central warm-temperate, semi-humid and semi-arid agroforestry & animal husbandry (Ⅱ); northwestern temperate semi-arid agro-stockbreeding (Ⅲ); and northern temperate arid and semi-arid agro-stockbreeding (Ⅳ) eco-economic bands via principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) on GIS platform. These belts were further divided into 18 eco-economic regions. The discussion emphasizes regionalization and methodological framework for large areas like the Loess Plateau region. Such practice could be specialized supplement in developing appropriate regional eco-economic theory.