Assessment of Impact of Highway Construction on Ecological Environment Based on Eco-Footprint

For covering huge lands, damaging vegetation, changing natural landscape, destroying wildlife habitat and so on, highway construction has great influence on the ecological environment. In order to make highway construction compatible with resources, environment and social economy, analysis and evaluation of the impact of highways on the ecological environment are necessary. Based on the six main types of lands, the impacts of highway construction on the environment were expounded by the Eco-footprint Analysis method which can measure the degree of sustainable development. Changes in the eco-footprint and eco-capacity before and after the Mianyang highway construction were calculated. The results, which can provide a decision-making basis for the government, show that: after highway construction, eco-footprint increases by 0.017140 hm² per person, eco-capacity declines by 0.005778 hm² per person and eco-deficit increases by 0.022918 hm² per person; eco-footprint per cap is below the global average, and pasture and fossil energy land are in the situation of ecological deficit while arable land, forest, water and built-up areas are eco-productive lands. The results of the analysis show that the highway construction has an impact on the eco-deficit of Mianyang City, and eco-environment development of Mianyang City after the highway construction is still well.