Application of a Potential-Constrain model in the division of main functional areas based on GIS

The main functional areas planning for the first time to put forward four main functional areas in China. Ecological suitability assessment on land use is one of the fundamental works to use the limited land resources in China rationally. It has an important practical value on china´s regional main functional areas planning from the angle of methodology. GIS-based multi-criteria assessments could be the high efficiency approaches for the divisions of main functional areas. Based on summing up the application of GIS technology, we develop a new Potential-Constrain model instead Weighted Linear Model which is widely-used in china now. The main advantage of this model is to divide the assessment factors into two groups, one contains potential factors and the other contains constrain factors. The employment of this approach could help to determine the suitability classes more scientifically and reasonably. In this study, the potential-constrain model is employed in the main functional areas planning of Hefei area. Furthermore, by using ecological suitability assessment based on the PC model, four planning areas could be worked out.