Abstract: In regions rapidly developing in economy,human activities often pose obstacles in protection of the natural ecology and environment,which will in turn undermine sustainability of the regions.Zoning based on the ecological-economic demand of the region for sustainable economic development is essential.The area alongside the Yangtze River in Anhui Province(the AAYRAP) is such a typical region in Central China.An evaluation index system is desgined for zoning by taking into account pressure,status and human response, linking the regional ecosystem and social-economy system and the human activity-environment interaction.Counties(cities or urban districts) are cited as basic unit and the methods of Principal Component Analysis and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis are adopted in the evaluation.Following the spatial proximity principle,the AAYRAP is divided into 7 ecological-economic types: Hefei Pollution Control and Urban Ecology Optimization Zone,Chaohu-Chuzhou Lake-Wetland Conservation and Plain Ecological Agriculture Zone,Ma′anshan-Wuhu-Tongling-Xuancheng Industrial Pollution Control and Urban Ecology Optimization Zone,South Xuancheng Ecological Agriculture and Water-Soil Conservation Zone,Anqing Plain Agriculture and Wetland Ecological Conservation Zone,Chizhou Forest Conservation and Ecological Agriculture Zone,and West Anhui Water Source-Forest Conservation Zone.Besides,a highlight to restrictions of the eco-system on regional sustainable development is given;a new eco-economic method for zoning regions under rapid development is explored;and a general direction for development of the regional ecological-economy is proposed.

Key words: ecological-economic zoning, the economic development demand, Principal Component Analysis, Hierarchical Cluster Analysis, the area alongside the Yangtze River in Anhui Province