The environmental carrying capacity for tourists in six scenic areas with features

of typical Karst topography in Liupanshui City, Guizhou Province was studied.

To analyze the environmental carrying capacity for tourists quantitatively, the

three main factors, which are spatial carrying capacity, social carrying capacity,

and economic carrying capacity, were used and the model of social carrying

capacity was improved. In the model, the psychological carrying capacities of

both local residents and visitors were considered. The total environmental

carrying capacity for tourists is 4.49 million persons per year. By optimizing

spatial, social and economic carrying capacity, the tourism resources of the

economically karst mountain can be effective utilized as special resources of

natural ecosystem.