A nature-based solution in forest management to improve ecosystem services and mitigate their trade-offs

Abstract

The use of monoculture plantations for the restoration of forests has increased worldwide, but this approach may reduce ecosystem services (ESs) and result in ES trade-offs, posing great difficulties for ecosystem management. There is often a trade-off between provisioning services (PSs) and regulating and habitat services (RHSs). Coordinating ES trade-offs through scientific and effective management is key to achieving sustainable development and improving human well-being. In this study, bamboo forest, a monoculture plantation type, was studied in Anji County, China. The Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) model was used to evaluate product provision (PP), flood mitigation (FM), soil conservation (SC), nitrogen retention (NR), phosphorus retention (PR), carbon storage (CS), and habitat quality (HQ). A forest conservation (FC) scenario was established to explore the impact of bamboo forest expansion on ESs. The grain for green (GFG) scenario and the intercropped bamboo forest (IBF) scenario (a nature-based solution) were developed to reduce or eliminate ES trade-offs. The results showed that the expansion of bamboo forests led to an increase in PP (+13.71%) and declines in FM (−2.23%), CS (−15.69%), SC (−3.63%), NR (−30.14%), PR (−9.16%), and HQ (−11.84%). The GFG scenario greatly increased multiple ESs (but not PP) but strengthened the trade-offs between PSs and RHSs. IBF was able to generate income (+66.89%), improve a variety of ESs (FM, +10.01%; CS, +22.09%; SC, +52.56%; NR, +28.48%; PR, +19.17%; HQ, +17.89%), and eliminate ES trade-offs. Intercropping vegetation can increase the economic income from bamboo forests and enhance ESs by providing crops and increasing canopy structure, aboveground biomass, root systems and litter. Some suggestions are proposed to improve plantation forest management. This study can serve as a reference for forest management in plantation regions within and beyond China.