A Spatiotemporal Analysis of Hainan Island’s 2010–2020 Gross Ecosystem Product Accounting

Abstract

Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) is a single currency to measure the contribution of an ecosystem to society. It is the sum of the value of products and services provided by the ecosystem to humans. Based on this, GEP characterizes the current situation of the ecological environment in a region and can measure the contribution index provided by ecosystems. Based on land use data, rainfall data, soil data, statistical yearbook, DEM and other data, this paper constructs the accounting framework of Hainan Island’s GEP, quantitatively evaluates Hainan Island’s GEP from 2010 to 2020 and analyzes the research results. The results are as follows: (1) The GEP of Hainan Island’s ecosystem rose from 596.404 billion CNY in 2010 to 1032.096 billion CNY in 2020, an increase of about 42.21% with an average annual growth rate of 6.3%. The overall GEP has shown an upward trend. Among them, the value of regulation service accounts for the largest proportion was up to 73–83%. (2) The overall distribution of GEP in Hainan Island is uneven, decreasing from the central mountainous areas to the eastern coastal areas around to the west. In particular, Danzhou City, Wenchang City and Haikou City have higher values, while Tunchang, Baoting County and Wuzhishan City have lower values, and Wuzhishan City has the lowest values. Hainan Island is rich in natural resources, which contain great value. Through the accounting of GEP, we can clearly determine the value of the ecosystem, which can help the relevant departments estimate the GEP of Hainan Island’s ecosystem. It can provide a reference for Hainan to formulate ecological protection and sustainable development policies, and for the GEP estimation of other islands.