Analysis of decoupling between land use degree and ecosystem service intensity in China

Abstract

Scientifically exploring the decoupling relationship between land use degree and ecosystem service intensity can effectively reveal the interference degree of land use change in the ecosystem, and provide a scientific basis for land use policy-making and ecosystem protection. However, previous studies lack specific research on the decoupling relationship between land use and ecosystem service intensity at the county level in China. In order to make up for this deficiency, combined with the remote sensing monitoring data of China’s land use status from 2000 to 2015 and the vegetation coverage index, the spatial and temporal pattern characteristics of China’s county scale ecosystem service intensity and land use degree from 2000 to 2015 were measured respectively by using the measurement methods of ecosystem service intensity and land use degree, and the decoupling relationship between the two was detected by using the decoupling analysis theoretical framework. The results showed the followings. (1) During the study period, the intensity of ecosystem services in China showed significant spatial heterogeneity, and the intensity of ecosystem services in Southeast China was significantly higher than that in Northwest China; the ecosystem service intensity in plain areas, urban agglomerations and the surrounding areas of big cities is significantly lower than that in mountainous and hilly areas. (2) China’s land use degree continued to increase during the study period. The land use degree in the southeast was significantly higher than that in the northwest. The distribution of land use degree in the southeast was “high and low”, and the distribution of land use degree in the northwest was “low, medium, and high”. (3) The results of the decoupling analysis show that strong decoupling and expanding negative decoupling are the main relationship types between land use and ecosystem service intensity in China. The former is a dilemma, and the latter is a win-win model. The study found that the interference of land use at different stages on the intensity of ecosystem services showed significant differences. The results can provide scientific guidance for the formulation of land use and ecosystem management policies.