Assessing eco-environmental service quality by integrating monitoring data: A case study of Northeast China

Abstract

As a pressing global concern, conducting the assessment of eco-environmental service quality is being sought via several new innovative approaches. Although existing studies do propose methods for assessing the quality of the eco-environment, they generally lack an integrated consideration of resource endowment and the contamination of eco-environmental elements. Guided by previous studies, this paper constructs an integrated index of eco-environmental service quality (ESQI) based on multi-source monitoring data in four dimensions of water, land, air, and vegetation, providing a new approach to assessing eco-environmental service quality. We quantified the ESQI of 182 counties in Northeast China and revealed its associated spatial-temporal features using mathematical methods and GIS-based spatial analysis techniques. The ESQI was empirically tested and found to be comprehensive, valid, and accurate. The results show that the ESQI in Northeast China has declined slightly overall from 2005 to 2018, with a decreasing spatial trend from north to south, and higher ESQI in the northern, eastern, border, and coastal areas. The counties with high ESQI were mostly concentrated around the Lesser Khingan Range–Changbai Mountains, while those with low ESQI were almost entirely concentrated in the central and western areas, with the greatest disparity arising among the counties in Liaoning Province. In terms of sub-environments, the quality of the vegetation environment generally improved, the quality of the land environment was unchanged, while the quality of the water and air environment decreased overall. The authors argue that more attention should be paid to gradually strengthening the construction of comprehensive eco-environmental monitoring networks in cities, counties, key townships, and villages. Specific measures should be implemented targeting those areas with varying ESQI to address their practical issues of water, land, air, and vegetation, with a view towards achieving coordinated efforts for improving the quality of eco-environment services.