Changes of Value of Ecosystem Services and its Driving Forces in the Lower Reaches of the Tarim River

Abstract

In this paper, we used TM image data in the lower reaches of the Tarim River as well as ecosystem service value assessment methods, and assessed the change of regional land use/ cover and analyzed its ecosystem service value, and discussed the driving forces of the change factors. The results show that : the study area is mainly grassland and desert grasslands accounted for more than 43% , the desert about 32% , less than 6% of the forest area , waters and wetlands area , less than 1% of the total area, which mean that the area is mainly the oasis agriculture , desertification serious water shortages. Since 2000, the , the ecological restoration project significantly effective under the emergency water conveyance on the lower reaches of the Tarim River, woodland restoration and water area increased , the desert area has decreased. GDP continued to increase from 2000 to 2005, the value of ecosystem services greatly reduce. In a shorter time scale, agricultural development and human activity are the dominant factors of the transfer of the value of ecosystem structure adjustment and service functions in the study area.