Deciphering the impact of wind erosion on ecosystem services: An integrated framework for assessment and spatiotemporal analysis in arid regions

Abstract

Wind erosion, a crucial disruptor of ecosystem health and stability, especially in arid regions, remains unincorporated in extensively utilized ecosystem services (ESs) quantification models such as InVEST. This neglect results in a gap: the profound influence of wind erosion on ESs remains largely underexplored and unquantified. Moreover, current models predominantly concentrate on individual ESs, thus bypassing the necessary comprehensive evaluation of various ESs' developmental status. To address this gap, we propose a systematic framework based on the Distance between Indices of Simulation and Observation (DISO), which integrates the Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ) and key modules of the InVEST model to derive a Comprehensive Ecosystem Services Assessment Index (CESAI) for arid regions. We evaluated five ESs, including water yield, soil retention, sand fixation (measured by wind erosion), carbon storage, and habitat quality. To further investigate the influence of each ES on the comprehensive assessment, we employed a suite of statistical methods, including independent samples t-tests and a generalized additive model (GAM), to elucidate the complex relationships and significant effects of wind erosion on the CESAI. The results of the t-tests and GAM highlighted the significant influence of wind erosion, which demonstrated the highest edf-value (2.000) and the highest F-value (1039.6, p < 0.001). Spatiotemporal dynamics show that ES functionality in Uzbekistan has deteriorated from 1992 to 2020, a trend starkly exemplified by the severe harm inflicted by the Aral Sea crisis. Drawing upon the DISO concept, we have innovatively designed a framework that steers the CESAI index, a comprehensive instrument for evaluating ESs. Beyond providing a holistic perspective on ESs assessments, this framework also deciphers the multifaceted interplay within ecosystems through statistical dissection of each service's influence. Collectively, our findings deepen the understanding of ESs dynamics, shedding light on the crucial role of wind erosion within arid ecosystem service assessments.