Designing a Sustainable Development Path Based on Landscape Ecological Risk and Ecosystem Service Value in Southwest China

Abstract

Rapid urban expansion and economic development lead to the deterioration of ecosystems, which not only aggravates regional ecological risks but also leads to the degradation of ecosystem functions. It is of great significance to rationally divide regions and provide targeted management strategies for realizing the sustainability of regional economic development and ecological maintenance. Taking southwest China (Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Chongqing) as an example, land use data from 2000, 2010 and 2020 were used to evaluate the value of landscape ecological risk (LER) and ecosystem services, and comprehensive zoning was divided according to their spatial correlation. The socio-economic development characteristics of each zone were analyzed, and differentiated and targeted sustainable development paths were proposed. The results showed that the overall LER level of southwest China increased, and the gap of internal LER narrowed gradually. The ecosystem service value (ESV) per unit area showed an increasing trend, but the core metropolitan areas and northwest Sichuan had little change. According to the differences in population, industrial structure and land use, the low-ESV zone was densely populated, while the high-ESV zone was sparsely populated, and the population from the high-LER zone gradually migrated to the low-LER zone. The economic development of the low-ESV zone was better than that of the high-ESV zone, and secondary industry was an important driving force of regional economic development. Large-scale forestland can alleviate the LER, but the increase in cultivated land and grassland further aggravated the LER. According to the social and economic characteristics of each zone, this study put forward a differentiated development strategy for southwest China and also provided reference for the coordinated development of ecological protection and social economy in other key ecological regions.