Driving Factor Analysis of Ecosystem Service Balance for Watershed Management in the Lancang River Valley, Southwest China

Shiliang Liu,Lam-Son Phan Tran,Yongxiu Sun,Xue Wu,Weiqiang Li,Yixuan Liu

doi:10.3390/land10050522

Shiliang Liu, Lam-Son Phan Tran + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/land10050522

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Abstract

Revealing the spatio-temporal change of the supply, demand and balance of ecosystem services (ESs) associated with human activities and land-use changes is of great significance for watershed ecosystem management. Taking the Lancang river valley as a case, we explicitly studied the ES spatial characteristics, using the land use/land cover (LULC) matrix model, Optimized Hot Spot Analysis and landscape pattern analysis. Furthermore, we screened out the dominant explanatory variables that had significant influence on the ES supply, demand and balance by means of the Geographical Weighted Regression (GWR) method at pixel scale. The results showed that the ES demand intensity varied little throughout the watershed, while the downstream ES supply capacity and balance values were greater than upstream ones. Meanwhile, the hotspots of ES supply and demand were mainly distributed in the south part with coldspots in the north part. Human activity factors integrating landscape pattern variables were verified to have a negative impact on the ES balance in general. Among them, the Largest Patch Index (LPI) had a negative influence on the majority of pixels, while the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), cultivated land ratio and Area Weighted Average Patch Fractal Dimension (AWAPFD) had positive effects on a few pixels. This study will provide scientific support for regional ecosystem service trade-off and regulation at multiple scales.

Highlights

With the research development of ecosystem services (ESs), the relationship between ESs and human well-being have gradually become the focus of ES research [1,2,3]
We focused on the spatial distribution of ES supply, demand and balance, and the influences of human activities and landscape patterns on ES balance in the Lancang river valley
Our study revealed the spatial variability of ESs at the watershed scale and found that the land use characteristics affect the spatial distribution of ES supply, demand and balance, similar to the distribution of topographic features [47]

Summary

Introduction

With the research development of ecosystem services (ESs), the relationship between ESs and human well-being have gradually become the focus of ES research [1,2,3]. The human well-being realization relying on the consumption of ESs will result in changes in the state of the ecosystem and ESs, affecting the continuous ES supply [5]. ES supply is the natural resource and service provided by natural components that can be directly utilized by humans [7]. Some studies have emphasized that human beings are the direct beneficiaries [7,8]. In this context, quantitative assessment and scientific management of ES supply and demand have become the current research hotspots [9]

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Conclusion