Effects of land use transitions on ecosystem services value:A case study of Hunan province

Abstract

With the rapid development of Chinese economy, many negative effects of land use transitions under the pressure of rapid urbanization on local ecological system and environment have occurred. This paper examines the dynamic patterns of land use transitions in Hunan province, using high-resolution Landsat TM(Thematic Mapper) data in 1995, 2000, 2005 and2010, and socio-economic data from both research institutes and government departments, and assesses the changes of ecosystem services value(ESV) by drawing a connection between the observed land use dynamics and the evaluation of ESV, based on the latest research of Costanza et al. and some revisions adapted to the situation of China. The outcomes indicated that, during the period from 1995 to 2010, the land use changed significantly, characterized by the increase of construction land and the decrease of cultivated land and grassland; ESV of the study area decreased by 0.42%, from 880.78 to 877.09 billion RMB, due to the losses of large quantities of ecological land to construction land. Then, some of the major implications for improving the land use of Hunan province were discussed. The authors argue that it is fundamental to meet the demand of construction land for socio- economic development,meanwhile, to protect regional ecosystem services function and maintain its stability; only in this way Hunan province may realize the sustainable use of ecological resources in the process of rapid urbanization, as well as the integration of economic, social and ecological benefits.