Abstract
Ecosystem services (ESs) provided by dryland regions are very vulnerable to environmental dynamics and management transformation, and it is still unclear how these services will be affected by the combined effects of accelerated climate variability and land-use changes at a regional macro level. In this study, the status, patterns and trends of ESs provided by the Xilingol steppe were quantitatively evaluated, and the impact of climate and land-use change on ESs were discussed. The results showed that favorable climatic conditions and the implementation of ecological policies had a substantial positive impact on regional vegetation restoration during 2000–2015. As a result of the vegetation greening, water retention and carbon sequestration increased significantly at rates of 16.01 m3 ha−1 and 1.75 g C m−2 yr−1, respectively. Soil loss caused by wind erosion, an ecosystem disservice, decreased significantly at a rate of −0.57 t ha−1 yr−1. Although several environmental factors had differing impacts on the ESs changes in the subregions, including the meadow, typical and desert steppes, the main factors that contributed to the enhancement of overall ESs benefits were the climatic humidification and the reduced grazing pressure in the entire study area. The above conclusion shows that, in the era of climate change, the implementation of sustainable farming–pastoral strategies can realize a “win-win” situation between ecological restoration and socioeconomic development in arid and semi-arid steppes.
Highlights
Ecosystem services (ESs) refer to benefits directly or indirectly obtained by human populations from nature, which are very important for human wellbeing [1]
potential evapotranspiration (PET) decreased (−2.128 mm yr−1, P > 0.05), and Soil moisture (SMO) simultaneously increased (0.432 kg m−2 yr−1, P < 0.05), which showed that the degree of drought in the study area was improving, and the climate was becoming humid
The expansion of agriculturally irrigated areas and the increased water supply to the coal–chemical industry through water diversion projects are an important mechanism for the shrinkage of wetlands/lakes in the Xilingol steppe [12]
Summary
Ecosystem services (ESs) refer to benefits directly or indirectly obtained by human populations from nature, which are very important for human wellbeing [1]. ES quantification, mapping and evaluation are becoming important and reliable tools for naturalcapital management and decision making [2]. A recent global ES-modeling study predicts that up to five-billion people face the threats of reduced ESs by 2050, yet these threats could be reduced by a factor of 3–10 in the context of sustainable development [3]. Climate prediction shows that by the end of this century, the degree of drought faced by global terrestrial ecosystems will generally increase, and the dryland area will expand by. Dryland ecosystems are considered a vulnerable part of the terrestrial environment and are sensitive to desertification
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