Incorporating Rarity and Accessibility Factors into the Cultural Ecosystem Services Assessment in Mountainous Areas: A Case Study in the Upper Reaches of the Minjiang River

Yafeng Lu,Pei Xu,Qinwen Li,Yukuan Wang

doi:10.3390/su11082203

Abstract

Cultural ecosystem services (CES) are not only a key source for supporting the development of economy but also maintain the ecological security in mountainous areas. However, there are limited numbers of studies that focus on establishing the assessment model for the CES at a regional scale. We combined the topographic factors and accessibility factors to quantify the distribution of CES and tested the approach with data on road and topography in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River. The results showed that the areas with high CES were located in the southwestern part of the study area, where it was convenient traffic and rare topography. Results from our approach were likely to support the development of local tourism industry because the distribution of CES was consistent with current hotspots for scenic spots. Meanwhile, we found that the area with high rarity and low accessibility should improve accessibility in order to enhance the capacity of CES. The assumptions applied in our approach highlighted the impacts of complex topography on CES, which could be suitable for the area with a lack of data. Moreover, our approach provided an effective way to assess CES for creating management strategies and enhancing capacity in mountainous areas.

Highlights

Cultural ecosystem services (CES) are the key sources that support production and livelihood in mountainous areas [1]
Results from K-means clustering algorithm showed the degree of rarity increased with the increase of the elevation standard deviation (SD) and the slope SD (Figure 5c,d), indicating that greatly undulate terrain in viewsheds are rare formations in this region
The cumulative viewshed analysis quantified the accessibility of CES, which could identify the areas with nonprovisioning services

Summary

Introduction

Cultural ecosystem services (CES) are the key sources that support production and livelihood in mountainous areas [1]. Most scientists and managers agree that the development of tourism industry could boost economic development and improve livelihood, which is a preferred strategy based on the ecological sources and local culture in mountainous areas [4,5]. CES are considered the basis for the tourism industry, while maintaining ecological security and conserving biodiversity depended on sustainable use of ecosystem services. The comprehensive understanding of the distributions and values of CES played a significant role in the management for natural resources and rural development. As a result, establishing the assessment approach is a significant prerequisite for ecosystem service management and conservation in mountainous areas

Methods

Results

Conclusion