Land use change and its impact on ecosystem service value in Xinjiang

Abstract

Abstract Xinjiang is an important hub connecting China and Eurasia and has an important strategic position in economy, energy, and ecological security. However, due to the fragile ecological environment in Xinjiang, there are substantial challenges in coordinating the relationship between social and economic development and ecological environment construction. To elucidate the relationship between land use changes induced by human activities and the valuation of ecosystem services, this study utilized the value equivalent method to evaluate the ecosystem service value in Xinjiang from 2000 to 2020 while analyzing its spatiotemporal response characteristics related to land use. The results showed that from 2000 to 2020, the value of ecosystem services in Xinjiang showed an upward trend, reaching 182.24 yuan/hm2 in 2020, and the total value of the whole region was 302.584 billion yuan. The value of ecological services in Xinjiang is mainly low-grade (about 50%), and high-grade only accounts for 1.03%~2.19%. There was a significant increase in land use in forested areas and water bodies, while the conversion trend from effective grassland to other land types was relatively limited. Specifically, 4.47% of bare ground and 3.76% of meadows transformed water bodies. Additionally, 2.69% of grassland experienced conversion into woodland. The land use intensity was generally low (more than 85% of the low-grade grades), and 83.71% of the land use intensity increased during the study period. The water area was the main controlling factor of the service value of the state system, with a contribution rate of 78.83%, followed by grassland (11.29%) and woodlands (9.30%), and 54.39% of the land use changes increased the value of ecosystem services.