Review on Driving Factors of Ecosystem Services: Its Enlightenment for the Improvement of Forest Ecosystem Functions in Karst Desertification Control

Abstract

Understanding the multi-scale and multi-factor driving mechanisms of ecosystem services (ES) change is crucial for combating the severe degradation of the ecosystem. We reviewed 408 publications on ecosystem structure, biodiversity, and plant functional traits related to ES in forest ecosystems. Strategies were proposed and key scientific issues were pointed out to improve the forest ecosystem in the karst desertification area. The results showed that the total number of publications has increased rapidly since 2014, of which biodiversity studies contributed the majority. China, the USA, and Germany were the top three countries, accounting for 41%, 9%, and 6% of the research, respectively. Further review found that structure, species diversity, and functional traits have an apparent effect on ES at different (macro, meso, and micro) scales. The optimization of tree structure contributes to the improvement in ES provision and the regulation capacity. Species diversity plays an important role in provision services, while functional diversity is equally important in regulation services. Plant root functional traits can not only help regulation services but also determine the species and structure of rhizosphere microbial communities. The response of ES to a certain factor has been extensively reviewed, but the interaction of multiple driving factors needs to be further studied, especially in how to drive the supply capacity of ES in multi-factor and multi-scale ways. Clarifying the driving mechanism of ES at different scales will help to improve the supply capacity of the ecosystem and achieve the goal of sustainable development.