Study on Ecosystem Service Value (ESV) Spatial Transfer in the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration in the Yellow River Basin, China.

Min Liu,Yating Wang,Jianpeng Fan,Chanjuan Hu

doi:10.3390/ijerph18189751

Abstract

Urban agglomeration is the key area to realizing regional sustainable development. Timely and accurate assessment of its ESV spatial transfer can provide a scientific basis for intercity environmental cooperation to solve transboundary environmental problems. The ESV and its spatial transfer characteristics in the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration in 2000 and 2018 were quantified by introducing the breaking point model. The findings were as follows: Firstly, taking the central city of Zhengzhou as the transferred-in area, ESV spatial transfer distributions and changes presented a trend of hinterland > metropolitan area. Secondly, the ESV spatial transfer intensity from the metropolitan area to the central city presented an increase trend, with an increase of RMB 498,400–1,053,000/km2, and the ESV spatial transfer intensity from the hinterland to the central city presented a decrease trend, with a decrease of RMB 15,200–814,000/km2 in contrast. Thirdly, a total of RMB 294.763–331.471 billion worth of ESV has been transferred, and only that worth RMB 0.534–1.716 billion reached the central city, accounting for 0.181–0.518% of the total ESV transferred and 2.760–17.482% of the central city’s ESV. Fourthly, the ESV spatial transfer radius of each city was 25.47–214.17 km, but the ESV spatial transfer range of a few cities could reach the central city. Lastly, there was inefficiency in the ESV spatial transfer only in the natural driving spatial transfer pattern due to the spatial heterogeneity of ESV distribution, and there was potential for strengthening the ecological interactions based on space guidance provided by ESV spatial transfer.

Highlights

This study quantitively evaluated the ecosystem service value (ESV) spatial transfer characteristics of the urban agglomeration area and identified the ESV spatial transfer structure inside Central Plains Urban Agglomeration, and that can provide a scientific basis for intercity cooperation to support all-round environmental policy decision making and solve the transboundary environmental problems in urban agglomeration regions
The ESV distributions presented a trend of hinterland > metropolitan area > central city due to the spatial heterogeneity of natural resource endowment and socioeconomic development level in the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration
The ESV could naturally be transferred from the hinterland, the main ESV transferredout area showing increases, and the metropolitan area to the central city

Summary

Introduction

Central cities and urban agglomerations are becoming the main spatial forms that carry development elements in China, as well as important symbols of the level of regional economic development [1,2]. Urban agglomeration has become the most prominent and concentrated area where ecological protection and high-quality development interact, and its ecological support is related to the overall situation of China’s sustainable development [3,4,5,6]. The Central Plains Urban Agglomeration is one of the three major urban agglomerations in the Yellow River Basin which plays a leading role in the coordinated development of the basin, and adequate ecological service support would provide the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration with a well-developed material.

Results

Discussion

Conclusion