Terrestrial transect study on pattern and driving mechanism of ecosystem services in the China–Mongolia–Russia Economic Corridor

Abstract

This study quantified the gradient characteristics, trade-off/synergy relationships, and spatiotemporal changes in five key ecosystem services on the meridional (east-west transect of the Siberian Railway (EWTSR) and zonal (north-south transect of Northeast Asia (NSTNEA)) transects of the China–Mongolia–Russia Economic Corridor from 1992 to 2020. The results showed significant regional differentiation of ecosystem services. The improvement in ecosystem services in the EWTSR was significantly greater than in the NSTNEA, and the synergy between water yield and food production in the EWTSR improved the most from 1992 to 2020. The relationship between ecosystem services and different levels of dominant factors was significant, and population expansion had the greatest impact on the trade-off between habitat quality and food production. The leading drivers of ecosystem services in the NSTNEA were normalized vegetation index, population density, and precipitation. This study helps reveal regional differentiation characteristics and drive factors of ecosystem services in Eurasia.