Abstract
Cultural ecosystem services (CES) are a significant part of the ecosystem and are considered to be a core component of human welfare and ecosystem protection. CES have been historically difficult to quantitatively evaluate because of their subjectivity and intangibility. Additionally, their evolution over time has rarely been explored. Here, we quantitatively evaluated various CES and generated corresponding value index (VI) maps. We then further explored the evolution of CES characteristics over space and time. We selected Xi’an as the study area and applied the Social Values of Ecosystem Services (SolVES) model to evaluate CES and generate three specific VI maps. A system dynamics model based on socioeconomic and survey data of CES for each administrative division was established. Finally, we simulated four developmental scenarios in order to predict potential developmental changes of CES in 2030 under these different scenarios. This study provides a method for evaluating CES and explores the application of system dynamics to different fields. Additionally, our findings may provide guidance for the formulation of regional policies and support missions to improve civilizations within ecological systems, coordinate future economic growth with ecosystem services, and achieve sustainable development.
Highlights
Ecosystem services (ES) are the various benefits that human beings derive from ecosystems and can be seen as the contribution of natural capital to human well-being, including the supply of both tangible material products and the provision of intangible services [1,2,3,4]
Social Values of Ecosystem Services (SolVES) uses social-values mapping research to implement a methodology for integrating social values into the Cultural ecosystem services (CES) assessment process by quantifying and mapping these values through “ Value Index” (VI) (0–10), which provides a spatial, nonmonetary metric statistically related to the environmental characteristics of the study area itself
Social survey data and environmental index data were obtained through field investigation and used to calculate value index (VI) maps for recreation, historical, and aesthetic services in Xi’an using the SolVES model
Summary
Ecosystem services (ES) are the various benefits that human beings derive from ecosystems and can be seen as the contribution of natural capital to human well-being, including the supply of both tangible material products and the provision of intangible services [1,2,3,4]. Cultural ecosystem services (CES) are a significant part of the human ecosystem and are defined as non-material benefits derived from the ecosystem through spiritual enrichment, cognitive improvement, ideological inspiration, entertainment, and aesthetic experience [5]. It is beneficial to evaluate CES and improve our understanding of the interaction between our ecosystem and society, as well as their impact on our potential happiness [7]. Maria Johansson took a bottom-up approach to assess CES in peri-urban wetland areas [9]. Jared Retka used social media data to characterize CES for a large marine protected area (MPA) in northeast Brazil and outline management opportunities and implications [10]. Participatory approaches are helpful in assessing the social complexity of CES and are useful in data-poor regions
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