Abstract
Increasing anthropogenic activities have significantly altered ecosystems in arid oasis regions. Estimating the impact on a wide range of ecosystem services is important for decision making and the sustainable development of these regions. This study analyzed time-series Landsat data to determine the influences of oasis land-use changes on the ecosystem services in the Kashgar region in Northwest China. The following results were found. The total value of the ecosystem services in the Kashgar region were approximately $10,845.3, $11,218.6, $10,291.7, and $10,127.3 million in 1986, 1996, 2005, and 2015, respectively. The water supply, waste treatment, biodiversity protection, and recreation and cultural services were the four ecosystem services with the highest service value, contributing 77.05% of the total ecosystem services. The combined contribution rate of food production and raw material value was only about 4.02%, relatively small. The sensitivity analysis indicated that the estimated total ecosystem service value (ESV) for this study area was relatively inelastic with respect to the value coefficients. The findings of this study will be crucial for maintaining the stability and sustainable development of the oasis region, where socio-economic development and the integrity of the natural ecosystem complement each other. Furthermore, the results provide a scientific basis for decision makers in land use management, and provide a reference for researchers in the Northwest China.
Highlights
Ecosystems are the life-support systems for the earth’s environment
Among all the land-use types, the highest change in cover occurred in grasslands, which decreased from 27% of the total area in 1986, to 16.8% in 2015
This study yielded the following conclusions regarding land-use and land-cover changes (LULCC) in the Kashgar region: (1) The ecosystem service value (ESV) decreased from approximately $10,845.3 × 106 U.S in 1986 to $10,127.3 × 106 U.S in 2015. This decline in ESV is attributed to a corresponding decrease in the total area of wetland, grasslands, and water bodies
Summary
Ecosystems are the life-support systems for the earth’s environment. Ecosystem services are critical to maintaining life on earth and ecosystem integrity. Because of human activities and climate change, ecosystem services are facing considerable pressure, which is expected to continue to increase. Among these pressures, human activities are the main contributor, by changing the ecosystem services through land-use and land-cover changes (LULCC) [6]. LULCC are the main determinant of changes in the land-use structure, the ecosystem function evaluation, and the dynamic processes of most landscapes throughout the world [7,8]. Changes in ecosystem services are mainly caused by the anthropic alteration of land use [12]
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