Demand For Ecosystem Services Research Articles

Ecosystem Services’ Supply–Demand Assessment and Ecological Management Zoning in Northwest China: A Perspective of the Water–Food–Ecology Nexus

The coordinated development of the water–food–ecology (WFE) nexus is a practical issue that has to be addressed urgently for northwest China’s (WTL) sustainable development. Optimizing the linkage relationship and accomplishing the rational distribution of resources from the perspective of the supply and demand for ecosystem services (ESSD) are imperative. Thus, in this study, a numerical indicator system for ESSD from the perspective of the WFE nexus was constructed with the incorporation of the water and carbon footprint. Based on this premise, the ecological management zoning method was enhanced by integrating supply and demand risks, and optimization suggestions were proposed for various zones. The results showed that (1) carbon sequestration (CS), food production (FP), and water yield (WY) supply and demand significantly increased between 2000 and 2021. High ESSDs were concentrated in the west side of northwest China. Maize, wheat, cotton, vegetables, and garden fruits had a higher demand for ecosystem services (ESs). (2) The three ESSDs were bound in a synergistic relationship. The synergy between supply exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity, while the synergies between demand showed similar distribution patterns. (3) Regarding quantity matching, the supply for FP and CS surpassed demand, while the WY supply could not meet the demand. The three ESs’ supply and demand deficits rose. Ecological supply–demand ratio (ESDR) regional differentiation for the three ESs was apparent. Regarding spatial matching, FP and CS concentrated on low supply–low demand, while WY focused on high supply–high demand. FP risk was concentrated in Qaidam Basin, whereas WY risk was mostly in Hexi inland river basin (HX), the Yellow River Basin area (HH), and both sides of the “Qice line”. (4) The ecological management zones were formed by integrating WTL’s three dominant weak functional zones, four categorized strategy regions, and four governance models. This study can serve as a scientific benchmark for regional ecological management, which is significant in ensuring northwest China’s water, food, and ecological safety.

Land Use Intensity Alters Ecosystem Service Supply and Demand as Well as Their Interaction: A Spatial Zoning Perspective

Clarifying the interaction between ecosystem service supply (ESS) and demand (ESD) and its response to land use change is essential for achieving ecological security. Previous research mainly focused on how land use change affects ESS, ignoring its impact on the interaction between ESS and ESD, making it difficult to guide regional sustainability in social–ecological coupled systems. Taking the Yangtze River Delta as the study area, after evaluating five types of ESS and ESD during 2000–2020, this study analyzed the interaction between changes in ESS and ESD using Geodetector from a spatial zoning perspective and subsequently explored the impact of land use intensity on ESS, ESD, and their interaction using Spearman correlation analysis and regression analysis. The results showed that there was obvious spatial–temporal heterogeneity in ESS and ESD. Different ecosystem services varied in their interaction between ESS and ESD, and the demand changes in water conservation and soil retention significantly influenced their supply changes, while supply changes in carbon sequestration were not influenced by its demand changes. The effect of ESD changes on ESS changes also showed spatial heterogeneity. All interactions between ESS changes and ESD changes, except carbon sequestration, were significant in the Supply Increases–Demand Increases zone. Soil retention and water conservation showed a significant supply–demand interaction in the Supply Decreases–Demand Decreases zone and the Supply Decreases–Demand Increases zone, respectively, while no ecosystem service showed significant supply–demand interaction in the Supply Increases–Demand Decreases zone. Land use intensity had linear and nonlinear effects on different ESS and ESD, and it was also found that the effect of ESD changes on corresponding ESS changes was relatively obvious in regions with dramatic land use change. Finally, this paper incorporated the changes in ESS and ESD, as well as their interaction, into land use management, which can provide implications for regional sustainability.

Ecological source identification and ecological security pattern construction from the perspective of ecosystem service supply and demand: A case study of Baiyangdian Basin in China

Ecological source identification and ecological security pattern construction from the perspective of ecosystem service supply and demand: A case study of Baiyangdian Basin in China

Changes in ecosystem services supply–demand and key drivers in Jiangsu Province, China, from 2000 to 2020

AbstractHuman activities and regional land development have considerably contributed to the degradation of ecosystems and the growing contradiction between the supply and demand of ecosystem services (ESs) in Jiangsu Province, China. However, few studies have applied a comprehensive approach to elucidate the patterns and evolutionary characteristics of ESs over long periods. This study investigated the spatial–temporal evolution of the supply, demand, and supply–demand relationships of six individual ESs and comprehensive ESs in Jiangsu Province from 2000 to 2020. It revealed the key drivers of the changes in comprehensive ecosystem services supply–demand relationship (CESSD) using a geo‐detector model and a geographically and temporally weighted regression model to address the shortcomings of previous studies. The results showed that at the provincial level, the CESSD presented a surplus while the supply–demand state tended to be imbalanced. At the 1‐km2 grid scale, the spatial heterogeneity of CESSD was obvious, with surplus supply–demand zones primarily distributed in the Taihu Lake watershed, hilly areas, riverside zones, the watershed from Hongze Lake to Gaoyou Lake, and the eastern coastal zone, while deficit supply–demand zones were mainly clustered in areas with concentrated and contiguous construction land. From 2000 to 2020, the area of deficit in CESSD increased from 626 to 3257 km2 and the degree of deficit gradually deepened, with socioeconomic factors having the greatest influence on changes in CESSD. Our findings reveal the balance/imbalance between human society and natural ecology in Jiangsu Province and highlight the need for effective management of regional ecosystems.

Integrating supply and benefits of ecosystem services into ecological security pattern: A spatial flow perspective

Ecological security pattern (ESP) is an effective way to alleviate the conflict between social development and ecological conservation. Previous studies on ESP mostly identified ecological sources derived from local supply and demand of diverse ecosystem services (ESs), overlooking the spatial flow of ESs and thus limiting its significance in both local and regional scales. This study proposed a framework integrating ESs supply and benefit from a spatial flow perspective for ecological sources identification. After modifying resistance surface by nighttime light data and extracting ecological corridors by MCR model, the ESP was finally constructed and optimized for sustainable land use management in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) in 2020. The findings indicated that ecological sources were predominantly concentrated in the southwestern forestland and central Taihu Lake region, accounting for 18.47 % of the total area in the YRD. Totally 1035 ecological corridors were extracted, including 45 main corridors with a distance of 4284.47 km, overall exhibiting a “one vertical and three horizontals” shape distribution. Finally, an ESP of “four areas and four lines” was constructed after optimization, and targeted suggestions were proposed for regional sustainability. This study introduced spatial flow perspective and ESs benefit into ESP construction, which provides a scientific basis for sustainable land use management in a regional integration perspective.

Ecological Zoning Management Strategies in China: A Perspective of Ecosystem Services Supply and Demand

Ecological zoning management aims to ensure ecological functions and improve environmental quality, serving as an essential means to optimize the development and protection of territorial space. However, comprehensive research on ecological zoning management that combines human needs with natural resources is still relatively scarce. In this study, we selected water yield (WY), food provision (FP), and carbon sequestration (CS) as the critical ecosystem services (ES) in China. An InVEST model, ecosystem services supply–demand index (ESI), random forest (RF), and geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) were used to analyze the spatiotemporal characteristics and influencing factors of ES supply and demand, and the four-quadrant model was used to analyze the spatial matching patterns. The results showed that: (1) from 2005 to 2020, the supply and demand of WY, FP, and CS increased. Among them, WY, FP, and CS supply increased by 16.06%, 34%, and 22.53%, respectively, while demand increased by 5.63%, 12.4%, and 83.02%, respectively; (2) the supply of WY and CS follow a “high in the southeast and low in the northwest” pattern, while all of the demands exhibit a “high in the east and low in the west” pattern; and (3) the average ecosystem service supply–demand index (ESI) values for WY, FP, and CS in China are 0.45, 0.12, and −0.24, respectively, showing an overall upward trend. The study identified three dominant functional zones for WY, FP, and CS, and four classification management zones, including protection zones, conservation zones, improvement zones, and reconstruction zones. These research findings provide a scientific basis for future territorial space planning in China and the application of ecosystem service supply and demand in sustainable development.

Ecosystem Service Trade-Offs in Peri-Urban Landscapes: Drivers, Governance Obstacles and Improvements

Trade-offs in ecosystem services (ESs) manifest when the enhancement of one service leads to the diminishment of another. These trade-offs pose a notable challenge, impacting the sustainability of particular socioecological system peri-urban landscapes (PULs). This issue arises from the dynamic processes associated with peri-urbanization, which threaten natural ecosystems and their services in peri-urban areas. Additionally, the escalating demand for ecosystem services in PULs contributes to these trade-offs. Policymaking and planning concerning ES trade-offs in PULs should prioritize promoting a balance between conflicting services and fostering synergies among them. However, it is noteworthy that ES trade-offs in PULs are not given high priority in policy and planning agendas. Knowledge regarding policy development and planning for ES trade-offs in PULs often remains concealed within specific country and regional case studies. Consequently, this research seeks to characterize the ES trade-offs in selected PUL case studies, with the objective of identifying potential commonalities among them. Furthermore, this study aims to identify (i) the factors driving ES trade-offs, (ii) challenges related to how policymaking and planning address ES trade-offs in PULs, and (iii) recommendations for enhancing governance practices to better manage peri-urban ES trade-offs. We designed a semi-quantitative survey and collected information about 24 case studies located across the world. The answers from this survey were analyzed using principal component analysis. The results showed that the most common trade-offs occurred between “cultural and provisioning” and “regulating and provisioning” ESs. It was found that urban development is the primary driver behind the emergence of the examined trade-offs. To address this issue at the governance level, this study recommends establishing mechanisms to facilitate collaboration among stakeholders. This should be accompanied by robust dissemination efforts and the promotion of awareness among actors regarding the fundamental concepts of ESs and PULs.

STRATEGIES FOR CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY IN THE BEED OF JHUNJHUNU (RAJ)

Biodiversity is under serious threat as a result of human activities. The main threats as like population growth, resource consumption, climate change and global warming, habitat conversion and urbanisation, over-exploitation of natural resources, invasive alien species and environmental degradation. Overgrazing, Overharvesting of Selected Species, Pollution, Toxic Discharges, Habitat Alteration, Competition, Narrow Geographical Area, Disease and Parasites, Habitat Aridification, Modification Homogenization of Ecosystems, Natural Disasters, Deforestation, Soil Erosion are other most important threats to biodiversity. Biodiversity provides essential goods for human welfare like as food, fibre, that’s most important. Plant diversity and the many ecosystem services that it provides are a key factor determining human well-being. Biodiversity is losses has-direct and indirect negative effect on living organism. Over the next few decades, as monoculture yields continue to decelerate or decline for many crops, and as demand for ecosystem services continues to rise, diversification could become an essential tool for sustaining development and ecosystem services.

Identification and Prioritization of Thermal Environment Regulation Hotspots in Chengdu

Temperature condition in urban areas has a substantial impact on the well-being and safety of both urban residents and the ecosystems. Green spaces are crucial for mitigating urban heat impacts, and hence, their balanced supply and demand is essential. Due to rapid urbanization, Chengdu has had a significant increase in population, which has had an impact on the dynamic changes in its green space environment, making it a suitable case for our study. This study employs the high-temperature vulnerability framework to classify urban green spaces as entities that regulate the thermal environment. This classification is based on the analysis of ecosystem service supply and demand. The approach creates an assessment framework for managing the balance between the need for and availability of thermal environment regulation in urban green spaces. The study utilizes matching and a priority index to identify places in Chengdu where there are imbalances between supply and demand for services. Our findings suggest: (1) The demand for regulating the thermal environment in Chengdu’s green spaces is defined by three indices: thermal exposure, thermal sensitivity, and thermal adaptability. High-demand areas account for a relatively small proportion and exhibit a pattern of “global diffusion and local concentration”. (2) The supply capacity in Chengdu is determined by both the size of green spaces and the surface temperature. High-supply capacity areas are mainly located in the southeastern part of the city, and their distribution pattern is similar to that of green spaces. (3) The level of correspondence between the supply and demand in Chengdu varies significantly and can be classified into three categories: “insufficient supply and high demand”, “insufficient supply and low demand”, and “abundant supply and low demand”. Out of these, 32 units are located in the area with a shortage of supply, while 6 units are in the area with a significant imbalance of low supply and high demand. (4) The green space thermal environment regulation in Chengdu is categorized into four priority intervention levels: priority I, II, III, and IV zones. The priority IV zone, which has a high intervention priority level, consists of two units primarily located in the Inner Ring Qingyang, Inner Ring Jinjiang, Cuijiadian, Caotang, and Donghu, which are deemed crucial for needing prioritized regulation.

Identifying the Coupling Coordination Relationship between Urbanization and Ecosystem Services Supply–Demand and Its Driving Forces: Case Study in Shaanxi Province, China

Exploring the relationship and driving forces between supply–demand of ecosystem services (ESs) and urbanization can help solve the environmental problems and promote regional sustainable development. This study analyzed the spatio-temporal distribution characteristics of supply–demand of ESs and comprehensive urbanization level (CUL) in Shaanxi Province from 2010 to 2019 and assessed the coupling relationship between ecosystem service supply–demand ratio (ESSDR) and CUL using the coupling coordination degree (CCD) model. Random forests and geographically weighted regression methods were utilized to characterize the contribution and spatial distribution of the drivers of CCD. The results showed that: (1) except for habitat quality, the ESSDR of the other three types of services as well as the comprehensive services showed a decreasing trend, CUL exhibited increasing trend; (2) Although CCD was generally increasing, a significant portion (78.51%) of regions still remained uncoordinated, with relatively better coordination shown around the Guanzhong urban agglomeration, which has a higher urbanization level; (3) The CCD in Shaanxi Province was primarily influenced by local financial income, the secondary industry, and temperature forces. In regions with high and increasing CCD, the tertiary industry was the decisive force. In other areas, there were significant spatial variations in the driving forces. These findings provide a coupled and coordinated perspective for urban ecological management, which can provide scientific reference and practical guidance for cities with different development modes.

Optimizing Biomass Supply Chains to Power Plants under Ecological and Social Restrictions: Case Study from Poland

The growing demand for social and regulatory forest ecosystem services can significantly modify the availability and cost of biomass for energy purposes. This article presents a model for optimizing biomass supply chains using a linear programming framework integrated with a geographic information system (GIS). Based on a given type of biomass resource, its calorific value, price, distance from the power plant, and transportation costs, the model identifies the optimal source of biomass, allowing it to cover the demand for the required total energy value with the lowest possible costs. The case study includes the Połaniec power plant in southeastern Poland and potential sources of forest biomass and agricultural straw within 100 km of the plant. The impact of constraints on the availability and cost of biomass was analyzed in the following scenarios: (1) all forest and agriculture biomass is available, (2) forest area in Natura 2000 network is excluded, and (3) firewood and forests with dominated ecological and social function are excluded. Unit costs of biomass varied depending on biomass availability and energy demands. The lowest unit costs of biomass (3.19 EUR/MJ) were for energy demand at the level of 1 TJ yearly for all kinds of biomass and the highest (4.91 EUR/MJ) for ecological and social constraints and energy demand 4 TJ. As energy demand increased, unit costs increased, and the ability to meet this demand with just one type of biomass decreased. The energy biomass sector can utilize the model to benefit both biomass producers and their final buyers.

Optimizing zoning for ecological management in alpine region by combining ecosystem service supply and demand with ecosystem resilience

In order to enhance ecosystem stability and promote sustainable regional ecological, social, and economic development, it is crucial to explore the coupling relationship between ecosystem service supply and demand and the resilience of ecosystem, so as to propose scientific ecological management zones and strategies. Taking the vulnerable alpine ecosystem in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Gannan Prefecture) as the study area, this paper comprehensively utilized multi-source data, grid analysis, ecosystem service supply and demand estimation model, and coupled coordination model to analyze the spatio-temporal differentiation and coordination pattern of ecosystem service supply and demand in the study area from 2000 to 2020. With the assistance of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the ecosystem resilience index system was constructed to evaluate the regional ecological resilience. The results reveal the following: (1) In the past 20 years, the ecosystem service supply and resilience in Gannan Prefecture showed a fluctuating upward trend, and the demand continued to grow steadily. Their spatial differentiation were obvious, but the pattern remained stable. (2) There was a moderate incoordination indicated by the average coordination degree of the supply and demand coupling of ecosystem services, which rangeed between 0.3 and 0.4. (3) Gannan Prefecture was split into three ecological management zones, considering the spatial distribution of ecosystem service supply and demand, as well as resilience. Through system function monitoring and other measures, the ecological conservation zone will rely on its high resilience to support the restoration and self-sufficiency of the system, ensuring the stability and well-being of the ecosystem. The primary objectives of general protected zone includes environmental preservation, strict regulations, and the prevention of human intervention. To enhance their ecological background, key restoration zone must intensify the implementation of ecological restoration initiatives. To address the needs of the locals, strategies such as ecological compensation, optimizing the land use structure, and fostering the growth of environmentally friendly companies can be implemented simultaneously.

The nexus between urbanization and ecosystem services balance in China: A coupling perspective.

Urbanization inevitably interfered with the supply and demand of ecosystem services (ESs), which has a crucial impact on the ESs balance. Scientific exploration and clarification of the coupling and decoupling relationship between them can effectively reveal the disturbance of urbanization to the ecosystem, which can help to reasonably manage and protect the ecosystem. Previous studies have paid more attention to the coupling relationship but less attention to the decoupling relationship. This study comprehensively reflected urbanization from the three aspects of construction land, population, and economy and used the evaluation matrix to measure ESs. On this basis, coupling and decoupling analyses were taken to fully clarify the complex relationship between urbanization and ESs balance in China, so as to provide a reference for the formulation of relevant policies. Coupling aspect, the coupling degrees between the proportion of construction land (CLP) and ESs balance index (ESBI) were higher only in the central and eastern plains. The coupling degrees between population density (PD) and ESBI, economic density (ED) and ESBI, and land development index (LDI) and ESBI were only lower in the central and eastern plains than in other regions. Decoupling aspect, strong, weak negative, weak, and strong negative decoupling were the main decoupling types between urbanization and ESs balance in China. Among them, the proportion of the strong decoupling type is much higher than other types, which proves the opposite relationship between the two. Weak decoupling can not only promote economic growth and social development but also protect the ecological environment and biodiversity, which is a type of sustainable development and an ideal state that urbanization should pursue. The results can provide scientific guidance for the formulation of differentiated ecosystem management policies.

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Driving Factors of Ecosystem Supply and Demand Bundles: A Case Study in the Sichuan-Yunnan Ecological Buffer Area, China

Identifying the spatial characteristics of ecosystem service (ES) supply and demand is crucial for effective ecosystem management and restoration. Past related studies have primarily focused on balancing ES supply and demand and supply clustering, with less attention focused on the drivers of demand clustering and their spatial evolution. This study explored the spatiotemporal supply–demand dynamics in four crucial ecosystem services (ESs) in the Sichuan-Yunnan ecological buffer area region between 2005 and 2019, namely water yield, net primary production, soil conservation, and habitat quality. Self-organizing maps and geographical detectors were used to classify supply–demand ES bundles as their main drivers, respectively. The main results of the study included: (1) A decline in habitat quality, whereas net primary productivity, water yield, and soil conservation increased. However, there were increasing demands for habitat quality, water yield, and net primary productivity, despite the decrease in demand for soil conservation. (2) Demand for habitat quality was met by supply, whereas there were deficits in soil conservation, water yield, and net primary productivity, which contributed to the demand in the east exceeding that elsewhere. (3) The proportion of ES bundle 2 increased, whereas those of the remaining ES bundles declined. Similarly, the areas of ES demand bundles (ESDBs) 1 and 4 decreased, whereas those of 2 and 3 increased. While the spatial extent of the ESBs remained relatively stable, those of the ESDBs in the northern regions increased. Key factors influencing the spatial distribution of ES supply include human activities, population density, and precipitation, whereas land use, population density, and the human activity index primarily affect demand distribution. The results of this study can act as a reference for comprehensive regional ecosystem management.

Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystem Services Supply and Demand of the Kilombero Valley Floodplain, Tanzania

Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystem Services Supply and Demand of the Kilombero Valley Floodplain, Tanzania

Constructing ecological security pattern based on spatio-temporal evaluation of ecosystem services and ecological health in Chengdu, Southwest China

IntroductionWith the acceleration of urbanization, human population and built surface in urban areas have increased rapidly, triggering numerous environmental problems. Identification of ecological security pattern (ESP) can be helpful to optimize the interaction and relationship between ecological conservation and socioeconomic development in a given region. In this study, taking Chengdu City as an example, a methodology was used to analyze the city’s ESP.MethodologyEcological sources were identified based on their ecological security values, which were derived from the spatio-temporal evaluation of ecosystem services and ecological health. The ecological resistance surface was revised with nighttime light index. Linkage Mapper combined with circuit theory was used to extracted ecological corridors and key ecological nodes.Results:The results showed that the mean values of ecological security in Chengdu City presented a downward and then upward trend from 2000 to 2018. In 2018, the ESP in Chengdu City was formed by 140 ecological sources with the total area of 8,819.78 km2, 302 ecological corridors with the area of 456.91 km2, as well as 61 pinch-points and 17 barrier points. The ecological sources in Chengdu City were mainly distributed in or nearby Longmen Mountain and Longquan Mountain, two flanks of the Chengdu Plain, and connected each other with hundreds of ecological corridors. Most of ecological sources and corridors were composited of forests in mountainous areas and linpan units (wooded lots) in rural plain areas. On the contrary, pinch-points and barrier points were mainly distributed in the districts nearby the metropolitan urban center.ConclusionFinally, this study proposed that constructing ESP must adopt a dynamic and holistic approach in considering the change of restoring ecosystems, shift of urban demands for ecosystem services and transformation of urban-rural land use/cover. Restoring and managing corridors sustainably are important for improving the ecological connectivity of all over ecological sources in a city, all of which together, if functioning well, could further support the realization of sustainable urbanization.

Ecology: Operationalize biodiversity theory

The rise in global population and consumption intensifies the demand for ecosystem services, especially in agriculture. Recent research underscores the societal benefits of biodiversity. Operationalizing biodiversity theory and embracing diverse agricultural practices can enhance sustainability, supporting food security and climate resilience.

Mapping the Demand for Ecosystem Services in Human-Dominated Topical Forest of Sabah, Malaysia

Mapping the demand for ecosystem services (ES) is a profoundly debated research topic that needs to be investigated further to overcome spatial discrepancies between supply and demand in the literature. This study proposes a holistic approach to valuing ES, which is demanded by local people living adjacent to Sabah’s protected area in the southwestern part of Sabah, Malaysia. To assess the local people's demand for ecosystem services, we applied the 'ES Matrix Assessment' method. Timber, global climate regulation, recreation, and ecotourism are selected to illustrate the changes in ES demand patterns reported in the Klias Peninsula region. To identify the ES required by local people based on land-cover type, we used a weighted arithmetic mean approach. Then, using multiple regressions, we identified socio-demographic characteristics that influence demand for ES obtained from the Klias Peninsula's tropical forest. The 6-point Likert scale results showed that timber received medium (3) to highly relevant demand (4) among local people in the forest ecosystem, while climate regulation demand was the most highly relevant demand (5) in the forest ecosystem, and recreation and ecotourism are highly demanded in the forest ecosystem and water-based area. Overall, ethnicity, source(s) of income, distance from the protected area, length of residence, and education level have influenced the population's perception of ecosystem service demand in peat swamp forest, mangrove, and forest land, and these factors are statistically significant at the 1% to 5% levels. Our approach possesses the advantage of being intuitively straightforward, making it easy to convey to stakeholders and decision-makers across various ecosystem service (ES) applications. Therefore, our approach, while relatively simple, remains realistic and easy to apply, effectively raising awareness about the utility of the ecosystem services concept for stakeholders and policymakers.

Quantifying the supply-demand relationship of ecosystem services to identify ecological management zoning: A case study in mountainous areas of northwest Yunnan, China

Establishing ecological management zones based on the supply-demand relationship of ecosystem services (ESs) is essential for fostering sustainable development within social-ecological systems and improving human well-being. In this study, the spatial pattern between supply and demand in five ESs (grain production (GP), carbon sequestration (CS), soil conservation (SC), water conservation (WC), and habitat quality (HQ)) is analyzed using the ESs supply-demand ratio (ESDR) method, the spatial autocorrelation method, and the coupled coordination degree model. Zoning is performed according to the differences in their spatial combinations, and differential zoning management policies are proposed. The following results were obtained: (1) In terms of the ESDR, except for a slight increase in GP surplus from 2010 to 2020, there is a decline in the surplus of the other four ESs. (2) CS, WC, and HQ are dominated by cluster types LH and HL. GP and SC are dominated by cluster types HH and LL. The average value of the coupling coordination degree (CCD) of comprehensive ESs supply and demand show five types: moderate disharmony, slight disharmony, near disharmony, basic coordination, and slight coordination. (3) Based on the multiple spatial heterogeneity of ESs supply and demand, differentiated ecological management strategies are proposed at the grid scale. Overall, this study discover the spatial pattern of mismatch between the supply and demand of ecosystem services (ESs) in mountainous urban areas. This contribution enhances the discourse surrounding sustainable development theory and advances research on the coupling of social-ecological systems. Furthermore, it offers valuable insights for the formulation of sustainable ecological management policies tailored to mountainous urban settings.

Exploring the Response of Ecosystem Services to Socioecological Factors in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, China

Understanding the response of the mechanisms driving ecosystem services (ESs) to socioecological factors is imperative for regional sustainable ecosystem management. However, previous studies of the mechanisms driving ESs have focused more on the degree and direction (positive and negative) of effects on ES supply or the supply–demand balance, while their nonlinear response processes have not been fully considered. In this study, a theoretical framework was developed through integrating land use/land cover data and supply and demand matrices with random forest models to assess response processes, including the relative importance and marginal effects, of essential factors that drive ES demand, supply, and supply–demand balance. Using the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) as an example, our results indicated that the ES deficit regions (332 of 1070 counties or 14.45% of the area) of the YREB were located mainly in the three national urban agglomerations. Moreover, this study indicated that natural environmental factors (such as slope and precipitation) significantly influence the supply and supply–demand balance of ESs, while socioeconomic factors (such as cropland ratios and population density) profoundly influence the demand for ESs. However, cropland ratios were the most important drivers of ES supply, demand, and supply–demand balance in the YREB. Moreover, three types of response processes were identified in this study: logarithmic increase, logarithmic decrease, and volatility increase. Specific driving factors (e.g., proportion of cropland area, precipitation, population density, and slope) had significant threshold effects on the supply–demand balance of ESs. The turning points that can be extracted from these response processes should be recommended for ecosystem restoration projects to maintain regional sustainable ecosystem management.