Ecosystem Service Value In Response Research Articles

Evaluating the spatiotemporal dynamics of ecosystem service values in response to land use/land cover change in Goang watershed, Northwest Ethiopia

Evaluating the impacts of land use/land cover (LULC) change on ecosystem service values (ESVs) is critical for understanding the implications of land use change on human well-being, identifying trade-offs and synergies between different ecosystem services, monitoring changes in ecosystem health, and informing decisions for land use planning and conservation efforts. As a result, this study aimed to examine the effects of these changes on ESVs during the last four decades (1984–2022) and predicted periods of 2040 and 2060 by utilizing a combination of geoinformation, and economic evaluation approaches. The modified ecosystem service value (ESV) coefficients were used to estimate the influence of LULC change on ESVs. The result revealed that overall ESV has declined from US$390 × 106 in 1984 to US$273.21 × 106 in 2060. However, the effects on various ecosystem services varied, with certain services, such as crop production, pollination, and biological control, increasing in value. These findings also emphasized the necessity of evaluating the implications of land use decisions on ecosystem services and it depicted that it may be possible to retain or improve certain services even in the face of overall declines in total ESVs. Subsequently, the findings of this study, therefore, give important insights for policymakers, land managers, and local people for devising appropriate land use policies and land use plans as well as realizing, and implementing sustainable land use practices that ensure the provision of essential ecosystem services for future generations.

Impact of Land Use and Land Cover Changes on Ecosystem Services Value in Mwanza City, Tanzania

Ecosystem services are vital services that support life and are the basis for human socio-economic progress. However, changes in land use and land cover (LULC) brought about by urban expansion degrade them. Thus, analysing the impact of land use and land cover (LULC) change on ecosystem service values (ESVs) is crucial for understanding and informing resource policy decisions. This study aims to analyse the impact of land use and land cover changes on ecosystem service values in Mwanza City, Tanzania. To achieve that, the benefits transfer approach was employed to analyse the changes in ESV in response to LULC. We estimated and analysed changes in ESV using satellite image datasets from 1999, 2009, and 2019. The LULC classes that were identified are vegetated land, agricultural land, waterbodies, built-up area, and bareland. The results exhibit that Mwanza City experienced significant LULC changes. While vegetated land, agricultural land, and bareland decreased by 49%, 15%, and 36%, respectively, the built-up area and water bodies increased by 568% and 48%, respectively, during the two decades. The total ESV decreased from 31.35 million US dollars to 26.3 million US dollars between 1999 and 2009 and to 23.96 million US dollars between 2009 and 2019. The waterbodies increased due to the increased volume of water in streams that expanded the floodplains, which resulted from surface runoff attributed to increased paved surfaces as more land was converted into a built-up environment upstream. The built-up area and bareland contributed nothing to ESV. However, the built-up area was the driving force behind the reduction of ESV in other LULC classes, as it was encroaching on them. The study concludes that the decrease in ESV reflects the degradation of ecosystem services due to the change in LULC. Hence, it is recommended that sustainable management of ecosystems be adhered for the proper functioning of the earth’s life-support system.

Changes in total and per-capital ecosystem service value in response to land-use land-cover dynamics in north-central Ethiopia

Ecosystems provide a wide range of services crucial for human well-being and decision-making processes at various levels. This study analyzed the major land cover types of north-central Ethiopia and their impact on total and per-capita ecosystem service value (ESV). The ESV was estimated using the benefit-transfer method along the established global and local coefficient values for the periods 1973, 1986, 2001, 2016, and 2024. The findings show that agricultural lands continued to expand at a rate of 563.4 ha year−1, at the expense of forests and grasslands. As a result, the total ESV of the study area declined from $101.4 to $61.03 million and $60.08–$43.69 million, respectively. The ESV per capita was also diminished by $152.4 (37.7%) and $257 (40.6%), respectively. However, land-cover improvement during the period 2001–2016 enhanced the total and per capita ESV in the study area. Therefore, potential future research may be required to develop a valid approach for assessing the robustness and sensitivity of value coefficients for the valuation of the ESV at the landscape level.

Assessing and predicting changes of ecosystem service values in response to land use/land cover dynamics in Ibb City, Yemen: a three-decade analysis and future outlook

ABSTRACT Assessing ecosystem services values (ESV) within land use/land cover (LULC) changes is crucial for promoting human well-being and sustainable development of regional ecosystems. Yet, the spatial relationship between LULC changes and ecosystem services is still unclear in Yemen. This study aimed to assess the impacts of LULC changes on ESV in Ibb City, over three decades (1990–2020), and to predict the ESV changes in 2050. The hybrid land use classification technique for classifying Landsat images, the CA-Markov model for LULC prediction, and the benefit transfer method (BTM) for assessment ESV were employed. Our findings revealed that there was a continuous increase in built-up areas and barren land, with a decrease in cultivated land and grassland, which are predicted to continue for the next 30 years. Consequently, the total ESV has decreased from US$ 68.5 × 106 in 1990 to US$ 65.2 × 106 in 2020 and is expected to further reduce to US$ 61.2 × 106 by 2050, reflecting the impact of urban expansion and socio-economic activities on ESV. The study provides insights for future ESV monitoring, which will contribute to the formulation of effective land-use strategies for more sustainable ecosystem services, particularly in rapidly urbanizing data-limited regions.

Evaluating the impact of land use and land cover changes on forest ecosystem service values using landsat dataset in the Atwima Nwabiagya North, Ghana

This study investigated land use and land cover (LULC) changes and its impact on forest ecosystem service values for 20 years in the Atwima Nwabaiagya North District using Landsat images of 2002, 2012 and 2022. Supervised classification with Maximum Likelihood Algorithm was used to classify the Landsat images. Five LULC types (high-dense forest, low-dense forest, water, bare-ground, and Built-up area) were successfully classified, with overall accuracies of 99.0 % and Kappa coefficients of 0.99. The result of the study showed a reduction of high-dense forest to 23.87 %, low-dense forest to 26.53 %, and water areas as 1.16 % whereas built-up (21.44 %) and bare-ground (27 %) experienced an expansion in their land areas. Related literatures and ecological assets value table with adjusted price value were used to evaluate ecosystem service values in response to LULC changes. The study discovered that ecosystem service value for high and low-dense forests have declined from USD 22.68 million and USD 8.75 million to USD 14.56 million and USD 5.2 million respectively. The overall total ecosystem service value declined by USD 33.73 million in 2002 to USD 21.91 million in 2022. It was revealed that the most notable feature to changes in forest ecosystem service values was the expansion of built-up and bare-grounds. There is a need to curb the current drivers of LULC changes in the Atwima Nwabiagya North to stop further forest degradation for optimum delivery of forest ecosystem service values in the district. For land use planners and decision makers who need site-specific information on the effects of LULC alterations on values of forest ecosystem services, the study's findings are essential. This will make it easier to track past environmental changes and obtain quick, accurate results for use in decision-making.

Variations in ecosystem service value in response to land use changes in Dhaka and Gazipur Districts of Bangladesh

Urban sprawl is a global phenomenon that has resulted in a substantial impact on ecosystem services. This study assessed how land use changes have affected the ecosystem services in Dhaka and Gazipur districts, two important economic centers of Bangladesh. This study analyzed changes in land use categories and their effects on ecosystem services during a thirty-year period, from 1990 to 2020, using LandSat data and published coefficient values. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis was undertaken to evaluate the ramifications of altering these coefficients on the resultant estimated values. The study revealed that in both Dhaka and Gazipur districts, the expansion of settlement areas and the reduction in tree vegetation cover have led to a significant decline in the overall value of ecosystem services. Over a 30-year timeframe, Gazipur experienced a more substantial loss in tree vegetation cover compared to Dhaka, whereas Dhaka witnessed a greater increase in settlement areas than Gazipur. Remarkably, during the most recent decade (2010–2020), the Gazipur district encountered heightened urban expansion and a more significant reduction in tree vegetation compared to Dhaka. The loss of the entire ecosystem service value was significant, amounting to USD 206.24 million for Dhaka and USD 381.27 million for Gazipur. This loss was primarily attributed to the decline in agricultural land, water bodies, rivers, and a reduction in tree vegetation. The study recommends that a more responsible land-use plan be created to protect tree vegetation, sustainable agriculture, and water bodies, which have the highest ecosystem service value in the study area. Overall, this study highlights the need for sustainable land-use techniques and offers insightful information about how urbanization affects ecosystem services in the investigated areas.

"Evaluating Dynamics of Ecosystem Service Value in Response to Land use/Land cover Changes in the Southern highland of Ethiopia"

"Evaluating Dynamics of Ecosystem Service Value in Response to Land use/Land cover Changes in the Southern highland of Ethiopia"

Characteristics of ecosystem service values in response to strong human activities in water sources of the South-to-North Water Diversion Middle Route in China.

A systematic grasp of the evolution of the spatial and temporal patterns of ecosystem service value (ESV) in the Central Line Project for South-to-North Water Diversion (CLPSNWD) water source area is conducive to deepening the ecological protection and promoting high-quality development of the water source area. In this paper, the dynamically adjusted equivalent factor method is used to reveal the spatial and temporal evolution of ESV in the water source area under strong human activities from 1991 to 2020. The results show that (1) during the 30-year period, urban point expansion increased the construction land area by 63.66 km2, and the degree of fragmentation increased. The water area increased the most, reaching 209.43 km2. (2) The total increase in ESV over the 30-year period was $1434 million, with forests and water accounting for the largest increase, i.e., 98% of the total increase in value. Among the individual service functions, hydrologic regulation generated the most significant service value.

Spatiotemporal Changes of Ecosystem Service Values in Response to Land Cover Dynamics in China from 1992 to 2020

Global land cover changed significantly in the last several decades due to strong climate warming and intensive human activities, and those changes greatly affected ecosystem services all over the world. Using CCI-LC land cover data from 1992 to 2020, the spatiotemporal characteristics of land cover change in China were investigated, and the annual ecosystem service values (ESVs) were estimated with the equivalent factor method. The results showed that: (1) The overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient of CCI-LC products in China were 71.1% and 0.65, respectively. (2) From 1992 to 2020, the area of cropland in China increased generally first before 2004 then decreased after 2008; the area of forest land decreased before 2003 then increased after 2015; the area of grassland and bare land consistently decreased; and the area of built-up land continuously increased, with a total increase of 113,000 km2. The primary characteristics of land cover transitions in China were the mutual conversion of cropland, forestland, and grassland as well as the continuous increase of built-up land. (3) Forest land was the most significant contributor of ESV in China, making 62.9% of the total ESV by multi-year average, followed by grassland (18.5%) and water (10.3%); the ESV was roughly high in the southeast China and low in the northwest. (4) The total ESV in China decreased generally before 2015 and got stable in the last five years. The hot spots with rising ESV were mainly concentrated in the western, northern and southwestern parts of China, while the cold spots with declining ESV were mainly concentrated in the economically developed eastern and southern China. (5) Cropland, forest land, grassland, and water were the positive contributors to ESV change in China, while built-up land and bare land were the negative contributors. The findings provide a theoretical foundation for China’s harmonized socioeconomic and environmental development.

Assessment of Ecosystem Service Value in Response to LULC Changes Using Geospatial Techniques: A Case Study in the Merbil Wetland of the Brahmaputra Valley, Assam, India

The alteration of land use and land cover caused by human activities on a global scale has had a notable impact on ecosystem services at regional and global levels, which are crucial for the survival and welfare of human beings. Merbil, a small freshwater wetland located in the Brahmaputra basin in Assam, India, is not exempt from this phenomenon. In the present study, we have estimated and shown a spatio-temporal variation of ecosystem service values in response to land use and land cover alteration for the years 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2021, and predicted the same for 2030 and 2040. Supervised classification and the CA-Markov model were used in this study for land-use and land-cover classification and future projection, respectively. The result showed a significant increase in built-up areas, agricultural land, and aquatic plants and a decrease in open water and vegetation during 1990–2040. The study area experienced a substantial rise in ecosystem service values during the observed period (1990–2021) due to the rapid expansion of built-up areas and agricultural and aquatic land. Although the rise of built-up and agricultural land is economically profitable and has increased the study site’s overall ecosystem service values, decreasing the area under open water and vegetation cover may have led to an ecological imbalance in the study site. Hence, we suggest that protecting the natural ecosystem should be a priority in future land-use planning. The study will aid in developing natural resource sustainability management plans and provide useful guidelines for preserving the local ecological balance in small wetlands over the short to medium term.

Spatiotemporal change in ecosystem service value in response to land use change in Guizhou Province, southwest China

Understanding the impact of land use change on ecosystem service values (ESV) will provide a valuable reference for the formulation and implementation of ecological restoration programs (ERPs) and land use policies. The Guizhou Province is a typical karst region with a fragile ecosystem in southwest China. During the past decades, multiple ERPs, especially the Grain for Green Program (GFGP), have been implemented in this region, which has resulted in dramatic land use change. However, how the ESV responded to land use change in Guizhou Province remains unclear. Moreover, few studies have addressed the response of ESV to different intensities of ERPs in the future. This study adopted the benefit transfer method to quantitatively evaluate the contributions of different land use transitions to ESV change in Guizhou Province from 2000 to 2020. Moreover, we designed three GFGP scenarios to explore the response of ESV to the intensity of GFGP and identify the priority areas. The results showed that the total ESV in Guizhou Province experienced a net increase of 10.64 billion USD from 2000 to 2020, which was mainly attributed to the expansion of forestland and water area. However, the transition from forestland to farmland resulted in a loss of 5.07 billion USD in ESV, accounting for 53.66% of the total ESV loss, which should receive enough attention. The total ESV will increase by 17.07 billion USD, 30.16 billion USD, and 48.58 billion USD under mild GFGP, moderate GFGP, and strong GFGP scenarios, respectively. The high-intensity GFGP enhanced the trade-off relationship between provision services and the other three kinds of services (i.e. regulating services, culture services, and habitant services). The moderate GFGP scenario (i.e. converting farmland on a slope greater than 20° into forestland) was the optimal intensity in Guizhou Province and Zunyi, Bijie, and Qiandongnan should be the priority areas to implement GFGP in the future. The trade-off relationship between ecosystem services should be taken into consideration and the suitable intensity of GFGP should be determined based on local characteristics in the formulation and implementation of GFGP. This study can provide references for formulating and optimizing ecological restoration policy in Guizhou Province.

Spatio-temporal variations of ecosystem service values in response to land use/cover change in Luoyang city

Land-use/cover change (LUCC) caused by human activities is an important factor in changes in global ecosystems; however, the impact of LUCC on ecosystem service value (ESV) has never been previously assessed in Luoyang City, China. This paper explores spatial and temporal evolution patterns of land use pattern change, ESV change and response to LUCC in Luoyang City from 2010 to 2019 through GIS and remote sensing techniques, and employing transfer matrix, ESV spatial autocorrelation analysis and elastic coefficient change. During the study period: 1) Between 2010 and 2019, land-use changes in Luoyang City showed a trend of “two increases and four decreases,” specifically, built-up land and forest areas increased, while the extent of cropland, grassland, water, and unused land areas decreased. 2) The recorded land-use conversion in Luoyang City is complex, with forest and cropland land uses increasing and decreasing fastest, respectively, with the proportion of forest increasing by 10.19% and cropland decreasing by 3.37% — the reason for this change is the transition from cropland and grassland to forest and occupation of cropland by built-up land. 3) The ESV change in Luoyang City was U-shaped, with the total ESV increasing 1.96% from ¥44.78 billion to ¥45.66 billion; additionally, the ESV provided by forest areas increased by 23.83%. 4) From 2010 to 2019, Luoyang’s hydrological regulation, climate regulation and soil and water conservation contributed the most to Luoyang’s ESV, accounting for 63.89% of the total ESV in 2019. 5) The overall ESVs of the townships in Luoyang City have obvious clustering and are not completely randomly spatially distributed. With the optimization of land-use allocation, the ESV high–high clusters have expanded. 6) The overall elasticity coefficient is high in Luoyang City and ESV responds intensely to LUCC, with the most significant response shown by the forests of Luolong District. The findings of this survey are practical for helping Luoyang City to optimize land resource usage scientifically.

Assessment of Grassland Ecosystem Service Value in Response to Climate Change in China

The assessment of ecosystem services provides an intuitive source of information on the benefits humans derive from ecosystems. The equivalent factor method was applied to calculate the ecosystem service value (ESV) in combination with net primary productivity (NPP) calculated by the process-based Carnegie–Ames–Stanford approach (CASA) model. This study evaluated grassland ESV and its spatial evolution characteristics in China from 2001 to 2020 and revealed the impact of climate factors. For 2001–2020, the annual grassland ESV ranged from 1.17 × 1012 to 1.51 × 1012 yuan (renminbi, China yuan—the same below; $0.15 × 1012–$0.20 × 1012, US dollar), with an average of 1.37 × 1012 yuan ($0.18 × 1012). The spatial pattern of ESV per unit area of grassland was notably characterized by an increase from northwest to southeast. However, the value of grassland ecosystem services was relatively large (exceeding 10 × 106 yuan; $1.30 × 106) in northern and western provinces and was the lowest (less than 0.2 × 106 yuan; $0.03 × 106) in eastern and southern provinces. In the last 20 years, grassland ESV has increased in most areas of China and has decreased only in some western and northern areas. Compared with the first 10 years, the average ESV of grassland in most areas increased in the last 10 years, usually by less than 20%. However, it decreased in the western and northern parts of China, mainly concentrated in the alpine meadow and alpine grassland of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and the grassland around the Yili region of Xinjiang. Precipitation was the main regulating factor of grassland ESV and had a positive impact in 79% grassland areas, especially in northern China. Evapotranspiration and sunshine hours exhibited a marginal impact on ESV, but temperature and relative humidity had no significant effect. Overall, this study contributes to exploring the spatiotemporal patterns of grassland ecosystem service value and the impact of climate factors in China, thereby providing reliable guidance for grassland ecosystem management.

Changes in Ecosystem Service Values in Response to the Planting ofEucalyptus and AcaciaSpecies in the Gilgel Abay Watershed, Northwest Ethiopia

Plantation of Eucalyptus and Acacia species emerges as a promising alternative in the tropics in a scenario of high demand for provisional and regulating ecosystem services. The research aimed to characterize the spatiotemporal dynamics of ecosystem service values in response to planting practices of Eucalyptus and Acacia species in the Gilgel Abay watershed, Northwest Ethiopia. The threshold values of NDVI were employed to classify land-use/covers using cloud-free satellite imagery data in 1984, 1998, 2013, and 2021. The benefit transfer method of modified value coefficient was used to estimate ecosystem service values (ESVs) of the study watershed. Total ESV decreased from 1984 to 1998 due to the expansion of cultivated land at the expense of natural forests, shrubs, and grasslands. As food production increased, performance levels of climate regulation, erosion control, and nutrient cycle declined. In contrast, the service values of erosion control, climate regulation, and nutrient cycles were the major contributors to the overall increase in ESV from 1998 to 2021. This was caused by expanding Acacia and Eucalyptus species plantation at the expense of cultivated land in the watershed. The research revealed a trade-off relationship between provisional and other ecosystem services, such as regulating and supporting ecosystem service values in response to land-use system transformation. As a result, it is suggested that synergistic interactions between regulating, provisional, and supporting ecosystem service values be developed by merging plantation and cultivated land. Maintaining the right proportions of degraded plantations, protected natural forests, farmlands, and wetland ecosystems can be the most effective way to provide optimal multiple ecosystem services.

Assessing the dynamic variations of ecosystem service value in response to land use change and socio-economic development

This article establishes a dynamic evaluation model of ecosystem service value (ESV) by introducing the spatial heterogeneity coefficient and social development coefficient to assess the spatiotemporal dynamic variations of ESV. Taking Wuhan as a case study, the effects of land use change on the variations of ESV are analyzed, and the impacts of people’s willingness to pay for ecosystem services and socio-economic development on a time-series ESV are also explored. The results showed that: (1) Wuhan has a large-scale land use transfer, the accumulative land transfer area reached 599 km2. (2) The static ESV of Wuhan experienced a process of first rising and then falling, with the total ESV decreasing by 1.24 billion yuan from 2000 to 2015. (3) The dynamic ESV evaluation reversed the overall downward trend of static ESV and significantly increased after adjustment, which were 1.52 times, 1.51 times, 1.62 times and 2.06 times of static ESV for that year, respectively; (4) The ecosystem services of Wuhan bear great downward pressure, but people’s demand for ecosystem services is increasing and their willingness to pay for ecosystem services has been significantly improved. These findings can provide valuable support for decision-makers to identify the providers and beneficiaries of ecosystem services and formulate rational land use management policies.

Assessing Changes in Ecosystem Service Values in Response to Land Cover Dynamics in Jiangxi Province, China.

This paper examines the ecosystem service values of Jiangxi province, China using the benefit transfer approach. The land cover dynamics results show that cropland and forest are the main land cover types in Jiangxi province. Urban land drastically increased after 2000, expanding from 846.54 km2 in 2000 to 2317.48 km2 in 2015. Forest and water obviously decreased across the study periods. Consequently, the total ecosystem service values decreased from 37.91 × 1010 Yuan in 1995 to 35.27 × 1010 Yuan in 2015. The values showed a declining trend, especially during the 1995–2000 period. The largest declines in ecosystem service values were caused by decreases in forest and water cover. Regulating services experienced the largest declines in ecosystem services value. Moreover, water supply showed the largest decline in ecosystem service value between 1995 and 2015. Not surprisingly, food production increased in the whole period, especially in the 1995–2000 period. Forest and cropland played the most important roles in the total ecosystem service values of Jiangxi province. We then discussed the relationship among ecosystem services based on the ecosystem service trade-off degree. The results show that the dominant relationship among ecosystem services in Jiangxi province was synergy; thus synergy mostly occurred in all ecosystem services except for food production from 1995 to 2015. However, during the 1995–2000 period, trade-offs mainly existed in both food production and waste treatment. The proportion of synergy greatly increased in the 2000–2015 period, and the synergistic relationship between waste treatment and other ecosystem services increased. However, the trade-off relationship between food production and other ecosystem services still has not improved, which should be concerned in the future. Changes in the percentage share of cropland showed a declining trend; thus, the potential risk of cropland loss should be monitored.

Monitoring and analysing grassland ecosystem service values in response to grassland area changes – an example from northwest China

Using remote sensing technology, this study evaluates changes in mountain grassland ecosystem service values (ESVs) and the factors driving them. Degraded grasslands in Urumqi city, northwest China, reached 1.22×105 ha in 2000. However, the grassland degradation rate decreased by 387ha annually from 2000 to 2015. Total grassland ESVs decreased unpredictably with an annual reduction of USD$1.64×107. Ecological losses were mainly caused by degradation of mountain desert grassland, mountain desert steppe-type rangeland, and mountain meadow and mountain steppe-type rangeland. Among individual ESVs, grasslands contributed more to regulating and supporting services, while grassland provisioning and cultural services were relatively low, comprising 0. 7 and 0.5% of the total ESV respectively. The mean Moran’s I value was 0.869 for grassland ESVs (from 1994 to 2015), and exhibited high spatial autocorrelation. A driving factor analysis indicated that grassland degradation is continuing as a consequence of meteorological factors and overgrazing. Controlling grazing intensity has a positive impact on growth of grassland ESVs.

Variations in ecosystem service value in response to land use/land cover changes in Central Asia from 1995-2035.

Acute farmland expansion and rapid urbanization in Central Asia have accelerated land use/land cover changes, which have substantial effects on ecosystem services. However, the spatiotemporal variations in ecosystem service values (ESVs) in Central Asia are not well understood. Here, based on land use products with 300-m resolution for the years 1995, 2005 and 2015 and transfer methodology, we predicted land use and land cover (LULC) for 2025 and 2035 using CA-Markov, assessed changes in ESVs in response to LULC dynamics, and explored the elasticity of the response of ESV to LULC changes. We found significant expansions of cropland (+22.10%) and urban areas (+322.40%) and shrinking of water bodies (−38.43%) and bare land (−9.42%) during 1995–2035. The combined value of ecosystem services of water bodies, cropland, and grassland accounted for over 90% of the total ESVs. Our study showed that cropland ecosystem services value increased by 93.45 billion US$ from 1995 to 2035, which was mainly caused by the expansion of cropland area. However, the area of water bodies decreased sharply during 1995–2035, causing a loss of 64.38 billion US$. Biodiversity, food production and water regulation were major ecosystem service functions, accounting for 80.52% of the total ESVs. Our results demonstrated that effective land-use policies should be made to control farmland expansion and protect water bodies, grassland and forestland for more sustainable ecosystem services.

Spatio-temporal changes in ecosystem service value in response to land-use/cover changes in the Pearl River Delta

Urban development and human activities threaten ecosystem structures and ecological processes. Since 1995, the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) has increased by more than thirteen fold. However, our understanding of how the ecosystem service value (ESV) has responded to land-use/cover changes (LUCC) in the PRD remains limited. In this paper, we use a multi-source data approach to assess the patterns of ESV in the PRD from 1995 to 2015. The hot/cool-spot mapping method is used to analyse the spatial differences in ESV at a 1 km scale. The results revealed the following: (a) the proportion of increase in built-up land area is 6.3% in the PRD; this change occurred mainly through the occupation of farmland and forest land. (b) The area of hot spots increased from 37% in 1995 to 41% in 2015, while the area of cool spots increased from 34.6% to 36.3%. The ESV hot spots are mainly distributed in Zhaoqing and Huizhou. (c) The ESV has changed due to a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors in the PRD. Furthermore, corresponding management measures are identified according to the results of the exploratory spatial data analysis. The findings of this study have practical significance for establishing mathematical models to reveal the patterns of ESV in urban agglomerations.

Variations in ecosystem services in response to paddy expansion in the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China

ABSTRACT The ecosystem of the Sanjiang Plain in China has dramatically changed in the past four decades. This study investigated the history of paddy field expansion in the Sanjiang Plain and discovered the ecosystem service variations in response to paddy expansion. Integrating a series of Landsat images, we obtained the paddy expansion history from 1976 to 2015. Then, we calculated ecosystem service values (ESVs) to estimate the ecosystem service variations caused by paddy expansion in the Sanjiang Plain. The results indicate that the paddy area increased from 404,789–2,598,449 ha during 1976–2015, leading to a decline in the total ecosystem service values by 11288.04 million dollars. The largest decline in ESVs in response to paddy expansion was caused by wetland reclamation (9998.54 million dollars). Apart from agricultural products and gas regulation functions, the ESVs provided by other functions all showed a declining trend. Paddy expansion in the Sanjiang Plain increased agricultural product function at the expense of the decline of other functions. In future management practices, the rational allocation of water resources and paddy distribution are necessary in order to achieve sustainable development of both water resources and agricultural production. Some suggestions including coculture systems, restoring habitats for aquatic species, farm management that fosters biodiversity in paddy fields are provided for future sustainability.