Changes In Ecosystem Service Values Research Articles

Dynamic Changes in Ecosystem Service Value and Ecological Compensation in Original Continuous Poverty-Stricken Areas of China

The original contiguous poverty-stricken areas of China (OCPSAC) are a regional complex with natural and human attributes. Their ecosystem services are highly complex in their contribution to human well-being. The region’s ecosystem is unstable and socio-economic development is unbalanced, making it a key area for research and the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore, it has become the focus of social attention. This study obtained satellite remote sensing images of the Landsat8 based on the Google Earth Engine. The dynamic characteristics of the spatial and temporal distribution of the OCPSAC’s land use changes in 2015 and 2022 were analyzed. The characteristics of the changes in ecosystem service value (ESV) were quantitatively evaluated through the revised ESV equivalent scale, and the ecological compensation (EC) standards and EC priority level suitable for the region were explored. The research results showed that: (1) the OCPSAC land use types were mainly grassland, forests, and deserts, accounting for more than 80% of the research area; (2) the OCPSAC’s ESV reached CNY 115.578 billion, and the Tibet Region (TR) and Tibetan Region of Four Provinces (TRFP) had the highest ESVs, accounting for 32.28% and 19.64%, respectively. Among individual ESVs, hydrological regulation (HR) and climate regulation (CR) had the highest values, accounting for 55.23% of the research area; (3) the ESV of the research area presented the characteristics of being high in the middle and low at both ends. From the terrain perspective, the areas with a higher ESV per unit area were distributed in the second altitude gradient, followed by China’s third altitude gradient, and the first altitude gradient was the lowest; (4) in the period of 2015–2022, the ESV increased by CNY 21.39 billion, of which TR’s ESV increased by CNY 17.44 billion. From the perspective of a single ESV, the value of waste treatment (WT), HR, nutrient cycle (NC), and provide aesthetic landscape (PAL) increased by CNY 24.38 billion; and (5) in 2022, the EC standard of the OCPSAC was CNY 917.14 billion. High-EC-value areas were mainly distributed in TR and TRFP, accounting for 72.79% of the total compensation amount, of which only TR’s EC amount exceeded a GDP of 2022, accounting for 4.77% of the total compensation. The purpose of this study was to provide a reference for ecosystem sustainability and EC.

Wetland Changes and Ecosystem Services Valuation of Kapla Beel in Assam

Background: Wetlands are productive ecosystem with immense potentiality of providing various goods and services. But they are fast depleting due to various natural and anthropogenic causes. Kapla beel is a freshwater wetland located in Barpeta district in the lower Brahmaputra valley of Assam. Area of the Kapla beel has been decreasing over the years. This study shall make an attempt to analyse the causes of land use and land cover changes of Kapla beel of Assam and assess its ecosystem services value changes during the period 1990 to 2022. Methods: To assess the changes, two Landsat images for the year 1990 and 2022 of Kapla beel were taken from the United State Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Explorer. Land-use change analysis was assessed by comparing the areas occupied by each land use in each period using the ArcGIS software. The dynamicity index is used to calculate the rate of change in land cover. In order to assess the changes in the wetland ecosystem service value due to wetland changes, Benefit Transfer Method is used which involves transferring monetary values of ecosystem services from previous studies. Result: The valuation of ecosystem services underlines the fact that wetlands are highly productive and economically viable ecosystems. Accounting of ecosystem services provides information about the need for optimal decision -making towards judicious use of wetland resources for their sustenance.

Impacts of land use and cover changes on ecosystem service values from 1992 to 2052 in Gena District, Southwest Ethiopia

Land use and cover changes alter the functions and structures of ecosystem, resulting in variations in Ecosystem Service Values (ESVs). Thus, we examined the impacts of land use/land cover (LULC) changes on ESVs from 1992 to 2052 using geospatial technologies. The Landsat images were classified using the supervised maximum likelihood classification technique, and future changes in LULC were predicted using the CA-Markov model. Ecosystem Service Values coefficients were adopted from empirical studies and ESVs changes were evaluated based on the benefit transfer method using LULC data for the study periods, with their corresponding modified ESVs coefficients. The results revealed that, the proportions of grassland, forestland and shrubland declined by 58.5 %, 48.15 % and 33.48 %, respectively, from 1992 to 2022. Simultaneously, the highest rate of expansions of waterbodies (34 times), farmland and settlement threefold as well as bareland (60.2 %) from 1992 to 2022 was noticed. As a result, decreasing trends were experienced in the total ESVs of the district from US$33.6 million in 1992 to US$27.79 million in 2022, and are anticipated to further decline to US$25.94 million in 2052. The ESVs of forestland, shrubland and grassland shrank from 53.1 %, 40 % and 2.78 % in 1992 to 33.28 %, 33.16 % and 1.4 % in 2022 these changes are anticipated to continue for the next three decades, except trend for the increase in grassland ecosystem service value. Therefore, the government should redesign effective land management strategies to alleviate the negative consequences of LULC changes, facilitate payment for ecosystem services, and design ecotourism to boost the income of residents for major land use management-based production systems to increase the ESV in the district.

Multi-scenario simulation and evaluation of the impacts of land use change on ecosystem service values in the Chishui River Basin of Guizhou Province, China

Changes in land-use patterns are the main driving factors of ecosystem service values (ESVs). The quantitative evaluation of ESVs is significant for the sustainable development of ecologically fragile areas. In this study, the Chishui River Basin (CRB) in China was selected as the study region, and an intensity map (IM) was used to analyze the transformation of land use/land cover (LULC). The modified equivalent coefficient value method was used to evaluate the ESVs based on the 2000, 2010, and 2020 land use datasets. The spatial and temporal distributions of ESV and its response to changes in LULC were analyzed using the Getis-Ord Gi* statistical method and Spearman’s rank correlation analysis. Moreover, spatial and temporal changes in LULC and ESV over the next 30 years in the four development scenarios were simulated using the Markov-PLUS model. The following results were obtained: 1) The farmland and forestland were the dominant LULC categories, and that the LULC pattern dramatically changed in the study area; 2) the total ESV of the CRB decreased significantly from 23.21 billion yuan in 2000 to 22.29 billion yuan in 2020; and 3) the ecological conservation scenario significantly promoted the total ESV, and the town development scenario was more conducive to the urbanization process. Therefore, although the ESV of the CRB showed a decreasing to slowly increasing trend in the context of a series of ecological restoration measures, scientific ecological protection and development policies must be continuously implemented to achieve harmony between ecological service improvement and urbanization development. Our results provide important information for making land-use decisions and facilitating sustainable development in ecologically protected basins.

Land-Use Transitions Impact the Ecosystem Services Value in a Coastal Region by Coupling the Geo-Informatic Tupu and Benefit-Transfer Method: The Case of Ningde City, China

Exploring the mechanisms and processes of land-use transitions (LUTs) and their impact on ecosystem services can effectively elucidate the intricate interactions between human and natural systems, which is pivotal for advancing the sustainable development of regional economies and enhancing ecological environments. However, the existing literature lacks comprehensive analysis regarding the spatial and temporal evolution of LUTs, with insufficient integration of the “spatial pattern” and “time process”. Moreover, traditional assessments of the ecosystem services value (ESV) often overlook their negative costs. To address these gaps, this study first utilized the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform and employed the random forest algorithm to conduct supervised classification on Landsat remote-sensing images from the years 2000, 2010, and 2020 within the research area, thereby obtaining land-use data for three distinct periods. And then, we investigated the geographic features of LUTs and their ecological effects in the Ningde City of China from 2000 to 2020. The geo-informatic Tupu model and a newly revised method of benefit transfer were primarily employed for this purpose. The findings indicate the following: (1) Over the study period, the land-use structure of Ningde City predominantly comprised cultivated land and forest land, with continuous decreases in both types and a concurrent increase in built-up land. (2) Significant disparities exist in the spatial distribution of Tupu units, notably with “forest land → cultivated land” and “cultivated land → built-up land” as crucial units influencing ESV changes. (3) The ESV in Ningde City decreased from CNY 1105.54 × 108 to CNY 1020.47 × 108 over 2000–2020, while the ecosystem dis-services value exhibited an opposing trend, rising from CNY 12.68 × 108 to CNY 20.39 × 108. (4) The net ESV in Ningde City showed a decline over the same period, indicating a certain vulnerability in the city’s ecological system structure. This study aims to enhance our understanding of the influence of land-use patterns on ESV, offering valuable insights for regional ecological–environment management and land-use policy formulation, thereby fostering sustainable development in ecological, environmental, and socio-economic dimensions. Furthermore, the results serve as a reference for evaluating net ecosystem services value in other countries/regions.

Multi-Scenario Land Use Optimization Simulation and Ecosystem Service Value Estimation Based on Fine-Scale Land Survey Data

Land optimization simulation and ecosystem service value (ESV) estimation can better serve land managers in decision-making. However, land survey data are seldom used in existing studies, and land optimization constraints fail to fully consider land planning control, and the optimization at the provincial scale is not fine enough, which leads to a disconnection between academic research and land management. We coupled ESV, gray multi-objective optimization (GMOP), and patch-generating land use simulation (PLUS) models based on authoritative data on land management to project land use and ESV change under natural development (ND), rapid economic development (RED), ecological land protection (ELP), and sustainable development (SD) scenarios in 2030. The results show that construction land expanded dramatically (by 97.96% from 2000 to 2020), which encroached on grassland and cropland. This trend will continue in the BAU scenario. Construction land, woodland, and cropland are the main types of land used for expansion, while grassland and unused land, which lack strict use control, are the main land outflow categories. From 2000 to 2030, the total amount of ESV increases steadily and slightly. The spatial distribution of ESV is significantly aggregated and the agglomeration is increasing. The policy direction and land planning are important reasons for land use changes. The land use scenarios we set up can play an important role in preventing the uncontrolled expansion of construction land, mitigating the phenomenon of ecological construction, i.e., “governance while destruction”, and promoting food security. This study provides a new approach for provincial large-scale land optimization and ESV estimation based on land survey data and provides technical support for achieving sustainable land development.

Dynamic simulation and projection of ESV changes in arid regions caused by urban growth under climate change scenarios.

Spatial simulation and projection of ecosystem services value (ESV) changes caused by urban growth are important for sustainable development in arid regions. We developed a new model of cellular automata based grasshopper optimization algorithm (named GOA-CA) for simulating urban growth patterns and assessing the impacts of urban growth on ESV changes under climate change scenarios. The results show that GOA-CA yielded overall accuracy exceeding 98%, and FOM for 2010 and 2020 were 43.2% and 38.1%, respectively, indicating the effectiveness of the model. The prairie lost the highest economic ESVs (192 million USD) and the coniferous yielded the largest economic ESV increase (292 million USD) during 2000-2020. Using climate change scenarios as urban future land use demands, we projected three scenarios of the urban growth of Urumqi for 2050 and their impacts on ESV. Our model can be easily applied to simulating urban development, analyzing its impact on ESV and projecting future scenarios in global arid regions.

Assessing the impact of Land use changes on ecosystem services in the Alledighe rangeland, Ethiopia

Understanding the ecological, social, and economic values of protected areas, as well as assessing the services they provide to both humans and the environment is crucial for informing conservation policies and sustainable land management practices. Using the benefits transfer method, changes in ecosystem service values (ESVs) resulting from spatiotemporal land use dynamics were evaluated in the Alledighe Wildlife Reserve (AWR) spanning from 1998 to 2016. Five distinct habitat types, namely grassland, bushland, woodland, riverine forest, and highland forest, were identified across the landscape. The ESVs were estimated using regional and global ESV values. A decline in the extent of grassland, woodland, and riverine forests by 9.9%, 2.4%, and 1.5%, respectively, was observed while bushland and highland forests increased by 10.6% and 3.3%, respectively. The AWR experienced a loss of roughly 145 km2 of grassland habitat. Based on regional and global ESVs, total ESVs in the study area decreased by 28.18% from approximately US$ 180 million to approximately US$ 129 million, and by 40.85% from approximately US$ 496 million to approximately US$ 293 million. As per individual ESV assessment, the total ESV decreased by 41% from around US$ 374.5 million to US$ 264.8 million. Provisioning service declined by 41.6% from US$ 100 million to US$ 70.6 million. Regulating service declined by 42.5% from US$ 242.4 million to US$ 170 million. Supporting service declined by 67% from US$ 5.3 million to US$ 3.2 million, and cultural service decreased by 27.8% from US$ 26.7 million to US$ 20.8 million. The larger ESV change was contributed by the expansion of forestland and bushland across previously grassland-dominated areas. The results of this study could render the value of the rangeland more visible in the decision-making process, as well as provide valuable input for future planning and management interventions of the AWR's pristine rangeland, thereby enhancing ecosystem services and the livelihoods of the surrounding communities.

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.

Spatial and temporal changes in ecosystem services value and analysis of driving factors in the Yangtze River Delta Region

Abstract Based on land use classification data for the Yangtze River Delta region in 2000, 2015, and 2020, this study aims to explore the spatial and temporal evolution of ecosystem services value (ESV) in the region. By analyzing the land use structure and its dynamic changes, an ESV model is constructed. Furthermore, the study utilizes a geodetector to analyze the driving factors of ESV in the Yangtze River Delta region. The findings are as follows: (1) From 2000 to 2020, arable land was the predominant land use type in the Yangtze River Delta region. (2) The ESV in the region showed an upward trend followed by a decline from 2000 to 2020. Regulating services and supporting services have always been the core functions of ecosystem services in the region, with hydrological regulation contributing the most. (3) From a spatial perspective, there were significant differences in the spatial distribution of AESV (aggregated ecosystem services value) in the Yangtze River Delta region. The AESV changes in various cities within the region were evident, with a decreasing trend observed in most cities. (4) The sensitivity index of each land use type was less than 1, with forest land exhibiting the highest sensitivity and having the greatest impact on ESV. (5) Geodetector analysis revealed that the AESV in the Yangtze River Delta region is influenced by a combination of regional natural factors, economic factors, and social factors, and the interaction among different driving forces significantly enhances the spatial heterogeneity of AESV in the region.

Ecosystem service valuation and multi-scenario simulation in the Ebinur Lake Basin using a coupled GMOP-PLUS model

The Ebinur Lake Basin is an ecologically sensitive area in an arid region. Investigating its land use and land cover (LULC) change and assessing and predicting its ecosystem service value (ESV) are of great importance for the stability of the basin's socioeconomic development and sustainable development of its ecological environment. Based on LULC data from 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020, we assessed the ESV of the Ebinur Lake Basin and coupled the grey multi-objective optimization model with the patch generation land use simulation model to predict ESV changes in 2035 under four scenarios: business-as-usual (BAU) development, rapid economic development (RED), ecological protection (ELP), and ecological–economic balance (EEB). The results show that from 1990 to 2020, the basin was dominated by grassland (51.23%) and unused land (27.6%), with a continuous decrease in unused land and an increase in cultivated land. In thirty years, the total ESV of the study area increased from 18.62 billion to 67.28 billion yuan, with regulation and support services being the dominant functions. By 2035, cultivated land increased while unused land decreased in all four scenarios compared with that in 2020. The total ESV in 2035 under the BAU, RED, ELP, and EEB scenarios was 68.83 billion, 64.47 billion, 67.99 billion, and 66.79 billion yuan, respectively. In the RED and EEB scenarios, ESV decreased by 2.81 billion and 0.49 billion yuan, respectively. In the BAU scenario, provisioning and regulation services increased by 6.05% and 2.93%, respectively. The ELP scenario, focusing on ecological and environmental protection, saw an increase in ESV for all services. This paper can assist policymakers in optimizing land use allocation and provide scientific support for the formulation of land use strategies and sustainable ecological and environmental development in the inland river basins of arid regions.

Assessing the value and sensitivity of ecosystem services based on land use in the middle and lower reaches of the Shiyang River

In response to increasing ecological and environmental challenges in arid areas, it is of great significance to investigate the ecosystem service value (ESV), accompanying the changes in ecological sensitivity for the protection of ecologically vulnerable areas. Our analysis seeks to elucidate the ESV and ecological sensitivity changes in the middle and lower reaches of the Shiyang River to determine the trends and influencing factors of ESV under changing land use patterns. The key findings include: (1) From 1995 to 2020, the ESV in the study area witnessed fluctuations, culminating in an overall decline of 1.249 × 108 yuan. (2) In 2020, sensitivity coefficients (CSs) for ESV were as follows: 0.4335 for grassland, 0.2586 for farmland, and 0.1170 for unused land within the study area. Furthermore, coefficients of improved cross-sensitivity (CICSs) for the reciprocal transformation of farmland, grassland, and unused land were 1.10, 1.18, and 1.54, respectively, indicating the pivotal role of the three land types in driving ESV fluctuations.

Detecting the effects of opencast mining on ecosystem services value in arid and semi-arid areas based on time-series remote sensing images and Google Earth Engine (GEE)

Ecosystem Services Value (ESV) are the various beneficial functions and products that natural ecosystems provide to humans, and are important indicators for evaluating ecosystem conditions and human well-being. Opencast mining is one of the human activities that severely damage the surface environment, but its long-term impact on ecosystem services lacks systematic assessment. This study takes the Ordos opencast mining area as an example, and calculates the value of ESV from 1990 to 2020 based on the Google Earth Engine platform. Mann-Kendall Tau-b with Sen’s Method (Sen + mk test) and Joinpoint regression model were used to analyzes its spatiotemporal variation characteristics. Further revealed the impacts of opencast mining on ESV as well as the trend of ESV changes. The results show that: (1) The dynamic ESV levels in the study area fluctuated considerably from 1990 to 2020 with an overall decreasing trend of 89.45%. (2) Among nine types ecosystem services, most of them were significantly different (p < 0.001) between mining areas and control areas, with biodiversity protection (BP), climate regulation (CR), gas regulation (GR), soil formation and retention (SFR), water supply (WS) and waste treatment (WT) showed a significant decrease between 1990 and 2020. (3) In the past 30 years, the ESV of the study area showed an overall improvement trend, where the improved area accounted for 48.45% of the total area of the study area. However, the degraded area also accounted for 21.28, and 17.19% of the area belonged to severe degradation. With 67% of the significantly degraded areas distributed within mining concessions. (4) The trend of ESV changes in the mining impact areas and the control area showed significant differences. The ESV of the control area increased continuously, with an average annual percentage change (AAPC) of 0.7(95%CI:0.50 ~ 0.9, P < 0.001) from 1990 to 2020; while the ESV of the mining impact areas first stabilized and then decreased significantly, with an AAPC of − 0.2(95%CI:− 0.3 ~ − 0.1,P < 0.001) from 1990 to 2020. This study provides scientific support for formulating ecosystem management, restoration plans, and payment for ecosystem service policies, which is conducive to achieving regional sustainable development and improving human well-being.

Estimation of the Ecosystem Service Value of the Yellow River Delta-Laizhou Bay Coastal Zone Considering Regional Differences and Social Development.

With economic and societal development, the ecological environment of the Yellow River Delta-Laizhou Bay coastal zone has been seriously damaged. Exploring the changes in land use and ecosystem service value (ESV) is essential to ecological construction of the region. The random forest classification method was used for land cover interpretation of the four periods of remote sensing images in the study area from 1990 to 2020. Newly calculated regional difference coefficients and social development coefficients were used to construct a dynamic ESV assessment model and to study its changes from overall and sea‒land gradient perspectives. The results showed that construction land, salt pans, aquaculture ponds, and inland water masses expanded rapidly, while cropland, tidal flats, and shallow waters shrank sharply over the past 30 years. The ESV in the study area has continued to decrease from 34.47 billion yuan in 1990 to 25.23 billion yuan in 2020, a total decrease of 9.23 billion yuan. This is mostly due to the encroachment of construction land, salt pans, and aquaculture ponds, and the flow of ecosystem services from high-value land cover types (tidal flats, herbaceous wetlands, and cropland) to medium- and low-value land cover types. Moreover, the land cover transfer and ESVs exhibited a decreasing trend from sea to land, with significant sea-land gradient differences. Land conversion is most common in the 0-15 km coastal zone, mainly from natural wetlands to artificial wetlands, where the ESV also decreases rapidly. Considering the regional differences and social development in this paper, the ESV of small-scale areas can be reasonably evaluated to explore the characteristics and causes of changes in land use and ESVs, which can provide an important reference for ecological protection and land use management in the region.

Spatial-Temporal Heterogeneity of Ecosystem Service Value Driven by Nature-Human Activity-Policy in a Representative Fragile Karst Trough Valley, SW China

Most studies on the ecosystem service value (ESV) only focus on spatial/temporal heterogeneity or single driving effects, but little is known about the combined effects of nature-human activity-policy on ESV in the fragile karst areas. This study aimed to investigate the spatial-temporal heterogeneity of ESV between 1990 and 2020 in a representative karst trough valley in SW China. The dynamic degree of land use, the land-use transfer matrix, sensitive analyses, Geo-Detector, and Hot- and cold-spots analyses were used to determine the interactions between ESV and the natural, human activity, and policy-driving factors. The results showed that from 1990 to 2020, forestland accounted for more than 62.32% of the total area, and construction land increased continuously as a result of urbanization. The conversion from forestland to cropland dominated the land-use transfer. The ESV decreased sharply between 1990 and 2000 and slowly increased from 2000 to 2020, causing a total reduction of 562.91 million yuan in ESV, due largely to the occupation of forestland and grassland by cropland. Soil type (8.00%) had the largest explanation rate for the spatial-temporal heterogeneity of ESV, followed by population density (7.71%) and altitude (6.34%). Policy factors not only markedly influenced the ecosystem structure and function and tradeoff and synergy but also regulated their interactions with other driving factors. Our results have great significance for understanding the interaction effect of natural sources and human activities on changes in ESV in karst areas.

Spatiotemporal response of ecosystem services to tourism activities in urban forests

Tourism in urban forests is rapidly becoming an increasing trend; however, rather few studies have used quantitative measurement to describe the relationship between tourism intensity and ecological functions. This study provides a practical framework that integrates ecosystem service value (ESV) assessment, Internet big data mining and spatial regression analysis to identify the spatial response of ESV and land use/land cover change to tourism activities from 2009 to 2019 in the Siming Mountain Region (SMR), a famous tourist resort located in the eastern coastal China. Results showed that between 2009 and 2019 total ESV increased by 7.1%. Nevertheless, there have been drastic transitions in land use types with function adjustments from traditional agricultural production to diversified tourism-oriented services. Significant spatial autocorrelation was identified for the patterns of ESV changes. GWR further highlighted that the relationship between ESV change and rural tourism indicators varied in space. ESV change in the core zone was negatively correlated with changes in catering service spots and recreational venues, whereas it was positively correlated with local lodgings. Ultimately, targeted recommendations and countermeasures for spatial planning and sustainable tourism development of urban forests under new circumstances were discussed.

Spatiotemporal Analysis of the Impacts of Land Use Change on Ecosystem Service Value: A Case from Guiyang, China

The significance of ecosystem services and land use for human well-being and sustainable development cannot be understated. Scientifically assessing the ecosystem service value (ESV) and studying the relationship between land use change and the ESV can provide a theoretical groundwork for land use planning and ecological administration in Guiyang. In this study, gradient analysis was utilized to explore the changes of ESV at district level of Guiyang. Then, the synergistic relationship and the strength of the interaction between land use intensity (LUI) and ESV were explored by using a coupled coordination model and spatial autocorrelation analysis. Furthermore, polynomial fitting was carried out for the LUI index and its linked coordination index in relation to the ESV. The results showed that (1) the areas of farmland, forest, grassland, and unused land in Guiyang decreased from 2000 to 2020, while the areas of construction land and water body increased conversely. (2) The expansion of the construction land and water body was the main cause of the ESV change pattern in Guiyang, which first moved downward and then upward. (3) The ESV and LUI had a low overall coupling coordination degree (CCD). Spatial autocorrelation studies showed that low–to–low aggregation and high–to–high aggregation dominated the spatial patterns of essential regions. (4) The LUI and CCD indexes exhibited an inverted U-shaped curve correlation.

Land Use/Cover-Related Ecosystem Service Value in Fragile Ecological Environments: A Case Study in Hexi Region, China

The monetary value assigned to ecosystems and their essential goods and services is known as ecosystem service value (ESV). Fragile ecological environments, susceptible to climate change and human disturbances, require significant ecological protection. This protection is vital not only for stabilizing socio-economic conditions but also for fostering a positive feedback loop within natural systems. Looking ahead, identifying priority conservation areas and regions of particular concern in fragile environments based on ESV changes is a proactive approach. Until now, current studies on ESV in fragile ecological environments have been insufficient, falling short of adequately serving the purpose of ecological protection in such areas. The Hexi region (HXR), situated in the interlaced area of the Qilian Mountains and the Alxa Plateau in northwest China, possesses a fragile ecological environment. Due to the intricate interactions between humans and the environment, it stands out as a crucial area for studying ecosystem services in fragile habitats. Hence, this study aims to systematically analyze the ESV in the HXR over the past 30 years. Here, the values of 11 ecosystem service categories in HXR during 1990–2020 were calculated, clarifying their spatiotemporal difference and dynamic changes based on land use/cover (LULC) products for years 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020, using an improved equivalent factors method. The findings revealed that the unit standard equivalent factor is 1.51 × 105 CNY·km−2·a−1, and the total ESV value has grown from CNY 182.50 to 185.48 billion from 1990 to 2020. Hydrologic regulation, climate regulation, and soil conservation service values are the principal single ESV categories across HXR. Over the past three decades, ESV changes in HXR have been primarily driven by water area, grassland, and wetland, with the sensitivity of ESV to LULC generally increasing (0.15~9.10%). Natural forcing and anthropogenic perturbations have combined to cause changes in LULC in HXR, influencing ESV fluctuations. Future ecosystem protection activities in HXR should prioritize the maintenance of grasslands, water regions, and wetlands to ensure the preservation of ESV. This study clarifies the impacts of LULC change on ESV in fragile natural environments and highlights the significance of focusing on ESV changes for the health promotion of natural-social systems. The findings provide a foundation for constructing a sustainable development model that is in harmony with both people and the environment.