Natural Services Research Articles

Overview and evolutionary path of Estonian coastal lagoons

Coastal lagoons are highly productive and biologically diverse landscape features that sustain a range of valuable natural services to societies. Acting as an interface between land and sea, they evolve naturally, but are also vulnerable to various forms of human activity. Based on old cartographic material, LiDAR elevation data, Holocene sea level histories, and shoreline modelling, we study the development of coastal lagoons on the postglacially uplifting, tideless coast of the brackish water Baltic Sea. Ecological succession of habitats along the path from bays to semi-enclosed lagoons, coastal lakes or bogs is discussed utilizing community structure analysis of habitat building bottom vegetation. There are about 600 lagoons in Estonia, but they are typically small (bigger ones up to 6 km2) and mostly <1 m deep. Due to ongoing postglacial uplift (1.5−3.4 mm/a), lagoons are just a relatively short (50−500-years long) transitional phase in a long (up to ∼10 000-years) succession. Locating at an altitude of up to 20−30 m, some older, more resilient palaeolagoons can be nowadays distinguished as lakes or bogs, while smaller ones have blended into the surrounding landscape. The contemporary lagoons are ephemeral too, because the emerging terrain has already been flattened by erosion and sedimentation. After separation from the sea, the brackish water habitat is gradually replaced with freshwater habitat and both biodiversity and plants coverage usually increases. As organic deposits build up, low-growth shores are replaced with high-growth vegetation; reedbeds expand. Detached from their marine past, communities typical for lakes, fens, bogs or forests are finally formed. As a result of eutrophication, ongoing climate change and sea level rise, the balance between emergence of new lagoons and their disappearance due to distancing and swamping has shifted over the past 100 years.

Multi-Interacting Natural and Anthropogenic Stressors on Freshwater Ecosystems: Their Current Status and Future Prospects for 21st Century

The inheritance of historic human-induced disruption and the fierceness of its impact change aquatic ecosystems. This work reviews some of the main stressors on freshwater ecosystems, focusing on their effects, threats, risks, protection, conservation, and management elements. An overview is provided on the water protection linked to freshwater stressors: solar ultraviolet radiation, thermal pollution, nanoparticles, radioactive pollution, salinization, nutrients, sedimentation, drought, extreme floods, fragmentation, pesticides, war and terrorism, algal blooms, invasive aquatic plants, riparian vegetation, and invasive aquatic fish. Altogether, these stressors build an exceptionally composite background of stressors that are continuously changing freshwater ecosystems and diminishing or even destroying their capability to create and maintain ongoing natural healthy products and essential services to humans. Environmental and human civilization sustainability cannot exist without the proper management of freshwater ecosystems all over the planet; this specific management is impossible if the widespread studied stressors are not deeply understood structurally and functionally. Without considering each of these stressors and their synergisms, the Earth’s freshwater is doomed in terms of both quantitative and qualitative aspects.

A cross-cultural comparison of island vacation experience: empirical evidence from the Maldives

ABSTRACT This study compares the characteristics of Chinese and Western island vacation experience. Social network analysis was performed with 30 Chinese travel notes and 30 English travel notes, respectively. The results include: (1) The density and centralization of the Chinese island vacation experience network are lower than those of their Western counterparts; (2) Natural resources, tourism services, and recreational activities are the key dimensions of Chinese and Western island vacation experience, and seven common core experience elements exist; (3) The combination of “seascape-wild animals and plants-people” is preferred by both Chinese and Western tourists. Differences, however, exist between the two groups.

Study of adoption of artificial intelligence technology-driven natural large language model-based chatbots by firms for customer service interaction

Purpose The purpose of this study was to comprehend the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technology-driven natural large language model (LLM)-based chatbots by customers. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research study method was conducted. This was to explore managerial perspectives towards consumer centric technology adoption of AI plus LLM-based chatbots. This was specifically for AI-driven natural LLM-based chatbots services. The author conducted conducted in-depth personal interviews with 32 experts of digital content AI + LLM chatbot services. Thematic content analysis was undertaken to analyse the data. Findings The advent of natural language processing tools driven by AI technology chatbots has altered human-firm interaction. The research findings indicated that the push-pull-mooring (PPM) factors captured the phenomenon in the most comprehensive way. A total of 15 key factors influencing the adoption of AI technology-driven natural LLM-based chatbots by customers during firm customer interaction were identified in this study by the author. The thematic content analysis unraveled insights regarding transformed consumer adoptions towards AI-driven LLM-based chatbots by means of the PPM framework factors. Research limitations/implications The empirical research investigation contributed to the literature on the PPM theoretical framework. This was specifically in the context of adoption of AI technology-driven natural LLM-based chatbots by customers during firm customer interaction. Practical implications The research study insights would help managers to restructure and reconfigure their organizational processes. This would neccessiated a shift in firm-customer interactions as demanded because of the availability of AI technology-driven natural LLM-based chatbots by customers. Originality/value This research study was based upon the PPM theoretical framework. This study provided a unique analysis of the altered firm customer interaction needs and requirements. This was one of the first studies that applied the framework of PPM theory regarding the adoption of AI technology-driven natural LLM-based chatbots by customers.

Study on the Ecological Compensation Standard in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China under the Perspective of Natural Capital Supply and Demand

The fundamental component of the ecological compensation system, as well as the crucial basis for its efficient functioning, is calculating the ecological compensation amount and establishing the ecological compensation standard. This study integrates the ecological footprint with natural capital monetization and other methods by introducing a natural capital accounting system. From the standpoint of natural capital supply and demand, it also builds an accounting framework for ecological compensation standards that is standardized, dynamic, and regionally differentiated while taking local socioeconomic aspects into account. We determined the amount of ecological compensation by using Xinjiang as the research object and calculating and analyzing the features of regional and temporal changes in the monetary and physical quantities of natural capital in Xinjiang from 2010 to 2020. The findings show that from 2010 to 2020, Xinjiang’s ecological footprint increased by 1.26 times in physical terms and 1.21 times in monetary terms and that its ecological carrying capacity increased by 4.13% in physical terms and 9.42% in monetary terms. The ecological deficit continues to grow in physical and monetary terms, with a per capita ecological deficit in 2020 of 19.92 s-nha/cap and 70,100 CNY/cap in physical and monetary terms, respectively. The amount of ecological compensation required to be paid in Xinjiang increased from CNY 5659 million to CNY 10,259 million, and the per capita ecological compensation payment standard increased from 259.42 CNY/cap/yr to 396.11 CNY/cap/yr. In summary, Xinjiang’s natural capital supply is insufficient to meet the demand for consumption, and the ecological deficit is growing with time, necessitating the payment of ecological compensation. The study’s results lay the foundation for formulating and implementing ecological compensation policies in Xinjiang and provide theoretical support for constructing ecological civilization in Xinjiang. In addition, the ecological compensation accounting framework constructed in this study organically integrates natural capital theory, ecosystem services, and socioeconomic influencing factors, which enriches the methodology of accounting for ecological compensation standards, and, at the same time, can be used as a paradigm of a dynamic and equitable ecological compensation accounting framework to further promote its use at different scales and regions.

Digital Transformation and Innovation and Business Ecosystems: A Bibliometric Analysis for Conceptual Insights and Collaborative Practices for Ecosystem Innovation

This research aims to provide an ecosystem-inspired approach to digital transformation (DT) for sustainable innovations by reviewing state-of-the-art research. Focusing on DT innovation pathways for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a DT innovation roadmap incorporating various notions of ecosystems can thus be developed based on the findings in response to advancements in the “Helix” models of innovation and policy progress in green digital transformation.Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, a bibliographic search was conducted in the Web of Science (WoS) database. A bibliometric analysis was then performed, leading to various science mapping outcomes. The research findings suggest practical DT innovation pathways for stakeholders aiming to achieve SDGs and a DT innovation roadmap to assist researchers in navigating the evolving innovation landscape.Since 2007, research output has experienced rapid growth, especially after 2018, with active contributions from countries such as China, Australia, England, and Italy, as well as affiliations such as Guangzhou Nanfang College, Curtin University, and Harvard University. The findings, including a performance overview, a set of clustering analyses of concepts and themes, the conceptual and intellectual structure, and an SDG identification table, provide the basis for the proposed Green Digital Transformation (GDT) innovation roadmap with DT innovation pathways.This research is the first to conduct a bibliometric analysis and science mapping of the DT literature focusing on innovation and business ecosystems. The proposed GDT innovation roadmap outlines the usefulness of the concept of “ecosystem innovation,” integrating the natural ecosystem, ecosystem services, ecosystem economy, business ecosystem, innovation ecosystem, and digital ecosystems, thereby calling for the eco-design of DT strategies that foster alignment and partnership across sectors and disciplines.

ЦЕНА ПРИРОДЫ: ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКАЯ ОЦЕНКА ЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ РЕСУРСОВ И ЕЕ РОЛЬ В УСТОЙЧИВОМ РАЗВИТИИ

The article is devoted to the assessment of environmental resources and their role in sustainable development. In the modern world, awareness of the importance of nature conservation and sustainable use of its resources is becoming increasingly relevant. The features of the economic assessment of natural resources and ecosystem services are considered, as well as the principles and methods of determining their value are analyzed. Special attention is paid to the problems related to the need to integrate the economic assessment of nature into decision-making processes at the level of public policy and business. The importance of taking into account the ecological value of natural resources and ecosystem services in economic models and management practices is emphasized. It is concluded that it is necessary to develop mechanisms that contribute to a more accurate and objective assessment of the value of nature and its consideration in sustainable development.

GIS-BASED REAL-TIME GAS LEAK DETECTION SYSTEM AT BASKENT NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION COMPANY

Abstract. Natural gas has been used for heating and production purposes in Turkey since 1987, and every passing year, the natural gas pipeline network continues to expand with investments. The distribution of natural gas within urban areas is achieved through a complex network structure formed by the joining of Polyethylene (PE) and Steel (ST) pipes using various connection elements. This complex structure is susceptible to deformation over time due to various reasons such as corrosion in steel lines, manufacturing errors in connection elements in PE lines, and other factors. As a result, natural gas leaks occasionally occur in these pipelines. The leakage control process in natural gas pipelines is carried out using specially designed equipment and vehicles equipped for this purpose. However, while these systems may be sufficient for collecting the necessary data for leak detection, the complex structure of the distribution network and the necessary data for leak detection, the complex structure of the distribution network and the necessity of performing this process with multiple teams bring about many challenges in terms of tracking, management, and reliability of the operation. At this point, the advancement of GIS (Geographic Information System), mobile, and communication technologies has made it possible to overcome these challenges. In this study, a real-time GIS-supported leak detection system developed using these technologies for Başkent Natural Gas Distrubition Inc. (Başkentgaz), which provides natural gas distribution services in Ankara, has been described. The study discusses the benefits brought by this system to the natural gas leak detection process.

The global atlas of edible insects: analysis of diversity and commonality contributing to food systems and sustainability

The future of the food system on the planet is increasingly facing uncertainties that are attributable to population growth and a surge in demand for nutritious food. Traditional agricultural practices are poised to place strain on production, as well as natural resources and ecosystem services provided, particularly under a changing climate. Given their remarkable attributes, including a low environmental footprint, high food conversion ratio, rapid growth and nutritional values, edible insects can play a vital role in the global food system. Nonetheless, substantial knowledge gaps persist regarding their diversity, global distribution, and shared characteristics across regions, potentially impeding effective scaling and access to edible insects. Therefore, we compiled and analysed the fragmented database on edible insects and identified potential drivers that elucidate insect consumption, globally, focusing on promoting a sustainable food system. We collated data from various sources, including the literature for a list of edible insect species, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and iNaturalist for the geographical presence of edible insects, the Copernicus Land Service library for Global Land Cover, and FAOSTAT for population, income, and nutritional security parameters. Subsequently, we performed a series of analytics at the country, regional and continental levels. Our study identifies 2205 insect species, consumed across 128 countries globally. Among continents, Asia has the highest number of edible insects (932 species), followed by North America (mainly Mexico) and Africa. The countries with the highest consumption of insects are Mexico (450 species), Thailand (272 species), India (262 species), DRC (255 species), China (235 species), Brazil (140 species), Japan (123 species), and Cameroon (100 species). Our study also revealed some common and specific practices related to edible insect access and utilisation among countries and regions. Although insect consumption is often rooted in cultural practices, it exhibits correlations with land cover, the geographical presence of potentially edible insects, the size of a country’s population, and income levels. The practice of eating insects is linked to the culture of people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, while increased consciousness and the need for food sustainability are driving most of the European countries to evaluate eating insects. Therefore, edible insects are becoming an increasingly significant part of the future of planetary food systems. Therefore, more proactive efforts are required to promote them for their effective contribution to achieving sustainable food production.

Detection of long-term land use and ecosystem services dynamics in the Loess Hilly-Gully region based on artificial intelligence and multiple models

Balancing intensive development with biodiversity conservation is critical for ecological sustainability. In the Loess Hilly-Gully region, which has experienced significant environmental changes from 1980 to 2020, land use changes are vital for ecosystem service maintenance. However, these processes are susceptible to environmental stressors such as climate change, land degradation, and inadequate land management. Despite recognizing these stressors, their combined impact on land use and ecosystem services is not well understood. This study addresses this gap by utilizing multi-model land use simulations combined with artificial intelligence to analyze changes over the four-decade period. We focused on identifying ecological nodes essential for landscape connectivity, finding that these nodes significantly enhance regional ecosystem services. We also examined the relationship between land use changes and ecosystem services under various environmental stressors within the specified timeframe. Our analysis indicates that land use changes are a strong indicator of ecosystem evolution in these areas. We observed that under natural conditions, land use and ecosystem services interactions are governed by both stochastic and deterministic factors. Interestingly, multiple stressors intensified the stochastic nature of land use changes and the deterministic aspects of ecosystem services. Specifically, climate change, coupled with suboptimal land management, significantly affects this relationship, with climate change being the most influential factor on land use patterns during the studied period. This research offers important insights for improved environmental management and reducing impacts on aquatic ecosystems amid escalating climate change threats.

Tourism firms’ attitudes and willingness to contribute to payments for ecosystem services in tourism

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to contribute to the discussions of the role of tourism firms in maintaining important natural environments and cultural ecosystem services of a tourism destination. More precisely, this study explores the tourism firms’ attitudes and willingness to participate in safeguarding and maintaining cultural ecosystem services in a destination through a tourism-related local payments model, Landscape and Recreation Value Trade (LRVT), developed in the Ruka-Kuusamo area in Finland. Five main themes illustrating tourism firms’ attitudes towards LRVT and willingness to contribute to it were identified: benefits, concerns and challenges, implementation, characteristics of a firm, and need for raising awareness. Based on the findings many of the expressed benefits and challenges of LRVT originate from and are connected to evaluating the impacts on the competitiveness of the firm and the competitive advantages for the destination. The study brings insight into the planning, design, and implementation of voluntary tourism-related payment schemes for ecosystem services, and discusses their potential to enhance ecological conservation, support the local economy, and serve as an incentive for private firms to act in a more sustainable manner.

Ecological Conscience and Peace in the Social Doctrine of the Church

In a time when wars emerge again with their devastating effects, both material and spiritual, there is an indispensable need to build a peace-making culture based on ecological conscience. After highlightening the transdisciplinary process of emergence and development of an ecological conscience through the prophetic insights of scientists, philosophers and theologians, the recent contributions of the Social Doctrine of the Church are summarized with their content of innovation and faith in both a peaceful human society and a sustainable planetary community. Suggestions for ecolinguistic developments and improvements in favor of ecological conscience and peace-bulding attitudes are both recognised and advanced as meaningful tools for positive “framing” in a communication society. Innovative conceptual terms, like natural capital, biosphere, noosphere, anthropocene, ecosystem services, sustainability, integral ecology, ecological spirituality and ecological conversion are recognised as typical eco-linguistic emergences arisen within a context of holistic framing of reality. They constitute the eco-linguistic cascade that has innovated the recent development of the social doctrine of the Church such as that expressed in the Encyclical Letters and in The World Days of Peace Messages for building a culture of peace based on ecological conscience. The Church’s contribution to the advancement of ecological conscience has been exemplary for providing human beings with the necessary spiritual energy to become “peace operators.”

Assessing the Influence of Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) Changes on Hydrological Response of the Timah-Tasoh Reservoir

Changing patterns in land use and land cover (LULC) is potentially due to development pressure. Due to the increase in LULC change, it alters natural ecosystems and changing the composition of the natural ecosystem services. This study provides evidence to support the hypothesis that LULC can influence both inflow and discharge. The objectives of the study were to measure the impact of LULC change on inflow of the Timah-Tasoh reservoir. The study area land cover was reclassified into five categories which included agriculture, built-up areas, forest, vacant land, and water bodies. Based on the effect of LULC on hydrological response, it is observed that the catchment is not sensitive to changes in LULC. Two mains of LULC scenarios were used including deforestation and afforestation. With an increase in CN to 89.26 (deforestation), the inflow rate increases by 2% (342.20 m3/s) compared to the present inflow rate. Meanwhile, the inflow rate will decrease to 0.21% (334.80 m3/s) if the CN value is 80.02 (afforestation). Thus, by using this study’s results, a better method and parameters compatible with another hydrological modelling can be developed for future study.

Importance of wildflowers in Orius insidiosus (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) diet

Abstract The addition of non-crop floral resources is known to improve the fitness of many beneficial arthropods. Orius insidiosus (Say; Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) is a predator of several economically important pests and is known to feed on pollen. Spanish needles, Bidens alba L., and Leavenworth’s tickseed, Coreopsis leavenworthii Torrey &amp; Gray (both Asteraceae), are two Florida native wildflowers that may serve as sources of pollen beneficial to O. insidiosus. The current study investigated the effects of adding flowers from C. leavenworthii and B. alba to the diet of captive O. insidiosus on longevity, nymphal development time, and cannibalism. A mixed diet of flowers and thrips prey increased O. insidiosus adult female longevity. Nymphal development time was reduced when B. alba was added to thrips when compared to a diet of thrips alone. Interestingly, cannibalism was low in all instances, suggesting a negligible effect of cannibalism on O. insidiosus except perhaps in extreme situations. These results indicate that B. alba and C. leavenworthii flowers can increase longevity and fitness of O. insidiosus, thus providing support for the use of these plants to enhance natural enemy services.

Positum MGS Coaching Protocol in the Framework of Positive Group Psychotherapy Training for Specialists Working with Groups of Children and Adults Affected by War, Disasters and Refugee Crises: a Case Study

War brings destruction in the broader sense, forcing millions to flee their homes, and resulting in an increased burden of depression, anxiety, PTSD and other mental and behavioral disorders. This burden grows even more in the framework of pandemics and natural disasters, as social and protection services experience crisis of resources. Providing one-to-one mental health care is no longer feasible for masses of refugee and internally displaced children and adults who need support, and, as a result, the need to have increasing numbers of mental health specialists who intervene in groups becomes more and more emergent. The paper reviews the Positum MGS approach to work with groups of children and adults in refugee settings, and not only, suggests the ‘Positum MGS coaching protocol’ within the framework of group Positive Psychotherapy (PPT after Peseschkian, since 1977)TM. Empirically supported and demonstrated by a case in the paper, the protocol being applied by a Positum MGS trainer or team of trainers, during an in-person training of 4-5 days, helps trainees greatly in learning to use psychosocial transcultural games and related techniques as resilience-building tools with groups of children, adolescents or adults. Either in the position of PPT trainers, psychotherapists, consultants or students, the participants in a Positum MGS core training and coaching or PPT training at basic or master levels with a focus of working with groups, can be supported through the suggested coaching protocol and questions in line with the 5-stage consultation of PPT.

Folklife, Heritage, and the Environment: A Critique of Natural Capital, Ecosystem Services, and Settler Ecology

Abstract From a folklife perspective, I address consequences of thinking of the environment as natural capital that provides ecosystem services to people: services that include heritage, both cultural and natural. I examine contemporary environmental policy to reveal advantages and limitations in thinking of folklife and heritage as ecosystem services, and a need to think beyond ecosystem services to ways that folklore studies may contribute to ecojustice. Natural capital and ecosystem services deem the environment to be a commodity, but ecojustice conceives of nature as a community.

Media-Based Post-Event Impact Analysis of the 2021 Heat Dome in Canada.

The unprecedented 2021 Heat Dome caused wide-ranging and long-lasting impacts in western Canada, including 619 confirmed heat-related deaths in British Columbia, a doubling of emergency medical calls, increased hospitalisations, infrastructure failures and stress on plants and animals. However, such varied socio-economic consequences of extreme heat can be challenging to capture using a single post-event analysis method. Therefore, there is a need to explore alternative approaches and data sources. Using the 2021 Heat Dome as a case study, a post-event analysis using online news media articles (n = 2909) from 5 subscription news databases and a grey literature search was conducted to identify the socio-economic impacts of the extreme heat event in Canada. The articles reported a wide range of effects to the natural environment (n = 1366), social infrastructure and services (n = 1121), human health (n = 1074), critical infrastructure (n = 988) and the private sector (n = 165). The media-based post-event analysis captured various impacts, some of which have not been identified through other data sources and approaches. Overall, we show that media analysis can complement traditional post-event analysis methods and provide additional perspectives to governments and public health and safety officials.

Assessing vegetation cover and valuing ecosystem services in southwestern Ethiopia: Implications for conservation.

The Bench-Sheko zone, parts of the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot, is characterized by its rich biodiversity. However, recent reductions in vegetation cover have drawn concern, highlighting the critical role of remote sensing in monitoring these alterations is critical. Furthermore, this study evaluates the economic value of the ecosystem services rendered by the diverse types of vegetation cover class in the area. The classification of vegetation types and measuring their ecosystem benefits are crucial for monitoring vegetation and analyzing land cover changes. estimating the value of ecosystem services is vital for environmental impact assessments, cost-benefit analyses, and creating payment schemes for these natural services. For the vegetation cover map, it uses Sentinel-2 satellite data and a Random Forest classifier using Google Earth Engine. Based on a properly chosen reference, ecosystem service assessment approaches include benefit transfer, direct market value, and the social cost of carbon. The results highlight the vegetation classes' enormous value and the services they offer. The largest value for Supporting Services (2829.3 USD ha⁻1yr⁻1) is found in the Remnant Forest, which makes up 30.98% of the total area. With the highest value for both cultural services (2847.7 USD ha⁻1yr⁻1) and regulatory services (5063.9 USD ha⁻1yr⁻1), the wetlands, which make up 4.35% of the total area, stand out. The total annual value of all ecosystem services provided by all vegetation classes is estimated to be 2.089 billion USD. When paired with methods for tracking and assessing changes in vegetation cover over time, high-resolution satellite images and precise classification algorithms can offer insightful information on the condition of the environment and support informed decision-making. In order to evaluate and convey to society and policymakers the advantages of vegetation cover, the value of ecosystem services is essential.

The Six Components of Urban Quality of Life: A Case Study in Khan Dangkao of Phnom Penh City

The research study aims to examine and analyze the quality of life and urban communities of Phnom Penh capital city introduced by Muhammed &amp; Abubakar (2019) through the six basic components: health, security, personal development, community development, physical environment, and natural resources, goods, and services. The survey interviewed 250 households of urban residents in Borey and None-Borey for quantitative data and applied participatory approaches for qualitative data. The research finds that the majority of the respondents had good health conditions. However, they were not fully able to access healthcare services. In terms of security, residents in Borey were safer than None-Borey, and most respondents experienced some types of violence’s form but not serious violence. The survey also shows that the respondents in Borey and None-Borey residencies enjoyed spending much time per month visiting green spaces. Regarding community development, the research concludes that the residents in Borey were less engaged in community development than in None-Borey. Moreover, most of the respondents were satisfied with their personal development. Interestingly, residents in Borey were more satisfied with the physical environment. Most respondents were satisfied with their communities’ private and public infrastructure. The research finding suggests and provides appropriate solutions to the current basic components of quality of life.

Assessing Land Use Change and Its Impact on Ecosystem Services in Khulna Conurbation

In this research, the land-use change of Khulna Conurbation has been dissected utilizing Landsat images from 1987 to 2018 through GIS analysis and its effect on the ecosystem has been decided with the assistance of auxiliary information. The study showed that in Khulna Conurbation, built-up territory expanded from 1343 ha to 4332 ha (223%) from 1987 to 2018. On the contrary, vegetation, water bodies, and river area decreased during that period. The ecosystem service values for all land use categories were negative except for urban built-up. The largest amount of decline was observed in the vegetation area (US $ 11.79 million) followed by rivers and water bodies. The built-up is the major contributor to ecosystem services in this area and has largely affected the ecosystem. Proper district and Upazilla level land use plans should be implemented to maintain the sustainable growth of the city and enhancement natural ecosystem services.