Water Yield Services Research Articles

Quantity and spatial imbalance of supply and demand for water yield services in terrestrial ecosystems under different future land use scenarios in Xinjiang, China

Drylands in northwest China have limited water resources, which negatively impacts economic development, ecological security, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. However, few studies have examined water supply and demand under multiple future spatial patterns of land use, particularly under sustainable development scenarios. Further research is therefore needed to determine how affect water output services under various land use patterns. We used the GMOP-PLUS (Gray Multi-objective Optimization-Patch-generating Land Use Simulation) and the InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs) models to investigate future land use programs and the current and future trends in water yield services supply and demand in the typical dryland region of Xinjiang, China. The GMOP-PLUS model was used to project the spatial patterns of land use/land cover (LULC) change in Xinjiang in 2025 and 2030 under programs of business-as-usual, rapid economic development, ecological land protection and sustainable development. We then used the InVEST model to project the spatiotemporal evolution of water yield services supply and demand under the four different scenarios. Our results show that Our results show that water production in Xinjiang decreases to 911.30 × 108 m3 in 2020–2030 under the business-as-usual scenario, with an expansion in arable land and a reduction in forested land being the main causes of this decrease. The decline in water production under the ecological land protection scenario is 913.88 × 108 m3. The retention effect of vegetation slows the decline in water production, but the ecological land protection scenario is not effective in controlling the reduction in arable land. The rapid economic development scenario produces a significant increase in water yield of 915.09 × 108 m3, mainly due to an increase in the area of impervious surfaces caused by the expansion of built-up land; however, the rapid economic development scenario leads to a decreasing trend in ecological land. The sustainable development scenario produces 914.15 × 108 m3 of water. The sustainable development scenario increases water production while balancing the development of Constructed and the protection of ecological land, and the arable land also shows a slow growth trend. Between 2025 and 2030, the water security index fluctuates between –0.0225 and –0.0400, with a continued future deficit in water supply and demand in Xinjiang and a high degree of spatial heterogeneity. Programs for advancing sustainable development narrow the supply–demand gap for services that produce water.

Significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity in drivers of water yield Service in Agro-pastoral Ecotone of Gansu, China

Most previous studies on water yield service (WYs) analyzed the driving factors of WYs from a holistic perspective, but ignored the spatial heterogeneity and development of the driving factors. Using Invest model, Random Forest (RF) model and Geographically and Temporally Weighted (GTWR) model, we first examined the spatial distribution characteristics of WYs in agro-pastoral ecotone of Gansu China (AEGC) from 2000 to 2020. Secondly, the driving mechanism behind the spatiotemporal variation of WYs was discussed. The results show that: (1) In recent 20 years, the average annual WYs of AEGC was 110.52 mm, and the interannual variation showed an upward trend, with an increasing rate of 2.28 mm/a (p < 0.05). WYs are high in the south, low in the north, and high in the northwest. Except for the southeast, WYs remained stable or increased in other regions. (2) The relative importance of the main influencing factors of WYs in AEGC successively were precipitation (1.57), evapotranspiration (1.29), temperature (1.12), population density (1.10), net primary productivity (NPP 1.06), and land use intensity (1.02). (3) Large-scale regional nature conditions are the primary force driving change in WYs, while in small-scale regions, human activities and land use are the primary drivers of WYs. Our research emphasizes that the effects of various influencing factors on WYs are significantly spatiotemporal heterogeneity, and WYs in different regions respond differently to the changes of influencing factors.

Spatial and temporal effect and driving factors of ecosystem service trade-off in the Qingjiang River Basin, China.

Identifying the spatiotemporal differentiation characteristics of trade-offs/synergies relationships of ecosystem service in watersheds and their influencing factors is essential for ecosystem management and regulation. It is of great significance for the efficient allocation of environmental resources and the rational formulation of ecological and environmental policies. We used correlation analysis and root mean square deviation to analyze the trade-offs/synergies relationships among grain provision, net primary productivity (NPP), soil conservation, and water yield service in the Qingjiang River Basin from 2000 to 2020. Then, we analyzed the critical factors affecting the trade-offs of ecosystem services by using the geographical detector. The results showed that grain provision service in the Qingjiang River Basin presented a decreasing trend from 2000 to 2020, and that NPP, soil conservation, as well as water yield service showed an increasing trend. There was a decreasing trend in the degree of trade-offs between grain provision and soil conservation services, NPP and water yield service, and an increasing trend in the intensity of trade-offs between other services. Grain provision and NPP, soil conservation and water yield showed trade-off in the northeast and synergy in the southwest. There was a synergistic relationship between NPP with soil conservation and water yield in the central part and a trade-off relationship in the surrounding area. Soil conservation and water yield showed a high degree of synergy. Land use and normalized difference of vegetation index were the dominant factors in the intensity of trade-offs between grain provision and other ecosystem services. Precipitation, temperature, and elevation were the dominant factors in the intensity of trade-offs between water yield service and other ecosystem services. The intensity of ecosystem service trade-offs was not only affected by a single factor. In contrast, the interaction between the two services or the common factors behind the two services was the determining factor. Our results could provide a reference for developing ecological restoration planning strategies in the national land space.

Identifying the Driving Impact Factors on Water Yield Service in Mountainous Areas of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region in China

Clarifying the interrelationship between climate and land use/land cover (LULC) changes on water yield in mountainous areas is very urgent due to the dramatic decrease in the water availability of mountainous areas. In this study, the InVEST model was used to calculate the water yield of the mountainous area in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region (BTH) from 1980 to 2020, and six scenarios were designed to identify the contribution rates of climate and LULC change on the water yield. The results showed that, in 1980–2020, the water yield in the mountainous area of BTH was the largest in 1990, at 377.95 mm and the smallest in 1980, at 150.49 mm. After 2000, the interannual water yield showed a slightly increasing trend, which was significantly lower than the water yield in 1990, the values ranging from 217.01 mm to 324.65 mm. During the study period, the spatial distribution of the water yield was similar over the years, with high values in the south-central Taihang Mountain (THM) and the northeastern Yanshan Mountain (YSM). The THM was the main water yield area of the mountainous area in BTH. The annual water yield of farmland was the highest, followed by forest land and grassland, while the proportion of volumetric water yield was the largest in forest land with an increasing trend from 1980 to 2020 and the grassland showed a decreasing trend, while that of farmland increased first from 1980 to 2000 and decreased from 2000 to 2020. Climate is the key factor controlling the water yield of the mountainous area in BTH from 1980–2000, 2000 to 2020, and 1980 to 2020. In the period of 2000–2020, the effect of LULC on the water yield is negative, while the effect is positive in 1980–2000 and 1980–2020. The contribution rate of climate to the water yield increases in the THM, Bashang region (BSR) and YSM from the period 1980–2000 to 2000–2020, while that of LULC in those three regions changes from a positive impact in 1980–2000 to a negative impact in 2000–2020, and the contribution rate is also greatly reduced. In the long term, land revegetation will gradually benefit the water yield in the mountainous areas of BTH, including the THM, BSR, and YSM. These results can provide an important scientific and technological reference for the ecological management and protection of water source sites, as well as the planning and utilization of water resources in mountainous areas of BTH.

Evaluation and Prediction of Water Yield Services in Shaanxi Province, China

The water yield module of the InVEST model was used to estimate the water yield and its temporal and spatial variation characteristics in Shaanxi Province from 2000 to 2020. Moreover, the influences of future precipitation changes and land use changes on water yield in Shaanxi Province were discussed in the 2030s and 2050s. The results showed that: (1) from 2000 to 2020, the multi-year average water yields in northern Shaanxi, Guanzhong and southern Shaanxi were 33.23 × 108 m3, 73.75 × 108 m3, and 280.63 × 108 m3, respectively; (2) the spatial pattern of water yield depth displayed a characteristic of gradually increasing from north to south; (3) under the precipitation change scenario, the water yield under different emission scenarios wa s in the order of RCP (Representative Concentration Pathways) 8.5 > RCP2.6 > RCP4.5; under the land use change scenario, the water yield depth of Shaanxi Province as a whole and in the three regions in the 2030s and 2050s showed a decline. The research results can provide scientific support for water ecological security, water resources, and regional high-quality sustainable development in Shaanxi Province.

Evaluation and Quantitative Attribution Analysis of Water Yield Services in the Peak-cluster Depression Basins in Southwest of Guangxi, China

Evaluation and Quantitative Attribution Analysis of Water Yield Services in the Peak-cluster Depression Basins in Southwest of Guangxi, China

成渝地区双城经济圈生态安全格局识别及改善对策

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 成渝地区双城经济圈生态安全格局识别及改善对策 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202111033088 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 中国科学院战略性先导科技专项（XDA23040303）；国家自然科学基金（51779241） Identification and optimization of ecological security pattern in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Zone Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: The National Natural Science Foundation of China (General Program, Key Program, Major Research Plan) 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:成渝地区双城经济圈位于我国长江上游第二阶梯，具有重要的生态屏障功能。基于"源地-廊道"法，选取生境维持、土壤保持、产水服务三大生态系统服务功能作为主要评价指标，识别该区域生态源地，在综合考虑土地利用类型和社会经济要素的情况下设置阻力面，利用最小累积阻力模型提取生态廊道，构建了区域生态安全格局，识别出现存主要问题。研究表明：（1）全区生态源地共507处，共计面积67191km2，主要分布在东西南三方的山地区域；（2）区域整体呈现"三翼-多轴"的生态安全格局，保证了区域生态安全；（3）区域生态安全格局存在生态源地空间分布不均、生态源地破碎、生态源地与人类活动冲突、生态廊道脆弱四大问题。通过进一步讨论问题背后的原因，提出了对应的改善对策，相关结果有望为成渝地区双城经济圈的国土空间布局建设规划提供参考。 Abstract:Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Zone (CCEZ) is located in the second step of the upper reach of the Yangtze River, China. It is characterized by a vitally ecological barrier for maintaining ecological security of the middle and lower reach of the Yangtze River. Identifying the ecological security pattern (ESP) of the CCEZ and their functional problem are thus in urgent needs. This work used "source-corridor" method for identifying ESP of the CCEZ. The method consisted of three steps:identifying ecological sources, setting resistance surface, and extracting ecological corridor. Firstly, three major ecosystem service functions, namely soil conservation, habitat maintenance, and water yield service, were selected as evaluation indicators for recognizing ecological sources of the CCEZ. Then the resistance surface of the CCEZ was generated in a traditional way with carefully considering of land use types and socio-economic factors. Lastly, the ecological corridors were extracted by using the least cumulative resistance model applied to the resistance surface. Thus, the ecological security pattern was identified with the extracted ecological sources and corridors. Finally, the major problems for functioning the ecological security pattern was recognized and the corresponding suggestions for solving such problems were proposed as well. The main results were as follows. (1) There were 507 ecological sources in the CCEZ with a total area of 67191 km2 and were mainly distributed in the mountainous areas in the east, west and south of the CCEZ. (2) With respect to the ecological security pattern, it was generally characterized by a "three wings with multiple arises" which refered to the spatial distribution of the identified ecological sources and corridors. (3) The currently ecological security pattern of the CCEZ had four main problems need to be paid attention:the spatial distribution of ecological sources were uneven, the ecological sources were in fragmentation patterns, many ecological sources were in conflict with human activities spaces, and many ecological corridors were fragile. Therefore, the reasons behind these weaknesses were discussed and the corresponding improvement strategies were suggested in this paper. The findings of this work is expected to be helpful for providing a guidance for planning land use of CCEZ in the future. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Supply and demand relationship of ecosystem services from the perspective of hydropower development

The supply and demand of ecosystem services is a popular research topic, however, studies on ecosystem services related to hydropower are rare. We selected hydropower stations in the Lhasa River of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as the beneficiaries of hydropower development. We then identified three ecosystem services. We assessed the supply of ecosystem services and the demand of hydropower for them. Finally, we discussed the relationship between hydropower and watersheds. The results demonstrated the following: (1) Water yield was 309.0 ± 110.3 mm, with a decreasing spatial pattern from the northeast to the southwest. Soil conservation was 119.2 ± 224.6 t/(hm2⋅a), with a spatial pattern that was high in the southeast and low in the northwest. Flood mitigation was 21.3 ± 2.9 mm, and the lower values were in lower elevation areas. (2) Hydropower has produced demands for the three services. The demand for the water yield of the five stations was 0.45 × 108 m3 − 1.64 × 108 m3. The demand for soil conservation from the Pangduo and Zhikong stations were 7.87 and 4.53 times their storage capacity, respectively. The demand for the flood mitigation of these two stations were 1.49 times and 1.09 times that of their flood regulation storage capacities. (3) The supply of the water yield service was greater than the demand for nearly the entire year, with an ecosystem supply and demand index between 4.73 and 14.06. The supply and demand of soil conservation services was nearly balanced. The flood mitigation service provided by the upstream ecosystem of Pangduo was 70.18 times the demand and 20.58 times the service of Zhikong. The results demonstrated that hydropower has a strong dependence on ecosystem services. This indicated that both enhancement and mitigation should be considered in the design payment of ecosystem service roles.

Evaluating Trade-Off and Synergies of Ecosystem Services Values of a Representative Resources-Based Urban Ecosystem: A Coupled Modeling Framework Applied to Panzhihua City, China

Following significant urban expansion, the ecological problems of resource-based cities are gradually exposed. It is of great significance to study the ecosystem services of resource-based cities to achieve their sustainable development goals and to alleviate the conflicts between environmental protection and the utilization of the surrounding resources. However, in the current research on resource-based cities, few scholars have combined multiple minerals and multiple ecosystem services to explore the impact of mineral resources on the ecosystem. In this study, based on the historical data spanning from 2002 to 2018, we used the CA–Markov model to project the land use of Panzhihua City to 2030. Based on future land use projection, we quantified four ecosystem services (ESs) variables, including water yield, carbon storage, habitat quality, and soil conservation, using the InVEST model from the perspective of land use evolution in Panzhihua City. In addition, we explored the trade-offs and synergies of different ecosystem services and the correlations between different mineral species and ecosystem services using Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Results showed the following: (1) During 2002–2018, water yield service, habitat quality service, and carbon storage service of Panzhihua City decreased year by year, and soil conservation service showed significant fluctuations; most of the low ESs areas were distributed in the central region of Panzhihua. On the contrary, most high ESs areas were located in the forest region. (2) The trade-offs and synergistic relationships among different ecosystem services showed significant spatial variations. There were synergistic relationships among ESs and weak trade-offs between water yield services, soil conservation, and habitat quality services. There was also significant spatial variability in the trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services, with water production services showing “east trade-offs and west synergies” with soil conservation and habitat quality services, and most of the rest showing trade-offs in urban areas. (3) ESs in mining areas showed trade-offs in general, mainly between water production services and carbon storage services, with clay as the major negative factor of mineral species, and iron ore mines that have undergone ecological protection construction showed the lowest negative impact on ecology.

Impact of Agricultural Use of Sand Land on Water Yield Services under Different Development Intensities in the Agro-Pastoral Ecotone of Northern Shaanxi

The impact of development on the ecological environment is a matter of concern, especially in the ecologically fragile agro-pastoral ecotone. The agro-pastoral ecotone of northern Shaanxi (ANS) is a representative region of the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China. The agricultural use of sand land (AUSL) is an effective way to respond to the development needs of this region. The AUSL will certainly have an impact on water yield services in the ANS, where water resources are already scarce. In this study, the Integration Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs Tool (InVEST) model was used to simulate the water yield of the ANS under different intensity scenarios of AUSL. The results showed that AUSL reduces the regional water yield, but the impact is limited. At the maximum scale of development, the total regional water yield decreased by 1.35% compared to the base year of 2020. In terms of distribution pattern, water yield decreased the most in Yuyang District and the least in Fugu County due to the uneven distribution of sand land. At the land use and land cover (LULC) scale, the AUSL has a diminishing effect on the water yield of both cultivated land and sand land due to the more intense evapotranspiration from cropland. This study can provide data and decision support for the ANS region for building the resource-economical and environment-friendly society.

Spatially Non-Stationary Relationships between Changing Environment and Water Yield Services in Watersheds of China’s Climate Transition Zones

Identifying the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of water-related ecosystem services and the mechanisms influencing them is essential for optimizing ecosystem governance and maintaining watershed sustainable development. However, the complex and undiscovered interplay between human activities and natural factors underpins the solutions to the water scarcity and flooding challenges faced by climate transition zone basins. This study used a multiple spatial-scale analysis to: (i) quantify the spatial and temporal variations of the water yield ecosystem service (WYs) of the Wei River Basin (WRB) from 2000 to 2020 using the InVEST model and remote sensing data; and (ii) look at how human activities, climate, topography, and vegetation affect the WYs at the climate transition zone sub-catchment scale using the geographical detector model and multi-scale geographically weighted regression (MGWR). The conclusive research reveals that there would be a gradual increase in WYs between the years 2000 and 2020, as well as a distinct and very different spatial aggregation along the climatic divide. The average yearly precipitation was shown to be particularly linked to the water yield of the WRB. The interplay of human, climatic, plant, and terrain variables has a substantially higher influence than most single factors on the geographical differentiation of WYs. Bivariate enhancement and non-linear enhancement are the most common types of factor interactions. This shows that there are significant interactions between natural and human variables. Our study shows that precipitation and temperature are the main factors that cause WYs in the semi-arid zone. In the semi-humid zone, precipitation and vegetation are the key controlling factors that cause WYs. We provide new perspectives for understanding and optimizing ecosystem management by comparing the drivers of WYS in sub-basins with different climatic conditions. Based on the findings, we recommend that particular attention should be paid to ecosystem restoration practices in watersheds in climatic transition zones.

Trade-off and synergy among ecosystem services and the influencing factors in the Ziwuling Region, Northwest China.

Ecosystem service (ES) bundle is a combination of various ecosystem services, serving as an indicator for the trade-off or synergy relationship among ecosystem services. Identifying the trade-off and synergy within ecosystem service bundles is helpful for realizing regional management and policymaking at the ES-bundle level. In this study, based on the InVEST model, the spatial composition, trade-off, and synergy of ES bundles, and their influencing factors were clarified using correlation analysis, cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and redundancy analysis. The results showed that the ESs in the Ziwuling Region (ZWLR) were generally improved from 2000 to 2017. The high-value area of soil conservation was concentrated in the northern part of the ZWLR, whereas other high-value areas of ESs were concentrated in the central and southern parts. According to the results of the cluster analysis, the ZWLR could be divided into four ES-bundles at pixel level. There was a strong tradeoff between water yield service and soil conservation in the core protected bundle, and a strong tradeoff between habitat quality, water yield service and food production in grain production bundle. The relationship between ESs in ecologi-cal transition bundle and ecologically fragile bundle was dominated by synergetic relationship. The ESs were affec-ted by both natural conditions and human activities. Vegetation cover, precipitation, and elevation had positive effects on the ESs, while temperature, the proportion of construction land, and population density had negative effects.

Spatial heterogeneity and driving factors of ecosystem water yield service in Yunnan Province, China based on Geodetector

Water yield is an important ecosystem service. It is the key to maintain ecological security and sustainable development to accurately grasp the spatial heterogeneity characteristics and identify the key driving factors of water yield in different regions. Taking Yunnan Province with significant geospatial heterogeneity as the research area, we used InVEST model to simulate the temporal and spatial variations of water yield in Yunnan Province from 1992 to 2019. The spatial characteristics of driving factors, such as climate, vegetation, soil, terrain, land use, on water yield service were analyzed through Geodetector. The results showed that water yield of Yunnan Province showed a fluctuating trend of increasing at first and decreasing later from 1992 to 2019, with a similar spatial distribution pattern in each year, and an overall trend of gradually decreasing from northwest, west and southwest to central and east. Climatic factors (precipitation and actual evapotranspiration) were the main driving factors leading to spatial differentiation of water yield. In different watershed divisions, the impact of each driving factor on water yield had significant spatial heterogeneity: the watersheds dominated by precipitation were mainly distributed in the west of Yunling-Yuanjiang line, the Irrawaddy River, the upper reaches of Nujiang River, the lower reaches of Nujiang River, the upper reaches of Lancang River, the upper reaches of Jinsha River, Yuanjiang River and Lixian River areas. As for the east of Yunling-Yuanjiang line, in karst landform areas (Nanguang River, Chishui River, Wujiang River, Youjiang River and Panlong River) and the lower reaches of Jinsha River with high population density and shortage of cultivated land, actual evapotranspiration and land use type were the leading factors controlling the spatial pattern of water yield. The results could provide a reference for water resources management policy and ecological civilization construction in Yunnan Province, with a certain guiding significance to promote the optimization and sustainable development of ecosystem services in complex plateau-mountain area.

Constructing an ecological security pattern in Shenzhen, China, by matching the supply and demand of ecosystem services

Constructing an ecological security pattern by matching the supply and demand of ecosystem services is of great significance for Shenzhen, China. To determine the strategic positioning of sustainable development pioneers and benchmarks for human well-being in a pilot demonstration area of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we selected water yield, carbon sequestration, and recreational services to identifiy the integrated supply and demand status of ecosystem services in Shenzhen using the InVEST model, ecological supply-demand ratio, cell phone signalling data analysis, and circuit theory. An ecological security pattern based on the matching of supply and demand of ecosystem services was constructed. We further examined the impacts of different delimitation boundaries on the area and number of ecological sources. The results showed that the comprehensive ecological supply-demand ratio in Shenzhen generally showed a distribution pattern of abundant in the east and scarce in the west. Among them, water yield services met the demand in terms of quantity and spatial distribution, but carbon sequestration services can not. Recreational services met the demand in terms of quantity, but their spatial distribution was extremely uneven. We identified 25 ecological sources covering a total area of 347.62 km2 and 34 ecological corridors with a total length of 346.06 km. The ecological source area was large in the east and small in the west, while the length of the corridors showed the opposite distribution pattern. Different delineation boundaries had different effects on the area and number of ecological sources. Primary, secondary, and tertiary ecological source areas cover 347.62, 520.84, and 557.58 km2, respectively, showing a gradual increasing trend, the numbers of ecological sources were 25, 35, and 32, showing an increasing then decreasing trend. In Shenzhen, there were important ecological patches that were not included in the ecological control line, and some patches within the ecological control line had poor ecological sustainability. Targeted protection and management policies could be formulated based on such pattern. The results could provide spatial guidance for the delimitation of ecological management and control units in Shenzhen.

Impacts of Climate and Land Use/Cover Change on Water Yield Services in the Upper Yellow River Basin in Maqu County

The upper Yellow River Basin is an important ecological security barrier and a water conservation area in northwest China. The sustainability of its water yield services has generated much concern and debate. Spatial and temporal patterns of water yield factors are considered to be important scientific data. Therefore, the climate and land data of the upper Yellow River Basin in Maqu County are studied. Water yield for the period 1990–2020 was estimated using the water yield module in the InVEST model. Impacts and contribution weights of climate and land use/cover change on regional water yield were also quantified under 12 scenarios. The results indicate that (1) the average water yield in Maqu County has fluctuated and increased in the past 30 years. The increase in rainfall was more pronounced than the increase in potential evapotranspiration. Grassland areas continue to increase and unutilized land areas continue to decrease. (2) The average water yield for different types of land use during this period also varied. It showed grassland > unutilized land > forest > construction land > waterbody > cropland. (3) Climate change has a greater impact on water yield in Maqu County and further increases its contribution to regional water yield. The impact of land use/cover change was smaller and the contribution was smaller.

Water yield service influence by climate and land use change based on InVEST model in the monsoon hilly watershed in South China

Based on the data of meteorological, soil, and land use/land cover (LULC), the InVEST model was used to evaluate the water yield service in the middle and upper Ganjiang River region, which is an important ecological function area in the hilly region of South China. This study discusses the value of parameter Z, the impact of climate and LULC change on water yield service, and complements related studies in the monsoon hilly watershed in South China with obvious precipitation change, which is helpful to understand the ecosystem water service functions in this region. The results show that the water yield was closest to the statistical data of total water resources when the parameter Z value of 1.555. The overall distribution of water yield in the MU-GJR was high in the northeast (middle reaches) and low in the southwest (upper reaches), with minimum of 111.8–315.2 mm/a and maximum of 1679.1–2128.4 mm/a from 1980 to 2018. The northeast was a high importance region where high water yield values were clustered, and the southwest was a low importance region where low water yield values were clustered. Water yield was highest in living space and lowest in ecological space. The relationship between land development and water yield service should be coordinated. Climate change had a more significant impact on water yield service than land use change. The results of this study are consistent with the actual situation and help to investigate and identify important areas of water resources in the monsoonal humid zone.

How to Price Ecosystem Water Yield Service and Determine the Amount of Compensation?—The Wei River Basin in China as an Example

Determining the price of water yield service is the core of watershed compensation. This is necessary to establish a reasonable and scientific compensation mechanism and achieve the efficient management of water. Unlike previous studies, this study establishes a theoretical model of pricing and a compensation mechanism for achieving a balance between the supply and demand of water yield service. A panel threshold model is used to estimate the production elasticity of water for pricing water yield service. Then, we analyze the spatial and temporal changes of the price and the compensation amounts of water yield service in the Wei River basin, China. The results show that: (1) The water marginal contribution to regional GDP meets the law of diminishing marginal return in the form of the threshold effect. When water input amounts (logarithm) are on both sides of 9.449, the marginal contribution is significantly different. (2) The price of water yield service shows an increasing trend. It was CNY 47.27/m3 in 2015, increasing by 472.94% compared with 2000 (CNY 8.24/m3). The spatial distribution was “high in the southeast and low in the northwest”. (3) Total payment amounts increased from CNY 33.1955 billion in 2000 to CNY 227.1302 billion in 2015 and were mainly distributed in relatively developed areas. The acceptance areas were concentrated in relatively undeveloped areas. Total acceptance amounts increased from CNY 2922.2 million in 2000 to CNY 16,398.6 million in 2015. This study can provide scientific basis for ecological compensation practices and promote high-quality development of the socio-economy of the watershed.

Quantifying Co-Benefits and Trade-Offs between Forest Ecosystem Services in the Gan River Basin of South China

Forest ecosystem services are intrinsically linked. We design a spatially explicit approach to quantify and analyze the co-benefits and trade-offs between the main forest ecosystem services. Our goal is to develop criteria for forest management that include ecosystem service interactions. Chinese fir and pine plantations provide the largest portion of the overall ecosystem services currently provided. They are volume stock and water yield service hotspots, but these have negative effects on soil retention and carbon storage, causing environmental problems. The natural forests (broad-leaf and bamboo forests) are carbon storage and volume stock hotspots and show the lowest erosion modulus. Thus, their protection, combined with expanding the plantation area under forest management should be considered in order to increase ecosystem service synergies. In contrast, an increased area of broad-leaf plantations reduces water yield service due to their lower water production capacity, in comparison with plantations of fast-growing species. Our study shows that the inclusion of ecosystem services as part of forest management could provide opportunities for optimal allocation of forest resources and sustainable utilization. Management based only on economically beneficial ecosystem services can be detrimental to the forest ecosystem and can cause environmental problems.

The Impact of Climate Change as Well as Land-Use and Land-Cover Changes on Water Yield Services in Haraz Basin

Water-yield assessment is crucial to effectively achieve water supply management at the basin scale. It is affected by climate change, and Land Use/Land Cover Change (LULCC). This paper quantifies the combined impact of LULCC and climate change on water yield over short and long-term periods in the Haraz basin, Iran. This basin has experienced severe forest degradation, agricultural expansion, and urbanization. Most agricultural lands are within the plains and coastal areas, and 25% of the basin is covered by forest, which includes part of the Hyrcanian conservation forests. Four scenarios to distinguish the relative portion of Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) and climate for water supply variations are considered, including real conditions at the beginning of the period (Sn1), real conditions without changes in LULC (Sn2), real conditions without climate change (Sn3), and real conditions at the end of the period (Sn4). Four study periods include 1992–2007, 2007–2016, 2016–2026 as a short term, and 1992–2026 as a long-term period. The spatial patterns of annual precipitation showed decreasing amounts in the three studied years from the northwest to the south. Water yield also reduced during the study period 1992–2007 and 2007–2016, and climate change plays an essential role in this reduction. Forecasts show that rainfall will recover in 2026 and water yield will increase in the northern sub-basins. In the long run, from 1992 to 2026, the contribution of LULCC and climate change factors to water yield are equal. The results can provide references for land use management to enhance water yield considering global climate change.

Spatiotemporal Variation in Ecological Risk on Water Yield Service via Land-Use and Climate Change Simulations: A Case Study of the Ziwuling Mountainous Region, China

Scientists have paid attention to assessing the change in ecosystem service risk under human activities, yet few works have focused on the water yield risk induced by land-use and climate change. In this study, a framework combining water yield with ecological risk for service enhancement and human adaptation was established. The framework was applied to explore the spatiotemporal variation in water yield service and its ecological risk via land-use and climate change scenarios in the Ziwuling Mountainous Region (ZMR), China, using InVEST, CA–Markov, and TOPSIS models. The water yield service decreased from 69.19 mm in 1990 to 47.72 mm in 2017 in the ZMR. The water yield service in the southeast ZMR was larger than that in the northwest. The water yield service risk was high and increased first, then decreased from 1990 to 2017 in the ZMR. The high-risk and higher risk subareas were distributed in the middle and north of the ZMR. The water yield service is the highest under the EC126 scenario (48.09 mm in 2050 and 43.73 mm in 2100) and the lowest under the EP585 scenario (43.52 mm in 2050 and 40.62 mm in 2100). The water yield service risk of the EP558 scenario is the largest one, with an area ratio of the high risk of 83.95% in 2050 and 85.33% in 2100. We suggest developing water-saving agriculture and high-efficiency industrial systems, as well as ecological restoration and integrated forest social–ecological management for risk alleviation, service enhancement, and sustainable development.