Ecosystem Services Evaluation and Its Spatial Characteristics in Central Asia’s Arid Regions: A Case Study in Altay Prefecture, China
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Area
Kabahe | Jeminay | Buerjin | Fuhai | Altay | Fuyun | Qinghe | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Latitude (N) | 48°03′ | 47°26′ | 47°42′ | 47°07′ | 48°44′ | 46°59′ | 46°40′ |
Longitude (E) | 86°24′ | 85°52′ | 86°52′ | 87°28′ | 88°05′ | 89°31′ | 90°23′ |
Altitude (m) | 534.5 | 984.3 | 475.6 | 501.9 | 736.5 | 809.7 | 1220.3 |
Precipitation (mm) | 183.7 | 206.3 | 139 | 120.7 | 190.1 | 185.8 | 170.1 |
Temperature (°C) | 4.9 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3 | 0.8 |
2.2. Data
2.3. Methods
2.3.1. Water Yield
2.3.2. Soil Conservation
Parameters | Computational method |
---|---|
R [44] | Where is the average annual rainfall, is the maximum annual rainfall in 60 minutes. |
K [45] | Where , , and are the content of sand, silt, clay and organic, respectively. |
LS [46,47] | Where is the slope length, is the index of slope length. Where is the slope. |
C [48] | Where is the vegetation coverage, is the normalized differential vegetation index, is the NDVI of bare land, is the NDVI of full vegetation cover land. |
P [49] | Where is the percentile slope gradient. |
2.3.3. Net Primary Productivity
2.3.4. Spatial Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Spatial Distribution Patterns
Zone | Area (km2) | Percentage of total area (%) | Water yield per unit area (m3·km-2) | Total water yield (m3) | Conserved soil per unit area (t·km-2) | Total conserved soil (t) | Net primary productivity per unit area (t·km-2) | Total net primary productivity (t) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mountain | 2.25 × 104 | 18.98 | 1.78 × 105 | 3.99 × 109 | 1.32 × 104 | 2.96 × 108 | 1.33 × 103 | 3.28 × 106 |
Oasis | 2.84 × 104 | 23.99 | 7.64 × 104 | 2.17 × 109 | 3.36 × 103 | 9.54 × 107 | 0.11 × 103 | 3.24 × 106 |
Desert | 6.75 × 104 | 57.03 | 1.31 × 104 | 8.84 × 108 | 0.78 × 103 | 5.24 × 107 | 0.43 × 102 | 2.88 × 106 |
3.2. Spatial Correlations between Ecosystem Services
4. Discussion
4.1. The Cause of the Unique Spatial Distributions of Ecosystem Services in MBS
4.1.1. Topographical Factors
4.1.2. Spatial Heterogeneity of Ecosystem Services Caused by Human Activities
4.1.3. Spatial Distance Decay of Ecosystem Services
4.2. Study on Desert-Ecosystem Services Should Be Strengthened
5. Conclusions
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Daily, G.C. Nature’s Services: Societal Dependence on Natural Ecosystems; Island Press: Washington, D.C., USA, 1997; pp. 3–6. [Google Scholar]
- Costanza, R.; D’Arge, R.; de Groot, R.; Farber, S.; Grasso, M.; Hannon, B. The Value of the World’s Ecosystem Services and Natural Capital. Nature 1997, 387, 253–260. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- MA (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment). Ecosystems and Human Well-Being; Island Press: Washington, D.C., USA, 2005; pp. 60–69. [Google Scholar]
- Kremen, C. Managing ecosystem services: What do we need to know about their ecology? Ecol. Lett. 2005, 8, 468–479. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Burkhard, B.; Fath, B.D.; Müller, F. Adapting the adaptive cycle: Hypotheses on the development of ecosystem properties and services. Ecol. Model. 2011, 222, 2878–2890. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Fu, B.; Wang, S.; Su, C.; Forsius, M. Linking ecosystem processes and ecosystem services. Curr. Opin. Environ. Sust. 2013, 5, 4–10. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Wallace, K.J. Classification of ecosystem services: Problems and solutions. Biol. Conserv. 2007, 139, 235–246. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- De Groot, R.S.; Alkemade, R.; Braat, L.; Hein, L.; Willemen, L. Challenges in integrating the concept of ecosystem services and values in landscape planning, management and decision making. Ecol. Complex. 2010, 7, 260–272. [Google Scholar]
- Jansson, N.K.; Levin, S.; Lubchenco, J.; Mäler, K.G.; Simpson, D.; Starrett, D. The value of nature and the nature of value. Science 2000, 289, 395–396. [Google Scholar]
- Heal, G. Nature and the Marketplace: Capturing the Value of Ecosystem Services; Island Press: Washington, D.C., USA, 2000; pp. 265–294. [Google Scholar]
- Costanza, R.; de Groot, R.; Sutton, P.; van der Ploeg, S.; Andersond, S.J.; Kubiszewskia, I.; Farber, S.; Turner, R.K. Changes in the global value of ecosystem services. Global Environ. Chang. 2014, 26, 152–158. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Palmer, M.A.; Bernhardt, E.S.; Chornesky, E.A.; Collins, S.L.; Dobson, A.P.; Duke, C.S.; Gold, B.D.; Jacobson, R.; Kingsland, S.; Kranz, R.; et al. Ecological Science and Sustainability for A Crowded Planet; Ecological Society of America: Washington, D.C., USA, 2004. [Google Scholar]
- Sutherland, W.J.; Armstrong-brown, S.; Armsworth, P.R.; Tom, B.; Brickland, J.; Campbell, C.D.; Chamberlain, D.E.; Cooke, A.I.; Dulvy, N.K.; Dusic, N.R.; et al. The identification of 100 ecological questions of high policy relevance in the UK. J. Appl. Ecol. 2006, 43, 617–627. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Fang, X.N.; Zhao, W.W. Progress in the study of ecosystem services—A review of the 11th INTECOL Congress in 2013. Acta. Ecol. Sin. 2013, 33, 6736–6740. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Sagoff, M. The quantification and valuation of ecosystem services. Ecol. Econ. 2011, 70, 497–502. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Primmer, E.; Furman, E. Operationalising ecosystem service approaches for governance: Do measuring, mapping and valuing integrate sector-specific knowledge systems? Ecosyst. Serv. 2012, 1, 85–92. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Häyhä, T.; Franzese, P.P. Ecosystem services assessment: a review under an ecological-economic and systems perspective. Ecol. Model. 2014, 289, 124–132. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ouyang, Z.Y.; Wang, X.K.; Miao, H.A. primary study on Chinese terrestrial ecosystem services and their ecological -economic values. Acta Ecol. Sin. 1999, 19, 607–613. [Google Scholar]
- Fu, B.J.; Zhang, L.W. Land-use change and ecosystem services: Concepts, methods and progress. Prog. Geog. 2014, 33, 441–446. [Google Scholar]
- Zhao, J.J.; Xiao, H.; Wu, G. Comparison analysis on physical and value assessment methods for ecosystems services. J. Appl. Ecol. 2000, 11, 290–292. [Google Scholar]
- Smith, M.D.; Crowder, L.B. Valuing ecosystem services with fishery rents: A lumped-parameter approach to hypoxia in the neuse river estuary. Sustainability 2011, 3, 2229–2267. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Willemen, L.; Hein, L.; van Mensvoort, M.E.F.; Verburg, P.H. Space for people, plants, and livestock? Quantifying interactions among multiple landscape functions in a Dutch rural region. Ecol. Indic. 2010, 10, 62–73. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Lü, Y.H.; Fu, B.J.; Feng, X.M.; Zeng, Y.; Liu, Y.; Chang, R.Y.; Sun, G.; Wu, B.F. A policy-driven large scale ecological restoration: quantifying ecosystem services changes in the Loess Plateau of China. Plos One. 2012, 7, e31782. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- O’Farrell, P.J.; Reyers, B.; Le Maitre, D.C.; Milton, S.J.; Egoh, B.; Maherry, A.; Colvin, C.; Atkinson, D.; De Lange, W.; Blignaut, J.N. Multi-functional landscapes in semi arid environments: Implications for biodiversity and ecosystem services. Landsc. Ecol. 2000, 25, 1231–1246. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zedler, J.B.; Kercher, S. Wetland resources: Status, trends, ecosystem services, and restorability. Annu. Rev. Env. Resour. 2005, 30, 39–74. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Chen, F.; Huang, W.; Jin, L.; Chen, J.; Wang, J. Spatiotemporal precipitation variations in the arid central Asia in the context of global warming. Sci. China Earth Sci. 2011, 54, 1812–1821. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zhang, X.S. Ecological restoration and sustainable agricultural paradigm of mountain-oasis-ecotone-desert system in the north of the Tianshan Mountains. Acta Bot. Sin. 2001, 12, 1294–1299. [Google Scholar]
- Wang, R.H.; Ma, Y.J. Coupling relation among substance and energy as well as information in mountain-basin system in arid zone—taking mountainous system around Tarim Basin as an example. J. Mt. Sci. Engl. 2001, 19, 398–402. [Google Scholar]
- Li, Z.Y.; Pan, Z.P.; Qin, F.M.; Li, J.Y.; Han, J.; Meng, N. Silk Road economic belt: opportunities and challenges—A perspective of Xinjiang. J. Xinjiang Univ. 2013, 41, 1–3. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Chinese Academy of Sciences. Ecological conservation and new industry area construction consulting report about the socialist—realist system—North slope of Tianshan Mountains and the Junggar Desert. Bull. China. Acad. Sci. 2003, 3. Article 168. [Google Scholar]
- China Meteorological Data Sharing Service System. Available online: http://cdc.nmic.cn/home.do (accessed on 15 June 2015).
- Data Center for Resources and Environmental Sciences. Available online: http://www.resdc.cn (accessed on 15 June 2015).
- Environmental and Ecological Science Data Center for West China. Available online: http://westdc.westgis.ac.cn (accessed on 15 June 2015).
- Geospatial Data Cloud. Available online: http://www.gscloud.cn (accessed on 15 June 2015).
- Data Sharing of Earth System Science. Available online: http://www.geodata.cn (accessed on 15 June 2015).
- Human-Earth System Database. Available online: http://cdc.nmic.cn/home.do (accessed on 15 June 2015).
- Wiek, A.; Larson, K.L. Water, people, and sustainability—a systems framework for analyzing and assessing water governance regimes. Water Resour. Manag. 2012, 26, 315–371. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- De Castro Carvalho, I.; Calijuri, M.L.; Assemany, P.P.; e Silva, M.D.F.M.; Neto, R.F.M.; da Fonseca Santiago, A.; de Souza, M.H.B. Sustainable airport environments: a review of water conservation practices in airports. Resour. Conserv. Recy. 2013, 74, 27–36. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Budyko, M.I. Climate and Life; Academic Press: San Diego, CA, USA, 1974; p. 508. [Google Scholar]
- Jia, X.; Fu, B.; Feng, X.; Hou, G.; Liu, Y.; Wang, X. The tradeoff and synergy between ecosystem services in the Grain-for-Green areas in northern Shaanxi, China. Ecol. Indic. 2014, 43, 103–113. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zhou, G.S.; Zhang, X.S. Study on NPP of natural vegetation in China under global climate changes. Acta Phytoecol. Sin. 1996, 20, 11–19. [Google Scholar]
- Lantican, M.A.; Guerra, L.C.; Bhuiyan, S.I. Impacts of soil erosion in the upper manupali watershed on irrigated lowlands in the Philippines. Paddy Water Environ. 2003, 1, 19–26. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Pimentel, D.; Harvey, C.; Resosudarmo, P. Environmental and economic costs of soil erosion and conservation benefits. Science 1995, 267, 1117–1123. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Wischmeier, W.H.; Smith, D.D. Predicting Rainfall Erosion Loess: A Guide to Conservation Planning; Agricultural Handbook: Washington, D.C., USA, 1978; p. 537. [Google Scholar]
- Williams, J.R. The erosion-productivity impact calculator (EPIC) model: A case history. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. Biol. Sci. 1990, 329, 421–428. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- McCool, D.K.; Brown, L.C.; Foster, G.R.; Mutchler, C.K.; Meyer, L.D. Revised slope steepness factor for the universal soil loss equation. Trans. ASAE. 1987, 30, 1387–1396. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Liu, B.; Nearing, M.A.; Risse, L.M. Slope gradient effects on soil loss for steep slopes. Trans. ASAE 1994, 37, 1835–1840. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Cai, C.F.; Ding, S.W.; Shi, Z.H.; Huang, L.; Zhang, G.Y. Study of applying USLE and geographical information system IDRISI to predict soil erosion in small watershed. J. Soil Water Conserv. 2000, 14, 19–24. [Google Scholar]
- Lufafa, A.; Tenywa, M.M.; Isabirye, M.; Majaliwa, M.J.G.; Woomer, P.L. Prediction of soil erosion in a lake victoria basin catchment using a GIS-based universal soil loss model. Agric. Syst. 2003, 76, 883–894. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zhou, Z.X.; Li, J.; Feng, X.M. The value of fixing carbon and releasing oxygen in the Guanzhong-Tianshui economic region using GIS. Acta Ecol. Sin. 2013, 33, 2907–2918. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zhu, W.Q.; Pan, Y.Z.; Zhang, J.S. Estimation of net primary productivity of Chinese terrestrial vegetation based on remote sensing. Chin. J. Plant Ecol. 2007, 31, 413–424. [Google Scholar]
- Potter, C.S.; Randerson, J.T.; Field, C.B.; Matson, P.A.; Vitousek, P.M.; Mooney, H.A.; Klooster, S.A. Terrestrial Ecosystem Production: A process model based on global satellite and surface data. Global Biogeochem. Cy. 1993, 7, 811–841. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Fu, Q. The Application of RS and GIS in the Risk Assessment of Calamities of Regional Landslides; Chengdu University of Technology: Chengdu, China, 2013; pp. 31–32. [Google Scholar]
- Ma, C.X.; Liu, J.J.; Kang, B.W.; Sun, S.H.; Ren, J.H. Evaluation of Forest Ecosystem Carbon Fixation and Oxygen Release Services in Shaanxi Province from1999 to 2003. Acta Ecol. Sin. 2010, 30, 1412–1422. [Google Scholar]
- Li, S.C. The Geography of Ecosystem Services; Beijing: Sciences Press: Beijing, China, 2014; p. 66. [Google Scholar]
- Wiggering, H.; Dalchow, C.; Glemnitz, M.; Helming, K.; Müller, K.; Schultz, A.; Stachow, U.; Zander, P. Indicators for multifunctional land use—Linking socio-economic requirements with landscape potentials. Ecol. Indic. 2006, 6, 238–249. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Vitousek, P.M.; Aber, J.D.; Howarth, R.W.; Likens, G.E.; Matson, P.A.; Schindler, D.W.; Schlesinger, W.H.; Tilman, D.G. Human alteration of the global nitrogen cycle: Sources and consequences. Ecol. Appl. 1997, 7, 737–750. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kozak, J.; Lant, C.; Shaikh, S.; Wang, G. The geography of ecosystem service value: The case of the Des Plaines and Cache River Wetlands, Illinois. Appl. Geog. 2011, 31, 303–311. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Desert-ecosystem Services Monitoring and Evaluation Research Program. In Desert-Ecosystem Function Evaluation and Service Value Research; Sciences Press: Beijing, China, 2014; p. 3.
- Richardson, R.B. The Economic Benefits of California Desert Wildlands: 10 Years Since the California Desert Protection Act of 1994; The Wilderness Society: Washington, DC, USA, 2005. [Google Scholar]
- Kroeger, T.; Manalo, P. Economic Benefits Provided by Natural Lands: Case Study of California’s Mojave Desert; Defenders of Wildlife: Washington, DC, USA, 2007. [Google Scholar]
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Fu, Q.; Li, B.; Yang, L.; Wu, Z.; Zhang, X. Ecosystem Services Evaluation and Its Spatial Characteristics in Central Asia’s Arid Regions: A Case Study in Altay Prefecture, China. Sustainability 2015, 7, 8335-8353. https://doi.org/10.3390/su7078335
Fu Q, Li B, Yang L, Wu Z, Zhang X. Ecosystem Services Evaluation and Its Spatial Characteristics in Central Asia’s Arid Regions: A Case Study in Altay Prefecture, China. Sustainability. 2015; 7(7):8335-8353. https://doi.org/10.3390/su7078335
Chicago/Turabian StyleFu, Qi, Bo Li, Linlin Yang, Zhilong Wu, and Xinshi Zhang. 2015. "Ecosystem Services Evaluation and Its Spatial Characteristics in Central Asia’s Arid Regions: A Case Study in Altay Prefecture, China" Sustainability 7, no. 7: 8335-8353. https://doi.org/10.3390/su7078335