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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Social Ecology and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 8915

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zhe Feng

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Guest Editor

School of Land Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Interests: ecosystem service; landscape ecology; land resources management; land policy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Huafu Zhao

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Guest Editor

School of Land Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Interests: land evaluation; land planning; land policy; territorial spatial planning

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In complex socio-ecological systems, human well-being and sustainable development of society ultimately depend on the ecosystem services provided by nature. The spatial mismatch characteristics of the supply, flow, and demand of ecosystem services, such as food supply, flood regulation, and carbon sequestration, can have a non-negligible impact on the sustainable development of human society. At the same time, there are large differences between different regional and spatial scales in decision-making strategies for natural capital management, conservation, and planning. For example, the strategic objectives of food supply are significantly different at the national and regional scales, and, therefore, there is an urgent need to address the challenge of disconnected policies at multiple scales from the perspective of differences in strategic objectives. By analogy, decision-making sectors with a long tradition in natural resource management, such as tourism, water, and forestry, most often deal with decision-making related to the management, conservation, and spatial planning of ecosystem services, such as landscape recreation, flood regulation, and carbon sequestration, as a means of achieving synergies among multiple ecosystem services to sustain human benefits and social sustainability. Therefore, it is essential to integrate ecosystem services into decision-making. Recent ecosystem services-related research aims to inform multiple policy sectors, but only a very small number of studies clearly address a particular policy. To bridge the science-policy gap at this level, assessment of decision effects from the perspective of human well-being and social sustainability is needed to better meet the requirements of decision makers.

Prof. Dr. Zhe Feng
Prof. Dr. Huafu Zhao
Guest Editors

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Keywords

ecosystem services
decision making
spatial planning
ecological management
conservation of natural capital
effectiveness assessment
human well-being
sustainable development

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 1437 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Evaluation of Territorial Spatial Planning from the Perspective of Sustainable Development Goals

by Qiqi Hu, Yanan Zhang, Jiabin Wang, Ran Huo and Zhe Feng

Sustainability 2024, 16(7), 2965; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16072965 - 02 Apr 2024

Viewed by 552

Abstract

Territorial spatial planning is crucial for fostering green production and lifestyles, contributing to ecological civilization, and shaping a beautiful China. However, evaluations of China’s territorial spatial planning at a global level are scant. This study constructs a self-assessment tool for territorial spatial planning, anchored in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Initially, it develops an indicator system to assess provincial territorial spatial planning, tailored to the specificities of Chinese provinces. Subsequently, this study formulates problem guidance and performs a match analysis. The tool is then applied to assess the preparation of territorial spatial planning in Shaanxi Province, yielding visualized results. These results correlate the content of planning documents with the questions in the tool, ensuring alignment. Findings indicate that Shaanxi Provincial Territorial Spatial Planning (2021–2035) largely aligns with the SDGs’ framework, while Shaanxi Province Land Space Ecological Restoration Planning (2021–2035) shows partial alignment. Discrepancies with global and national sustainability trends are noted, potentially linked to the unique role of ecological restoration in national spatial planning. By integrating SDGs, this study evaluates the rationality and potential for optimization in China’s provincial territorial spatial planning. This approach aims to enhance public well-being and offers actionable recommendations for incorporating sustainable development into provincial spatial planning strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bringing Ecosystem Services into Decision-Making)

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16 pages, 11508 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evolution of Landscape Ecological Risk and Identification of Critical Areas in the Yellow River Source Area Based on LUCC

by Zhibo Lu, Qian Song and Jianyun Zhao

Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9749; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129749 - 19 Jun 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 961

Abstract

A reasonable evaluation of the ecological risk status of the landscape in the Yellow River source area is of practical significance for optimizing the regional landscape pattern and maintaining ecosystem function. To explore the regional heterogeneity of ecological risk in the watershed landscape, a landscape ecological risk evaluation model is constructed to evaluate the ecological risk status of the watershed for 20 years, and correlation analysis is used to further reveal the characteristics of the relationship between ecological risk and land use. The results show that the rapid expansion of urbanization and the increasing intensity of land development and use has caused significant changes in the Yellow River source area ecological environment and various land use types. The area of grassland decreased the most, by a total of 6160.04 km², while the area of unused land increased the most, by a total of 2930.27 km². A total of 12,453.11 km² of land in the Yellow River source area was transformed, accounting for 9.52% of the total area. The most significant area of grassland was transferred out, accounting for 49.47% of the transferred area. During the study period, the proportion of area in the low-risk zone decreased from 54.75% to 36.35%, the proportion of area in the medium-low-risk zone increased from 21.75% to 31.74%, and the proportion of area in the medium-high-risk and high-risk zones increased from 10.63% to 14.38%. The high-risk areas are mainly located in areas with fragmented landscapes and are vulnerable to human activities. The mean ecological risk values in the study area show an increasing trend, and the spatial distribution shows a hierarchical distribution of “lower around the center and higher in the center”. The global Moran’s I index is higher than 0.68, which indicates that the ecological risk values have a significant positive correlation in space, the area of cold spots of ecological risk varies significantly, and the spatial pattern fluctuates frequently, while the spatial distribution of hot spots is relatively stable. Therefore, the landscape ecological risk in the Yellow River source area is rising, but the different risk levels and their spatial aggregation patterns and cold and hot spot areas continue to transform, which requires continuous planning of the landscape pattern to enhance the safety and stability of the regional ecosystem. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bringing Ecosystem Services into Decision-Making)

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13 pages, 1056 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Urban Ecosystem Services and Determinants of Stakeholders’ Perception for Sustainable Cities Planning in Cotonou (Benin)

by Assouhan Jonas Atchadé, Madjouma Kanda, Fousseni Folega, Joanes Atela, Marra Dourma, Kperkouma Wala and Koffi Akpagana

Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9424; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129424 - 12 Jun 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1296

Abstract

Anarchic urbanization and land artificialization expose urban ecosystems and ecosystem services (ES) to threat. Urban ecosystems and trees play a crucial role in improving urban environments, and their management depends on the perceptions and preferences of urban residents. An assessment of the socio-ecological factors determining the perception of the actors allows for the proper design and planning of ecological urban policies and urban adaptation to climate change. The objective of this work was to determine the key determinants (factors) of urban stakeholders’ perceptions of ES in generating socio-ecological information for planning and preservation of ecosystems in Cotonou municipality. In this way, we assessed the perception and discriminating variables of the different stakeholders of urban ES provided in the city of Cotonou. Thus, 381 city dwellers were individually interviewed after statistical sampling. Focus group discussions with the stakeholders also made it possible to highlight the ES provided in the different land use units (LU). The results show that 73.23% of the city dwellers agreed that they were aware of ecosystem services. The hierarchical classification shows two homogeneous groups of perceivers with ethnicity, age, and education as statistically discriminating sociological variables (pv ˂ 0.001). Urban dwellers in the city of Cotonou perceived more SEs in the cultural and regulatory services category significantly (pv < 0.001; v-test > 3). The principal component analysis (PCA) reveals the varying availability of ES according to the different LU in the city. It will be worthwhile to apply this study in the processes of decision-making in climate and environment policy planning for sustainable cities in Africa and all over the world because it adds scientific value. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bringing Ecosystem Services into Decision-Making)

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20 pages, 6103 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prediction and Evaluation of Ecosystem Service Value Based on Land Use of the Yellow River Source Area

by Zhibo Lu, Qian Song, Jianyun Zhao and Shiru Wang

Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 687; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010687 - 30 Dec 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1669

Abstract

Land-use change plays an important role in ecological change; knowing the trends in land-use change can quickly help identify problems in regional ecosystems. In 2000 to 2020, the development of a global economy caused increasing extreme weather events worldwide and lead to exacerbating changes in types of land-use. The Yellow River source area is an important water source and a central part of ecological protection efforts in China. The fragile ecosystems make the area sensitive to environmental changes. Therefore, in protecting the ecological security of the basin, simulating changes in the ecosystem service value under different scenarios is a meaningful procedure. A patch-generating land use simulation model was used to simulate different land use scenarios in 2030, including an ecological protection scenario, a production priority scenario, a carbon neutral scenario and a natural development scenario. The analysis shows that significant progress has been made in water conservation but grassland conservation faces enormous challenges. The rate of development, occupation of farmland and land dedicated to construction has increased. Unused land increased dramatically from 2010–2020 and has not been mitigated by existing policies. Based on the unit area value equivalent coefficients, the ecosystem service value rankings for the seven land use types were as follows: Grassland > Wetland > Water Area > Forest > Farmland > Unused Land > Construction Land; the four types of ecosystem service value are ranked as follows: regulating services > supporting services > supply services > cultural services; the four scenarios of ecosystem service value are ranked as follows: ecological protection scenario > production priority scenario > carbon neutral scenario > natural development scenario. The ecosystem service value of the Yellow River source area would increase by CNY 1.641 billion in 2030 with ecological protection goals and decrease by CNY 1.421 billion with the current of development. This study provides valuable insights and implications for land use, ecological protection and sustainable development by shedding light on watershed change issues and assessing and predicting the ecological status of the Yellow River source area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bringing Ecosystem Services into Decision-Making)

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18 pages, 21291 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Land-Use Pattern Evaluation Using GeoSOS-FLUS in National Territory Spatial Planning: A Case Study of Changzhi City, Shanxi Province

by Juan Wang, Jiaqi Lv, Wenping Zhang, Tianqian Chen, Yang Yang and Jinjin Wu

Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 13752; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142113752 - 24 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1409

Abstract

Land-use patterns have always been affected by urban development, and their structural optimization is of great significance to high-quality urban development. However, since the establishment of the spatial planning system, there are still a lack of methods for optimizing the land-use structure. To this end, the research proposes an analysis framework, and proposes the direction of land-use structure adjustment through the status analysis, potential evaluation, and LUCC simulation model, and provides a new idea and method of spatial planning. The research uses an analytical framework to analyze the case of Changzhi City, Shanxi Province, puts forward the problems existing in the process of its land use, and further proposes the direction and focus of the adjustment of the land-use structure. Results show that the spatial distribution of land in Changzhi City presents a “forest-farm-forest” characteristic, and forest land, farmland and grassland account for 85% of its total area. From 2010 to 2018, the grassland area in Changzhi City decreased the most to 3486.13 hm², and the comprehensive degree of land use increased from 235.88% to 236.73%; however, the cultivated land showed a downward trend. The construction land intensive utilization of Changzhi City is low, and the potential for rural construction land consolidation is high. In addition, the conversion probability of cultivated land in the Tunliu district and the conversion probability of construction land close to Luzhou district are relatively higher, which can be used as crucial areas for the future development of Changzhi City. In the process of urban development, cultivated land protection and construction land demand should be balanced. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bringing Ecosystem Services into Decision-Making)

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17 pages, 5173 KiB

Open AccessArticle

PLUS-Model Based Multi-Scenario Land Space Simulation of the Lower Yellow River Region and Its Ecological Effects

by Chang Lu, Xiao Qi, Zhongsen Zheng and Kun Jia

Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6942; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116942 - 06 Jun 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2020

Abstract

The rapid urbanization in recent years as a vehicle for social growth and ecological construction has resulted in a significant transformation of the spatial structure of the land in the lower reaches of the Yellow River. Based on this, the current study used the PLUS model to simulate the future territorial spatial pattern of the lower reaches of the Yellow River in various development scenarios to reveal differences in the ecosystem’s spatial distribution and provide a reference for optimizing territorial spatial usage and ecological protection. The results show that the overall accuracy of the Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model’s simulation results was 0.748, the Kappa coefficient was 0.812, and the simulation effect was good. The simulation results for each land space in various situations reveal a preferential spatial development trend model. In the territorial and spatial priority scenario, development was reasonably balanced, which is consistent with the status of the quantitative structure of the territorial space of the study area during 2015. From 2015 to 2035, the value of ecosystem services will change in different ways depending on the scenario and the set priorities. The ecosystem service value decreased in the production space and living space priority development scenarios, while it increased in the ecological space and national space priority development scenarios. The PLUS model has a high degree of applicability to the spatial pattern development simulation of the lower Yellow River region, and the results of this multi-scenario simulation and ecological environmental effect study may be used as a reference for future territorial spatial planning and policy formulation in the region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bringing Ecosystem Services into Decision-Making)

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