Search Results (368)

Investigating the coevolution between ecosystem services (ES) and human well-being (HWB) holds significant implications for achieving the sustainable operation of human–environment systems. However, limited research has focused on ES-HWB interactions in ecotourism-dominated counties. To address this gap, this study takes Chun’an County in Zhejiang Province, China, as a case study, with the research objective of exploring the processes, patterns, and mechanisms of the coevolution between ecosystem services (ES) and human well-being (HWB) in ecotourism-dominated counties. By integrating multi-source heterogeneous data, including land use data, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and statistical records, and employing methods such as the dynamic equivalent factor method, the PLUS model, the coupling coordination degree model, and comprehensive evaluation, we analyzed the synergistic evolution of ES-HWB in Chun’an County from 2000 to 2020. The results indicate that (1) the ecosystem service value (ESV) fluctuated between 30.15 and 36.85 billion CNY, exhibiting a spatial aggregation pattern centered on the Qiandao Lake waterbody, with distance–decay characteristics. The PLUS model confirms ecological conservation policies optimize ES patterns. (2) The HWB index surged from 0.16 to 0.8, driven by tourism-led economic growth, infrastructure investment, and institutional innovation, facilitating a paradigm shift from low to high well-being at the county level. (3) The ES-HWB interaction evolved through three phases—disordered, antagonism, and coordination—revealing tourism as a key mediator driving coupled human–environment system sustainability via a pressure–adaptation–synergy transmission mechanism. This study not only advances the understanding of ES-HWB coevolution in ecotourism-dominated counties, but also provides a transferable methodological framework for sustainable development in similar regions. Full article

Payments for Watershed services (PWSs) have been emerging as a critical tool for environmental governance in watershed, yet their comparative effectiveness across implementation models has remained poorly understood. Based on a comparative analysis of Eco-Compensation (EC) and Payments for Ecosystem Services (PESs) frameworks, examining both theoretical foundations and implementation practices, this study aims to quantitatively assess and compare the effectiveness of two dominant PWSs models—the EC-like model (Phase I: October 2008–April 2017) and the PESs-like model (Phase II: 2017–December 2021). Using the Liaohe River in China as a case study, utilizing ecosystem service value (ESV) as an indicator and employing the corrected unit-value transfer method, we compare the effectiveness of different PWSs models from October 2008 to December 2021. The results reveal the following: (1) Policy Efficiency: The PESs-like model demonstrated significantly greater effectiveness than the EC-like model, with annual average increases in ESV of 3.23 billion CNY (491 million USD) and 1.79 billion CNY (272 million USD). (2) Functional Drivers: Water regulation (45.1% of total ESV growth) and climate regulation (24.3%) were dominant services, with PESs-like interventions enhancing multifunctionality. (3) Stakeholder Impact: In the PESs-like model, the cities implementing inter-county direct payment showed higher growth efficiency than those without it. The operational efficiency of PWSs increases with the number of participating stakeholders, which explains why the PESs-like model demonstrates higher effectiveness than the EC-like model. Our findings offer empirical evidence and actionable policy implications for designing effective PWSs models across global watershed ecosystems. Full article

To ensure water source security and sustainability of the national major strategic project “South-to-North Water Diversion”, this study aims to evaluate the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics of the ecosystem service value (ESV) in its water source area from 2002 to 2022. This study reveals its changing trends and main influencing factors, and thereby provides scientific support for the ecological protection and management of the water source area. Quantitative assessment of the ESV of the region was carried out using the Equivalence Factor Method (EFM), aiming to provide scientific support for ecological protection and resource management decision-making. In the past 20 years, the ESV has shown an upward trend year by year, increasing by 96%. The regions with the highest ESV were Garzê Prefecture and Aba Prefecture, which increased by 130.3% and 60.6%, respectively. The ESV of Xinlong county, Danba county, Rangtang county, and Daofu county increased 4.8 times, 1.5 times, 12.5 times, and 8.9 times, respectively. In the last two decades, arable land has decreased by 91%, while the proportions of bare land and water have decreased by 84% and 91%, respectively. Grassland had the largest proportion. Forests and grasslands, vital for climate regulation, water cycle management, and biodiversity conservation, have expanded by 74% and 43%, respectively. It can be seen from Moran’s I index values that the dataset as a whole showed a slight positive spatial autocorrelation, which increased from −0.041396 to 0.046377. This study reveals the changing trends in ESV and the main influencing factors, and thereby provides scientific support for the ecological protection and management of the water source area. Full article

The rapid urbanization process has accelerated the degradation of ecosystem services (ESs) in peri-urban rural areas of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), leading to increasing landscape ecological risks (LERs). Establishing a scientifically grounded landscape ecological risk assessment (LERA) system and corresponding control strategies is therefore imperative. Using rural areas of Jiangning District, Nanjing as a case study, this research proposes an optimized dual-dimensional coupling assessment framework that integrates ecosystem service value (ESV) and ecological risk probability. The spatiotemporal evolution of LER in 2000, 2010, and 2020 and its key driving factors were further studied by using spatial autocorrelation analysis and geodetector methods. The results show the following: (1) From 2000 to 2020, cultivated land remained dominant, but its proportion decreased by 10.87%, while construction land increased by 26.52%, with minimal changes in other land use types. (2) The total ESV increased by CNY 1.67 × 10⁹, with regulating services accounting for over 82%, among which water bodies contributed the most. (3) LER showed an overall increasing trend, with medium- to highest-risk areas expanding by 55.37%, lowest-risk areas increasing by 10.10%, and lower-risk areas decreasing by 65.48%. (4) Key driving factors include landscape vulnerability, vegetation coverage, and ecological land connectivity, with the influence of distance to road becoming increasingly significant. This study reveals the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of LER in typical peri-urban villages. Based on the LERA results, combined with terrain features and ecological pressure intensity, the study area was divided into three ecological management zones: ecological conservation, ecological restoration, and ecological enhancement. Corresponding zoning strategies were proposed to guide rural ecological governance and support regional sustainable development. Full article

Exploring the evolution of ecosystem services value (ESV) and its drivers is pivotal for optimizing the land-use structure and improving the value of ecosystem services. Using the 1980–2020 land-use/land-cover (LULC) dataset of the Mu Us Sandy Land, this study quantitatively evaluated ESV through LULC change, analyzing the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of ESV and its driving forces. The results showed that (1) the LULC changes were stable from 1980 to 2020, and the ESV showed a slight downward trend in general. Grassland and water ecosystem services predominantly influenced ecosystem service function value fluctuations across the study area. (2) ESV demonstrated strong positive spatial autocorrelation, with high-value areas concentrated primarily in Red Alkali Nur, Dawa Nur, Batu Bay, and Ulanmulun Lake and low-value areas mainly distributed in unused land and certain agricultural zones. (3) The land-use degree and human activity intensity index were the main factors leading to the differentiation of ESV. The synergistic effects of human activities, landscape pattern changes, and natural factors led to the spatial differentiation of ESV in the study area. Beyond artificial ecological restoration projects, policies for ecosystem service management should pay more attention to the role of geodiversity in service provision. Full article

The synergistic development of ecosystems and socioeconomic systems constitutes a critical foundation for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Large river basins characterized by ecological and socioeconomic spatial heterogeneity frequently present contradictions and conflicts in regional sustainable development, thereby impeding the realization of SDGs. This study employed the Yellow River Basin (YRB), a typical large sediment-laden river system, as a case study. Based on the secondary water resource zones, the spatial variability and temporal evolution of ecosystem service value (ESV), population (POP), GDP, nighttime light (NTL), and Human Development Index (HDI) were analyzed at the water resource partition scale. A consistent mode was applied to quantify the spatiotemporal consistency between ESV and socioeconomic indicators across water resource partitions. The results indicated that from 1980 to 2020, the ESV of the YRB increased from 1079.83 × 10⁹ to 1139.20 × 10⁹ yuan, with no notable spatial pattern variation. From upstream to downstream, the population density, GDP per unit area, and NTL per unit area displayed increasing trends along the river course, whereas the total population, GDP, and NTL initially increased and then declined. Temporally, the population fluctuated with an overall upward tendency, while GDP and NTL experienced significant growth. The spatial distribution and temporal evolution of HDI remained comparatively stable. The coefficients of variation for population, GDP, and NTL were significantly higher than those for ecosystem services and HDI. The study highlighted an overall lack of coordination between ESV and socioeconomic development in the YRB, with relatively stable spatial patterns. These findings could offer a theoretical reference for the formulation of policies to enhance the synergistic development of ecosystems and socioeconomic systems in the YRB. Full article

With rapid socio-economic development, excessive anthropogenic consumption and the exploitation of natural resources have impaired the self-healing, supply, and carrying capacities of ecosystems. The assessment and prediction of ecosystem service values (ESVs) are crucial for the coordinated development of ecology and economy. This research examines the Xiangjiang River Basin and combines land use data from 1995 to 2020, Landsat images, meteorological data, and socio-economic data. These data are incorporated into the PLUS model to simulate land use patterns in 2035 under the following five scenarios: natural development, economic development, farmland protection, ecological protection, and coordinated development. Additionally, this research analyzes the dynamics of land use and changes in ESVs in the Xiangjiang River Basin. The results show that between 1995 and 2020 in the Xiangjiang River Basin, urbanization accelerated, human activities intensified, and the construction land area expanded significantly, while the areas of forest, farmland, and grassland decreased continuously. Based on multi-scenario simulations, the ESV showed the largest and smallest declines under economic development and ecological protection scenarios, respectively. This results from the economic development scenario inducing a rapid expansion in construction land. In contrast, construction land expansion was restricted under the ecological protection scenario, because the ecological functions of forests and water bodies were prioritized. This research proposes land use strategies to coordinate ecological protection and economic development to provide a basis for sustainable development in the Xiangjiang River Basin and constructing a national ecological security barrier, as well as offer Chinese experience and local cases for global ecological environment governance. Full article

Amid global efforts to balance sustainable development and food security, ecosystem service value (ESV), a critical bridge between natural systems and human well-being, has gained increasing importance. This study explores the spatiotemporal dynamics and driving factors of land use changes and ESV from a food security perspective, aiming to inform synergies between ecological protection and food production for regional sustainability. Using Guangdong Province as a case study, we analyze ESV patterns and spatial correlations from 2005 to 2023 based on three-phase land use and socioeconomic datasets. Key findings: I. Forestland and cropland dominate Guangdong’s land use, which is marked by the expansion of construction land and the shrinking of agricultural and forest areas. II. Overall ESV declined slightly: northern ecological zones remained stable, while eastern/western regions saw mild decreases, with cropland loss threatening grain self-sufficiency. III. Irrigation scale, forestry output, and fertilizer use exhibited strong interactive effects on ESV, whereas urban hierarchy influenced ESV independently. IV. ESV showed significant positive spatial autocorrelation, with stable agglomeration patterns across the province. The research provides policy insights for optimizing cropland protection and enhancing coordination between food production spaces and ecosystem services, while offering theoretical support for land use regulation and agricultural resilience in addressing regional food security challenges. Full article

Valuation of ecosystem services (ESs) is crucial for understanding the benefits provided by ecosystems and informing sustainable management and policy decisions related to ecosystem protection. This study explores the disagreements in ecosystem service value (ESV) at the county level across China in 2020 by comparing ten land cover datasets of varying resolutions from 500 to 10 m, using the equivalent factor method. Significant disagreements in ESV estimates are identified, revealing spatial heterogeneity and large inconsistencies among estimates from different datasets, even with high spatial resolution (10 m). Across all counties, the typical discrepancy in ESV estimates between any two datasets reaches 3503 CNY/ha, and the ESV estimates for each county show an average coefficient of variation (CV) of 0.186 across the ten datasets, indicating considerable inconsistency attributable to dataset selection. The results highlight that ESV evaluations based on the CLCD, Globeland30, and GLC-FCS30 datasets demonstrate higher consistency and reliability, making them suitable for regional ecosystem service valuation. Both the landscape configurations and the area disparities of different land types have significant impacts on ESV disagreement. This study provides valuable insights into the applicability of different datasets for ESV evaluation, thereby enhancing the reliability of ESV assessments and supporting informed decision making in ecosystem management. Full article

As critical zones for ecological conservation, national parks necessitate integrated management of transportation corridors (TCs) and ecosystem service value (ESV) to advance ecological civilisation. This study investigates the TC-ESV mutual construction mechanism in the Giant Panda National Park (GPNP). This research employs the TOPSIS method to measure the development level of TCs, applies the equivalent factor method to calculate the ESV, and uses a coupling coordination model and local spatial autocorrelation analysis to evaluate their interaction patterns. The results show that TC development in the GPNP has been increasing, accompanied by a significant rise in ESV. A coupling coordination relationship exists between TCs and ESV, with notable spatial differentiation. TCs not only increase the market ESV by reducing distribution costs and facilitating the outward flow of ESV, they also improve the accessibility of national parks, promote ecotourism and cultural services, facilitate the movement of people and the exchange of knowledge, and enhance the ability of local populations and migrants to realise the ESV in the long term. However, challenges persist, including ESV conversion difficulties and TC construction’s potential impacts on ESV realisation. Therefore, we propose optimised green transport corridors and differentiated ecological compensation mechanisms, and by analysing the interaction between them, the innovation of this paper is to provide an innovative framework for sustainable spatial governance of ESV conversion and TC development in national parks, enriching the interdisciplinary approach. Full article

As ecologically sensitive interfaces shaped by the interplay of land and sea, coastal zones demand close attention. Uncovering the spatiotemporal evolution of ecosystem service value (ESV) and the intricate interrelations among ecosystem service (ES) functions is imperative for the informed governance of human–land interactions and for fostering sustainable regional development. This study analyzes the spatiotemporal evolution of ESV based on the modified equivalent factor table, combining the Geo-information Tupu, Markov transfer model, and standard deviation ellipse. Additionally, we introduce an ecosystem service tradeoff degree (ESTD) to assess the tradeoffs and synergies among various ESs, and we utilize GeoDetector to elucidate the driving forces behind the spatial disparities in ESV. Our findings reveal that (1) Although the land use composite index in the Liaoning coastal economic belt (LCEB) increased, the pace of land use transformation demonstrated a trend toward stabilization over the study duration. (2) Between 2000 to2020, ESV initially declined but subsequently experienced an upward rebound, resulting in a net gain of approximately 48 billion yuan. Spatial analysis indicated continuous enlargement of the standard deviation ellipse, with its centroid consistently located within Yingkou City and a gradual directional shift toward the southwest. (3) The dominant relationship among ESs showed synergy, with notable tradeoffs between hydrological regulation and other services. (4) Topography and climate factors were the primary drivers of spatial heterogeneity of ESV in the LCEB. The research provides spatial decision support for optimizing the ecological security pattern of the coastal zone. Full article

Balancing ecological conservation with development pressures remains a critical challenge in regions hosting mega-events like the Winter Olympics. This study evaluates the ecological impacts of pre-Olympic construction in Chongli, China (2016–2021), through the integrated analysis of ecosystem service value (ESV) and landscape ecological risk (LERI). Using Sentinel-2 imagery and spatial statistics, we quantified land-use changes, applied benefit transfer methods for ESV assessment, and calculated the LERI using landscape pattern indices. The results revealed a 4.6% increase in the total ESV (266.4 to 278.7 million CNY), which was driven by afforestation initiatives that expanded the area of shrub-grassland and forests. Concurrently, the proportion of high/moderate LERI areas decreased by 12.3%, indicating reduced ecological vulnerability. Spatial correlation analysis demonstrated significant negative relationships between the ESV and LERI, particularly in zones that were undergoing ecological restoration. However, urban expansion weakened these synergies locally. The findings of this study highlight that strategic greening effectively enhanced ecosystem services while mitigating landscape risks during preparations for the Olympics. We propose an adaptive zoning framework that emphasizes dynamic ESV-LERI monitoring, tourism carrying capacity regulation, and payment for ecosystem service mechanisms to optimize post-event management. This integrated approach provides a transferable model for ecological governance in ecologically sensitive areas facing rapid development pressures, demonstrating the value of dual assessment methodologies in sustainable spatial planning. Full article

Ecosystem service flow (ESF) provides a new perspective for understanding the spatial transfer of ecosystem services across urban administrative boundaries, which is of significant importance for optimizing the regional ecological resource allocation. Taking the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) urban agglomeration as a case study, this study analyzed the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of the ecosystem service value (ESV) and ESF in 41 cities of the region from 2000 to 2020, combining the modified equivalence factor method and the breaking-point model. It also revealed the regional division and evolution patterns of per area ESV and per capita GDP based on ESF in the YRD. The results showed that from 2000 to 2020, the overall ESV in the YRD exhibited a declining trend, with a spatial distribution showing higher values in the south and lower values in the north. Forest contributed over 50% of total ESV, while the value of hydrological regulation services consistently held the largest proportion and contributed the most significant growth. The overall decline in ESF was only 0.6%, with more than 70% of the flow occurring within provincial boundaries. Hangzhou, Taizhou (Zhejiang), and Chuzhou had the highest net outflows, while Jinhua, Changzhou, and Taizhou (Jiangsu) led in net inflows. The number of service-providing areas (SPAs) and service beneficiary areas (SBAs) remained relatively stable. Furthermore, a four-quadrant framework based on ESF, per area ESV, and per capita GDP was constructed, showing that the cities in the YRD mainly shifted between Quadrants I, II, and IV, with several cities transitioning from Quadrant III to II. Based on these findings, optimized management strategies for the coordinated economic-ecological development of the YRD are proposed. Full article

Reconstructing relationships between urban agglomeration and relevant ecosystems from an ecosystem services perspective and quantitatively assessing their interactive status holds significant implications for achieving coordinated development. Taking Shandong Peninsula Urban Agglomeration (SPUA) as our study area, we developed a Cities-ESV Coupling Index (I) serving as a composite metric for assessing city–ecosystem coupling dynamics through a multidimensional framework encompassing the following: (1) urban development level, (2) ecosystem service value (ESV), (3) ecosystem service physical quantity, and (4) spatial balance degree of ecosystem service, operationalized through 10 selected indicators. Our methodology integrates ESV quantification, biophysical assessment, correlation analysis modeling, and spatial autocorrelation modeling to comprehensively evaluate coupling relationships between cities and ecosystems across 16 cities and 78 counties. This study innovatively integrates ESV quantification with biophysical assessment methodologies in indicator selection, while strategically incorporating spatial agglomeration metrics. The multidimensional framework effectively addresses the prevalent oversimplification in existing ecosystem service measurement paradigms. The findings are as follows: the total ESV is 13,977.87 × 10⁸ CNY/a, which accounts for about 20% of the total GDP of SPUA. The Cities-ESV coupling index (I) of four cities, including Dongying, Linyi, Yantai, and Weifang, ranks among the top in SPUA, while that of seven counties, namely Weshan, Qixia, Yiyuan, Yishui, Mengyin, and Linqu, is at a relatively high-level. The conclusion is as follows: the total ESV in SPUA had been continuously decreasing. The coupling relationship between cities and ecosystems are significantly negatively correlated, and the Cities-ESV coupling index (I) of SPUA has obvious regional differentiation characteristics. Therefore, differentiated ecological land protection policies should be formulated to curb the trend of continuous decline in ESV. Full article

The analysis of ecosystem service value (ESV) dynamics across space and time, along with their driving factors, is essential for informed ecosystem service administration and policy development. The Shandong Peninsula Urban Agglomeration (SPUA) is an important, highly efficient eco-economic zone in China. Leveraging land use/land cover datasets covering the period 2000–2020, spatial autocorrelation analysis and geographical detector were used to examine the spatial distribution characteristics and driving forces of the ESV. The results indicated the following: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the ESV of SPUA exhibited an overall trend of “increase—decrease—increase”. Cropland, forest, and water bodies were the primary sources of ESV, with significant variations in the changes of ESV across different land-use types. (2) As the spatial scale increased, the level of spatial autocorrelation of the per-unit ESV gradually decreased, and no spatial autocorrelation was observed at the urban scale. Analysis revealed that the clustering trend was more pronounced at the township scale, and its stability over the years was higher than that at the county scale. (3) The per-unit ESV was driven primarily by socio-economic factors, and the relative importance of these driving forces was minimally affected by the spatial scale, indicating a certain degree of similarity across different scales. (4) The spatial distribution pattern of per-unit ESV was not driven by a single factor but by the interaction of multiple factors. These interactions were significantly influenced by spatial scale, with more complex interaction effects observed at the county scale. Slope, in particular, played a crucial role in the interactions. This research contributes valuable scientific knowledge for developing environmental conservation frameworks in the SPUA while supporting the region’s sustainable growth initiatives. Full article