Ecosystem services appreciation of urban lakes in Romania. Synergies and trade-offs between multiple users

Ecological management based on the ecosystem approach promotes ecological protection and the sustainable use of natural resources. We developed a quantitative approach to identify the ecological function zones at the country-scale, through integrating supply and demand of ecosystem services. We selected the biologically diverse hotspot of Baoxing County, which forms a part of the Sichuan Giant Panda World Heritage Site, to explore the integration of ecosystem services supply and demand for ecosystem management. Specifically, we assessed the various support, provision, regulating, and cultural services as classified by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. We applied the InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs) model to spatially map habitat quality, water retention, and carbon sinks, and used statistical data to evaluate food products, animal husbandry, and product supply services. We then quantified the demands for these services in terms of population, protected species, hydropower, water, and land use. The relationship between areas of supply and areas of demand was discussed for each township, and the spatial variability in the supply–demand relationship was also considered. As a result, we spatially divided the county into six ecological functional areas, and the linkages between each region were comprehensively discussed. This study thus provides a detailed methodology for the successful implementation of an ecosystem management framework on a county-scale based on the spatial partitioning of supply and demand.

Download Full-text

Spatiotemporal pattern of the trade-offs and synergies of ecosystem services after Grain for Green Program: a case study of the Loess Plateau, China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research ◽

10.1007/s11356-020-09060-0 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 27 (24) ◽

pp. 30020-30033

Author(s):

Juan He ◽

Xueyi Shi ◽

Yangjun Fu ◽

Ye Yuan

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Spatiotemporal Pattern ◽

The Loess Plateau ◽

Grain For Green ◽

Grain For Green Program ◽

Trade Offs

Download Full-text

Understanding trade-offs and synergies of ecosystem services to support the decision-making in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region

Land Use Policy ◽

10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105446 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 106 ◽

pp. 105446

Author(s):

Zhe Feng ◽

Xueru Jin ◽

Tianqian Chen ◽

Jiansheng Wu

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Trade Offs

Download Full-text

Trade-offs and synergies of ecosystem services in the Yangtze River Delta, China: response to urbanizing variation

Urban Ecosystems ◽

10.1007/s11252-021-01150-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sha Chen ◽

Guan Li ◽

Yuefei Zhuo ◽

Zhongguo Xu ◽

Yanmei Ye ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Yangtze River ◽

Yangtze River Delta ◽

River Delta ◽

The Yangtze River ◽

Trade Offs ◽

The Yangtze River Delta

Download Full-text

Urban ecosystem services in strategic planning in Swedish municipalities

Urban Ecosystems ◽

10.1007/s11252-021-01113-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Åsa Ode Sang ◽

Frederik Aagaard Hagemann ◽

Nils Ekelund ◽

Jessica Svännel

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Problem Solving ◽

Strategic Management ◽

Urban Ecosystem ◽

Practical Application ◽

Urban Ecosystem Services ◽

Large Cities ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Growing Body ◽

The Usa

AbstractResearch to date on urban ecosystem services has mainly been conducted in large cities, particularly in China, the USA and some European countries. This study examined the provision of urban ecosystem services in a Swedish municipality context, based on interviews with municipal stakeholders in strategic management and planning from six municipalities and a review of existing publications readily available to practitioners. The analysis focused on (1) the ecosystem services explicitly covered, (2) whether multifunctionality was covered and specific synergies and trade-offs identified and, (3) the spatial scale and context used for ecosystem services (valuation/mapping, planning, design or maintenance) in practical application. The results showed that regulatory services are very much the focus in municipal operations as well as in publications available to practitioners. This is reflected in the implementation of the concept through problem solving often related to regulatory services, using multifunctionality and win-win situations in ecosystem service supply. These findings contribute to the growing body of work exploring how the concept of ecosystem services is adapted and utilised in practice.

Download Full-text

Improving the knowledge of plant potential biodiversity-ecosystem services links using maps at the regional level in Southern Patagonia

Ecological Processes ◽

10.1186/s13717-021-00326-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yamina Micaela Rosas ◽

Pablo L. Peri ◽

María Vanessa Lencinas ◽

Romina Lasagno ◽

Guillermo J. Martínez Pastur

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Plant Species ◽

Vegetation Index ◽

Vascular Plant ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽

Important Indicator ◽

Ecological Requirements ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Southern Patagonia

Abstract Background Biodiversity supports multiple ecosystem services, whereas species loss endangers the provision of many services and affects ecosystem resilience and resistance capacity. The increase of remote sensing techniques allows to estimate biodiversity and ecosystem services supply at the landscape level in areas with low available data (e.g. Southern Patagonia). This paper evaluates the potential biodiversity and how it links with ecosystem services, based on vascular plant species across eight ecological areas. We also evaluated the habitat plant requirements and their relation with natural gradients. A total of 977 plots were used to develop habitat suitability maps based on an environmental niche factor analysis of 15 more important indicator species for each ecological area (n = 53 species) using 40 explanatory variables. Finally, these maps were combined into a single potential biodiversity map, which was linked with environmental variables and ecosystem services supply. For comparisons, data were extracted and compared through analyses of variance. Results The plant habitat requirements varied greatly among the different ecological areas, and it was possible to define groups according to its specialization and marginality indexes. The potential biodiversity map allowed us to detect coldspots in the western mountains and hotspots in southern and eastern areas. Higher biodiversity was associated to higher temperatures and normalized difference vegetation index, while lower biodiversity was related to elevation and rainfall. Potential biodiversity was closely associated with supporting and provisioning ecosystem services in shrublands and grasslands in the humid steppe, while the lowest values were related to cultural ecosystem services in Nothofagus forests. Conclusions The present study showed that plant species present remarkable differences in spatial distributions and ecological requirements, being a useful proxy for potential biodiversity modelling. Potential biodiversity values change across ecological areas allowing to identify hotspots and coldspots, a useful tool for landscape management and conservation strategies. In addition, links with ecosystem services detect potential synergies and trade-offs, where areas with the lowest potential biodiversity are related to cultural ecosystem services (e.g. aesthetic values) and areas with the greatest potential biodiversity showed threats related to productive activities (e.g. livestock).

Download Full-text

Assessing Matching Characteristics and Spatial Differences between Supply and Demand of Ecosystem Services: A Case Study in Hangzhou, China

Land ◽

10.3390/land10060582 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 582

Author(s):

Peng Tian ◽

Jialin Li ◽

Luodan Cao ◽

Ruiliang Pu ◽

Hongbo Gong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Urban Area ◽

Food Supply ◽

Soil Conservation ◽

Supply And Demand ◽

Water Yield ◽

Western Region ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Carbon Retention

Ecosystem services (ESs) is a term used to describe the foundations of the well-being of human society, and several relevant studies have been carried out in this area. However, given the fact that the complex trade-offs/synergy relationships of ESs are a challenging area, studies on matching mechanisms for ES supply and demand are still rare. In this study, using the InVEST model, ArcGIS, and other professional tools, we first mapped and quantitatively evaluated the supply and demand of five ES types (water yield, soil conservation, carbon retention, food supply, and leisure and entertainment) in Hangzhou, China, based on land use, meteorology, soil, and socio-economic data. Then, we analyzed the matching characteristics between the supply and demand of these ESs and analyzed the complex trade-offs and synergy between the supply and demand of ESs and factors affecting ESs. The results of this analysis indicate that although the ES supply and demand of carbon retention tended to be out of balance (supply was less than demand), the supply and demand of the other four ES types (i.e., water yield, soil conservation, food supply, and leisure and entertainment) were in balance (supply exceeded demand). Finally, the spatial heterogeneity of the supply and demand of ESs in Hangzhou was significant, especially in urban areas in the northeast and mountainous areas in the southwest. The supply of ESs was based on trade-offs, whereas the demand of ESs was based on synergy. Our results further show that the supply and demand of ESs in the urban area in Hangzhou were out of balance, whereas the supply and demand of ESs in the western region were coordinated. Therefore, the linkage of ES flows between this urban area and the western region should be strengthened. This innovative study could provide useful information for regional land use planning and environmental protection.

Download Full-text

Rural–Urban Migration and Conservation Drive the Ecosystem Services Improvement in China Karst: A Case Study of HuanJiang County, Guangxi

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13040566 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 566

Author(s):

Xiangkun Qi ◽

Qian Li ◽

Yuemin Yue ◽

Chujie Liao ◽

Lu Zhai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Human Activities ◽

Soil Conservation ◽

Land Reclamation ◽

Vegetation Recovery ◽

Water Yield ◽

Urban Migration ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Rural Urban Migration ◽

Huanjiang County

Under the transformation from over-cultivation to ecological protection in China’s karst, how human activities affect ecosystem services should be studied. This study combined satellite imagery and ecosystem models (Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach (CASA), Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST)) to evaluate primary ecosystem services (net ecosystem productivity (NEP), soil conservation and water yield) in a typical karst region (Huanjiang County). The relationships between human activities and ecosystem services were also examined. NEP increased from 441.7 g C/m2/yr in 2005 to 582.19 g C/m2/yr in 2015. Soil conservation also increased from 4.7 ton/ha to 5.5 ton/ha. Vegetation recovery and the conversion of farmland to forest, driven largely by restoration programs, contributed to this change. A positive relationship between increases in NEP, soil conservation and rural-urban migration (r = 0.62 and 0.53, P < 0.01, respectively) indicated decreasing human dependence on land reclamation and naturally regenerated vegetation. However, declining water yield from 784.3 to 724.5 mm highlights the trade-off between carbon sequestration and water yield should be considered. Our study suggests that conservation is critical to vegetation recovery in this region and that easing human pressure on land will play an important role.

Download Full-text