Effects of Long-Term Land Use and Land Cover Changes on Ecosystem Service Values: An Example from the Central Rift Valley, Ethiopia

Changes in land use and land cover (LULC) are the leading contributors to the decline and loss of ecosystem services in the world. The present study covered the Central Rift Valley lakes basin in Ethiopia, focusing on the valley floor and the East and West escarpments, to analyze changes in LULC and to estimate associated losses in ecosystem service values (ESVs). Covering both upstream and downstream areas in the basin, the study addressed major gaps in existing studies by connecting the sources and sinks of material (e.g., sediment and water) in source-to-lake systems. Additionally, the study facilitated the identification of critical areas for conserving natural resources and reversing the decline of associated ESVs in the Central Rift Valley. A post-classification comparison approach was used to detect LULC changes between 1973 and 2020 using four Landsat images from 1973, 1990, 2005 and 2020. The value transfer valuation method was used to estimate the changes in ESVs due to LULC changes. Among the seven major identified LULC classes, farmlands, settlements, and bare lands showed positive changes, while forestlands, grasslands, shrublands and waterbodies showed negative changes over the last 47 years. The expansion of farmlands, for example, has occurred at the expense of grasslands, forestlands and shrublands. The changes in LULC over a period of 47 years resulted in a total loss of US $62,110.4 × 106 in ESVs. The contributors to the overall loss of ESVs in decreasing order are provisioning services (US $33,795.1 × 106), cultural services (US $28,981.5 × 106) and regulating services (US $652.9 × 106). The results imply that addressing the degradation of land and water resources is crucial to reversing the loss of ecosystem services and achieving the national Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to food and water security (SDGs 2 and 6) and life on land (SDG 15).

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Qualifying Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics and Their Impacts on Ecosystem Service in Central Himalaya Transboundary Landscape Based on Google Earth Engine

Land ◽

10.3390/land10020173 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 173

Author(s):

Changjun Gu ◽

Yili Zhang ◽

Linshan Liu ◽

Lanhui Li ◽

Shicheng Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Land Cover ◽

Ecosystem Service ◽

Forest Cover ◽

Google Earth ◽

Forest Cover Change ◽

Sacred Landscape ◽

Lulc Changes ◽

Google Earth Engine

Land use and land cover (LULC) changes are regarded as one of the key drivers of ecosystem services degradation, especially in mountain regions where they may provide various ecosystem services to local livelihoods and surrounding areas. Additionally, ecosystems and habitats extend across political boundaries, causing more difficulties for ecosystem conservation. LULC in the Kailash Sacred Landscape (KSL) has undergone obvious changes over the past four decades; however, the spatiotemporal changes of the LULC across the whole of the KSL are still unclear, as well as the effects of LULC changes on ecosystem service values (ESVs). Thus, in this study we analyzed LULC changes across the whole of the KSL between 2000 and 2015 using Google Earth Engine (GEE) and quantified their impacts on ESVs. The greatest loss in LULC was found in forest cover, which decreased from 5443.20 km2 in 2000 to 5003.37 km2 in 2015 and which mainly occurred in KSL-Nepal. Meanwhile, the largest growth was observed in grassland (increased by 548.46 km2), followed by cropland (increased by 346.90 km2), both of which mainly occurred in KSL-Nepal. Further analysis showed that the expansions of cropland were the major drivers of the forest cover change in the KSL. Furthermore, the conversion of cropland to shrub land indicated that farmland abandonment existed in the KSL during the study period. The observed forest degradation directly influenced the ESV changes in the KSL. The total ESVs in the KSL decreased from 36.53 × 108 USD y−1 in 2000 to 35.35 × 108 USD y−1 in 2015. Meanwhile, the ESVs of the forestry areas decreased by 1.34 × 108 USD y−1. This shows that the decrease of ESVs in forestry was the primary cause to the loss of total ESVs and also of the high elasticity. Our findings show that even small changes to the LULC, especially in forestry areas, are noteworthy as they could induce a strong ESV response.

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Ecosystem Service Values Changes in Response to Land-Use/Land-Cover Dynamics in Dry Afromontane Forest in Northern Ethiopia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16234653 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (23) ◽

pp. 4653 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Negasi Solomon ◽

Alcade C. Segnon ◽

Emiru Birhane

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Land Cover ◽

Ecosystem Service ◽

Forest Cover ◽

Northern Ethiopia ◽

Land Use Land Cover ◽

Afromontane Forest ◽

Land Cover Dynamics ◽

Dry Afromontane Forest

Despite their importance as sources of ecosystem services supporting the livelihoods of millions of people, forest ecosystems have been changing into other land use systems over the past decades across the world. While forest cover change dynamics have been widely documented in various ecological systems, how these changes affect ecosystem service values has received limited attention. In this study we assessed the impact of land-use/land-cover dynamics on ecosystem service values in dry Afromontane forest in Northern Ethiopia. We estimated ecosystem service values and their changes based on the benefit transfer method using land cover data of the years 1985, 2000, and 2016 with their corresponding locally valid value coefficients and from the Ecosystem service valuation database. The total ecosystem service values of the whole study area were about USD 16.6, 19.0, and 18.1 million in 1985, 2000, and 2016, respectively. The analyses indicated an increase in ecosystem service values from 1985 to 2000 and a decrease in ecosystem service values from 2000 to 2016. Similarly, the contribution of specific ecosystem services increased in the first study period and decreased in the second study period. The findings highlight how forest cover dynamics can be translated into changes in ecosystem service values in dry Afromontane forest ecosystems in Northern Ethiopia and showed how specific ecosystem services contributed to the observed trends. The findings also illustrated the temporal heterogeneity in the impacts of land-use/land-cover dynamics on values of ecosystem services. The findings can serve as crucial inputs for policy and strategy formulations for the sustainable use and management of forest resources and can also guide the allocation of limited resources among competing demands to safeguard the ecosystems that offer the best-valued services.

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THE CARRYING CAPACITY ON ECOSYSTEM SERVICES OF LAND USE CHANGE AT BORDER ENTIKONG

Geosfera Indonesia ◽

10.19184/geosi.v3i2.7896 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 11

Author(s):

Robby Irsan ◽

Luthfi Muta'ali ◽

S Sudrajat

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Land Cover ◽

Natural Resources ◽

Carrying Capacity ◽

Ecosystem Service ◽

Spatial Planning ◽

Clean Water ◽

Border Area ◽

Mixed Plantation

Entikong Region is located in Sanggau Regency, West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia, which is directly adjacent to Malaysia. Land use in the Border Area, which is massive and irregular, results in environmental degradation, deculturization, and lack of living standards of the community. High population growth in the border areas leads to excessive use of natural resources, and used land is not appropriately allocated. The land has limited function, and if the demand for the land is greater than the carrying capacity, there will be an imbalance that results in land degradation and its environment. The purpose of this study is to identify the type and extent of land function switch, analyze provider services as part of the Land Support Capacity Ecosystem services, and identify the Accuracy of Image Interpretation. The results showed that the increasing area of massive land use comes from a mixed plantation in 2017 increased by 60.6% of the total area of Entikong District. Degradation occurs in primary forest land use component which is only 18.6% of Entikong's total area in 2017. This indicates that the use of mixed plantation land acquires the protected forest, with many palm, rubber, and pepper. Similarly, the percentage of accuracy test from the interpretation result reaches 83.33% from 42 sample points in accordance with the real conditions. The Value of Clean Water Ecosystem Service Providers in 2011 was 0.36 and was 0.33 in 2017. Then within the period of almost 7 years, it is decreased by 0.03. Thus, the Ecosystem Service Index of clean water providers has a value less than 1, it means the function of the area as a provider of clean water is very small. Similarly, the Provider Ecosystem Services Index for Foodstuffs, the Value of Food Ecosystem Services Index in 2011 was 0.32 and was 0.31 in 2017, then within the nearly 7-year period, it is decreased by 0.01. The ecosystem services index as a food supply provider for the Entikong border area is very low (less than 1) which means the carrying capacity of the environment is not good enough for supplying food needs in Entikong. This indicates that there is a reduction in the availability of environmental services, and if it continues, then Environmental Assets declines sharply and services derived from nature will be lost or will be expensive in the near future. Thus, optimization and revitalization of land use are necessary by applying various policies related to development in the border area in Entikong District. Keywords: Borders, Land Use, Ecosystem Provider Services. References Admadhani, D. N., Hajil, A. H. S., & Susanawati, L. D. (2013). Analysis of Water Supply and Water Demand for Carrying Capacity Assessment ( Case Study of Malang ). Journal of Natural Resources and Environment. Asdak, C., & Salim, H. (2006). Water Resource Capacity As a Spatial Planning Consideration. Journal of Environmental Engineering P3TL-BPPT. Ernan Rustiadi, Sunsus Saefulhakim, D. R. P. (2011). Planning and Regional Development. Restpent Press. Ghozali. (2013). Referral of Land Use Utilization Through Ecological Footprint in Gresik Regency. Territory and Environment, 1 No.1, 67–78. Hamidy, Z. (2003). Land Cover Change, Composition, and Life Type in Suakaidupan Cikepuh. Faculty of Forestry, IPB. Muta’ali, L. (2015). Regional Analysis Techniques For Regional Planning, Spatial Planning, and Environment (Februari). Yogyakarta: Faculty of Geography UGM. National Standardization Department. (2010). Classification of Land Cover. Purwadhi. (2008). Introduction Remote Sensing Imagery Interpretation. Semarang: LAPAN. Riqqi, A. (2014). Design Concept Techniques Determination of Supporting Capacity and Capacity of the National Environment and Islands / Islands And Provinces. Bali: KLH. Saripin, I. (2003). Identify Land Use Using Landsat TM Imagery. Agricultural Engineering Bulletin. Varika. (2015). Monitoring of Ecosystem Service-Based Ecotourism (Recreation and Ecotourism) Capacity in 2000 and 2015 Using Landsat Image in Badung Regency, Bali. Viska. (2012). Land Use Direction in Batu City Based on Ecological Ecosystem Approach. Pomits Technique, 1 No.1, 1–6.

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Evaluation of Ecosystem Service Changes due to Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics in Cham Chu Nature Reserve

Environment and Natural Resources Journal ◽

10.32526/ennrj/20/202100131 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 1-16

Author(s):

Vo Thanh Son ◽

◽

Luu The Anh ◽

Dao Minh Truong ◽

Trong Dai Ly ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Land Cover ◽

Ecosystem Service ◽

Nature Reserve ◽

Research Approach ◽

Ecosystem Services Value ◽

Land Cover Dynamics ◽

Action Strategies ◽

Transfer Method

Assessment of ecosystem services is vital for successful natural resource allocation; however, these have been less studied within Vietnam. This study estimated the ecosystem services value (ESV) and its change in Cham Chu nature reserve, Vietnam using a benefit transfer method. Ecosystem service values estimation and trend analyses were carried out based on land use and land cover datasets from 1986, 1998, 2007, and 2017, with their corresponding global value coefficients. The results revealed that the total value of ecosystem services in Cham Chu was approximately 64.4, 63.9, 60.7, and 63.4 million USD in 1986, 1998, 2007, and 2017, respectively. Changes have also occurred in the values of individual ecosystem service functions. From 1986 to 2017, ecosystem service functions showed significant decreases in gas regulation, pollination, biological control, water regulation, water supply, and food production of 62.9%, 51.2%, 44.4%, 24.7%, 23.1%, and 13.0%, respectively. We conclude that the loss of ESV is a result of ecological deterioration in the studied landscape, and we propose further research to examine future solutions and establish action strategies. In summary, the research approach methodology developed can be used by land managers and planners in Vietnam as a guideline to estimate the importance of ecosystem services in Vietnam.

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Assessing Impacts of Land Use/Land Cover Conversion on Changes in Ecosystem Services Value on the Loess Plateau, China

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12177128 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (17) ◽

pp. 7128

Author(s):

Wei Jiang ◽

Bojie Fu ◽

Yihe Lü

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Land Cover ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Ecosystem Service ◽

Land Cover Changes ◽

Land Use Land Cover ◽

The Loess Plateau ◽

Average Value ◽

Value Changes

The Loess Plateau is not only a critical region that suffers from ecological threats but also a valuable region that provides various fundamental ecosystem services, including provisioning, regulating and cultural services to about 8% of the Chinese population. The specific natural environment and extensive human activities have led to substantial land use/land cover changes between 1990 and 2015, such as the decrease in cropland with the increase in forests and grasslands due to the implementation of the Grain for Green Program since 2000 and the expansion of built-up areas with economic development and population growth. However, the effects of these changes on ecosystem service values have not yet been considered. In this study, the approach based on a combination of land use/land cover proxies and benefit transfer is applied to assess ecosystem service value changes resulting from land use/land cover changes in the 1990–2000, 2000–2010 and 2010–2015 periods. The results reveal that the total value of ecosystem services has been reduced by $6.787 million from 1990 to 2000 and increased by $4.6 million from 2000 to 2015. The elasticity analysis shows that a 1% area conversion has induced average value changes of 1.03%, 0.38% and 0.05% in the three periods, respectively. Elasticity is developed as an indicator for locating unusual changes among different regions and identifying specific needs for ecosystem management.

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Valuation of Ecosystem Services in South Africa, 2001–2019

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su132011262 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (20) ◽

pp. 11262

Author(s):

Mohamed A. M. Abd Elbasit ◽

Jasper Knight ◽

Gang Liu ◽

Majed M. Abu-Zreig ◽

Rashid Hasaan

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Land Cover ◽

Ecosystem Service ◽

Economic Value ◽

Economic Changes ◽

Sensing Model ◽

Over Time

Although changes in ecosystems in response to climate and land-use change are known to have implications for the provision of different environmental and ecosystem services, quantifying the economic value of some of these services can be problematic and has not been widely attempted. Here, we used a simplified raster remote sensing model based on MODIS data across South Africa for five different time slices for the period 2001–2019. The aims of the study were to quantify the economic changes in ecosystem services due to land degradation and land-cover changes based on areal values (in USD ha−1 yr−1) for ecosystem services reported in the literature. Results show progressive and systematic changes in land-cover classes across different regions of South Africa for the time period of analysis, which are attributed to climate change. Total ecosystem service values for South Africa change somewhat over time as a result of land-use change, but for 2019 this calculated value is USD 437 billion, which is ~125% of GDP. This is the first estimation of ecosystem service value made for South Africa at the national scale. In detail, changes in land cover over time within each of the nine constituent provinces in South Africa mean that ecosystem service values also change regionally. There is a clear disparity between the provinces with the greatest ecosystem service values when compared to their populations and contribution to GDP. This highlights the potential for untapped ecosystem services to be exploited as a tool for regional sustainable development.

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Spatio-temporal variation of ecosystem services value in the Northern Tianshan Mountain Economic zone from 1980 to 2030

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.9582 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. e9582

Author(s):

Lei Shi ◽

Ümüt Halik ◽

Zulpiya Mamat ◽

Zhicheng Wei

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Land Cover ◽

Water Body ◽

Ecosystem Service ◽

Water Conservation ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Tianshan Mountain ◽

Northern Tianshan ◽

Economic Zone

Rapid agricultural land expansion and urbanization have accelerated land use and land cover changes (LUCC) in the Northern Tianshan Mountain Economic Zone and have significantly impacted on the ecosystem services (ESs). However, the spatiotemporal variations of ecosystem service value (ESV) to LUCC are not well understood. Based on the land use and land cover (LULC) data from 1980 to 2019, we used a CA-Markov model to predict LUCC in 2020 and 2030, assess the spatial-temporal changes of ESV and LULC during 1980–2030, and explore the elastic response of ESV to LUCC. We found that cropland and built-up land expanded rapidly by 34.38% and 196.66%, respectively between 1980 and 2030, while grassland and unutilized land decreased significantly by 11.45% and 10.26%, respectively. The ESV of water body, cropland, grassland and forestland accounts for more than 90% of the total ESV. Our research shows that the ESV of cropland increased 32 million yuan from 1980 to 2030, mainly due to the expansion of cropland area. However, the loss caused by the reduction of grassland area was 45 million yuan. Water conservation, waste treatment, soil formation and retention, and biodiversity conservation are the primary ecosystem service function, accounting for 71.82% of the total ESV. Despite notable increases in the ESV from 1980 to 2010, grassland degradation still remains a main ecological and environmental issue from 2010 to 2030. The results suggest that effective land use policies should be developed to control the expansion of croplands and protect water body, grassland and forestland to maintain more sustainable ESs.

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Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics and Assessing the Ecosystem Service Values in the Trans-Boundary Gandaki River Basin, Central Himalayas

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su10093052 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. 3052 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Raju Rai ◽

Yili Zhang ◽

Basanta Paudel ◽

Bipin Acharya ◽

Laxmi Basnet

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Land Cover ◽

River Basin ◽

Ecosystem Service ◽

Satellite Image ◽

Landsat 8 ◽

Barren Land ◽

Central Himalayas ◽

Land Cover Types

Land use and land cover is a fundamental variable that affects many parts of social and physical environmental aspects. Land use and land cover changes (LUCC) has been known as one of the key drivers of affecting in ecosystem services. The trans-boundary Gandaki River Basin (GRB) is the part of Central Himalayas, a tributary of Ganges mega-river basin plays a crucial role on LUCC and ecosystem services. Due to the large topographic variances, the basin has existed various land cover types including cropland, forest cover, built-up area, river/lake, wetland, snow/glacier, grassland, barren land and bush/shrub. This study used Landsat 5-TM (1990), Landsat 8-OLI (2015) satellite image and existing national land cover database of Nepal of the year 1990 to analyze LUCC and impact on ecosystem service values between 1990 and 2015. Supervised classification with maximum likelihood algorithm was applied to obtain the various land cover types. To estimate the ecosystem services values, this study used coefficients values of ecosystem services delivered by each land cover class. The combined use of GIS and remote sensing analysis has revealed that grassland and snow cover decreased from 10.62% to 7.62% and 9.55% to 7.27%, respectively compared to other land cover types during the 25 years study period. Conversely, cropland, forest and built-up area have increased from 31.78% to 32.67%, 32.47–33.22% and 0.19–0.59%, respectively in the same period. The total ecosystem service values (ESV) was increased from 50.16 × 108 USD y−1 to 51.84 × 108 USD y−1 during the 25 years in the GRB. In terms of ESV of each of land cover types, the ESV of cropland, forest, water bodies, barren land were increased, whereas, the ESV of snow/glacier and grassland were decreased. The total ESV of grassland and snow/glacier cover were decreased from 3.12 × 108 USD y−1 to 1.93 × 108 USD y−1 and 0.26 × 108 USD y−1 to 0.19 × 108 USD y−1, respectively between 1990 and 2015. The findings of the study could be a scientific reference for the watershed management and policy formulation to the trans-boundary watershed.

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Detecting and Analyzing Land Use and Land Cover Changes in the Region of Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar, Libya Using Time-Series Landsat Data from 1985 to 2017

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12114490 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 4490

Author(s):

Jamal Suliman Alawamy ◽

Siva K. Balasundram ◽

Ahmad Husni Mohd. Hanif ◽

Christopher Teh Boon Sung

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Cover ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Landsat Images ◽

Gis And Remote Sensing ◽

Deforestation Rate ◽

Lulc Changes ◽

Al Jabal Al Akhdar ◽

Urbanization Rate ◽

Major Factors

The region of Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar in northeastern Libya has undergone rapid, wide-ranging changes in the land use and land cover (LULC) intensified by the conversion of natural resources for food purpose, urbanization, and other socioeconomic benefits. This study examined the use of geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing techniques to gain a quantitative understanding of the spatiotemporal dynamics of LULC. In addition, the major factors behind LULC changes and decline of natural vegetation in the region were analyzed. A post-classification comparison approach was used to detect LULC changes in the study area between 1985 and 2017 using four Landsat images from 1985, 2000, 2010, and 2017. The observed changes were indicative of a decrease in the expanse of the natural Mediterranean forest which lost 9018 ha over 32 years, 39% of its total area, with the highest deforestation rate registered between 2010 and 2017 estimated at 513 ha. year−1. Orchards and rain-fed agriculture lands gained 4095 ha, which matches 55% of initial area, whereas the land under irrigated crops increased by 2266 ha, about 85% of the original area. The area of urban and built-up land in 2017 was more than double in 1985 and achieved the highest urbanization rate between 2010 and 2017 at 203 ha.year−1. Results indicate an unstable trend of bare and low vegetation lands which generally increased by about 50%. From the outcomes of this research, it is strongly recommended that urgent measures be taken to conserve the natural forest and to achieve a rational use of agricultural land in the region of Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar.

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A Review of Changes in Mountain Land Use and Ecosystem Services: From Theory to Practice

Land ◽

10.3390/land9090336 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (9) ◽

pp. 336

Author(s):

Ileana Pătru-Stupariu ◽

Constantina Alina Hossu ◽

Simona Raluca Grădinaru ◽

Andreea Nita ◽

Mihai-Sorin Stupariu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Land Cover ◽

Ecosystem Service ◽

Quantitative Methods ◽

Global Changes ◽

Land Use Land Cover ◽

Theory To Practice ◽

Wide Range ◽

The Impact

Global changes impact the human-environment relationship, and, in particular, they affect the provision of ecosystem services. Mountain ecosystems provide a wide range of such services, but they are highly sensitive and vulnerable to change due to various human pressures and natural processes. We conducted a literature survey that focused on two main issues. The first was the identification of quantitative methods aimed at assessing the impact of land use changes in mountain regions and the related ecosystem services. The second was the analysis of the extent to which the outcomes of these assessments are useful and transferable to stakeholders. We selected papers through a keyword-driven search of the ISI Web of Knowledge and other international databases. The keywords used for the search were mountain land use change and ecosystem service. Quantitative approaches to ecosystem service assessment rely on suitable indicators, therefore land use/land cover can be used as an appropriate proxy. Landscape metrics are a powerful analytical tool; their use can increase the accuracy of assessments and facilitate the mitigation of specific phenomena, such as fragmentation or the reduction of core habitat areas. Mapping is essential: it is the basis for spatial analyzes and eases the interactions between stakeholders. Land use/land cover change is a temporal process, so both past and future approaches are meaningful. It is necessary to enhance information transfer from theory to practice. Increasing stakeholder awareness can lead to suitable management solutions, and, reciprocally, stakeholder feedback can help improve current assessment methodologies and contribute to developing new tools that are suitable for specific problems.

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