Ecosystem Service Response to Human Disturbance in the Yangtze River Economic Belt: A Case of Western Hunan, China

Ecosystem conservation is one of the core elements of sustainable development. Studying the relationship between human disturbance and the ecosystem service value (ESV) change is an urgent need for the future. The Yangtze River Economic Belt is one of the key economic strategies implemented by the Chinese government and is also a demonstration zone for ecological conservation. Western Hunan is an important ecological barrier in the Yangtze basin where different ethnic groups live together and various cultures coexist. In this study, using land-use data and spatial analysis modeling, the changes in the ecosystem service value at five topographic gradients were evaluated. Human disturbance and its spatial correlation with the ecosystem service value from 1990 to 2015 were also investigated. The results demonstrated the following: (1) the proportional area of forestland and grassland increased as the topographic gradient index increased and other types of land-use gradually decreased; (2) The ecosystem service value at middle gradients increased over the study period; but ESV of the lowest topographic gradient showed a significant decline and a substantial decrease, as well as a terrain index under 0.7970; (3) The spatial analysis of human disturbance showed that more than 90% of intense human disturbance was distributed in the area of the lowest topographic gradient where topographic features were low-altitude and low-slope, and little human disturbance was scattered at other gradients; (4) There was a significant spatial aggregation distribution between the ecosystem service value and human disturbance in western Hunan, the high disturbance and low ESV aggregation was mainly distributed in Loudi City, the area east of Shaoyang City and Zhangjiajie City all belonged to the lowest topographic gradient, and the low–high and high–high aggregations were mainly distributed in Huaihua City and Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. Population density and gross domestic product were the main driving factors, while topography was the main ecological factor. This study could provide additional spatial information and theoretical guidance for ecosystem service management for sustainable development in western Hunan, China.

Download Full-text

Spatial–Temporal Evolution and Correlation Analysis of Ecosystem Service Value and Landscape Ecological Risk in Wuhu City

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12072803 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 2803 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yanyan Jia ◽

Xiaolan Tang ◽

Wei Liu

Keyword(s):

Ecological Risk ◽

Ecosystem Service ◽

Yangtze River ◽

Temporal Evolution ◽

Unit Area ◽

Risk Index ◽

Ecological Environment ◽

The Yangtze River ◽

Ecosystem Service Value ◽

Service Value

The comprehensive application of ecosystem service value (ESV) and ecological risk index (ERI) assessment can provide better decision support for regional ecological environment protection. Based on the remote sensing image data of Wuhu city of 1995, 2005 and 2016, the paper analyzed the spatial-temporal evolution of ESV and ERI in Wuhu city and its associated characteristics using an ESV, ERI assessments and a bivariate spatial autocorrelation method. The results showed that (1) the total ESV of Wuhu city continued to decline from 1995 to 2016, with a decrease of US$ 363.664 million. The total ESV per unit area of the sampling plot decreased, and the high-value was mainly distributed in areas within 5–10 km along the Yangtze River floodplain. (2) Wuhu city was mainly dominated by a relatively low ERI and medium ERI from 1995 to 2016. The high-value areas were mainly distributed in the mainstream of the Yangtze River, and the overall ERI improved. (3) There was a positive spatial correlation between the total ESV per unit area and ERI in Wuhu city, and these areas were mainly distributed in the Yangtze River mainstream region. According to this research, it is necessary to pay attention to the protection of wetland and forest landscapes, strengthen wetland ecological protection based on the Yangtze River and protect and restore natural mountain forests, all of which play important roles in improving the ecosystem service function of Wuhu city and protecting the ecological environment of the Yangtze River. We should act on that knowledge, and produce effective environmental regulations and habitat restoration efforts that improve the ESV and reduce the ERI. The findings of the study can serve as a reference for the management and protection of ecological environments in river-crossing cities.

Download Full-text

The response of ecosystem service value to land-use change in the upper Zhang River region from 2001 to 2013

World Journal of Engineering ◽

10.1108/wje-06-2016-032 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 234-241

Author(s):

Haixin Liu ◽

Xinxia Liu ◽

Yuling Zhao ◽

Hefeng Wang ◽

Dongli Wang

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Sustainable Development ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Ecosystem Service ◽

Basic Research ◽

Ecosystem Service Value ◽

Entire Area ◽

Content Type ◽

Service Value ◽

River Region

Purpose This study aims to analyze the changes in the ecosystem service value (ESV) in response to land use and contribute significantly to ecological construction and sustainable development. Design/methodology/approach The present study was conducted in the upper Zhanghe River region based on the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer Land Cover Type product MCD12Q1 by using geographic information system (GIS) methods to process and re-classify the land-use data and using the Chinese ESV equivalent weight factors to investigate changes in land use and resulting changes in ESV between 2001 and 2013. Findings The results showed significant fluctuations in ESV between 2001 and 2013: there was a decline in ESV from 2001 to 2004, followed by a gradual rise after 2004, and the overall ESV exceeded 2001 levels by the end of 2013. However, the pattern of ESV change differed across geographic locations, and each administrative region contributed differently to the overall trend. The analysis confirmed that the land-use change was closely related to the change in its ESV, and the coefficients of sensitivity of ESV for all types of land use were less than one, indicating that the coefficient value of ESV lacked elasticity. Research limitations/implications Therefore, to promote sustainable development in the upper Zhanghe River region, ESV should be taken into consideration when planning land use, especially for land types with high ESV, such as water bodies and forestlands. Originality/value The results can provide scientific support for the sustainable development of the ecological, economic and societal aspects of the upper Zhanghe River region. In addition, county-level administrative divisions were set as the basic research unit for the analysis and discussion of ESV changes in each unit within the research period and its impact on the overall ESV of the entire area to lay down a foundation for the analysis of the ESV spatial dynamic distribution in the entire research site.

Download Full-text

Simulation of Land Use Change and Ecosystem Service Value Dynamics under Ecological Constraints in Anhui Province, China

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17124228 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (12) ◽

pp. 4228 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sai Hu ◽

Longqian Chen ◽

Long Li ◽

Ting Zhang ◽

Lina Yuan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Sustainable Development ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Land Use Planning ◽

Ecosystem Service ◽

Anhui Province ◽

Cultivated Land ◽

Grey Prediction ◽

Ecosystem Service Value ◽

Service Value

Land use change has a significant impact on the structure and function of ecosystems, and the transformation of ecosystems affects the mode and efficiency of land use, which reflects a mutual interaction relationship. The prediction and simulation of future land use change can enhance the foresight of land use planning, which is of great significance to regional sustainable development. In this study, future land use changes are characterized under an ecological optimization scenario based on the grey prediction (1,1) model (GM) and a future land use simulation (FLUS) model. In addition, the ecosystem service value (ESV) of Anhui Province from 1995 to 2030 were estimated based on the revised estimation model. The results indicate the following details: (1) the FLUS model was used to simulate the land use layout of Anhui Province in 2018, where the overall accuracy of the simulation results is high, indicating that the FLUS model is applicable for simulating future land use change; (2) the spatial layout of land use types in Anhui Province is stable and the cultivated land has the highest proportion. The most significant characteristic of future land use change is that the area of cultivated land continues to decrease while the area of built-up land continues to expand; and (3) the ESV of Anhui Province is predicted to increase in the future. The regulating service is the largest ESV contributor, and water area is the land use type with the highest proportion of ESV. These findings provide reference for the formulation of sustainable development policies of the regional ecological environment.

Download Full-text

Spatial and temporal dynamics of land use and its influence on ecosystem service value in Yangtze River Delta

Acta Ecologica Sinica ◽

10.5846/stxb201306121679 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 34 (12) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

刘桂林 LIU Guilin ◽

张落成 ZHANG Luocheng ◽

张倩 ZHANG Qian

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Service ◽

Yangtze River ◽

Temporal Dynamics ◽

Yangtze River Delta ◽

River Delta ◽

Ecosystem Service Value ◽

Service Value ◽

Spatial And Temporal Dynamics

Download Full-text

Variations of Ecosystem Service Value in Response to Land-Use Change in the Kashgar Region, Northwest China

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su10010200 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 200 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Aynur Mamat ◽

Ümüt Halik ◽

Aihemaitijiang Rouzi

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Sustainable Development ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Ecosystem Service ◽

Northwest China ◽

Natural Ecosystem ◽

Ecosystem Service Value ◽

Service Value ◽

Wide Range ◽

The Impact

Increasing anthropogenic activities have significantly altered ecosystems in arid oasis regions. Estimating the impact on a wide range of ecosystem services is important for decision making and the sustainable development of these regions. This study analyzed time-series Landsat data to determine the influences of oasis land-use changes on the ecosystem services in the Kashgar region in Northwest China. The following results were found. The total value of the ecosystem services in the Kashgar region were approximately $10,845.3, $11,218.6, $10,291.7, and $10,127.3 million in 1986, 1996, 2005, and 2015, respectively. The water supply, waste treatment, biodiversity protection, and recreation and cultural services were the four ecosystem services with the highest service value, contributing 77.05% of the total ecosystem services. The combined contribution rate of food production and raw material value was only about 4.02%, relatively small. The sensitivity analysis indicated that the estimated total ecosystem service value (ESV) for this study area was relatively inelastic with respect to the value coefficients. The findings of this study will be crucial for maintaining the stability and sustainable development of the oasis region, where socio-economic development and the integrity of the natural ecosystem complement each other. Furthermore, the results provide a scientific basis for decision makers in land use management, and provide a reference for researchers in the Northwest China.

Download Full-text