Spatio-temporal changes in ecosystem service values: Effects of land-use changes from past to future (1860-2100)

Where, When, and How Much Should We Pay for Wind Erosion Prevention Services of the Largest Chinese Grassland Reserve?

The large-scale and cross-regional payment for ecosystem services (PES) contributes positively to ecology-economy balance and thus helps prevent environmental challenges such as "sand storm". However, existing PES programs often overlook the connection between service-providing areas (SPAs) and service-benefiting areas (SBAs). Here, we developed an interregional PES framework based on the theory of ecosystem services flow and applied it to the largest Chinese grassland nature reserve, Xilingol Prairie, to quantitatively identify SPAs, SBAs, and flow paths of the ecosystem wind erosion prevention service (WEPS). We showed that, from 2000 to 2020, the grassland ecosystem of Xilingol Prairie had brought an annual WEPS benefit of 1.21 × 108 t/a and economic value of 12.44 × 108 CNY/a, accounting for approximately 107.71% of the GDP in the same area and year and with a slightly increasing trend in most areas. We reveal obvious seasonal (over half in the spring) and interannual variations in the benefit and that Inner Mongolia, Hebei, and Northeast China are the most important beneficiaries of WEPS, rather than Beijing and Tianjin as traditionally thought. Our results warn that the WEPS supply capacity will not last long and call for finer spatial (e.g., among cities) and temporal (e.g., focus on the spring) resolution for PES policy design.

Payments for ecosystem services programs: A global review of contributions towards sustainability

Payments for ecosystem services programs (PESPs) are increasingly being adopted globally to enhance sustainability outcomes. There are also hundreds of studies yearly on various aspects of PESPs, but research on their contributions to sustainability of communities and the ecosystems they depend upon at the global scale are rare. Our global review explores twelve key characteristics of PESPs at three different phases (inputs - implementation - outputs and outcomes) and their relationship types of these characteristics to sustainability outcomes. To do so, we review 376 peer-review journal articles on PESPs, and test three hypotheses related to these relationships. Our findings confirm that the relationships between each of these characteristics and sustainability outcomes are bidirectional and/or multidirectional to some extent and can be positive, negative or both, depending on specific cases and research methods used to study these relationships. The findings also disclose that separating one characteristic as the primary causal factor in any relationship or outcome is not easy as relevant characteristics are linked in a complex network. Thereby, determining key characteristics of PESPs that drive relationships for the sake of sustainability is important. Through analyzing relationships between PESP characteristics, this study offers a series of suggestions to further aid the contributions of PESPs' contributions to sustainability in the future.

Past and future impacts of land-use changes on ecosystem services in Austria

Environmental and socio-economic developments induce land-use changes with potentially negative impacts on human well-being. To counteract undesired developments, a profound understanding of the complex relationships between drivers, land use, and ecosystem services is needed. Yet, national studies examining extended time periods are still rare. Based on the Special Report on land use, land management and climate change by the Austrian Panel on Climate Change (APCC), we use the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework to (1) identify the main drivers of land-use change, (2) describe past and future land-use changes in Austria between 1950 and 2100, (3) report related impacts on ecosystem services, and (4) discuss management responses. Our findings indicate that socio-economic drivers (e.g., economic growth, political systems, and technological developments) have influenced past land-use changes the most. The intensification of agricultural land use and urban sprawl have primarily led to declining ecosystem services in the lowlands. In mountain regions, the abandonment of mountain grassland has prompted a shift from provisioning to regulating services. However, simulations indicate that accelerating climate change will surpass socio-economic drivers in significance towards the end of this century, particularly in intensively used agricultural areas. Although climate change-induced impacts on ecosystem services remain uncertain, it can be expected that the range of land-use management options will be restricted in the future. Consequently, policymaking should prioritize the development of integrated land-use planning to safeguard ecosystem services, accounting for future environmental and socio-economic uncertainties.

Distinguishing the impact of tourism development on ecosystem service trade-offs in ecological functional zone

Tourism in ecological functional zones (EFZs) is rapidly becoming an increasing trend; however, its impact on ecosystem services remains poorly understood owing to the absence of a consistent quantification framework. This study uses the Taihang Mountains (THM), an EFZ in China, as an example to develop a framework for evaluating the direct and indirect impact pathways of scenic spots on the trade-offs between multiple ecosystem services by identifying the linkages between scenic spot development, socioeconomic change, land use transitions, and ecosystem services. The results show that the continued conversion of agricultural land, grassland, and forest to constructed land around scenic spots in 2000-2020 was accompanied by a decline in water yield (WY) and habitat quality (HQ); while food production (FP), carbon storage (CS), and soil retention (SR) increased. Land use and ecosystem service changes around scenic spots in the THM also exhibited significant spatial gradient effects. In particular, a 10-km buffer area was identified as a distinct "influence zone" where the ecosystem services trade-offs and land use changes were the most pronounced. In 2010, scenic spot revenue was the dominant factor that increased the trade-offs between SR with FP and CS via direct pathways. However, in 2020, the dominant factor was scenic spot level, which shifted the impact toward the relationship between CS and WY and HQ by intensifying the trade-offs to facilitating synergies. This was accomplished in an indirect manner, such as the facilitation of local population growth, industrial restructuring, and infrastructure development. This study reveals the varying effects of scenic spot development via different pathways, thereby providing useful insights for global EFZs to more precisely design policies that can adequately balance human activities with ecosystem services.

Understanding old herbal secrets: The renaissance of traditional medicinal plants beyond the twenty classic species?

The use of traditional medicinal plants plays an important role especially in remote rural and marginalized landscapes at different latitudes. In the development of nature conservation strategies based on local knowledge and sustainable resource management, medicinal herbs have been hypothesized to be cultural key stone species. Environmental education is a crucial driver for fostering environmental literacy and preserving local knowledge across generations. We conducted semi-structured interviews with stakeholders in the Autonomous Province of Bozen-South Tyrol (N Italy) to gain insights into, and reflections on, the cultural value of traditional medicinal plants and their interplay within the local landscape, nature conservation and their role in environmental education and knowledge transfer across generations. We also used a combination of purposive and snowball sampling to identify relevant actors. The different voices collected in the study clearly highlight the role of medicinal herbs in healthcare, for cultural identity of local communities and demonstrate a growing commercial market niche that maintains the local economy and services, including widespread offers related to environmental education, that have not, unfortunately, been used yet in the formal curricula of local schools. The latter is crucial for a holistic approach taking medicinal plants as an ideal vehicle to connect especially children with nature and history of South Tyrol, strengthening health education and overall environmental literacy, including species knowledge. However, the revival of herbal medicine and related knowledge do not prevent the continuous loss of local traditional knowledge regarding medicinal plants, recipes and use. More species and their uses are being forgotten due to superficialisation of knowledge and of mainstreaming and homogenization of the global market of herbal medicine. Safeguarding the natural and cultural treasures of South Tyrol for future generations is in the hands of the local communities.

Potential of eye-tracking simulation software for analyzing landscape preferences

Profound knowledge about landscape preferences is of high importance to support decision-making, in particular, in the context of emerging socio-economic developments to foster a sustainable spatial development and the maintenance of attractive landscapes. Eye-tracking experiments are increasingly used to examine how respondents observe landscapes, but such studies are very time-consuming and costly. For the first time, this study explored the potential of using eye-tracking simulation software in a mountain landscape by (1) identifying the type of information that can be obtained through eye-tracking simulation and (2) examining how this information contributes to the explanation of landscape preferences. Based on 78 panoramic landscape photographs, representing major landscape types of the Central European Alps, this study collected 19 indicators describing the characteristics of the hotspots that were identified by the Visual Attention Software by 3M (3M-VAS). Indicators included quantitative and spatial information (e.g., number of hotspots, probabilities of initially viewing the hotspots) as well variables indicating natural and artificial features within the hotspots (e.g., clouds, lighting conditions, natural and anthropogenic features). In addition, we estimated 18 variables describing the photo content and calculated 12 landscape metrics to quantify spatial patterns. Our results indicate that on average 3.3 hotspots were identified per photograph, mostly containing single trees and tree trunks, buildings and horizon transitions. Using backward stepwise linear regression models, the hotspot indicators increased the model explanatory power by 24%. Thus, our findings indicate that the analysis of eye-tracking hotspots can support the identification of important elements and areas of a landscape, but it is limited in explaining preferences across different landscape types. Future research should therefore focus on specific landscape characteristics such as complexity, structure or visual appearance of specific elements to increase the depth of information obtained from eye-tracking simulation software.

Civil society's perception of forest ecosystem services. A case study in the Western Alps

Forest Ecosystem Services (FES) are widely recognised by the society nowadays. However, no study in the literature has analysed a ranking of FES after the pandemic. This paper investigated civil society's perception and knowledge toward these services; in addition, the presence of attitudinal or behavioural patterns regarding individual's preference, was assessed. A choice experiment was conducted using the Best-Worst Scaling (BWS) method on a sample of 479 individuals intercepted in the Argentera Valley, in the Western Italian Alps. Results, showed a strong interest in biodiversity, aesthetic landscape quality and psychophysical health and a lower interest in provisioning services. Based on the individual preferences, civil society was clustered into five groups for FES, named "Hedonistic," "Individualist with cultural and health interests," "Sensitive to regulatory and utilitarian functions," "Climate change sensitive" and "Livelihood and hedonistic wellbeing." In general, there was a growing appreciation by civil society for the intangible services offered by the forest, driven by modern lifestyles and an interest in learning more about the provided services. Based on these elements, we believe that similar research should be extended to other mountain contexts to validate the results or to find new insights, and that it is now necessary to study how to involve civil society in decision-making processes of forest planning and management at a local level.

Exposure to global change pressures and potential impacts on ecosystem services of mountain lakes in the European Alps

Mountain lakes are increasingly affected by global change pressures. While there is growing evidence of impacts on ecosystem functioning, few studies considered changes in ecosystem services (ES). This study aimed (1) to examine the exposure of small and natural mountain lakes in the European Alps to global change pressures and (2) to estimate potential impacts on six relevant ES considering future climate projections and potential changes in water use. For 2455 lakes, we mapped the level of exposure to global change pressures, including climate change, atmospheric nutrient deposition, and anthropogenic activities (e.g., water use). Our results indicate that more than half of the Alpine mountain lakes feature a considerable level of exposure to global change. Hotspot analysis revealed spatial clusters of lakes with above-average exposure (23.7% of all lakes), mostly located in the central part of the Alps, while lakes with below-average exposure level prevailed in the south-western (19.3%) and eastern parts (10.6%). For 15 case study lakes, we quantified potential impacts on six key ES. The results revealed, in particular, potential negative effects on maintaining habitat and populations as well as aesthetic value, but contrastingly, also some positive effects for outdoor recreation, research and education. Our findings suggest the need for a comprehensive integration of mountain lakes into current management and policy frameworks to ensure the ecological integrity and ES provision of mountain lakes. Interdisciplinary mountain lake research will be important to overcome uncertainties related to the coupling of limnological parameters and ES indicators.

Enhancing Ecosystem Services in the Agro-Pastoral Transitional Zone Based on Local Sustainable Management: Insights from Duolun County in Northern China

Ecosystem and associated ecosystem services (ESs) in the agro-pastoral transitional zone of northern China (APTZNC) are sensitive to climate change and human activities. Essential to designing targeted policy interventions toward achieving sustainability in the APTZNC is a comprehensive understanding of the spatiotemporal changes in ESs and their drivers. This study identified the spatiotemporal changes in six ESs in Duolun County from 2000 to 2017. The impacts of drivers—temperature, precipitation, wind speed, vegetation cover (FVC), land use/cover (LULC), soil type, altitude, and slope—on the changes in the ESs in the county and its ecological production zones were then explored. The results indicated that the six ESs improved during the study period. The drivers influencing changes in ESs over time exhibited similarities across regions. Although FVC contributed to improvements in the food supply, grass production, carbon sequestration, and soil wind erosion (SLwind), it also reduced water yield, which may exacerbate the water shortage in arid and semi-arid areas. In regions where the ecology was in the recovery phase, especially in slope farmland, the inhibition of soil water erosion (SLwater) by FVC was easily offset by the higher SLwater potential from increased precipitation. The decrease in wind speed improved the regional ESs, whereas the increase in temperature posed a threat to SLwind. The drivers affecting the spatial patterns of ESs varied among zones. Across the three zones, the greater influential drivers of ESs were FVC and LULC. The impacts of topographic drivers and soil type on the distribution of ESs should also be noted in the agro-zone and agro-pastoral zone, respectively. Our study advocated that ES management should be adjusted to local conditions, and differentiated planning policies should be implemented in line with the ecological characteristics in the APTZNC, which will contribute to regional ecological sustainable development.

Long-Term Assessment of Spatio-Temporal Landuse/Landcover Changes (LUCCs) of Ošljak Island (Croatia) Using Multi-Temporal Data—Invasion of Aleppo Pine

The karst landscapes of the Mediterranean are regarded as some of the most vulnerable, fragile, and complex systems in the world. They hold a particularly interesting group of small islands with a distinctive, recognizable landscape. The Republic of Croatia (HR), which has one of the most indented coasts in the world, is particularly known for them. In this paper, we analyzed the spatio-temporal changes (STCs) in the landscape of Ošljak Island, the smallest inhabited island in HR. Landuse/landcover change (LUCC) analysis has been conducted from 1944 to 2021. The methodology included the acquisition of multi-temporal data, data harmonization, production of landuse/landcover (LU/LC) maps, selection of optimal environmental indicators (EIs), and simulation modeling. In total, eleven comparable LU/LC models have been produced, with moderate accuracy. STCs have been quantified using the nine EIs. The dominant processes that influenced the changes in the Ošljak landscape have been identified. The results have shown that, in recent decades, Ošljak has undergone a landscape transformation which was manifested through (a) pronounced expansion of Aleppo pine; (b) deagrarianization, which led to secondary succession; and (c) urban sprawl, which led to the transformation of the functional landscape. The most significant of the detected changes is the afforestation of the Aleppo pine. Namely, in a 77-year span, the Aleppo pine has expanded intensively to an area of 11.736 ha, created a simulation model for 2025, and pointed to the possibility of the continued expansion of Aleppo pine. Specific guidelines for the management of this new transformed landscape have been proposed. This research provides a user-friendly methodological framework that can efficiently monitor LUCCs of a smaller area in the case when geospatial data are scarce and satellite imagery of coarser resolution cannot be used. Moreover, it gives an insight into the availability and quality of multi-temporal data for the HR.

Quantifying ecosystem service mismatches for land use planning: spatial-temporal characteristics and novel approach-a case study in Jiangsu Province, China

Land use and land cover changes associated with urbanization have had a significant influence on ecosystem services (ESs), but previous studies have insufficiently focused on the relationships between ES supply and demand; these relationships are seldom considered in the science-policy frameworks of land use planning. In this study, a specific supply-demand indicator was constructed to measure ES supply and demand and their disparity across multiple scales in Jiangsu Province from 2000 to 2018. High spatial heterogeneity and mismatches of ES supply and demand were found in water yield, grain production, carbon sequestration, soil conservation, heat regulation, and recreation services. At provincial scale, the supplies of carbon sequestration and heat regulation services were smaller than their demands. At the 1-km² grid scale, the ES supply and demand mismatches in urban areas were more serious than those in surrounding areas, especially for carbon sequestration and recreation services. Five ES supply-demand risk zones were identified based on the current status and trends of all ES supply and demand. Southern Jiangsu generally had high risks of ES mismatch, which should be reduced by strategic planning. Constructing the ES supply-demand indicator is a novel practice that assists in evaluating environmental issues and integrating them into further development decisions. This paper suggests that governments should reduce ES mismatches with reference to local conditions (economic development, industrial type, and ecological carrying capacity) and the actual situation of ES supply and demand.

Temporal and spatial analysis of the ecosystem service values in the Three Gorges Reservoir area of China based on land use change

The Three Gorges Reservoir area (TGRA) has complex geological conditions and a fragile ecological environment. The construction of the Three Gorges Project triggered ecological and environmental issues and social disputes, which have attracted considerable attention in recent years. However, how the temporal and spatial characteristics of ecosystem service value (ESV) in the TGRA changed in each stage of the Three Gorges Project with the implementation of ecological restoration plans remains ambiguous. Based on four periods of land use data from 2000 to 2018, the changes in land use were investigated, and the ESVs were estimated. Then, the spatial distribution and dynamic changes in ecosystem services were analysed. The results showed that grassland and construction land were the land use types that had the greatest reductions and increases in area over time, respectively. The conversion of cropland to forestland, grassland and construction land represented the most important land type changes. In the past 18 years, because of an increase in forestland and water area, the ESVs increased by 2.7 billion yuan, with a growth rate of 3.46%. The conversion of cropland to forestland had the largest contribution rate to the increase in ESV. The ESV was higher in the northeast and lower in the southwest, and its changes had a significant positive autocorrelation in terms of the spatial distribution. The hot spots of ESV change were mainly distributed in the main stream of the Yangtze River and the reservoir area. This research provides a reference for land resource allocation and experience for the ecological environment protection and sustainable development of the Yangtze River Basin.

Rapid assessment of plant diversity using MODIS biophysical proxies

The spectral information derived from satellite data provides important inputs for assessing plant diversity. If a suitable satellite-derived biophysical proxy is applicable to assess and monitor plant diversity of different biogeographic regions will be of interest to policy makers and conservationists. We selected four biogeographic regions of India, i.e., semi-arid, Eastern Ghats, Western Ghats, and Northeast as the test sites on the basis of variations in moisture availability. The flora data collected for the study sites are the extract of the national biodiversity project 'Biodiversity Characterization at Landscape Level'. The available Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-derived biophysical proxies at high temporal frequencies was considered to compare the biophysical proxies: surface reflectance-red and near-infrared, normalized difference vegetation index-NDVI, enhanced vegetation index-EVI, leaf area index-LAI, and fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation-FAPAR at different temporal scales (monthly, post-monsoon, seasonal, annual) in each selected biogeographic regions of India. Generalized linear model (GLM) and multivariate adaptive regression spline (MARS) were utilized to evaluate the relationship between plant diversity and MODIS-derived biophysical proxies. MARS summarized the suitable biophysical proxies at monthly scale in descending order for the total forest area in semi-arid was red, NDVI, and FAPAR; for Eastern Ghats was EVI, FAPAR, and LAI; for Western Ghats was EVI, LAI, and FAPAR; and for Northeast was NDVI, near-infrared, and red. Furthermore, monthly FAPAR commonly found to be the suitable proxy to large scale monitoring of plant diversity in the moisture-varied biogeographic regions of India, except Northeast. Using artificial neural network, the relationship of plant diversity and monthly FAPAR/NDVI were modeled. The correlation between the predicted and reference plant diversity was found to be r = 0.56 for semi-arid, r = 0.52 for Eastern Ghats, r = 0.52 for Western Ghats and r = 0.61 for Northeast at p-value < 0.001. The study affirms that FAPAR is potentially an essential biodiversity variable (EBV) for carrying out rapid/indicative assessment of plant diversity in different biogeographic regions, and thereby, meeting various international commitments dealing with conservation and management measures for biodiversity.

Impact and trade off analysis of land use change on spatial pattern of ecosystem services in Chishui River Basin

The motivation of this fundamental research is to reveal the response of ecosystem services to land use change and to support the sustainable development of ecology, economy, and society. Considering the fragile eco-environment, intensive man-land relationship and the world-famous production base of Moutai liquor in China, we select Chishui River Basin (CRB) as the research region. In this study, the InVEST model is used to evaluate the impact of land use change on the spatial pattern of four ecosystem services including water yield, soil retention, carbon storage, and nitrogen export. Meanwhile, the spatial differentiation characteristics, service level, and trade-off using Pearson correlation analysis of each ecosystem service from 2000 to 2020 are explored. The results show the following: (1) The forest increased, while the grassland and cultivated decreased. Especially, the developed has increased greatly from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text]. (2) Each ecosystem service has spatio-temporal heterogeneity. The water yield and nitrogen export decreased, while soil retention and carbon storage showed an upward trend. (3) There are great differences in the level of ecosystem services among different land use types. The soil retention and carbon storage of forest are the highest, and the water yield of developed is the highest. (4) There are trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services, such as the trade-off between water yield and soil retention is increasing, the synergetic relationship between water yield and nitrogen export is decreased. This is important evidence that the forest plays a major role in providing ecosystem services, and the improvement of watershed ecological services generally benefits from the implementation of ecological governance projects in recent years. However, it is worth noting that the frequent changes in land use and the intensification of urbanization have also brought potential risks to the local ecology. Therefore, all our preliminary results throw light on the nature of the impact of land use change on ecology and the trade-off relationship of ecosystem services, which is conducive to scientific protection of watershed ecological environment and the formulation of reasonable land use planning policies.

Trends in Lakeshore Zone Development: A Comparison of Polish and Hungarian Lakes over 30-Year Period

(1) Background: This paper presents the land use and land cover change processes in the lakeshore zone in Poland and Hungary during 30 years. (2) Methods: Land use and land cover (LU/LC) maps were prepared using topographic maps and orthophotograph maps scaled 1:10,000. The study based on GIS data and field research. (3) Results: A significant increase in the area occupied by tourist and recreational infrastructure and forests in the lake shore zone was found in both countries. In Poland, this increase occurred mainly at the expense of arable land, which was a positive phenomenon. In Hungary, however, the main threat to the lakeshore zone was the increase of built-up area at the expense of semi-natural area. While the decrease in arable land was positive from an environmental point of view, the main threat to the Hungarian lake shore zone was the increase in built-up areas at the expense of semi-natural land. The results showed a positive correlation between the area of urbanized land and the area occupied by tourist and recreational buildings on the Polish lakes. There was no such correlation at the Hungarian lakes. (4) Conclusions: The most beneficial change in land cover for the lakes was the increase in forest area in the lake shore zone in both countries studied. Taking into account the results of previous studies, three main trends of changes in land cover and land use in the lakeshore zone were identified. These results shed new light on the problem of land use around lakeshores.

Dynamics of urban landscape nexus spatial dependence of ecosystem services in rapid agglomerate cities of Ethiopia

Understanding the dependence of ecosystem services (ESs) on the dynamics of human-semi nature-coupled ecosystems is crucial for urban ecosystem resilience. In the present study, the responses of ESs to land use land cover transitions were explored and compared, selecting Addis Ababa, Adama, Hawassa, and Bahir Dar cities in Ethiopia. The geospatial data and benefit transfer approach was used to estimate the nexus over a three-decade period (1990-2020). Moreover, the bivariate Moran's I and spatial regression models were employed to analyze the spatial dependence of ESV on urbanization. The findings showed that the built-up increased by 17,341.0 ha (32.2%), 2151.3 ha (19.6%), 2715.2 ha (12.2%), and 2599.7 ha (15.7%) for Addis Ababa, Adama, Bahir Dar, and Hawassa cities, respectively over the investigated periods. Besides, the total ESV weighed by 24.8%, 8.9%, 0.7%, and 3.9% from the US$ 277.9, 55.5, 100.3, and 90.9 million for Addis Ababa, Adama, Bahir Dar, and Hawassa cities, respectively from1990 to 2020. Synergies occurred among local climate regulation and recreation services, and trade-offs existed among other services. A persistent rising trend in the ESVt was found for all cities the upsurge in Addis Ababa being much sturdier than in others. However, the elasticity of ecosystem of land use (EEL) showed that 1% of the LULC transformation was caused by 8.9% changes in ESV. Besides, the results from the global bivariate Moran's I show substantial positive spatial correlations between ESV, and Integrated Land use Dynamic Degree (ILUDD), Land-Use Intensity (LUI), and Land Use Diversity (LUD) (p < 0.001). Spatial lag model and special error model were shown to be fitting more than the Ordinary Least Square in establishing relationships among the spatial dependence of ESV on urbanization. In contrast, the aggregated ESV is significantly influenced not only by LULC dynamics but also by the spatial spillover effect. Thus, overall findings suggested an antagonistic nexus between the aggregated ESV and ESVf, since 98% of individual ESs were negatively declined as the built-up ecosystem expanded.

Five Ways of Characterizing Agricultural Land Use Dynamics and Abandonment from Subsidy Data

Abandonment of agricultural land is a process described from different regions of many industrialized countries. Given the current focus on land use, land use change and food security, it appears highly relevant to develop improved tools to identify and monitor the dynamics of agricultural land abandonment. In particular, the temporal aspect of abandonment needs to be assessed and discussed. In this study, we used the detailed information available through the Norwegian subsidy claim database and analyzed the history of use of unique land parcels through a fourteen-year period. We developed and tested five different statistics identifying these land parcels, their temporal dynamics and the extent of occurrence. What became apparent was that a large number of land parcels existing in the database as agricultural land were taken out of production, but then entered into production again at a later stage. We believe that this approach to describe the temporal dynamics of land abandonment, including how it can be measured and mapped, may contribute to the understanding of the dynamics in land abandonment, and thus also contribute to an improved understanding of the food production system.

Factors of the Ecosystem Service Value in Water Conservation Areas Considering the Natural Environment and Human Activities: A Case Study of Funiu Mountain, China

Water conservation areas play an important role in regional ecological security patterns. The Funiu Mountain water conservation area is located in the densely populated central region of China, where human disturbance to the ecosystem is strong and ecosystem services are facing a very serious situation. Identifying and evaluating the factors leading to changes in the ecosystem service value (ESV) of the Funiu Mountain water conservation area can provide scientific guidance for ecological management and sustainable development. Using multi-source data and machine learning methods, our research reveals the characteristics of the spatio-temporal variation in the ESV, constructs a system of ESV influencing factors from the comprehensive perspectives of the natural environment and human activities, and discusses the comprehensive effects of the influencing factors on the Funiu Mountain area from 2000 to 2015. The results are as follows. (1) From 2000 to 2005, the ESV increased 375 million yuan, and from 2005 to 2015, it decreased 154 million yuan. (2) Hydrological regulation, biodiversity maintenance, soil conservation, gas regulation, and climate regulation were the main types of ecosystem services in the Funiu Mountain area. (3) The ESV was influenced by the comprehensive effects of the natural environment and human activities. Population was the most important influencing factor of the ESV; in addition, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), precipitation, and economic factors had important influences on the ESV. (4) With the intensification of human activities, humanistic factors have surpassed the relatively stable natural factors, becoming the main factors of the ESV. With economic development, the effect of human activities on the ESV may be further intensified in the future.

The Grain for Green Program Intensifies Trade-Offs between Ecosystem Services in Midwestern Shanxi, China

Ecological engineering is a widely used strategy to address environmental degradation and enhance human well-being. A quantitative assessment of the impacts of ecological engineering on ecosystem services (ESs) is a prerequisite for designing inclusive and sustainable engineering programs. In order to strengthen national ecological security, the Chinese government has implemented the world’s largest ecological project since 1999, the Grain for Green Program (GFGP). We used a professional model to evaluate the key ESs in Lvliang City. Scenario analysis was used to quantify the contribution of the GFGP to changes in ESs and the impacts of trade-offs/synergy. We used spatial regression to identify the main drivers of ES trade-offs. We found that: (1) From 2000 to 2018, the contribution rates of the GFGP to changes in carbon storage (CS), habitat quality (HQ), water yield (WY), and soil conservation (SC) were 140.92%, 155.59%, −454.48%, and 92.96%, respectively. GFGP compensated for the negative impacts of external environmental pressure on CS and HQ, and significantly improved CS, HQ, and SC, but at the expense of WY. (2) The GFGP promotes the synergistic development of CS, HQ, and SC, and also intensifies the trade-off relationships between WY and CS, WY and HQ, and WY and SC. (3) Land use change and urbanization are significantly positively correlated with the WY–CS, WY–HQ, and WY–SC trade-offs, while increases in NDVI helped alleviate these trade-offs. (4) Geographically weighted regression explained 90.8%, 94.2%, and 88.2% of the WY–CS, WY–HQ, and WY–SC trade-offs, respectively. We suggest that the ESs’ benefits from the GFGP can be maximized by controlling the intensity of land use change, optimizing the development of urbanization, and improving the effectiveness of afforestation. This general method of quantifying the impact of ecological engineering on ESs can act as a reference for future ecological restoration plans and decision-making in China and across the world.

Using high-resolution remote sensing images to explore the spatial relationship between landscape patterns and ecosystem service values in regions of urbanization

Urbanization has substantially changed landscape patterns and seriously disturbed the structure and function of the ecosystems. However, the spatial characteristics and relationships between landscape patterns and ecosystem service values (ESVs) along the urban-rural gradient remain unclear. Based on high-resolution images, this study used concentric buffer zones to explore the characteristics and relationship between landscape pattern indexes (LPIs) and ESVs in the rural-urban gradient to reveal the impact of urban development on urban ecosystems. The results showed that the landscape heterogeneity was high in the urban fringe 18-20 km from the urban center. The PD, ED, LSI, SHAPE_MN, DIVISION, SPLIT, and SHIDI variables had the lowest values in the urban center, while CONTAG and AI had the high values in the urban. Water bodies and forest land are the main land use/land cover (LULC) types that provide ecosystem services. The total ESV of Kunshan city totaled 5597.31 × 10⁶ CNY in 2018. The average ESV increased from 2.42 × 10⁶ CNY to 9.92 × 10⁶ CNY along the urban-rural gradient, which indicated that natural landscapes had higher ESVs. ED and Landscape Division Index (DIVISION) had positive effects on ESV, while Largest Patch Index (LPI), Contagion (CONTAG), Proportion of Like Adjacencies (PLADJ), Patch Cohesion Index (COHESION), and Aggregation Index (AI) had negative effects on ESV. The results of the regression model indicated there were quantitative relationships between ESVs and LPIs, which revealed how landscape pattern affected ESVs. The study can provide a scientific reference for the optimization of urban landscape patterns and urban and rural sustainable development.

Trends in Ecosystem Services across Europe Due to Land-Use/Cover Changes

The growing pressure on society due to global change requires better integration of ecosystem services (ES) into decision-making. Despite a growing number of ES assessments, Europe-wide information on recent changes of multiple ES is still rare. This study aimed at analysing changes in ES values between 2000 and 2018 across Europe based on land use/land cover (LULC) distribution. We mapped 19 ES for 52 ecoregions and identified six major groups of ecoregions with similar LULC distribution and trends. Our results indicated that provisioning ES mainly increased in the forest-dominated region (G2), decreasing in the near-natural grassland region (G1), the region with agricultural mixed systems (G3), and the intensively-used steppic region (G6). Regulating ES slightly decreased in G1 and G6, but increased in G2 and the wetland-dominated region (G5). Cultural ES had generally low negative trends for most ecoregions. In addition, our results revealed ecoregions with differing trends in ES that could be related to specific socioeconomic developments. Our findings provide spatial and quantitative information that can be used for policy development at European national and regional levels—as well as for monitoring of ES.

Analysis and Prediction of Ecosystem Service Values Based on Land Use/Cover Change in the Yiluo River Basin

Ecosystem service values are closely related to land use/cover change, however, the values affected by land use/cover change in the context of climate variability remain unclear. Based on the land use/cover data of 2000, 2010, and 2020 in the Yiluo River Basin, we quantitatively analyzed the impacts of historical land use/cover change on the ecosystem service values. Then the future land use simulation model was applied to predict the land use/cover distribution in 2030 under three Representative Concentration Pathways scenarios, and the influences on ecosystem service values were analyzed further. We found that the total ecosystem service values in the Yiluo River Basin presented a growth from 9217 million dollars (2000) to 9676 million dollars (2020), which attributed to the increase of forestland and water bodies in recent years. By 2030, the total ecosystem service values continued to present an upward trend, while also showing a difference under three scenarios, this discrepancy was mainly caused by different precipitation conditions. With the introduction of the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin in the new period, climate change may be the main factors affecting the ecological field in the future.

Future scenarios impact on land use change and habitat quality in Lithuania

Anticipating future land use and land cover (LULC) changes can improve our knowledge of the complexity of human-environment interactions that lead to transformations in the landscape. Therefore, it is key to understand these LULC changes under different scenarios and how they affect habitat quality (HQ) a key indicator for ecosystem services (ES) supply quality. This work aims to study the impacts of LULC changes under different scenarios: business as usual (A0), urbanisation (A1), land abandonment and afforestation (A2) and agriculture intensification (A3) in 2050. To simulate future LULC changes we applied the Cellular Automata (CA) method, and to assess HQ, the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) model was used. Spatial autocorrelation was assessed with a Moran's I index and the Getis Ord* hotspot analysis. The result showed that the LULC model calibration and validation were accurate (80%). Between 1990 and 2018 there was an increase in urban areas and forest and woodlands, which was reflected in the A0 scenario in 2050. Under the A1 scenario there was an increase in the urban area (4628 ha) compared to 2018, and in the most important cities (e.g., Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda) in the scenario A2 there was an increase of 375,820 ha of woodland and forest. Finally, under the scenario A3, a large growth in cropland area (884,030 ha) was identified. HQ model had a better validation using three cover density data (r² = 0.67), than with imperviousness (r² = 0.26). A2 scenario showed the highest HQ and A3 scenario have the lowest HQ. The land uses of 1990, 2018, and A3 scenario had a clustered distribution while A0, A1 and A2 showed a random pattern. The results can support policy-makers by assessing the impact of future LULC changes in Lithuania.

Quantifying Ecosystem Services of High Mountain Lakes across Different Socio-Ecological Contexts

Mountain lakes are highly sensitive to global change, requiring sustainable management strategies that support crucial ecosystem services (ES). However, small mountain lakes are rarely in the focus of ES assessments, and indicators are potentially lacking. Therefore, this study aimed at comprehensively assessing key ES of 15 study lakes located in two regions in the European Alps. We involved local stakeholders and experts to identify important ES. We quantified eight ES in non-monetary terms, using 29 indicators based on limnological, spatial and socio-economic data. Finally, we evaluated ES in relation to the socio-ecological context of the study lakes. The most important ES included surface water for non-drinking purposes, maintaining populations and habitats, outdoor recreation, aesthetic value, entertainment and representation, scientific research, education as well as existence, option, or bequest value. Quantitative results indicate varying levels of ES across the study lakes. Based on 12 different socio-ecological variables, we identified four groups of lakes differing also in five ES. Maintaining populations and habitats, aesthetic value as well as existence, option or bequest value were rather independent from the socio-ecological context. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of ES of mountain lakes, also supporting the development of sustainable management strategies in mountain regions.

The Influence of Land Use Change on Key Ecosystem Services and Their Relationships in a Mountain Region from Past to Future (1995–2050)

The ecosystem services (ESs) provided by mountain regions can bring about benefits to people living in and around the mountains. Ecosystems in mountain areas are fragile and sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance. Understanding the effect of land use change on ESs and their relationships can lead to sustainable land use management in mountain regions with complex topography. Chongqing, as a typical mountain region, was selected as the site of this research. The long-term impacts of land use change on four key ESs (i.e., water yield (WY), soil conservation (SC), carbon storage (CS), and habitat quality (HQ)) and their relationships were assessed from the past to the future (at five-year intervals, 1995–2050). Three future scenarios were constructed to represent the ecological restoration policy and different socioeconomic developments. From 1995 to 2015, WY and SC experienced overall increases. CS and HQ increased slightly at first and then decreased significantly. A scenario analysis suggested that, if the urban area continues to increase at low altitudes, by 2050, CS and HQ are predicted to decrease moderately. However, great improvements in SC, HQ, and CS are expected to be achieved by the middle of the century if the government continues to make efforts towards vegetation restoration on the steep slopes.

Exploring the formulation of ecological management policies by quantifying interregional primary ecosystem service flows in Yangtze River Delta region, China

Ecosystem services (ESs) play an important supporting role in the development of human society and the economy. Despite the increasing number of ESs quantitative evaluation studies that have been conducted at different scales, the assessment of ESs flows between different administrative regions, which provides valuable implications for ecological protection and compensation, has drawn little attention. The aim of this study is to fill in this gap by providing a comprehensive ES interregional flow analysis method that evaluates ecosystem service values (ESVs) and quantifies the interregional flows in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), which is home to one of the largest urban agglomerations in China. The results showed that the total ESV of the YRD increased from 2.02E+12 Chinese Yuan (CNY) in 2000 to 2.33E+12 CNY in 2019, a 15.23% increase rate. All types of ESVs displayed an increasing trend during the 20 years. According to the analysis of interregional ES flows in the YRD, Zhejiang province played a crucial role as a service providing area (SPA) for the spatial value transfer at the provincial level in both 2000 and 2019. Anhui province was the largest service benefitting area (SBA) of water conservation and CSOP, while Jiangsu province was the largest SBA of soil retention. The recognition of interregional ESV flows can provide valuable information for environmental planning and management to help improve China's ecological compensation policies for different administrative divisions.

Evaluation and Prediction of Ecosystem Service Value in the Zhoushan Islands Based on LUCC

Islands are the confluence of terrestrial ecology and marine ecology. With urban expansion and economic development, the ecological environment of islands is facing serious threats. In order to study the island area land use change/cover (LUCC) and its impact on the ecosystem service value (ESV), this study was conducted. This study evaluated the ESV of Zhoushan Islands based on the LUCC, using the equivalent coefficient method, and simulated and analyzed the ESV of Zhoushan Islands in 2025 under different scenarios using the "Future Land Use Simulation Model". The results showed: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the ESV of Zhoushan Islands showed a "∧" type change trend, and the total amount decreased by 14.1141 million yuan. (2) The spatial distribution and changes of ESV have a certain regularity. The ESV in the center of the island and in the water system area is relatively high but does not change significantly over time, while the ESV of urban buildings and cultivated areas on the edge of the island is low, and, over time, the change is significant. (3) Compared with 2020, the total ESV under the business-as-usual (BAU) scenario shows a slow downward trend, the ESV under the socio-economic development (SED) scenario shows a significant downward trend, and the total ESV under the ecological protection priority (EPP) scenario has increased. This research provides a theoretical basis and support for the development and utilization of island space and the improvement of "eco-economy-society" benefits; in addition, the research results provide support for scientific decision-making on the sustainable use of resources in island areas (island cities) and the sustainable management of ecosystems.

Effects of fertilization and irrigation on vascular plant species richness, functional composition and yield in mountain grasslands

Land-use intensification is a major threat to biodiversity in agricultural grasslands and fertilization is one of the main drivers. The effects of fertilization on biodiversity and plant functional composition (community-weighted mean traits and mean ecological indicator values) are well studied in lowland regions, but have received less attention in mountain grasslands. Moreover, in inner-alpine dry valleys, fertilizer is often applied in combination with irrigation, and irrigation effects are less well known. We experimentally tested the effects of fertilization and irrigation on vascular plant species richness and the functional composition of mountain grasslands in the Swiss Alps. After five years, fertilization increased yield but the relationship was quadratic with maximum yield reached at intermediate fertilizer levels (58 kg N ha^-1year^-1). The species richness of all vascular plants and forbs decreased, on average, by 6 and 5 species respectively, per 50 kg N of extra fertilizer (ha^-1 year^-1) applied. Fertilization also favored fast-growing plants (increased mean specific leaf area) and plants typically found in productive environments (increased mean indicator values for soil productivity and moisture). In contrast, we found no effects of irrigation on plant community composition, which suggests that irrigation does not affect vascular plant diversity to the same extent as fertilization in these mesic mountain hay meadows, at least in the mid-term. Our finding that maximum yield can be achieved at intermediate fertilizer levels is very important from an applied, agronomical and conservation point of view. It suggests that without loss of yield, farming costs and at the same time environmental pollution and negative effects on biodiversity can be reduced by applying less fertilizer. We therefore recommend maintaining non-intensive land use and keeping fertilizer inputs as low as possible to maintain the high plant diversity of mountain grasslands.

Estimation of Urban Ecosystem Services Value: A Case Study of Chengdu, Southwestern China

Research on the service values of urban ecosystems is a hot topic of ecological studies in the current era of rapid urbanization. To quantitatively estimate the ecosystem service value in Chengdu, China from the perspectives of natural ecology and social ecology, the technologies of remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) are utilized in this study to extract the land use type information from RS images of Chengdu in 2003, 2007, 2013 and 2018. Subsequently, a driver analysis of the ecosystem services of Chengdu was performed based on socioeconomic data from the last 16 years. The results indicated that: (1) from 2003 to 2018, the land utilization in Chengdu changed significantly, with the area of cultivated lands, forest lands and water decreasing remarkably, while the area of construction lands dramatically increased. (2) The ecosystem services value (ESV) of Chengdu decreased by 30.92% in the last 16 years, from CNY 2.4078 × 1010 in 2003 to CNY 1.6632 × 1010 in 2018. Based on a future simulation, the ESV is further predicted to be reduced to CNY 1.4261 × 1010 by 2033. (3) The ESV of Chengdu showed a negative correlation with the total population, the urbanization rate and the per capita GDP of the region, indicating that the ESV of the studied region was inter-coupled with the socioeconomic development and can be maintained at a high level through rationally regulating the socioeconomic structure.