Understanding the intricate tradeoffs among ecosystem services in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration across spatiotemporal features

Improving grassland ecosystem services for human wellbeing in the karst desertification control area: Anthropogenic factors become more important

Elucidating the spatial and temporal patterns of grassland ecosystem service value (ESV) changes under different karst geomorphic types (KGTs) is crucial for promoting regional sustainable development and enhancing human well-being. Karst ecosystems are characterized by high spatial heterogeneity. However, analyses of the drivers of spatial and temporal changes in ESV in karst grasslands at multiple scales are lacking. In this study, the South China Karst (SCK) region was selected as the focus area, the gross ecosystem product (GEP) accounting method was used to quantify the grassland ESV from 2000 to 2020, and the GeoDetector model was used to elucidate the spatial and temporal evolution of the GEP, the drivers, and their interactions in different KGTs. The results indicate the following: (1) Over the past 20 years, the grassland GEP of SCK has increased from ¥ 14,844.24 × 108 in 2000 to ¥ 17,174.90 × 108 in 2020. Among the various KGTs, the karst gorge exhibited the fastest GEP increase (24.93 %) and karst hilly depressions the slowest (6.22 %). (2) The karst grassland GEP showed a strong positive spatial correlation with significant clustering characteristics (p < 0.05). (3) There are significant differences in the factors influencing the GEP of grasslands with different KGT values, and although they are generally influenced by factors such as NPP, precipitation, and population density, anthropogenic factors are becoming increasingly important. In addition, the multifactor interaction explained GEP better than the single factor. Based on our findings, we propose targeted grassland ESV restoration approaches and management recommendations for various KGTs dominated by distinct factors. Our results provide a scientific basis for decision-making regarding karst ecosystem service enhancement and value realization.

Assessment of vegetation net primary productivity variation and influencing factors in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region

Exploring the spatiotemporal variations of vegetation net primary productivity (NPP) and analyzing the relationships between NPP and its influencing factors are vital for ecological protection in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region. In this study, we employed the CASA model in conjunction with spatiotemporal analysis techniques to estimate and analyze the spatiotemporal variations of NPP in BTH and different ecological function sub-regions over the past two decades. Subsequently, we established three scenarios (actual, climate-driven and land cover-driven) to assess the influencing factors and quantify their relative contributions. The results indicated that the overall NPP in BTH exhibited a discernible upward trend from 2000 to 2020, with a growth rate of 3.83 gC·m-2a-1. Furthermore, all six sub-regions exhibited an increase. The Bashang Plateau Ecological Protection Zone (BP) exhibited the highest growth rate (5.03 gC·m-2a-1), while the Low Plains Ecological Restoration Zone (LP) exhibited the lowest (2.07 gC·m-2a-1). Geographically, the stability of NPP exhibited a spatial pattern of gradual increase from west to east. Climate and land cover changes collectively increased NPP by 0.04 TgC·a-1 and 0.07 TgC·a-1, respectively, in the BTH region. Climate factors were found to have the greatest influence on NPP variations, contributing 40.49% across the BTH region. This influence exhibited a decreasing trend from northwest to southeast, with precipitation identified as the most influential climatic factor compared to temperature and solar radiation. Land cover change has profound effects on ecosystems, which is an important factor on NPP. From 2000 to 2020, 15.45% area of the BTH region underwent land cover type change, resulting in a total increase in NPP of 1.33 TgC. The conversion of grass into forest brought about the 0.89 TgC increase in NPP, which is the largest of all change types. In the area where land cover had undergone change, the land cover factor has been found to be the dominant factor influencing variations in NPP, with an average contribution of 49.37%. In contrast, in the south-central area where there has been no change in land cover, the residual factor has been identified as the most influential factor influencing variations in NPP. Our study highlights the important role of land cover change in influencing NPP variations in BTH. It also offers a novel approach to elucidating the influences of diverse factors on NPP, which is crucial for the scientific assessment of vegetation productivity and carbon sequestration capacity.

Spatial scale effects on the value of ecosystem services in China's terrestrial area

Identifying the response characteristics of ecosystem service value (ESV) to changes in spatial scales, known as spatial scale effects, is crucial in guiding the development of corresponding management strategies. This paper examines ESV in China's terrestrial area during the year 2020, revealing the spatial aggregation characteristics of ESV and the trade-off and synergistic relationships of ecosystem services at different spatial scales, ranging from 1 km × 1 km-10 km × 10 km, with a gradient of 1 km. The results indicate: 1) The distribution pattern of ESV in China's terrestrial area is "high in the southeast and low in the northwest." 2) The spatial characteristics of ESV in China's terrestrial area undergo a distinct transition at the 3 km × 3 km scale. In detail, the spatial clustering features show a trend of first rising and then falling with the increase in spatial scale, while the synergistic relationships between different ecosystem services strengthen and the trade-off relationships weaken with the increase of the spatial scale. These findings can inform the formulation of differentiated ecological protection compensation policies and enable cross-area trading of ecological values in China.

Optimizing spatial patterns of ecosystem services in the Chang-Ji-Tu region (China) through Bayesian Belief Network and multi-scenario land use simulation

To foster an ecological civilization and ensure sustainable development of population resources, a critical focus of China's land spatial planning initiatives is the complex interplay among the prudent utilization of regional natural resources, stable socio-economic growth, and ecological environment preservation and governance. This interplay is vital for improving the population's quality of life, enhancing national resilience, and fostering the development of an ecological civilization. Within this context, this research focuses on the Chang-Ji-Tu region, employing a hybrid InVEST-Bayesian Belief Network-PLUS model. This approach facilitates a comprehensive assessment of habitat quality (HQ), carbon sequestration (CS), soil conservation (SC), crop production (CP), and total ecosystem services (TES) spanning 2005 to 2020, to optimize spatial structures based on these assessments. The findings indicate significant insights: (1) temporally, both HQ and CS exhibit an initial ascent followed by a subsequent decline, while SC demonstrates a rise, subsequent decrease, and then a gradual increase. CP shows a consistent increase, and TES initially decreases before experiencing a rise. Spatially, regions exhibiting high CP are primarily located in the northwest, in contrast to the southeast, demonstrating lower values. Conversely, HQ, CS, and SC exhibit lower values in the northwest and higher values in the southeast. TES exhibits considerable variability in the northwest and a more equilibrated distribution in the southeast. (2) A positive correlation is observed between land use/cover changes (LUCC) and HQ, CS, and SC, while a negative correlation is noted with CP and TES. (3) In exploring potential scenarios for economic development (ED), natural development (ND), and ecological protection (EP) in 2035, our study categorizes TES into distinct zones: ecological protection prohibited zones, ecological buffer prohibited zones, construction and development suitable zones, and restricted zones for arable land protection. This study, grounded in the current ecosystem status, thoroughly analyzes spatial structural optimization, offering crucial insights for future land spatial planning and ecological restoration.