A Developed Framework for the Multi-District Ecological Compensation Standards Integrating Ecosystem Service Zoning in an Urban Area in China

Spatial-Temporal Characteristics of Ecosystem Service Values of Watershed and Ecological Compensation Scheme Considering Its Realization in Spatial Planning

A reasonable ecological compensation scheme for watersheds is beneficial for water resource protection and ecological sustainability. The existing literature has few watershed ecological compensation (WEC) schemes based on long-term observation and large spatial scale analysis of ecosystem service value (ESV) and considering its realization in spatial planning. Therefore, in order to establish a WEC scheme and integrate it into spatial planning, we take the Middle Route of South-to-North Water Diversion Project (MRSNWDP), a water resource area protecting the water resources at a huge local economic development cost, as a case study, and calculate the change trend and change range of the watershed’s total ESV from 1990 to 2015, thus, forming the WEC scheme. The results show the total ESV in the study area shows a slight downward fluctuation trend from 1990 to 2015, decreasing by 3310.70. The total ESV in most types of ecosystem service (ES) functions is relatively reduced except for the increase in functions of water conservation, waste treatment, and entertainment and culture. In addition, the change rate of total ESV has been in a high-value agglomeration, and the ES capabilities have been increasing since 2000, while the growth trend of the ES capabilities has been weak, and the high-value agglomeration has been expanding from the core area of Danjiangkou reservoir to the upstream and surrounding areas since 2005. We formulate a WEC scheme according to the partition idea of spatial planning that the priority compensation area accounts for 25.34% of the total study area, and the second priority compensation area, the general compensation area, and the potential compensation area account for 25.34%, 47.48%, and 12.80%, respectively.

Research on horizontal compensation of ecological economic benefits under differential responsibility

Given that compensation for ecological and economic benefits is an effective way to address the imbalance between the coordinated development of regional ecological environment and economic growth, this study aims to explore the horizontal ecological compensation mechanism under the differentiated responsibilities of different regions in China. In this paper, the ecological deficit and surplus zones are divided by ecological footprint analysis, and the evolution of the ecological deficit and surplus zones and their per capita coal consumption in 30 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) from 2004 to 2018 are analyzed. Afterwards, the panel threshold model is used to validate the conclusion. The results show that there is an inverted U-shaped feature between ecological environment and economic growth in each region, which further verifies the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC). In addition, we also find that the eastern regions are mostly ecological deficit areas, while the central and western regions are mostly ecological surplus areas. In other words, the economically developed eastern regions should give a certain amount of ecological compensation to the underdeveloped central and western regions. The research results can provide new ideas and methods for the study of regional horizontal ecological compensation.

Integrating Ecosystem Services Supply, Demand and Flow in Ecological Compensation: A Case Study of Carbon Sequestration Services

Through the implementation of ecological compensation policy, it is of great significance to protect ecosystems, coordinate regional development, and achieve sustainable development goals. This study selected the carbon sequestration service in Yantai as an example and carried out a study on the measurement of ecological compensation based on the ecosystem services supply and demand. Moreover, this study clarified the whole process of the generation, circulation and social demand docking of ecological benefits from the perspective of “nature-society”, proposed a spatial flow characterization method for carbon sequestration services, and described the “externality” spillover of ecosystem services. The results showed that most areas of Yantai belonged to the ecological surplus area, which were important sources of carbon sequestration services. Ecological compensation was needed, with a total amount of about 2.2 billion yuan. Qixia, Muping and Penglai had greater comparative ecological radiation force (CERF), and the total amount of carbon sequestration services transferred to the external areas was large. Although the carbon sequestration flows of Yantai showed a spatial decay law, there were significant differences in the direction of different districts and cities. The study can provide a reference for achieving sustainable development of Yantai and formulating ecological compensation policy.