The Coordinated Development of Ecosystem Services and Farming Household Livelihood Security: A Case Study of the Dongting Lake Area in China

Abstract

Ecosystem services (ESs) are an important basis for maintaining farming household livelihood security and achieving the synergistic and efficient development of ecosystem services, and farming household livelihood security is important for maintaining sustainable development in the region. However, it is difficult to quantify the level of the coordinated development of ESs and farming household livelihood security in a region and their dynamic evolution. This study systematically analyzes the spatio-temporal evolution of the production-living-ecological space, ecosystem service values, and farming household livelihood security in the Dongting Lake from 2000 to 2020 based on land use data, as well as the level of coordinated development of ESs and livelihood security of farmers. The results indicate that more than 80% of the Dongting Lake area has a low level of coordinated development of ESs and farming household livelihood security at or below the level of imminent disorder, but it is on the rise, increasing by 6.32% in the past twenty years. This study can provide a reference for decision-making on the coordinated development of ecological environment and farmers’ livelihoods in the Dongting Lake area.