Using Ecosystem Service Bundles to Evaluate Spatial and Tmporal Impacts of Large-scale Landscape Restoration on Ecosystem Services on the Chinese Loess Plateau

Abstract

ContextFrom 1999 onwards, China has initiated a large-scale landscape restoration project on the Chinese Loess Plateau, which has had profound but variable impacts on the local ecosystem services supply. There was less understood of land restoration impacts on the ecosystem services and dynamics of ecosystem services thoroughout the restoration process.ObjectivesTo to analyse the spatial and temporal dynamics in ecosystem services before and after the implementation of the land restoration project, and to understand trade-offs and synergies between multiple ecosystem services. MethodsWe used InVEST model and statistical yearbook data to quantify the ecosystem, the concept of ecosystem service bundles was applied to understand the dynamics of ecosystem services.ResultsA significant increase of fruit production, sediment retention, habitat quality, aesthetic landscape value, learning and inspiration value was found overtime in Yan’an area, while a decrease of timber production and water yield was also observed. The majority of ecosystem services bundles area were transformed from having a focus on timber production to aesthetic landscape value. The dynamics of ecosystem services change by land restoration was discovered, to start with increasing regulating services at expense of provisioning services, cultural services exceeding regulating services and occupied the main proportion subsequently.ConclusionBoth trade-offs and synergies were found between provisioning, regulating and cultural services, implementation of the large-scale restoration project is recognized as a key driving force inducing change of ecosystem services.

Generalized Additive Model Reveals Nonlinear Trade-Offs/Synergies between Relationships of Ecosystem Services for Mountainous Areas of Southwest China

“…In the study of tradeoffs/synergies among ESs, many quantitative methods have been used to quantify and analyze ESs trade-offs/synergies, including correlation analysis [37,38], cluster analysis [3], redundancy analysis (RDA) [39], and multivariate regression trees [40]. Studies on trade-offs/synergies in ESTD consider the ecosystem services at two time points.…”

“…There are several types of ESs, each with drastically variable spatial distributions [2]. Large-scale ecological restoration projects are one of the key drivers of change in the relationships among various ESs [3]. These projects serve as good indicators for evaluating the ecological benefits of developmental projects by effectively linking human well-being to their surrounding environment [4].…”

Regulated Ecosystem Services Trade-Offs: Synergy Research and Driver Identification in the Vegetation Restoration Area of the Middle Stream of the Yellow River

“…Chen et al concluded that there are trade-offs and synergies between supply, regulation and cultural services. Large-scale ecological restoration projects are one of the key drivers of changes in the relationship between ESs [25]. Feng et al used redundancy analysis to explore the impact of environmental factors on the trade-off synergy relationship between ESAs in Ansai basin [26].…”