A Study on the Gains and Losses of the Ecosystem Service Value of the Land Consolidation Projects of Different Properties in Hubei Province: An Empirical Comparison Based on Plains, Mountains and Hills

Abstract

In view of the differences of land use structure and ecological environment changes caused by land consolidation projects with different features and landforms, this paper uses the modified ecosystem service value estimation model to quantitatively evaluate the change patterns of the ecosystem service value (ESV) of land consolidation, development and arrangement projects in Hubei Province under plains, hills and mountains to provide a theoretical basis for the ecological transformation of land consolidation. The results show that, compared with the pre-land consolidation period, (1) the total amount of ESV in the land consolidation project areas has increased, whereas the land development and arrangement project areas have decreased. Under the same nature, the growth rate of land consolidation project areas is as follows: hills < plains < mountains, and the loss rate of land development and arrangement project areas are as follows: mountains > plains > hills and hills > mountains > plains, respectively. Under the same landform, the total loss rate of ESV in land development project areas is slightly lower than that in land arrangement project areas. (2) The total amount of ESV in the land consolidation project areas under different natures and landforms of the supply service function shows a decreasing trend, and the total amount of ESV of the adjustment service, support service and cultural service function shows an increasing trend in the land consolidation project areas, whereas the land development and arrangement project areas show a decreasing trend. There is an obvious value transformation process of “ecology for production” in the land development and arrangement areas.

Spatial Differentiation and Driving Mechanisms of Ecosystem Service Value Change in Rural Land Consolidation: Evidence from Hubei, China

“…First, we selected the indicators of average precipitation, food production, and social development stage to adjust the equivalent coefficients of ecosystem services [19,43,44], by which the adjusted equivalent coefficients can reflect the regional variations of ecological conditions in Hubei Province. The formulas are as follows:…”

“…The second aspect is assessing the comprehensive ESV of different ecosystem types, i.e., cultivated land, forest land, grassland, wetland, and unused land [10][11][12][13][14]. The third is evaluating the value of individual ecosystem services, such as primary product production, gas regulation, soil and water conservation, and biodiversity maintenance [14][15][16][17][18][19]. However, it should be emphasized that the purpose of ESV assessment is not to put an accurate and absolute price tag on ecosystem services, but to allow marginal changes in ESV to be reflected in the decision-making process on ecosystem conservation and land management [20][21][22].…”

“…Especially in China, quantitatively evaluating the economic effects of RLCPs by analyzing ESV changes has become a major concern for many scholars to provide a reference for policymakers in conducting post-RLCP benefit evaluations. For example, Lu et al used an improved equivalent factor method to reveal the ESV profit and loss patterns of land consolidation projects with different properties and landforms, and effectively quantitatively evaluated the ecological environment changes caused by the implementation of land consolidation projects in villages in plains, hills, and mountainous areas of Hubei Province, China [19]. Liu et al used GIS and landscape indicators to evaluate the ecological effects of RLCPs in typical RLCP locations [37].…”

“…Zhou et al evaluated the ecological benefits of an RLCP at a township level [38]. However, the existing research mainly focuses on small areas such as villages and towns [19,37,38] and pays less attention to the county level. Specifically, these studies ignored the characteristics of China's RLCPs in terms of regions, types, goals, and modes, leading to an inaccurate assessment of the ecological effects of RLCPs.…”

Cross-sensitivity Analysis of Land Use Transition and Ecological Service Values in Rare Earth Mining Areas in Southern China

“…The unit service function price approach obtains the total value from the amount of ecosystem service function and the unit price of the function volume. Such approaches model the ecosystem service function of a small area by establishing a production equation between a single service function and local ecological variables [16]. The different evaluation methods and parameters required for each service value can also affect the results of the analysis, plus the method requires many parameters and the calculation process is complex, making it difficult to calculate the results [17].…”