Exploring the response of ecosystem services to landscape change: A case study from eastern Qinghai province

Abstract

The degradation of ecosystem structure and function on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the result of a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors, with landscape change driven by global change and human activities being one of the major ecological challenges facing the region. This study analyzed the spatiotemporal characteristics of ecosystem services (ESs) and landscape patterns in eastern Qinghai province (EQHP) from 2000 to 2018 using multisource datasets and landscape indices. Three ecosystem service bundles (ESBs) were identified using the self-organizing map (SOM), and changes in ecosystem structure and function were analyzed through bundle-landscaped spatial combinations. The study also explored the interactions between ESs and natural and human factors using redundancy analysis (RDA). We revealed an increase in total ecosystem service in the EQHP from 1.59 in 2000 to 1.69 in 2018, with a significant change in landscape patterns driven by the conversion of unused land to grassland in the southwest. Forestland, grassland, and unused land were identified as important to the supply of ESs. In comparison to human activities, natural environmental factors were found to have a stronger impact on changes in ESs, with vegetation, meteorology, soil texture, and landscape composition being the main driving factors. However, the role of driving factors within different ESBs varied significantly. Exploring the response of ecosystem services to changes in landscape patterns can provide valuable insights for achieving sustainable ecological management and contribute to ecological restoration efforts.