Factors of the Ecosystem Service Value in Water Conservation Areas Considering the Natural Environment and Human Activities: A Case Study of Funiu Mountain, China

Abstract

Water conservation areas play an important role in regional ecological security patterns. The Funiu Mountain water conservation area is located in the densely populated central region of China, where human disturbance to the ecosystem is strong and ecosystem services are facing a very serious situation. Identifying and evaluating the factors leading to changes in the ecosystem service value (ESV) of the Funiu Mountain water conservation area can provide scientific guidance for ecological management and sustainable development. Using multi-source data and machine learning methods, our research reveals the characteristics of the spatio-temporal variation in the ESV, constructs a system of ESV influencing factors from the comprehensive perspectives of the natural environment and human activities, and discusses the comprehensive effects of the influencing factors on the Funiu Mountain area from 2000 to 2015. The results are as follows. (1) From 2000 to 2005, the ESV increased 375 million yuan, and from 2005 to 2015, it decreased 154 million yuan. (2) Hydrological regulation, biodiversity maintenance, soil conservation, gas regulation, and climate regulation were the main types of ecosystem services in the Funiu Mountain area. (3) The ESV was influenced by the comprehensive effects of the natural environment and human activities. Population was the most important influencing factor of the ESV; in addition, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), precipitation, and economic factors had important influences on the ESV. (4) With the intensification of human activities, humanistic factors have surpassed the relatively stable natural factors, becoming the main factors of the ESV. With economic development, the effect of human activities on the ESV may be further intensified in the future.

Ecosystem Service Values in the Dongting Lake Eco-Economic Zone and the Synergistic Impact of Its Driving Factors

“…The overall land use of the Dongting Lake was relatively stable, indicating a stability in ESVs during this study period. However, the complex, nonlinear changes in the ESVs, as well as the different evaluation methods, make the ESVs results somewhat different [ 40 ]. Both construction land and forested land area in the Dongting Lake increased during 2000–2018, which is in line with the trend of China’s forest resource growth and urbanization development, and is related to the forest protection and expansion plan implemented in China [ 66 ].…”

“…The heterogeneous environment created by slopes in certain areas affects environmental changes in their ecosystems and thus changes the land cover types. Slope data are generated from elevation, and the influence of these geographic features on ESVs is also important [ 40 , 45 , 75 ]. The effects of temperature and precipitation on ESVs vary with geographic location [ 76 ].…”

“…The effects of temperature and precipitation on ESVs vary with geographic location [ 76 ]. In addition, population density and economic factors also have important effects on ESVs [ 40 ]. This is the reason why eight influential factors were selected to analyze the driving factors of ESVs in this paper.…”

“…ESVs are complex processes in which many influencing factors act synergistically, and only analyzing the effects of individual driving factors on ESVs cannot reveal the contributions of driver synergies to the ESVs. Therefore, it is important to quantify the effect of synergistic interactions among driving factors on ESVs [ 40 , 77 ]. For example, Liu, et al [ 45 ] concluded that the higher the population density in the critical value range, the higher the value of ESVs in areas with a high richness of land cover types.…”

“…Most of the above studies have estimated regional ESVs and analyzed their dynamics; however, the analysis of the driving factors of ESVs contributes to the understanding of an ecosystem’s environmental protection and formation mechanisms [ 40 ]. Understanding the changes in ESVs and their driving factors is the basis for regulating a positive response of ecosystems to the driving factors [ 41 ].…”