Study on the Spatial and Temporal Evolution of Ecosystem Service Values and Driving Mechanism in the Yan River Basin from 1990 to 2020

Abstract

Ecological and environmental degradation are among the major challenges facing humanity today. The analysis of ecosystem service value assessments can therefore serve as a means to guide ecosystem restoration, as well as provide indications for sustainable land use and land management decisions. The present study examines changes in land use and the associated ecosystem service values in the Yan River Basin in China for the period of 1990–2020. Based on high-resolution Landsat satellite data, we obtained detailed land type distribution data for the basin, allowing the analysis of the internal structure and the degree of influence of the land use by using information entropy and elasticity coefficient. We also explored the spatiotemporal differentiation of ESVs by applying the method of equivalent factors and hotspot analysis. Finally, we identified possible drivers for development patterns observed in the watershed using geodetector models. During the study period, the area of arable land dropped continuously, while the scope of forest land, grassland, and construction land increased. The land type layout developed in the direction of reduced uniformity. ESVs measured in monetary terms first rose and later fell, but nevertheless increased by 1.152 billion yuan overall. The decrease was mainly due to the accelerated urbanization construction in the later stage. Spatially, ESV distribution coincided with the land-use pattern, showing a growing pattern from north to south. The changes were due not to the role of a single factor but the joint interactions between multiple factors such as human activities, natural factors, and landscape patterns. The results can provide a basis for constructive suggestions to connect and promote the basin’s natural and socio-economic surroundings, and also reflect the effectiveness of the policy of systematically stopping cultivation and planting trees and grass on stunted cultivated land.