The spatial association of ecosystem services with land use and land cover change at the county level in China, 1995-2015

Wanxu Chen; Guangqing Chi; Jiangfeng Li

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.139

The spatial association of ecosystem services with land use and land cover change at the county level in China, 1995-2015

Sci Total Environ. 2019 Jun 15:669:459-470. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.139. Epub 2019 Mar 11.

Authors

Wanxu Chen¹, Guangqing Chi², Jiangfeng Li¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Land Resource Management, School of Public Administration, China University of Geosciences, 430074 Wuhan, China.
² Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education, Population Research Institute and Social Science Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, 112E Armsby, University Park, PA 16802, USA. Electronic address: gchi@psu.edu.

PMID: 30884268
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.139

Abstract

Ecosystem services are increasingly affected by land use and land cover change (LULCC) in China. However, the spatial association between LULCC and ecosystem services remains unclear, thus constraining effective land use and ecosystem conservation policymaking. This study attempts to fill this gap by examining the association between ecosystem services intensity (ESI) and LULCC from a spatial perspective at the county level in China. The adapted benefit transfer method was employed to measure the ESI based on LULCC data. LULCC was characterized and measured by single land use dynamic degree, integrated land use dynamic degree, land use intensity, and land use diversity. The results indicated that ESI levels in China experienced a continuously decreasing trend from 1995 to 2015, especially in large metropolitan areas. The relationship between ESI and LULCC exhibited both significant spatial dependence and heterogeneity. Overall, ESI and land use intensity had statistically significant negative associations. However, the association between ESI and LULCC varied greatly over space and in different time periods. The results have important implications for future delineation of ecological conservation priority zones, sustainable development of national land, and the integration of ESI into landscape planning.

Keywords: China; Ecosystem services intensity; Land use and land cover change; Spatial heterogeneity; Spatial regression.