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Spatial heterogeneous relationship between ecosystem services and human disturbances: A case study in Chuandong,
Rui Han1, Chen-Chieh Feng2, Nuanyin Xu3
1College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China.
The Science of the Total Environment
|March 18, 2020
Summary
Human activities impact ecosystem services differently across landscapes. This study reveals that human disturbances have a stronger negative effect on ecosystem service values in random areas compared to hot-spots and cold-spots.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Environmental Science
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Background:
- Ecosystem services are vital for human well-being, as emphasized by UN Sustainable Development Goal 15.
- Understanding the relationship between heterogeneous ecosystem services and human disturbances is crucial for sustainable ecosystem management.
- Previous research has not adequately addressed how human activities interact with landscape-level variations in ecosystem services.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify spatial heterogeneity in ecosystem service values using Getis-Ord Gi* analysis.
- To quantify the impact of human disturbances on ecosystem service values and their temporal variations from 1990 to 2015.
- To analyze how these impacts differ across distinct ecosystem service value zones (hot-spots, cold-spots, random areas).
Main Methods:
- Land use/land cover data analysis for Chuandong, China.
- Application of Getis-Ord Gi* to identify ecosystem service value hot-spots and cold-spots.
- Linear regression and spatial regression models to assess human disturbance impacts on ecosystem service values over time.
Main Results:
- Ecosystem service values exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity, with hot-spots in high-gradient eastern areas and cold-spots in low-gradient western built-up and farmland areas.
- Ecosystem service values initially decreased from 1990-2000, then increased post-2000.
- Human disturbances showed a negative linear relationship with ecosystem service values, strongest in random areas, followed by cold-spots and hot-spots.
- Spatial spillover effects of terrain, population, and GDP on ecosystem service values varied significantly across different zones.
Conclusions:
- Human disturbances have a differential impact on ecosystem service values depending on landscape heterogeneity.
- Policy interventions should consider spatial variations in ecosystem services and human activity impacts for effective management.
- Harmonizing human activities with environmental characteristics is key to achieving ecosystem sustainability.
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