[Research progress on the cascade effect of ecosystem service.]

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Social Science
• Ecology

Background:

• The ecosystem services cascade (ESC) framework connects natural ecosystem services to human social values.
• ESC serves as a crucial bridge between natural and social sciences for integrated decision-making.
• Understanding ESC is vital for incorporating ecosystem services into policy and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the concept and research progress of the ecosystem services cascade (ESC).
• To identify theoretical advancements and practical applications of ESC.
• To highlight current limitations and suggest future research directions for ESC.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of theoretical and applied research on the ecosystem services cascade.
• Analysis of component definitions, causal relationships, and model applicability in ESC.
• Examination of ESC's role in ecosystem services mapping, assessment, and policy formulation.

Main Results:

• Theoretical research has focused on defining ESC components, their relationships, and model improvements.
• ESC has demonstrated significant utility in ecosystem services mapping, assessment, and policy development.
• Key uncertainties remain in index selection and understanding mutual feedback mechanisms within ESC.

Conclusions:

• Future ESC research should prioritize structure, process, and classification standards for ecosystem services.
• Integrating multi-model fusion and regional surveys can address feedback mechanism gaps in ESC.
• Enhanced ESC understanding will provide critical scientific guidance for human-earth system coupling and sustainable development.