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Spatiotemporal differentiation and trade-off/synergy relationships of ecosystem service values in
Jingjing Guo1, Yue Zhang1,2, Ping Jiang3,4
1College of Geographical Science and Tourism, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, 830054, China.
Scientific Reports
|July 1, 2026
Summary
Land use change in arid Mountain-Oasis-Desert Systems significantly alters ecosystem services (ES). Cultivated and construction land expansion led to declining ES value, with oases showing major trade-offs, especially between food and water.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Ecosystem Management
- Socio-ecological Systems
Background:
- Land use/cover change (LUCC) critically mediates ecosystem services (ES) interactions, particularly in fragile, water-limited arid landscapes.
- Mountain-Oasis-Desert Systems (MODS) represent complex socio-ecological systems where human-nature conflicts are intensified by water scarcity.
- Understanding ES dynamics and trade-offs is vital for sustainable management of these vulnerable environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the dynamics of ecosystem services (ES) and their trade-offs/synergies in response to land use/cover change (LUCC) within an arid MODS.
- To assess the spatial heterogeneity of ESV and identify subsystem-specific patterns of ES interactions.
- To provide insights for spatially differentiated management strategies in arid regions.
Main Methods:
- Integrated assessment framework combining a calibrated Ecosystem Service Value (ESV) model with the biophysical InVEST model.
- Analysis of ES dynamics, including carbon storage, habitat quality, and water yield, from 1990 to 2020 in the Aksu MODS.
- Quantification of LUCC impacts on ESV and identification of trade-offs and synergies across different landscape subsystems.
Main Results:
- Dramatic LUCC observed: cultivated and construction land increased significantly, while grassland and water areas decreased.
- Total ESV declined markedly with increasing spatial heterogeneity; oasis subsystems exhibited significant ES trade-offs (81.82% of pairs), particularly food production vs. water regulation.
- InVEST modeling confirmed stable carbon storage but a severe decline in water yield, linked to grassland degradation.
Conclusions:
- ES interactions are not uniform and are fundamentally shaped by subsystem-specific LUCC trajectories in arid MODS.
- The oasis subsystem acts as a hotspot for ES trade-offs due to intensified human activities and water limitations.
- Spatially differentiated management is imperative to mitigate ES trade-offs and sustain the ecological integrity of vulnerable arid landscapes.
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