Examining the nexus between household livelihood vulnerability and ecosystem service dependence in southern Shaanxi

Urban resettlement is a key mechanism for promoting ecological conservation and improving livelihoods. This study investigates how urban resettlement influences the relationship between household livelihood vulnerability and the index of dependence on ecosystem services (IDES). Using survey data from 657 households in Ankang prefecture, Shaanxi province, China, we analyze this relationship in the context of resettlement. Using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) "exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity" framework for assessing livelihood vulnerability, and measuring IDES across provisioning, regulating, and cultural services, households are classified into four "vulnerability-dependence" categories via the four-quadrant method. The findings indicate that (1) relocated households exhibit significantly higher livelihood vulnerability and lower overall IDES than non-relocated households; (2) new-stage relocation and higher subsidies increase the likelihood of households being in the "high vulnerability-low dependence" and "low vulnerability-low dependence" categories; and (3) long-distance relocation significantly reduces the probability of households falling into the "low vulnerability-high dependence" category. To address ongoing challenges, policymakers should optimize resource management, facilitate livelihood transformation, and thereby enhancing both livelihood and ecological security.