Measuring Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) in Guangxi, China, from 2005 to 2020

Luying Wang, Kai Su, Xuebing Jiang, Xiangbei Zhou, Zhu Yu, Zhongchao Chen, Changwen Wei, Yiming Zhang and Zhihong Liao
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Luying Wang: College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Kai Su: College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Xuebing Jiang: School of Mechanical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Xiangbei Zhou: College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Zhu Yu: Guangxi Forest Inventory & Planning Institute, Nanning 530011, China
Zhongchao Chen: Guizhou Linfa Survey and Design Co., Ltd., Guiyang 550001, China
Changwen Wei: College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Yiming Zhang: College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Zhihong Liao: College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 8, 1-19

Abstract: The economic and social development evaluation system with the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the leading indicator is no longer applicable to the current social progress in China. It is essential to carry out an assessment of the Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) to integrate ecological benefits into the economic and social evaluation system and promote sustainable socio-economic development. This study took Guangxi, an important province in South China, as the study area. We used four periods of land use and land cover data (LULC), meteorological data, soil data and yearbook statistics to construct a GEP assessment framework based on geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) technologies. We accounted for the provisioning services, regulating services, and tourism services provided by Guangxi in 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020 and analyzed the region’s and municipalities’ spatial–temporal pattern characteristics and trends of change in GEP. In addition, this study also discusses the relationship between GEP and GDP. The results showed that many important products and services provided by natural ecosystems in Guangxi had enormous economic benefits. GEP had increased from CNY 15,657.37 billion in 2005 to CNY 36,677.04 billion in 2020, and the distribution of GEP showed obvious spatial heterogeneity. The value of ecosystem regulation services was about 65–89% of GEP, which is the main component of GEP. From 2005 to 2020, natural ecosystem protection and socio-economic development have achieved coordinated development in Guangxi. GEP and GDP showed upward trends in general. Although Guangxi is relatively backward in terms of economic development, the scientific quantification of the unrealized value of the services provided by the ecosystem through GEP accounting makes it possible to transform ecological advantages into economic advantages. It could help the local government and people to re-recognize the value of ecological resources and realize the beautiful vision of lucid waters and lush mountains as invaluable assets.

Keywords: ecosystem; ecosystem gross product; accounting; assessment framework; Guangxi (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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