Evaluation and Driving Forces of Ecosystem Service Change in Maqu Alpine Wetland: An Emergy Approach

Ziyi Han, Ruifeng Zhao (), Lihua Zhang, Xidong Chen, Jingfa Wang, Haitian Lu and Fushou Liu
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Ziyi Han: College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Ruifeng Zhao: College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Lihua Zhang: College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Xidong Chen: College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Jingfa Wang: College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Haitian Lu: College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Fushou Liu: College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-17

Abstract: Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, providing various key ecosystem services to humans and other organisms. However, an insufficient understanding of the economic value and importance of wetland resources has seriously weakened the ecosystem service value of wetlands. Thus, a more comprehensive understanding of wetland ecosystem services must be revealed in order to propose appropriate conservation policies. Therefore, to achieve the abovementioned goals, we used the emergy value accounting method to account for the ecosystem service value of the Maqu alpine wetlands, and the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index was used to analyze the driving forces affecting changes in ecosystem services. The results indicate that the ecosystem service value of the Maqu alpine wetlands showed a trend of decline and then rebound during 1990–2020; its unit area emergy value decreased from 3.85 × 10 10 sej/m 2 /y to 3.04 × 10 10 sej/m 2 /y during 1990–2000, and after 2010, it began to gradually rebound. Moreover, the monetary ecosystem service value of the Maqu alpine wetlands continued to rise during the study period, reaching 41.45 USD/m 2 /y in 2020, thus reflecting the great potential value of wetland ecosystems. Based on our analysis, the key drivers affecting the changes in ecosystem services include economic scale and emergy benefit. Rapid and intensive human activities have boosted local economic development, but these developments have come at the cost of environmental degradation. Finally, some suggestions are proposed. This study suggests that the alpine wetlands in Maqu occupy an important ecological position within the whole Yellow River basin. Therefore, it is worthwhile to invest a significant amount of funding in their restoration and protection.

Keywords: ecosystem service valuation; emergy calculation method; nonmonetary accounting; Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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