Evaluation of the Effects of Land Cover Change on Ecosystem Service Values in the Upper Reaches of the Heihe River Basin, Northwestern China

Minmin Zhao and Zhibin He
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Minmin Zhao: Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Eco-hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Zhibin He: Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Eco-hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 12, 1-19

Abstract: Ecological protection and restoration results in a series of complicated changes in land cover. Lack of research on the historical and potential effects of land cover change on ecosystem service value (ESV) hinders decision-making on trade-offs involved in environmental management. To address this gap, the effects of land cover change on ESV in the upper reaches of the Heihe River Basin in northwestern China were evaluated. First, on the basis of land cover maps for 2001, 2008 and 2015, the land cover map for 2029 was predicted with CA-Markov model. Then, the changes in ESV resulting from land cover change were valuated with the benefit transfer method. The results showed that the total ESV increased from $1207.33 million (USD) in 2001 to $1479.48 million (USD) in 2015, and the value was expected to reach $1574.53 million (USD) in 2029. The increase in ESV can be mainly attributed to expansion in areas of wetland. In this study, the elastic index was applied to identify areas that were more sensitive to ecological management, aiding in selecting sites for investment in ecological protection and restoration programs. Furthermore, the potential effects of land cover change on ESV was evaluated. The results are of great importance for guiding future ecological management.

Keywords: land cover pattern; ecosystem service function; elasticity indicators; semi-arid mountainous area (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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