Research on the Trade-Offs and Synergies of Ecosystem Services and Their Impact Factors in the Taohe River Basin

Jing Zhou, Bo Zhang (), Yaowen Zhang, Yuhan Su, Jie Chen and Xiaofang Zhang
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Jing Zhou: College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Bo Zhang: College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Yaowen Zhang: College of Tourism, Lanzhou University of Arts and Science, Lanzhou 730000, China
Yuhan Su: College of Foreign Languages, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050000, China
Jie Chen: College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Xiaofang Zhang: College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 12, 1-18

Abstract: The Taohe River Basin is an essential ecological function area in the upper reaches of the Yellow River. Understanding the intricate trade-offs and synergies between ecosystem services (ESs) and exploring the impact of different factors are essential for achieving win–win outcomes in ecosystem management and socioeconomic development. The role of impact factors on the relationship between ESs, nevertheless, is more challenging to spatialize. This study used different models to estimate the net primary productivity (NPP), water yield (WY), and soil conservation (SC), and analyzed synergies and trade-offs between Ess. The spatial heterogeneity of the effects of natural and social factors on the relationships between Ess was explored using a geographic detector and a multi-scale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) model. The results show that: (1) NPP, WY, and SC all exhibit a rising trend, with multi-year averages of 488.99 gC/m 2 , 157.29 mm, and 1441.51 t/hm 2 , respectively; (2) NPP–WY and NPP–SC exhibit trade-offs in the majority of regions, while WY–SC are primarily synergistic in the upper and middle reaches, and they have the highest percentage of cropland, forest, and grassland; and (3) precipitation (PRE) has the greatest impact on the trade-off between NPP–WY and NPP–SC in the upper and middle reaches, and the gross domestic product (GDP), population density (POP), and distance from cropland (CROP) are the primary factors determining the synergy between NPP and WY in the lower reaches of the Loess Plateau cropping sector. PRE, digital elevation model (DEM), and CROP are the primary impact factors affecting the synergy of WY–SC. This study may serve as a reference for examining the evolutionary mechanism underlying the trade-offs and synergies between ESs and provide a scientific basis for future ecological environmental protection and regional land management in the Taohe River Basin.

Keywords: ecosystem services; trade-off and synergy; impact factors; multi-scale geographically weighted regression; Taohe River Basin (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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