Ecosystem Supporting Services Can Directly and Indirectly Affect the Well-Being of Ethnic Minority Rural Residents: A Case Study in the Oasis Region of Western China

Wenfeng Ji, Yu Ma, Ling Li, Mengxue Liu and Hejie Wei ()
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Wenfeng Ji: College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Yu Ma: College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Ling Li: College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Mengxue Liu: Lhasa Plateau Ecosystem Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Hejie Wei: College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 16, 1-30

Abstract: Understanding ecosystem services (ES) and human well-being interactions is vital for sustainability, yet the impact of supporting services is often overlooked or considered to be insignificant. This study focused on the oasis region along the northern slopes of the Kunlun Mountains, where a survey was conducted among 986 ethnic minority rural households on the subjective perception of ecosystem services and rural residents’ well-being. We used structural equation modeling to identify the impact of ecosystem services on the well-being of rural residents from ethnic minorities. The results indicate the following: (1) Provisioning (score: 3.57) and regulating (score: 3.52) services are highly perceived; material well-being satisfaction (score: 3.588) exceeds non-material well-being satisfaction (score: 3.451). (2) The personal characteristics of the respondents, including gender, age, education level, family income, and residential location, affect their perceived importance of ecosystem services and their satisfaction with well-being. (3) Provisioning, regulating, and cultural services have a synergistic relationship, with regulating services significantly enhancing provisioning services. (4) Supporting services directly and indirectly boost well-being via provisioning, regulating, and cultural services. To improve rural residents’ well-being, it is essential to raise their awareness of ecosystem services and promote the collaborative governance of these services.

Keywords: ecosystem services; resident well-being; structural equation modeling; influence mechanism; ethnic minority rural residents (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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