Impact of Urbanization on Ecosystem Services Balance in the Han River Ecological Economic Belt, China: A Multi-Scale Perspective

Weisong Li, Wanxu Chen (), Jiaojiao Bian, Jun Xian and Li Zhan
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Weisong Li: Hubei University of Economics, Wuhan 430205, China
Wanxu Chen: School of Geography and Information Engineering, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, China
Jiaojiao Bian: School of Geography and Information Engineering, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, China
Jun Xian: Experimental Teaching Centre, Hubei University of Economics, Wuhan 430205, China
Li Zhan: School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Hubei University of Economics, Wuhan 430205, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 21, 1-18

Abstract: Urbanization intensification seriously interferes with the supply capacity and demand level of ecosystem services (ESs); therefore, it affects the balance state of ESs. Coordination of urbanization development and ecosystem protection in the ecological economic belt is vital for ecological protection and high-quality development of the ecological economic belt. However, previous studies lacked multi-scale analysis of the impact of urbanization elements on the ESs balance index (ESBI) in the ecological economic belt. In this study, a geographically weighted regression model was employed to measure the spatial non-stationary patterns associated with the impact of urbanization elements on the ESBI at 5 km and 10 km in the Han River Ecological Economic Belt (HREEB) in China based on land use data. The main findings were shown as follows. The supply capacity and demand level of ESs in the HREEB increased from 2000 to 2020 simultaneously, while the ESBI showed a decreasing trend. In mountainous areas, the ESBIs were evidently higher than those in the plain areas. During the study period, the urbanization level in the HREEB improved evidently, and the urbanization levels of the middle and lower reaches of the Hanjiang River were relatively high. Significant spatial dependence between urbanization elements and the ESBI was identified. Urbanization had significant positive and negative impacts on ESBI, and there were significant differences among different scales. The findings of this study can act as a decision-making reference for ecological protection and high-quality development of the HREEB and can also provide a perspective for exploring the impact of urbanization on the ESBI of the ecological economic belt in other similar regions.

Keywords: ecosystem services balance; urbanization level; geographically weighted regression model; multi-scale analysis; Han River ecological economic belt; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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