Incorporating Ecosystem Service Trade-Offs and Synergies with Ecological Sensitivity to Delineate Ecological Functional Zones: A Case Study in the Sichuan-Yunnan Ecological Buffer Area, China

Peipei Miao, Cansong Li (), Baichuan Xia (), Xiaoqing Zhao, Yingmei Wu, Chao Zhang, Junen Wu, Feng Cheng, Junwei Pu, Pei Huang, Xiongfei Zhang and Yi Chai
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Peipei Miao: Faculty of Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China
Cansong Li: Faculty of Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China
Baichuan Xia: Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China
Xiaoqing Zhao: School of Earth Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
Yingmei Wu: Faculty of Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China
Chao Zhang: Faculty of Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China
Junen Wu: Faculty of Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China
Feng Cheng: Faculty of Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China
Junwei Pu: School of Earth Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
Pei Huang: School of Earth Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
Xiongfei Zhang: Faculty of Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China
Yi Chai: Faculty of Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-22

Abstract: Enhancing regional ecosystem stability and managing land resources effectively requires identifying ecological function zones and understanding the factors that influence them. However, most current studies have primarily focused on ecosystem service bundles, paying less attention to the trade-offs, synergies, and ecological sensitivity, leading to a more uniform approach to functional zoning. This study aimed to analyze and describe the spatial and temporal patterns of four essential ecosystem services, including water yield (WY), net primary productivity (NPP), soil conservation (SC), and habitat quality (HQ), in the Sichuan-Yunnan ecological buffer area over the period from 2005 to 2019. Spatial overlay analysis was used to assess ecological sensitivity, trade-offs, synergies, and ecosystem service bundles to define ecological functional zones. Geographic detectors were then applied to identify the primary drivers of spatial variation in these zones. The findings showed a progressive improvement in ecosystem service functions within the Sichuan-Yunnan ecological buffer zone. Between 2005 and 2019, NPP, soil conservation, and water yield all demonstrated positive trends, while HQ displayed a declining trend. There was significant spatial heterogeneity and distinct regional patterns in ecosystem service functions, with a general decrease from southwest to northeast, particularly in NPP and HQ. Trade-offs were evident in most ecosystem services, with the most significant between WY and HQ and most in the northeast and east regions. Ecological sensitivity decreased from southwest to northeast. Regions with a higher ecological sensitivity were primarily situated in the southwestern region, and their spatial distribution pattern was comparable to that of high habitat quality. The spatial overlay analysis categorized areas into various types, including human production and settlement zones, ecologically vulnerable zones, ecological transition zones, and ecological conservation zones, accounting for 17.28%, 22.30%, 7.41%, and 53.01% of the total area, respectively. The primary environmental factor affecting ecological function zoning was identified as precipitation, while the main social variables were human activity and population density. This study enhances the understanding of ecological functions and supports sustainable development in the Sichuan-Yunnan ecological buffer area, offering important guidance for ecological zoning.

Keywords: ecosystem service bundles; ecological sensitivity; detectors; ecological functional zone; Sichuan-Yunnan ecological buffer area (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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