Framework Construction and Application of Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) in the Three-River-Source National Park (TRSNP) in China

Peihong Jia, Jing Chen, Diangong Gao (), Yuxin Zhu and Xinyue Wang
Additional contact information
Peihong Jia: Key Laboratory of Agro-Forestry Environmental Processes and Ecological Regulation of Hainan Province, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Jing Chen: College of International Tourism and Public Administration, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Diangong Gao: College of International Tourism and Public Administration, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Yuxin Zhu: Key Laboratory of Agro-Forestry Environmental Processes and Ecological Regulation of Hainan Province, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Xinyue Wang: Key Laboratory of Agro-Forestry Environmental Processes and Ecological Regulation of Hainan Province, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 3, 1-21

Abstract: Assessing the value of ecosystem products over time can reflect the effectiveness of ecosystem protection and serve as a measurable indicator in national park management. This study focuses on the Three-River-Source National Park (TRSNP), located in the Tibetan Plateau, the “Water Tower of China”. We developed an accounting system for ecosystem products in the TRSNP and assessed their value for 2015 and 2020. Key findings include the following. (1) The validation of the system’s scientific basis with a comprehensive indicator framework covering material products, regulating services, and cultural services. (2) The total value of ecosystem products in TRSNP increased by 31.19% from 2015 to 2020. Driven by policies such as grazing bans and the restoration of grasslands, the value of material products saw a decrease during the same period, while the value of regulating services experienced an increase. Notably, among the regulating services, the value associated with soil conservation emerged as the highest. (3) The value of regulating services varies across different regions due to the influences of land use types and soil erosion types. Among these, the value of regulating services per unit area is highest in the Lancang River source region, followed by the Yellow River source region, and the value was the lowest in the Yangtze River source region. (4) Recommendations include enhancing the value of agricultural and animal husbandry products to increase the overall agro-pastoral income, focusing on soil protection and restoration in the Yangtze and Yellow River source regions, and exploring strategies for the trading of ecological resource rights for soil retention in the Lancang River source region. This research offers a pertinent case study for ecosystem product value assessment, contributes a scientific ecological protection effect evaluation system for TRSNP, and provides a relevant scientific basis for the management of TRSNP.

Keywords: Three-River-Source national park; gross ecosystem product; evaluation of ecological protection effects; ecosystem service (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/642/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/642/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:3:p:642-:d:1614821

Access Statistics for this article

Land is currently edited by Ms. Carol Ma

More articles in Land from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().