Assessment and analysis of ecosystem services value along the Yangtze River under the background of the Yangtze River protection strategy

The Yangtze River is the third largest river in the world and the longest and largest river in China.China has adopted a national strategy to protect the Yangtze River.A better understanding of the ecosystem services value along the Yangtze River would provide support for the Yangtze River protection strategy.Using Costanza’s method to estimate the ecosystem services value,the value of 10 ecosystem services was estimated within 1 km and 2 km from the Yangtze River in 2017.These 10 services were derived from the four established groupings of provisioning,regulating,supporting,and cultural services.This study compared and analyzed the changes in the ecosystem services value in the upper,middle,and lower reaches of the river,and in provinces,cities,and villages along the Yangtze River.The total ecosystem services value within 1 km and 2 km from the river was 37.208 and 43.769 billion yuan,respectively.Within 1 km,the ecosystem services value in the middle reaches was 12.93 billion yuan,while the next highest value was in the upper reaches at 12.45 billion yuan,and the downstream area had the smallest value of 11.855 billion yuan.Within 2 km,the value of upstream ecosystem services was the highest at 16.31 billion yuan,while the second highest value was in the middle reaches at 14.376 billion yuan,and the smallest value was in the downstream area at 13.083 billion yuan.In the Yangtze River Basin,regulating services played a leading role,accounting for 81.6%and 78.9%of the ecosystem services value within 1 km and 2 km from the river,respectively.Among the 10 ecosystem services,hydrological regulation was the most important,while the value of raw material production made the smallest contribution.Among the provinces and cities along the Yangtze River,the highest ecosystem services value was in Hubei Province,while the lowest values were in Shanghai and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.If villages within 1 km and 2 km from the river were to be relocated,the total regional ecological value would increase by 527 and 975 million yuan,respectively.     

中国天山冰川生态服务功能及价值评估（英文）

Mountain glaciers, which perform a unique and irreplaceable ecological service, provide the material basis and characteristic cultural foundation of the ecological environment and sustainable socio-economic development in arid areas. However, few studies have estimated the service value of glaciers in regulating ecological environment and providing human welfare. According to the statistics of the First and Second Chinese Glacier Inventory(FCGI/SCGI), this study analyzed the variations in glacier area and ice volume in the Tianshan Mountains in China and modeled the ecosystem service function of mountain glaciers. The service value per unit area and equivalent factor methods were combined to determine the annual value of the ecological service provided by glaciers in the study area. The results show that:(1) In the period 1970–2010, the glacier area decreased by 1274 km~2(the ratio of area shrinkage was 13.9%) and the annual average decrease in ice volume was 4.08′10~9 m~3. The increase in glacier area at high altitudes( 5200 m) may be due to the fact that glacier accumulation caused by increasing precipitation is greater than glacier melting caused by rising temperatures.(2) The annual value of the ecological service provided by glaciers in the study area is 60.2 billion yuan. The values of climate regulation, hydrological regulation, and freshwater resource supply account for 66.4%, 21.6%, and 9.3% of the total value respectively. The annual value of the ecological service provided by hydroelectric power is 350 million yuan.(3) From a comparative analysis of the glaciers, forest, grassland and wetland ecosystems, the supply of freshwater resources/physical production and ecological regulation represent the main contributions of the four types of system, and the ecosystem service value of glaciers per unit area is higher than that of other types of ecosystem. This research will improve the understanding of the impact of glaciers on human welfare and maintenance of the ecological environment and will promote the ecological security of the cryosphere, environmental protection, and the sustainable use of resources.     

植被生态服务功能经济价值测评研究——以陕南秦巴山区为例

According to differences in vegetation types and their coverage,combining the latest research ,using theory and method on the value of vegetation ecosystem services ,this paper not only calculated goods produced by different types of vegetation but also estimated the value of various vegetation ecosystem services and set up database,GIS and eco-account of vegetation ecosystem.The result was as follows: the value of vegetation‘‘s primary productivity,soil and fertility conservation,water conservation.CO2 fixation and O2 release was 199.6 billion yuan/a 22.64 billion yuan/a 22.6 billion yuan/a ,352.24 billion yuan/a and 374.19 billion yuan/a ,respectively.The total value of ecosystem services was 968.33 billion yuan/a.The temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest had the highest contribution rate,accounting for 16.42%,The result of value can reflect regional reality more exactly.     

Evaluation of the carbon sequestration of Zhalong Wetland under climate change

Wetland ecosystems are crucial to the global carbon cycle.In this study,the Zhalong Wetland was investigated.Based on remote sensing and meteorological observation data from 1975–2018 and the downscaled fifth phase of the coupled model intercomparison project (CMIP5) climate projection dataset from 1961–2100,the parameters of a net primary productivity (NPP) climatic potential productivity model were adjusted,and the simulation ability of the CMIP5 coupled models was evaluated.On this basis,we analysed the spatial and temporal variations of land cover types and landscape transformation processes in the Zhalong Nature Reserve over the past 44 years.We also evaluated the influence of climate change on the NPP of the vegetation,microbial heterotrophic respiration (Rh),and net ecosystem productivity (NEP) of the Zhalong Wetland and predicted the carbon sequestration potential of the Zhalong Wetland from 2019–2029 under the representative concentration pathways (RCP) 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios.Our results indicate the following:(1) Herbaceous bog was the primary land cover type of the Zhalong Nature Reserve,occupying an average area of 1168.02±224.05 km~2,equivalent to 51.84%of the total reserve area.(2)Since 1975,the Zhalong Nature Reserve has undergone a dry–wet–dry transformation process.Excluding several wet periods during the mid-1980s to early 1990s,the reserve has remained a dry habitat,with particularly severe conditions from 2000 onwards.(3) The 1975–2018 mean NPP,Rh,and NEP values of the Zhalong Wetland were 500.21±52.76,337.59±10.80,and 162.62±45.56 g C·m~(-2)·a~(-1),respectively,and an evaluation of the carbon balance indicated that the reserve served as a carbon sink.(4) From 1975–2018,NPP showed a significant linear increase,Rh showed a highly significant linear increase,while the increase in the carbon absorption rate was smaller than the increase in the carbon release rate.(5) Variations in NPP and NEP were precipitation-driven,with the correlations of NPP and NEP with annual precipitation and summer precipitation being highly significantly positive(P0.001);variations in Rh were temperature-driven,with the correlations of Rh with the average annual,summer,and autumn temperatures being highly significantly positive (P0.001).The interaction of precipitation and temperature enhances the impact on NPP,Rh and NEP.(6) Under the RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios,the predicted carbon sequestration by the Zhalong Wetland from 2019–2029 was 2.421 (±0.225)×10~(11) g C·a~(-1) and 2.407 (±0.382)×10~(11) g C·a~(-1),respectively,which were both lower than the mean carbon sequestration during the last 44 years (2.467 (±0.950)×10~(11) g C·a~(-1)).Future climate change may negatively contribute to the carbon sequestration potential of the Zhalong Wetland.The results of the present study are significant for enhancing the abilities of integrated eco-meteorological monitoring,evaluation,and early warning systems for wetlands.     

Functionally assessing the sustainability of regional ecosystem services: a case study of Hohhot City

"The value of the world's ecosystem services and natural capital" by R.Costanza et al.in 1997 is generally regarded as a monument to the research of valuing ecosystem services.However,the classification of ecosystem services,the method of various services summation,and the purpose for static global value had many criticisms.Based on a summary of these criticisms and suggestions,further study direction—on the sustainability of ecosystem services—is presented.The two basis indicators in ecology—productivity and biodiversity,respectively characterize the ability of producing and self-organizing—not only represent the internal function of ecosystem,but also can be proportioned to its external function of supporting and providing for human life.Theoretically,the two indicators combined could physically assess the sustainability of ecosystem services based on the traditional procedure of Costanza's.The case study of Hohhot City in 1995-2005 shows that the new model reflects the changes of ecosystem services at spatial and temporal scale,and the functionally adjusted assessment shows the sustainability of Hohhot City became gradually stronger during the study decade.But due to the enormous value per unit of water ecosystem,the minimal loss of water area leads to the final result being opposite to the processing analysis,which gives a clue to the further experimental testing research.     

A landscape management analysis framework and its preliminary application in Ejina Oasis,Northwest China

The implementation of integrated landscape management to support local and regional human well-being is crucial in arid regions,but its application to date is very limited.Although analytical frameworks have been established to maximize ecosystem services via trade-offs between different landscape configurations,consumption factors such as water resources are rarely and weakly considered in such frameworks.In this paper,an improved integrated landscape-management analysis framework,called the Consumption-integrated Landscape Management to Ecosystem Service(CLMES),is proposed.In this framework,consumption factors are integrated at the same level as ecosystem services.The improved analytical framework is then used to assess and optimize landscape design in the Ejina Oasis,an extremely arid region in western China.Three landscape conditions(past,current,and future)are evaluated,based on the CLMES.Our results indicate that the Heihe River water-allocation program effectively promoted ecosystem services in the Ejina Oasis from 2000 to 2011.However,the excessive expansion of cropland led to a slight decline in habitat quality.An optimized landscape configuration and policy suggestions are proposed,which may be beneficial to the improvement of total water-use efficiency,oasis stability,and resilience of the ecological?social system in the Ejina Oasis.     

Surplus or deficit? Quantifying the total ecological compensation of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region

The calculation of ecological compensation and boundary identification of stakeholders represent the key challenges for Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region in its implementation of the trans-regional ecological compensation mechanism. Breaking administrative boundaries and spatially coordinating ecological resources helps to restructure an ecological compensation mechanism of the region based on the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. According to the estimated ecological assets in the counties of the region in 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015, a quantitative model for total ecological compensation was built based on ecological assets and county-level economic development. Then, the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of the total ecological compensation in the region were defined, and the boundaries of ecological surplus and deficit areas were identified. Results indicate:(1) The region's annual average ecological assets amounted to $1379.47 billion; in terms of annual total ecological assets, Hebei ranked first($1123.80 billion), followed by Beijing($157.46 billion) and Tianjin($98.21 billion); and in terms of ecological assets per unit area, Beijing ranked first, Tianjin second and Hebei last.(2) Among ecosystem services, hydrological regulation and climate regulation had the highest annual average value and contributed most to the increase in ecological assets. In 2015, the contribution of water and soil conservation to the total ecological assets decreased to –15.66%, showing the degradation of the function played by different ecosystems.(3) The ecological surplus of the region in four periods of 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015 were $398.98 billion, $870.37 billion, $1254.93 billion and $2693.94 billion respectively, basically offsetting the ecological deficit of each corresponding period, but the urgency for ecological compensation was increased.(4) The ecological surplus and deficit areas showed a great fluctuation in different time periods. Larger time span means more noticeable convergence of deficit areas towards central and eastern areas. Public resources such as education, transportation and medical care in central urban areas should be decentralized to encourage population dispersal, weaken the agglomeration effect of deficit areas and finally achieve the ecological synergy of the region.     

基于InVEST生境质量模型与景观格局指数的山地植物多样性变化研究——以甘肃白龙江流域为例（英文）

Mountains in western China, hosted rich biodiversity and millions of people and inhabitant with vital ecosystem services, had experienced the most serious biodiversity loss with fragile ecological problems. Even though increasing attentions had been paid to this issue, we still lacked efficient methods to assess the change of plant biodiversity at medium/large scale due to the poor data and co-existing multiple habitat types. This study proposed an integrated method combining InVEST-habitat quality model, NPP and landscape pattern indexes to analyze the spatial heterogeneity of plant biodiversity and its spatiotemporal change on raster cell scale. The results indicated that plant biodiversity service was high in Bailongjiang watershed with obvious spatial pattern variations. The land area containing higher plant biodiversity were 3161 km2, which mainly distributed in the National Nature Reserve and forestry area. While the areas with lower plant biodiversity accounted for 37.67% and mainly distributed in the valleys between Zhouqu-Wudu-Wenxian County, the valley of Minjiang in Tanchang County and alpine mountain snow-covered regions. During 1990–2010, plant biodiversity level tended to increase and the higher plant biodiversity area increased from 14.13% to 17.15% due to ecological restoration and afforestation, while plant biodiversity decreased in the area with intensive human activities, such as cultivated land, urban and rural land. The results showed that combining InVEST-habitat quality model, NPP and landscape pattern indexes can effective reveal mountain plant biodiversity change. The study was useful for plant biodiversity conservation policy-making and human activity management for the disaster-impacted mountainous areas in China.     

采伐影响下人工林木材生产与固碳功能权衡特征——以湖南会同森林生态实验站为例（英文）

The tradeoffs and optimizations of ecosystem services are the key research fields of ecology and geography.It is necessary to maximize the overall benefit of timber production and carbon storage for forest ecological development in China.We selected the Huitong National Research Station of Forest Ecosystem as our study area,and used In VEST model to evaluate timber production and carbon storage quantitatively.The results showed that:(1)While timber production increased with harvesting intensity over the planning horizon,carbon storage decreased.There were tradeoffs between timber production and carbon storage according to the significant negative relationship.(2)While the overall benefit of timber production and carbon storage increased with harvesting intensity,the value of tradeoffs decreased.T1 and T2 scenarios,with harvesting intensity of 10%–20% every 10 years,are the optimum management regimes for the two ecosystem services to gain more benefit and less tradeoffs.(3)The current harvesting intensity in Huitong County was slightly higher than the optimum harvesting intensity.On practical dimension,these findings suggested that obvious objectives are needed to formulate the corresponding countermeasures of tradeoffs,in order to realize the improvement of ecosystem services and the optimization of ecosystem structures.     

Spatiotemporal evolution and influencing mechanism of ecosystem service value in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

Ecosystem services are the media and channels through which ecological elements, structures, functions, and products benefit human society. Regulating the utilization intensity and protection methods of society on the ecosystem according to the ecosystem service value(ESV) and its influencing mechanism is of great significance for achieving the sustainable development goals. This paper takes the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area(GBA) as the research object and describes the spatiotempor...     

基于SWAT模型模拟乌江三岔河生态系统产流服务及其空间变异（英文）

Runoff generation is an important part of water retention service, and also plays an important role on soil and water retention. Under the background of the ecosystem degradation, which was caused by the vulnerable karst ecosystem combined with human activity, it is necessary to understand the spatial pattern and impact factors of runoff generation in the karst region. The typical karst peak-cluster depression basin was selected as the study area. And the calibrated and verified Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was the main techniques to simulate the runoff generation in the typical karst basin. Further, the spatial variability of total/surface/groundwater runoff was analyzed along with the methods of gradient analysis and local regression. Results indicated that the law of spatial difference was obvious, and the total runoff coefficients were 70.0%. The groundwater runoff was rich, about 2–3 times the surface runoff. Terrain is a significant factor contributing to macroscopic control effect on the runoff service, where the total and groundwater runoff increased significantly with the rising elevation and slope. The distribution characteristics of vegetation have great effects on surface runoff. There were spatial differences between the forest land in the upstream and orchard land in the downstream, in turn the surface runoff presented a turning point due to the influence of vegetation. Moreover, the results of spatial overlay analysis showed that the highest value of total and groundwater runoff was distributed in the forest land. It is not only owing to the stronger soil water retention capacity of forest ecosystem, and geologic feature of rapid infiltration in this region, but also reflected the combining effects on the land cover types and topographical features. Overall, this study will promote the development and innovation of ecosystem services fields in the karst region, and further provide a theoretical foundation for ecosystem restoration and reconstruction.     

Glacial changes in the Gangdisê Mountains from 1970 to 2016

Based on the revised First Chinese Glacier Inventory(FCGI), the Second Chinese Glacier Inventory(SCGI) and Landsat OLI images for 2015–2016, we analyzed the spatial-temporal variation characteristics of glaciers in the Gangdisê Mountains from 1970 to 2016. The results showed that there were 3953 glaciers with a total area of 1306.45 km~2 and ice volume of ～58.16 km~3 in the Gangdisê Mountains in 2015–2016. Glaciers with sizes of 0.1–5 km~2 and 0.5 km~2 accounted for the largest area and the most amounts of glaciers in the Gangdisê Mountains, respectively. Over the past five decades, the area of glaciers in the Gangdisê Mountains decreased by 854.05 km~2(-1.09%·a~(-1)), accounting for 39.53% of the total glacier area in 1970. The increase in temperature during the ablation period was the most important cause for glacier retreat. Compared to other mountains in western China, the Gangdisê Mountains have experienced the strongest glacial retreat, and the rate of recession has increased in recent years. The decrease of glacier area was mainly concentrated at elevations of 5600–6100 m, and no change in glacier area was observed at elevations above 6500 m. The number and area of glaciers decreased in all orientations in the Gangdisê Mountains except for south-and southeast-oriented glaciers. Among them, north-oriented glaciers suffered the largest loss of glacier area, while glacier retreat saw the fastest in northwest-oriented glaciers. The rate of glacier retreat increased from west to east in the Gangdisê Mountains. The relative rate of glacier area change was the highest in the eastern section of the Gangdisê Mountains(-1.72%·a~(-1)), followed by the middle section(-1.67%·a~(-1)) and the western section(–0.83%·a~(-1)).     

为《中国西部生态系统综合评估》一书所作的序言

Human well-being is dependent on ecosystems. Earth＇s mosaic of ecosystems - forests, grasslands, wetlands, streams, estuaries, and oceans - when functioning naturally, provide materials, conditions, and processes that sustain all life on this planet, including human life. The benefits that all living things obtain from ecosystems are called ＂ecosystem services.＂ Some are very familiar to us, such as materials like food and timber that are essential for our lives and important parts of the global economy. What are equally important, but certainly less well recognized, are the array of services delivered by ecosystems that do not have easily assigned monetary values, but that make our lives possible. These include the purification of air and water, the decomposition of wastes, the recycling of nutrients on land and in the oceans, the pollination of crops, and the regulation of climate.     

Vulnerability of natural ecosystem in China under regional climate scenarios:An analysis based on eco-geographical regions简

Assessment of vulnerability for natural ecosystem to climate change is a hot topic in climate change and ecology, and will support adapting and mitigating climate change. In this study, LPJ model modified according to features of China＇s natural ecosystems was em- ployed to simulate ecosystem dynamics under A2, B2 and A1B scenarios. Vulnerability of natural ecosystem to climate change was assessed according to the vulnerability assessment model. Based on eco-geographical regions, vulnerability of natural ecosystem to climate change was analyzed. Results suggest that vulnerability for China＇s natural ecosystems would strengthen in the east and weaken in the west, but the pattern of ecosystem vulner- ability would not be altered by climate change, which rises from southeast to northeast gradually. Increase in ecosystem vulnerable degree would mainly concentrate in temperate humid/sub-humid region and warm temperate humid/sub-humid region. Decrease in eco- system vulnerable degree may emerge in northwestern arid region and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region. In the near-term scale, natural ecosystem in China would be slightly affected by cli- mate change. However, in mid-term and long-term scales, there would be severely adverse effect, particularly in the east with better water and thermal condition.     

Modeling net primary productivity of the terrestrial ecosystem in China from 1961 to 2005简

Net primary productivity （NPP） is the structure and function of the ecosystem. NPP can most important index that represents the be simulated by dynamic global vegetation models （DGVM）, which are designed to represent vegetation dynamics relative to environ- mental change. This study simulated the NPP of China＇s ecosystems based on the DGVM Integrated Biosphere Simulator （IBIS） with data on climate, soil, and topography. The appli- cability of IBIS in the NPP simulation of China＇s terrestrial ecosystems was verified first. Comparison with other relevant studies indicates that the range and mean value of simula- tions are generally within the limits of observations; the overall pattern and total annual NPP are close to the simulations conducted with other models. The simulations are also close to the NPP estimations based on remote sensing. Validation proved that IBIS can be utilized in the large-scale simulation of NPP in China＇s natural ecosystem. We then simulated NPP with climate change data from 1961 to 2005, when warming was particularly striking. The following are the results of the simulation. （1） Total NPP varied from 3.61 GtC/yr to 4.24 GtC/yr in the past 45 years and exhibited minimal significant linear increase or decrease. （2） Regional differences in the increase or decrease in NPP were large but exhibited an insignificant overall linear trend. NPP declined in most parts of eastern and central China, especially in the Loess Plateau. （3） Similar to the fluctuation law of annual NPP, seasonal NPP also displayed an insignificant increase or decrease; the trend line was within the general level. （4） The re- gional differences in seasonal NPP changes were large. NPP declined in spring, summer, and autumn in the Loess Plateau but increased in most parts of the Tibetan Plateau.     

开封市的城市生态位变化分析

Niche theory is one of the most important ecological theories. It is widely applied to analyzing such phenomena as competition among, and evolution of, urban ecosystem functional modules. This paper describes a study concerning＇different functional modules of Kaifeng city urban ecosystem. Niche theory and techniques were used to analyze the changes of these functional modules in the period 1994-2003. The results showed that, in the period 1994-2003： （1） Niche value of the atmospheric environment and urban virescence modules increased, while niche value of the water environment and sound environment modules decreased; （2） niche value of the tertiary industry module increased, niche value of the secondary industry module decreased, while niche value of the primary industry module showed little change; and （3） niche value of the infrastructure, resource distribution, and production ＆ social security modules increased, while niche value of the population module decreased. This study may contribute to macroscopic planning of urban functional modules, economic development, and environmental protection.     

气候变化和人类活动对白洋淀水源区径流的影响(英文)

As the largest wetland in the North China Plain(NCP),the Baiyangdian Lake plays an important role in maintaining water balance and ecological health of NCP.In the past few decades,the decreasing streamflow in the Baiyangdian Basin associated with climate variability and human activities has caused a series of water and eco-environmental issues.In this study,we quantified the impacts of climate variability and human activities on streamflow in the water source area of the Baiyangdian Lake,based on analyses of hydrologic changes of the upper Tanghe river catchment(a sub-basin of the Baiyangdian Basin) from 1960 to 2008.Climate elasticity method and hydrological modeling method were used to distinguish the effects of climate variability and human activities.The results showed that the annual streamflow decreased significantly(P>0.05) by 1.7 mm/a and an abrupt change was identified around the year 1980.The quantification results indicated that climate variations accounted for 38%-40% of decreased streamflow,while human activities accounted for 60%-62%.Therefore,the effect of human activities played a dominant role on the decline of the streamflow in the water source area of the Baiyangdian Lake.To keep the ecosystem health of the Baiyangdian Lake,we suggest that minimum ecological water demand and integrated watershed management should be guaranteed in the future.     

NOTES FOR CONTRIBUTORS

““Wetland Science““ is oriented to an excellent academic journal concerned with all aspects of wetland science, which will be firstly published by Chinese Academy of Sciences. The journal is primarily Chinese and international medium for the publications of research on the pioneering theories and methods in wetland science, formation and evolution regulation, resources, environment and ecological function, economic and social values. Especially, it is relevant to issues of wetland conservation, clean water, biodiversity，     

关中—天水经济区生态系统服务的权衡关系（英文）

Natural ecosystems provide human society with very important products and services. With the rapid increase in population and the over-exploitation of natural resources, humans are continually enhancing the production of some services at the expense of others. This paper estimates changes in ecosystem services, and the relationship between these services in the Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Region of China. These ecosystem changes are of great significance to the sustainable development of this economic region. The concept of production possibility frontier(PPF) is applied to evaluate the trade-offs and synergy between carbon sequestration, water yield and soil retention. Three land use strategy scenarios – planning, exploitation and protection – are applied to evaluate potential changes in ecosystem services. This study reveals noticeable trade-offs between carbon sequestration, soil retention and water yield, with synergy between carbon sequestration and soil retention. There are synergies between carbon sequestration, water yield and soil retention in the three scenarios. The protection scenario is the most favourable land use strategy for regulating ecosystem service capacity. This scenario results in the highest carbon sequestration, water yield and soil retention. The results could have implications for natural capital and ecosystem services planning, management and land use decision-making.     

Dynamics and interactions of water-related ecosystem services in the Yellow River Basin,China

Climate change and human activities have profoundly altered ecosystem services in the Yellow River Basin(YRB) since the Grain for Green project was implemented, but have not been accurately revealed on a year-by-year scale. This study combined the InVEST model to reveal the year-by-year changes in the water-related ecosystem services(WRESs)in YRB during 1990–2020, including water yield, soil conservation and water purification services. The trade-off/synergy of WRESs and impacts of land manageme...