Analyzing the spatial patterns and drivers of ecosystem services in rapidly urbanizing Taihu Lake Basin of China

Abstract

Quantifying and mapping the distribution patterns of ecosystem services can help to ascertain which services should be protected and where investments should be directed to improve synergies and reduce trade-offs. Moreover, the indicators of urbanization that affect the provision of ecosystem services must be identified to determine which approach to adopt in formulating policies related to these services. This paper presents a case study that maps the distribution of multiple ecosystem services and analyzes the ways in which they interact. The relationship between the supply of ecosystem services and the socio-economic development in the Taihu Lake Basin of eastern China is also revealed. Results show a significant negative relationship between crop production and tourism income (p<0.005) and a positive relationship between crop production, nutrient retention, and carbon sequestration (p<0.005). The negative effects of the urbanization process on providing and regulating services are also identified through a comparison of the ecosystem services in large and small cities. Regression analysis was used to compare and elucidate the relative significance of the selected urbanization factors to ecosystem services. The results indicate that urbanization level is the most substantial factor inversely correlated with crop production (R² = 0.414) and nutrient retention services (R² = 0.572). Population density is the most important factor that negatively affects carbon sequestration (R² = 0.447). The findings of this study suggest the potential relevance of ecosystem service dynamics to urbanization management and decision making.

Keywords

Taihu Lake Basin / ecosystem service / rapid urbanization / spatial pattern / drivers

References

[1] Bennett E M, Balvanera P (2007). The future of production systems in a globalized world. Front Ecol Environ, 5(4): 191–198

[2] Bennett E M, Peterson G D, Gordon L J (2009). Understanding relationship among multiple ecosystem services. Ecol Lett, 12(12): 1394–1404

[3] Carpenter S R, Folke C, Norstrom A, Olsson O, Schultz L, Agarwal B, Balvanera P, Campbell B, Castilla J C, Cramer W, DeFries R, Eyzaguirre P, Hughes T P, Polasky S, Sanusi Z, Scholes R, Spierenburg M (2012). Program on ecosystem change and society: an international research strategy for integrated social-ecological system. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 4(1): 134–138

[4] Chen Z, Gong C, Wu J, Yu S (2012). The influence of socioeconomic and topographic factors on nocturnal urban heat islands: a case study in Shenzhen, China. Int J Remote Sens, 33(12): 3834–3849

[5] Chisholm R A (2010). Trade-offs between ecosystem services: water and carbon in a biodiversity hotspot. Ecol Econ, 69(10): 1973–1987

[6] Chuai X, Huang X, Zheng Z, Zhang M, Liao Q, Lai L, Lu J (2011). Land use change and its influence on carbon storage of terrestrial ecosystem in Jiangsu province. Resource Science, 33(10): 1932–1939 (in Chinese)

[7] Costanza R, Fisher B, Ali S, Beer C, Bond L, Boumans R, Danigelis N L, Dickinson J, Elliott C, Farley J, Gayer D E, Glenn L M, Hudspeth T, Mahoney D, McCahill L, McIntosh B, Reed B, Rizvi S A T, Rizzo D M, Simpatico T, Snapp R (2007). Quality of life: an approach integrating opportunities, human needs, and subjective well-being. Ecol Econ, 61(2–3): 267–276

[8] Cowling R M, Egoh B, Knight A T, O’Farrell P J, Reyers B, Rouget M, Roux D, Welz A, Wilhelm-Rechman A (2008). An operational model for mainstreaming ecosystem services for implementation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, 105(28): 9483–9488

[9] Daily G C, Alexander S, Ehrlich P (1997). Ecosystem services: benefits supplied to human societies by natural ecosystems. Issues in Ecology, (2): 1–16

[10] Daily G C, Matson P A (2008). From theory to implementation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences United States, 105(28): 9455–9456

[11] Daily G C, Ouyang Z, Zheng H, Li S, Wang Y, Feldman M, Kareiva P, Polasky S, Ruckelshaus M (2013). Securing natural capital and human well-being: innovation and impact in China. Acta Ecol Sin, 33(3): 676–685

[12] Du N, Ottens H, Sliuzas R (2010). Spatial impact of urban expansion on surface water bodies: a case study of Wuhan, China. Landsc Urban Plan, 94(3–4): 175–185

[13] Engel V, Jobbagy E G, Stieglitz M, Williams M, Jackson R B (2005). Hydrological consequences of eucalyptus afforestation in the argentine pampas. Water Resour Res, 41: W10409

[14] Ervin D, Brown D, Chang H, Dujon V, Granek E, Shandas V, Yeakley A (2012). Growing cities depend on ecosystem services. Solutions, 2(6): 74–86

[15] Fang J, Liu G, Xu S (1996). Biomass and net production of forest vegetation in China. Acta Ecol Sin, 16(5): 497–508 (in Chinese)

[16] Forman R T T, Sperling D, Bissonette J A, Clevenger A P, Cutshall C D, Dale V H, Fahrig L, France R, Goldman C R, Heanue K, Jones J A, Swanson F J, Turrentine T, Winter T C (2003). Road Ecology. Science and Solutions. Washington, D.C.: Island Press

[17] Franklin J F, Lindenmayer D B (2009). Importance of matrix habitats in maintaining biological diversity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences United States, 106(2): 349–350

[18] Gong C, Chen J, Yu S (2011). Spatiotemporal dynamics of urban forest conversion through model urbanization in Shenzhen, China. Int J Remote Sens, 32(24): 9071–9092

[19] Gong C, Chen J, Yu S (2013a). Biotic homogenization and differentiation of the flora in artificial and near-natural habitats across urban green spaces. Landsc Urban Plan, 120(0): 158–169

[20] Gong C, Wu W (2014). Comparisons of regression tree models for sub-pixel imperviousness estimation in a Gulf Coast city of Mississippi, USA. Int J Remote Sens, 35(10): 3722–3740

[21] Gong C, Yu S, Joesting H, Chen J (2013b). Determining socioeconomic drivers of urban forest fragmentation with historical remote sensing images. Landsc Urban Plan, 117(0): 57–65

[22] Gordon L G, Enfors E I (2008). Land degradation, ecosystem services, and resilience of smallholder farmers in Makanya catchment, Tanzania. In: Bossio D, Geheb K, eds. Conserving Land, Protecting Water. Wallingford: CAB International

[23] Guan B, An S, Gu B (2011). Assessment of ecosystem health during the past 40 years for Lake Taihu in the Yangtze River Delta, China. Limnology, 12(1): 47–53

[24] Jiang L, Deng X, Seto K C (2012). Multi-level modeling of urban expansion and cultivated land conversion for urban hotspot counties in China. Landsc Urban Plan, 108(2–4): 131–139

[25] Kareiva P, Watts S, McDonald R, Boucher T (2007). Domesticated nature: shaping landscapes and ecosystems for human welfare. Science, 316(5833): 1866–1869

[26] Lautenbach S, Kugel C, Lausch A, Seppelt R (2011). Analysis of historic changes in regional ecosystem service provisioning using land use data. Ecol Indic, 11(2): 676–687

[27] Li J, Song C, Cao L, Zhu F, Meng X, Wu J (2011). Impacts of landscape structure on surface urban heat islands: a case study of Shanghai, China. Remote Sens Environ, 115(12): 3249–3263

[28] Li Y, Sun X, Zhu X, Cao H (2010a). An early warning method of landscape ecological security in rapid urbanizing coastal areas and its application in Xiamen, China. Ecol Modell, 221(19): 2251–2260

[29] Li Y, Zhu X, Sun X, Wang F (2010b). Landscape effects of environmental impact on bay-area wetlands under rapid urban expansion and development policy: a case study of Lianyungang, China. Landsc Urban Plan, 94(3–4): 218–227

[30] Li Z, Zhang Y, Ren T (2008). The loads and control suggestions of agriculture non-point nitrogen and phosphorus in Taihu Basin. Chinese Agriculture Science Bulletin, 24(supplement): 24–30 (in Chinese)

[31] Long H, Liu Y, Wu X, Dong G (2009). Spatio-temporal dynamic patterns of farmland and rural settlements in Su-Xi-Chang region: implications for building a new countryside in coastal China. Land Use Policy, 26(2): 322–333

[32] Maes J, Egoh B, Willemen L, Liquete C, Vihervaara P, Schägner J P, Grizzetti B, Drakou E G, Notte A L, Zulian G, Bouraoui F, luisa Paracchini M, Braat L, Bidoglio G (2012). Mapping ecosystem services for policy support and decision making in the European Union. Ecosystem Services, 1(1): 31–39

[33] McKINNEY M L (2002). Urbanization, biodiversity, and conservation. Bioscience, 52(10): 883–890

[34] Metzger M J, Rounsevell M D A, Acosta-Michlik L, Leemans R, Schroter D (2006). The vulnerability of ecosystem services to land use change. Agric Ecosyst Environ, 114(1): 69–85

[35] Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005). Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Synthesis. Washington, D.C.: Island Press

[36] Munoz-Valles S, Cambrolle J, Figueroa-Luque E, Luque T, Niell F X (2013). An approach to the evaluation and management of natural carbon sinks: from plant species to urban green systems. Urban For Urban Green, 12:(4): 450–453

[37] Naidoo R, Balmford A, Costanza R, Fisher B, Green R E, Lehner B, Malcolm T R, Ricketts T H (2008). Global mapping of ecosystem services and conservation priorities. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, 105(28): 9495–9500

[38] Naidoo R, Ricketts T H (2006). Mapping the economic costs and benefits of conservation. PLoS Biol, 4(11): 2153–2164

[39] Nelleman C, Kullered L, Vistnes I, Forbes B, Foresman T, Husby E, Kofinas G, Kaltenborn B, Rouaud J, Magomedova M, Bobiwash R, Lambrechts C, Schei P, Tveitdal S, Gron O, Larsen T (2001). GLOBIO, Global Methodology for Mapping Human Impacts on the Biosphere: the Arctic 2050 Scenario and Global Application. United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi, Kenya.

[40] Nelson E J, Daily G C (2010). Modeling ecosystem services in terrestrial systems. F1000 Biol Rep, 2: 53–58

[41] Nelson E, Mendoza G, Regetz J, Polasky S, Tallis H, Cameron D, Chan K M A, Daily G C, Goldstein J, Kareiva P M, Lonsdorf E, Naidoo R, Ricketts T H, Shaw M (2009). Modeling multiple ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, commodity production, and tradeoffs at landscape scales. Front Ecol Environ, 7(1): 4–11

[42] Nelson E, Polasky S, Lewis D J, Plantinga A J, Lonsdorf E, White D, Bael D, Lawler J J (2008). Efficiency of incentives to jointly increase carbon sequestration and species conservation on a landscape. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences United States, 105(28): 9471–9476

[43] Nelson G C, Bennett E, Berhe A A, Cassman K, DeFries R, Dietz T, Dobermann A, Dobson A, Janetos A, Levy M, Marco D, Nakicenovic N, O’Neill B, Norgaard R, Petschel-Held G, Ojima D, Pingali P, Watson R, Zurek M (2006). Anthropogenic drivers of ecosystem change: an overview. Ecology and Society, 11, 29. URL: http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol11/iss2/art29/

[44] Nowak D J (1993). Atmospheric carbon reduction by urban trees. J Environ Manage, 37(3): 207–217

[45] Piao S, Fang J, Ciais P, Peylin P, Huang Y, Sitch S, Wang T (2009). The carbon balance of terrestrial ecosystem in China. Nature, 458(7241): 1009–1013

[46] Poudyal N C, Siry J P, Bowker J M (2010). Urban forest potential to supply marketable carbon emission offsets: a survey of municipal governments in the United States. For Policy Econ, 12(6): 432–438

[47] Prugh L R, Hodges K E, Sinclair R E A, Brashares J S (2008). Effect of habitat area and isolation on fragmented animal populations. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences United States, 105(52): 20770–20775

[48] Raudsepp-Hearne C, Peterson G D, Bennett E M (2010). Ecosystem service bundles for analyzing tradeoffs in diverse landscapes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences United States, 107(11): 5242–5247

[49] Reckhow K H, Beaulac M N, Simpson J T (1980). Modeling Phosphorus loading and lake response under uncertainty: a manual and compilation of export coefficients., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.

[50] Ricketts T H (2001). The matrix matters: effective isolation in fragmented landscapes. Am Nat, 158(1): 87–99

[51] Ricketts T H, Regetz J, Steffan-Dewenter I, Cunningham S A, Kremen C, Bogdanski A, Gemmill-Herren B, Greenleaf S S, Klein A M, Mayfield M M, Morandin L A, Ochieng’ A, Viana B F (2008). Landscape effects on crop pollination services: are there general patterns? Ecol Lett, 11(5): 499–515

[52] Robertson M (2012). Measurement and alienation: making a world of ecosystem services. Trans Inst Br Geogr, 37(3): 386–401

[53] Rodriguez J P, Beard T D Jr, Bennett E M, Cumming G S, Cork S, Agard J, Dobson A P, Peterson G D (2006). Trade-offs across space, time, and ecosystem services. Ecology and Society, 11(1): 28. URL: http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol11/iss1/art28/

[54] Ruesch A, Gibbs H K (2008). New IPCC tier-1 global biomass carbon map for the year 2000. Available: http://cdiac.ornl.gov/epubs/ndp/global_carbon/carbon_documentation.html

[55] Schuman G E, Janzen H H, Herrick J E (2002). Soil carbon dynamics and potential carbon sequestration by rangelands. Environ Pollut, 116(3): 391–396

[56] Seppelt R, Dormann C F, Eppink F V, Lautenbach S, Schmidt S (2011). A quantitative review of ecosystem service studies: approaches, shortcomings and the road ahead. J Appl Ecol, 48(3): 630–636

[57] Seto K C, Güneralp B, Hutyra L R (2012). Global forecasts of urban expansion to 2030 and direct impacts on biodiversity and carbon pools. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences United States, 109(40): 16083–16088

[58] Shao M, Tang X, Zhang Y, Li W (2006). City clusters in China: air and surface water pollution. Front Ecol Environ, 4(7): 353–361

[59] Tallis H T, Goldman R, Uhl M, Brosi B (2009). Integrating conservation and development in the field: implementing ecosystem service projects. Front Ecol Environ, 7(1): 12–20

[60] Tian Y, Yang L, Yin B, Zhu Z (2011). Wet deposition N and its runoff flow during wheat seasons in the Taihu Lake region, China. Agric Ecosyst Environ, 141(1–2): 224–229

[61] Turner R K, Paavola J, Cooper P, Farber S, Jessamy V, Georgiou S (2003). Valuing nature: lessons learned and future research directions. Ecol Econ, 46(3): 493–510

[62] United Nations (2010). World Urbanization Prospects: The 2009 Revision, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs/Population Division, New York, URL: http://esa.un.org/unpd/wup/index.htm.

[63] UusiKamppa J, Turtola E, Hartikainen H, Ylaranta T. (1997). The interactions of buffer zones and phosphorous runoff. In: Haycock T, Burt K G, Pinay G, eds. In Buffer zones: Their Processes and Potential in Water Protection. Hertfordshire: Quest Environmental, 43–53

[64] Volante J N, Alcaraz-Segura D, Mosciaro M J, Viglizzo E F, Paruelo J M (2012). Ecosystem functional changes associated with land clearing in NW Argentina. Agric Ecosyst Environ, 154: 12–22

[65] Weigelhofer G, Fuchsberger J, Teufl B, Welti N, Hein T (2012). Effects of riparian forest buffers on in-stream nutrient retention in agriculture catchments. J Environ Qual, 41(2): 373–379

[66] Wilcove D S, Rothstein D, Dubow J, Phillips A, Losos E (1998). Quantifying threats to imperiled species in the United States. bioscience, 48(8): 607–615

[67] Willemen L, Hein L, Verburg P H (2010). Evaluating the impact of regional development policies on future landscape services. Ecol Econ, 69(11): 2244–2254

[68] Xin H, Stone R (2010). China amasses war chest to confront its environmental nightmares. Science, 327(5972): 1440–1441

[69] Zandersen M, Tol R S J (2009). A meta-analysis of forest recreation values in Europe. J Econ, 15(1–2): 109–130

[70] Zhu Y, Ioannidis J P A, Li H, Jones K C, Martin F L (2011). Understanding and harnessing the health effects of rapid urbanization in China. Environ Sci Technol, 45(12): 5099–5104

Acknowledgement

We appreciate the contribution of the reviewers for improving the paper’s quality. This study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41271008), Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (BK2011404), Soft Science Project of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China (2013-R2-33), Innovation Fund for Ph.D. Students of Jiangsu Province (No. CXLX12-0057), and the Research Project of the State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2015 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg