Study on the trade-offs and synergistic relationships of typical ecosystem services in the Youfanggou Watershed

Abstract

[Objective] Under the influence of climate change and human activities, the Yellow River Basin is increasingly facing contradictions between the ecological environment and economic development. This study aims to investigate the ecosystem service relationships in the typical small watershed of Youfanggou in the Loess Plateau region for high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin. [Methods] Using real-time elevation data measured by drones and multi-source data such as meteorology and land use, the InVEST model was employed to explore four ecosystem services in the Youfanggou Watershed: water yield, soil retention, carbon storage, and habitat quality. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to calculate the correlation coefficients among the four ecosystem services to clarify their interrelationships. Additionally, the spatiotemporal variations in the trade-offs and synergies of ecosystem services based on different land types were studied to identify multiple ecosystem services in the research area. [Results] The results showed that from 2001 to 2020, water yield and soil retention services in the Youfanggou Watershed initially increased, then decreased, and finally increased again, while carbon storage continued to rise and habitat quality remained relatively stable. The ecosystem services mainly exhibited a synergistic relationship, with a regional trade-off relationship observed between carbon storage and water yield. Soil retention was dominant in cultivated, forest, grassland, and water areas. The hotspots of ecosystem services were mainly concentrated in the forested areas in the northern part of the watershed. [Conclusion] The results indicate that vegetation restoration has improved ecosystem services, but its impacts on different ecosystem services exhibit spatiotemporal differences, necessitating zonal management to propose corresponding protection measures. The spatial distribution characteristics of high-value areas of different ecosystem services are closely related to the land use patterns of the watershed. Optimizing the land use structure to enhance service benefits is essential when planning and managing the watershed's ecosystem services. The changes in cold and hot spots of ecosystem services demonstrate that forest land is increasingly important in providing ecosystem services. In formulating ecological protection and management strategies, the interrelationships and spatial distribution characteristics among different ecosystem services should be fully considered to achieve sustainable ecosystem development. This quantitative study of the ecosystem service functions in the Youfanggou Watershed clarifies the spatiotemporal evolution patterns of ecosystem service functions, providing theoretical support for ecological environment evaluation and sustainable development evaluation in this area.

Keywords

ecosystem services / trade-offs and synergistic relationships / Loess Plateau Area / small watersheds / InVEST model / influencing factors