Relationships between Ecosystem Services and Urbanization in Jiangsu Province, Eastern China

Ecosystem services are comprehensive and quantitative indicators for describing ecosystem–human interactions. China has experienced rapid urbanization in the past 30 years, which has created a significant impact on regional ecosystem services. However, whether the impact is linear is not c...

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Main Authors: Cheng Li, Ranghui Wang, Fangmin Zhang, Yunjian Luo, Yong Huang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2019-04-01
Series:Sustainability
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/7/2073
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spelling doaj-35efcc69077e4f028e40c47417ed30a32020-11-25T01:21:53ZengMDPI AGSustainability2071-10502019-04-01117207310.3390/su11072073su11072073Relationships between Ecosystem Services and Urbanization in Jiangsu Province, Eastern ChinaCheng Li0Ranghui Wang1Fangmin Zhang2Yunjian Luo3Yong Huang4Department of Ecology, School of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Agricultural Meteorology, Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Agricultural Meteorology, Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, ChinaDepartment of Ecology, School of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaAnhui Province Key Lab of Atmospheric Science and Satellite Remote Sensing, Shouxian National Climatological Observatory, Hefei 230031, ChinaEcosystem services are comprehensive and quantitative indicators for describing ecosystem&#8211;human interactions. China has experienced rapid urbanization in the past 30 years, which has created a significant impact on regional ecosystem services. However, whether the impact is linear is not clear as yet. In this study, the Jiangsu province, a main body of the Chinese Yangtze River Delta city cluster, was chosen as a case study. Multi-source remotely-sensed geospatial data, including meteorological, land use, vegetation, and socio-economic data, were collected to estimate the total amount of ecosystem services (TESV) and urbanization levels. Subsequently, the relationships between TESV and urbanization indices (i.e., gross domestic product (GDP) per unit area, GPUA; population per unit area, PPUA; and built-up land proportion, BULP) were determined using the Pearson correlation analysis and piecewise linear regression. The primary findings of this study were as follows: (1) There was a distinct spatial pattern in TESV, which gradually increased from west to east with high-value areas located in eastern coastal areas of Jiangsu. Among different land use types, cropland and woodland contributed the most to TESV; (2) The three urbanization indices had spatial patterns, indicating higher urbanization in southern Jiangsu than in central or northern Jiangsu; and (3) Once GPUA and PPUA exceeded threshold values of 3719.55 &#215; 10<sup>4</sup> yuan/km<sup>2</sup> and 744.37 person/km<sup>2</sup>, respectively, TESV sharply decreased with an increase in these indices. However, the BULP showed a linear and significantly negative relationship with TESV at all values, which indicated that the impacts of economic and population growth on TESV lagged behind that of built-up land expansion. These findings provide a potentially significant reference for decision-makers to rationally enhance regional ecosystem services during rapid urbanization processes.https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/7/2073ecosystem servicesurbanizationspatial patternsJiangsu
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Cheng Li
Ranghui Wang
Fangmin Zhang
Yunjian Luo
Yong Huang
spellingShingle Cheng Li
Ranghui Wang
Fangmin Zhang
Yunjian Luo
Yong Huang
Relationships between Ecosystem Services and Urbanization in Jiangsu Province, Eastern China
Sustainability
ecosystem services
urbanization
spatial patterns
Jiangsu
author_facet Cheng Li
Ranghui Wang
Fangmin Zhang
Yunjian Luo
Yong Huang
author_sort Cheng Li
title Relationships between Ecosystem Services and Urbanization in Jiangsu Province, Eastern China
title_short Relationships between Ecosystem Services and Urbanization in Jiangsu Province, Eastern China
title_full Relationships between Ecosystem Services and Urbanization in Jiangsu Province, Eastern China
title_fullStr Relationships between Ecosystem Services and Urbanization in Jiangsu Province, Eastern China
title_full_unstemmed Relationships between Ecosystem Services and Urbanization in Jiangsu Province, Eastern China
title_sort relationships between ecosystem services and urbanization in jiangsu province, eastern china
publisher MDPI AG
series Sustainability
issn 2071-1050
publishDate 2019-04-01
description Ecosystem services are comprehensive and quantitative indicators for describing ecosystem&#8211;human interactions. China has experienced rapid urbanization in the past 30 years, which has created a significant impact on regional ecosystem services. However, whether the impact is linear is not clear as yet. In this study, the Jiangsu province, a main body of the Chinese Yangtze River Delta city cluster, was chosen as a case study. Multi-source remotely-sensed geospatial data, including meteorological, land use, vegetation, and socio-economic data, were collected to estimate the total amount of ecosystem services (TESV) and urbanization levels. Subsequently, the relationships between TESV and urbanization indices (i.e., gross domestic product (GDP) per unit area, GPUA; population per unit area, PPUA; and built-up land proportion, BULP) were determined using the Pearson correlation analysis and piecewise linear regression. The primary findings of this study were as follows: (1) There was a distinct spatial pattern in TESV, which gradually increased from west to east with high-value areas located in eastern coastal areas of Jiangsu. Among different land use types, cropland and woodland contributed the most to TESV; (2) The three urbanization indices had spatial patterns, indicating higher urbanization in southern Jiangsu than in central or northern Jiangsu; and (3) Once GPUA and PPUA exceeded threshold values of 3719.55 &#215; 10<sup>4</sup> yuan/km<sup>2</sup> and 744.37 person/km<sup>2</sup>, respectively, TESV sharply decreased with an increase in these indices. However, the BULP showed a linear and significantly negative relationship with TESV at all values, which indicated that the impacts of economic and population growth on TESV lagged behind that of built-up land expansion. These findings provide a potentially significant reference for decision-makers to rationally enhance regional ecosystem services during rapid urbanization processes.
topic ecosystem services
urbanization
spatial patterns
Jiangsu
url https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/7/2073
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