Impact of Land Use Change on the Spatial and Temporal Evolution of Ecosystem Service Values in South China Karst Areas

Ecosystem service values (ESVs) in the South China Karst (SCK), particularly in Guizhou province, have shown a significant increase of US$ 31.12 million from 1980 to 2040, despite initial declines, driven primarily by shifts in arable land, woodland, and grassland. This spatial-temporal evolution highlights the critical role of forest land, grassland, and arable land changes in enhancing soil conservation, biodiversity, and gas regulation functions. The study employed equivalence factors and CA-Markov modeling to predict land-use change, revealing a basin-type distribution pattern for ESVs and demonstrating their inelasticity to value factor adjustments. These findings provide actionable insights for sustainable development, clarifying trade-offs and synergies in ecosystem services while offering practical guidance for global land optimization and resource planning.

Chi, Y., & He, C. (2023). Impact of Land Use Change on the Spatial and Temporal Evolution of Ecosystem Service Values in South China Karst Areas. Forests, 14(5), 893. https://doi.org/10.3390/f14050893