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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2023, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (4): 1-14.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2022142

   

Spatial distribution of ecosystem services in the desert steppe, Inner Mongolia based on ecosystem service bundles

Yu-xia HU(), Ji-rui GONG(), Chen-chen ZHU, Jia-yu SHI, Zi-he ZHANG, Liang-yuan SONG, Wei-yuan ZHANG   

  1. State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology,School of Natural Resources,Faculty of Geographical Science,Beijing Normal University,Beijing 100875,China
  • Received:2022-03-31 Revised:2022-05-18 Online:2023-04-20 Published:2023-01-29
  • Contact: Ji-rui GONG

Abstract:

Ecosystem services play an important role in maintaining ecological security, sustainable development and human well-being. In this rresearch, the study area was the desert steppe of Inner Mongolia and a quantitative assessment of water conservation, soil conservation, habitat quality, and recreational potential in 2000 and 2017 was carried out. Their spatial and temporal distribution characteristics and the trade-offs and synergies between services are analyzed and discussed; the dominant service types and spatial patterns of different service bundles are identified. It was found that: from 2000 to 2017, the spatial heterogeneity of various ecosystem services was significant. The high-value areas of water conservation services are mainly concentrated in the southeast and southwest; the high value soil conservation is located in the southwest; the distribution of habitat quality and recreational potential is more random. Various ecosystem services show a mainly decreasing trend; most service pairs show a synergistic relationship, while soil conservation and habitat quality service pairs show a trade-off relationship, and the degree of correlation between service pairs decreases. Ecosystem service bundles are divided into three functional areas of soil conservation, living environment and water conservation and have obvious spatial heterogeneity. In the soil conservation area, the main land use type is unused land, and future management should limit the amount of grazing and seek to influence soil erodibility by changing the surface vegetation cover. The human settlement area, with high grassland cover provides excellent scope for human activities and the coordinated development of multiple industries such as eco-tourism. In the water conservation area, the land use types are mainly grassland with medium cover and grassland with low cover. Future management should focus on water storage and water conservation, adhere to ecological priorities, and pursue ecologically sustainable development in this area.

Key words: ecosystem service bundles, trade-offs and synergies, desert steppe, water conservation