Anthropogenic activities have drastically transformed natural landscapes, profoundly impacting land use and land cover (LULC) and, consequently, the provision and functionality of ecosystem service values (ESVs). Evaluating the changes in LULC and their influence on ESVs is imperative to protect ecologically fragile ecosystems from degradation. This study focuses on a highly sensitive Upper Ganga riverine wetland in India, covering Hapur, Amroha, Bulandshahr, and Sambhal districts, which is well-known for its significant endemic flora and fauna. The study analyzes the subtle variability in ecosystem services offered by the various LULC biomes, including riverine wetland, built-up, cropland, forest, sandbar, and unused land. LULC classification is carried out using Landsat satellite imagery 5 and 8 for the years 2000, 2010, and 2020, using the random forest method. The spatiotemporal changing pattern of ESVs is assessed utilizing the value transfer method with two distinct value coefficients: global value coefficients (C14) for a worldwide perspective and modified local value coefficients X08 for a more specific local context. The results show a significant increase in built-up and unused land, with a corresponding decrease in wetlands and forests from 2000 to 2020. The combined ESVs for all the districts are worth US $5072 million (C14) and US $2139 million (X08) in the year 2000, which declined to US $4510 million (C14) and US $1770 million (X08) in the year 2020. The sensitivity analysis reveals that the coefficient of sensitivity (CS) is below one for all biomes, suggesting the robustness of the employed value coefficients in estimating ESVs. Moreover, the analysis identifies cropland, followed by forests and wetlands, as the LULC biomes most responsive to changes. This research provides crucial insights to stakeholders and policymakers for developing sustainable land management practices aimed at enhancing the ecological worth of the Upper Ganga Riverine Wetland.

Land use transition and its impact on ecosystem service value (ESV) are the foundation for optimizing the layout of territorial space and ecological civilization construction. With the acceleration of industrialization and urbanization, the area of construction land expands in China. To accurately estimate the ESV in industrial counties, the impact of construction land on the ecological environment should be fully considered. This paper took Gangcheng District, Jinan City, a steel base in the Shandong Province of China as an example, then the value coefficients of \"three wastes\" factors (waste gas, wastewater, and waste) were introduced, and an improved calculation method of ESV was put forward for industrial counties in combination with remote sensing and land use data. Finally, the land use transition and its ESV effect in typical industrial counties were analyzed using geo-informatic Tupu and grid method. The results showed that the most important land use transitions were from grassland and forestland to cultivated land, from cultivated land and forestland to construction land in 1990-2010, and from cultivated land transformed to forestland in 2010-2021. The types of land use transition were mainly repetitive and continuous. The ESV first decreased and then increased, with a slight overall decline for more than 30 years, showing a spatial distribution characteristic of \"low in the south-central and high around.\" Land use transition had the impact on ESV with the negative contribution rate of 68.28% in 1990-2000 and 73.16% in 2000-2010, mainly caused by the transition from forestland and grassland to cultivated land and construction land, and the positive contribution rate of 81.72% in 2010-2021, mainly caused by the transition from cultivated land to forestland. Compared with the ESV calculation method without introducing the \"three wastes\" factor and Xie Gaodi\'s method, the improved method in this paper considered the inevitable impact of construction land on ESV in industrial counties and made the ESV calculated more accurate according to the regional nature. This paper cannot only enrich the theories and technical methods of land use transition and its effects, and provide a case reference for similar industrial counties, but also provide data and decision-making support for the spatial layout and ecological protection in the study area.

Ecosystem Services Value (ESV) are the various beneficial functions and products that natural ecosystems provide to humans, and are important indicators for evaluating ecosystem conditions and human well-being. Opencast mining is one of the human activities that severely damage the surface environment, but its long-term impact on ecosystem services lacks systematic assessment. This study takes the Ordos opencast mining area as an example, and calculates the value of ESV from 1990 to 2020 based on the Google Earth Engine platform. Mann-Kendall Tau-b with Sen\'s Method (Sen + mk test) and Joinpoint regression model were used to analyzes its spatiotemporal variation characteristics. Further revealed the impacts of opencast mining on ESV as well as the trend of ESV changes. The results show that: (1) The dynamic ESV levels in the study area fluctuated considerably from 1990 to 2020 with an overall decreasing trend of 89.45%. (2) Among nine types ecosystem services, most of them were significantly different (p < 0.001) between mining areas and control areas, with biodiversity protection (BP), climate regulation (CR), gas regulation (GR), soil formation and retention (SFR), water supply (WS) and waste treatment (WT) showed a significant decrease between 1990 and 2020. (3) In the past 30 years, the ESV of the study area showed an overall improvement trend, where the improved area accounted for 48.45% of the total area of the study area. However, the degraded area also accounted for 21.28, and 17.19% of the area belonged to severe degradation. With 67% of the significantly degraded areas distributed within mining concessions. (4) The trend of ESV changes in the mining impact areas and the control area showed significant differences. The ESV of the control area increased continuously, with an average annual percentage change (AAPC) of 0.7(95%CI:0.50 ~ 0.9, P < 0.001) from 1990 to 2020; while the ESV of the mining impact areas first stabilized and then decreased significantly, with an AAPC of - 0.2(95%CI:- 0.3 ~ - 0.1,P < 0.001) from 1990 to 2020. This study provides scientific support for formulating ecosystem management, restoration plans, and payment for ecosystem service policies, which is conducive to achieving regional sustainable development and improving human well-being.

The interrelationship between tourism urbanization (TU) and the ecological environment is extremely complex. Some studies have analyzed the interaction between them but ignored the ecosystem services. Therefore, exploring the coupling coordination relationship between TU and ecosystem services value (ESV) is significant. In this research, we established a coupling coordination degree (CCD) model between TU and ESV and used exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA), spatial variogram model, and obstacle degree model to evaluate the evolution characteristics of CCD and its obstacle factors in the Wuling Mountain area of Hunan Province (WMAHP). The results are as follows: (1) the comprehensive TU level shows an upward trend, and TU levels in the west are generally higher than in the east. The total ESV shows a fluctuating upward trend, and the average ESV is relatively low in the west and southeast. (2) The comprehensive CCD shows an increasing trend, and the coupling coordination relationship has changed from uncoordinated to coordinated in most counties. Spatially, the global spatial autocorrelation and spatial variation degree of CCD are insignificant. Wulingyuan and Yongding are uplift areas, and a subsidence area is in the southeast. It is worth noting that the problem of TU lag generally exists. (3) For the whole area, TU and economy are always the primary obstacle factors in the system and category layer, respectively, but the obstacle degree of the population has gradually increased. At the county level, TU restricts the CCD improvement in most counties, and the proportion of counties where the economy is the primary obstacle in the criterion layer exceeds 60%. Policymakers need to formulate targeted promotion strategies based on the coupling coordination and relative development level between TU and ESV for different counties. This paper provides valuable references for achieving coordinated development between TU and ESV in ecologically fragile areas worldwide.

The South-to-North Water Diversion Project (SNWD) in China is a trans-basin water transfer project for water resource optimization that affects ecosystem services functions along its main transfer line. Exploring the effects of land-use change on ecosystem services in the headwater and receiving areas along the SNWD is conducive to improving the protection of the surrounding ecological environment. However, previous research lacks a comparative analysis of ecosystem services values (ESVs) in these areas. In this study, the land-use dynamic degree index, land-use transfer matrix, and spatial analysis method were used to comparatively analyze the impact of land-use changes on ESVs in the headwater and receiving areas of the SNWD. The results show that cultivated land was the main land use type in the receiving areas and HAER. From 2000 to 2020, CLUDD in the headwater areas was faster than that in the receiving areas. Spatially, in general, the land-use change areas of the receiving areas were larger. During the study period, cultivated land in the headwater areas of the middle route mainly transferred to water areas and forestry areas, while built-up areas mainly occupied cultivated land in the headwater areas of the east route, receiving areas of the middle route, and receiving areas of the east route. From 2000 to 2020, the ESV increased only in the headwater areas of the middle route, while the ESV in the other three sections decreased. The variation extent of ESV in the receiving areas was greater than that in the headwater areas. The results of this study have important policy significance for land use and ecological protection in the headwater and receiving areas of the SNWD in the future.

Increasing land-use eco-efficiency can alleviate human-land conflict in urban areas as well as improve regional urbanization quality to achieve sustainable development. As the central urban agglomeration in China, the Middle Reaches of Yangtze River (MRYR) has experienced rapid urbanization and huge land-use change during 2000 to 2020, which poses great threats to its ecological environment. This study adopted the Super-Slack-Based Data Envelopment Analysis (Super SBM-DEA) model to evaluate the eco-efficiency of land use in MRYR. The result shows that the average eco-efficiency value of land use is above 0.77 for each year, indicating that the general efficiency is at a middle level. The trend of the evolution of the eco-efficiency can be summarized as a \"U-shape\" style curve. The variance between the four urban agglomerations of the MRYR changed over time. Not all capital cities or cities with higher GDP per capita obtain higher eco-efficiency in this study. Policy intervention, population and land use, technique, and environmental pollution are influencing factors of land-use eco-efficiency. Based on slacks analysis, this study proposed the optimization of the land-use structure to improve eco-efficiency from four aspects of land-use structure, investment and labor, ecosystem services value (ESV) and environment pollution, and industry structure.

The value of ecosystem services is an extremely important parameter that reflects regional ecological benefits and resources. Estimating the value of ecosystem services is essential for regional land-use optimization, ecological construction, and biodiversity protection. In this study, Landsat-TM/ETM remote sensing images were used to analyze land-use data in 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020 of the Yellow River Basin (Henan section), China, defined by natural boundaries. An equivalent factor method was used to construct a model to calculate the ecosystem services value that introduced grain yield, regional difference coefficient, and social development stage coefficient. Thus, land-use changes and evolution of ecosystem services values in the Yellow River Basin (Henan section) in the past 30 years were analyzed. Land use in the basin changed significantly from 1990 to 2020. Except for an increase in area of construction land, areas of other land-use types decreased. Cultivated land area first increased and then decreased, whereas the water area first decreased and then increased. The total value of ecosystem services in the study area fluctuated but increased overall by 43.82 × 108 USD in the past 30 years. Spatially, the total value of ecosystem services was high in the southwest and low in the northeast. Among individual ecosystem service values, water conservation, gas regulation, and climate regulation accounted for a relatively high proportion of the total value. Regulation services were the main ecosystem service functions, followed by support and supply services, with cultural services accounting for the lowest proportion. Sensitivity coefficients of different land types in different periods were all less than one. Therefore, the value coefficients were reasonable, and the results were consistent with the actual situation of the study area. The study improves the method to estimate the ecosystem services value of the basin and also indicates ways to support ecological protection of the Yellow River Basin (Henan section), China.

A stable and complete agricultural horizontal ecological compensation (AHEC) is an essential means of reconciling agricultural ecosystem protection and regional development and is also the key to the sustainable use of agricultural water and land resources. Unlike previous methods of studying agricultural ecological compensation (AEC), this study analysed the direction and amount of net transfer of agricultural land and water use along with inter-provincial trade. In conjunction with the value of ecosystem services embedded in agricultural land and water resources, this study calculated AHEC standards and estimated payments/reimbursements from each province. We found that agricultural land and water resources continued to flow from the underdeveloped inland provinces to the developed coastal provinces in 2017. In addition, the value of agricultural ecosystem in the central and coastal areas can be further enhanced by reducing the negative value of their cropland. Even though the ecological compensation standards for virtual agricultural water use (AWU) was much lower than the ecological compensation standards for virtual agricultural land use (ALU), the integrated AHEC in 31 provinces was more reasonable than considering only virtual ALU and virtual AWU. These findings are of great theoretical and application significance for the government to establish a systematic and feasible framework for inter-provincial AHEC and serve as a reference for other countries to conduct related research.

Land resources are foundational for human survival and development. In contrast, land use/land cover (LULC) dynamics drive considerable changes in ecosystem services. Recently, China witnessed a new stage of rapid urbanization. Therefore, investigating the relationships between ecosystem services value (ESV) and LULC in these areas is highly relevant. Based on the data of land use and socioeconomic development in Shanghai from 2000 to 2020, we adopted a land use/land cover dynamics analysis method and established the ESV per unit area at the city scale, discussed the impact of LULC on ESV spatially and quantitatively, and tested the research process based on the sensitivity analysis of the ESV coefficient. The results show that from 2000 to 2020, the LULC pattern in Shanghai rapidly changed. In particular, the area of cultivated land has shrunk by 123.96 thousand hm2, while the construction land has expanded by 141.26 thousand hm2, which has led to a decline in ESV of the entire city (especially regarding hydrological adjustment and biodiversity). Nevertheless, although the area of trench and lakes only occupies 1.67-3.16% of the total area of land, its ecological value accounts for an astonishing 23.80-50.70% of the total ESV. At the district level, the primary decline in eco-system services value was noted in the Chongming District in the north and Pudong New Area in the east of Shanghai. However, due to the overall planning of the city and the advantages of its resource endowment, Qingpu District and its surrounding areas in western Shanghai have witnessed improvements in terms of the values of hydrological adjustment, water supply, and environmental purification. This study presents a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of issues regarding ESV in rapidly urbanized areas, thereby providing an important reference for decision-makers regarding the rational layout of cities, sustainable use of land, and management of natural ecosystems.

Failing to balance developmental considerations of the urbanization level (UL) and ecosystem services (ESs) causes issues such as land degradation and social conflict, presenting significant challenges for regional sustainable development. Although numerous studies reported the relationship between UL and ESs, only a few have explored the coupling coordination relationship between urbanization subsystems and ESs from a multidimensional perspective. This study aimed to measure the spatiotemporal characteristics of UL and ESs in Hunan Province from 2000 to 2018 using statistical data and remote sensing monitoring data regarding land use. The multidimensional coupling coordination relationship between urbanization systems and ESs was analyzed using a coupling coordination degree (CCD) model. The results showed that the UL of Hunan Province increased from 2000 to 2018, was spatially high in the east and low in the west, and extended outward from city centers. The average ecosystem services value (ESV) in Hunan Province showed a decreasing trend with some fluctuation. The average ESV in mountainous areas and lake areas was higher than that in the areas surrounding major urban agglomerations. Although the overall CCD between UL and ESs in Hunan Province increased during the study period and entered the coordination stage, the degree of coupling coordination between urbanization subsystems and ESs varied greatly. Thus, the findings of the present study can support the formulation of policies for ecosystem protection and sustainable urbanization in Hunan Province.