Spatiotemporal Analysis of the Impacts of Land Use Change on Ecosystem Service Value: A Case from Guiyang, China

Abstract

The significance of ecosystem services and land use for human well-being and sustainable development cannot be understated. Scientifically assessing the ecosystem service value (ESV) and studying the relationship between land use change and the ESV can provide a theoretical groundwork for land use planning and ecological administration in Guiyang. In this study, gradient analysis was utilized to explore the changes of ESV at district level of Guiyang. Then, the synergistic relationship and the strength of the interaction between land use intensity (LUI) and ESV were explored by using a coupled coordination model and spatial autocorrelation analysis. Furthermore, polynomial fitting was carried out for the LUI index and its linked coordination index in relation to the ESV. The results showed that (1) the areas of farmland, forest, grassland, and unused land in Guiyang decreased from 2000 to 2020, while the areas of construction land and water body increased conversely. (2) The expansion of the construction land and water body was the main cause of the ESV change pattern in Guiyang, which first moved downward and then upward. (3) The ESV and LUI had a low overall coupling coordination degree (CCD). Spatial autocorrelation studies showed that low–to–low aggregation and high–to–high aggregation dominated the spatial patterns of essential regions. (4) The LUI and CCD indexes exhibited an inverted U-shaped curve correlation.