Spatial and Temporal Differentiation of Mountain Ecosystem Service Trade-Offs and Synergies: A Case Study of Jieshi Mountain, China

Abstract

There are complex interactions among various services in mountain ecosystems, and the optimization of ecosystem spatial patterns based on the trade-offs and synergies of mountain ecosystem services can effectively improve the comprehensive benefits of a multi-ecosystem service. Jieshi Mountain is a typical historical and cultural mountain in China, and its social and economic development is at the average level in China. It is of great significance to explore the ecosystem services and mountain environmental factors in the trade-offs and synergies of ecosystem services to promote the coordinated development of the man–land relationship. Based on an evaluation of ecosystem service value and comprehensive analysis of the spatial and temporal pattern of trade-offs and synergies in the Jieshi Mountain area from 1980 to 2020, the spatial differentiation of the trade-offs and synergies of four key ecosystem services—water yield, soil retention, carbon storage, and habitat quality—were identified. We found that carbon storage-soil retention and habitat quality-soil retention have a strong trade-off relationship, and the area accounts for a relatively high proportion. In terms of land-cover types, the frequency of the synergistic effect between woodland and cultivated land is higher. There are different correlations between ecosystem service trade-offs and synergies among mountain environmental factors, among which elevation has a higher influence on synergy. Identifying the trade-off and synergy relationship between ecosystem services helps in making decisions about different mountain landscape planning and management strategies.