Integrated assessment of the supply–demand relationship of ecosystem services in the Loess Plateau during 1992–2015

Abstract

Landscape alterations and ecosystem services (ES) are crucial elements that affect the socio-ecological development of ecologically fragile regions. To provide scientific support for the land-use planning and regional ecological restoration to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the Loess Plateau from 1992 to 2015, this study proposes an integrated assessment framework for assessing the supply–demand match and equilibrium of ES combining potential relationships between landscape alterations, ES, and sustainable development at the county and regional scales. Results show that more than 85% of local counties have a supply–demand mismatch in terms of ecosystem services. Supply–demand distributions for provisioning and supporting services were relatively balanced compared to cultural services, which were imbalanced. Although the overall supply–demand relationship is relatively balanced because of the significant influence of ecological restoration, it shows an increasing trend toward imbalance as human–land conflict is prominent in some regions. SDGs emphasize on specific ES information such as ecosystem conservation, sustainable agriculture, and urban construction. Furtherly, positive impacts from landscape dynamics can improve the supply capacity of the ES and contribute to regional sustainability.