Regional Variability of the Effects of Land Use Systems on Soil Properties

In order to explore the regional variability of the effects of land use systems on soil properties, Shouyang County in Shanxi Province and Danling County in Sichuan Province of China were selected as the study areas. Field soil samples of the four land use systems （natural forest, forest plantation, shrubland, and cropland） were collected, respectively, from the two areas. The general statistical tools were used to analyze soil data. The results showed that the influence of land use systems on soil properties was significant. In general, soils in slightly human-disturbed land use systems presented a higher fertility level than those in strongly human-disturbed land use systems in both areas. Furthermore, the impacts of the same land use systems on soil properties showed a distinct regional variability, and even in the same land use system, different farming systems and site management measures （such as irrigation, fertilization, and pesticides） could also lead to the regional heterogeneity in soil properties. The regional variability of land use effects on soil properties reveals the regional variability of the effects of human activities on environmental changes, and could explain the complex relationship between humans and the natural environment in certain ways.

The urban land use system in China

The obstacles to urban land development caused by Chinese immature land use system are explored. Key features of the dual land use system are analyzed on base of the constructing model of the dual land market in Chinese cities, in which market-based allocation including negotiation, tender and auction conveyance and non-market administrative allocation coexist. Some suggestions for solving the problems are brought forward after illustrating by facts problems existing in Chongqing抯 land market that the administratively allocated land is difficult to be collocated optimally and the black market is harmful to urban land development. In conclusion the land use system reformation is a complicated systems engineering involving interactions among various factors. Government to institute and execute corresponding policies is important to establish a uniform land market system.

Departure from Indigenous Land Use System and the Consequential Impacts： A Case of Cuvelai Basin, North-Central Namibia

The Cuvelai Basin of north-central Namibia consists of unique seasonal wetlands made up of shallow pans locally known as Iishana （Oshana, singular） which form ephemeral network systems. The basin has relatively fertile soils encouraging human settlements. More than 40% of the country＇s population resides in the basin. Early settlers in the basin utilized indigenous knowledge to develop land use systems that were in harmony with biophysical characteristics of the area. Over the years, there has been a departure from these indigenous land use systems resulting in land management problems. A desktop study coupled with field observations was conducted to describe the indigenous land use systems of the Owambo people living in the basin, and to determine factors behind the departure and consequential impacts of this departure on sustainability of land uses. Possible ways of preventing erosion of this indigenous knowledge were given attention. The paper recommends that the Owamboindigenous land management system needs to be embedded within government policies and regulations and should be strictly enforced. There is also a need for designing strategic basin management plans that are a combination of both scientific and indigenous knowledge.

Variation in Total Soil Organic Carbon Stocks in Relation to Some Land Use Systems in the Bamenda Highlands, Cameroon

Climate change and food security are among the pressing challenges facing humanity in the 21st century. Soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, total nitrogen (TN), texture, and bulk density (BD) are important soil properties, which control climate change. Three land use systems (smallholder farmlands, grazing lands, and forest lands) that coexist in the Bamenda Highlands (BH) influence ecosystem services and induce soil degradation with the loss of SOC. The objective of this study was to evaluate the variation of SOC and some soil physicochemical properties as affected by the three land use systems (LUS). A total of 21 composite soil samples collected from 7 microclimatic zones of BH following “S” shape plots to the depth of 0 - 30 cm, were analysed for moisture content (MC), SOC, TN, BD, available phosphorus (Av.P), pH and texture. The results revealed that grazing land had the lowest mean sand content (40.79 ± 4.07). Mean MC, TN and SOC (%) content were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in forest land than those in the grazing land and smallholder farmlands. Conversely, BD and Av.P were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in smallholder farmlands than grazing and forest lands probably due to different litter accumulation and agricultural practices. Moisture content and TN revealed positive significant correlations (p < 0.05) with SOC, while BD and Av.P revealed negative significant correlations (p < 0.05). Mean SOC density in smallholder farmlands (132.91 ± 9.48 tC/ha) was the lowest among the three land use types. Losses in CO2 equivalence, as a result of land use change from forest lands to smallholder farmlands were 137.33 t/ha while that from grazing lands to smallholder farmlands were 109.13 t/ha. Total organic carbon (TOC) stocks differed significantly (p < 0.05) from smallholder farmlands (10.73 Mt) to forest lands (91.13 Mt). A sustainable farming technique that enhances SOC sequestration and minimizes soil CO2 emissions is therefore recommended to replace tillage ridges formation commonly practiced by smallholder farmers.

Geospatial Mapping of Soil Nitrate-Nitrogen Distribution Under a Mixed-Land Use System

Mapping the spatial distribution of soil nitrate-nitrogen （NO3=N） is important to guide nitrogen application as well as to assess environmental risk of NO3-N leaching into the groundwater. We employed univariate and hybrid geostatistical methods to map the spatial distribution of soil NO3-N across a landscape in northeast Florida. Soil samples were collected from four depth increments （0-30, 30-60, 60-120 and 120-180 cm） from 147 sampling locations identified using a stratified random and nested sampling design based on soil, land use and elevation strata. Soil NO3-N distributions in the top two layers were spatially autocorrelated and mapped using lognormal kriging. Environmental correlation models for NO3-N prediction were derived using linear and non-linear regression methods, and employed to develop NO3-N trend maps. Land use and its related variables derived from satellite imagery were identified as important variables to predict NO3-N using environmental correlation models. While lognormal kriging produced smoothly varying maps, trend maps derived from environmental correlation models generated spatially heterogeneous maps. Trend maps were combined with ordinary kriging predictions of trend model residuals to develop regression kriging prediction maps, which gave the best NO3-N predictions. As land use and remotely sensed data are readily available and have much finer spatial resolution compared to field sampled soils, our findings suggested the efficacy of environmental correlation models based on land use and remotely sensed data for landscape scale mapping of soil NO3-N. The methodologies implemented are transferable for mapping of soil NO3-N in other landscapes.

Historical Changes and Multi-scenario Prediction of Land Use and Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Storage in China

Terrestrial carbon storage(CS)plays a crucial role in achieving carbon balance and mitigating global climate change.This study employs the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways and Representative Concentration Pathways(SSPs-RCPs)published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC)and incorporates the Policy Control Scenario(PCS)regulated by China’s land management policies.The Future Land Use Simulation(FLUS)model is employed to generate a 1 km resolution land use/cover change(LUCC)dataset for China in 2030 and 2060.Based on the carbon density dataset of China’s terrestrial ecosystems,the study analyses CS changes and their relationship with land use changes spanning from 1990 to 2060.The findings indicate that the quantitative changes in land use in China from 1990 to 2020 are characterised by a reduction in the area proportion of cropland and grassland,along with an increase in the impervious surface and forest area.This changing trend is projected to continue under the PCS from 2020 to 2060.Under the SSPs-RCPs scenario,the proportion of cropland and impervious surface predominantly increases,while the proportions of forest and grassland continuously decrease.Carbon loss in China’s carbon storage from 1990 to 2020 amounted to 0.53×10^(12)kg,primarily due to the reduced area of cropland and grassland.In the SSPs-RCPs scenario,more significant carbon loss occurs,reaching a peak of8.07×10^(12)kg in the SSP4-RCP3.4 scenario.Carbon loss is mainly concentrated in the southeastern coastal area and the Beijing-TianjinHebei(BTH)region of China,with urbanisation and deforestation identified as the primary drivers.In the future,it is advisable to enhance the protection of forests and grassland while stabilising cropland areas and improving the intensity of urban land.These research findings offer valuable data support for China’s land management policy,land space optimisation,and the achievement of dual-carbon targets.

Response of ecosystem carbon storage to land use change from 1985 to 2050 in the Ningxia Section of Yellow River Basin,China

Regional sustainable development necessitates a holistic understanding of spatiotemporal variations in ecosystem carbon storage(ECS),particularly in ecologically sensitive areas with arid and semi-arid climate.In this study,we calculated the ECS in the Ningxia Section of Yellow River Basin,China from 1985 to 2020 using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs(InVEST)model based on land use data.We further predicted the spatial distribution of ECS in 2050 under four land use scenarios:natural development scenario(NDS),ecological protection scenario(EPS),cultivated land protection scenario(CPS),and urban development scenario(UDS)using the patch-generating land use simulation(PLUS)model,and quantified the influences of natural and human factors on the spatial differentiation of ECS using the geographical detector(Geodetector).Results showed that the total ECS of the study area initially increased from 1985 until reaching a peak at 402.36×10^(6) t in 2010,followed by a decreasing trend to 2050.The spatial distribution of ECS was characterized by high values in the eastern and southern parts of the study area,and low values in the western and northern parts.Between 1985 and 2020,land use changes occurred mainly through the expansion of cultivated land,woodland,and construction land at the expense of unused land.The total ECS in 2050 under different land use scenarios(ranked as EPS>CPS>NDS>UDS)would be lower than that in 2020.Nighttime light was the largest contributor to the spatial differentiation of ECS,with soil type and annual mean temperature being the major natural driving factors.Findings of this study could provide guidance on the ecological construction and high-quality development in arid and semi-arid areas.

Land Use Dynamics and Ecosystem Service Value Changes in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration Under Different Scenarios

Urban agglomerations,serving as pivotal centers of human activity,undergo swift alterations in ecosystem services prompted by shifts in land utilization.Strengthening the monitoring of ecosystem services in present and future urban agglomerations contributes to the rational planning of these areas and enhances the well-being of their inhabitants.Here,we analyzed land use conversion in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD)urban agglomeration during 1990-2020 and discussed the spatiotemporal response and main drivers of changes in ecosystem service value(ESV).By considering the different development strategic directions described in land use planning policies,we predicted land use conversion and its impact on ESV using the Future Land Use Simulation(FLUS)model in three scenari-os in 2025 and 2030.Results show that:1)from 1990 to 2020,land use change is mainly manifested as the continuous expansion of con-struction land to cultivated land.Among the reduced cultivated land,82.2%were occupied by construction land.2)The land use types conversion caused a loss of 21.85 billion yuan(RMB)in ESV during 1990-2020.Moreover,the large reduction of cultivated land area led to the continuous decline of food production value,accounting for 13%of the total ESV loss.3)From 2020 to 2030,land use change will mainly focus on Yangzhou and Zhenjiang in central Jiangsu Province and Taizhou in southern Zhejiang Province.Under the BAU(natural development)and ED(cultivated land protection)scenarios,construction land expansion remains dominant.In contrast,under the EP(ecological protection)scenario,the areas of water bodies and forest land increase significantly.Among the different scenarios,ESV is highest in the EP scenario,making it the optimal solution for sustainable land use.It can be seen that the space use conflict among urban,agriculture and ecology is a key factor leading to ESV change in the urban agglomeration of Yangtze River Delta.There-fore,it is crucial to maintain spatial land use coordination.Our findings provide suggestions for scientific and rational land use planning for the urban agglomeration.

Multi-scenario Simulation of the Impact of Land Use Change on the Ecosystem Service Value in the Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou Metropolitan Area,China

As the most economically developed metropolitan area in China’s Yangtze River Delta,the rapid changing land use patterns of Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou(Su-Xi-Chang) metropolitan area have profound impacts on the ecosystem service value(ESV).Based on the patterns of land use change and the ESV change in Su-Xi-Chang metropolitan area from 2000 to 2020,we set up four scenarios:natural development scenario,urban development scenario,arable land protection scenario and ecological protection scenario,and simulated the impact of land use changes on the ESV in these scenarios.The results showed that:1) the area of built-up land in the Su-XiChang metropolitan area increased significantly from 2000 to 2020,and the area of other types of land decreased.Arable land underwent the highest transfer-out area,and was primarily converted into built-up land.The total ESV of Su-Xi-Chang metropolitan area increased initially then declined from 2000–2020,and the value of almost all individual ecosystem services decreased.2) Population density,GDP per area,night lighting intensity,and road network density can negatively impact the ESV.3) The total ESV loss under the natural development and urban development scenarios was high,and the expansion of the built-up land and the drastic shrinkage of the arable land contributed to the ESV decline under both scenarios.The total ESV under arable land protection and ecological protection scenarios increases,and therefore these scenarios are suitable for future land use optimization in Su-Xi-Chang.This study could provide a certain reference for land use planning and allocation,and offer guidance for the rational allocation of land resources.

Dynamics of Land Use/Land Cover Considering Ecosystem Services for a Dense-Population Watershed Based on a Hybrid Dual-Subject Agent and Cellular Automaton Modeling Approach

Land use/land cover represents the interactive and comprehensive influences between human activities and natural conditions,leading to potential conflicts among natural and human-related issues as well as among stakeholders.This study introduced economic standards for farmers.A hybrid approach(CA-ABM)of cellular automaton(CA)and an agent-based model(ABM)was developed to effectively deal with social and land-use synergic issues to examine human–environment interactions and projections of land-use conversions for a humid basin in south China.Natural attributes and socioeconomic data were used to analyze land use/land cover and its drivers of change.The major modules of the CA-ABM are initialization,migration,assets,land suitability,and land-use change decisions.Empirical estimates of the factors influencing the urban land-use conversion probability were captured using parameters based on a spatial logistic regression(SLR)model.Simultaneously,multicriteria evaluation(MCE)and Markov models were introduced to obtain empirical estimates of the factors affecting the probability of ecological land conversion.An agent-based CA-SLR-MCE-Markov(ABCSMM)land-use conversion model was proposed to explore the impacts of policies on land-use conversion.This model can reproduce observed land-use patterns and provide links for forest transition and urban expansion to land-use decisions and ecosystem services.The results demonstrated land-use simulations under multi-policy scenarios,revealing the usefulness of the model for normative research on land-use management.

Spatio-temporal evolution and topographic gradient effect of land use and ecosystem service value in the Lhasa River Basin

The Lhasa River Basin forms an essential human settlement area in the southern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.This study employed ecosystem service value(ESV)evaluation model,terrain gradient grading,and Geodetector to analyze land use and ESV in the Lhasa River Basin from 1985 to 2020.The findings reveal that:(1)From 1985 to 2020,grassland was the dominant land use.There was a trend of grassland reduction and the expansion of other land types.(2)ESV has increased over the research period(with a total increase of 0.84%),with higher values in the southeast and lower values in the northwest.Grassland contributed the most to ESV,and climate regulation and hydrological regulation were the ecosystem services that contribute the most to ESV.(3)Natural factors like NDVI and altitude,as well as economic factors like population density and distance from roads,influenced the spatial differentiation of ESV,the explanatory power of NDVI reached up to 0.47.The interaction between factors had a greater impact than individual factors.These research results can provide theoretical support for national spatial planning and ecological environment protection in the Lhasa River Basin and other similar areas.

Impacts of multi-scenario land use change on ecosystem services and ecological security pattern: A case study of the Yellow River Delta

The Yellow River Delta(YRD), a critical economic zone along China's eastern coast, also functions as a vital ecological reserve in the lower Yellow River. Amidst rapid industrialization and urbanization, the region has witnessed significant land use/cover changes(LUCC), impacting ecosystem services(ES) and ecological security patterns(ESP). Investigating LUCC's effects on ES and ESP in the YRD is crucial for ecological security and sustainable development. This study utilized the PLUS model to simulate 2030 land use scenarios, including natural development(NDS), economic development(EDS), and ecological protection scenarios(EPS). Subsequently, the InVEST model and circuit theory were applied to assess ES and ESP under varying LUCC scenarios from 2010 to 2030. Findings indicate:(1) Notable LUCC from 2010 to 2030, marked by decreasing cropland and increasing construction land and water bodies.(2) From 2010 to 2020, improvements were observed in carbon storage,water yield, soil retention, and habitat quality, whereas 2020–2030 saw increases in water yield and soil retention but declines in habitat quality and carbon storage. Among the scenarios, EPS showed superior performance in all four ES.(3) Between 2010 and 2030, ecological sources, corridors, and pinchpoints expanded, displaying significant spatial heterogeneity. The EPS scenario yielded the most substantial increases in ecological sources,corridors, and pinchpoints, totaling 582.89 km^(2), 645.03 km^(2),and 64.43 km^(2), respectively. This study highlights the importance of EPS, offering insightful scientific guidance for the YRD's sustainable development.

Land Use Land Cover Analysis for Godavari Basin in Maharashtra Using Geographical Information System and Remote Sensing

The dynamic transformation of land use and land cover has emerged as a crucial aspect in the effective management of natural resources and the continual monitoring of environmental shifts. This study focused on the land use and land cover (LULC) changes within the catchment area of the Godavari River, assessing the repercussions of land and water resource exploitation. Utilizing LANDSAT satellite images from 2009, 2014, and 2019, this research employed supervised classification through the Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS) software’s SCP plugin. Maximum likelihood classification algorithm was used for the assessment of supervised land use classification. Seven distinct LULC classes—forest, irrigated cropland, agricultural land (fallow), barren land, shrub land, water, and urban land—are delineated for classification purposes. The study revealed substantial changes in the Godavari basin’s land use patterns over the ten-year period from 2009 to 2019. Spatial and temporal dynamics of land use/cover changes (2009-2019) were quantified using three Satellite/Landsat images, a supervised classification algorithm and the post classification change detection technique in GIS. The total study area of the Godavari basin in Maharashtra encompasses 5138175.48 hectares. Notably, the built-up area increased from 0.14% in 2009 to 1.94% in 2019. The proportion of irrigated cropland, which was 62.32% in 2009, declined to 41.52% in 2019. Shrub land witnessed a noteworthy increase from 0.05% to 2.05% over the last decade. The key findings underscored significant declines in barren land, agricultural land, and irrigated cropland, juxtaposed with an expansion in forest land, shrub land, and urban land. The classification methodology achieved an overall accuracy of 80%, with a Kappa Statistic of 71.9% for the satellite images. The overall classification accuracy along with the Kappa value for 2009, 2014 and 2019 supervised land use land cover classification was good enough to detect the changing scenarios of Godavari River basin under study. These findings provide valuable insights for discerning land utilization across various categories, facilitating the adoption of appropriate strategies for sustainable land use in the region.

How Land Use Policies Are Transforming Shifting Cultivation to Short Fallow Systems and Permanent Cultivation of Annual Crops in Tanzania

Recent studies show that shifting cultivation in Tanzania has transformed into more intensive farming practices. One of the drivers of this shift is the implementation of policies that favor sedentary farming. However, there is inadequate information on how this transformation operates at the village level. Based on a case study of one village in Central Tanzania, this study demonstrates that the village land use plan is the primary policy tool for the transformation and intensification of shifting cultivation at the village level. Through the land use planning process, land is allocated only for lawful uses such as settlement, permanent cultivation, and the village forest reserve. No land is designated for shifting cultivation. Additionally, the land use plans are accompanied by by-laws that restrict shifting cultivation practices, such as the use of fire during land preparation and leaving the land fallow for more than 3 years. The intensification of shifting cultivation was not associated with an increase in the use of farm inputs such as improved seeds, fertilizer, or irrigation, as is commonly practiced in sustainable intensive agriculture. Instead, it was associated with the adoption of short fallow farming systems and labor-intensive land preparation methods, such as deep plowing to loosen the soil and sub-soiling vegetation.

Response of Ecosystem Service Value Based on Land Use Changes and Analysis of its Driving Factors in Typical Hilly Region with Red Soil

The contribution rate of ecosystem service value variation was used to analyze the effects of land use changes on the changes of ecosystem service value in Xingguo County during 1996-2005.Grey integrated correlation was employed to explore the contribution level of the indicators such as total population,urbanization level,proportion of primary industry and investment of social fixed assets on ecosystem service value,and the correlation analysis was also carried out.The results showed that the ecosystem service value in Xingguo County during 1996-2005 mainly was woodland,and the decrease of woodland area was the major reason for the sustained reduction of ecosystem service value.With the further increase of market demand and the incentives of local government,the garden area rapidly increased during 2001-2005,and the influence degree of garden towards the changes of ecosystem service value was only second to woodland,ranking No.2.Four socio-economic indicators had different correlation degree with ecosystem service value during the different research periods.Total population,urbanization level and proportion of primary industry had high correlation degree with ecosystem service value,whereas the influence degree of various socio-economic indicators on ecosystem service value was equal with each other day by day.Urbanization level,investment of social fixed assets and total population had significant negative correlation with ecosystem service value,while the proportion of primary industry had positive correlation with ecosystem service value.

Impacts of Land Use Change on Ecosystem Service Value in Yanchi County of Ningxia

Based on TM image data in 1989, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2006 and 2009 of Yanchi County of Ningxia, the land use date of Yanchi County in each year were extracted supported by RS and GIS technology, and used to analyze the dynamic change of land use. The land use data were studied for estimating the change of ecosystem services value caused by the land use change of Yanchi County, using the evaluation method of China terrestrial ecosystem services value. The results showed that the changes of land use were obvious during 1989 to 2009. The area of woodland and construction land had an increasing tendency; grassland area changed from decreasing to increasing, which was in contrary to farmland and un-used land areas （from increasing to decreasing）; water area fluctuated slightly. The ecosystem services value of Yanchi County had an increasing tendency during 1989 to 1995, because the increasing woodland area had took the major role in raising the total ecosystem services value. The grassland accounted for a large proportion of the total ecosystem service value of Yanchi County, with its contribution rate from 49.8% to 60.4%. And the composition of the ecosystem services value of Yanchi County happened benign change for the increasing contribution rate of woodland. The ecosystem services value sensitivity index of each land use type was less than 1, indicating that the ecosystem services value of Yanchi County lacks flexibility on its service value index, and the research results are reliable.

Application of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System in Land Use and Land Cover Change

The integration and application of remote sensing （RS） and geographic in-formation system （GIS） in the study of the Land Use and Land Cover Change （LUCC） were summarized, as wel as researches on the monitoring dynamic changes in LUCC, driving force and application examples of the integration and the application of RS and GIS in simulation research. The methods and technical ap-proaches of RS and GIS in LUCC research were discussed. Views on the existing problems of the integration and the application of RS and GIS were put forward, and the future developing direction of LUCC technology was forecasted.

The Reform Objective of Urban Land Use System

Different people hold different views on the way of nrban land nse system reform in China.At the very beginning of land reform,the charge of land premium was commonly considered asthe reform odjective;and then the proposal of commoditizing land use right was put forward;andsome even proposed to change the land system completely and to abolish the state ownership ofurban land in China.It is the author’s opinion that the above three views deviate,more or less,from planned commodity economy,and the views are questionable.

Spatiotemporal characteristics of cultivated land use eco-efficiency and its influencing factors in China from 2000 to 2020

Improving cultivated land use eco-efficiency(CLUE)can effectively promote agricultural sustainability,particularly in developing countries where CLUE is generally low.This study used provincial-level data from China to evaluate the spatiotemporal evolution of CLUE from 2000 to 2020 and identified the influencing factors of CLUE by using a panel Tobit model.In addition,given the undesirable outputs of agricultural production,we incorporated carbon emissions and nonpoint source pollution into the global benchmark-undesirable output-super efficiency-slacks-based measure(GB-US-SBM)model,which combines global benchmark technology,undesirable output,super efficiency,and slacks-based measure.The results indicated that there was an upward trend in CLUE in China from 2000 to 2020,with an increase rate of 2.62%.The temporal evolution of CLUE in China could be classified into three distinct stages:a period of fluctuating decrease(2000-2007),a phase of gradual increase(2008-2014),and a period of rapid growth(2015-2020).The major grain-producing areas(MPAs)had a lower CLUE than their counterparts,namely,non-major grain-production areas(non-MPAs).The spatial agglomeration effect followed a northeast-southwest strip distribution;and the movement path of barycentre revealed a"P"shape,with Luoyang City,Henan Province,as the centre.In terms of influencing factors of CLUE,investment in science and technology played the most vital role in improving CLUE,while irrigation index had the most negative effect.It should be noted that these two influencing factors had different impacts on MPAs and non-MPAs.Therefore,relevant departments should formulate policies to enhance the level of science and technology,improve irrigation condition,and promote sustainable utilization of cultivated land.

Spatio-temporal Characteristics of Disturbance of Land Use Change on Major Ecosystem Function Zones in China

In recent years, because of increasing human activities, ecosystems have been substantially disturbed and their service functions have been greatly compromised. Based on the effect of land use changes on the major ecosystem services, we estimated the ecosystem comprehensive anthropogenic disturbance index(ECADI) and analyzed the spatio-temporal characteristics of changes in the ECADI in China from 1990 to 2010. The average ECADI of the major ecosystem function zones in China in 2010 is approximately 0.382. The ECADI of Northeast China and North China is slightly higher than that of Northwest China and Southwest China. Most zones have slight changes in the ECADI. The average increases of ECADI in the major ecosystem function zones in China from 1990 to 2000 and from 2000 to 2010 are 0.0024 and 0.0002, respectively. The increase is mainly due to reclamation and urbanization, whereas the decrease is due to the implementation of ecosystem protection policies. During the last 20 years, the ECADI of water resources conservation zones increased first, and then stopped. The ECADI of soil conservation zones increased first, and then declined. The ECADI of sandstorm prevention zones, biodiversity conservation zones and flooding mitigation zones increased continuously. Our results may provide proposals to the government regarding land use planning and ecosystem protection plans in the major ecosystem zones. The major ecosystem function zones in the western part of China have been protected effectively. However, the major ecosystem function zones in the eastern part of China require more protection in the future.