The Taihu Lake Basin, an east-coastal developed area, is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in China. Ecosystem services in the Taihu Lake Basin have been overexploited and jeopardized. Based on land-use an...The Taihu Lake Basin, an east-coastal developed area, is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in China. Ecosystem services in the Taihu Lake Basin have been overexploited and jeopardized. Based on land-use and land-cover change （LUCC） data from 1979, 1984, 2000, and 2010, in conjunction with the adjusted ecosystem service values （ESV）, changes in ESV were analyzed in detail. Results revealed that LUCC resulted in a substantial decrease in total ESV from S3.92 billion in 1979 to S2.98 billion in 2010. The ESV of cropland decreased from $1.64 billion in 1979 to S1.34 billion in 2010, which represented a 20.28% reduction. The ESV of water areas decreased from S1.08 billion in 1979 to $0.36 billion in 2010, which represented a 65.62% reduction mainly because of a decline in water quality. In terms of annual change rate, cropland and water areas showed a sustained downward trend. Spatially, ESV declines were mainly observed in Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, and Shanghai, probably due to a combination of economic progress, population growth, and rapid urbanization. The research results can be a useful reference for policymakers in mitigating ESV decline.展开更多
文摘The Taihu Lake Basin, an east-coastal developed area, is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in China. Ecosystem services in the Taihu Lake Basin have been overexploited and jeopardized. Based on land-use and land-cover change （LUCC） data from 1979, 1984, 2000, and 2010, in conjunction with the adjusted ecosystem service values （ESV）, changes in ESV were analyzed in detail. Results revealed that LUCC resulted in a substantial decrease in total ESV from S3.92 billion in 1979 to S2.98 billion in 2010. The ESV of cropland decreased from $1.64 billion in 1979 to S1.34 billion in 2010, which represented a 20.28% reduction. The ESV of water areas decreased from S1.08 billion in 1979 to $0.36 billion in 2010, which represented a 65.62% reduction mainly because of a decline in water quality. In terms of annual change rate, cropland and water areas showed a sustained downward trend. Spatially, ESV declines were mainly observed in Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, and Shanghai, probably due to a combination of economic progress, population growth, and rapid urbanization. The research results can be a useful reference for policymakers in mitigating ESV decline.
