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Exploring ecosystem services and scenario simulation in the headwaters of Qiantang River watershed of China

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Abstract

Background

Land use change has a significant impact on ecosystem services in watershed systems. The upper part of Qiantang River, Kaihua Country has experienced land-use changes over the past 15 years, but the effect of these changes on ecosystem services remains unknown.

Objective

This study evaluates land-use changes in response to ecological protection and the effects on ecosystem services.

Methods

Ecosystem services during 2000–2015 are assessed and compared to future land use scenarios in 2025 (business-as-usual, strategic planning, environmental protection, and economic development). These scenarios are identified in collaboration with local stakeholders and used to assess changes in ecosystem services under future scenarios.

Results

Analysis shows that during 2000–2015, the woodland increased by 7335 ha as a result of the “Grain for green” policy, and the built-up land increased by 2259 ha due to urbanization, and these changes affected ecosystem services, such as water yield, nitrogen and phosphorus exports which decreased by 0.29%, 12.45%, and 13.74%, respectively, and soil retention, carbon storage, and habitat quality index increased by 0.05%, 1.36%, and 0.80%, respectively.

Conclusion

Among all the future scenarios, the strategic planning scenario is an optimal land use strategy to balance the demand for urban development, while providing higher levels of ecosystem services.

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Funding

This work was supported jointly by the National Key R&D Program of China (NO.2018YFC0507202, No.2017YFC050380604), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31461143033), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Public Welfare Scientific Research Institutes (No.GXZX180101), the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD), the Doctorate Fellowship Foundationof Nanjing Forestry University, and Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province. Xiaoping Sun and Yu Shen thank the China Scholarship Council (CSC) for the financial support to study at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Collaborative Innovation Center of Sustainable Forestry in Southern China of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China

    Xiaoping Sun, Yinlong Zhang & Yu Shen

  2. Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA

    Xiaoping Sun, Yu Shen & Timothy O. Randhir

  3. Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China, Nanjing, 210042, China

    Mingchang Cao

Authors
  1. Xiaoping Sun
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  2. Yinlong Zhang
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  3. Yu Shen
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  4. Timothy O. Randhir
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  5. Mingchang Cao
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Correspondence to Timothy O. Randhir or Mingchang Cao.

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Sun, X., Zhang, Y., Shen, Y. et al. Exploring ecosystem services and scenario simulation in the headwaters of Qiantang River watershed of China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 34905–34923 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06483-2

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