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Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology ›› 2017, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (8): 2629-2639.doi: 10.13287/j.1001-9332.201708.009

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Impact of landscape pattern change on ecosystem service value of Xi’an City, China

ZOU Yue1,2, ZHOU Zhong-xue1,2*   

  1. 1College of Tourism and Environment, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China
    2National Demonstration Center for Experimental Geography Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China
  • Received:2016-12-01 Published:2017-08-18
  • Contact: * E-mail: zhouzhx@snnu.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41271550)

Abstract: It is very important to study the impact of landscape pattern change on ecosystem service value in rapid urbanization area, for the regulation and control of urban spatial pattern, the construction of healthy and stable urban ecosystem, the optimal utilization of regional land resources, the conservation of ecological environment and the regional sustainable development. Based on the interpretation data of remote sensing imageries (1999, 2006 and 2015) and the socio-economic data of Xi’an City, using the theory of landscape ecology and ecosystem services, this paper investigated the characteristics of landscape pattern and the temporal and spatial variation of ecosystem service value under the influence of urbanization in Xi’an, and then quantitatively analyzed the effects of landscape pattern change on ecosystem service value. The results showed that, with the acceleration of urbanization, the landscape in Xi’an experienced great changes in recent decades, with the area of built-up land and orchard increased, the area of arable land, woodland and water body reduced, and the landscape became more fragmented, diversified and irregular. From 1999 to 2015, the total value of ecosystem services in Xi’an was reduced by 19.03 billion yuan, in which the ecological service values provided by arable land, woodland and water body decreased, and that by orchard landscape increased. The contribution of climate regulation to the total value of ecosystem services was the largest, the reduction of gas regulating value was the largest, and the value of water conservation reduction rate was the largest. In Xi’an City, ecosystem service value was lower in the central urban area and higher in the southern mountainous area. The total value of ecological service from 1999 to 2015 declined, and the range of low-value area gradually expanded from the central urban area to surrounding counties. The change of landscape pattern could have important influence on the structure, function and process of regional ecosystem. The expansion and spread of the urban landscape as well as the extension of traffic network made the landscape more fragmented. The decrease of woodland, arable land and water body which provided higher ecological service value could lead to the reduction of value in regional ecosystem services.