Trade-Offs and Synergies Between Ecosystem Services and Their Ecological Security Patterns in the Guanzhong–Tianshui Economic Zone
The Guanzhong–Tianshui economic zone is a strategic link in China’s Belt and Road network, faces the contradiction between ecological protection and economic development, and urgently needs to construct an ecological security pattern based on ecosystem services to permit sustainable development. In...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Land |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/637 |
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| Summary: | The Guanzhong–Tianshui economic zone is a strategic link in China’s Belt and Road network, faces the contradiction between ecological protection and economic development, and urgently needs to construct an ecological security pattern based on ecosystem services to permit sustainable development. In this study, we evaluated the ecological services of net primary productivity (<i>NPP</i>), water yield (<i>WY</i>), soil conservation (<i>SC</i>), habitat quality (<i>HQ</i>), and food production (<i>FP</i>). We explored the trade-offs and synergies between services using correlation analysis and geographically weighted regression and constructed an ecological security pattern through circuit theory. <i>NPP</i>, <i>WY</i>, <i>SC</i>, and <i>FP</i> increased during the study period, whereas <i>HQ</i> decreased. The <i>NPP</i> × <i>WY</i>, <i>WY</i> × <i>SC</i>, and <i>WY</i> × <i>HQ</i> shifted from synergies to trade-offs; <i>NPP</i> × <i>SC</i>, <i>NPP</i> × <i>HQ</i>, and <i>SC</i> × <i>HQ</i> were always synergies; <i>NPP</i> × <i>FP</i>, <i>SC</i> × <i>FP</i>, and <i>FP</i> × <i>HQ</i> were always trade-offs; and <i>WY</i> × <i>FP</i> shifted from trade-offs to synergies. We selected service bundles with significant synergies among <i>NPP</i>, <i>SC</i>, and <i>HQ</i> as ecological sources, which were mainly in the Qinling and Weibei mountains, comprising 47 ecological patches. We identified 58 ecological corridors, 330.83 km<sup>2</sup> of pinch points, and 401.30 km<sup>2</sup> of barriers, which form a mesh structure covering the study area, proposing a development pattern of six zones and one belt. Our results provide a framework for ecological protection and restoration, which may serve as a scientific foundation for upcoming regional land management initiatives. |
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| ISSN: | 2073-445X |