The Methodology Of Desert Ecosystem Services In Monitoring And Assessment Research

Ecosystem as supported system for life, services to human survival and socialdevelopment all the time. With the development of economic and social, the impact on theenvironment has become more and more obviously, and the study of ecosystem services hasbecome a focus problem. The ecologists and economists have done a lot of research work onecosystem services, based on the development of ecological economics, environmental andnatural resource economics. There are much more studies on forest and marsh ecosystems, butonly few on desert ecosystems. A desert ecosystem is a major ecosystem type of arid andsemi-arid area; the studies on desert ecosystem services have great significance to regionaleconomy and environmental protection.The desert ecosystem is an important subsystem of terrestrial ecosystems, and also one ofmost fragile ecosystems. The vegetations of desert ecosystems are most of superxerophytes,half-trees, half-shrubs, small half-shrubs and shrubs. As the desert ecosystem withthe characters of sparse vegetation, extremely harsh environment conditions, poor productivity,so few concerned by researchers. With few studies on the desert ecosystem service, speciallyabout the theoretical framework for the monitoring and assessment of desert ecosystem service.The monitoring and assessment of the desert ecosystem services can provide a theoretical basisfor the rational use of regional natural resources, and have a important role to the sustainabledevelopment of arid and semi-arid regions.Since1970s the research on ecosystem services and service evaluation have beengradually carry out in China with great progress, but there are still some probemes and issues,such as the classification of ecosystem services have not formed, due to the inconsistance ofcurrent classifications. The methods of evaluation have been used differently. Even the sameecosystem service can be evaluated by using different methods, lead to a the results cannot becompared in each other. It would not be able to apply in future research using the assessmentresult to play the maximum effectiveness of ecosystem services. The studies on the desert ecosystem services have not been developed abroad. With a stage of initial comparison withother types of ecosystems, we should work on the assessment methodology and theory first,that is, the evaluation index system and value accounting methods. The main content of thisdissertation includes:(1) The monitoring and assessment framework of desert ecosystem services have beenbuilt basic principle of ecology, economics and combined with the exiting ecosystem services.Firstly, The desert ecosystem has been classified three types, such as oasis, gobi and desert.The ecosystem services of each type of desert had been classified. The monitoring andevaluation index framework with12specific indexes, included carbon sequestration andoxygen release, hydrological regulation, sand fixation, soil nutrients conservation, biodiversityconservation and eco-tourism.(2)By reviewing the current researches of the desert ecosystem structures and processes,the methods of monitoring and assessment have been establishment of corresponding theecosystem services indexes. The assessment formulas of the desert ecosystem services indexeshave been built from two angles of the physical and value systems. A theoretical system ofdesert ecosystem services has been established, this can be referenced by the related research inthe future.(3)The desert ecosystem services of Ejina Banner have been studied with the desertecosystem services and its evaluation system constructed in this dissertation, and assessmentthe Ejina Banner desert ecosystem from physical and value aspects. The result of materialquality shows that the carbon sequestration is392.67×10⁴t a^-1and oxygen release is10⁵7×10⁴t·a^-1,regulation of water is8.83×10⁸m³,sand fixing is13.03×10⁸t·a^-1, conserve soil organicmatter is117.35×10⁵t·a^-1, conserve soil N is3.91×10⁵t·a^-1, conserve soil P is6.52×10⁵t·a^-1,conserve soil K is273.83×10⁵t·a^-1. The total value of ecosystem services is4040.58×10⁸Yuan·a^-1, including The value of carbon sequestration and oxygen release is143.06×10⁸Yuan·a^-1, the hydrological regulation value is72.41×10⁸Yuan·a^-1, the sand-fixingvalue is1955.92×10⁸Yuan·a^-1,the soil nutrients conservation value is581.51×10⁸Yuan·a^-1, the biodiversity conservation value is1282.32×10⁸Yuan·a^-1, the eco-tourism value is5.36×10⁸Yuan·a^-1.To sum up, the disseration emphsized the establishment of monitoring and assessmentindexes and formula system, based on the analysis of ecosystem service, and combining thestructures and processes of desert ecosystems. The desert ecosystem services of Ejina Bannerhad been assessed. This work could provide reference for the desert ecosystem servicesassessment research, and the theoretical basis for the sustainable society of arid and semi-aridregion in China.