Dynamic Changes And Driving Factors Of Ecosystem Services In Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

This study takes the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region as the research area and uses methods such as In VSET,RUSLE,RWEQ models,and spatial autocorrelation analysis to evaluate and analyze the spatial and temporal patterns and evolution characteristics of five types of ecosystem services in the entire region,including soil conservation,wind erosion prevention,water conservation,habitat quality,and carbon storage.Based on the Geographically Weighted Regression（GWR）Analysis model,the key driving factors of ecosystem services are explored,proposed countermeasures and suggestions for improving ecosystem services and ecosystem protection.The study integrates ecosystem service assessment,spatio-temporal dynamic change analysis,and driver exploration,and builds a complete ecosystem service assessment analysis-dynamic change-driver research system using Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,a typical ecologically fragile region,as an example.The study lays the foundation for the protection and enhancement of ecosystem services in Ningxia,and provides achievable pathways for the conservation and restoration of ecosystems in ecologically fragile areas,and the synergistic development of ecosystem services and human well-being.The main conclusions of the study are as follows:（1）From 2000 to 2020,the levels of all five ecosystem services in Ningxia remained stable or showed an increasing trend.The average soil conservation per unit area ranges from 16.91 to 34.76 kg·m^-2·a^-1;the average wind and sand control per unit area ranges from 2.02 to 2.47 kg·m^-2·a^-1;the average water content per unit area ranges from 1818.45 to 4530.84 m³/（km²·a）;the average habitat quality ranges from 0.5753to 0.5807;and the average carbon storage service volume per unit area ranges from5206.24 to 5261.26 g·m^-2·a^-1.During the 20 years,five ecosystem services in Ningxia experienced fluctuating change processes and remained stable overall,with a slight increase in the ecosystem service levels in Zhongwei,Wuzhong,and Guyuan,and a significant decrease in Yinchuan,and Shizuishan cities.The ecosystem service levels of Helan Mountain,Liupan Mountain,Luoshan and other nature reserves show an increasing trend.（2）The spatially significant north-south differences in ecosystem service levels in Ningxia are significantly higher in Guyuan City than in Zhongwei and Wuzhong City,the latter significantly higher than in Yinchuan and Shizuishan City,and generally higher in areas with better vegetation cover.The spatial mapping and autocorrelation analysis revealed that the five ecosystem services in Ningxia mainly have two types of aggregation,high value and high value,and low value and low value,and overlap more with the high value and low value areas,respectively.High value areas for soil conservation,water source conservation,habitat quality,and carbon storage are mainly distributed in areas with good ecological environment conditions such as Helan Mountain,Yunwu Mountain,and Liupan Mountain,while low value areas are mainly located in Yinchuan Plain,central cultivated land,Shapotou,and areas with strong human development and utilization.The high value areas for wind and sand control services are mainly located in Shizuishan City,the western part of Yinchuan City and the eastern parts of Guyuan City and Wuzhong City;the low-value areas are mainly located in the areas along the Yellow River and the western parts of Zhongwei City and Guyuan City.（3）Geographically Weighted Regression Analysis（GWR）shows that the distribution and evolution of ecosystem services in Ningxia are driven by dual factors of geographical space and socio-economic factors,and have the characteristics of nonlinear changes.Slope,vegetation coverage,proportion of construction land area,proportion of cultivated land area,topographic relief,and elevation are key factors driving the distribution and evolution of ecosystem services in Ningxia.The increase in vegetation coverage can significantly improve the level of ecosystem services in Ningxia,while the increase in construction land will significantly lose soil conservation,wind erosion prevention,water conservation,habitat maintenance,and carbon storage functions in Ningxia.The expansion of arable land area,slope,elevation and topographic relief will indirectly affect the ecosystem service pattern,and there is a maximum threshold range.Soil conservation,wind erosion prevention services are closely related to spatial factors such as rainfall,wind power,and soil texture,while water conservation depends on regional precipitation and evapotranspiration.Habitat quality and carbon storage are highly correlated with vegetation coverage.（4）The results of the integrated ecosystem service assessment and GWR analysis show that the spatial and temporal patterns and changes of ecosystem services in Ningxia are closely related to its own geoclimatic conditions and also influenced by human activities disturbances,and are heterogeneous in spatial and temporal scales.For Ningxia,it is necessary to improve the ecosystem service delivery chain,tend to avoid human destructive activities,and formulate and implement ecological protection policies to improve ecosystem service output by combining geoclimatic characteristics.At the same time,the role of nature reserves and other important ecological sources,nodes and corridors should be brought into play to achieve sustainable operation of ecosystem service storage and delivery,and ultimately rational distribution and consumption.For ecologically fragile areas with poor ecological background,mapping the natural background and seeking ways to promote the co-development of human and nature,such as realizing the value of ecological products,will provide an important path for the future integrated promotion of ecosystem protection and economic and social development.