The response of ecosystem service value to land use change in the middle and lower Yellow River: A case study of the Henan section

The Henan section of the middle and lower Yellow River (HMLYR) is a crucial economic zone and ecological barrier in the Central Plains. Rapid urbanization in these areas has greatly exacerbated land use change (LUC), which is now seriously threatening the ecosystem. However, the existing research lacks any spatio-temporal analyses method of the LUC impact on ecosystem service value (ESV), which is not conducive to precise regulation and sustainable development of land resources. We attempted to make up for this shortcoming by superimposing the ESV change hot spots map onto the land use change Tupu and by constructing an evaluation model to show the effect of LUC on ESV from a spatial dimension. Our results showed that (1) cultivated land was the main land type in the HMLYR. The transformation of cultivated land to construction land had the widest range and the largest area. (2) Between 2000 and 2018, the ESV decreased by 9.774 billion CNY and the ESV spatial distribution was consistent with the topography. Forestland was the major ecological land type, while the ecosystem services types were mainly support services and regulation services in the HMLYR. (3) Construction and cultivated land changes had the greatest impact on ESV. Conversion of land types into water bodies and forestland formed ESV hot spot areas around the Yellow River, while the transition of other land types to construction land and the transition of grassland, forest land, water bodies to cultivated land formed ESV cold spots in the main urban areas. (4) The sensitivity index of all land use types was less than 1, indicating that ecological value coefficient (VC) had little influence on ESV. Decision-makers should recognize the important impact of LUC on ESV and take measures to restructure land use, especially to develop ecological lands. This will advance the multifaceted sustainable development in the Yellow River basin.