Temporal and spatial variation of ecosystem service value in the Qilian Mountains Region: A case study based on land use and land cover change

Analyzing the temporal-spatial variation of ecosystem service value in the Qilian Mountains region supports land development, ecological restoration, and protection mechanisms. Based on the land use/cover change (LUCC) data for five periods in 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020, an improved equivalent factor was used to quantitatively assess the value of ecosystem services in different periods of the Qilian Mountains Region, and spatial autocorrelation analysis and the GIS spatial statistics method were used to explore the spatio-temporal variation characteristics of ecosystem services value in each township-level unit. The results indicate that 1) from 1980 to 2020, the main land types in the study area were unused land , grassland, forest land, and cultivated land with a total coverage rate of more than 93%. Only woodland and unused land decreased. The land types with the biggest change in dynamic degree was construction land. 2) From 1980 to 2020, the total value of ecosystem services in the Qilian Mountains Region increased by 170.828 5 \times 10⁸ yuan. Grassland, woodland, and waters accounted for 78% of the value of ecological services. The ecological service value of hydrologic regulation and climate regulation accounted for 60.14%. 3) Land-average ESV exhibited a strong positive spatial correlation with agglomeration distribution patterns. High-value aggregation areas exhibited a tendency of decreasing, while low-value agglomeration areas increased annually. 4) From 1980 to 2010, the value of ecosystem services in the southern parts of the study area was higher than that in the northern regions. Since 2010, ecosystem service values in the north have been increasing, yet equilibrium and stability between the north and south regions remain elusive.