Initiatives to Methodology of Watershed-based Ecosystem Delineation on Ecosystem Services of China

生态功能区划是我国正在开展的一项关于资源与环境管理的重大基础性工作.生态功能区划的理论和方法是当前生态学、环境科学、地理学等学科面临的一项新的热点课题.本文首先讨论了生态功能区划的概念,从认识区划看,生态功能区划属于生态系统区域划分的范畴,从实践的角度,则强调人文活动对生态系统可持续能力产生的影响,指出自然生态区不是生态功能区,生态功能区须反映人类的利用和价值判断.生态功能区划,不单是以自然要素或自然系统的地带性分异为基础,更是以生态系统的等级结构和尺度原则为基础,用生态系统完整性的评价测量人类活动对生态系统的影响,将生态功能区划的科学基础落在基于生态系统的管理平台上.文章提出了基于流域的我国生态功能区划的初步思想,讨论了区划的原则和方法,建立了生态系统完整性评价和功能区划分的指标体系.其基本内容是,认识并按照生态系统的自然边界划分生态系统单元;进行生态系统完整性评价;在此基础上划分不同的生态功能区,确定主导生态功能.;The on-going Ecosystem Delineation on Ecosystem Services is an important baseline framework for resource and environmental management of our country. The methodology of the delineation is a focus area and new research field in ecology, environmental sciences and geography. In this paper, the author first gave a discussion on the concept of Ecosystem Delineation on Ecosystem Services. He defined that, epistemologically, Ecosystem Delineation on Ecosystem Services belongs to ecosystem identification, and practically, it focuses on especially the impacts on ecosystem viability of human activities. Furthermore, he noted that, an area where ecosystems only function naturally should not be referred as an ecologically functioning area unless the ecosystem services and human values are integrated. Through the delineation, we need not only answer where an ecosystem is and what it provides, but also answer how people value its provision and human values how affect the sustainability of an ecosystem. The Ecosystem Delineation on Ecosystem Services is not based on the zoning characteristics of the natural elements or systems, but the nested hierarchy organization of the ecosystem and its multi-scale character. Meanwhile ecosystem integrity assessments are measures of the integration of natural ecosystems and human values. Then, the initiative idea of watershed-based delineation of ecosystems of China is developed and presented. The main principles, methods and indices of the delineation under such a system is also discussed and established. The author concluded that the main task comprises of delineating ecosystem units, assessment of ecosystem integrity, further Ecosystem Delineation on Ecosystem Services and name the dominated ecosystem function.