Exploring spatial relationship between landscape configuration and ecosystem services: A case study of Xiamen–Zhangzhou–Quanzhou in China

Human activities have significantly impacted our landscapes and the functioning of our ecosystems. Landscape planning can be optimized by understanding the spatial relationships between landscape patterns and ecosystem services. However, existing research on these relationships is scarce. We sought to fill this gap with a case study of the Xiamen–Zhangzhou–Quanzhou area in China. Changes in landscape configuration were estimated in terms of the number of patches, edge density, Shannon's diversity index, and aggregation index. We applied the spatial analysis tools in GIS and InVEST to examine the following five ecosystem services: grain production, water retention, carbon sequestration, soil conservation, and habitat quality. We performed multiscale geographically-weighted regression to investigate the spatial relationships between landscape configuration and the provision of ecosystem services between 2000 and 2020. The results showed that the landscape was fragmented and diversified with a decline in various ecosystem services. The spatial relationships were characterized by non-stationarity and heterogeneity. The effect of landscape configuration on ecosystem services generally weakened, and landscape aggregation had the strongest influence on service provision. Our findings serve as a reference for the formulation of policy on landscape planning and management.