Maximising the benefits of regulatory ecosystem services via spatial optimisation

Abstract Natural ecosystems provide essential regulatory services for local residents and provide benefits to human populations living outside a particular region through various transmission pathways. Accordingly, a spatially explicit conservation network is needed to protect key features from human disturbance. However, existing ecosystem protection surrogates have traditionally focused on biodiversity components or local ecosystem services (ESs). Additionally, conservation plans that protect the delivery value of an ES for regional, social and ecological security are lacking. Herein, we use a multi-objective optimisation method to design a conservation network that maximises the benefits of two regulatory ecosystem services (RESs) in a key eco-region, the Qinling Mountains of China. We identify a set of alternative conservation networks under different land restriction scenarios for both delivery and non-delivery RESs. Our planning results reveal clear spatial distinction between ES delivery and non-delivery values. Moreover, planning focusing on ES non-delivery values tends to ignore several areas that transmit important regulatory functions to downstream conurbations. Based on comparison of ES distribution, biodiversity richness, and existing nature reserves, we suggest that ES delivery values, especially those flowing along a terrain gradient, should be selected as a key protection proxy to complement nature conservation decisions associated solely with biodiversity indicators.