Impact of urban expansion on the supply-demand balance of ecosystem services: An analysis of prefecture-level cities in China

The coercive impact of urban expansion on ecosystems is becoming increasingly severe. Understanding the impact of urban expansion on the supply and demand (S&D) balance of ecosystem services (ESs) across regions with various ecological backgrounds and developmental levels is imperative for regional ecological management. However, few studies have explored the spatial dependence and spatial heterogeneity of the impact of urban expansion on the S&D balance of ESs and the differences across regions with different natural geographical environments and degree of social-economic development, especially on a large scale. We selected the urban expansion proportion index, urban expansion rate index, urban expansion degree index, and ecosystem services supply-demand ratio to reflect the urban expansion and S&D balance of different prefecture-level cities in China, and discussed the impact of urban expansion on the S&D balance of different regions. From 2000 to 2020, the area of deficit zones increased while the area of surplus zones decreased, aggravating the S&D imbalance of ESs. The impact of urban expansion on ESs S&D displayed significant spatial dependence. There was an inverse correlation of urban expansion on S&D balance, showing significant inter-regional heterogeneity. Hence, regional differences and linkages should be comprehensively considered in urban planning and decision-making related to development and ESs.