Changes in ecosystem service values in karst areas of China

Karst ecosystem services (ESs), the key components of global terrestrial ESs, play a crucial role in human welfare and livelihood. However, the spatiotemporal changes of ecosystem service values (ESVs) in the karst areas of China remain unclear. In this paper, land use/land cover (LULC) data were used to estimate the ESVs changes during 1992–2015 by the benefit transfer method, to reveal its spatial heterogeneity and to explain the sensitivity of ESVs to land use change. The results indicated that the ESVs were increased by US$ 23.42 billion at 0.10%·yr−1 due to the LULC changes in over 15% of the total karst areas in China, while those in the non-karst areas were reduced by US$ 32.87 billion at 0.14%·yr−1. In particular, the value of the regulation services contributed 69.05% to the total ESVs in the karst area, followed by support services (18.23%), provision services (8.54%), and cultural services (4.15%). The net change of ESVs showed a spatial heterogeneity, i.e. ESVs in the Northwest and North part of southwest increased, but that in the northeast and eastern part of southwest decreased. The ESVs were more sensitive to the bidirectional land conversion than the unidirectional conversion. These results provide an important scientific basis for ecological restoration and reconstruction of karst areas.