Heterogeneity and regional differences in ecosystem services responses driven by the “Three Modernizations”

Abstract Strengthened anthropogenic activities significantly modify ecosystem services (ES), while there are differences in impacts on ES from various anthropogenic activities. In the literature a specific focus on addressing the spatial heterogeneity of comprehensively measured anthropogenic activities on ES is lacking. From an integrated perspective of the "Three Modernizations", that is: 1) agricultural modernization (AM); 2) industrialization and: 3) urbanization, this article aimed to investigate the heterogeneity of anthropogenic disturbance of ES in an agricultural and pastoral area (APA) involving a pastoral area (PA) and a semi‐agricultural and semi‐pastoral area (SASPA) of the Tibetan Plateau. We found (i) There was remarkable heterogeneity in the responses of ES to the "Three Modernizations". AM was negatively correlated with ES and caused ES decline, while industrialization and urbanization were conducive to reducing the overall pressure of anthropogenic activities and improving ES. (ii) The "Three Modernizations" disturbed ES more intensely in the SASPA than in the PA, indicating industrialization more seriously damaged ecosystems and the unreasonable interactive development mode of local agriculture and animal husbandry exacerbated the threats of the "Three Modernizations" on ES in the SASPA. (iii) The regions featuring low/high degrees of the "Three Modernizations" and showing high ES were mainly distributed in the central and north‐western PA, while the clustered areas of low/high degrees of the "Three Modernizations" with low ES were narrowly distributed in the southern and eastern SASPA. These findings indicate the complex effects of the "Three Modernizations" on ES and provide guidance for better adaptive policy‐making and planning for ecological management and sustainable pathways and patterns for future management of the "Three Modernizations".