Effect of land use and land cover change on ecosystem services in Naidong County on the Tibetan Plateau, China

Land use and land cover change (LUCC) on a regional scale is one of the major research topics in global climate change studies. In recent years, an increasing number of researchers have highlighted the significance of case studies in understanding LUCC patterns and processes. The Tibetan Plateau ecosystem is a typical fragile ecosystem that is extremely difficult to restore once it is damaged. Thus, studies on LUCC and its effects on the environment have great theoretical and practical significance. In this study, LUCC and changes in ecosystem services in Naidong County on the Tibetan Plateau, China between 1988 and 2000 are investigated. LANDSAT Thematic Mapper (TM) of 1998 and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) images of 2000 are used to detect LUCC, and then changes in the values of ecosystem services delivered by each land category are investigated. Finally, the contribution of various ecosystem functions to the overall value of ecosystem services is discussed. The results show that the enhancement of forest areas is the most prominent characteristic of change in land use, specifically the conversion from 659.23 ha of wetlands, 501.51 ha of grasslands, and 163.07 ha of desert to forests from 1988 to 2000 in study area. The total value of ecosystem services in Naidong County declined from yuan 1655.16 million to yuan 1640.21 million between 1988 and 2000. This decrease can be largely attributed to the loss of wetlands (valued at yuan 36.58 million), whereas the ecosystem services value of forests increased by yuan 25.60 million during that period. The sensitivity analysis revealed that the contributions of gas regulation, soil formation and erosion control, biological diversity, and raw materials to the total value of ecosystem services increased over the 12-year period. Moreover, the contributions of waste treatment, water conservation, climate regulation, recreation and culture, and food production significantly decreased during the same period.