Spatiotemporal differentiation and trade-offs and synergies of ecosystem services in Qilian Mountains National Park

Abstract

• Qilian Mountains National Park is vital for global ecological protection and sustainability. • Carbon storage, water production, and soil conservation highlight ecosystem health synergy. • Dynamic changes and hotspots in ecosystem services identified via spatial-temporal analyses. • Correlation and regression analyses reveal spatial-temporal variability in ecosystem services. • Five strategies proposed to enhance collaboration and offer global ecological insights. Comprehending the interdependencies and mutual benefits of ecosystem services is vital in attaining efficient ecological governance and advancing sustainable development. However, the framework and operations of ecosystems can be changed by human activities and changes to the natural environment., endangering both human well-being and the sustainability of these ecosystems. In the beginning, the InVEST approach is used to examine the five ecological benefits that Qilianshan National Park has offered throughout the years,namely from 2002 to 2022: water production, carbon storage,preservation of soil, improvement of water quality, and preservation of habitat. After that, we find the regions where things are really happening, and then we look at the benefits and drawbacks of various ecosystem services working together. The study’s findings suggest that:(1)Across time, the five ecosystem services in Qilianshan National Park showed a noticeable uptick in the western areas and a little downturn in the eastern ones. The regions that weren’t hotspots and those in classes II and V saw an increase, while the regions in classes I, III, and IV saw a decline. While non-hotspot regions are growing in the east and hotspot areas are shrinking in the west, a general tendency of “greater values in the east and lower values in the west” can be seen in the spatial data. (2) From 2002 to 2022, the interconnections throughout the five service providers have progressively enhanced with a notable increase in synergies. Although some relationships were negative in 2002, by 2012 and 2022, all relationships had become positive, signifying a complete shift towards synergies. Notably, there was significant growth in the positive relationship values between CS-HQ, ND-SR, and WY-ND during this period. (3) Spatially, WY predominantly exhibits trade-offs with other ecosystem services. In contrast, CS-HQ and CS-ND demonstrate synergistic interactions at the peripheries. HQ-SR and HQ-ND exhibit synergistic and trade-off dynamics, respectively, in different regions. Furthermore, the relationship between SR-ND is primarily characterized by synergistic interactions. Ecosystem services in Qilianshan National Park exhibited notable temporal and spatial variation between 2002 and 2022, with distinct trade-offs and synergies across services. The results of the study offer a useful basis for the long-term, sustainable development and management of national park ecosystems on worldwide as well as regional levels.

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