[Driving Factors and Zoning Management of the Trade offs/Synergies of Ecosystem Services in the Oujiang River "Shanshui Initiative"].

Authors

Cai-Yao Xu, Wen-Jing Xu, Yan Ren, Fan-Bin Kong

Published in

Huan jing ke xue= Huanjing kexue. Volume 47. Issue 10. Pages 7186-7198. Oct 15, 2026.

Abstract

Exploring the trade offs/synergies among ecosystem services and their driving factors is essential for informing targeted ecological management and enhancing human well-being. This study examines the "Mountain-River-Forest-Cropland-Lake-Grassland-Desert" Integrated Protection and Restoration Project in the source area of the Oujiang River （referred to as the Oujiang "Shanshui Initiative"）. Using a comprehensive ecosystem services index， we quantified and analyzed trade offs/synergies among ecosystem services from 2001 to 2022. Ecological management functional zones were delineated via self-organizing map （SOM） clustering， and a Bayesian network （BBNs） was applied to identify factors influencing trade offs/synergies， as well as key drivers within each functional zone under different scenarios. The results indicate that： ① Air purification， carbon sequestration， food supply， and habitat quality generally declined， while water yield， recreational services， and soil conservation exhibited an overall increasing trend. Spatially， soil conservation capacity was relatively low， with high-value zones sporadically distributed； air purification， food supply， and recreational services showed marked spatial heterogeneity； and most areas maintained favorable habitat quality and strong carbon sequestration capacity. ② The relationships among ecosystem services transitioned through three phases： "weakening synergy-local adjustment-notable improvement." After 2020， the Oujiang "Shanshui Initiative" contributed to an expansion of areas characterized by low trade-off intensity， while the spatial pattern of the comprehensive ecosystem services index remained relatively stable. Regions such as Suichang and Longquan consistently exhibited medium-to-high index values over time. ③ SOM clustering identified three functional zone types： the ecologically fragile zone， characterized by limited ecosystem service provision， dominated by soil conservation and recreational services； the ecological conservation zone， centered on habitat quality， carbon sequestration， and water yield； and the multi-functional composite zone， which demonstrated the highest overall capacity for ecosystem service provision. ④ The drivers of ecosystem services exhibited both service-specific and zonal differentiation. At the service level， meteorological factors were the primary drivers of water yield and food supply， while human activity factors dominated air purification and recreational services. At the zonal level， the ecologically fragile zone was influenced by NDVI， GDP， population density， and land use； the ecological conservation zone was mainly affected by NDVI and GDP； and the multi-functional composite zone was jointly driven by temperature， evapotranspiration， precipitation， NDVI， and GDP. These findings provide a scientific foundation for refining management strategies and policy design for the Oujiang "Shanshui Initiative，" as well as for guiding national ecological protection and restoration efforts.

PMID:
42935421
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 27 Oct 2026.

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