Mapping Ecosystem Service Supply-Demand Bundles for an Integrated Analysis of Tradeoffs in an Urban Agglomeration of China

Ecosystem service (ES) bundles are widely used approaches to analyze ES tradeoffs in urban agglomeration. However, few ES bundle studies considered both the supply and demand sided. The objective of this study was to map ES supply-demand bundles to comprehensively analyze the ES tradeoffs in the Yangtze River Delta using cluster analysis, correlation analysis, hotspot analysis, and principal component analysis. We found that: (1) Both the supply and demand of ES are unevenly distributed with highly spatial autocorrelation. (2) There are significant tradeoffs and synergies between ES in terms of supply-supply, demand-demand, and supply-demand. (3) Four ES supply-demand bundle types were identified with distinct ES supply and demand relationships. (4) Land-use types, urban intensity, and climatic factors are the main social-ecological factors that distinguish the four identified clusters. The identified ES supply-demand clusters can support the main functional zoning of the Yangtze River Delta. Our results also suggest that land sharing is a more appropriate approach for the sustainable development of the Yangtze River Delta considering the balance of multiple ES supply and ES demand.

Automated summary

This study comprehensively analyzed the tradeoffs of ecosystem services (ES) in the Yangtze River Delta by mapping ES supply-demand bundles. The results showed that the supply and demand of ES were unevenly distributed with significant tradeoffs and synergies. Four ES supply-demand bundle types were identified, and the main factors distinguishing these types were land-use types, urban intensity, and climatic factors. The study also suggested that land sharing is a more appropriate approach for the sustainable development of the Yangtze River Delta.