Setting conservation priorities based on ecosystem services - A case study of the Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Region.

ABSTRACT

Economic development and the increased human demand for natural resources have seriously damaged many ecosystems. Nature reserves are areas with good natural conditions, abundant natural resources and healthy ecosystems that have been established for protection and management. This paper introduces cultural ecosystem services into the selection criteria for priority conservation areas. Both natural and human factors are considered, making it possible to protect both ecological and cultural services in reserves. In this paper, (1) the cultural ecosystem services of the Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Region were estimated and quantified using questionnaires and the SolVES application; (2) the supplying services (water yield) and regulating services (net primary productivity (NPP), soil conservation) were calculated, and several ecosystem services were valued by models combining human and cultural data; and (3) multiple scenarios were considered, and a priority conservation area with NPP, soil conservation, water yield, aesthetic value and recreation protection efficiencies of 1.315, 2.458, 1.018, 1.414, and 1.079, respectively was selected by comparing the protection efficiencies of the different areas in each scenario to achieve the highest value for the various ecosystem services in the study area. The results provide decision support for the environmental protection of the Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Region.