An Improved Model for Evaluating Ecosystem Service Values Using Land Use/Cover and Vegetation Parameters

It is crucial to maintain the balance of economic development and ecosystem protection. The value of ecosystem services is an indicator to help people understand the importance of ecosystem protection. Traditional models estimate ecosystem service values only according to land use/cover data while ignoring vegetation status differences in the same land use/cover. This study uses the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), the leaf area index (LAI), and net primary productivity (NPP) as vegetation status data to describe the differences in the same land use/cover type. The principal component analysis (PCA) approach is used to reduce the correlations among the three types of vegetation status data. Then, the calculated vegetation status index after PCA is input into the estimation model. The case study in China shows that the improved model has two major advantages. First, it can clearly distinguish the differences in ecosystem service values even for the same land use/cover type. Second, it can clearly describe the transitional zones between different land use/cover types through continuous changes in ecosystem service values. This improved model can provide a more detailed description of the distribution characteristics of ecosystem service values in China and help policymakers balance economic development and ecosystem protection.