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Ecosystem service changes associated with land use and land cover change (LULC) will provide an important indicator and an early warning of ecological changes. However, there have been few attempts to estimate the effects of LULC on ecosystem services in desert-oasis ecotones, which are recognized as critical ecological barriers and buffers that prevent deserts from expanding into oases. Here, we used Landsat image-based LULC maps (1988–2018) and a modified benefit transfer method to estimate the changes in ecosystem service value (ESV) in response to LULC in Dengkou County along the Yellow River, China. Our results showed that the most significant feature of LULC in Dengkou County was a large area expansion of cropland and a reduction in the area of desert. The total estimated ESV was nearly US $400 million year−1, of which 76% was derived from cropland, water bodies and rangelands. LULC resulted in a net increase in the total ESV by US$ 43.7 million during 1988–2018. Cropland expansion accounted for approximately 72% of the increase in the total ESV, thereby outweighing the huge decrease in ESV due to the expense of woodlands, rangelands and water bodies. Many low ESV clustering areas appeared in the central part of the county, resulting in ESV loss of approximately US $13.4 million, all of which was due to the conversion of water bodies to bare land and rangelands. Our results provide powerful evidence to make informed land use decisions for relevant managers and help fill the gap between the supply of ecosystem services and the societal demands for these services. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]