Evaluation of Temporal and Spatial Ecosystem Services in Dalian, China: Implications for Urban Planning

The valuation of ecosystem services is critical to understand the current status of ecosystems and to develop an effective planning strategy for ecosystem protection. This study aims to analyse the spatio-temporal changes in ecosystem services driven by land use changes from 1984 to 2013 in Dalian, China. The land use changes are characterized using remote sensing data and then ecosystem service values (ESVs) are assessed using the equivalent factor method, i.e., assigning value coefficients to different land use categories. The total ESV of Dalian reduced significantly by 44.3% from 1984 to 2013, primarily due to the reduction of forests, water and wetlands. Water and climate regulations are the two largest service functions, contributing about 43.6% of the total ESV on average. In addition, ESVs show a spatial variation in different administrative regions, with the central city area having the maximum decreasing rate. Further, ESV changes and distributions are found to have a strong link with city development policies. This study provides an enhanced understanding of the implications of urban policies on ecosystem services, which is essential for sustaining the provision of ecosystem services and achieving sustainable development goals.