Multiscale Characteristics and Drivers of the Bundles of Ecosystem Service Budgets in the Su-Xi-Chang Region, China

Abstract

Managing ecosystem services (ESs) to meet human needs is critical to achieving sustainable development in rapidly urbanizing regions. Identifying ES budget bundles and analyzing their drivers at a multiscale level can facilitate management decision-making; however, further research is required in areas undergoing rapid urbanization. This study quantified the supply, demand, and budgets of six typical ESs at the county, township, and village scales in the Su-Xi-Chang region in 2020. Additionally, the influence of natural environmental and socioeconomic factors on ES budget bundles was investigated based on K-means cluster analysis and the Geodetector model. The results showed that ESs on all three scales showed a mismatch between supply and demand. The similarity in the spatial pattern of supply, demand, and budgets of ESs at the township and village scales was higher than that at the township and county scales. The location and area of surplus, balance, and deficit varied with scale. We found that population density and the proportion of impervious surfaces are the main factors influencing the formation of the ES budget bundles at different scales. In addition, the diversity and degree of interpretation of drivers varied with scale. We believe that focusing on the overall situation on a large scale and implementing precise management on a small scale can make management decisions more effective. This study can provide a scientific basis for the sustainable utilization of ESs in the Su-Xi-Chang region, and the research results and methods can provide a reference for similar studies in other rapidly urbanizing areas in the world.