Ecosystem Health and Sustainability · Published 2026-08-05 · DOI 10.34133/ehs.0589
Yiheng Shao, Yuping Bai, Yecui Hu, Mengwen Gao, Xin Chen, Mengqing Cui
Exploring the nexus among ecosystem services (ES), livelihood capital (LC), and human well-being (HWB) of agro-pastoral households is essential for promoting ecosystem sustainability in China and enhancing the HWB of households in agro-pastoral ecotones. To inform sustainable development in agro-pastoral ecotones, this study evaluated ES, LC, and HWB of agro-pastoral households in Zhalute Banner and Naiman Banner of Inner Mongolia, China. Structural equation modeling was further employed to examine the nexus among LC, ES, and HWB at household level. The results showed the following: (a) Natural capital of agro-pastoral households in the study area was relatively scarce, whereas financial and social capital were comparatively abundant. (b) Food supply, water yield, soil conservation, and carbon storage exhibited a spatial pattern of progressive increase from north to south, while sand retention displayed marked spatial heterogeneity. (c) Households demonstrated high objective well-being (OWB) in social relations and freedom, alongside high subjective well-being (SWB) in health and social relationships. (d) At the overall level, LC was negatively associated with ES and positively associated with OWB, and its relationship with SWB was not significant. At the subtype level, natural and physical capital were negatively associated with both provisioning and regulating services, whereas provisioning services were positively associated with both OWB and SWB. These findings suggest that livelihood improvement through excessive use of local land resources may pressure ES provision. Sustainable development in agro-pastoral ecotones should therefore prioritize strategies that strengthen natural capital, reduce ecological pressure, and promote synergies among ES, LC, and HWB.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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Shao, Y., Bai, Y., Hu, Y., et al. (2026). Linking livelihoods, ecosystem services, and well-being for the SDGs in China’s agro-pastoral ecotones. Ecosystem Health and Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.34133/ehs.0589