Ecosystem Health and Sustainability · Published 2026-01-01 · DOI 10.34133/ehs.0580
The equilibrium between the supply and demand of ecosystem services constitutes a vital foundation for sustainable development. However, current research on systematic ecological management based on ecosystem service supply and demand remains relatively scarce, particularly concerning the exploration of spatial spillover effects, thereby failing to support ecological management. Taking the Yangtze River Economic Belt as a case study, this research establishes a systematic framework comprising “supply–demand assessment–impact mechanisms–zoned management–decision support”. It investigates the spatiotemporal evolution, spatial spillover effects, and equilibrium pathways of 6 key ecosystem service supply–demand relationships between 2000 and 2020. Findings reveal: The supply of ecosystem services along the Yangtze River Economic Belt exhibits an overall upward trend, while demand fluctuates considerably. Both supply and demand follow a spatial pattern characterized by higher levels in the east and lower levels in the west. Correlation analysis reveals marked synergistic relationships among various ecosystem services, particularly between water yield and soil retention. Effect decomposition via a spatial Durbin model further reveals that spatial spillover effects account for an average of 86.5% of total effects. This underscores that ecological management must transcend localized approaches and fully consider the spatial spillover effects of ecosystem services. Finally, the study employs self-organizing mapping neural networks to delineate 4 management zones within the study area. It proposes pathways to achieve supply–demand equilibrium, including establishing cross-regional collaborative governance mechanisms and implementing differentiated ecological restoration and conservation strategies.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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