Study on the relationship between intensive land use and ecosystem service value in Gansu Province

Gansu Province is a typical ecological transition zone, where there is a contradiction between land use layout and the enhancement of ecological functions. To clarify the temporal characteristics and mechanisms of intensive land use (ILU) and ecosystem service value (ESV) in this region, this study uses land use grid data and social statistics from 2000,2005,2010,2015, and 2020. Taking 87 counties (districts) in Gansu Province as research units, the study employs a comprehensive evaluation model for intensive land use, the equivalent factor method, and bivariate spatial autocorrelation analysis to explore the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and temporal-spatial correlation degree of intensive land use and ecosystem service value. The research findings indicate: (1) During the study period, the overall level of intensive land use in Gansu Province was predominantly low, with its mean showing an upward trend over time. The low levels were mainly distributed in the Hexi region in the north and the southern regions, while high-level areas were concentrated in the provincial capital region. (2) During the study period, the total value of ecosystem services in Gansu Province showed an increasing trend over time, with a total increase of 17.356 billion yuan, representing a change rate of 7.63 %; spatially, the southwestern Qilian Mountain Nature Reserve and the southeastern Gannan Grassland and Longnan Mountains are high-value areas for ecosystem service values, whereas the northwestern, central, and eastern regions have more unused land, with construction land squeezing ecological space, leading to lower ecosystem service values. (3) From the perspective of temporal linear relationships, there is an extremely significant negative correlation between intensive land use and ecosystem service value (p < 0.01), with a trend of increasing over time; from the perspective of spatial linear relationships, there is also an extremely significant negative correlation at the global scale (p < 0.01), showing an inverted "U" shape trend over time, while at the local scale, it mainly follows a low-to-high concentration pattern. The research findings can provide theoretical support for the territorial spatial planning and ecological protection in Gansu Province.