IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecoser/v76y2025ics2212041625000828.html

Using geo-data and social media images to explore the supply and demand of cultural ecosystem services for terraces in China

Author

Listed:
  • Chen, Song
  • Wang, Xiyue
  • Liu, Tianming
  • Xie, Mingwei
  • Lin, Qing

Abstract

Terraces are a unique type of agro-ecosystem that are vital for regional food security, biodiversity, and the provision of cultural ecosystem services (CES) to society. This study introduces a novel approach to map the supply–demand balance of terrace CES (TCES) in China by integrating geo-data and social media images. Firstly, a TCES supply assessment framework is developed, comprising scenic attractiveness and heritage attractiveness, to assess TCES supply. Secondly, based on 55,616 geotagged Weibo images, the EfficientNet model classifies images into seven categories, with a questionnaire linking these to four CES types: aesthetic services, heritage & cultural services, recreation & tourism services, and spiritual & emotional services. Population data is also used to assess TCES demand. Finally, the supply–demand ratio and bivariate Moran’s I examine the balance and spatial autocorrelation of TCES. The results show: 1) High supply areas are mainly in southern China, while demand is more scattered in several hotspots; 2) There is a significant positive spatial autocorrelation between supply and demand, where higher supply promotes greater demand. High CES supply and demand cluster in Zhejiang-Fujian Hills and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, with imbalances occurring in metropolitan areas or mountainous areas along provincial boundaries. These findings and methodologies provide valuable insights for the planning and management of terraces in China, as well as for future CES-related studies.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Song & Wang, Xiyue & Liu, Tianming & Xie, Mingwei & Lin, Qing, 2025. "Using geo-data and social media images to explore the supply and demand of cultural ecosystem services for terraces in China," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoser:v:76:y:2025:i:c:s2212041625000828
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoser.2025.101778
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212041625000828
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ecoser.2025.101778?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Braat, Leon C. & de Groot, Rudolf, 2012. "The ecosystem services agenda:bridging the worlds of natural science and economics, conservation and development, and public and private policy," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 4-15.
    2. Lo, Iris Sheungting & McKercher, Bob & Lo, Ada & Cheung, Catherine & Law, Rob, 2011. "Tourism and online photography," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 725-731.
    3. Johan Rockström & Malin Falkenmark, 2015. "Agriculture: Increase water harvesting in Africa," Nature, Nature, vol. 519(7543), pages 283-285, March.
    4. Cardoso, Ana Sofia & Renna, Francesco & Moreno-Llorca, Ricardo & Alcaraz-Segura, Domingo & Tabik, Siham & Ladle, Richard J. & Vaz, Ana Sofia, 2022. "Classifying the content of social media images to support cultural ecosystem service assessments using deep learning models," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    5. Lü, Haishen & Zhu, Yonghua & Skaggs, Todd H. & Yu, Zhongbo, 2009. "Comparison of measured and simulated water storage in dryland terraces of the Loess Plateau, China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(2), pages 299-306, February.
    6. Lu Zhang & Chengxi Yan & Qing Guo & Junbiao Zhang & Jorge Ruiz-Menjivar, 2018. "The impact of agricultural chemical inputs on environment: global evidence from informetrics analysis and visualization," International Journal of Low-Carbon Technologies, Oxford University Press, vol. 13(4), pages 338-352.
    7. Oleksandr Karasov & Stien Heremans & Mart Külvik & Artem Domnich & Igor Chervanyov, 2020. "On How Crowdsourced Data and Landscape Organisation Metrics Can Facilitate the Mapping of Cultural Ecosystem Services: An Estonian Case Study," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-17, May.
    8. Richards, Daniel R. & Tunçer, Bige, 2018. "Using image recognition to automate assessment of cultural ecosystem services from social media photographs," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 31(PC), pages 318-325.
    9. Lingua, Federico & Coops, Nicholas C. & Griess, Verena C., 2022. "Valuing cultural ecosystem services combining deep learning and benefit transfer approach," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    10. Cheng, Xin & Van Damme, Sylvie & Li, Luyuan & Uyttenhove, Pieter, 2019. "Evaluation of cultural ecosystem services: A review of methods," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 1-1.
    11. Karasov, Oleksandr & Heremans, Stien & Külvik, Mart & Domnich, Artem & Burdun, Iuliia & Kull, Ain & Helm, Aveliina & Uuemaa, Evelyn, 2022. "Beyond land cover: How integrated remote sensing and social media data analysis facilitates assessment of cultural ecosystem services," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    12. Huai, Songyao & Chen, Fen & Liu, Song & Canters, Frank & Van de Voorde, Tim, 2022. "Using social media photos and computer vision to assess cultural ecosystem services and landscape features in urban parks," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    13. Yu Liu & Xi Liu & Song Gao & Li Gong & Chaogui Kang & Ye Zhi & Guanghua Chi & Li Shi, 2015. "Social Sensing: A New Approach to Understanding Our Socioeconomic Environments," Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 105(3), pages 512-530, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Schirpke, Uta & Ghermandi, Andrea & Sinclair, Michael & Van Berkel, Derek & Fox, Nathan & Vargas, Leonardo & Willemen, Louise, 2023. "Emerging technologies for assessing ecosystem services: A synthesis of opportunities and challenges," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    2. Nie, Xin & Huang, Chengdao & Wang, Han, 2025. "A new method to classify cultural ecosystem services and visualize their economic value: A case study of Guilin, a famous tourist destination in China," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    3. Karasov, Oleksandr & Heremans, Stien & Külvik, Mart & Domnich, Artem & Burdun, Iuliia & Kull, Ain & Helm, Aveliina & Uuemaa, Evelyn, 2022. "Beyond land cover: How integrated remote sensing and social media data analysis facilitates assessment of cultural ecosystem services," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    4. Kovárník, Richard & Janová, Jitka & Hampel, David, 2025. "A comprehensive framework for automated identification of cultural ecosystem services," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    5. Lingua, Federico & Coops, Nicholas C. & Griess, Verena C., 2022. "Valuing cultural ecosystem services combining deep learning and benefit transfer approach," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    6. Nicolas Marine & Cecilia Arnaiz-Schmitz & Luis Santos-Cid & María F. Schmitz, 2022. "Can We Foresee Landscape Interest? Maximum Entropy Applied to Social Media Photographs: A Case Study in Madrid," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-13, May.
    7. Depietri, Yaella & Ghermandi, Andrea & Campisi-Pinto, Salvatore & Orenstein, Daniel E., 2021. "Public participation GIS versus geolocated social media data to assess urban cultural ecosystem services: Instances of complementarity," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    8. Busch, Christin & Specht, Kathrin & Inostroza, Luis & Falke, Matthias & Zepp, Harald, 2024. "Disentangling cultural ecosystem services co-production in urban green spaces through social media reviews," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    9. Kaiser, Nina N. & Ghermandi, Andrea & Feld, Christian K. & Hershkovitz, Yaron & Palt, Martin & Stoll, Stefan, 2021. "Societal benefits of river restoration – Implications from social media analysis," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    10. Richards, Daniel Rex & Lavorel, Sandra, 2022. "Integrating social media data and machine learning to analyse scenarios of landscape appreciation," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    11. Márquez, Laura Andreina Matos & Rezende, Eva Caroline Nunes & Machado, Karine Borges & Nascimento, Emilly Layne Martins do & Castro, Joana D'arc Bardella & Nabout, João Carlos, 2023. "Trends in valuation approaches for cultural ecosystem services: A systematic literature review," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    12. Ruochen Ma & Katsunori Furuya, 2024. "Social Media Image and Computer Vision Method Application in Landscape Studies: A Systematic Literature Review," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-22, February.
    13. Kubiszewski, Ida & Concollato, Luke & Costanza, Robert & Stern, David I., 2023. "Changes in authorship, networks, and research topics in ecosystem services," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    14. Gan, Qiaochun & Liao, Lingyun & Kang, Xin & Xu, Zhenduo & Fu, Tianqi & Cao, Yue & Feng, Yunshuang & Dong, Jianwen & Lan, Siren, 2024. "Cultural ecosystem services and disservices in protected areas: Hotspots and influencing factors based on tourists’ digital footprints," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    15. Manley, Kyle & Nyelele, Charity & Egoh, Benis N., 2022. "A review of machine learning and big data applications in addressing ecosystem service research gaps," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    16. Grzyb, Tomasz & Kulczyk, Sylwia & Derek, Marta & Woźniak, Edyta, 2021. "Using social media to assess recreation across urban green spaces in times of abrupt change," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    17. Abigail Paradise-Vit & Aviad Elyashar & Yarden Aronson, 2024. "Automated photo filtering for tourism domain using deep and active learning: the case of Israeli and worldwide cities on instagram," Information Technology & Tourism, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 553-582, September.
    18. Havinga, Ilan & Bogaart, Patrick W. & Hein, Lars & Tuia, Devis, 2020. "Defining and spatially modelling cultural ecosystem services using crowdsourced data," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    19. Meng, Shiting & Huang, Qingxu & Zhang, Ling & He, Chunyang & Inostroza, Luis & Bai, Yansong & Yin, Dan, 2020. "Matches and mismatches between the supply of and demand for cultural ecosystem services in rapidly urbanizing watersheds: A case study in the Guanting Reservoir basin, China," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 45(C).
    20. Broome, James David & Cook, David & Davíðsdóttir, Brynhildur, 2024. "Heavenly lights: An exploratory review of auroral ecosystem services and disservices," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ecoser:v:76:y:2025:i:c:s2212041625000828. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/ecosystem-services .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.