Assessment of Ecosystem Service Value and Analysis of Driving Factors in the Giant Panda National Park in China

In 2021, China integrated over 80 nature reserves to establish the Giant Panda National Park (GPNP), creating the world’s largest contiguous habitat for giant panda conservation. To evaluate whether this unified management framework effectively enhances ecological integrity and provides essential governance benefits for the national park, this study employed ecosystem service value (ESV) as a key indicator of ecological condition in the Sichuan region of the GPNP (GPNPSC) based on 2022 data. Spatial autocorrelation analysis and a multiscale geographically weighted regression model were applied to examine the spatial heterogeneity of ESV and its driving factors. Landscape fragmentation indices were further incorporated to characterize habitat structure and connectivity. The results revealed pronounced spatial differentiation in ESV across the study area, with forest ecosystems and regulating services contributing the most. Elevation and socioeconomic factors stood out as major influences on ESV distribution. Areas with higher ESV also exhibited stronger landscape connectivity, highlighting the importance of continuous habitats for ecosystem functioning and giant panda population stability. These findings support ESV-based zoning for habitat monitoring, giant panda conservation, and sustainable development.