Balancing Productivity and Ecosystem Services in Major Crops Under Intensive Management in a Semi-Arid Region, Iran

This study provides a comprehensive economic valuation of ecosystem services and environmental impacts across four major agroecosystems—wheat, barley, sugar beet, and coriander—under intensive management in the semi-arid Nahavand County, Iran. Soil properties, ecosystem service provision, and environmental disservices such as greenhouse gas emissions, soil erosion, and nutrient leaching were systematically assessed using field surveys, farmer questionnaires, and established ecological models. Coriander exhibited the highest net ecosystem service value, ranging from $115,840 to $154,750 ha −1 , driven by superior provisioning services (39.77% of total value) and the lowest environmental costs. In contrast, sugar beet presented the greatest ecological burden, with environmental costs exceeding $22,000 ha −1 , leading to the lowest net benefits ($51,940–$79,300 ha −1 ). Nonlinear Gaussian regression models demonstrated strong predictive capacity (R = 0.91 to 0.99) for marketable value based on yield metrics, highlighting the importance of biomass productivity in economic valuation. These findings underscore the multifunctionality of coriander and emphasize the pivotal role of crop selection in optimizing agroecosystem sustainability, balancing food security, ecosystem health, and environmental conservation in semi-arid agricultural landscapes.