A Review of Ecosystem Services Research Focusing on China against the Background of Urbanization

Abstract

The change in landscape patterns caused by urbanization is one of the main reasons for the degradation of global ecosystem services. Reducing the negative impact of rapid urbanization on ecosystems and promoting the coordinated development of cities and ecosystems have become a hot topic around the world. Based on Web of Science Core Collection and CNKI database papers, this study conducts a bibliometric analysis of ecosystem services research against the background of global urbanization from 2000 to 2022. At the same time, the research hot spots, regional distribution, research trends, and research contents are summarized by taking China as the key research area. The results show that: (1) the research hot spots of ecosystem services against the background of urbanization are generally the same in China and the world. Both of them are based on landscape pattern or land use; the research scale is from macro to micro; and the research method is from static to dynamic. (2) From the perspective of ecosystem service types, the four types of ecosystem service have been studied in China and other parts of the world, but there are differences in the specific types, quantity, and regional distribution. (3) Whether in China or other regions of the world, the studies on the trade-offs of ecosystem services against the background of urbanization are mainly at medium and large scales. Finally, ecosystem service bundles research, systematic thinking, and the combination of ecosystem services and territorial spatial planning against the background of urbanization are pointed out as key aspects of future research.