Ecological Compensation in Zhijiang City Based on Ecosystem Service Value and Ecological Risk

Abstract

Using Zhijiang City, Hubei Province as an example, this study constructed an ecological risk assessment model based on land use data from the three phases of 2000, 2010, and 2020. We then determined the ecological compensation priority sequence based on the ecosystem services value (ESV) and the economic status of the research area. The findings revealed that there was a significant spatial differentiation in ESV during the study period, with the ESV being higher south of the Yangtze River than north. Overall, in Zhijiang City, the ESV generally decreased over the course of the study period, with a decrease of CNY 812 million in 20 years. The loss of wetland and grassland was the greatest, and was most obvious between 2010 and 2020, whereas the loss of construction land was the lowest among the different types of landscapes. The ecological risk index of Zhijiang City showed a declining trend between 2000 and 2020. The extent of high-ecological risk areas shrank by 55.83 km2, and their predominant landscape types were grassland and forest land. The low-ecological risk area expanded by 340.50 km2 and was primarily distributed in construction land along the Yangtze River Basin. The ecological compensation priority sequence was divided into five levels in each town in Zhijiang City, with Gujiadian Town and Baiyang Town receiving the highest grades and being designated as priority compensation areas. The study intends to serve as a model for the construction of ecological cities, ecological environmental protection, and sustainable development in the Yangtze River Basin.