Estimation of Forest Ecosystem Climate Regulation Service Based on Actual Evapotranspiration of New Urban Areas in Guanshanhu District, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China

Abstract

Suburban forest ecosystems have a great influence on local climate, especially for mitigating urban heat island effects and dry island effects. To quantify the climate regulation value of forest ecosystem, and provide a reference for regional ecosystem accounting and scientific land management, a new estimation method based on actual evapotranspiration (AET) is proposed and applied in this work. Based on remote sensing, meteorological, and soil data in the years 2000, 2010, and 2020, the annual AET of the forest ecosystem and its dynamic changes were calculated in the new urban area, Guanshanhu District, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, SW China. The climate regulation value is derived from differences in the annual AET of forest ecosystems relative to impervious surfaces. The results showed that: (1) the area of forest ecosystem in Guanshanhu District increased from 2000 to 2010 as a result of ecological engineering but decreased from 2010 to 2020 due to the establishment and expansion of the new urban area, while the area of the impervious surface increased rapidly; (2) the differences in annual AET of forest ecosystem relative to the impervious surface were calculated and subdivided according to different forest types. In 2000, 2010, and 2020, coniferous forests contributed the most to the annual AET difference, followed by coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests, broad-leaved forests, shrubs, and other forests, respectively; (3) the total climate regulation value of forest ecosystem showed an increasing trend, on the whole, the estimation results were ¥8.78 × 108 in 2000, ¥12.62 × 108 in 2010, and ¥14.75 × 108 in 2020; (4) The average per unit area climate regulation value of all types of forests in the area, based on electricity price in the year 2000, was ¥8.06 × 104/ha in 2000, ¥8.11 × 104/ha in 2010, and ¥10.58 × 104/ha in 2020, the highest portion of per unit area climate regulation value was of coniferous forest, as ¥8.59 × 104/ha in 2000, ¥9.28 × 104/ha in 2010, and ¥11.05 × 104/ha in 2020. This study is a beneficial exploration of forest ecosystem climate regulation value estimation in Guanshanhu District, and the results can provide references for ecological construction in new urban areas.