Mapping for terrestrial ecosystem services: a review

Abstract

Mapping for terrestrial ecosystem service has exponentially soared in recent years, which provides a reliable theoretical foundation for acknowledging functions, valuation and management of various kinds of ecosystem services. This study was conducted by collecting peer reviewed papers from 2000 to 2018, and establishing a relevant database of 113 papers. Forest, grassland, wetland and desert were selected as four basic components of terrestrial ecosystem. As a result, researches on mapping for terrestrial ecosystem services in each continent could be found, and medium geographical scale is the most widely preferred by researchers. Services origined from different ecosystem might share similar qualities, thus it is hard to identify them when researches refer to only one ecosystem or specific services. Models combining with relevant approaches applied in mapping can complement each other. In conclusion, maps for demonstrating hotspots and effects of climate changes are promising to make a significant progress in the future. Moreover, it is essential for districts and countries to select adaptable mapping methods and models according to their own demands. Drivers like needs for management and governmental planning, cognition of ecosystem services and disservices will motivate researches and the application of mapping forward.