{"title":"Measuring virtual flows of ecosystem services embedded in traded goods across an urban agglomeration in China","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoser.2024.101651","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Human society in the Anthropocene is globally connected and relies on flows of goods and services for its prosperity and wellbeing. However, quantitative understanding of the flows of ecosystem services (ES) embedded in trade (virtual ES flow) across multiple human-natural systems remains limited. Here, we develop a framework to quantify virtual ES flows by integrating multi-region input–output modeling and ES mapping, and apply it to examine water provisioning and climate regulation services, using China and its major urban agglomeration as a case study. Our results showed that virtual flows of ES were substantially greater than the direct utilization of water and carbon resources, confirming the dependency on virtual flows of ES in highly urbanized regions. Interestingly, the virtual flows were mainly connected to distant rather than adjacent regions, highlighting the importance of considering cross-scale dynamics and managing long-distance flows in policy-making. Our framework holds the potential for broader applications, including the exploration of various types of ES and sustainability-related issues.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51312,"journal":{"name":"Ecosystem Services","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":6.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Ecosystem Services","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212041624000585","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ECOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Human society in the Anthropocene is globally connected and relies on flows of goods and services for its prosperity and wellbeing. However, quantitative understanding of the flows of ecosystem services (ES) embedded in trade (virtual ES flow) across multiple human-natural systems remains limited. Here, we develop a framework to quantify virtual ES flows by integrating multi-region input–output modeling and ES mapping, and apply it to examine water provisioning and climate regulation services, using China and its major urban agglomeration as a case study. Our results showed that virtual flows of ES were substantially greater than the direct utilization of water and carbon resources, confirming the dependency on virtual flows of ES in highly urbanized regions. Interestingly, the virtual flows were mainly connected to distant rather than adjacent regions, highlighting the importance of considering cross-scale dynamics and managing long-distance flows in policy-making. Our framework holds the potential for broader applications, including the exploration of various types of ES and sustainability-related issues.
期刊介绍:
Ecosystem Services is an international, interdisciplinary journal that is associated with the Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP). The journal is dedicated to exploring the science, policy, and practice related to ecosystem services, which are the various ways in which ecosystems contribute to human well-being, both directly and indirectly.
Ecosystem Services contributes to the broader goal of ensuring that the benefits of ecosystems are recognized, valued, and sustainably managed for the well-being of current and future generations. The journal serves as a platform for scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and other stakeholders to share their findings and insights, fostering collaboration and innovation in the field of ecosystem services.