Assessing ecosystem service losses—A review of progress and problems

Abstract

The assessment of ecosystem service losses is crucial for ecological impact assessment and the practice of ecological compensation restoration projects. However, few studies on assessing losses have focused on ecosystem services, and the existing knowledge is fragmented. This review synthesizes the research status, methods, and key findings in the field. It outlines the research status by categorizing studies into human, natural and comprehensive disturbance assessments by disturbance events. A basic framework for future research is established by summarizing assessment procedures and methods. Comparisons of the magnitude of losses and analyses of driving factors in existing studies have been discussed, and recommendations for future research directions have been proposed. Research indicates that since 2010, studies related to this topic have gradually increased, with a predominant focus on the losses caused by human disturbance. Regulatory services are the most frequently assessed type. Most results suggest that the magnitude of losses varies across different types of ecosystem services, ecosystems, and stages of ecosystem degradation. The regularity of these losses remains to be explored. Land use and climate change are two major driving factors, and distinguishing between their impacts is crucial. Therefore, future research should enhance assessments at multiple scales, promote more accurate assessments from aspects of data acquisition and evaluation methods, and deepen the exploration of loss regularity and drivers. This review fills the gap in systematic understanding of ecosystem service losses, offering a comprehensive reference for further research and the establishment of standards for ecological restoration and compensation.