ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Variations of Ecosystem Service Value
in Response to Land-Use Change in the
Hotan Oasis, Northwest China
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1
The college of life and Geographic Sciences, Kashi University, Kashi 84400, China
2
Kashi Satellite Data Receiving Station, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kashi
844000, China
3
Kashi Aerospace Information Research Institute, Kashi 844000, China
Submission date: 2024-02-05
Final revision date: 2024-09-12
Acceptance date: 2024-12-08
Online publication date: 2025-09-03
Corresponding author
Aynur Mamat
Kashgar Satellite Data Receiving Station, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 844000, Kashi, China
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ABSTRACT
This study employs extensive long-term Landsat time series data alongside ecosystem services
(ES) coefficients tailored for both global and Chinese ecosystems to quantify the influence of land-use
transformations in the Hotan oasis on ecosystem services. The key findings of this investigation are as
follows:
The estimated total value of ecosystem services (ESV) within the Hotan oasis amounts to
approximately 4587.91 million, 4532.25 million, and $4245.23 million for the years 1980, 2000, and 2020,
respectively. Among the diverse ecosystem functions assessed, water supply (W.S.) and waste treatment
(W.T.) emerged as the most pivotal, collectively accounting for a substantial 56% of the overall ESV.
The hierarchy of ecosystem functions, based on their relative contribution to the total ESV, is as follows,
in descending order: waste treatment (W.T.) > water supply (W.S.) > biodiversity protection (B.P.) >
recreation and culture (R.C.) > climate regulation (C.R.) > soil formation (S.F.) > gas regulation (G.R.) >
food production (F.P.) > raw material (R.M.). A rigorous sensitivity analysis underscores the robustness
of the ESV estimates, as the coefficient sensitivity generally remains below 1 and often approaches
zero. This implies that the calculated total ESV exhibits a low degree of sensitivity to variations in the
value coefficients, highlighting the stability of the assessment framework. These insights carry profound
implications for safeguarding the integrity and fostering the sustainability of arid region ecosystems,
where socioeconomic advancements are intricately intertwined with the delicate balance of the natural
ecosystem. They underscore the need for policies and practices that harmoniously align economic
growth with the preservation of ecological services, thereby mitigating the risks associated with the
fragility of these unique environments.