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Coupled urbanization and agricultural ecosystem services in Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Zone

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Abstract

Ecosystems offer material and environmental support for human habitation and development in those areas of the earth where people choose to live. However, urbanization is an inexorable trend of human social development and threatens the health of those ecosystems inhabited by humans. This study calculates the values of NPP (net primary productivity), carbon sequestration, water interception, soil conservation, and agricultural production in the Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Zone. At the same time, we combined DMSP/OLS (Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Operational Line Scanner) night lights remote sensing data and statistical data to analyze the level of urbanization. Quantitative analysis was performed on the interactions between the ecosystem service functions and urbanization based on the calculations of their coupled coordination degrees. The results were the following: (1) The values of NPP, carbon sequestration, and agricultural production showed a trend of increase. However, water interception decreased before increasing, while soil conservation showed the reverse trend; (2) Urbanization levels in the Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Zone for the last 10 years have proceeded at a fast pace with comprehensive promotion; and (3) Coupled and coupled coordination degrees between urbanization and ecosystem services show increasing trends. This research can provide a theoretical basis for the region’s rapid economic development in the balance.

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Acknowledgments

This study is jointly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 41371020), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant no. GK201502010), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation on the 58th group (Grant no. 2015M582706) and the Postdoctoral Scientific Research Project Foundation of Shaanxi Province in 2015.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Water Saving Agriculture in Arid Areas of China, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, People’s Republic of China

    Z. X. Zhou

  2. Key Laboratory for Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid Areas of Ministry of Education, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, People’s Republic of China

    Z. X. Zhou

  3. National Engineering Laboratory for Crop Water Efficient Use, Yangling, People’s Republic of China

    Z. X. Zhou

  4. College of Tourism and Environment, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China

    J. Li & W. Zhang

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  1. Z. X. Zhou
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  2. J. Li
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  3. W. Zhang
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Correspondence to J. Li.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Zhou, Z.X., Li, J. & Zhang, W. Coupled urbanization and agricultural ecosystem services in Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Zone. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 15407–15417 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6726-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6726-x

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