How does land use transfer affect ecosystem services in Northwest China?

The land use in Northwest China (NW) has changed significantly due to the fast pace of urbanization, which has a significant effect on the ecosystem service functions (ES). Therefore, quantifying the impact of land use transfer on ecosystem service functions is of great significance for the improvement and restoration of ecological environment in NW. In this paper, we analyzed four ecosystem service functions to reveal the effects of land use change on ES in NW during 2001–2020, including water yield (WY), carbon storage (CS), soil conservation (SC) and habitat quality (HQ). The results of the established InVEST model indicate that WY, CS, SC and HQ showed an upward trend, with growth rates of 1.94 × 10⁶ m³/a, 8 × 10⁶ t/a, 1.48 × 10⁸ t/a and 0.00004 respectively, and the spatial distribution pattern of these ecosystem service functions in NW is similar, showing the characteristics of high in the southeast, followed by the northwest, and the lowest in the middle. Furthermore, the impact of land use transfer on ES were analyzed based on the land use extreme scenarios. The conversion of grassland to barren (G2B) will reduce CS, SC, and HQ, and greatly increase WY. In NW, the transition from cropland to grassland (C2G) and from grassland to cropland (G2C) has little impact on the ES. The method of rapid estimation of CS and HQ based on unit land use transfer area and ES change can provide theoretical scientific basis for future ecological environment restoration and management in NW.