A Coupling Coordination Framework for Identifying the Balanced
Development State between Ecosystem Service Balance and Human
Activities: A Case Study of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei-Inner Mongolia
Region, China
- Yixin Fang,
- Fanhao Meng,
- Min Luo,
- Chula Sa,
- Yuhai Bao,
- Jun Lei
Abstract
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The spatiotemporal differences between ecosystem services (ES) and human
activities pose significant challenges to the coordinated development of
human-earth systems, particularly in China’s Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei-Inner
Mongolia (JJJM) region. However, a clear understanding of the changing
relationship between the coupling and coordination of ES and human
activities remains lacking. This study uses an adjusted ecosystem
services matrix to calculate ES supply, demand, and balance, and
develops a human activity intensity index (HAII) based on factors like
nighttime light and grazing intensity. Then, methods such as Moran’s I
and the Coupling Coordination Degree framework are employed to analyze
the spatiotemporal evolution, coupling coordination relationship of ES
supply, demand, balance, and HAII at regional, provincial, and grid
scales between 2000 and 2020. The result reveals that over the past 20
years, ES supply in the region has increased, while ES balance first
increased and then decreased. Concurrently, HAII has shown a continuous
upward trend, indicating that the intensification of human activities
may have contributed to the decline in ES balance. A bivariate local
Moran’s I test result show that there is indeed a significant trade-off
(-0.23) between ES balance and human activity intensity. Coupling
coordination analysis shows over 86% of the region has a coordination
degree below 0.7, indicating Barely Balanced Development. The
coordination degree in the JJJM region is declining, with Tianjin seeing
the most significant drop. Further study indicates that forests and
grasslands contribute positively to ecosystem balance, accounting for
over 88% of the cumulative contribution. Therefore, in the future
development of regional space, timely replenishment of forest and
grassland is the only way to maintain the harmony of human-earth
systems. This study deepens the understanding of the relationship
between ecosystem service balance and human socioeconomic activities and
provides valuable insights for ecological compensation policies in the
context of urban-rural integration.