Spatial and temporal differences in the response of water and soil conservation to ecosystem fragmentation

Using spatial autocorrelation methods we explores the spatial and temporal differences in the response of soil and water conservation to ecosystem fragmentation during the period between 1990 and 2019 in Qilian Mountain National Park (QMNP) of China. We found that the degree of ecosystem fragmentation has decreased over the past 30 years, improving the water and soil conservation capacity of the park's ecosystems. However, the relationship between the two varied temporally and also exhibited a variety of spatial patterns. These differences were due to the spatial heterogeneity of the park's ecosystems, the differences in the forms of fragmentation of different ecosystems and the differences in the soil and water conservation capacity of different ecosystems. Moreover, there were differences in the impact of nine fragmentation factors on ecosystem soil and water conservation and explanatory of two services in QMNP.