Spatiotemporal effects of landscape structure on the trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem service functions in Yangtze River Economic Belt, China

Spatiotemporal effects of landscape structure on the trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem service functions in Yangtze River Economic Belt, China | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Spatiotemporal effects of landscape structure on the trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem service functions in Yangtze River Economic Belt, China Yao Yao, Yuanyuan Yang This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5461061/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 06 May, 2025 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted 6 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Effective landscape management is vital for maximizing the availability of ecosystem service functions (ESF). However, how landscape pattern simultaneously affects multiple ESF across time and space, specifically regarding changes in their relationships, has not been comprehensively evaluated. Accordingly, the current study examines the dynamic impact of landscape pattern on the interactions among ES trade-offs in China's Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) from 1990 to 2020. Five key ESF are evaluated: carbon sequestration (CS), food supply (FS), habitat quality (HQ), water retention (WR), and soil conservation (SC). The geographical and temporal weighted regression model is adopted to analyze how these relationships are influenced by changes in the landscape pattern over 30 years. Over the past three decades, the overall amounts of FS, WR, and SC have increased, with only WR exhibiting a sustained increasing trend, while CS and HQ have significantly decreased. The trade-off coordination effects among the ESF generally transitioned from trade-offs to synergies, with the CS–FS change more pronounced, shifting from weak trade-offs (− 0.29) to synergies (0.20). Significant spatial variations were also observed. Most landscape pattern significantly impact the relationships among ESF. Specifically, landscape composition has a stronger influence on ecosystems than configuration; however, these effects are diverse and often inconsistent, requiring decision-makers to continuously balance landscape management. The impacts of landscape pattern on the relationships between SC and other ESF (CS–SC, HQ–SC, HQ–SC, and WR–SC) were consistent, with the most prominent impact on CS–SC. This suggests that landscape pattern exerts a comparatively steady impact on CS, benefiting from the contributions of decision-makers to soil conservation in regional land parcels. These results underscore the intricate responses of inter-ecosystem relationships to landscape pattern and the need for dynamic trade-offs in landscape management. Cumulatively, this study provides crucial guidance for policymakers in designing effective landscape management policies to mitigate ecological degradation. Earth and environmental sciences/Ecology/Ecosystem services Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental sciences/Environmental impact Ecosystem service functions Landscape pattern Trade-off Synergy Sustainable landscape management Yangtze River Economic Belt Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files 2data.xlsx 1Appendix.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 06 May, 2025 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Accepted 18 Apr, 2025 Reviews received at journal 03 Apr, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 03 Apr, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 02 Apr, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 27 Mar, 2025 First submitted to journal 25 Mar, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5461061","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":438017863,"identity":"4310f246-2e66-4fa8-8cdd-3d33bab5c248","order_by":0,"name":"Yao Yao","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Guizhou University of Finance and Economics","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yao","middleName":"","lastName":"Yao","suffix":""},{"id":438017864,"identity":"4e814354-05d3-4fee-9446-523d493f2e84","order_by":1,"name":"Yuanyuan Yang","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAyUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBAC+/PNBx//MZCQ42dvIFbPjWPJBjwFFsaSPQeI1XIgx0yC50NF4oYZCUTqYGw4YyAhYSDBuEHy8cYbDDU20QS1MDO3FRgYGEgwm0unFVswHEvLbSCkhY3h8IaEBAMJNsvZQBcyNhwmrIWHIcHgwAEDCR6Dm2eI1CLBkGLY2ADyzg0eIrUYSBxLZgaSBpI9QL8kEOMXA/7m478Z/tTV97Mf3njjQ40NYS2oNiaQohyihVQdo2AUjIJRMDIAALLuPa2d/IAmAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Guizhou University of Commerce","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yuanyuan","middleName":"","lastName":"Yang","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-11-15 14:08:18","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5461061/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5461061/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99295-z","type":"published","date":"2025-05-06T15:57:16+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":82537601,"identity":"0e8b29b8-5499-45d6-9188-ba46b1366cfc","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-05-12 16:09:10","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":4808099,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5461061/v1_covered_4dd7d9a0-16df-46de-a837-b758106ede96.pdf"},{"id":79893026,"identity":"256712ed-1d53-4c45-836c-17130193c117","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-04-04 08:11:32","extension":"xlsx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":309705,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"2data.xlsx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5461061/v1/763168ea46e6f8a4ae314d89.xlsx"},{"id":79893063,"identity":"5a8a7bca-3fb9-49a2-8647-b5e9d72a68b3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-04-04 08:11:34","extension":"docx","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":39922819,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"1Appendix.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5461061/v1/2b89997baea8c48b5d934d92.docx"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Spatiotemporal effects of landscape structure on the trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem service functions in Yangtze River Economic Belt, China","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Ecosystem service functions, Landscape pattern, Trade-off, Synergy, Sustainable landscape management, Yangtze River Economic Belt","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5461061/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5461061/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eEffective landscape management is vital for maximizing the availability of ecosystem service functions (ESF). However, how landscape pattern simultaneously affects multiple ESF across time and space, specifically regarding changes in their relationships, has not been comprehensively evaluated. Accordingly, the current study examines the dynamic impact of landscape pattern on the interactions among ES trade-offs in China's Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) from 1990 to 2020. Five key ESF are evaluated: carbon sequestration (CS), food supply (FS), habitat quality (HQ), water retention (WR), and soil conservation (SC). The geographical and temporal weighted regression model is adopted to analyze how these relationships are influenced by changes in the landscape pattern over 30 years. Over the past three decades, the overall amounts of FS, WR, and SC have increased, with only WR exhibiting a sustained increasing trend, while CS and HQ have significantly decreased. The trade-off coordination effects among the ESF generally transitioned from trade-offs to synergies, with the CS\u0026ndash;FS change more pronounced, shifting from weak trade-offs (\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;0.29) to synergies (0.20). Significant spatial variations were also observed. Most landscape pattern significantly impact the relationships among ESF. Specifically, landscape composition has a stronger influence on ecosystems than configuration; however, these effects are diverse and often inconsistent, requiring decision-makers to continuously balance landscape management. The impacts of landscape pattern on the relationships between SC and other ESF (CS\u0026ndash;SC, HQ\u0026ndash;SC, HQ\u0026ndash;SC, and WR\u0026ndash;SC) were consistent, with the most prominent impact on CS\u0026ndash;SC. This suggests that landscape pattern exerts a comparatively steady impact on CS, benefiting from the contributions of decision-makers to soil conservation in regional land parcels. These results underscore the intricate responses of inter-ecosystem relationships to landscape pattern and the need for dynamic trade-offs in landscape management. Cumulatively, this study provides crucial guidance for policymakers in designing effective landscape management policies to mitigate ecological degradation.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Spatiotemporal effects of landscape structure on the trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem service functions in Yangtze River Economic Belt, China","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-04-04 08:11:27","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5461061/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Accepted","date":"2025-04-18T05:57:53+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-04-03T14:35:41+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"99548497376866279459186384261097691104","date":"2025-04-03T14:32:13+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-04-02T20:18:52+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-03-27T18:26:44+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Scientific Reports","date":"2025-03-26T03:48:54+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"9af42ad0-183b-476e-b2a7-891181094b27","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 4th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[{"id":46643397,"name":"Earth and environmental sciences/Ecology/Ecosystem services"},{"id":46643398,"name":"Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental sciences/Environmental impact"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-05-12T16:04:46+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-5461061","link":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99295-z","journal":{"identity":"scientific-reports","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Scientific Reports"},"publishedOn":"2025-05-06 15:57:16","publishedOnDateReadable":"May 6th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-04-04 08:11:27","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1038/s41598-025-99295-z","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99295-z","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-5461061","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-5461061","identity":"rs-5461061","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}