Investigating Ecosystem Service Trade-Offs and Synergies: The Need for Correlations and Driving Factors in the Upper Fen River Basin of Shanxi Province, China

This research provides an overview of the trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services (ESs) within the upper Fen River Basin (uFRB) that are crucial for informed land management and regional ecological protection. We utilized methodologies, including the dynamic equivalent factor method and spatial autocorrelation analysis, to track ES and driving factors from 1990 to 2020. This study revealed a 13.27% increase in overall ES value, with notable growth in forest land and water areas. Initially, synergies were dominant, but trade-offs became evident over time, particularly with food production. This study identified road proximity and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) as primary drivers of ES values, with their impact evolving annually. The analysis also highlighted the importance of considering the temporal dynamics in ES relationships and the influence of driving factors on these services. We propose incorporating socio-ecological factors and ES bundles into spatial planning. This is crucial as it will allow us to optimize multi-ES objectives, thus balancing trade-offs and enhancing synergies for sustainable land use.