Integrating Spatial-Temporal Heterogeneity and Driving Mechanisms of Ecosystem Services Into Spatial Management Across Urban Hierarchies: A Case of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, China

Effective management of ecosystem services (ESs) is critical for sustainable regional development. Multi-scale ESs assessments provide valuable insights for spatial management. However, limited attention has been given to the spatial-temporal heterogeneity and driving mechanisms of ESs across urban hierarchies and their integration into spatial management. Therefore, taking the Yangtze River Economic Belt in China as a case study, we assessed spatial-temporal heterogeneity and driving mechanisms of ecosystem service values (ESVs) across five urban hierarchies from 2000 to 2020. Results showed that the area ratios of variation in ESVs trends were typically S-shaped from small cities to super cities. High-value ESVs clusters decreased, and low-value ESV clusters showed a linear increase as urban hierarchies intensified. Human activities predominantly impacted ESVs in a lower urban hierarchy, whereas terrain conditions significantly impacted ESVs in a higher urban hierarchy. Furthermore, a novel framework was proposed to integrate spatial-temporal heterogeneity and driving mechanisms of ESs into spatial management, emphasizing the multi-scale management of ESs. This study proposed effective ESs management strategies to support region-specific management and sustainable development.