Land use change impact on the ecosystem service value in karst desertification control zone

To investigate the impacts of ecological restoration and land-use change on ecosystem service functions in karst regions, this study selected three representative areas with different rocky desertification (RD) levels to reveal the impact of RD and land use change on ecosystem service values (ESVs) The results indicate: (1) Over the 23-year study period, all three study areas showed continuous increases in forest land and construction land, while experiencing decreases in cultivated land and grassland areas; (2) There were significant differences in the total ESV among different research areas. ESV hotspots were mainly associated with water body expansion and forest land growth, whereas cold spots were primarily caused by construction land expansion, unused land development, and cultivated land enlargement; (3) Ecological restoration projects effectively controlled RD development, with land-use type demonstrating a stronger influence on ESV than RD severity level. This study provides scientific support for systematic RD management and sustainable land-use strategy formulation in karst regions.