Regional ecosystem health assessment based on landscape patterns and ecosystem services approach

Ecosystem health is one of the most important topics for ecosystem management and it is also the main core in ecosystem assessment. In this study, a regional ecosystem health assessment (REHA) method is adopted to develop a spatial ecosystem health framework for Gorgan Township, North-Eastern Iran. The REHA methodology refers to an ecosystem mosaic's ability to both maintain physical health and guarantee the supply of the Ecosystem Services (ES) necessary for human communities. In order to spatially quantify ecosystem health, an integrated evaluation of land use land cover (LULC) change and ecosystem services modelling was implemented. The analysis revealed that during 1987-2005, there was a slight decline in the mean regional ecosystem health that occurred in Gorgan Township (-0.86), especially within urban vegetation and suburban areas. The built-up areas and expansion of agricultural fields into natural lands were influential factors affecting the overall regional ecosystem health value. Our result showed that among all the ecosystem health indicators, ecosystem resilience and ecosystem vigour were the most important factors positively and negatively influenced the REH in the study area. Relations between land use patterns, Ecosystem Health (EH), and ES in the study area indicate high intricacy of the structure-functional interaction within the landscape. Providing local managers with their integrative model may become a useful tool for efficient natural resource management on the one hand, and the protection of valuable ecosystems on the other.