Evaluating the effects of landscape fragmentation on ecosystem services: A three-decade perspective

Landscape fragmentation and structure play a crucial role in determining the provision of ecosystem services. Although there has been extensive research on the impact of shifting land use and land cover on ecosystem services, the specific effect of landscape fragmentation on the value of these services has not yet been quantified. This study aims to address this gap by examining the relationship between landscape fragmentation and Ecosystem service value (ESV). The findings indicate that ESV is negatively associated with the increasing conversion of landscapes into smaller patches. To conduct this analysis, a mapping methodology was employed using Landsat images from four different time periods (1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020). The fragmentation analysis resulted in the identification of six hierarchical landscape parts: patch, edge, perforated, small core, medium core, and large core. ESV for a typical land use and land cover was calculated using a weighted Coefficient value (CV) based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), while ESV for fragmented landscapes was estimated using Costanza's Coefficient Value from the years 1997 and 2014. The deterioration of eco-regions in terms of quality can be attributed to fragmented vegetation and water bodies. This degradation has resulted in a decrease in the ecosystem service value (ESV) of specific areas from 62.07 million USD/year to 50.56 million USD/year between 1990 and 2020. In 1990, the ESV of agricultural land was 381.04 USD/year, while that of built-up areas was 15.83 USD/year. However, by 2020, these values had increased to 431.05 USD/year and 105.33 USD/year, respectively. Furthermore, in the fractured landscape of 2020, the service values of water bodies were significantly lower compared to the past. It is important to note that anthropogenic influences play a significant role in driving land use changes and causing the transformation and fragmentation of ecosystem services in naturally occurring landscapes.