How ecological restoration alters ecosystem services: an analysis of vegetation carbon sequestration in the karst area of northwest Guangxi, China

Ecological restoration, which aims to restore disturbed ecosystems, has been an important approach to mitigate human pressures on natural ecosystems and to improve ecosystem services. Determination of the vegetation carbon effect requires the assessment of ecological restoration measures. In this study, the temporal-spatial characteristics of vegetation carbon services were analyzed using remote sensing data and weather parameters by using geographic information system in northwest Guangxi, China, a typical karst area covered by the ongoing China's Grain-to-Green Program and eco-environment immigration during 2000-2010. The results showed that ecosystem services of vegetation carbon sequestration showed an upward trend during the 11 years; approximately 21.14 and 18.09 % of the karst area showed significant changes in the net primary productivity (NPP) and net ecosystem productivity (NEP; P < 0.05), respectively. With regard to spatial distribution, NPP and NEP were higher for the western non-karst areas, and the greatest increase in these parameters was recorded in the eastern part of the restoration area of karst rocky desertification. Vegetation carbon sequestration was significantly affected by the impacts of vegetation coverage, vegetation species, and forest type. The results of this study suggested that rocky desertification control measures have positive impacts on the spatial distribution of vegetation carbon services in the typical karst area of northwest Guangxi, China.