Promoting ecosystem services through ecological planning in the Xianghe Segment of China's Grand Canal

The application of ecosystem services (ES) is at the frontier in ecological planning and has attracted increasing attention in recent years. The China's Grand Canal, a UNESCO world heritage site, is the longest artificial river in the world. The Canal is an important heritage corridor, and plays a role in the history of transportation, politics, military, and cultural exchange in China. It was the main artery joining the south and north of China. The functions of the heritage corridor have been eliminated at present. The Canal became a conduit for the disposal of wastewater; consequently, its water quality deteriorated. Ecosystem services declined as well. Modern ecological theory has been applied in ecological planning to recover the cultural services and increase landscape sustainability. To improve environmental quality and optimize the ecological pattern, we redesign the waterfront landscape, and establish a wetlands system and environmental governance. These measures can provide synergistic effects, especially in the restoration of historic landscapes and cultural services. Implementing the ecological planning has resulted in a 67% increase in ES. Cultural and regulating services have replaced regulating and supporting services, becoming the major ES. Ecological planning is essential in restoring cultural services and implementing ecological renewal. The method is useful in sustainable landscape management of the heritage corridor. This paper reports on a practical technology in the application of ES in ecological planning. The synergic effects of ES can revitalize the ancient Canal heritage corridor, giving a new connotation to the idea of ecological civilization. The cultural heritage can be developed and preserved in landsenses ecology framework. The research will provide scientific bases for heritage planning and management.