Comparison of comprehensive benefits of land-use systems under multi- and single-element governance

Considering the decline in the ecosystem service value (ESV) caused by rapid urbanization, China has recently conducted large-scale comprehensive ecological governance of “mountain, water, forest, field, lake and grass”; however, theoretical analyses of such systematic governance are lacking. This study compares the effects of multi- and single-element governance from a systematic perspective. This study proposes a hierarchical model integrating land-use simulation and comprehensive benefit evaluation based on remote sensing data of land-use in the Hebei Province, China, between 2000 and 2019. It compares the ESV and subtotal ecological-economic product (SEP), which reflects comprehensive benefits under ten governance scenarios. The results revealed significant urban expansion, amounting to 7516 km2, with significant changes in cultivated land and grassland. The ESV increased from 89.2 to 134.6 billion USD from 2000 to 2019, with regulatory and support services as the primary types of ecosystem services. With single-element governance, the ESV and SEP of water area governance were higher than those of woodland and cultivated land. With multi-element governance, the ESV and SEP of governance focusing on water areas were higher than those focusing on woodland and cultivated land. Moreover, multi-element ecological governance was found to be superior to single-element governance. Ecological governance of water areas and woodland ensured higher comprehensive benefits, while avoiding risks caused by excessive changes in land-use structure. The lower ESV and ESP of other multi- and single-element governance were primarily owing to two types of conversion: 1) grassland to woodland and cultivated land, and 2) water areas to cultivated land. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on the core elements of regional ecosystems and implement comprehensive ecological governance, address practical problems of land consolidation and ecological governance, and appropriately introduce market forces to realize the operation and management of the entire process and life cycle. These findings could provide a scientific reference for other regions in China and other developing countries implementing ecological governance practices.