Ecosystem Service Value Assessment Based on Big Data: A Case Study of Haikou, China

Keywords: Ecosystem Services Value, Temporal and Spatial analysis, Cultural Ecosystem, Natural Language Processing, Sustainable Development
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract

Abstract

In recent years, as human activities have increasingly impacted the natural environment, global ecosystem service functions have undergone significant changes, particularly in rapidly urbanizing areas. However, there remains a lack of research on the dynamic balance between natural ecosystem services and cultural ecosystem services, especially in ecologically sensitive urban areas. Therefore, this study aims to assess the spatiotemporal changes in ecosystem service functions in Haikou, Hainan Province, China, and to explore the spatial trade-offs and synergies between natural and cultural ecosystem services.

We used the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model to evaluate Haikou’s annual water yield, sediment retention, habitat quality, and carbon storage in 2015 and 2023, and employed a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model to generate land-use data for 2023. Additionally, we applied Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) model to extract cultural ecosystem service themes from social media comments.

The results show that between 2015 and 2023, Haikou experienced increases in water yield and soil protection, improvements in habitat quality, but a decline in carbon storage capacity. Spatially, ecosystem service functions were closely related to land-use patterns. Furthermore, the northern area emerged as a hotspot for cultural ecosystem services due to its recreational and aesthetic value, while the southwestern and northeastern areas stood out for ecological education and biodiversity.

This study highlights the spatial dynamics of natural and cultural ecosystem services, providing scientific support for ecological conservation and sustainable development in Haikou, and offering insights for other regions in formulating ecological management strategies.