Comparison of various models for multi-scenario simulation of land use/ land cover to predict ecosystem service value: A case study of Harbin-Changchun Urban Agglomeration, China

Understanding the intricate changes in land use and land cover (LULC) transformations, as well as accurately quantifying the ecosystem services value (ESV), holds paramount importance in achieving sustainable development goals. However, previous studies have notably neglected conducting empirical evaluations across various LULC prediction models under identical conditions within the same geographical region. Additionally, the majority of relevant studies primarily concentrate on local scales. In this study, we used CA-Markov, Future Land Use Simulation (FLUS) and Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) models to simulate the dynamics of LULC, respectively. Subsequently, we successfully projected the future LULC patterns and corresponding ESV within the Harbin-Changchun Urban Agglomeration (HCUA), China. During the period spanning from 2000 to 2020, a persistent reduction of 2067 km2 in farmland was witnessed within the HCUA, while an accompanying expansion of 4081 km2 in built-up land occurred concurrently. The ESV in HCUA experienced a fluctuating trend. There was an initial decline of 7.443 x 109 yuan during the first decade, which was subsequently followed by an increase of 4.615 x 109 yuan during the latter decade. PLUS, FLUS, and CA-Markov models can all simulate the LULC of HCUA, but in decreasing order of accuracy and ease of use, with OA values of 0.8987, 0.8944 and 0.8651, and Kappa values of 0.8217, 0.8150 and 0.7860, respectively. The PLUS model was chosen to predict the future LULC. Then four development scenarios were set. Our optimization results indicate that it is advisable to restrict the area of built-up land within 17000 km2 in 2030. Moreover, under the economic and ecological balance (EEB) scenario, both ESV and economic benefits are projected to increase compared to the business as usual (BAU) scenario. This study offers valuable insights and serves as a significant reference for future research endeavors focused on optimizing land use.