MULTI-SCALE VALUATION OF FOREST ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN CHANGDE CITY, CHINA

Forest ecosystem services value (FESV) at multiple scales is crucial for the implementation of asset management and ecological compensation policies. This study focuses on Changde City in the Dongting Lake area, China, evaluating FESV across stand scale (scale I), regional scale (scale II), and grid scale (scale III), and examining their relationships with population and GDP metrics. Results indicate consistent spatial distribution patterns across scales, characterized by higher values in the northwest and southwest, and lower values in the southeast and east. Broad-leaved forests contribute most significantly to FESV at all scales. The study reveals that FESV is inversely related to urban development level and the proportion of plain areas, yet positively correlated with forest coverage. Nonlinear characteristics in FESV distribution are observed at the stand and grid scales, while regional scale evaluations show uniform value proportions across districts, suggesting spatial equivalency. The coefficient of variation of FESV across scales surpasses that of GDP, highlighting the substantial potential value of forest ecosystems relative to economic metrics. The research addresses the gap in multi-scale FESV valuation within the same region, aiming to establish management and enhancement strategies for forest ecosystem services. This study addresses the lack of research as well on forest ecosystem service value evaluation at different scales within the same region, providing reference and decision-making basis for regional forest ecosystem service management and improving the realization mechanism of forest ecological product value.