Land-use and land-cover change and response of ecosystem service value: a case study from Guizhou Province

Monitoring land use and land cover changes (LUCC), combined with their impact on ecosystem service value (ESV), is the most direct and effective method for evaluating the benefits of ecological engineering. Focusing on Guizhou Province in China, this study examined the 40-year process of LUCC through two lenses: type conversion and dynamic degree. Using LUCC area indicators, the study employed an improved equivalent factor method to assess changes in ESV. The findings indicate that from 1985 to 2024, the region was predominantly forest. Post-2000, the primary conversion involved cultivated land reverting to forest. The most intense dynamic changes occurred between 2010 and 2024. Over the study period, the regional ecosystem service value initially decreased and then increased significantly after the implementation of ecological engineering in 2000. Overall, total ESV increased by 3,855 million yuan, mainly because of the restoration of cultivated lands and grasslands to forests. The impact of these changes on ESV was substantial. Thus, ecological construction efforts should focus not only on methods such as converting cultivated land to forests but also on the restoration and recovery of grasslands and forests. Moreover, maintaining and adding quality improvements of ecological engineering achievements remain crucial.