An indicator framework for cultivated land ecological compensation based on net ecosystem service value in China

Cultivated land ecological compensation is a core policy tool for resolving conflicts among food security, ecological conservation, and regional economic development. However, existing compensation schemes lack a coordinated mechanism that balances efficiency and equity in spatial allocation. To address this, this study uses Shandong and Henan two typical Chinese provinces as case studies. Drawing on five sets of data from 2005 to 2023, the study constructs a comprehensive framework encompassing compensation quantification, zoning standards, and a system for driving factor analysis. The results indicate that: (1) During the study period, the net ecosystem service value (NESV) of arable land in both provinces showed an overall upward trend; while Henan Province had a higher average absolute ecosystem value, Shandong Province's final ecological compensation standards were generally higher than those of Henan Province; (2) The High Performance (3) The increase in per capita disposable income among urban residents and improvements in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) serve as long-term positive drivers of the ecological value of farmland; conversely, the intensity of nighttime lights which reflects high levels of human activity and urban expansion constitutes the primary negative constraint, although its inhibitory effect has shown a significant trend toward convergence and weakening since 2015. (4) Policy formulation should be based on the results of regional zoning and the identification of driving factors to implement differentiated and coordinated strategies, strictly enforce constraints on non-point source pollution and responsibilities for cross-regional compensation payments, and supplement these measures with ecological assistance and market-based compensation mechanisms, thereby establishing a cross-regional compensation system that balances efficiency and equity. These findings provided a transferable indicator framework and decision-support tool for cross-regional, differentiated, and fair-yet-efficient cultivated land ecological compensation mechanisms.