Journal of Geographical Sciences >
Glacier service value and influence on human well-being in Qilian Mountains
Cai Xingran (1993‒), PhD and Lecturer, specialized in cryosphere and sustainable development. E-mail: caixingran@lzb.ac.cn |
Received date: 2022-11-28
Accepted date: 2023-07-20
Online published: 2023-11-15
Supported by
Shanxi Province Graduate Education and Teaching Reform Project(2023JG095)
Hebei Province Scholarship Program for Introducing Overseas Students(C20230510)
The Natural Science Foundation of Gansu Province(21JR7RA059)
Hebei Province Cultural and Art Science Planning and Tourism Research Project(HB23-YB063)
National Natural Science Foundation of China(42001067)
State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science(SKLCS-ZZ-2021)
Key Science and Technology Project of Gansu Province(22ZD6FA005)
Global warming is causing melting of glaciers, which is affecting socioeconomic development. It is essential to study the combined influence of changes in structures of glaciers on human well-being and socioeconomic systems. Herein, we considered Qilian Mountains as an example, quantified the regional socioeconomic benefits of glaciers and human well-being, and attempted to draw a correlation between glacier service value and human well-being. The findings of our study reveal that the value of glacier services in Qilian Mountains decreased from 1.84 × 1010 yuan in 1998 to 1.72 × 1010 yuan in 2018, with a spatial trend of circling down from the central region to the western and eastern regions. The distribution of human well-being showed an increasing trend, and a phenomenon of “low value central and western clustering, high value eastern sporadic distribution.” There is an increasing degree of coordination between human well-being and glacier services value; the spatial distribution shows a decreasing trend from the west to the east, with differences in the nature of coordinated development in different regions at the same coordination stage being obvious. We analyzed the changes in glacier services value and their relationship with human well-being from both micro and macro perspectives to provide theoretical support for formulating management strategies for glacier resource conservation and improving the interface between glacier service evaluation results and government decision-making.
CAI Xingran , XU Chunhai , LIANG Yanqing , ZHANG Zhongwu , LI Zhongqin , WANG Feiteng , WANG Shijin . Glacier service value and influence on human well-being in Qilian Mountains[J]. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 2023 , 33(11) : 2211 -2236 . DOI: 10.1007/s11442-023-2173-z
Figure 1 Overview of the study area (Qilian Mountains) |
Table 1 Evaluation index system of glacier service value in Qilian Mountains |
Service type | Evaluation Index | Index meaning and service value accounting | Evaluation method |
---|---|---|---|
Supply service | Freshwater resources | The use-value of regional glacier water resources is calculated based on the annual change in glacier volume and the unit price of water resources | Market value method |
Hydroelectric power | The utilization value of glacier hydropower resources is calculated through the annual change of glacier volume and power generation per unit storage capacity | Shadow project method | |
Regulation service | Runoff regulation | The regulation effect of the glacier on runoff is evaluated by the annual change in glacier volume | Shadow project method |
Climate regulation | The regulation effect of the glacier on surface temperature and humidity is composed of the solar radiation energy reflected by the glacier surface and the heat absorbed by the glacier melting | Market value method | |
Air purification | The absorption of surface dust by glaciers is obtained by the absorption equivalent of glaciers to dust | Shadow project method | |
Cultural service | Aesthetic and recreation | The leisure, tourism and entertainment functions of the landscape are calculated based on the research parameters | Apportionment method |
Scientific research and environmental education | Glacier is an important medium for understanding the material cycle and energy transformation in nature, which is supported by projects of National Natural Science Foundation of China | Expense method Shadow project method |
Table 2 Human well-being evaluation index system and weight |
Feature layer | Criterion layer | Indicators | Game combination weight |
---|---|---|---|
Material well-being | Basic income | Total urban disposable income (104 yuan) | 0.07 |
Total rural disposable income (104 yuan) | 0.06 | ||
Basic substances | Grain output per unit area (kg/ha) | 0.08 | |
Health and safety needs | Health | Number of hospital beds (piece) | 0.06 |
hygienic personnel (person) | 0.06 | ||
Safety | Per capita cultivated area (ha/person) | 0.15 | |
Per capita grain output (kg/person) | 0.18 | ||
Forest coverage (%) | 0.15 | ||
Spiritual needs | Good social relations | Social nursing homes (number) | 0.07 |
Cultural education | Primary school (number) | 0.07 | |
Students in primary and secondary schools (person) | 0.06 |
Figure 2 Coordinated relationship between human well-being and glacier service |
Table 3 Glacier service values in Qilian Mountains in 1998, 2006, and 2018 |
Service type | Service function value | 1998 | 2006 | 2018 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Value (yuan) | Ratio (%) | Value (yuan) | Ratio (%) | Value (yuan) | Ratio (%) | ||
Supply service | Freshwater resources | 8.08×108 | 4.38 | 2.47×108 | 1.82 | 1.69×109 | 9.86 |
Hydroelectric power | 2.41×108 | 1.31 | 6.01×107 | 0.44 | 2.07×107 | 1.21 | |
Subtotal | 1.05×109 | 5.69 | 3.07×108 | 2.26 | 1.90×109 | 11.07 | |
Regulation service | Runoff regulation | 5.04×109 | 27.32 | 1.10×109 | 8.17 | 3.37×109 | 19.68 |
Climate regulation | 1.24×1010 | 66.99 | 1.21×1010 | 89.53 | 1.18×1010 | 69.01 | |
Air purification | 7.08×105 | 0.00 | 9.80×105 | 0.01 | 6.10×105 | 0.00 | |
Subtotal | 1.74×1010 | 94.31 | 1.32×1010 | 97.71 | 1.52×1010 | 88.69 | |
Cultural service | Aesthetic and recreation | 9.09×105 | 0.00 | 3.92×106 | 0.03 | 4.06×107 | 0.24 |
Scientific research and environmental education | 8.95×104 | 0.00 | 3.29×105 | 0.00 | 3.63×105 | 0.00 | |
Subtotal | 9.98×105 | 0.01 | 4.25×106 | 0.03 | 4.10×107 | 0.24 | |
Total | 1.84×1010 | 100 | 1.36×1010 | 100 | 1.71×1010 | 100 |
Figure 3 Spatial distribution of glacier service value in Qilian Mountains in 1998, 2006, and 2018 |
Figure 4 Changes in glacier service value in Qilian Mountains from 1998 to 2018 |
Figure 5 Distribution of human well-being in Qilian Mountains between 2006 and 2018 |
Figure 6 Quadrant diagram of the coordinated relationship between human well-being and glacier service value in Qilian Mountains between 2006 and 2018 |
Figure 7 Spatial distribution of the coordination degree between human well-being and glacier services in Qilian Mountains between 2006 and 2018 |
Figure 8 Impacts of glacier change vulnerability on service value in Qilian Mountains between 2006 and 2018Lables: pre-adjustment refers to glacier service value unaffected by the glacier change vulnerability, and post-adjustment refers to the glacier service value influenced by glacier change vulnerability |
Figure 9 Spatially distributed glacier service value in Qilian Mountains between 2006 and 2018 |
Figure 10 Area proportion of glacier service value in Qilian Mountains between 2006 and 2018 |
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