Assessing the impact of desertification dynamics on regional ecosystem service value in North China from 1981 to 2010

Deserts and desertified land form an important ecosystem that supports the inhabitants of dry land areas, and desertification dynamics have a significant impact on the regional Ecosystem Service Value (ESV). In this paper, the desertification dynamics in North China from 1981 to 2010 and their impact on the regional ESV were analyzed by decomposing the processes of desertification. The results showed that the area and structure of deserts and desertified land had greatly changed, and the area of land that experienced desertification reversion was higher than expansion. Desertification reversion was the key process that promoted an increase in the total ESV of the whole research region; the increment of the ESV can be attributed to the reversal from deserts and desertified land to non-desertified lands reached 90.13 billion yuan. Desertification expansion from undegraded grassland to deserts and desertified land was the dominant process that produced a decreased in the regional ESV. Horqin grassland, Hetao plain, and Wumeng Qianshan and Tumote plain had a higher sensitivity than other sub-regions, and Alashan plateau had the lowest sensitivity among all of the sub-regions. To enhance economic development and the ecological services supply, “win-win” measures should be used for sub-regions with different sensitivities.