Evaluating the Social Value of Ecosystem Services for the Green Heart Area of the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan Urban Agglomeration Using the SolVES Model

Thoroughly understanding the social value of ecosystem services and the perceptions of different stakeholders can help comprehensively understand the diverse values of ecosystem services, providing a scientific basis for developing more effective regional development plans and management strategies. This study investigated the social value of ecosystem services for the green heart area (GHA) in the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan urban agglomeration using the Social Values for Ecosystem Services (SolVES) model, uncovering their spatial distribution as well as the influencing factors. The differences in the social value of ecosystem services (including spatial pattern and driving factors) between different stakeholders (i. e., residents and tourists) were also explored. The results showed that: (1) GHA had strong social values for aesthetics, biodiversity, health, recreation, and culture. These social values were unevenly distributed and spatially displayed a corridor shape, but with insufficient ecological nodes. (2) The social values were significantly correlated with the distance to the A-level scenic areas, elevation, and slope. The high social values were concentrated in areas with elevations between 60 and 80 m and with slopes between 4° and 10°. (3) Residents and tourists showed distinct perceptions of the social values. Residents perceived stronger social values of ecosystem services than tourists, and they preferred the village and residential areas, while tourists favored the scenic areas. (4) The perceived social values of biodiversity and culture by the residents showed weak correlation with those of other ecosystem services. The perceived social values of recreation and aesthetics by the tourists were highly correlated, and there were tradeoffs between the social values perceived by tourists. Based on these findings, we have proposed an ecological corridor construction plan and suggested cross-regional coordination development to enhance the social values of ecosystem services in GHA. Findings of this study could provide valuable insights for landscape planning, ecosystem management, and policy-making for regions similar to GHA.