Distinguishing the contributions of natural ecosystems and water infrastructures to water provisioning services at watershed scale
Natural ecosystems and water infrastructure (such as reservoirs) jointly exert an influence water flow by means of retaining, regulating, storing, and releasing water, thereby enhancing the availability of water resources to satisfy human demands. Previous research has predominantly concentrated on...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Earth Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2025.1512780/full |
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| author | Jian Zhang Jian Zhang Shidong Zhang Shidong Zhang Yuan Huang Feifei Fan Jinfeng Ma Hua Zheng Hua Zheng |
| author_facet | Jian Zhang Jian Zhang Shidong Zhang Shidong Zhang Yuan Huang Feifei Fan Jinfeng Ma Hua Zheng Hua Zheng |
| author_sort | Jian Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Natural ecosystems and water infrastructure (such as reservoirs) jointly exert an influence water flow by means of retaining, regulating, storing, and releasing water, thereby enhancing the availability of water resources to satisfy human demands. Previous research has predominantly concentrated on the role of natural ecosystems in water provision services; however, studies that integrate the contributions of both natural ecosystems and infrastructure to quantify their respective impacts on water provisioning services remain scarce. Here we utilize the SWAT hydrological model to simulate the spatiotemporal dynamics of water provisioning services in the Qinling-Danjiang watershed—an area prone to seasonal water shortages. The study delineates the supply and beneficiary areas, quantifying the relative contributions of natural ecosystems and infrastructure to watershed water provisioning services and their ecosystem service values were respectively evaluated by delineating the supply and beneficiary areas of water provisioning services and using scenario analyses. The annual water provision in the Danjiang watershed was 2.394 × 103 million m3, with significant variation across watershed and months. The total water demand from stakeholders was 1.122 × 103 million m3, with agricultural irrigation being the largest consumer, and 52.81% of the area experiencing a supply deficit. Under the baseline scenario, the value of water provisioning services was 14.602 billion CNY. In a scenario without reservoir infrastructure, water provision of natural ecosystems increased by approximately 27% to 3.039 × 103 million m3 (about 18.538 billion CNY), but exacerbated seasonal imbalances. Conversely, in a scenario without natural ecosystems, the water provision of reservoir infrastructure dropped by over 90% to 193 million m3 (about 1.179 billion CNY), which was insufficient to meet regional demands. This study provides a novel perspective for understanding the interactions between natural ecosystems and infrastructure in water provisioning services and offers a new approach to distinguish their relative contribution in water provisioning services, which is of great significance for accounting nature’s contribution to people. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-254ce385fb9d4cf0bd43791956ef1b5d |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2296-6463 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Earth Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-254ce385fb9d4cf0bd43791956ef1b5d2025-08-20T02:59:29ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Earth Science2296-64632025-03-011310.3389/feart.2025.15127801512780Distinguishing the contributions of natural ecosystems and water infrastructures to water provisioning services at watershed scaleJian Zhang0Jian Zhang1Shidong Zhang2Shidong Zhang3Yuan Huang4Feifei Fan5Jinfeng Ma6Hua Zheng7Hua Zheng8State Key Laboratory for Ecological Security of Regions and Cities, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Management, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing, ChinaState Key Laboratory for Ecological Security of Regions and Cities, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCollege of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory for Ecological Security of Regions and Cities, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory for Ecological Security of Regions and Cities, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory for Ecological Security of Regions and Cities, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory for Ecological Security of Regions and Cities, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCollege of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaNatural ecosystems and water infrastructure (such as reservoirs) jointly exert an influence water flow by means of retaining, regulating, storing, and releasing water, thereby enhancing the availability of water resources to satisfy human demands. Previous research has predominantly concentrated on the role of natural ecosystems in water provision services; however, studies that integrate the contributions of both natural ecosystems and infrastructure to quantify their respective impacts on water provisioning services remain scarce. Here we utilize the SWAT hydrological model to simulate the spatiotemporal dynamics of water provisioning services in the Qinling-Danjiang watershed—an area prone to seasonal water shortages. The study delineates the supply and beneficiary areas, quantifying the relative contributions of natural ecosystems and infrastructure to watershed water provisioning services and their ecosystem service values were respectively evaluated by delineating the supply and beneficiary areas of water provisioning services and using scenario analyses. The annual water provision in the Danjiang watershed was 2.394 × 103 million m3, with significant variation across watershed and months. The total water demand from stakeholders was 1.122 × 103 million m3, with agricultural irrigation being the largest consumer, and 52.81% of the area experiencing a supply deficit. Under the baseline scenario, the value of water provisioning services was 14.602 billion CNY. In a scenario without reservoir infrastructure, water provision of natural ecosystems increased by approximately 27% to 3.039 × 103 million m3 (about 18.538 billion CNY), but exacerbated seasonal imbalances. Conversely, in a scenario without natural ecosystems, the water provision of reservoir infrastructure dropped by over 90% to 193 million m3 (about 1.179 billion CNY), which was insufficient to meet regional demands. This study provides a novel perspective for understanding the interactions between natural ecosystems and infrastructure in water provisioning services and offers a new approach to distinguish their relative contribution in water provisioning services, which is of great significance for accounting nature’s contribution to people.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2025.1512780/fullnatural ecosystemswater infrastructuressupply and demand relationshipecosystem service values (ESVs)Qinling-Danjiang watershed |
| spellingShingle | Jian Zhang Jian Zhang Shidong Zhang Shidong Zhang Yuan Huang Feifei Fan Jinfeng Ma Hua Zheng Hua Zheng Distinguishing the contributions of natural ecosystems and water infrastructures to water provisioning services at watershed scale Frontiers in Earth Science natural ecosystems water infrastructures supply and demand relationship ecosystem service values (ESVs) Qinling-Danjiang watershed |
| title | Distinguishing the contributions of natural ecosystems and water infrastructures to water provisioning services at watershed scale |
| title_full | Distinguishing the contributions of natural ecosystems and water infrastructures to water provisioning services at watershed scale |
| title_fullStr | Distinguishing the contributions of natural ecosystems and water infrastructures to water provisioning services at watershed scale |
| title_full_unstemmed | Distinguishing the contributions of natural ecosystems and water infrastructures to water provisioning services at watershed scale |
| title_short | Distinguishing the contributions of natural ecosystems and water infrastructures to water provisioning services at watershed scale |
| title_sort | distinguishing the contributions of natural ecosystems and water infrastructures to water provisioning services at watershed scale |
| topic | natural ecosystems water infrastructures supply and demand relationship ecosystem service values (ESVs) Qinling-Danjiang watershed |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2025.1512780/full |
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