Characteristics and Framework for Assessing Supply and Demand Relationship for Ecosystem Services Using a Trade-off and Synergy Lens

Jinxin He, Yan Zhou, Rajiv Pandey, Lindsay C. Stringer, Yingui Cao*, Honey Bhatt, Rongliulian Luo, Shufei Wang, Tong Li*, Shengpeng Li

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Ecosystem services (ESs) are a pivotal interface between ecological and societal systems. Comprehending the balance between what nature offers and society demands is indispensable for fostering human prosperity. This study seeks to fill the gaps in existing knowledge, including inconsistencies in terminology, limited exploration of driving mechanisms, and the lack of a comprehensive management strategy framework in ES supply and demand research. The article comprehensively reviews the conceptual connotations and assessment methods related to ES supply and demand. The paper delves into the specific traits of studies examining the interplay between supply and demand, focusing on relationship identification, driving mechanisms, threshold effects and management strategies. And the review articulates a theoretical framework to examine the interplay of ES supply and demand as well as emphasises directions for further research. The results show that: (1) a unified definition for ES supply and demand has yet to be agreed upon. The critical part played by humans in ES supply is often neglected, and there is a corresponding scarcity of demand evaluations for such services. (2) Previous research has identified trade-offs and synergies, analysed underlying forces and threshold effects, and proposed management strategies for the dynamics between ES supply and demand based on quantitative assessment. (3) Prospectively, the beneficiaries need to be considered more. Additional research is required to explore in-depth the underlying processes of multi-scale ES supply and demand. Adaptive management provides opportunities for ecosystem management.

Original languageEnglish
JournalLand Degradation and Development
Early online date10 Feb 2025
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 10 Feb 2025

Bibliographical note

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© 2025 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the University’s Research Publications and Open Access policy.

Keywords

  • adaptive management
  • ecological system
  • ecosystem sustainability
  • socio-ecological system
  • well-being

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