Study on Coupling and Coordination Relationship between Urbanization and Ecosystem Service Value in Jiangsu Province, China

Urbanization has a significant negative impact on both the structure and function of ecosystems, as it is a major part of the human-caused transformation of natural landscapes. Concurrently, the attenuation of ecosystem service values (ESVs) poses critical impediments to urbanization and imperils human well-being. Investigating the interactive coupling and coordination relationship between urbanization and ESV is paramount in informing urban development strategies and environmental preservation efforts. Using Jiangsu Province as a representative case, this study forges an urbanization assessment index framework, estimates ESV, and subsequently delves into the multifaceted nexus between urbanization and ESV. The findings disclose a gradual uptick in urbanization levels in Jiangsu Province, underscored by conspicuous regional disparities typified in the subregions of southern Jiangsu, central Jiangsu, and northern Jiangsu, mirroring the high congruence observed in the economic urbanization subsystem. However, this upward trajectory in urbanization coincides with an overarching descent in ESV, with the most pronounced declines manifesting in regions characterized by elevated urbanization levels, such as Nantong and Suzhou. A robust interrelationship between urbanization and ESV is discernible throughout Jiangsu Province. Nevertheless, certain cities exhibit perturbations and retrogression in the associations between urbanization subsystems and ESV. The coupling coordination between population urbanization and ESV is characterized by disharmony while the coordination of economic urbanization markedly lags. Additionally, several cities are witnessing a progressive deterioration in the coordination relationships between ESV subsystems (food production, soil conservation, gas regulation, and raw material production) and urbanization. In light of these findings, it is recommended that governmental authorities enact measures to harmonize urban development with environmental preservation, safeguard the integrity of ecosystem functions, and facilitate the sustainable management of land resources.