Evaluation of the effects of land use changes on sediment retention ecosystem service in Golestan Province
Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 1- PhD student of Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran.
2 Department of Environmental Sci. Gorgan Uni. of Agric. Sci. and Natural Resources.
3 Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
Abstract
In recent times, the escalating exploitation resulting from population growth has altered land uses/land covers (LULC) and caused the overutilization of natural areas, leading to the decline in ecosystem services. This study aimed to explore the impacts of land use/land cover changes between 1984, 2000, 2010 and 2020 on sediment retention ecosystem service in Golestan Province. The required maps were created using different methods such as using satellite images and downloading from suitable sites.
Effective management of land use relies on information obtained from these maps. In this study, the InVEST 3.11.0 software was utilized to create sediment retention ecosystem service maps and their changes over time based on land use changes. The findings revealed that forest areas exhibited the highest sediment retention rates among all land uses surveyed across the four evaluation years. Conversely, urban areas consistently showed the lowest sediment retention rates between 1984 and 2010, but in 2020, bare lands had the lowest amount of sediment retention.
Comparing the four evaluation years, it was observed that sediment retention decreased from 1984 to 2000 and 2000 to 2010. However, total trend in sediment retention increased from 2010 to 2020 in Golestan province. The examination of sediment retention levels and their changes over time in response to land use/land cover alterations provides valuable insights for making informed management decisions to optimize land uses for maintaining and enhancing sediment retention.
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