The increase in ecosystem services values of the sand dune succession in northeastern China

Ecosystem services values play a vital role in evaluating the economic benefits of ecosystems and for drawing up the vegetation restoration policy. The change of ecosystem services values in sand dune succession, especially in China, is little reported. This study was conducted in the Wulanaodu region, southeastern of the Horqin Sandy Land, one of the largest sandy lands in China. Here, we used quantitative methods including marketing value method, the alternative market method, the carbon tax method, the industrial oxygen method, the opportunity cost method, the water balance method, and the shadow engineering method. We evaluated ecosystem services values in fixed sand dunes, semi-fixed sand dunes, and mobile sand dunes. These sand dunes constitute a sand dune succession. The results showed that ecosystem services values in mobile sand dunes, semi-fixed sand dunes, and fixed sand dunes were 6206.58 CNY·hm(−2)·a(−1), 9986.28 CNY·hm(−2)·a(−1), and 31466.56 CNY·hm(−2)·a(−1) separately. The ecosystem services values in fixed sand dunes were five times to these in mobile sand dunes. It suggests that ecosystem services values increase along with the sand dune succession. Moreover, in fixed sand dunes, the main categories contributing to ecosystem services values were gas regulation (17748.11 CNY·hm(−2)·a(−1)), and soil formation and retention (6461.80 CNY·hm(−2)·a(−1)). Meanwhile, gas regulation (3696.61 CNY·hm(−2)·a(−1)), and soil formation and retention (3124.74 CNY·hm(−2)·a(−1)) were also the main categories contributing to ecosystem services values in semi-fixed sand dunes. The main categories contributing to ecosystem services values were gas regulation (2760.10 CNY·hm(−2)·a(−1)) and water regulation (2278.00 CNY·hm(−2)·a(−1)) in mobile sand dunes. This study provides evidence that an increase in ecosystem services values in sandy lands is consistent with the aim of the combat of desertification.