Relationship between ecosystem services and farmers’ well-being in the Yellow River Wetland Nature Reserve of China

Understanding the coupling relationship between ecosystem services and farmers' well-being in the Yellow River Wetland Nature Reserve plays an important strategic role in maintaining China's ecological security and improving the well-being of regional farmers. Based on field research, questionnaire surveys, and other methods, this study took five Yellow River Wetland Nature Reserves in Henan Province as the research object and used a comprehensive multi-index evaluation method to evaluate the level of ecosystem services and farmers' well-being in the research area in 2000, 2010, and 2020. Moreover, a coupling coordination degree model was used to analyze the coupling relationship between ecosystem services and farmers' well-being, as well as their spatiotemporal distribution characteristics. The results showed that the ecosystem service perception index of the Yellow River Wetland Nature Reserve increased from 0.579 to 0.826 from 2000 to 2020. The overall well-being index increased from 0.358 to 0.818 during the same period. The comprehensive indices of ecosystem services and household welfare in the five nature reserves were significantly different. From 2000 to 2020, the coupling coordination between ecosystem services and farmers' well-being in the Yellow River Wetland Nature Reserve gradually improved, and the coupling coordination type changed from the basic coordinated development welfare lagging type to the well-coordinated development welfare and ecological synchronization type. Based on the actual situation of the Yellow River Wetland Nature Reserve, some suggestions are put forward. These include strengthening publicity regarding ecological protection, further developing tourism related to the Yellow River Wetland, increasing investment in environmental protection and management, and perfecting the mechanism of wetland ecological protection. The results of this study can provide a reference for promoting coordination between ecosystem services and farmers' well-being in the Yellow River Wetland Nature Reserve.