Identifying ecosystem service supply-demand imbalance for sustainable land management in China’s Loess Plateau

Supply-demand relationships of ecosystem services (ESs) are the core of human-earth system coupling. This study explored the spatiotemporal characteristic of ESs supply-demand relationships and revealed the influencing factors of ESs balance based on the redundancy analysis in China’s Loess Plateau (LP). Results indicated that the total food and soil conservation were surplus from 2000 to 2018, while water and carbon existed deficits in some years. The ESs supply pairs generally showed a tendency of weakening synergies and strengthening trade-offs, while the ESs demand pairs were mainly synergistic. The dominant supply-demand match type of water yield changed from Low supply-Low demand (L-L) pattern to High supply-Low demand (H-L) pattern, while the food supply and soil conservation mainly presented L-L pattern. Slope, contagion index and construction land area ratio were the dominant influencing factors of ESs balance. Our findings suggested that ESs should be considered into land use policies making and spatial planning for alleviating ESs deficits and coordinating regional human-earth relationship. • Theoretical framework was presented for linking ecosystem services with man-land system. • Four key ecosystem services were qualified to assess the supply, demand and balance. • Water and carbon deficits were found in some years. • Both natural and human factors drove ecosystem service balance variation. • Ecosystem services trade-offs and deficits could be alleviated by making appropriate land use policy and management strategy.