Linking ecological and social systems to promote regional security management: A perspective of ecosystem services supply-flow-demand

The ecosystem services (ESs) are the extremely important basis for the identification and optimization of ecological security patterns (ESPs). Nonetheless, the great majority of existing research on ESPs has concentrated on the ESs supply, ignoring the ESs demand and flow from social systems, which hinders the connection between ecological and social systems. Consequently, using remote sensing products, meteorological observations and statistical yearbooks and other multisource data, this study analysed supply–demand matching characteristics of ESs in the West Liaohe River Basin in China based on assessment of six key ESs from 2010 to 2020, including water yield, food production, livestock breeding, soil loss by water, soil loss by wind, and net primary production, identified the ESPs in combination with the perspective of ESs supply–demand, and discussed the ecological compensation scheme for ESPs construction based on the ESs flow. The research results indicated that the supply and demand of ESs within the study area was mismatched. Therefore, identifying ecological sources solely through the high supply areas of ESs might not effectively meet the needs of human society. By expanding the scope of alternative ecological sources and taking into account the distance between alternative sources and high demand areas, it was helpful to improve the rationality and scientificity of the identification of ESPs. There was a threshold effect in identification of ecological sources and extraction of ecological corridors, but there was no significant impact on overall spatial distribution of ESPs. The results of this research will help to promote the realization of the relationship between ESs and ESPs and better guide the development of regional socio-ecological coupling systems.