Assessment of Ecosystem Service Value of the Liaohe Estuarine Wetland

Abstract

The functions and services of wetland ecosystems to human society have been generally recognized. Currently, most evaluations of wetlands are a comprehensive evaluation of their ultimate value. It is rare to discuss for energy and matter lost and transferred. In this study, emergy theory was used to assess the ultimate and intermediate service values of the Liaohe estuarine wetland ecosystem. Results show that its ultimate service value was $28.2 million, and its intermediate service value was $35,614.03 million. The 1263 time difference between intermediate and ultimate value shows that much server value was dissipated in the form of energy. In the ultimate service value, the value of adjusting the atmosphere was $8.02 million, accounting for 28.45% of the total value, and flood diversion and storage value was $6.98 million, accounting for 24.75%. These results illustrate that the most important service value of the Liaohe estuarine wetland ecosystem is to adjust the atmosphere and divert and store floods. In intermediate service value, maintaining-biodiversity value was $34,182 million, accounting for 95.98% of total value, showing that the Liaohe estuarine wetland plays an important role in species resources and regional seed banks.

Keywords

• Liaohe estuarine wetlands
• ultimate service value
• intermediate service value
• emergy theory