Urban Ecological Zoning Based on Ecosystem Services: A Case Study of Urumqi
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Urban Ecological Zoning Based on Ecosystem Services: A Case Study of Urumqi

Kexin Liu 1* Nuo Li 2, Youmeng Xie 3
1 Xinjiang University
2 Xinjiang University
3 Xinjiang University
*Corresponding author: beinian111@qq.com
Published on 11 November 2025
Journal Cover
ACE Vol.205
ISSN (Print): 2755-273X
ISSN (Online): 2755-2721
ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-521-9
ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-522-6
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Abstract

Ecosystem services are fundamental to human survival and development.Assessing urban ecosystem services and implementing zoned management of ecological units can contribute to the improvement of the human living environment.This study establishes an indicator system for ecosystem services from four aspects:provisioning services,regulating services,supporting services and cultural services.The value of ecosystem services for different land use types is calculated using the equivalent value per unit area.The ecosystem service values of eight districts or counties in Urumqi in 2023 are evaluated. We employ spatial autocorrelation analysis to delineate ecological management units at the community level and propose strategies for ecological zoning regulation. The results indicate that: ①The total value of ecosystem services in Urumqi reached 10.595 billion yuan in 2023, exhibiting significant spatial variation. The highest value was 4.18 billion yuan in Urumqi County,while the lowest was 0.188 billion yuan in Tianshan District. ②seven districts and one county in Urumqi were classified into four types of urban ecological management zones:mountain ecological core protection zone, urban construction and development zone,desert ecological prevention and control zone, and ecological-economic transition zone. ③Differentiated management measures are proposed in each zone,demonstrating that effective urban ecological zoning can balance various ecosystem service functions and optimize their benefits.The findings facilitate a comprehensive evaluation of urban ecosystem services in urbanized areas and provide a reference for refined management and differentiated regulation of regional ecological governance.

Keywords:

land use type, ecosystem service value, spatial autocorrelation, ecological zoning, Urumqi

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Liu,K.;Li,N.;Xie,Y. (2025). Urban Ecological Zoning Based on Ecosystem Services: A Case Study of Urumqi. Applied and Computational Engineering,205,70-80.

References

[1]. Costanza, R., d'Arge, R., de Groot, R., et al. (1997). The value of the world's ecosystem services and natural capital. Nature, 387, 253–260.

[2]. de Groot, R. S., Brander, L. M., van der Ploeg, S., et al. (2012). Global estimates of the value of ecosystems and their services in monetary units. Ecosystem Services, 1, 50–61.

[3]. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. (2005). Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Synthesis. Island Press.

[4]. Jiang, X.Y., Wang, B.Y., Fang, Q.H., et al. (2024). Ecological zoning management strategy in China: Prospects for ecosystem service supply-demand relationships based on Chinese management strategies. Land, 13(7), 1112.

[5]. Cai, W., Li, X., Chen, Y., et al. (2024). Integrating ecosystem service values into urban planning: Insights from China. Land, 13(12), 1985.

[6]. Hou, J.L., Pan, H.H., Du, Z.Q., et al. (2024). Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Aquatic Ecosystem Services in the Yellow River Basin of Shanxi Province. Arid Land Geography, 47(6), 1047-1060.

[7]. Du, H.B., Wu, J.P., Li, W.J., et al. (2024). Temporal-Spatial Characteristics and Trade-off-Synergy Relationships of Water-Related Ecosystem Services in the Yangtze River Basin from 2001 to 2021. Sustainability, 16(9), 3605.

[8]. Fan, Y.L., Xia, Z.Y., Wei, X., et al. (2024). The Response of Wetland Ecosystem Services to Landscape Pattern of the Yangtze River Economic Belt during Four Periods. Wetland Science, 22(1), 139–147.

[9]. Owusu, R.O., Martinez, J., Schwarz, N., et al. (2024). Supply and demand of ecosystem services of urban green spaces in deprived areas: Perceptions from Kumasi, Ghana. Environmental Science & Policy, 156, 103742.

[10]. Peng, L.X., Zhang, L.W., Li, X.P., et al. (2022). Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Ecosystem Services Provided by Urban Green Spaces and Their Equity along Urban-Rural Gradients in the Xi'an Metropolitan Area, China. Remote Sensing, 14(17), 4299.

[11]. Zhao, T., Pan, J.H. (2022). Multi-scale Measurement of Trade-offs and Synergies of Ecosystem Services in the Taolai River Basin. Journal of Ecology and Rural Environment, 38(7), 839–850.

[12]. Jing, X.D., He, Y.C., Sun, Y.Y., et al. (2024). Spatial-Temporal Divergence and Coupling Analysis of Land Use Change and Ecosystem Service Value in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration. Sustainability, 16(15), 6624.

[13]. Zhao, L.J., Wang, Y., Luan, S., et al. (2025). Evolution of water resources and changes of ecological environment pattern in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in the past 40 years. Geology of China, 52(1), 215–231.

[14]. Wang, L.C., Yu, K., Chang, L., et al. (2021). Response of glacier area variation to climate change in the Kaidu-Kongque river basin, Southern Tianshan Mountains during the last 20 years. China Geology, 4(3), 389–401.

[15]. Chen, S.Y., Halik, Ü., Shi, L., et al. (2025). Habitat Quality Dynamics in Urumqi over the Last Two Decades: Evidence of Land Use and Land Cover Changes. Land, 14(1), 84.

[16]. Xie, G., Lu, C., Leng, Y., et al. (2003). Valuation of ecosystem assets on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Journal of Natural Resources, 18(2), 189–196.

[17]. Xie, G., Zhang, C., Zhang, C., et al. (2015). Valuation of ecosystem services in China. Resources Science, 37(9), 1740–1746.

[18]. Xie, G., Zhang, C., Zhang, L., et al. (2015). Improvement of the evaluation method for ecosystem service value based on per unit area. Journal of Natural Resources, 30(8), 1243–1254.

[19]. Tobler, W. R. (1970). A computer movie simulating urban growth in the Detroit region. Economic Geography, 46(Supplement), 234–240.

[20]. Yang, X.F., Cai, H.S., Zhang, X.L., Zuo, T.Y., Chen, L.T. (2024). Spatial-temporal variations of ecosystem service value and its driving factors in the Great Nanchang Metropolitan Area. Chinese Journal of Ecology, 43(8), 2275–2284.

[21]. Anselin, L. (1995). Local indicators of spatial association—LISA. Geographical Analysis, 27(2), 93–115.

[22]. Qiao, B., Zhu, C.X., Gao, X.Y., et al. (2020). Spatial autocorrelation analysis of land use and ecosystem service value in Maduo County, Qinghai Province, China at the grid scale. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 31(5), 1660–1672.

[23]. Huang, M.Y., Guo, Q., Zhang, G.Z., et al. (2025). Spatiotemporal Coupling of New-Type Urbanization and Ecosystem Services in the Huaihe River Basin, China: Heterogeneity and Regulatory Strategy. Land, 14(2), 286.

References

[1]. Costanza, R., d'Arge, R., de Groot, R., et al. (1997). The value of the world's ecosystem services and natural capital. Nature, 387, 253–260.

[2]. de Groot, R. S., Brander, L. M., van der Ploeg, S., et al. (2012). Global estimates of the value of ecosystems and their services in monetary units. Ecosystem Services, 1, 50–61.

[3]. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. (2005). Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Synthesis. Island Press.

[4]. Jiang, X.Y., Wang, B.Y., Fang, Q.H., et al. (2024). Ecological zoning management strategy in China: Prospects for ecosystem service supply-demand relationships based on Chinese management strategies. Land, 13(7), 1112.

[5]. Cai, W., Li, X., Chen, Y., et al. (2024). Integrating ecosystem service values into urban planning: Insights from China. Land, 13(12), 1985.

[6]. Hou, J.L., Pan, H.H., Du, Z.Q., et al. (2024). Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Aquatic Ecosystem Services in the Yellow River Basin of Shanxi Province. Arid Land Geography, 47(6), 1047-1060.

[7]. Du, H.B., Wu, J.P., Li, W.J., et al. (2024). Temporal-Spatial Characteristics and Trade-off-Synergy Relationships of Water-Related Ecosystem Services in the Yangtze River Basin from 2001 to 2021. Sustainability, 16(9), 3605.

[8]. Fan, Y.L., Xia, Z.Y., Wei, X., et al. (2024). The Response of Wetland Ecosystem Services to Landscape Pattern of the Yangtze River Economic Belt during Four Periods. Wetland Science, 22(1), 139–147.

[9]. Owusu, R.O., Martinez, J., Schwarz, N., et al. (2024). Supply and demand of ecosystem services of urban green spaces in deprived areas: Perceptions from Kumasi, Ghana. Environmental Science & Policy, 156, 103742.

[10]. Peng, L.X., Zhang, L.W., Li, X.P., et al. (2022). Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Ecosystem Services Provided by Urban Green Spaces and Their Equity along Urban-Rural Gradients in the Xi'an Metropolitan Area, China. Remote Sensing, 14(17), 4299.

[11]. Zhao, T., Pan, J.H. (2022). Multi-scale Measurement of Trade-offs and Synergies of Ecosystem Services in the Taolai River Basin. Journal of Ecology and Rural Environment, 38(7), 839–850.

[12]. Jing, X.D., He, Y.C., Sun, Y.Y., et al. (2024). Spatial-Temporal Divergence and Coupling Analysis of Land Use Change and Ecosystem Service Value in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration. Sustainability, 16(15), 6624.

[13]. Zhao, L.J., Wang, Y., Luan, S., et al. (2025). Evolution of water resources and changes of ecological environment pattern in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in the past 40 years. Geology of China, 52(1), 215–231.

[14]. Wang, L.C., Yu, K., Chang, L., et al. (2021). Response of glacier area variation to climate change in the Kaidu-Kongque river basin, Southern Tianshan Mountains during the last 20 years. China Geology, 4(3), 389–401.

[15]. Chen, S.Y., Halik, Ü., Shi, L., et al. (2025). Habitat Quality Dynamics in Urumqi over the Last Two Decades: Evidence of Land Use and Land Cover Changes. Land, 14(1), 84.

[16]. Xie, G., Lu, C., Leng, Y., et al. (2003). Valuation of ecosystem assets on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Journal of Natural Resources, 18(2), 189–196.

[17]. Xie, G., Zhang, C., Zhang, C., et al. (2015). Valuation of ecosystem services in China. Resources Science, 37(9), 1740–1746.

[18]. Xie, G., Zhang, C., Zhang, L., et al. (2015). Improvement of the evaluation method for ecosystem service value based on per unit area. Journal of Natural Resources, 30(8), 1243–1254.

[19]. Tobler, W. R. (1970). A computer movie simulating urban growth in the Detroit region. Economic Geography, 46(Supplement), 234–240.

[20]. Yang, X.F., Cai, H.S., Zhang, X.L., Zuo, T.Y., Chen, L.T. (2024). Spatial-temporal variations of ecosystem service value and its driving factors in the Great Nanchang Metropolitan Area. Chinese Journal of Ecology, 43(8), 2275–2284.

[21]. Anselin, L. (1995). Local indicators of spatial association—LISA. Geographical Analysis, 27(2), 93–115.

[22]. Qiao, B., Zhu, C.X., Gao, X.Y., et al. (2020). Spatial autocorrelation analysis of land use and ecosystem service value in Maduo County, Qinghai Province, China at the grid scale. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 31(5), 1660–1672.

[23]. Huang, M.Y., Guo, Q., Zhang, G.Z., et al. (2025). Spatiotemporal Coupling of New-Type Urbanization and Ecosystem Services in the Huaihe River Basin, China: Heterogeneity and Regulatory Strategy. Land, 14(2), 286.

Cite this article

Liu,K.;Li,N.;Xie,Y. (2025). Urban Ecological Zoning Based on Ecosystem Services: A Case Study of Urumqi. Applied and Computational Engineering,205,70-80.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of CONF-MCEE 2026 Symposium: Geomaterials and Environmental Engineering

ISBN: 978-1-80590-521-9(Print) / 978-1-80590-522-6(Online)
Editor: Ömer Burak İSTANBULLU, Manoj Khandelwal
Conference website: https://www.confmcee.org/mounthelen.html
Conference date: 21 January 2026
Series: Applied and Computational Engineering
Volume number: Vol.205
ISSN: 2755-2721(Print) / 2755-273X(Online)

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