Impacts of Land Use Changes on Landscape Patterns and Ecosystem Service Values in Counties (Villages) in Ethnic Regions of China: A Case Study of Jianghua Yao Autonomous County, Hunan Province

This study, using Jianghua Yao Autonomous County in Hunan Province as a case, systematically analyzes the response of ecosystem service value (ESV) to land use and landscape pattern changes by employing landscape-level indices and landscape-type-level indices. The findings provide a reliable basis for scientifically formulating land use planning and ecological protection policies in ethnic regions, thereby promoting regional ecological security and sustainable development. This study reveals that (1) the land use structure in the county underwent significant changes between 2000 and 2020, with grassland and shrubland areas decreasing substantially by 71.66% and 78.41%, respectively, while urban and arable land areas increased significantly by 228.30% and 15.84%, respectively. Particularly under the scenario of prioritizing economic development, these changes led to increased landscape fragmentation and a decline in ecosystem service value (from CNY 296.571 billion in 2020 to CNY 287.959 billion in 2030). (2) In contrast, the scenarios of ecological protection and sustainable development significantly enhanced the region’s ecosystem service value by increasing forest and water area, effectively maintaining the stability of the landscape pattern. These findings provide important evidence for the formulation of scientifically sound land use planning and ecological protection policies, contributing to the dual goals of economic development, tourism growth and ecological protection in Jianghua Yao Autonomous County and similar regions.