The Driving Factors of the Tradeoff-Synergistic Relationship Among Forest Ecosystem Service Values in the Yangtze River Delta, China

The forest ecosystem is one of the planet’s critical ecosystems. Identifying the tradeoff-synergistic relationships among forest ecosystem service values and exploring their driving factors in the Yangtze River Delta are crucial for promoting the optimal overall benefits of regional ecosystem service values and realizing a mutually beneficial scenario that harmonizes regional socio-economic development with ecological and environmental conservation. The forest ecosystem service value in the Yangtze River Delta was evaluated through the improved equivalent factor method. Furthermore, an examination of the tradeoff-synergistic relationship among these ecosystem service values, along with their driving factors, was performed utilizing both the Pearson correlation coefficient method and the Geodetector model. The findings reveal that from 2000 to 2020, the forest ecosystem service values presented a general growth trend in the Yangtze River Delta, with higher values noted in the southern areas and lower values found in the northern regions. The average annual forest ecosystem service value was 279 billion RMB. The tradeoff-synergistic relationship among forest ecosystem service values mainly showed a synergistic relationship, while a significant tradeoff relationship was observed between the values of support and cultural services. The factors influencing the tradeoff-synergistic relationship among forest ecosystem service values included precipitation, normalized difference vegetation index, and temperature. Consequently, local governments should enhance forest coverage, particularly by expanding the regions of evergreen broadleaf, deciduous broadleaf, and coniferous forests. They should also proactively seek ways to realize the value of forest ecosystem services.