Spatiotemporal Changes and Trade-Offs/Synergies of Waterfront Ecosystem Services Globally

The types of ecosystem services are complex and diverse. This study estimated four ecosystem services, their trade-offs, and their synergistic outcomes in 2010, 2015, and 2020 using the InVEST model. Globally, results showed that waterfront ecosystem services are high (low) in the north (south), and that high-value areas are mainly in Sweden and Finland in Europe; the Congo in Africa; Russia, Southwest China, and Indonesia in Asia; the Northwestern United States and Canada in North America, and northeastern Peru and northwestern Brazil in South America. Overall, ecosystem services changed little during 2010–2020. Additionally, a notable trade-off was found between water yield and habitat quality, and strong synergies were found between water yield and carbon storage and sequestration, water yield and sediment delivery ratio, carbon storage and sequestration and sediment delivery ratio, and carbon storage and habitat quality. The results of this study could help promote sustainable development of waterfronts globally.