Research on Human Needs and the Valorization of Supply–Need Relationships in Ecosystem Services—A Case Study of the Southwest Karst Region

Human needs alter ecosystem services (ESs), which then affect human needs. Based on the human needs theory, human needs in ESs are classified into four major categories of needs. A monetization method was used to quantify the ecosystem service need value (ESNV), the ES value equivalent method was used to calculate the ES supply value (ESSV), and the correlation coefficient method was used to understand the relationships and mutual influences among human needs. Finally, the supply and demand relationships were compared to obtain the gap between the supply of and demand for ESs. Taking Hechi City, a city with a predominantly karst landscape, as an example, we found that: (1) the total area of high-value areas and generally high-value areas in Hechi City increased by 10,935.15 km2, whereas the total area of low-value areas decreased by 11,094.07 km2. (2) A positive correlation exists between the various demands. Spiritual needs and material needs are moderately significantly positively correlated, with a correlation coefficient of 0.54. Security needs are positively correlated with material needs, with a correlation coefficient of 0.6. (3) The ESNV and ESSV in Hechi City are slightly imbalanced. Du’an requires an external ecosystem supply of CNY 21.9192 million for living material, while Jinchengjiang has the potential to export a water supply value of CNY 22.9934 million to external ecosystems. (4) The centers of gravity of various types of supply and demand are distributed primarily within Jinchengjiang District, only the center of gravity of production material needs is in the northern part of Du’an County. The distance between the centers of gravity of the demand and supply for living materials increased by 2100.44 m, the distance between the centers of gravity of the demand and supply for oxygen security increased by 639.15 m. The results are complementary to current research on ESs from the perspective of ES demand. These findings can thus provide scientific foundational information to help decision makers understand the balance between the supply and demand of ESs in a region and promote the construction of a human-harmonious ecosystem.