Collaborative Analysis of Urbanization Development and Ecosystem Service Functions in Zhengzhou Metropolitan Area

Clarifying the synergistic relationship between urbanization and ecosystem services in the metropolitan area is crucial for promoting high-quality urbanization and ecological conservation in the region. This study selects the Zhengzhou metropolitan area as the research region and employs multi-source data to measure and evaluate the level of urbanization and ecosystem service value (ESV) in this area from 2000 to 2021. The spatio-temporal coupling characteristics of urbanization and ecological services are analyzed using a coupling coordination degree model. The results indicate that: (1) The comprehensive urbanization level of the Zhengzhou metropolitan area exhibits an annual upward trend, with an overall distribution pattern of being higher in the central and western regions and lower in the eastern region, and the development differences among regions tend to narrow; (2) During the study period, the ESV of maintaining soil function was the largest and the ESV of providing aesthetic landscape function was the smallest. In terms of spatial distribution, Luoyang City ranks at the forefront in terms of the ESV of various functions, and the overall trend among prefecture-level cities is an increase in the east, a decrease in the west, with relative stability in the central region; (3) There is a strong negative correlation between land urbanization level, economic urbanization level, and ecosystem service functions, while the correlation between population urbanization level and ecosystem service functions is relatively small. The coupling coordination degree between urbanization and ecosystem services shows an overall upward trend.