Spatio‐Temporal Farmland Use Transition and Its Spatial Effects on Ecosystem Services at the Township Scale in China: A Case of Jiangsu Province

ABSTRACT Farmland use transition, defined as the reconfiguration of farmland utilization patterns over time, plays a critical role in balancing food security, land conservation, and rural sustainability. Despite its importance, township‐scale transition processes remain insufficiently understood, limiting the ability to formulate locally adapted and regionally coordinated strategies. This study aims to capture farmland use transition through spatial morphology and functional dimensions at the township scale in provincial China, and to investigate the spatial effects of this transition. Spatial Markov chains and bivariate Moran's I were employed to assess spillover effects and correlations with ecosystem services (ESs). The empirical results revealed that the farmland use transition process in Jiangsu Province experienced periods of rapid development, differentiation, and slow decline. Spatially, high transition values concentrated in central and northern Jiangsu, while suburban townships and southern areas exhibited relatively lower levels, with spatial morphology and functional morphology displaying divergent patterns. The spatial spillover effects influenced transitions in neighboring townships, with regional disparities. Traditional agricultural regions exhibited stronger spatial spillover effects, whereas urbanized regions showed more pronounced negative influences. Farmland use transition exhibited distinct spatial correlations with ESs across spatial and functional dimensions. Water conservation and recreation services showed negative effects with correlation coefficients of −0.090 and −0.230, whereas habitat quality and carbon storage tended to exhibit more positive impacts with correlation coefficients of 0.264 and 0.359. This study enhances the understanding of fine‐scale dynamics and spatial effects of farmland use transition, offering insights to support farmland resource management policies.