Enhancing the capacity for ecosystem services delivery in karst desertification control engineering through ecological products value realization
Year: 2025
Type: preprint
Abstract: Karst Desertification Control (KDC) engineering aims to deliver vital Ecosystem Services (ES), yet their long-term capacity to do so is often limited and fiscally unsustainable. This article aims to develop a novel framework and synthesize evidence on how Ecological Product Value Realization (EPVR) mechanisms can enhance the capacity of ES delivery in KDC engineering. Employing a systematic qualitative synthesis approach, we analyzed peer-reviewed literature, policy documents, and primary interview data from three representative case studies in the South China Karst. Data were analyzed using grounded theory and process-tracing methods to identify causal mechanisms. We construct a novel theoretical framework illustrating three primary EPVR pathways and their specific mechanisms for enhancing ES capacity. Case comparisons reveal that pathway effectiveness is highly context-dependent, with key barriers include ES quantification, market development, and community empowerment. We conclude that EPVR represents a crucial paradigm shift from merely sustaining projects to amplifying their ecological functionality. Realizing this potential requires policy interventions that foster adaptive EPVR models tailored to local socio-ecological contexts. This article offers a foundational framework for guiding future research and policy in sustainable ecological engineering.
Authors: Rong Zhao, Kangning Xiong, Zhaojun Liu
Institution: Guizhou Normal University
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W4414313200
Cites:
Cited by:
Related to: