Towards an integrated perspective on ecological value assessment: Evidence from China's maize production
5 affiliations
- 1School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Environmental Processes and Health, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
- 2Joint International Research Laboratory of Catastrophe Simulation and Systemic Risk Governance, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, 519087, China; School of National Safety and Emergency Management, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- 3Wuhan Centre of China Geological Survey (Crentral South China Innovation Center for Geosciences), Wuhan, 430070, China
- 4State Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Intelligent Construction and Operation, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
- 5College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China; Corresponding author.College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China
Abstract
Ecosystem services have received considerable attention because of their potential to inform sustainability assessments. However, conventional ecosystem service assessments primarily quantify the benefits provided by ecosystems and generally do not account for the environmental burdens associated with a product's life cycle. Here, we propose the concept of green ecosystem services (GES), an integrated framework that combines ecosystem service assessment with life cycle assessment, to comprehensively evaluate the net ecological value of products. We demonstrate the application of the GES framework using maize production in China from 2010 to 2020 and further examine the relationship between GES and socioeconomic development using a panel regression model. The results indicate that the GES value generated from maize production was $2.29 × 10 11 in 2020. Specifically, the ecosystem damage cost, mainly from fertilizer production, was $0.18 × 10 11 , and the ecosystem service value was $2.47 × 10 11 , essentially from direct processes. The panel regression model suggests an inverted U-shaped relationship between GES and per capita GDP. On the basis of this nonlinear relationship, we described three development patterns (i.e., ascending, transitional, and declining zones) and reported that they exhibited spatial heterogeneity. These findings suggest that the GES framework provides a product-oriented metric for assessing net ecological value by integrating ecosystem service benefits with life-cycle environmental impacts. Moreover, the relationship between economic development and GES highlights the need for differentiated regional strategies tailored to different stages of socioeconomic development.
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BibTeX
@article{li2026towards,
title = {{Towards an integrated perspective on ecological value assessment: Evidence from China's maize production}},
author = {Ziheng Li and Shaokun Li and Wenxi He and Pengdong Yan and Yinying Hu},
journal = {Water Cycle},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.watcyc.2026.09.004},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watcyc.2026.09.004},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Towards an integrated perspective on ecological value assessment: Evidence from China's maize production
AU - Ziheng Li
AU - Shaokun Li
AU - Wenxi He
AU - Pengdong Yan
AU - Yinying Hu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Water Cycle
DO - 10.1016/j.watcyc.2026.09.004
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watcyc.2026.09.004
AB - Ecosystem services have received considerable attention because of their potential to inform sustainability assessments. However, conventional ecosystem service assessments primarily quantify the benefits provided by ecosystems and generally do not account for the environmental burdens associated with a product's life cycle. Here, we propose the concept of green ecosystem services (GES), an integrated framework that combines ecosystem service assessment with life cycle assessment, to comprehensively evaluate the net ecological value of products. We demonstrate the application of the GES framework using maize production in China from 2010 to 2020 and further examine the relationship between GES and socioeconomic development using a panel regression model. The results indicate that the GES value generated from maize production was $2.29 × 10 11 in 2020. Specifically, the ecosystem damage cost, mainly from fertilizer production, was $0.18 × 10 11 , and the ecosystem service value was $2.47 × 10 11 , essentially from direct processes. The panel regression model suggests an inverted U-shaped relationship between GES and per capita GDP. On the basis of this nonlinear relationship, we described three development patterns (i.e., ascending, transitional, and declining zones) and reported that they exhibited spatial heterogeneity. These findings suggest that the GES framework provides a product-oriented metric for assessing net ecological value by integrating ecosystem service benefits with life-cycle environmental impacts. Moreover, the relationship between economic development and GES highlights the need for differentiated regional strategies tailored to different stages of socioeconomic development.
SN - 2666-4453
ER -