The value of ecosystem services in Hegang coal mining area

Ecosystem service is closely associated with human well-being. A modified method of equivalent value factor per unit ecosystem area was adopted to account the ecological values for 9 different types of ecosystem services in different subsidence periods(1993, 2000 and 2013) in Hegang coal mine area. The results showed that the total values of ecosystem services in 1993, 2000 and 2013 were 22.19 × 10~7, 10.25 × 10~7 and 35.32 × 10~7 CNY, respectively. In terms of the economic value derived from different types of ecosystems, the mean value of the farmland ecosystem was the highest, accounting for 189.35% of the average total value of ecosystem services, and the mean value of the forestland and the water area accounted for 46.50% and 26.83%, respectively. In terms of the economic value derived from different types of ecosystem services, the mean value of the support services was the highest, accounting for 186.67% of the average total value of ecosystem services, followed by regulation services, cultural services and provision services, accounted for 45.34%, 5.73% and-137.74%, respectively. From 1993 to 2013, the ecosystem service value increased from west to east, and the value in the south was obviously higher than that in the north, which was caused by the direction and process of coal mining. The spatial difference of ecosystem service value was mainly influenced by the changes of the land-use type, area and land quality in mining process. The total values of ecosystem services in 1993 and 2000 decreased by 152.96 × 10~4 and 35.32 × 10~4 CNY, respectively, compared to the traditional calculation method(spatial homogeneity), and the total value of ecosystem services in 2013 increased by 781.63 × 10~4 CNY. From 1993 to 2013, the natural habitat in Hegang coal mine subsidence area presented a process from decline to improvement.