Ecosystem services (ES) and basic public services (BPS) are two pillars that support human well-being. However, previous research has paid insufficient attention to their coupling characteristics during urbanization process, making it difficult to effectively guide the coordinated socio-ecological development of cities. With the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) as a case study, this research employed the root mean square deviation (RMSD) approach to quantify the evolution of ES-BPS trade-off intensity from 2000 to 2020, and explored influencing mechanisms of urbanization process (population growth, economic development, and urban expansion) on the trade-off intensity using geographically weighted regression. Our analysis revealed that out of 26 cities, 15 showed an increase in their comprehensive ES, while 17 exhibited an increase in their comprehensive BPS. The ES-BPS trade-off intensity was relatively high in southwestern Anhui and Shanghai, while relatively low in Jiangsu. During the study period, nearly 50% of cities’ trade-off intensity increased, 42% decreased, and 8% stayed essentially stable. Different urbanization factors exerted varying influence on the ES-BPS trade-off. Population growth mitigated trade-off intensity in approximately 90% of cities, whereas economic development exacerbated it in about 80% of cities. The impact of urban expansion exhibited regional divergence, with the western regions experiencing mitigation and the eastern regions facing intensification. This study revealed the mechanism by which urbanization influences the ES-BPS trade-off, providing a robust scientific basis for promoting socio-ecological synergistic development across the YRD.
Wang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.