Assessment of the Value of Services and Emergy in the Zhoushan Coastal Waters Ecosystem

Abstract

Based on the four aspects of the marine ecosystem service system, namely supply, regulation, culture and support, the service function system of the marine ecosystem in the Zhoushan coastal area was constructed. The ecosystem valuation by assigning economic value to its services through valuation methods (the market value method, results reference method, shadow engineering method, replacement cost method) and the emergy analysis method were used to estimate the service value of the Zhoushan coastal marine ecosystem. The results revealed that in 2015, the total valuation of the marine ecosystem services of Zhoushan coastal water was 868.47×10⁴ CNY, while the total emergy-currency value was 1246.92×10⁸ CNY. The per unit valuation of the ecosystem services was 417.57×10⁴ CNY/km², while the per unit emergy-currency value is 600×10⁴ CNY/km². In the total valuation of the Zhoushan offshore ecosystem, the proportion of the values of supply services, regulating services, support services and cultural service was 11.80, 19.47, 29.66 and 39.6%, respectively. In the total emergy-currency value, the value of the supply services, regulation services and cultural services accounted for 9.19, 5.52 and 85.37% respectively. The results provide important reference for the maintenance and sustainable use of the marine ecosystem services, scientific management of the marine ecosystem in the Zhoushan coastal waters.