Profoundly entwined ecosystem services, land-use change and human well-being into sustainability management in Yushu, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The nexus exploration among land use/land cover change, ecosystem services and human well-being has been increasingly crucial in the context of Future Earth. However, the spatial heterogeneity and the entwining process among these three aspects have not yet been in-depth and systematically explored. Here we identified the spatiotemporal pattern of ecosystem services during the past 20 years in Yushu, the eco-fragile region and the centre of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, as well as clarified its relationships with land use change and human well-being. We revealed that: (1) The structure of the ecosystem and land use in this area have been increasingly stable, and the ecological projects have exerted a positive impact. (2) Although the ecological environmental issues still need more attention, the ecosystem services of the area have been positively developing. (3) Derived by the ecosystem services increase, environmental projects and policies, the human well-beings of culture and education performed much better than other aspects. (4) It is crucial to carry out long-term ecological projects and increase educational investment for maintaining the stability of this ecologically fragile area. This study provides significant support for the regional ecological sustainability decision making, especially for the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the roof of the world.