Impacts of Different Rural Settlement Expansion Patterns on Eco-Environment and Implications in the Loess Hilly and Gully Region, China

While the eco-environmental effects of rural settlement expansion are great significance to sustainable land use, relationship between and eco-environment under different patterns is still unclear. To fill this gap, current study used Baota district loess hilly gully region as a case area. We first investigated spatiotemporal settlements from 1990 2015 then estimated their impacts on ecosystem services by implementing Integrated Valuation Ecosystem Services Tradeoffs (InVEST) model global agro-ecological zones (GAEZ) model. Results showed following: 1) edge was primary pattern in 2015, area 757.40 h m 2 , accounting for 71.76% total settlements. 2) Rural caused 1744.60 t loss crop yield, 40,155.78 Mg C carbon storage, significant decline habitat quality water areas during 1990–2015. 3) According unit area, leapfrog contributed more than infilling pattern. 4) There were gradient differences three services, gradually weakened increased distance. Accordingly, we concluded that reduced surrounding especially food production service, had higher levels stress services.