Evaluation the effects of land use changes on ecosystem services based on the InVEST model (Case study: Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province)

The most obvious example of human activities on the land due to the increase in population and the need for development is land use changes, which lead to changes in the provision of ecosystem services. To that end, the present study was done with the aim of quantitatively evaluating the carbon storage capacity and habitat quality and showing their spatial distribution to achieve social-ecological stability, sustainable use of land resources, and develop appropriate plans and policies in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. The modeling of selected ecosystem services was calculated using InVEST software models and the capacity to provide them in land use classes using Zonal Statistics analysis in a GIS software environment. The results indicated that high-value carbon storage areas are focused in areas with forest cover, which have strong carbon storage capacity and are the largest carbon sinks in ecosystems. Likewise, the highest habitat quality was also observed in these areas, and in places where the vegetation is fragmented and the surrounding environment is occupied by human threat sources, the quality of the habitat has decreased. Spatially, carbon storage and habitat quality Indicated a low-high-medium spatial distribution pattern from north to south. The maps of ecosystem service created in this study can be useful in identifying potential areas of carbon storage supply and habitat quality, and provide a scientific basis for further discussion by policymakers about future land use planning, from the perspective of minimizing climate change and increasing biodiversity.