Spatiotemporal evolution of coupling coordination between ecosystem service value and residents’ well-being in the Northern Three Counties of Langfang, Hebei

Objective To analyze the temporal variation and county-level differences in ecosystem service value and residents’ well-being in urbanization spillover-receiving areas of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration, to explore the evolution of their coupling coordination relationship, and to provide a reference for regional ecological conservation and coordinated improvement of human well-being.

Method Taking the Northern Three Counties of Langfang as a case study, and based on multi-source data on land use, meteorology, soil, and socioeconomic conditions from 1999 to 2023, the InVEST model was used to assess ecosystem services including water yield, soil conservation, carbon storage, water purification, and habitat quality. The shadow engineering method, replacement cost method, and market value method were then integrated to estimate ecosystem service value. A multidimensional evaluation index system for residents’ well-being was constructed, with indicator weights determined by the entropy weight method. The coupling coordination degree model was used to characterize the coordinated evolution of the two systems, and correlations between ESV components and well-being dimensions were further analyzed at the overall scale.

Result (1) From 1999 to 2023, total ESV in he Northern Three Counties of Langfang showed a fluctuating upward trend, increasing from 8.813 to 33.221 billion yuan. (2) The composite well-being index rose from 0.357 to 0.697, with a temporary decline around 2011 and a faster rise after 2015. (3) The coupling degree (C) ranged from 0.484 to 0.997 and the coupling coordination degree (D) ranged from 0.303 to 0.897, indicating an overall transition from mild maladjustment toward coordination, while exhibiting phase-specific fluctuations during the period of accelerated urbanization. Clear county-level gradients were observed: in 2023, Sanhe City had a markedly higher D than Xianghe County and Dachang Hui Autonomous County, and Xianghe County showed a mismatch in the later period characterized by declining ESV alongside rising well-being. (4) Dimension-specific associations showed that carbon sequestration, water purification, and habitat quality were significantly positively correlated with the “basic material needs” dimension, whereas correlations with “health and safety” were weak or negative; the “good social relations” dimension was more strongly correlated with habitat quality and water purification.

Conclusion Overall, ecosystem services and residents’ well-being in he Northern Three Counties of Langfang improved in coordination, but with stage-dependent fluctuations and county-level differentiation. Collaborative governance in urbanization receiving zones should adopt place-based strategies: stabilizing the supply of key ecosystem services while strengthening public services and risk-governance capacity, so as to promote synergies between ecological conservation and livelihood improvement.