Han, H. Q. ， Yin, C. Y. ， Wang, K. ， Zhou, H. Y.
2025 APPLIED ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2025 23(卷), 1(期), (507-529页)
Karst ecosystems, among the world's most fragile, are heavily impacted by human activities, disrupting the ecosystem services they provide. Understanding these dynamics is key to improving karst ecosystem quality. This study reviews current research, highlighting progress, challenges, and future directions. Findings show increasing diversity in assessment targets and improving evaluation methods, with a growing focus on changes in karst ecosystem services across different spatial and temporal scales. Researchers are also examining trade-offs and synergies among services and quantifying supply-demand relationships. Ecological restoration to enhance both ecosystem services and human welfare is a key focus. However, challenges remain, including the need for better evaluation methods and models tailored to karst environments. Current research lacks comprehensiveness and needs to explore the interaction of natural and socio-economic factors more deeply. Future studies should adopt multidisciplinary approaches to better assess trade-offs and synergies among services, refine methods for evaluating human welfare, and investigate how karst ecosystem services impact human well-being under varying human activities.