Agricultural land conversion and ecosystem services loss: a meta-analysis.

This study aimed at investigating the harm from ecosystem services (ESs) according to agricultural land conversion (ALC) by using meta-analysis. The results of meta-regression showed that spatiotemporal effects had significant influences on some ES losses, and the maximum spatial impacts were relevant to Asia and Europe. Moreover, the results of ALC rate coefficients in meta-regression indicated that three large losses of ES were related to soil erosion (0.314), air pollution (0.202), and climate change (0.161). Therefore, the ALC should be done at a suitable conversion rate to reduce ES losses. Accordingly, administrators are suggested to consider careful research planning for the ALC in the process of economic development. Other strategies highlighted the importance of ALC–ES interactions for human well-being, such as measuring the pricing of goods and services based on land resources, continuously monitoring illegal ALC, and imposing taxes on unplanned ALC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]