Spatio-temporal changes of land use land cover and ecosystem service values in coastal Bangladesh

Increased human activity and dynamic climate variables have radically altered the global land use land cover (LULC) pattern and the ecosystem services (ES) they offer. However, assessing the impact of such LULC dynamics on ecological resources has rarely been attempted, especially in Bangladesh. Here, we assessed the dynamics of LULC change and associated ecosystem service values (ESVs) of coastal Bangladesh during 1999–2019 by analyzing historical Landsat LULC images and economic valuation techniques, respectively. Findings revealed a high prevalence of rural settlement-based Tree Outside Forest (TOF) land sprawl over agricultural land. Besides, LULC transition analysis revealed an increase in built-up, mangrove forest, water bodies, and saltpan/aquaculture areas and a decrease in agricultural and bare land areas. Overall, the ESV of coastal…