The aim of this study is to explore the spatiotemporal variation and the transfer of ecosystem service value (ESV) in Jiuquan City from 2005 to 2020 to help ecological development. Based on the equivalent factor method and the grid analysis, employed to analyze the spatial and temporal changes in ecosystem service values in Jiuquan City, the fracture point model and the field strength model were applied to calculate the transfer of ecosystem service value in seven districts and counties of Jiuquan City. The ESV of Jiuquan City showed an overall increasing trend, and all individual ESVs showed increasing trends, except for water supply, with the ESV of regulating services showing the most significant growth from 2005 to 2020. The top three secondary ESVs were hydrological regulation, climate regulation, and environmental purification, with regulatory services accounting for the largest proportion, followed by support services, supply services, and cultural services. From 2005 to 2020, the distribution of high and low ESV zones in Jiuquan City did not change significantly, with the high-value zones being mainly located in Suzhou District, south of Subei County and Yumen City, and the low-value zones being concentrated in Dunhuang City, Guazhou County, north of Suebei County, and Jinta County. The ESVs transfers from each district in the study area, in descending order, were Guazhou County, Subei County, Yumen City, Dunhuang City, Aksai County, Jinta County, and Suzhou District. Guazhou and Subei were the main ESV exporters. Areas with high ESV exports tended to have high ESV values. Hydrologic regulation is the service type with the largest transfer volume, accounting for 19.00% of the total ESV transfer in Jiuquan. Jiuquan possesses the highest ecosystem service value in the Gansu Province, China, indicating a superior ecological status.

To explore the spatio-temporal variation and transfer of ecosystem service value (ESV) in Jiuquan City from 2005 to 2020 to help ecological development. Based on the equivalent factor method and grid analysis to analyze the spatial and temporal changes in the value of ecosystem services in Jiuquan City, the fracture point model and field strength model were applied to calculate the transfer of ecological service value in seven districts and counties of Jiuquan City.From 2005 to 2020, the ESV of Jiuquan City showed an overall increasing trend, and all individual ESVs showed an increasing trend, with the ESV of regulating services showing the most significant growth. The top three secondary ESVs are: hydrological regulation, climate regulation, and environmental purification. The value of regulating services accounts for the largest share, followed by support services, supply services and cultural services. From 2005 to 2020, the distribution of high and low ESV zones in Jiuquan City does not change significantly, with the high value zones mainly located in Sujhou District, south of Suebei County and Yumen City, and the low value zones are concentrated in Dunhuang City, Guazhou County, north of Suebei County and Jinta County. The ESVs shifted outward from each district in the study area were, in descending order, Guazhou County, Subei County, Yumen City, Dunhuang City, Akse County, Jinta County, and Suzhou District. Guazhou and Subei counties were the main ESV exporters. Areas with high ESV exports tended to have high ESV values. Hydrologic regulation is the service type with the largest transfer volume, accounting for 19.00% of the total ESV transfer in Jiuquan City. The ecological condition of Jiuquan City is good.