On the comparative use of social media data and survey data in prioritizing ecosystem services for cost-effective governance

The ecosystem services (ES) provided by urban parks are critically important for urban sustainability, but their performance evaluation needs to be further enhanced for cost-effective park governance. Importance-performance analysis (IPA) can prioritize ES performance, but most ongoing IPA studies are based on surveys with limited scalability. The recent upsurge of social media data (SMD) offers new data sources and research opportunities in varied realms. However, there is a prominent research gap on SMD’s capacity in ES prioritization compared to surveys considering data advantages and limitations. Based on Pearl River Park and Yunxi Ecological Park in Guangzhou, China, this study explores the similarities and differences in satisfaction and importance characteristics, and IPA results of perceived ES based on both SMD and survey data. This study found that SMD can fully prioritize ES relevant to public welfare but only partially to personal welfare. There are consistent IPA results for all ES relevant to public welfare through both data sources. IPA results of the ES relevant to personal welfare demonstrate varied conclusions through the two data sources: some (aesthetic service, physical and mental recovery, and religion) are similar, but the rest are different (recreational service, social interaction, and education). The consistency is mainly because some ES have similar experiences to most users, while the difference is affected primarily by different user groups. SMD directly reflects users' feedback to varied ES. While survey data can cover more extensive user groups, detailed classification is necessary for analysis. By distinguishing different IPA results for different ES from two data sources, this study offers methodological insights for ES assessment and other related urban studies. It also has methodological and practical significance for the realization of urban social-environmental justice and human well-being.