Objective This study aims to achieve ecological protection and restoration based on ecological environmental quality (EEQ) and ecosystem services (ESs), protect areas with significant ecological value and important ecological functions, and maximize the benefits of ecological conservation. Methods 23 county-level administrative units in the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan urban agglomeration (CZT) were selected as the research objects. The remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) was utilized to represent EEQ, and the comprehensive ecosystem service index (CES) was integrated to delineate county-scale priority ecological reserves (PERs) in CZT. Multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) was applied to analyze the driving factors from both natural and social perspectives. Results (1) From 2003 to 2023, the RSEI of the CZT showed a fluctuating downward trend. The proportion of excellent-quality areas first decreased from 5.70% to 3.83%, then increased to 4.21%, peaked at 12.61%, and finally returned to 5.93% in 2023. The CES showed a continuous decreasing trend, with the proportion of poor-quality areas increasing from 2.12% to 5.99%, and average-quality areas decreasing from 1.77% to 0.64%. Spatially, it manifested as a gradual degradation of EEQ in central urban areas, contrasted with steady improvement in non-central urban areas. (2) The top 10%, 20%, and 30% of counties ranked by comprehensive performance were extracted. CES reserves were mainly distributed in the eastern part of the study area, ecological quality (EQ) reserves were mainly located along the edges of the study area, and comprehensive ecological reserves were primarily concentrated in the eastern and central-western parts of the study area, all primarily characterized by forest land use type. (3) During the extraction of PERs, natural factors had a significant impact on EEQ and ESs. However, with ongoing socioeconomic development, the impact of socioeconomic factors such as nighttime light intensity on ecology gradually increased. Conclusion Both RSEI and CES in the CZT exhibit declining trends from 2003 to 2023. Based on the Marxan analysis results, it is recommended to designate at least 1 718.42 km2 as PERs in the CZT.
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