Objective To scientifically evaluate the dynamic changes in the ecological environment of the Yellow River Basin and reveal its driving mechanisms, this study systematically analyzes the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of the ecological environment quality in the region from 2000 to 2022, predicts its future development trends, and investigates the impacts of temperature, precipitation, and human activities. Methods Based on the remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) model, the ecological environment quality changes and evolution trends in the Yellow River Basin from 2000 to 2022 were examined using Sen's trend analysis, the Mann-Kendall test, the Hurst index, and their integrated analytical methods. Pearson correlation analysis was further used to explore the impacts of temperature, precipitation, and human activity intensity (HAI) on the ecological environment. Results 1)Over the past 23 years, the basin exhibited an annual mean RSEI value of 0.473, indicating that the overall ecological quality remained at a moderate level. 2) The RSEI values in the Yellow River Basin exhibited a fluctuating upward trend, with an annual growth rate of 0.004 4, indicating an overall improvement in ecological quality. 3) In the coming period, 72.95% of the region was projected to show increasing RSEI values, suggesting further enhancement of ecological conditions. 4) The mean Pearson correlation coefficient between RSEI and HAI was -0.159, showing an overall negative correlation. Meanwhile, the mean Pearson correlation coefficients between RSEI and temperature/precipitation were 0.081 and 0.239, respectively, indicating an overall positive correlation, but with significant spatial heterogeneity. Conclusion During 2000-2022, the ecological environment quality of the Yellow River Basin generally maintains at a moderate level but showed a fluctuating improvement trend, with most areas expected to continue improving in the future. Both natural factors (temperature and precipitation) and anthropogenic factors (human activity intensity) have significant impacts on the RSEI.
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