Objective To enhance the ecological management of plateau lake basins, this study clarifies the spatiotemporal evolution, spatial coupling, and underlying driving mechanisms of water retention and soil conservation services in the Erhai Lake Basin from 2000 to 2020. Methods Based on the InVEST and Chinese Soil Loss Equation (CSLE) models, the spatiotemporal evolution of water retention and soil conservation services in the Erhai Lake Basin from 2000 to 2020 was quantitatively assessed. The Geodetector method was applied to identify dominant controlling factors, while synergy and trade-off identification methods and spatial autocorrelation analysis were used to explore their coupling relationships and spatial heterogeneity. Results 1) From 2000 to 2010, water yield in the basin decreased by 42.19%. Although it recovered slightly by 2020, the overall water retention function declined by 21.3% compared to 2000. Soil conservation, however, increased continuously, rising by 2.19×106 tons from 2000 to 2020. Forest land contributed most significantly to both services, accounting for 56.61% of total water retention and 72.64% of total soil conservation amount. Cropland and grassland exhibited differentiated impacts on ecosystem services. 2) Water retention was primarily driven by climatic factors and soil types, with the interaction between PET and TR showing the highest explanatory power (q=0.63). Soil conservation service displayed higher system complexity, jointly influenced by climate, soil, human activities, topography, where the PRE-TR combination yielded the strongest explanatory power (q=0.71). Additionally, human activities exerted significant modulating effects on ecosystem services under specific natural conditions. 3) A trade-off relationship dominated the two services (66.28%), while synergistic relationships were mainly concentrated in western areas with well-vegetated forests and grasslands. Conclusion Ecological management in the Erhai Lake Basin should prioritize balancing the trade-off between declining water conservation and increasing soil retention. Regulating the interactive effects of climate, soil, and human activities is key to promoting synergistic improvement of regional ecosystem services.
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