Analyzing the comprehensive evolutionary characteristics of the ecological environment in the Bayin River basin based on Landsat data

This study aims to provide a guide for the optimal management of land use and ecological environment in the Bayin River basin or similar areas by revealing the comprehensive evolution characteristics of the ecological environment in the Bayin River basin. Based on the 12 scenes of remote sensing image data from 2005 to 2020, this study quantitatively explored the critical factors influencing the ecological environment in the study area using a geographical detector. By combining the model for integrated valuation of ecosystem services and trade-offs (InVEST), this study established an ecological environment quality assessment model through statistical analysis, overlay analysis, and analytic hierarchy process, revealing the comprehensive evolutionary characteristics of the ecological environment in the basin. The results show that: ① The critical factors influencing the ecological environment quality in the basin included population size, GDP, elevation, and rainfall. The comprehensive assessment value of the ecological environmental quality in the basin increased from 0.455 to 0.533, suggesting an overall upward trend; ② The ecological environmental quality in the basin exhibited significant regional differences. Specifically, 14.9% of the basin manifested degraded ecological environmental quality, primarily distributed in the vicinity of the Bayin River basin and the surrounding area of Delingha City. In contrast, 33.6% displayed improved ecological environmental quality, spreading in areas to the south of lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Bayin River basin. This study indicates that the future ecological environment protection and planning in the Bayin River basin should focus on the balance between agricultural land and other ecological and construction land during urbanization, thereby achieving coordinated development of economy and ecology through scientific planning of spatial framework.