Spatio-temporal evolution in habitat quality and its driving factors in Han River Basin, China

Habitat quality (HQ) is a key indicator of regional ecological environment and biodiversity. Understanding the evolution of HQ is essential for establishing regional ecological security patterns and promoting green and high-quality development.The Han River Basin (HRB) is an area that has been strongly affected by human activities. However, it is still unclear how the HQ of the basin has changed over the past 20 years and to what extent human activities have affected the HQ. In order to address the above issues, this study analyzed the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of HQ from 2000 to 2023 based on the InVEST model, and quantitatively explored the primary driving factors of HQ changes through the Geodetector method. The results indicate that: (1) From 2000 to 2023, the HQ index in the HRB ranged between 0.446 and 0.461, representing a moderate level of HQ. The overall trend showed an initial decline followed by a gradual recovery, with a net decrease of 0.008. In addition, it presents 'high in the middle, low on both sides' in space. (2) Approximately 69.31% of the basin maintained stable HQ, while 14.73% of the area experienced improvement and 15.96% suffered degradation. The spatial distribution revealed a vertical differentiation pattern characterized by 'concentrated degradation at low elevations and localized improvement at middle and high elevations.' (3) Over the past two decades, the primary driving factors for the evolution of HQ in the HRB were land use intensity and elevation, followed by temperature and GDP. The coupling effect of human activities, topography and climate finally formed a dual-mode driving pattern of 'human-induced stress at low elevations and natural regulation at high elevations'. These findings provided insights into the spatial and temporal dynamics of HQ in the HRB, and offered scientific support for enhancing ecological conservation and fostering green and high-quality development in the region.