[Analysis on Spatial Relationship and Drivers Between Ecosystem Health and Human Activity Intensity in...

It is important to clarify the spatial relationship between ecosystem health and human activity intensity and to identify their relationship drivers, which will be significant for local ecological protection and promotion of sustainable development in the region. Ecosystem health and human activity intensity were assessed using the vigor-organization-resilience-services （VORS） model and human footprint index in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei （BTH） Region from 2000 to 2022. Their interaction relationship was quantified using the bivariate spatial autocorrelation and coupling coordination degree （CCD） model. Subsequently, the major drivers of CCD were analyzed by the optimal parametric geographical detector model. The results showed that from 2000 to 2022, ecosystem health decreased and then increased, with a slight overall increase in the BTH Region and the largest increase in the mountains at 3.23%. Human activity intensity exhibited a continuous rise overall, decreasing slightly and then rebounding in the mountains, while it increased continuously with the largest growth rate of 20.53% in the plains. The spatial distribution of ecosystem health and human activity intensity cluster types showed "low human activity intensity-high ecosystem health" in the mountains and "high human activity intensity-low ecosystem health" in the plains. Ecosystem health and human activity intensity had significant negative spatial correlations in the BTH Region. The negative effect increased first and then decreased in the mountains and gradually strengthened in the plains. The CCD of ecosystem health and human activity intensity was stable with a "U"-shaped decrease and then increase. It was dominated by moderate coordination type overall and in the sub-region. The state of development changed gradually from "synchronized" to "ecosystem health lagged, " and the change occurred mainly in the urban periphery of plains and bordering mountainous areas. Cropland proportion, construction land proportion, and population density were the major drivers of the overall CCD in the mountains, whereas the vegetation cover was the key driver of that in the plains. In future construction, policies can be based on the CCD relationship and major drivers to promote regional ecological restoration and enhance the coordinated development of the ecological environment and human activities in the BTH Region.