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[Spatiotemporal variations and driving factors of ecological environmental quality in Shanxi Province based on the
Xu Bi1, Jian Li1, Kai-Long Shi1
11 College of Resource and Environment, Shanxi University of Finance and Economics, Taiyuan 030006, China.
Abstract:
Shanxi Province is located in the eastern part of the Loess Plateau in China, characterized by natural geographic spatial heterogeneity and fragile ecological environments. Understanding the spatiotemporal distribution variations of ecological environment quality and their driving factors is crucial for promoting ecological conservation and coordinated socio-economic development in Shanxi. We constructed a remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) on the Google Earth Engine platform and analyzed the spatiotemporal variations in ecological environment quality in Shanxi from 2000 to 2020. Methods such as Theil-Sen median trend analysis, Mann-Kendall test, and Hurst index were employed to assess the trends and sustainability of RSEI changes. Additionally, geographic detectors, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), and mediation analysis were introduced to explore interactions among factors and their direct and indirect effects on RSEI. The results showed that the mean RSEI fluctuated between 0.44 and 0.68 from 2000 to 2020, showing an overall upward trend with spatial distribution patterns of mountainous areas outperforming basins and southeastern regions outperforming northwestern ones. The ecological environment quality exhibited a significant improvement trend, with 81.6% of the area showing enhancement. The Hurst index suggested uncertainties and potential reversal risks in future trends. Geographic detector analysis revealed that elevation, potential evapotranspiration, and land use intensity were the primary factors driving spatial differentiation in RSEI, with the explanatory power of multi-factor interactions significantly exceeding that of single-factor. PLS-SEM and mediation analysis demonstrated that potential evapotranspiration weakened the positive effect of precipitation on RSEI by intensifying climatic stress, while the nighttime light index amplified the negative combined effects of urbanization and resource exploitation on RSEI. Our results deepened the understanding of ecological environment quality evolution mechanisms and could provide methodological support and policy insights for ecological governance and sustainable transformation in resource-dependent regions.
