Analysis of the spatiotemporal dynamics and driving factors of ecosystem quality in Inner Mongolia from 2005 to 2020

Enhancing ecosystem quality is a necessary part of establishing of ecological civilization. The study of ecosystem quality requires the development of comprehensive evaluation indices. The existing simple remote sensing ecological indices are insufficient for achieving a comprehensive and systematic evaluation of the ecosystem quality. Therefore, we constructed an ecosystem quality index based on the landscape pattern, ecosystem stability, and ecosystem services. The spatiotemporal dynamics of the ecosystem quality in Inner Mongolia were analyzed over the period from 2005 to 2020. Moreover, a geographically weighted regression model was used to investigate the factors influencing the spatiotemporal variations in the ecosystem quality. The main results are as follows. (1) The spatial distribution of ecosystem quality in Inner Mongolia exhibited a gradual decline from the northeast to the southwest. In contrast, temporal analysis revealed a general increase in ecosystem quality from 2005 to 2020. (2) Climate was a significant factor influencing the spatial heterogeneity and temporal variability of the ecosystem quality. Socioeconomic factors, population density and livestock numbers had notable impacts on the spatial heterogeneity and temporal variability of ecosystem quality, respectively. (3) In Inner Mongolia, temperature and ecosystem quality showed a positive correlation in the northeastern region, but a negative correlation in the central and western regions. The findings offer valuable support for local policymakers in making informed decisions regarding targeted ecosystem management. Furthermore, our results provide local governments with valuable insights for enhancing the quality of regional ecosystems by taking into account the specific conditions of the area.