Spatiotemporal evolution of land ecological quality and its driving factors: a case study of Zhejiang Province, China

Rapid urbanization threatens regional ecological quality, yet its spatiotemporal evolution mechanisms remain unclear, hindering precise ecological governance. This study integrated time-series multi-source remote sensing data, the Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI), and Geodetector model to examine the spatiotemporal dynamics and driving mechanisms of land ecological quality in Zhejiang Province from 2000 to 2023. Results show: (1) Urban expansion transformed land use patterns, with ecological and semi-ecological spaces decreasing by 1,489 km² and 3,756 km², respectively, while construction land increased by 4,954 km²; (2) The average RSEI declined continuously from 2000 to 2005, but policy interventions since 2005 have facilitated gradual ecological restoration; (3) Natural factors (DEM) and anthropogenic pressures (population density) were the primary drivers of ecological quality differentiation (q > 0.15). These findings provide empirical evidence for optimizing ecological compensation and spatial governance in rapidly urbanizing regions.