Prioritizing ecological restoration in cold Alpine source regions: A multi-dimensional framework integrating ecosystem services, security, and feasibility

The source regions of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers serve as a critical ecological security barrier. In recent years, climate change and intensified human activities, such as overgrazing, have led to ecosystem degradation, threatening regional water resources and global carbon dynamics. This study evaluated four key ecosystem services (ESs): water yield, soil conservation, carbon storage, and habitat quality. Based on the Ecological Security Index (ESI) and Ecological Restoration Feasibility Index (ERFI), priority areas for ecological restoration were identified and classified using index overlay analysis. Furthermore, the Geo-detector method was employed to explore the main drivers of the spatial heterogeneity of ESs, ESI, and ERFI. The four ESs exhibited significant spatial variability, with higher values observed in the Yellow River source region. Areas with high ecosystem service values were mainly concentrated in the central and southeastern parts of the Yellow River source region and the southeastern part of the Yangtze River source region. Precipitation, vegetation cover, slope, and potential evapotranspiration were identified as the primary factors influencing the spatial distribution of ESs. In addition, inter-service relationships revealed both synergies and trade-offs. The mean ESI across the study area was 0.33. Approximately 12.7% of the area, primarily located in the northern and southwestern parts of the Yangtze River source region, had an ESI value below 0.2. The mean ERFI was 0.28, with 79.7% of the region exhibiting low restoration feasibility. Notably, areas characterized by low ESI and high ERFI, indicating high restoration priority, accounted for 22.7% of the total area. The integrated ES–ESI–ERFI framework provides a robust basis for targeted ecological restoration and resource allocation in the source regions of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, offering a valuable methodological reference for managing other cold, fragile high-altitude ecosystems.