Identifying regional eco-environment quality and its influencing factors: A case study of an ecological civilization pilot zone in China

Jiangxi Province is one of the first ecological civilization pilot zones (ECPZ) in China. The assessment of eco-environment quality (EQ) assessment and its future trends are of great significance to the maintenance of ecological security in Jiangxi Province and the construction of other pilot zones in China. Here, we propose an extended remote sensing ecological index (ERSEI), and then analyze its spatiotemporal distribution features and trends; we combine this with the optimal parameters-based geographical detector (OPGD) model to quantify the influencing factors, and further explore the future trends and prospects of the ERSEI. Our results show that: (1) Compared with the remote sensing ecological index (RSEI), the ERSEI can more effectively reflect regional differences in EQ. (2) Areas with an excellent ERSEI are mainly located in the important ecological barrier areas of Jiangxi Province, whereas areas with poor or worst ERSEI values correspond to the spatial distribution of the Nanchang metropolitan circle, town clusters, and urban development axes. (3) The ERSEI in Jiangxi Province improved in 72.50% of the study area from 2001 to 2021. (4) Slope, population density, and elevation are the key factors affecting the ERSEI, with the interaction between slope and population density explaining 79.9% of the variance in the ERSEI spatial distribution. (5) The areas predicted to see future rises and falls in the ERSEI in Jiangxi Province at 56.55 × 103 and 96.24 × 103 km2, respectively. These research results can provide support for Jiangxi Province to achieve sustainable development and ecological civilization construction, while also providing an ERSEI that effectively identifies regional differences and acts as a new reference to further EQ research.