Coupling and Coordination Analysis of Land Use Function and Ecological Quality in Yellow River Basin, Henan Province, China

As economic development and urbanization continue to accelerate, the Yellow River Basin experiences increasing challenges in balancing land use with ecological environmental protection. Understanding their interactions is crucial for sustainable regional development. This study adopts an integrated evaluation system and a coupling model to examine the dynamic interactions between land use functions and ecological quality in the Yellow River Basin section of Henan Province, China, from 2000 to 2020. The primary findings are as follows: (1) Land use functions improved from 0.276 to 0.303, with high-land-use-function areas expanding eastward. (2) Ecological quality initially declined but subsequently improved, with areas having good and excellent ecological quality increasing from 44.47% to 72.61%. (3) Coupling coherence stabilized, with moderate coordination covering 69.80% of the area by 2020. (4) The fractional vegetation cover and leaf area index were identified as critical influencing factors. Overall, these results highlight the importance of balanced land use planning and targeted ecological conservation strategies. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers aiming to enhance sustainable regional development, emphasizing the importance of integrating ecological security with economic growth in rapidly urbanizing areas.