The aim of this study was to reveal the spatiotemporal pattern of the supply and demand of ecosystem services (ESs), as well as the significant driving factors for understanding the impact of human activities on the natural ecosystem. To provide a scientific basis for formulating regional sustainable development strategies that enhance human well-being, resource-based cities in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) were selected as the case study. The supply and demand of ecosystem services in these cities from 2000 to 2020 were measured. The spatiotemporal evolution of the supply-demand relationship was illustrated by taking its coordination degree. In addition, geographical detector and geographically weighted regression (GWR) models were applied to quantify the spatiotemporally varying effects of natural and socioeconomic factors on the ES supply--demand relationship. The results showed that resource-based cities in the YRB were experiencing expansion in supply and demand overall, but the supply-demand relationship tended to be tense. The northwest YRB had higher coordination values of supply-demand, while lower values were found in the southeast YRB. Moreover, the relationship between supply and demand was significantly affected by natural and socioeconomic factors, such as elevation, slope, precipitation, land-use type, population density, and gross domestic product (GDP) per land. Furthermore, the GWR model suggested that the effects of driving factors on the supply-demand relationship had notable spatial heterogeneity. The coordination of ES supply-demand in the resource-based cities of southeast YRB was mainly influenced by socioeconomic factors, while that of the west YRB was mainly influenced by natural factors. Our study suggested that it is necessary to enhance the awareness of environmental protection, pay attention to ecological restoration, and avoid unreasonable human disturbance to the ecosystem.

Rapid urbanization and industrialization have had a range of effects on urban form and land use, especially in resource-based cities. Previous research has predominantly focused on the analysis of urban compactness or land-use efficiency individually, overlooking their interplay. In this study, we propose a coupled and coordinated research framework for urban compactness (UC) and urban land-use efficiency (ULUE). We analyze the UC and ULUE, as well as the degree and types of coupling and coordination (CCD) between them, in 119 counties and districts rich in coal resources within Shanxi Province. The findings reveal a declining trend in UC in Shanxi Province over time, with coal-resource-based cities exhibiting lower compactness than non-coal-resource-based cities. ULUE has shown stable development during the study period. The CCD between UC and ULUE exhibit spatial and urban typological heterogeneity. Further analysis demonstrates that the CCD types mainly manifest as the lagging development of UC. This research provides a foundation for achieving harmonious development between urban spatial structure and land-use structure and offers new perspectives for the sustainable development of resource-based urban regions.

Rapid urbanization is universally acknowledged to degrade ecosystem services, posing significant threats to human well-being. However, the effects of urban shrinkage, a global phenomenon and a counterpart to urbanization, on ecosystem services (ESs) remain unclear. This study focuses on China’s Rust Belt during the period from 2000 to 2020, constructing a comprehensive analytical framework based on long-term remote sensing data to reveal the temporal and spatial patterns of ESs and their associations with cities experiencing varying degrees of shrinkage. It employs a random forest (RF) model and a Shapley additive explanation (SHAP) model to measure and visualize the significance and thresholds of socioeconomic factors influencing changes in ESs. Our findings highlight the following: (1) Since 2010, the three provinces of Northeast China (TPNC) have begun to shrink comprehensively, with the degree of shrinkage intensifying over time. Resource-based cities have all experienced contraction. (2) Regional urban shrinkage has been found to enhance the overall provision capacity of ESs, with the most significant improvements in cities undergoing continuous shrinkage. (3) The impact of the same socioeconomic drivers varies across cities with different levels of shrinkage; increasing green-space ratios and investing more in public welfare have been identified as effective measures to enhance ESs. (4) Threshold analysis indicates that the stability of the tertiary sector’s proportion is critically important for enhancing ESs in cities undergoing intermittent shrinkage. An increase of 10% to 15% in this sector can allow continuously shrinking cities to balance urban development with ecological improvements. This research highlights the positive aspects of urban shrinkage, demonstrating its ability to enhance the provision capacity of ESs. It offers new insights into the protection and management of regional ecosystems and the urban transformation of the three eastern provinces.