Land use change generally varies greatly among functional zones in a large area. This study reveals land use change characteristics across seven functional zones in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region during 1985–2022 based on the latest land use planning data, with the land use dynamic degree, transfer matrix, and comprehensive index of land use intensity. Results suggested cropland, forest land, grassland, and built-up land were dominant land use types in most functional zones, generally with significant decreases in cropland and grassland and noticeable increases in built-up land and forest land. Besides, single land use dynamics of built-up land and forest land were generally above 2.00% and 0.40%, while that of grassland and cropland was generally below zero in most functional zones. Comprehensive land use dynamics were very high in the Central Core Functional Zone (Region IV), Bashang Plateau Ecological Protection Zone (Region I), and Eastern Coastal Development Zone (Region III), peaking above 0.70%, and were low in other functional zones. Additionally, the land use degree increased slowly from 267.28 in 1985 to 274.17 in 2022 on average, varying remarkably among various functional zones. These findings provide a firm foundation for formulating more targeted land management policies across various functional zones.

Droughts in the Weihe River Basin are occurring more frequently and are becoming more intense. These events negatively affect industrial production, economic development, and ecosystems. Studying how vegetation changes in response to them is of practical significance. We report temporal and spatial trends in vegetation cover, use a copula function to analyze relationships between drought and vegetation cover, and assess the probability of vegetation loss in different drought scenarios. A vegetation index trends upwards from north to south in this basin; from 2001 to 2017, vegetation cover also trends upward in most areas, although it decreases in areas with high vegetation cover. An escalated susceptibility to drought has been observed in the southern and eastern sectors, where proximity to the riverbank correlates with heightened drought sensitivity, particularly in zones of intensified vegetation density. The probability of vegetation loss at the same vegetation loss preset point gradually increases with increased drought severity. These results will facilitate the formulation of countermeasures to prevent and combat the effects of drought on vegetation and land management.