Studying the spatial management scope of the river ecological corridor is a crucial step in effectively managing river health problems. For various purposes and needs, human beings intervene excessively in the river, resulting in the problems of unclear spatial scope, unclear ownership, and unreasonable functional utilization of the river ecological corridor. However, there is scarce research on the management scope of the river ecological corridor at present, and on the coordination relationship with territorial spatial protection planning. Therefore, in order to solve this key problem, this paper reviews and summarizes the current research status and development trends in terms of the concept, components, and other basic theories of the river ecological corridor, as well as relevant policy regulations. The relationship between the spatial scope of the river ecological corridor and the territorial spatial control line is analyzed, including the relationship with the river shoreline, aquatic ecological redline, “three control lines” and other control lines. Accordingly, this study reviewed the spatial management and control scope of the river ecological corridor. It also determined that the boundary line of the river shoreline management is the minimum line, the aquatic ecological redline, and the “three control lines” are the outermost boundary lines, in which the aquatic ecological redline has priority over other control lines. It also points out the thinking of determining the management scope in the protection and restoration of the river ecological corridor in the future. Our findings can provide a decision-making basis for the management of river ecological space.

Vegetation cover is a crucial component of regional ecological environments that plays a vital role in maintaining ecosystem balance. This investigation utilized Google Earth Engine and MODIS NDVI products to examine the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of regional vegetation coverage based on the multi-year average NDVI in China. Using the multi-year average NDVI, multi-year change trend slope, coefficient of variation, and Hurst exponent, the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of provincial and prefectural administrative regions were quantified. The results indicated an upward trend in vegetation coverage from 2000 to 2021 at both provincial and prefectural levels, with growth rates of 0.032/10a and 0.03/10a, respectively. Moreover, the multi-year average NDVI significantly correlated with regional precipitation. Notably, vegetation growth was fastest in the Loess Plateau, while degradation was observed in southern Jiangsu and northern Zhejiang. Additionally, the degree of vegetation cover change in Ningxia and Macau was particularly prominent. These findings support the effectiveness of the Loess Plateau greening project and highlight the potential cost of economic and population growth on the ecosystem in eastern and southeastern coastal areas, where local vegetation degradation occurs. This study can serve as a valuable reference for ecosystem restoration and developmental planning at the administrative regional level, with the goal of enhancing vegetation management and conservation efforts in China.