Effectiveness and driving mechanisms of ecological conservation and restoration in Sichuan Province, China

• Multiple perspectives explore the effectiveness of ecological conservation and restoration. • Revealed the driving mechanisms of ecological conservation and restoration in Sichuan Province, China. • Presented the suggestions for ecological conservation and restoration management. Accurately monitoring and identifying the driving mechanisms behind sustainable ecosystem development is essential for formulating management strategies. In recent years, Sichuan Province has undertaken a series of initiatives designed to enhance the quality of its ecological environment. Nonetheless, there remains a significant gap in the quantitative evaluation of the effectiveness and motivating mechanisms behind these initiatives. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of ecological conservation and restoration projects (ECRPs) from 2000 to 2020 by utilizing high-precision land cover (LC) results, with a specific emphasis on the number of new additions, the ecosystem service value (ESV), and the changes in ecosystem service (ES). Furthermore, the GeoDetector model was employed to investigate the potential driving mechanisms. The results indicated that a total of 16,710.72 km 2 of non-ecological land was converted into ecological land, with 81.67 % and 12.33 % of this conversion resulting in forest and grassland, respectively. Additionally, 93.08 % and 4.78 % of the newly established ecological land area originated from cropland and barren, respectively. The newly added ecological land contributed a cumulative total of 57.752 billion CNY yuan in ESV, with adjustment and support services accounting for a combined total of 90.74 %. The transitions from cropland to forests and waters contributed 42.953 and 7.371 billion yuan, respectively. The spatial patterns of carbon storage (CS), soil retention (SR), and water yield (WY) were more aligned with the area distribution of ecological restoration regions (ERRs). CS, SR, and habitat quality (HQ) indices exhibited varying degrees of increase within the ERRs across each county, while WY experienced a decline. Natural conditions, demographic changes, and climatic characteristics significantly impacted the implementation of ECRPs. The observed divergent characteristics emerged from the interplay of multiple factors, with these effects being more pronounced under the influence of these interacting elements.